…where I can get a copy of “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield? It’s out of print in the UK and I’m sceptical of buying it second hand through Amazon.
This book has been recommended by several big names in the industry recently and I’d like to try and get hold of a copy. No joy with any of my local bookshops or the local library.
I want to add some focus (sorry for the pun but I simply couldn’t resist it) to my work as a means to improve my technique in specific areas. One of the ways I’m planning to do this is through a series of personal projects.
These are specific, constrained photoshoots that concentrate on one aspect or technique. The aim of the personal project is to hone the skill of the photographer in that area. There is a great podcast on this very subject over on Camera Dojo
Which is where I got the idea from. I’d recommend listening to that podcast, there are some great tips in there on how to define and run the project.
So, what projects am I planning?
Continue reading Personal Projects… »
I came across the Educational Art Archives of the American Fantasy Illustrator quite by chance in response to a posting I’d made on my Facebook page for Gavin Thorn Photography.
His website can be found here: http://www.thejohnsongalleries.com/ and in the few minutes I’ve spent browsing through his archive I’ve found his work to be truly inspiring. So much so that I might draw upon some of his imagery as a source of inspiration in order to improve my own work. Not with a view of blatantly copying or plagiarising but to understand how he has constructed and composed his images. I doubt very much that I would have access to locations, studios, wardrobes or props that would allow me to photograph images like this for a very long while indeed but the story telling aspect, the overall arrangement and the poses are all sources of inspiration.
For any photographer, whether they be seasoned professional or an aspiring amateur, I’d thoroughly recommend checking out his work.
I came across Cliff Mautner whilst listening to the LightSource PodCast. He’s one of the world’s truly great photographers and I’d recommend that anyone who takes their image making seriously to pop over to his website and take a look at his work. You won’t regret it.
I found his work to be very fresh and quite different from a lot of the wedding images one normally sees. Rather than the typical softlight portraits that are in vogue at the moment, particularly in the UK, Cliff’s style produces a much more grittier image which heightens the overall mood and feeling of his shots.
I’m listening to the latest podcast 79 by CameraDojo, and they’re doing a grea review of the latest products by Adobe: Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5. Trouble is, they’re making them so appealing I’m now hesitant to check them out. I just know that if I do I’ll want to upgrade. I’ll probably need a new laptop/pc too so if I do upgrade I’ll be looking at probably a £2,500+ investment.
Think Mrs LightMatters might not like that 😉
UPDATE – I caved. I had a quick peek at the upgrade price on the Adobe site. I wish I hadn’t as I’m now working out how many images I need to sell to cover it.
BTW – Great podcast. Keep up the good work.
Hi, I'm Gavin the photographer.
I used to work in IT until a few years ago. I was under a lot of stress at work and getting really p*****d off. Then one day I chose to give it all up and follow a dream. Everyone I knew thought I was nuts, that just made me try harder :-)
I believe any photographer can do what I did, earn money from their photos, maybe even start their own business.
Join my VIP members today (it's free) and make your first step into professional or semi-professional photography.
PS, You can also find me on Google+
