Artist Inspiration

As a Christian, I believe that God is constantly at work in our lives.  Years ago, I was studying the work of the Holy Spirit and came across this Old Testament Scripture in Exodus 35:30-Exodus 36:1.

³⁰ Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, ³¹ and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— ³² to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, ³³ to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. ³⁴ And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. ³⁵ He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.  ¹ So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the LORD has commanded.”


While I am not building a temple or a church, I believe that everything I do is to be done for the glory of God.  I see in scripture that Christians receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and that it manifests itself in different ways to each person.  And I have found that God often provides inspiration for my work in many ways.  


Today I had one of those moments.  I was on my front porch doing my "morning time" and continued to other tasks that I could do outside on my laptop on this beautiful day.  I was noticing how beautiful and wispy the white clouds were against the blue sky. The nearest camera was my cell phone so I grabbed it and took a photo.  The minute I looked at my image, I knew that it wasn't coincidence that led me to grab my photo at that exact moment.  There is a repeating pattern in one series of my images - faces that appear out of natural objects.  Today, I see a gigantic bird in the sky - two eyes, a long beak and even wings.  


Yes, I know it is only wispy, fanciful clouds.  But I marvel that I happened to take a photograph at just that moment when the clouds formed that imaginative shape.  

Jay Maisel's Guest Blog

Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider Blog with guest writer t on Jay Maisel's pos is worth reading on so many levels. Taking time to go slow and savor your surroundings is important not only for the photographer, but also as we walk through life. There are many things that will inspire you both as a photographer and as a person.

The NANPA Summit

A NANPA Summit is an amazing event. It is so amazing to watch the truly great photographers of our time present their images in either the large auditorium or the Breakout sessions. Not only do your eyes get a visual treat, but hearing about the images - how they were made, why they were made, the story behind them . . . I find myself inspired to go back out there and find those images that will be uniquely mine! I find myself educated about not only the techniques in making better photos, but also the photography business itself.

My schedule so far:

Darrell Gulin: Marketing Your Work in an Ever-Changing Photographic World
The good news - while stock photography has had its downward pricing pressure, there is still a market for those truly unique images.

Kathy Adams Clark: Professional Tips for Workshop and Tour Leaders
I've been to Kathy's trainings before - she is always knowledgeable and teaches effectively. One of my long term goals would be to lead workshops or tours. She really covered all the issues and things that you need to think about and prepare for to do this successfully.

Art Wolfe: Keynote Address: Between Heaven and Earth
One of the best nature photographers of our generation, I got to hear him talk about his early work climing Mount Everest and traveling through the Himalayas. His mountain photos are stunning. His portraits bring you face to face with people who live in such a different world - happy, sad, worshipful, clean, dirty . . . What opportunities he has had and what he has done with those opportunities! WOW!

Les Saucier: Macro Secrets: Advanced Tools and Techniques for the Macro Photographer
I've been to Nancy Rotenberg's macro workshop and learned a lot. He added a different perspective and slightly different tools. I learned when to use the 50D closeup lens (which I have) and when to use the 250D closeup lens (which I don't have) He also uses some interesting flashlights that I want to think about adding to my tools.

Grover Sanschagrin: Capture the Photo Editor: Best Practices in Photographer Websites
Grover is co-founder of PhotoShelter - I was most interested in his results from a survey of photo buyers as to what they like in a website and what they don't like. What keeps them checking your photos, what sends them away from your page perhaps never to return. The good news for me - my new website is close, but I've got to work more on it.

Bill Fortney - Keynote Address: America from 500 Feet II - the Rediscovering America Project
Another WOW! I was fighting tears as I watched this presentation. I found out at the lunch table that I was not the only one. His books: America from 500 Feet and America from 500 Feet II have incredible photography. The first was photographed from an ultralight, the second from a parachute plane. But what was so touching was how he told the story of these great adventures. He used music and shared the thoughts that went into the dreams and execution of this great project. Well worth ordering the sound track from NANPA. It can be downloaded as MP3. Get your hanky out and have one of the books nearby. As a Christian photographer, I was especially moved by how he was able to tell his Christian story humbly and movingly and appropriately for the setting.

Nancy Carrizales, Danita Delimont, and Jain Lemos: Textbook and Educational/Editorial Licensing in 2009: What Photographers Should Understand about Licensing Terms
This was somewhat technical, but it provided much needed information about licensing photographs in the educational/textbook markets - one that is still a valuable income stream for photographers. ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers) has been working for a number of years trying to standardize wording in licensing photographs. The Plus (Picture Licensing Universal System) is an invaluable resource in understanding what all the words in a 14 page legal contract mean. These ladies are truly experts in their field - well worth my time!

Bill Clark: Taking the Next Step: Bylines and Publications on a Part-Time Basis
So much what I needed to hear right now. This one will also be worth paying for the MP3 download. Using humor and practical ideas, he really spells out what to be doing in the current economy, to be ready when the demand for photos comes back. He gives good strategies for getting started as a professional photography and how to build a career - one small step at at time. I love his saying: "Don't just talk about going home and getting started . . . go home and DO it!" He's right, it is all too easy to get fired up at NANPA with great ideas for what we want to do and then get home and have the mundane world or procrastination keep us from accomplishing what we are capable of.

See what I mean - I get such a great education every time I come to a NANPA Summit. And . . . I still have one more day!

Photographic Inspiration

I went to the first NANPA in Portland because I heard such good things about the experience and what I would learn. I keep going back because I learn so much each time about how to be a better photographer. Part of photography is based on knowing the technicals - exposure, focus, depth of field, composition, color theory, etc. But there is another part of photography that I call the "magic." The desire to find that magic moment and capture it with the camera comes from the inspiration of seeing what is possible with the camera. Going to NANPA allows me to see incredible photography and the opportunity to hear the photographer talk about how he or she took the photo. As I see these photographic wonders on the big screens or in the books, I am inspired to spend the "drudge" time to find my own magic moments.

Nancy Rotenberg's sessions always trigger both a sense of wonder at her beautiful photographic creations and a sense that we, the audience, can go out and find our own beauty. It is there for us to find. It may even be waiting for us.

Her first session this year was on marketing. I loved how she started the topic - a reminder of what is truly important. When we are trying to pay our bills and still find a way to get to those "destinations" to take our photos, money seems pretty important. But she was so right when she said - we don't take photos because we'll make a lot of money. We don't take photos because we love to spend time in front of the computer. We take photos because it is our passion. And the beautiful aspect of this - we all have a different vision. While she encouraged us to find the area of photography that was our passion, she also challenged us to grow by trying other types of photography. Her passion is macro photography. Her intimate flowers and insects are truly amazing. But she has not stopped there. To make a living at photography, one must go beyond our first love and try the other types of shots.

Now, for me, that is easy in a way. For better or worse, I am interested in almost everything. I love the macros, I love the animals, I love landscapes, and even architecture. I have not yet figured out what my "specialty" in photography is going to be. And I'm about to decide that perhaps I won't specialize. But when I am in the room with Nancy, I can be who I am. I can find joy in my passion about everything. I can feel that I have something unique to share. Wow!

When you are in the early stages of a photographic career, it is easy to get discouraged. Even when you are making lots of submissions, there are lots of rejections. The publications don't "feel" like they are coming quickly enough. But when I hear Nancy say - "Are you making a living or making a life?" it brings home the truth that there are benefits to this life of creating something beautiful to share.

Nancy spoke twice at NANPA and both presentations are well worth buying the recording through the NANPA website. Nancy and Raymond Klass gave an excellent presentation with great ideas on how to get your work out there. There are tips for markets that may be easier for people in the beginning stages to get their work published. (NANPA-08-WS1 New Ideas in Marketing Your Images) Raymond discussed some of the technical things that need to be done with your files as you present them to the editors. There is no way in a short blog to pass along all the excellent ideas they had - so I encourage you to order a copy.

In addition, Nancy was a Keynote Speaker. Her topic: Let Your Light Shine Through
For the recording: (NANPA-08-10)

You will be blessed by hearing what she has to say.

If you want to get further inspired, I would check out her book, "Photography and the Creative Life." It is on my wish list.

You will also be blessed if you visit her website and read some of her articles there: Natural Tapestries

The Summit is Over

It is a little hard to believe, but the Summit is over. I will be posting some more specific blogs about the various breakout sessions and Keynote addresses I attended. But tonight's post is about NANPA.

NANPA is an amazing organization. I attended my first Summit four years ago in Portland, Oregon. I had heard that it would be a good thing to attend. But I had no idea what an impact it would make on my photographic abilities and how helpful it would be in getting a career in photography started. No one told me beforehand that I would be interacting with the world's finest photographers in an atmosphere where people are wanting you to succeed. Yes, the photographic world is a competitive world, you must produce excellent images to succeed. But there is a feeling at NANPA that the cup is half full.

NANPA also has programs for college and high school students. Canon provides the professional camera equipment for these students to use and NANPA provides professional instruction and interaction. This is an incredible opportunity for a young photographer to learn what it takes to create marketable and beautiful images and how to market them.

For me, NANPA has been a place of learning. At my first NANPA I attended an all day training session by Tim Grey that taught me how process my images from RAW files and how to do the post processing I needed at that time. I've been inspired by the keynote addresses of incredible photographers made all the more powerful by seeing their images on huge screens. In her keynote address this year, Nancy Rotenberg said, "When the student is ready, the teacher will come." That has been so true for me at NANPA. It seems like each time I come to NANPA, there are sessions that really teach me what I need to know NOW.

While there are many "big names" at NANPA, there are photographers at all skill levels. There are many opportunities to network and make contacts with people who are teaching workshops, leading photography tours, and buying photos.

I can truthfully say that I've had opportunities because of my participation at NANPA that I would not have had otherwise. The portfolio reviews give you a one on one session with professional photo buyers. They help you see what you can do to improve your photographic work. When your work gets to be good enough, it is also an opportunity to begin a working relationship with a photo editor, learning the kinds of images they are interested in buying and the types of images they don't need. Each magazine and market has very unique needs.

The Summit is in a different place each year. There are Regional Events where a smaller group of photographers go on location with mentors and actually photograph and help each other. The Road Shows are educational workshops with excellent trainers. To see the schedule of coming events, click here.

Nancy Rotenberg

Nancy Rogenberg, Natural Tapestries does such great workshops. I am so impressed with how both she and her staff greet you as you enter the room. And her message is always so powerful, creative, and spiritual. It's late and there is not a lot of time to blog tonight, but what a great way to start the Summit!