Hi ,
Another year gone. Another number increase on the calendar. As a student of
history, it’s amazing to think that we just lived twelve months of events and experiences which now become our past. Some of the things that we have done during the past 52 weeks, including trips we have taken, stories we have written, photos we have shot and personal interactions we’ve experienced, now become intertwined with the timelines our entire life stories.
And while many of those
less significant events will be quickly forgotten, some of them will remain in the forefront of our minds for the rest of our lives as events which changed and impacted us in major ways.
This is true even with things like photography. I’m sure that during the past year, you’ve shot some amazing images, some of which you feel are your best ever. Years from now, you’ll look upon
those photos and remember where you were when you shot them, and what experiences you were having when you pressed the shutter. They become entwined in your memory and your learning path forever.
At the same time, this can cause a little anxiety, or whatever you want to call it, because sometimes, getting a great image almost puts pressure on you to create something just as good or better
in the future. I’ve experience this numerous times over the years, I look back on my best images from 2016 and wonder if I’ll be able to match or top that kind of creative caliber and technical accomplishment in 2017.
Of course, I always do. We all do. As long as we keep learning and exploring the
craft of photography during the course of our lives, we’ll continue to improve and create great imagery. I won’t say “better,” because that’s too subjective.
It also doesn’t take into account that you have different experiences every year that contribute to your creative artistry with the camera. You visit
different places, meet new people, and have unique mindsets that are based on your thoughts and interests at any given time. Surely your imagery will reflect that.
Keep this in mind as we head into 2017. Be extremely proud of the great images you shot this past and don’t put too much pressure on yourself
that you have to top them in the next 12 months. Rest assured. You will, and this time next year, the same thing will happen, only you’ll be that much more experienced as a photographer.
The Greatness of Photography in 2016 |
2016 was truly a great year for photography. With all the advancements in cameras, especially mirrorless cameras, software and other photo gear, it’s easier than ever to be whatever kind of photographer you want to be.
It’s such an exiting time for us. Smaller lighter and more powerful cameras allows us to become more mobile and more capable. Diverse new software allow us to break away from the complicated and expensive bonds of the big traditional photo editing programs and they expand the ways in which we process and share our imagery with our audiences or clients.
New websites and apps offer diverse platforms for us to present our photos and tell our stories to the world in visually appealing ways. And each year, we’re seeing more dedicated photography publications that are made by real people instead of publishing companies. Technology allows us to create magazines and online journals that bring together photographer with similar styles and interests.
2016 brought the Nikon D5 and D500, the Fuji X Pro 2 and X-T2 and the announcement of the new Fujifilm GFX medium format camera, the Canon 1DX MK II and a host of other new cameras and lenses, as well as new photo editing programs like Luminar and major updates to Affinity Serif,
Topaz, Capture One Pro and On1.
We also saw greatly expanded opportunities for learning photography with the increased number of photo workshops, photo walks, webcasts, online video courses and other web-based tutorials.
I’m sure that in 2016 you started following or were introduced to some new photographers who helped you reach new heights with your own work. Since you’re reading this right now, I might be one of those people, and so I’m grateful that I’ve been able to have a positive impact on your photography.
My Photography Path in 2016 |
In early May, I moved up to X-T2, which added a stunning new level of performance to my Fuji kit and truly brought me full circle with my action photography. I shot some of my favorite road and cyclocross images, and I even put the camera down and competed in 12 bike races through the summer and fall. That’s the most racing I’d ever done in a year. I got strong. I made some great new friends. I
had a killer wipeout.
Thank You For Your Support! |
I’m amazed and humbled at where my photo career has taken me in 2016, and I attribute much of that to you, my followers. You are the ones who actually read my blog, attend my workshops, buy my books and eBooks and come out to see me when I’m in your towns giving
presentations.
So, I’d like to extend my deepest gratitude to you for your support in 2016. I hope that I’ve been able to reciprocate and give you some good photography advice and insight during the past 12 months. I try to answer every single email I get from you guys, and I do my best to
help you guys out as much as I can.
It’s very fulfilling and rewarding to be able to help other photographers achieve success and become better, more adept shooters, and that’s why I’ve transformed much of my business model to that end. As I like to say, I love photography, and I love it when other photographers get excited about their own photography
too.
So here’s to 2017. I look forward to more great things for next year and I look forward to continuing to help all of you and be an important part of your photography journey in the coming months.
I wish you the very best of luck and fortune in 2017 and I hope to meet and get to know you even more in the future, even if it is just by email.
Very best regards and Happy New Year.
-Dan
Cradoc fotoQuote Pro 7 and fotoQuote iOS |
The latest version, fotoQuote Pro 7, features a large number of new stock usage types, including social media, apps, mobile content and even stock footage. In total, 86 new categories have been added, which means that fotoQuote now has info for over 300 possible stock photo usage types.
It also contains updated assignment photography line item pricing and video editing, as well as a database for your clients if you use the program as a standalone version. fotoQuote Pro is included in Cradoc’s comprehensive photography business software package, fotoBiz X, which includes a client database, but if you already have a client/billing solution, then you’d probably just want the stand alone version of fotoQuote.
As I said above, if you sell or have any intention of selling your photos as stock, or if you shoot assignment work, fotoQuote Pro is a must-have solution for your photography business. With the information it provides, it will pay for itself with one job or sale, and it will help you get the price you deserve.
I’ve been a
dedicated fotoQuote user for my entire 20+ year photography career and I swear by the program. Having coached many photographers over the year about how to price their photos, I cannot stress enough how valuable this program is. There is no other program on the market like this, so if you are looking for a way to price your work, this is it.
Luminar Update and Holiday Sale |
I’ve been using Luminar since it came out almost two months ago, and I’ve been really excited by its simplicity and versatile customizable interface. It’s a very powerful program that easily fits
with your skill level or with how you intend to use it.
With the Custom Workspaces and presets, you can decide whether you want to go deep with your image and make use of layers, brushes, masking and noise reduction. Or, if you just want to do some quick but effective tweaks, you can bring up a simple workspace and get great results in a matter of
seconds.
The program already works with most cameras and RAW files and Macphun just released a major update to Luminar, which includes a Dehaze filter, Golden Hour filter, an enhanced Color Temperature filter, Batch Processing and more.
Also, Macphun has announced that they plan to come out with a PC/Windows version of Luminar in 2017.
Macphun has won Best Apple Store App categories five years in a row, including 2016 with Luminar, so this shows their continued commitment to producing great apps.
It’s only $59, and that’s just once. No subscriptions. You can use it standalone or as a plugin for Lightroom. Even if you already use LR or another photo editing app, Luminar is worth checking out. For the price and what it can do, it’s a great tool to have in the arsenal.
Being Self Critical Within Your Creative Process |
A number of years ago, I stumbled across an amazingly fun book called A Kick in the Seat of the Pants: Using Your Explorer, Artist Judge and Warrior to Be More Creative.
The book’s author, Roger von Oech, who runs a consulting firm that helps companies stimulate creativity and innovation in their businesses, defines the four main roles to creativity as follows:
The Explorer: The role that
searches for new information.
The Artist: The role that turns information and resources into original ideas.
The Judge: The evaluative and critical role
The Warrior: The role that puts the creative ideas into action...
|
|
Read More
|
|
|
|
|
