May 25 2010

Opening Our Eyes: They’re Off!

Category: Multimedia & Video, Photographers, ViewpointEthan G. Salwen @ 2:33 pm

AfterCapture Blog_100525_Open Our Eyes_1Today, May 25, 2010, marks the bicentenary of the revolution that marked the beginning of Argentina’s road to independence. It seems appropriate that Chance decided that today would also be the day that Gail Mooney would set off on her 3-month, round-the-world trip to create “Opening Our Eyes”, a documentary film project she is making in partnership with her daughter, Erin Kelly.

I say that the connection to Argentina’s revolution (and ultimate independence) is appropriate because of all the photographers I know personally, without a doubt, Gail Mooney is the most revolutionary- and independent-minded.

Since I introduced “Opening Our Eyes” in March, the project has taken much fuller shape. You can get a good sense of the trip at the main website. Keep in mind that a year ago Mooney hadn’t even thought up this trip. From initial concept to flying out of Newark airport today, Mooney and Kelly have orchestrated all details of this massive undertaking in only a little over six months.

AfterCapture Blog_100525_Open Our Eyes_2Be sure to also check out “Journeys of a Hybrid”, Mooney’s excellent blog full of insights — from the personal and creative to the technical and business side — from a photographer who has lived her life to the fullest, and who seems to be just warming up.

Mooney, who has been in the business for 33 years, has focused primarily on still photographic coverage of travel assignments for magazines. However, she has also worked plenty in the commercial realm in partnership with her husband, Tom Kelly.

Mooney not only made a smooth transition to digital photography, but she is one of the new bread photographers who is fully embracing the possibilities of video and, just as fully, the exciting possibilities of Web publication and social media.

Good Lu. . .

Continue reading “Opening Our Eyes: They’re Off!”

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


May 04 2010

Fantastic Twitter Basics from Jessica Hische

Category: Technology InsightsEthan G. Salwen @ 3:50 pm

AfterCapture Blog_100504_Twitter Basics_1“If you’re not using Twitter yet, you may feel as if you’ve missed out,” writes Rafe Needleman at the beginning of his helpful and encouraging Webware post, “Newbie’s guide to Twitter.” Personally, I’m still struggling to get a handle on Twitter, and I’d probably find Needleman’s encouraging words more encouraging if he had not posted them on March 15, 2007 –  a million years ago in SMT (Social Media Time). Still, there’s no time like the present and luckily. . .

Yesterday, in response to my TCC (Twitter Confusion Confession), my friend @janelerner recommended that I check out Jessica Hische’s “Mom, this is how twitter works.”

@jessicahische’s insights into the very basics of Twitter protocol is a masterful must-read for all TCT (Totally Confused Twitterers) like me. You’ll also find it useful if you tweet regularly but are not entirely clear on some of the SNI (Surprisingly Not Intuitive) aspects of who receives which tweets and why.

With incredibly clarity in the “who sees what” section of her document, Hische makes it clear that there’s a big difference between whether I put “@jessicahische” at the beginning of a tweet or anywhere else in my tweet. Whether or not @jessicahische is following me (@ethansalwen) will also impact my tweeting, and my tweeting will be affected if others are following the both of us. (Unlikely. @jessicahische has 5,005 followers; I have 12.)

Hische explains the critical fundamentals with no fuss about reasons for tweeting or strategies for doing so. This is refreshing. For all the gobs of Twitter advice I encountered today on the Web, I have found none with the the basic TDI (Twitter Driving Instructions) as clearly presented as those of Hische.

(If your Titter IQ is equal to or — gasp! — lower than mine, check out the “Twitter in Plain English” video at the end of this post.)

Even if this basic information is as old to you as Needleman’s post, like @janelerner, you’ll appreciate the ability to forward this Hische’s “mom resource” to any TCT friends coming to you with a TCC.

By the by. . . Continue reading “Fantastic Twitter Basics from Jessica Hische”

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,