8 useful plugins for Photog bloggers

Wordpress plugins for photobloggers - that's what today's Tech Tuesday is all about.

We are talking about some nuts-and-bolts type plugins that are helpful for photographers using Wordpress and are geared towards making your life easier - and hopefully allow you to spend less time updating your blog and more time behind the camera.

If you are not familiar with WordPress, you maybe literally been living under a rock -not much I can do about that other than to say give it a try, you won't regret it.  I've made my living the last 4 years off of Wordpress customization and custom plugins - not to get too "preachy" but its an amazing platform and it's ability to use plugins has made it all the better.  We as photographers should utilize such things, right?!

Here we go.  More after the jump...

Tech Tuesday: Mac Dictate

Welcome to the first edition of Tech Tuesday.  Tech Tuesday is where we review a piece of technology - gear, software, gadgetry in general - and see how it fits into our lives as photographers.  Being a web designer for years before I got serious about photography, and before that, a *gulp* tech guy, technology is generally somewhere mixed in my thoughts when it comes to photography and how we can more easily do what we do.

So thats tech tuesday in a nutshell.

This week we have Matt Brandon giving us a quick review of a piece of software he uses quite regularly called Mac Dictate. Mac Dictate is produced by Mac Speech and the purpose of the software is to, as they say "...forget about what you are typing, and focus on what you have to say."  I've always been skeptical of speech recognition software, mostly because I find that it turns out to be more hassle than it was worth and usually not free on top of that.  Nonetheless, I'm incredibly impressed by Mac Dictate and equivalently intrigued by how integrated it is into Matt's workflow.

Matt wanted me to point out that he used Mac Dictate to answer these questions - He made zero corrections and to be honest, he didn't even proofread it when he sent it to me. Matt's by no means lazy and I'm by no means that bad of an editor, he just wanted you guys to get a feel for how accurate and inteligent the software actually is and what better way than to put your money where your mouth is (I'm avoiding an obvious pun here).  There are mistakes but for the most part its way more impressive than I would have imagined.  Check out some example videos here and here.

Undoubtedly a piece of technolgy that could prove useful for photographers.  Check out the interview after the break.

I'm a Photographer: Philip Thomas

Next to last "I'm a Photographer: Discussions on the life of a Photographer" series.  Again, if you aren't sure whats going on here - or are lacking in the big picture, check this out.

Today I was stoked to read through what Philip Thomas at Novo Studios had to say about his life as a photographer.  He has some really smart things to say about always learning and not getting in over your head financially - plus his photography is killer.  Having that kind of wisdom can make or break a photographers career.

Check out his work here and here and at the bottom of the post.  As always, remember to follow his work on twitter.

Quickly describe your life as a photographer.

I am a full time Graphic Designer/Photographer and I just opened a small studio.

Tell us what you shoot, your style and what the perfect day of photography would look like.

I would describe my style as eclectic/photojournalistic/fine artsy fartsy. I love details, I love expressions and I love stark color and contrast. I was formally trained in Graphic Design and that definitely influences my photography. I love playing with interesting compositions and I try and crop as much as I can within the camera. I like to move around. A LOT. Sometimes, that gets me into trouble...like with wedding coordinators or property owners who don't like trespassers. But I'm nice too so I can usually talk myself out of it.

The perfect day of photography for me would be any one of the following scenarios: Exploring, learning the history of and photographing various abandoned buildings, towns or structures, taking a model to various abandoned buildings, towns or structures or chasing severe weather.

Where did the photographic bug come from?  Why do you suspect it hasn't faded away?  At what point did you decide this is something you wanted to go for?

I got the bug from a few different places and up until 3 years ago, it was sort of an on and off thing. As a kid, I always thought it would be neat to be a photographer and travel but I didn't take it seriously. I picked up a camera in college because my graphic design professor at the time told us all that we had to learn how to draw to be successful in this vocation. I couldn't draw so I decided I should build up another skill set.

During my first job as an in-house designer for a company, I purchased my first DSLR. I started photo blogging and my photos got a bit of attention...enough for people to want me to photograph their families. I shadowed a wedding photographer and when I got burned out on my design job, my wife and I discussed the possibility of me quitting my job and starting my own business. Her support and my frustration with my job at the time were instrumental in my decision to give it a go.

Three years later, I can tell you exactly why the bug hasn't faded away....because there's nothing else I'd rather be doing. I'm an artist and I'm blessed to have found a profession that let's me exercise my creativity, build relationships, and have fun in the process. My wife still supports me and works with me so that only adds to the fun and fulfillment.

What do you think is the hardest part of where you are as a photographer right now?

The hardest part about where I am right now is juggling. A new studio opens up lots of possibilities for offering services and marketing a business. Our area is super-saturated with photographers and having been a home-based business for 3 years, we have little or no 'brand' presence in the community. But the fun part of my job has always been learning new things and furthering my creativity and skill. So I don't want to get so overwhelmed with marketing and business stuff that I don't make time to play and learn and grow. I'm going to have to find that delicate balance.

Whats the best part and the worst part of putting yourself out there with a new studio?

We've been looking at studio space for about a year now and for many reasons. The main reasons though are 1. We were kind of bursting at the seams with ideas and no way to carry them out. We felt this move was a necessary 'next step' to try and expand and to attract more business. And 2. We felt that the personality and nature of our brand would be more effective if it were applied to a public storefront.

The best part about it is the newness and freshness of having a space and doing business differently. But alongside that, it is overwhelming and there's definitely more pressure. Our space isn't huge so we've also had some challenges in configuring everything to where it would fit, flow, and function. But we're designers so we had fun doing that.

What's the next big step for you photographically?  What are you working towards?  What steps to you take to realize those goals?  What steps should ANYONE take to realize those goals?

The next step for me is taking my creativity and applying it to a confined studio space. I know that I have a lot learn about studio lighting and posing. I really want to push myself and learn how to manipulate the light and space I have to work with. I feel like that's the next BIG thing for me to pursue.

With anything you want to learn or perfect, sometimes the best way to learn stuff is to just dive in and learn with what you can get your hands on. Since our space is small, it's easy for me to gravitate from my computer over to where the studio is setup and work on some ideas. I'm going to be playing around a lot and taking notes on what I come up with. I'm also planning on attending some workshops and seminars. I'll read books or articles online.

There are a few people who's work I admire and look at occasionally but for the most part, I stay away from other photographer?s websites....especially the locals. I think it's important for me to focus on finding my own creative vision and style. I think that's good advice for anyone else wanting to pursue this field too. Shadow someone and learn the flow of a wedding and use the experience to help you shape your own style and personality for photographing a wedding on your own.

What keeps you going?  What motivates you to keep doing this?

What else am I going to do?

What advice would you give to someone in a similar situation as you?

Be smart. This is an expensive profession and you can get into money problems if you're not careful. Our studio space is small for a reason...it's everything we NEED and nothing we don't. Get advice and opinions from other people regarding marketing ideas and photo edits and...well everything. Canon or Nikon...pick them both up, try them and pick one. They're both good and they both have pro's and con's. Which ever one you choose, you're going to invest A LOT of money so be smart about it.

Unless you majored in accounting and have a knack for it, have someone else do your book keeping for you. We JUST hired someone to take over our's and it's amazing. And this is cliche, but for reals, have fun. I can't tell you how many times people have told me things like "Hey, you should shoot sports stuff...my son is in little league and you could make A TON of money doing team photos."

While I appreciate the gesture, I know deep down that doing something "just for the money" will burn me out. I know what I like to shoot and I focus on pushing my creative vision in those directions. Focus on the type of photography you can pour your heart and soul into. In my opinion, that's a sure way to be successful.

More baozi

Table 4

Table 4

Discuss the Tea?

Breakfast!

Behind My House

Test

I'm a Photographer: Stephen Hunton

Welcome back  to our  "I’m a Photographer: Discussions on the life of a Photographer" series today (three weeks late).  I apologize for the delay in these, however I had a very good reason. (also see here).  If you aren't sure what these interviews are all about, check this out.  This is our 3rd of 6 interviews and the last three will be posted in the next week and will include guys like David E. Jackson.

Our next interview comes from my good friend, Stephen Hunton.   He is full time professional photographer and as of last month started his own Advertising firm - another busy guy.  Stephen is one of the nicest guys I've ever known and his dedication for his art and furthermore for his family shines through - even while being busier than ever.  Stephen lives in Atlanta and is one of the only photographers I know that truly practices what he preaches - get your butt out there and hustle!

Take a look at what he's up to. Be sure to check out his work here, here, and here with some shot's at the end of the interview.  Also be sure and follow Stephen on Twitter!

Quickly describe your situation/life/craziness as a photographer.

Full-time photographer, hustler, marketer, people meeter & greeter

Real quickly tell us what you shoot, your style and what the perfect day of photography would look like.

Right now I shoot a little of everything, from corporate to music to weddings.  My sweet spot is music/editorial and I hope to grow that into commercial.  My perfect day of shooting is really a bunch of days before and after the shoot.  I love to concept a shoot, plan, prepare and then execute that vision on set and in post production.

Where did the photographic bug come from?  Why do you suspect it hasn't faded away?

In high school I took a photo 101 class.  We used film cameras and got to play around in the darkroom.  I LOVED IT. But, I guess the real bug came in '06.  My first son was about to be born and my parents hooked me up with a D80.  I was terrible with a DSLR but because I'm a bit uber-competitive, I just shot everything under the sun until I started to figure things out.

I guess it hasn't faded away because it's the best way for me to exercise my creative side and I love the emotion that comes from the images.  It's also just cool how this photographic community has grown online/offline and I think that keeps you drawn in, when other photogs are sharing/caring/encouraging each other.

Why do you think it's so hard to transition from a person working a full time non-photographic job to a full time photographer?

It takes a completely different mindset.  You go from knowing that you have a new check in the mail every 15 days to wondering when the next gig will be.  There are these huge roller coasters of ups and downs.  I've always been a people person, but once I hit the ground as a full-time photographer I became an instant hustler.  Nobody knows me unless I somehow figure out how to share my work with them.

What's the most frustrating thing about being a "Recently full time" photographer?

Not knowing all the right moves.  In my old job, I could do pretty much any project easily because I'd done it before.  Shooting a TV campaign for $1 Million wasn't difficult because I'd done it before and there was an amazing team of people around us to make sure everything alwasy got done.  Now it's JUST me and there are days of feeling like things just are not progressing and days where validation pushes me back to center again.

What's a bad day look like for someone in your position?  What's a good day look like? What are the frustrations and successes?

A bad day.... no leads, no meetings, no emails.  It's rare to not have any emails come through, but back in December I got my first taste of a freelance Christmas... nobody's working. nobody's responding.

A good day is shooting a fun project that is more than just showing up and clicking the shutter.  I prefer shooting when it's involved creative input and some vision.  I also love days where I'm getting to network and meet new people to either share my work or hear about what they're doing.

If you had to give an educated guess, why do you think most people in your position struggle to make it?

It takes really thick skin to do this and you have to be willing to fail often.  Some of the most talented people I've known in life, whether creatives or athletes or musicians, have struggled the most because they just felt that it should be given to them.  Just being a good photographer isn't enough, you have to also have a hunger to grow your business.  I honestly probably use my camera 5-10% of the time.  The rest is business growth, whether it's meetings, emails, introductions, phone calls, blogging, tweeting, lunching... you get the drill.

What's a recent or next "big step" or decision in you photographic career?

A next step in my career is figuring out how to merge photography with my advertising career.  I've had some opportunities to do branding consulting/development and have realized that I do love that business as well. I think diversifying my business will help me to bring more value to corporate/commercial clients and hopefully allow me to be more selective in the types of photo jobs I go after.

I started a consulting/branding company called Rocket Shine recently and am spending a lot of time figure out its brand and how we'll move beyond the first Client we won (before we had a business name) and find a balance between growing the photography side of my life with the growth of this business.

What keeps you going?  What motivates you to keep doing this?

Passion.  Family.

I'm passionate about creating images and growing as a photographer.  I know I've got so far to go in this journey and it's my family that really motivates me to push hard and stay a "hustler".  We've been at this for 10 months, and "the lights are still on" (the phrase I use when people ask how it's going), so we're blessed to have come this far.

What advice would you give to someone in a similar situation as you?

Get hungry.  If you're not hungry, don't come to the table because there are plenty of other photogs out there that are WAY better than you.  But, there are plenty that are nowhere near as good as you.  To recall my Senior Quote from highschool (and the mantra I lived by when working my butt off to get a college scholarship to play D1 Tennis) "Hard Work ALWAYS Beats Talent, if Talent Doesn't Always Work Hard."  We all fall somewhere into that quote, but if you work hard you'll find yourself getting more opportunities to prove yourself and grow your business.

In the mean time

As you have already gathered, the last three weeks have been insane.  If you aren't aware of why, go here and read the whole thing (or check out what The Digital Trekker has to say).  Nonetheless, it's always theroputic to run out on the street during the busy days and snap a few shots around town as stress relief.

Some of my favorites below were taken right outside our office here.  The complex we office out of is predominantly people from Yushu.  Because of the earthquake, the butter candles were lit every single night, which made for a photo opportunity that even someone sleep depraved as myself couldn't miss.