Dec 15 2010

Which Jarvis is Better: With or Without Photo Surveys?

Category: Business & Marketing, Creative ProcessEthan G. Salwen @ 8:11 am

AfterCapture Blog_101215_Chase Jarvis Comments“Which Photo is Better: A or B?” The name of Chase Jarvis‘ latest blog post gives a good sense of its content. The 830 comments readers have posted in less than 24 hours speak to why photographers might want to get clients and fans involved in a Web 2.0 editing process.

Yes. 830 comments!

Jarvis tends to average between 15 to 75 comments per post, which is major, but not as super-massive as 80o+. Clearly, people like to share their two cents — especially when it comes to picking photo A or B.

But it’s not just that.

From experience, Jarvis’ readers know that their input will acctually influence the photographer. They also know that Jarvis will blog about his reader-influenced process — making them feel as involved as they truly are.

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Mar 31 2010

Inspiring Portfolios from Photojournalists

Category: Business & Marketing, Creative ProcessEthan G. Salwen @ 11:05 am

A great post from 10,000 Words from last year features a number of excellent portfolio websites. “20 Photojournalists’ fantastic portfolios” is not just for photojournalists, but will be of interest to any photographer who is continually searching for for new ways to present increasingly diverse bodies of work.

AfterCapture_Blog_100331_Photojournalist Websites

As the post’s intro points out:

The digital era has revolutionized photography. Photojournalists not only have access to high-end cameras with a seemingly infinite number of features, but their photos can be presented in many different ways, including slideshows and multimedia packages. However, it doesn’t matter the technology that powers the photography, what matters is the eye and innate skill of the photographer, as evidenced below.

The inclusion of multimedia along with still photography is one of the hallmarks of the best portfolios, such as that of Chris Jordon, which is straight forward, but which excellently concentrates on the story of the images presented — whether stills or multimedia presentations.

The 10,000 Words post suggests that all that “matters is the eye and innate skill of the photographer.” I disagree. The point is not the skill of the image maker, nor their skill in editing their best images (not easy) but, ultimately, how they best take advantage of technology to best show off those skills.

Check out the portfolios featured in the 10,000 Words post, and let these photojournalists inspire you in ways you can continue to improve your own presentation.

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Jan 27 2010

“The Selby”: A Great Way To Approach Web Galleries

Category: Creative Process, PhotographersEthan G. Salwen @ 5:02 pm

AC_Blog_100127_The Selby_1Would you like to take an intimate peep through the fabulously offbeat homes of dozens of creative professionals around the world? Could you use some inspiration for new ways to share hundreds of your images that might not be “portfolio worthy,” but which deserve to be seen, nonetheless? If you’ve answered “yes” to either of these questions (how could you not?), definitely check out “The Selby.”

Yesterday, Jain Lemos asked if I was in on “The Selby.” Having no clue what she was talking about, I headed to the site. What I found was a Web presence  oozing with creative energy, displaying wonderful, intimate images of creatively-inspired homes.

At first glance I found the site be seem haphazard, a bit confusing, hard to navigate. But after five minutes with with “The Selby,” I understood its crystal clear focus and and the intelligence of its structure, and boy was I hooked. Continue reading ““The Selby”: A Great Way To Approach Web Galleries”

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Jan 08 2010

Get The Big Picture (and Major Inspiration) from “The Big Picture”

Category: ViewpointEthan G. Salwen @ 4:33 am

To receive a regular selection of great, topical photojournalism images, be sure to sign up for  “The Big Picture: News stories in photographs,” put together by the passionate and intelligent photo editor Alan Taylor and hosted by “boston.com” (the online edition of “The Boston Globe.”)

Today Taylor brings us 18 stunning images from the moon in “Images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.” Wednesday Taylor delivered us 31 images from the “Harbine Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival.” On Monday Taylor served up 33 images in “Three Days in Iran.”

Image acquired July 11th, 2009. More (NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University)

Image acquired July 11th, 2009. More (NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University)

This is how Taylor works, editing images from diverse sources on specific topics and then presenting them with a thoughtful introduction every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He’s been doing this since February 2009.

Scores of dedicated followers add comments, noting favorite images and adding interesting observations on the topic at hand. All in all, it’s a positive experience, full of photo inspiration.

People visit an ice Colosseum at the Harbin Ice Festival on January 3, 2010. (REUTERS/Aly Song)

People visit an ice Colosseum at the Harbin Ice Festival on January 3, 2010. (REUTERS/Aly Song)

Although I call Taylor a “photo editor” (how can I not, giving his work on “The Big Picture”?), he is actually employed as a developer for boston.com, running “The Big Picture” out of his passion for photojournalism, showing us Continue reading “Get The Big Picture (and Major Inspiration) from “The Big Picture””

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