This Week's Adventure Photography Newsletter

Published: Thu, 02/09/12

Hi gang!

Do What You Love

You’ve heard that before. The rest of it goes …And the money will follow.
I live by this mantra, and so should you. Why? Because it’s a rock solid path to follow in life that will lead to success. However, it needs some clarification, because it’s often presumed to mean that just doing something fun will lead to immense financial rewards.
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. What it means is that if you figure out what you truly LOVE to do in life, and then charge forwards and apply yourself with total abandon, creativity, confidence, and some sense of strategy, you’ll find success, which of course, means money.
It doesn’t specify how much money will follow, because there are simply too many variables in the equation, but the bottom line is this: If you practice something long enough, you’ll get really good at it; good enough to be able to turn it into some form of fame or fortune, should you choose to do so, whether you’re a “pro” or not. It just takes effort. LOTS of effort.
Let me give you an example of how this works. Last fall, after years of learning how to use speedlights and working them into my own style, I wrote my third eBook, Going Fast With Light. In addition to selling copies of the book, I took it to the PDN PhotoPlus Expo trade show and showed it around to some of the lighting company reps. One of those companies was Photoflex, who just brought me on as a featured pro showcase photographer.
My point here is that it’s not just my imagery that has brought me clients and notoriety, it’s my endless stream of new ideas, my energy and my dedication to carry them out, even though when I start each project, I have no idea where it will lead.
“Project” could, of course, mean virtually anything: a specific shoot idea, an eBook, a reworked portfolio, a video. With all the technology that we have at our disposal today, the opportunities are endless.
What will your next project be? Where will it take you?

Win a Photoflex WhiteDome

You might have seen some of the shoots that I’ve been doing lately with my new Photoflex WhiteDomes. They’re essentially big Chinese lantern things that are made out of durable fabric instead of paper. While I use mine mainly with my TritonFlash, you can also use them with speedlightes and hot lights. They put out beautiful light that can be modified with the black velcro panel that allow you to cover one or all of the sides to help direct and block the light.
Right now, Photoflex is giving one of these things away. Check out their Facebook contest, tell them what you think about the WhiteDome and maybe you’ll win one. You can even say that I sent you over, maybe that will help. Probably not, but it doesn’t hurt to let them know where you heard about it.

Work or Whine?

You’re not a whiner, are you? A complainer, a stick in the mud, a hold on to the past, old way person who refuses to see new possibilities in the road ahead? I didn’t think so. If you are, though, or if you’re afraid of becoming one, check out this awesome rant called Work or Whine, about the business of photography that David duChemin posted on his Pixelated Image Blog yesterday. Good stuff. That David, he’s really something isn’t he? Amazingly introspective fellow, and an awesome photographer to boot.
If you haven’t checked out any of his eBooks yet, I’d highly recommend them. The guy simply does not put down a bad word onto the page. It was his TEN and TEN MORE series that set the tone for his inspired “Gear is Good. Vision is Better” brand of teaching photography.

Also, if you’d like to try before you buy, download the totally free Craft and Vision eBook, 11 Ways To Improve Your Photography. It’s filled with 11 great articles about photography approach and technique, written by their top authors, including David. Definitely worth a look.

I want your input for my next eBook

I’m well into writing my next eBook. As I mentioned in a previous newsletter it’s a behind the scenes workshop where I walk you through the exact methods I used to create a selection of my top images. Everything from the approach, the gear, the outtakes, the compositional ideas to the fun anecdotes that made the shoot memorable. It’s all there.
This is where you come in. As a subscriber, you have the unique and exclusive opportunity to help direct the content of this book. If you’re dying to know just how I created a specific image that you’ve seen on my blog, Facebook page of website, let me know which one it is. I obviously can’t promise that I’ll get every request in the book, but if there are any that get multiple votes, I’ll certainly consider throwing those into the mix. After all, I want to give you what you want! It will be like I’m writing the book just for you!!
Think about it, but don’t wait too long. I’m looking at a March release and want to finalize my content within the next couple of weeks.
If you’re a new subscriber, welcome! (especially if your initials are DK.) I hope that you enjoy this and future newsletter and that they somehow inspire or inform you about this adventure we know as photography. As always, I’m open to suggestions on content. Also, be sure and share this around with your other photographer friends!
See you next time- Have a great week!
Dan
P.S. Oh yea, and by the way, Nikon just announced the brand new D800 the other day. This is HUGE!! Read my thoughts below.

Shooting With an ILS (Improvised Light Stand)
Who needs a light stand when you have a backpack? Strobist gear here is about as simple as you can get: Camera, SB-800 Speedlight that’s being triggered from the on board pop-up flash on my Nikon D700, and a Lumiquest … Continue reading → Find out more

The Best Lens For Shooting Portraits
So what’s the best lens for shooting portraits? That’s like asking what’s the best day of the week for eating dessert. Sure, there are hard and fast rules about this kind of thing, but if you’re like me, you scoff … Continue reading → Find out more

Nikon Announces The D800 36.3-Megapixel HDSLR
The rumors were true. After months of speculation and widespread leaks, the official announcement finally came yesterday for the brand new CMOS FX sensor, dual CF/SD card slot 36.3-megapixel Nikon D800 Professional HDSLR Camera. To date, this is the world’s highest … Continue reading → Find out more

Shoot Photos Because You LOVE Them, Not Because You Can Sell Them
What’s this? A non-adventure, non-outdoor rock and roll photo? Are you sure you’re on the right blog? Better glance up and check the URL. Yep, you’re in the right place, or at least you’re here on the Dan Bailey Photo … Continue reading → Find out more

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