Mike Johnston’s Sunday Morning Photographer column is once again one of the most interesting things that you will read this week. Mike looks at the question of becoming a prefessional photographer, which has surely crossed the minds of most enthusiastic amateurs.

“My advice for people who dream about turning pro is usually “don’t.” And not only that, but stop dreaming about it. It’s a tough, demanding business, with long hours, high pay but low yield, lots and lots of marketing to do, and not a lot of opportunity for indulging your artistic side.”

Website: Sunday Morning Photographer

In the fourth part of this 6 part Review of Photo Sharing/Critique websites, I’ve reviewed PhotoForums. “There are tons of great looking sites out there for designers. However, there are startlingly few for photographers. While designing PhotoForums I tried to create a balanced design that was fun and easy to use, but that did not get in the way of enjoying the photography that’s on it.”

As a reminder, I’m taking a look at some Photo Sharing/Critique websites and letting you know what I think about each one and the overall concept of posting your photos for review.

Photo Sharing/Critique Websites Review - Part 4

Michael Reichmann of Luminous Landscape fame has posted his first impressions of Kodak’s $5000 digital SLR, the DCS 14n, comparing it with the Canon 1Ds. As Michael succintly puts it, “To my knowledge it is the first in independant review of a production Kodak DCS 14n to appear on line or in print, anywhere.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Kodak DCS 14n

Canon has launched its pan-European iMAGE GATEWAY portal,  designed to create a whole new digital photo experience. It enables users to create and share a global online photo album and download images, text and sounds to personalise their camera.

Here are a few extracts from the press release:

?Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is expanding the creative possibilities of the digital world with the launch of CANON iMAGE GATEWAY (www.cig.canon-europe.com), an innovative new online imaging and photography portal for Canon digital camera users.

This unique portal introduces Canon customers to new and exciting ways to create, share and enjoy photographs online with friends and family across the world. It enables them to enhance their own digital photography experience by personalising their cameras with downloadable images, texts and sounds.

The CANON iMAGE GATEWAY is currently available to owners of nine Canon digital cameras, the PowerShot G3, PowerShot S45, Digital IXUS v3, PowerShot A70, PowerShot A60, Digital IXUS 400, PowerShot A300, PowerShot S50 and EOS 10D. Future plans to add product groups such as digital video camcorders, and Bubble Jet printers will enable users to print quality photos at home straight from the CANON iMAGE GATEWAY.?

Website: Canon - Image Gateway

Despite being ill earlier in the week, I have managed to get out and about in the Spring sunshine and taken a couple of rolls of film. If you’ve taken some fantastic Spring shots, email them to me at [email protected], and I’ll post a selection of them on the site.

DCResource have released the first ever review of the Nikon 3100, a new 3-megapixel digital camera that Nikon announced at PMA 2003.

Website: DCResource - Nikon 3100 Review

I stumbled across this UK-based website this morning. It seems to be a collaboration between a number of Midlands-based photographers, who all use digital cameras to capture landscapes. A lot of the images on the site are fantastic; it’s hard to believe that the Midlands can look this photogenic (coming from someone who was born there!).

Website: rojo-uk

Following my recent submission to and rejection by Practical Photography magazine a few days ago, this is what I defiantly said: “I’m going to try again and submit the same photos to another UK magazine, Amateur Photography, which features the portfolios of several readers every week. I’ll let you know how I got on…” Guess what? Yes…my photos have been rejected again! This time the reason given was a little more blunt:

“Sorry, but your material is not suitable for use in the magazine, this time, but do not hesitate to make a further submission in the future”

Now that sounds like a “No” to me!

I could call it quits at this point and give up, but I’m going to have one more try and submit the same images to the Judgement pages of Photography Monthly, another popular UK magazine. I’ll let Lee Frost and Daniel Lezano decide if they’re any good…

In the third part of this 6 part Review of Photo Sharing/Critique websites, I’ve reviewed ShutterCity, a website which “grows out of our passion for photography and desire to create a photographic community to serve the public.”.

As a reminder, I’m taking a look at some Photo Sharing/Critique websites and letting you know what I think about each one and the overall concept of posting your photos for review.

Photo Sharing/Critique Websites Review - Part 3

CNET have reviewed Canon’s flagship digital SLR, the ?7,000 EOS-1Ds, awarding it a rating of 9.1 out of 10.

Website: CNET - Canon EOS-1Ds Review

“Canon’s latest foray into the high-end photography market, the EOS 1Ds, may be the most capable digital SLR sold today. With an eye-popping 11.1-megapixel effective resolution, this model trounces its 3- and 6-megapixel EOS ancestors. Based on Canon’s 1V 35mm-film-camera body, the 1Ds should appeal to pros and other serious shooters who have been eagerly anticipating this level of quality and flexibility in a digital camera. The downside: This Canon is priced according to its feature set.”

If any of you are interested in the far more affordable Canon EOS-10D digital SLR, then you’ll also be interested to know that Canon have posted the manuals for the camera and its software on their website. Available to download in PDF format (7.72Mb and 2.22 Mb files).

Website: Canon EOS-10D Manuals

Meanwhile, Uwe Steinmueller at Digital Outback Photo has started his review of the 10D, uniquely in the form of a diary, with sample images and plenty of opinion.

Website: Canon 10D Experience

This is more of a web design post than anything to do with photography, but it seems that a number of prominent publisihing houses that specialize in Web Design/Development books have gone under. I’ve bought quite a few books published by friends of ED - their books taught me the fundamentals of Photoshop, Flash and Actionscript - and there were many more titles that I wanted to buy. Wrox Press and glasshaus have also bitten the proverbial dust.

“Wrox Press, along with sibling companies friends of ED and glasshaus, have notified current authors to stop work on all projects, promising news after a 3-4 week hiatus. Presumably, liquidators will attempt to sell off the projects (along with the authors’ contracts) to 3rd parties during this time, though most authors have already begun the search for new jobs.” (SitePoint Tech Times newsletter)

pinkheadedbug.com has some fantastic street photographs by a guy called John Brownlow. The site is particularly interesting to me as there are galleries devoted to several London locations, including Oxford Street, Speaker’s Corner and the Notting Hill Carnival. There’s also tips and techniques for getting over the common problems of street photography, the biggest one being your own fear of openly taking pictures of complete strangers…

“A lot of my pictures have eye contact. In fact, I seek it out. Some people don?t like that, but I do. It?s a moment of connection. That?s what I?m after.

Some aspiring street photographers are afraid of getting into confrontations, or even getting hit.

Well, good. You should be afraid of getting hit. if you?re not afraid of that, you?re an idiot, or possibly an ice hockey player.”

I realised during the weekend that I’ve been spending more time recently writing about photography than actually going out and taking photographs.

So this week I’ve resolved to get outside and enjoy the first flush of Spring. Every lunchtime at work, I’m going to leave my desk, go somewhere and shoot a roll of film. The pictures don’t have to be particularly good, and I may ultimately think “what a waste of time and money”, but I need to do something to break out of the winter apathy.

As I’ve only got an hour or so to spare, I can’t go far, so the small town of Hemel Hempstead and the surrounding countryside will have to do. I’ll post a few of the best shots (if there are any!) at the end of the week.

In the meantime, if you’re struggling for inspiration or you keep finding excuses to stay indoors, why don’t you just go out for a couple of hours and take some photos, any photos, just to get back into the swing of things?

I’ve found a number of really interesting photography websites over the last few days, so I thought I’d include them all in one post for you…

PhotoBlink
“PhotoBlink is a photographic forum/competition site that is built on the basis of the contests of posted photographs and the comments to these photographs. Its purpose is to provide simulation of a real life competition for advanced and professional photographers and to educate amateur enthusiasts.”

ShutterFreaks
“This is a site for people who are interested in learning and improving their photography, and we hope that includes you. We offer tips for taking and processing photographs, free Photoshop Actions, and links to other photographic resources. In addition, the forums are a great place to view photos and to post your own photos for sharing or critique.”

PhotographyTips.com
“PhotographyTips.com is for everyone with an interest in photography. It is intended to help beginners get started in photography, and become so good at it that they turn into advanced amateurs. But, accomplished photographers will also find useful tips and hints here. Our primary objective is to help people like you to take better photographs.

In the second part of this 6 part Review of Photo Sharing/Critique websites, I’ve reviewed WebAperture, “a forum-like website for photographers to showcase their photos on the Internet and gather comments and criticisms on it”.

As a reminder, I’m taking a look at some Photo Sharing/Critique websites and letting you know what I think about each one and the overall concept of posting your photos for review.

Photo Sharing/Critique Websites Review - Part 2

The shortlist for the Picture Editors’ Awards 2003 were announced on Monday 10 March.  To view the shortlist, visit http://www.pictureawards.net/home.htm

Nikon announced their merger of the Nikon Press Awards with the Picture Editors’ Awards, in November last year and are associated to several categories within the Awards.

This year, for the first time, there is a Popular Vote where visitors to the Picture Awards website can vote for their favourite image.  Ten names will be drawn at random from the voters and these ten will be invited to the Awards ceremony on May 12 at the Guildhall, London.  One of them will also win a Nikon Coopix 5700.

If you’re at all interested in medium-format photography, then the New York Institute of Photography’s review of the Pentax 645NII camera will be well worth reading.

“This month our own tough and intrepid writer, Medium Format Marie, gives readers her impressions of the Pentax 645NII medium format SLR.  Marie took the camera to the Jersey shore on one of the coldest days of the year.  “We’ve been spoiled here for years now,” Marie says, “winters have been mild and we haven’t had much snow, but this year we’re having a real winter.  And with that come those great days with clear blue bright skies.  Cold weather aside; I had a terrific time with this camera!”

Marie writes, “Let’s not forget why we’re all considering moving up to medium format in the first place - those big beautiful negatives and the ability to make bigger and better enlargements!  The 645NII blends the convenience of a 35mm camera with medium format benefits.  My impression is that this camera, combined with a few great Pentax lenses and accessories, would be a great choice even for pros.”

Chuck DeLaney, Dean of the New York Institute of Photography (NYI), the world’s largest photography school, says, “Sadly, many photographers never even dabble in the medium format.  This is a shame, and one that we’re out to fix.  That’s where Marie comes in.  She’s tough, she’s a gear head, and she’s taking her camera to the streets.  We don’t have advertisers to please, so Marie can write whatever she wants about each model she gets her hands on.  Every few issues, Marie will be back with a review of a medium format model, some of which are decidedly inexpensive.  In fact, there’s a plastic medium format camera, the Holga, that sells for around $20!  Our intrepid staffer, June Lang, started the ball rolling by writing “Capturing Mermaids with a Holga.”

Website: Pentax 645NII Review

“Reprinted with permission from the New York Institute of Photography web site at http://www.nyip.com”

photo-i have reviewed ACDSee 5, digital camera software which makes it easy to get, view, organize, print, enhance and share your digital photos.

Website: photo-i - ACDSee Review

Website: ACDSee Website

Joe has let me know about a new photo review site that he’s just set up; very topical! It’s completely free to join with no upload limits.

Website: PictureReview.net