Posts Tagged ‘photography web site’

New media photographer

Thursday, November 20th, 2008

Photography is a wonderful hobby.  Advances in digital technology have allowed amateurs, willing to take the time to learn the craft, the opportunity to create beautiful images.  Today many amateurs are rivaling professional photographers in producing creative imagery. 

This means to make a living as a professional new media photographer, creating imagery for media and corporate clients on the web and digital display, takes more effort.

New opportunities are being created daily.  Within the last month I’ve received offers from companies large and small to create photojournalistic story telling slide shows for corporate blogs and web sites.  I’m also receiving calls for imagery that will be displayed on high definition screens.

A few days ago I created beautiful food images for a fine hotel in metro Detroit.  This hotel has completely ended print advertising. All of the imagery will be used in house and on the web.

As the world continues the digital transformation and high definition path the need for quality imagery will continue to grow.  Yes, stock photography will always play a large role, but when it comes to representing a company’s people, environment, product and services custom quality photography will become mandatory. 

High definition does not offer much room for error.  Bad or average imagery will offer poor results.  The fact is demand for quality imagery will continue to increase. 

Newsprint sucks.  For a long time newsprint was one of the major avenues for photography on a local level.  High quality imagery was important, but the latitude was much greater.   Today newsprint opportunities are disappearing at a rapid rate.  If a new media photographer is going to make a career of their photography then the focus must be on creative quality.

A new media photographer must offer imagery that the average photographer cannot produce.  The two areas of most concern should be lighting and post production.

Lighting is the foundation of photography.  This is not new.  The masters have always understood lighting is the key to great photography.  The new element for today’s photographer is post production. 

Every photographer has the opportunity to create lighting that defines their creative style.  Today the new media photographer has the opportunity to expand their photography into an even more unique style through creative post production.

As the need for creative quality photography increases the need for cutting edge ideas becomes even more important.   Average photography is readily available for generic use on web sites and digital advertising. But the successful new media photographer understands that companies need to stand out from the crowd and unique quality image is an excellent solution.

Rosh

 

A Victory for New Media

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

It doesn’t matter if your candidate won or lost the United States election.  If you are a fan, supporter or evangelist of new or social media, you also won.  Those of us on the edge have been gathering case studies supporting new media for a while.  We realized that at 11PM (EST) on Nov. 4, 2008 the projected election of Barack Obama was the ultimate case study.  It was the instant, among many important symbolic moments, where the power was placed back in to the people’s hands. The ultimate victory.

The foundation of new and social media is the democratization of everything.  Every voice has the opportunity to make an impact on the opinion of friends, family, society and the world.   If people, small business, large corporations, media and government don’t get it now, they will fail.

Obama’s campaign used social media the way Bill Clinton used the Fax in 1992 and it changed everything.   It was the formation of a continuously growing community. It was the instant response and communication.  Large amounts of money and support were raised through and by individuals. Supporters felt like they were part of something big. 

Opinions were formed by reviewing the actual speech, the gaffe, or Saturday Night Live skit on YouTube. People wanted to see what really happened.  New information was disseminated instantly on twitter and in-depth analysis was shared on blogs, podcasts and videocasts all over the world.  

Stretching the truth doesn’t work so well any more.  Negative only works if supported by facts. The true information can be found quickly with the press of a button.  Yes, people believed the garbage about both McCain and Obama that circulated on the Internet.  But, that was because they wanted to.  The truth was always just a few clicks away.

The world is becoming more transparent.  This, of course, raises different issues.  But, as the world becomes more connected though current and future technologies to come, the people will continue to be important again.  The mass media domination anomaly of the 20th century is coming to a close. 

It doesn’t matter your party affiliation.  You won. 

Rosh

Building a blog

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

This blog has been live for about five months.  It’s a growing blog, of course, not growing fast enough for my taste.  But, there is a lot of competition for your eyeballs and ears.

Your ears have been filled with information about social, digital and new media and how it relates to the photographer during the last twenty podcasts. The content of the blog has grown formed and shaped during the passing months.  I think the blog is looking good. But, it can be  better.

Now is the time to up the game and grow even faster.

How? The answer is simple.  It’s the only answer. 

Redesign…No.

Create a new logo…No

Spam every email address I can find?….No

Place good branding banner ads all over the internet…. No

Offer better content…. Yes.

Newspaper publishers are you reading this?  Businesses fearing the recession do you understand? 

It’s always about what you give…. not cut, gain or take away. 

It’s time to start building the new media photographer community.  Are you a new media photographer?  If you create electronic photographic images and place them on the web, the answer is yes.  What can you share with your community?

To take this blog to the next level do I need to offer more, better or different content?  That is my question to you. My opinion doesn’t matter.  The only real question that counts is what content are you looking for?  

 

 

New media photographer podcast #20

Monday, October 27th, 2008

In this edition of the new media photographer podcast I review the last two weeks of blog posts and share the new media photographer of the week.

Rosh

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Blogging as easy as email

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008

 

 

Posterous is a very easy email to blog system.  

If you are looking for a blogging platform, but don’t care to learn the technical side of blogging, this is a solution for you.  If all you know how to do, or desire to do, is use email and attach photographs then Posterous is an excellent answer.  Posterous will make you a blogger in a matter of minutes with the ability to post anywhere you have email access.

Posterous is the anti-WordPress.  I use WordPress for my blogs, it has more options than I know what to do with.  But, not everyone desires nor has the time to learn such a deep blogging platform.

I’ve tested the Posterous email to blog system and I am very impressed.  It really is simple.

Even signing up is easy.

The system recognizes your email and posts it to your customized blog automatically.  No need to worry, you may edit your posts later in the system if you wish.

My test blog is at Posterous is http://rosh.posterous.com

Bottom line: this is easy.  I like easy.  

Rosh