around the net, volume 1

Welcome to volume #1 of Around the Net, the weekly prophotolife round up. It’s been a great week, lots of links and info to share. Things have been busy: blogging, working with a great new client on location and prepping for tonight’s gallery show. I’d like to give prophotolife readers a sneak preview of my exhibit (photo right). If you’re in the Greater Cincinnati area come on down to The Carnegie Arts Center in Covington, KY, tonight and say “hello”.

copyright Steve Paxton / Paxton Prints

How often do you see photographs that truly change you? Either the way you think about life or about photography? I’ll let Steve Paxton’s work and video speak for itself. It needs no help from me.

I’ve been spending more and more time getting inspiration from DIYPhotography.net, a great collection of DIY photo tech projects. I had a “doh!” moment when I saw the DIY hand strap project, I’ve needed one for years (a neck strap just gets in the way in the studio and on the camera stand) but never thought of this. And, always a nut for DIY lighting, this is the authority on making your own strobes from disposable cameras (reuse, recycle).

You know what a great feeling is? Coming home and seeing a FedEx package in the screen door from photographer Dave Beckerman. I finally (after years of reading his blog) ordered a couple prints. Beautiful prints (I need to find out what inkjet paper he’s using), flawless mats and a certificate of authenticity were inside the box. If you’re interested, I got this one and this one. This is the sum and total way Dave makes his living, selling fine art prints of New York City through the internet.

My buddy Chip was having a bad day and sent an email with the subject line: “lesson here…don’t buy cheap monopod”. This photo (right) was attached. Yes, that appears to be a saw (or an amazing Ginsu).

Jason, one of our number one photo assistants and a budding commercial photographer, sent this great photo earlier in the week. A true lifelong student of photography, Jason never tires of exploring. His email and photo (below):

Taped black paper on my bedroom window, used my 4×5 lens (unscrewed the lens elements from the shutter) as my aperture and used the back wall as the screen. I then took a picture of it with my 20D 28mm, ISO 3200, 8sec @ f/2.8. A wider lens would have been nice.

Here’s also a reminder that Calumet Photographic (a prophotolife sponsor) will be ending their current discount deal at the end of April. Buy whatever you want and Save $15 on orders of $100 or more at Calumet Photographic - no code necessary. Offer expires 4.30.2008 Plus Free Shipping over $75!

That’s it for this week, have a great weekend (get out there and shoot) and I’ll see you on Monday with another fresh video…

- Jim T.