jeff-golf

Hi Everybody!
It’s a beautiful Monday and I’m back and totally refreshed thanks to a few days off doing nothing but playing golf with my big brother Jeff (that’s him shown above).

We headed out to the West Coast last Thursday for a long golf weekend (to celebrate his 60th Birthday), and we had such a great, relaxing, fun-filled time. I took a lot of photos; none of which are worth a darn, because we had gray foggy weather every single sunrise and sunset, but luckily during the golf itself—it was beautiful (plus, I probably had my best round ever), so it was about as much fun as two golf-loving brothers can have. Now I’m ready to get back to work!

Thanks For Your Ideas
First, a big thanks to everybody who shared your thoughts about my “Down & Dirty Dilemma” on Friday. It gave me a lot to think about (including that maybe I should consider writing a “Down & Dirty Tricks Book for Photographers”), but of course I hoped that part of the audience for the current book would actually be photographers (after all; nearly every effect starts with a photo).

There are some things I will change going forward (certainly with how we market the live tour), and some things I can’t or shouldn’t change (based on your comments), but I did read each and every comment and want to thank you all for taking the time. I really consider it a privilege to be able get your unbiased input, and it’s something I never take for granted, and am always very grateful for. I think it really helps me write books that are better tuned-in to my readers, and I think you can see your handprints on my books as they have evolved in the past few years.

The Landscape Photographer’s Roll of the Dice
This week out West reminded me of what a “roll of the dice” it is trying to find great locations for shooting landscapes. In the past month I’ve done landscape shoots at dawn and dusk now in Portland, Oregon, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and along California’s Big Sur coast, and I’ve yet to have a single decent image, even one time. But that’s OK—I know it’s coming. It has too. It’s just a matter of time, right? (Sigh). ;-)

Seriously though, this is just part of the process, and part of shooting landscapes. Finding that spectacular light, at just the right time, isn’t something that happens every day, or every time you go out, which is why you have to go out again and again and again until you catch it. The odds favor the photographer who doesn’t give up, so I’m not giving up, and I’ll be shooting a lot this summer in an unrelenting search for that golden magical light. I know that it’ll be hit or miss, but I also know that even a bad day of shooting landscapes is still an awfully great day.

A big welcome to three new Photo Walk Sponsors
Just a quick shout out, and a word of thanks, to three new official sponsors of my Worldwide Photo Walk. They are:

OnOne Software
Developer of cool award-winning plug-ins for Photoshop (link)

Digital Academy (by Panasonic Lumix)
Digital Photography Educators with a nation-wide tour (link)

Bogen Imaging
Distributor of Gitzo, Elinchrom, Lastolite, and lots of other cool photo gear (link)

Thanks to these fine companies for being a part of the world’s largest social photography event. Great to have you on board!

Quote of the Week:

“Photography is like this addiction. Every day you try to get another great shot to add to the collection.”  (Read the full article)

–Jared R. Milgrim

I wish you all a beautiful Monday, and I invite you back tomorrow when I’ll be all stressed out from being back at work. ;-)