Hi ,

 

Stop for a minute and think about all the wonderful things that you can do with your camera: 

 

Snap candids of your best friend. Shoot awe inspiring landscapes under magnificent light. Capture rare and funky party moments with the crew. Make a compelling portrait that you and your client or model will savor for years to come. Stitch together a panorama landscape in Photoshop. Merge multiple exposures into a surreal HDR image. Freeze the action at a sporting event. Document your adventure. Tell a visual story of your travels. Create conceptual images for a client. Do Instagrams with your iPhone. 

 

The list goes on, doesn’t it? So many reasons to love photography and be excited. Of course, not everyone loves photography. Sure, they may say the do, but we all know people who are hyper critical of everything that comes down the pipe, especially when it comes to the photo stuff. With this in mind, check this link that I found this week on the Photoshelter blog, called Rant- Why I love Photography, and make sure you’re not one of these people. Then revel in all the great examples in the post. I promise you, it’s worth your time. 

 

Why? Because you LOVE photography.

 

 

In case you haven’t heard, solar activity is on the rise, which means more chances to view the Northern Lights. Even if you live in the lower 48, there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to see them in this winter. If you haven’t seen the Aurora, you’re in for a real treat. In fact, it might even be worth a mid winter trip to Fairbanks just for the experience. Think about it: Hot Springs, darkness, −20 degree weather and brilliant displays of the aurora.

 

Fellow Alaska photographer Patrick Endres wrote an article called How To Photograph The Northern Lights with a Digital Camera. Check it out, and then take a look at his incredible aurora images on his Google+ gallery. They’re absolutely stunning. Seriously, go look now, you’ll be amazed.

 

And Speaking of Google+, if you’re on there, you might be interested to add Thomas Hawk’s list of 1,500 Kick Ass Photographers to your own circles. Again, if you LOVE photography…

 

 

I’ve got a VERY SPECIAL promotion going on right now. For one week only, you can get ALL 3 of my photography eBooks bundled together for only $17. How To Become a Pro Photographer, Making The Image and Going Fast With Light, ALL for just 17 bucks. That’s a 48% savings off of the regular price. 

 

I’m offering this through PhotoWhoa.com, a company that offers exclusive deals on photograph products. As I said, it’s a limited time offer, only good through February 7th, and it will not likely come around again. Already have one or more of my eBooks? Then fill in the gap or consider buying the 3-book package as a gift for a photographer friend. Think about it, wouldn’t YOU want a gift like that? 

 

 

Also, this week, I started writing my next eBook. I told you about it last week, but the first ink is finally on the page, so to speak. As I mentioned, it’s a how-to manual that breaks down a number of images and walks you through the exact method that I used to create them. I’m aiming for a Spring release. Stay tuned…

 

Speaking of eBooks, have you had a chance to check out Apple iBooks Author yet? It allows you to create touch screen eBooks for the iPad and other iOS devices that you can upload right to the iTunes iBook store. While it’s not what I use to create my eBooks, it’s certainly worth looking at. If you have any experience using this new app, I’d love to hear what you think. 

 

 

My profile page went live on the Photoflex site today, I’m now officially a Photoflex Pro Showcase Photographer. As someome who’s used their gear for over two decades, I’m excited and extremely honored to be included among a group of very talented and accomplished shooters, who Photoflex feels are “masters of shaping light.” Check out my profile page and look for the first of my Photoflex LightingSchool tutorials later this month.

 

 

 

Finally, in case you missed it last week, my post titled Landscape Photographers on Creativity and Inspiration ended up being one of the most read and well received pieces on my blog in months. I highly encourage you give yourself some time to check it out and digest what these top photographers had to say.

 

Here in Anchorage, the average temperature for January was something like 2.7 degrees F. Fortunately, January is now behind us. Not that I don’t like the cold, I’m just ready for some nice warm 20 degree days. I hope that you're having a great winter.

 

Enjoy your week and have fun reading my recent posts!

 

Take care,

Dan