Archive for the ‘Blog Suggestions’ Category

Head In The Sand (1/60th at f2.8, 23mm at ISO 500)

I finally got my head out of the sand and joined Flickr.  I’m not sure why I waited this long to join, but it’s proven to be another wonderful outlet to connect with fellow photographers. I’m a big believer in looking at other people’s work for inspiration. Working in a cocoon has never worked for me and Flickr provides the perfect arena for exchanging ideas, techniques and feedback. It’s a place much like school, “you get as much out of it as you put into it.” It’s taken me a few weeks to get the hang of it, but I’m telling you it’s a no brainer for those of you looking to connect with photographers. Here are my suggestions: join Flickr (it’s free for 100mb each month), join some groups of interest (such as Black and White, or Travel Photography), upload your photos to these groups, make sure to comment on other people’s photos, if you enjoy someone’s work or comments then add them as a contact, interact with your contacts and groups. To check out my Flickr stream just click HERE (feel free to add me as a contact). If you become a Flickr addict I strongly suggest using a program like Flickroom to help manage your stream, contacts and uploading process. So join the party and let me know what you think.

Over the past few months I’ve been kicking around ideas for the blog.  It’s been a ton of fun sharing my experiences, thoughts and tips with all of you.  But it wasn’t until I finished the black and white contest that I realize how much I enjoy learning  about you, “the reader”.     One of my favorite features from my home town paper was called  “man on the corner”.  The basic concept was to highlight random people in the community to tell their  story to fellow readers.  Scott Kelby does a similar concept on his blog with his  weekly guest column.    My thoughts are simply this:  once a  month I would highlight one of my readers (Facebook fans, Twitter followers, blog subscribers).  The process would be simple:  I would contact you via email or phone and conduct a brief interview.  You would in turn share insight into yourself and  your passion for photography with our fellow readers via the blog.   How do you get selected?  Darn good question.   You need to drop me a note on my blog (which is here) and first tell me you’re interested and why.   Don’t be shy.  Just leave a comment like, “Hey, John I would love to be featured because photography is what gets me going in the morning” or “Pick me because I love taking pictures”.   Remember to include your website address so that I have a chance to review what you would like to share with our readers.   Keep in mind this isn’t a contest.  Nor am I selecting people randomly.   Selection will be based upon a number of factors, but primarily on what I think my readers, “you folks” might enjoy reading.   Here’s your chance for some “free publicity” so drop me a note. I look forward to hearing from all you folks.

Ludington (1/100 at f/3.5, 28mm, ISO 100)

Hi, Kajsa here with the first Saturday post of what will hopefully become a long list of them. Thursday’s post was on the magic hour and I couldn’t agree more.  I’ve included my own magic hour photo just to give emphasis to John’s point.

But today I’ll be talking about blogs, and my experience with getting my own up and running.  I never had a blog before because I kept asking myself “Who am I talking to?”  Also, I’m a cradle perfectionist and have trouble being satisfied with something so open-ended.  A huge part of blogging as a photographer though is social networking and projecting yourself into the scene, so this is the next best step for me, an aspiring photographer.

What I thought would just be a simple site where I wrote some words and showed some pictures is turning out to consist of a lot more key elements if I want anybody to visit.  I’ll share with you the steps that I have taken to get my own blog to be visitor friendly and to be one that encourages repeat visits.   To get my feet wet, I first used Wordpress.com for 2 reasons: John recommended it, and it was free.  Fast forward a month and I’ve tried out the program with help from Wordpress for Dummies and have decided to do this for real.  Mine is still under construction and not quite ready to be live, but you’ll be the first to know when it is.  Until then, these are the steps I’ve taken:

Step 1: Buy a unique domain name and the use of a hosting site from a service like godaddy.com.  I called them up, told them what I wanted, bought the name, and had things ready for activating in probably less than 30 minutes.  I have the version where Wordpress is built right in the mix, so I continue to use that program.  Buying the domain name and having the hosting site has given me a clear name that is easily searchable.  I am also now able to install plugins.

Step 2: Choose a theme for your blog.  I was told that it’s all about columns – and it is!  With the RSS feed icons and the tweet widgets and space for other folders, lists, and archives, the layout where I have two columns in addition to my post area seems to be the best option for me.  Also, there are programs like Artisteer for personalized themes if you want a unique one.

Step 3: Install some plugins.  You can find the plugins at www.wordpress.org in the extend tab.  I started by adding Scissors (for editing photos that I upload), and a widget for Twitter.  I also set up an account through Google’s Feedburner so that people can easily subscribe to my blog via RSS feeds or email.  Those are a few of the inner details that I wanted smoothed out before going live.  I’ll worry about  adding more later.

Step 4: Publish your first post!  I also created an About Page that includes the same introduction from this blog, so if you read it don’t expect to be blown away.

Now, if you’re still wanting to try out a blog before investing money, then you can set up an account through Wordpress.com and be blogging in minutes.  It’s a lot simpler because you’ll take out steps 1, most of 2, and 3 and be done.

I don’t know if I’ll ever come to terms with the fact that blogs are always a work in progress.  There will never be a time when I can say, “Yep.  I’m finished,”   dust my hands off and call it good.  But it does relieve some of the pressure since I know that one post is not the last post I’ll ever make.  It’s sort of like when I go to a restaurant with my family and after I’ll have sufficiently held up the rest of the table’s orders by being the most indecisive person on Earth, my Mom will say “Kajsa, it’s not your last meal.”  Well-said Mom, well-said.

Have a great Saturday!

www.batdorffphotography.com

I get a lot of questions regarding my Batdorff Photography portfolio website.   In today’s tech savvy environment, it’s very important to have a website to promote your portfolio.  There are many, and I mean many, web services that provide good results.  After many years of searching, and changing, I landed on Livebooks.   Livebooks has the back-end system that makes uploading and managing my photos easy.   I truly love the look and feel of many other Livebooks websites such as the Chase Jarvis’s Livebooks site.  The one thing I don’t love about Livebooks is its price.  But I bit the bullet two years ago and signed up anyway – writing the cost off to an investment.  Well, I’m happy to announce I just heard Livebooks is now offering a subscription service for  $39.00 a month….a fraction of what I spent years ago.   You get to choose and customize your template as you see fit. Not to mention, you get access to  Livebook’s killer editSuite,  which allows you to manage your photo uploads, tagging,  search engine optimization  and more.  To be totally honest I wish this pricing structure had been available when I went live with my site some years ago.

There are plenty of other  portfolio options you can consider too such as Photoshelter, Smugmug, Wordpress.com, Zenfolio, just to name a few.  But when it comes to providing a professional looking site that’s easy to manage, I truly think Livebooks rises to the top.   Plus, now with the Livebooks new subscription plan, the barrier to entry  has been greatly reduced. As we all know, it’s all about the monthly payment. I understand they’re also offering a 14 day trial so check it out HERE.

Hamlin Lake, Kajsa Stolberg

I’m a list kind of guy.  There’s something to be said about crossing things off a list.  I can’t explain it, but it’s probably part of my twisted perception about achieving goals..;)  I’ve become so bad about creating lists that people are starting to tease me that I have a list for my list.   One item I’ve had on my list for quite some time is to find an assistant to help keep me organized with some of the larger projects.  Well, I got lucky and found myself a bright willing “sucker”…I mean “participant” to help keep me on task.

I’ve asked my new internship “winner”,  Kajsa (pronounced: ka-i-sa)  to say a few words:

I am very excited to be working with John and learning from his talent and experience.  I got hooked on photography after a class in college had me exploring off campus and working in the darkroom.  During my final year, I found the satisfaction of sharing my work when I completed a photographic study of an Amish family near my hometown in Michigan.  From that project, I learned how to observe different lifestyles and turn my observations into an artistic installation.  I have spent the last five years traveling around the world and I always carry my camera wherever I go.  I am now in Michigan after living two years in a small town in Japan.  If I’m not doing something related to photography or living out of a backpack, you can usually find me experimenting in the kitchen, riding my bike, or watching a good movie.

My intention is to have Kajsa start blogging on Saturdays, so keep an eye out for her.  And please make “Kajsa” feel at home and wish her the best of luck!

Side note:

If you have an iPhone make sure to download the Photoshop.com Mobile photography application.  Everyone knows I love Chase Jarvis’s Best Camera application, but I’m going to tell you Photoshop’s application is very nice and very FREE!  Check it out. I know you’re going to love it.

Oh wait, there’s more!   For those of you looking to get a solid book to read about running a Photography Business, I suggest picking up a copy of “Best Business Practices for Photographers“, by John Harrington.  There’s just a ton of good information in this book.

Lastly,  remember to upload your black and whites to our photo contest….We’re getting some great entries and I want to see more!

Honl Flash System

Flash photography can be a hassle, no doubt. I think many beginning photographers avoid using flash because of the unknown. If you’re in that boat, I hope this helps: I’ve spent the last few years looking for a system that works for me when I’m on the go. I was really excited when I heard about the Honl’s system. It’s easy to use, compacts down well and best of all its reasonably priced. The Honl Photo Speed Strap fits around your flash securely, allowing you to place a Honl Photo Speed Snoot, Honl Speed Gobo Bounce card or gels. This stuff is very compactible, so it’s easy to store with your gear when you’re traveling with a small pack. I think the system set me back around $60.00, but it’s been well worth the investment. You can read more about the products by clicking HERE. Follow David Honl on Twitter…HERE.

Other news:

A while back I put you onto David duChemin’s ebook “Ten.” Well, he’s done it again with “Ten More.” If you enjoyed David’s first ebook as much as I did, then I strongly recommend stopping by his store HERE and picking up his latest addition.

The game plan for this weekend is to decorate for Halloween. I’ll get out and take a few photos at some nearby pumpkin patches (always a challenge in Chicago) and pack for my upcoming trip out West. I hope everyone enjoys their weekend.

If you have an iPhone and you enjoy taking photos then I highly recommend Chase Jarvis’s “The Best Camera” application.   The application cost $2.99 and  is available via iTunes.  You can read more about it  HERE .  Also,  here is a short video from Chase that describes the product in true Chase fashion.  Sure, the application has limitations and you’re not going to print an 8×10 from the results, but if you’re looking to have fun and have an easy way to share your photography, then this might be the ticket for you.

Chase is a talented photographer, not to mention quite the visionary. I highly recommend following his blog which can be located by clicking HERE.  And if you have an hour to kill, I suggest watching Chase’s speech that he delivered a few months ago to the  Art Directors Club of Denver.  The hour long presentation is available via podcast on iTunes or the Art Directors Club of Denver blog  located HERE.  Watch it, and get ready to be inspired .

TIME FOR A NEW LOGO

I never really created a logo when I started my website, so after talking to one of my students, I decided it was time to create one.   Taking photos is one thing, but designing a logo? Forget it!  So,  the next question was, how?  I decided to try a logo contest via LogoMyWay.com.   Check out the progress, and If you know a graphic designer make sure to  send them to my contest, located HERE.

Have a great Monday…John

Missouri Flats Rainbow

Today’s blog is going to be on the short side,  but I want to point you in the direction of one of my favorite freelance photographers.  Bob Krist has taken photos for National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian, and Islands magazine.  His work is amazing, and if you follow his blog lately, he’s been traveling West and posting photos from iconic locations along the way.  As a reminder, I have one spot left for this September’s workshop.  If you’re interested drop me a note at john@batdorffphotography.com, or visit my Online Workshop tab and reserve your space with the Buy It Now button.

Today is a great day to ask for input on what you would like to see and read more about on this blog. Some people have mentioned more information regarding equipment, lighting, camera gear, travel photography..etc. I’m here to serve, so give me your thoughts and feedback – and I’ll make sure to deliver the goods.