This is a guest post by Steven “Fish” Frischling, a Connecticut based intrepid photographer. You can find him blogging about his escapades in airports and on airplanes at Flying With Fish. And, I do recommend you follow him on Twitter for his sage advice about the air travel industry.

In the world of travel there are regulations, laws, gray areas and the simple facts of every day events. All of these possibilities don't always match up and sometimes it seems traveling photographers may get caught in the middle.

Recently Scott Bourne wrote about a photographer who nearly had to pay taxes on US$15,000 worth of camera equipment while traveling back into the United States because he did not have a Form 4457 that proved his ownership of the equipment.

In reading the blog post by Scott Bourne, U.S. – Based Photographers Traveling Abroad – Beware The Duty, I was left pondering the realities of travel. Having racked up more than 1,000,000 butt-in-seat miles traveling since I started paying attention to my miles in 2005 I have done my fair share of international travel and researched travel with camera equipment extensively.

In my experience, a Form 4577 is cumbersome, as every single piece of equipment needs its own form filled out in detail. To negate the sheer time and annoyance it takes to fill out a Form 4577 I prefer to use a Carnet. A Carnet is a single form that lists all items a photographer would be traveling with, it proves ownership and eliminates the need to pay taxes and US Customs Agents are legally required to accept it … but do I really need a Form 4577 or Carnet to reenter the United States? No, I do not … and let me tell you why.

In my experience, a Form 4577 is cumbersome, as every single piece of equipment needs its own form filled out in detail.

If you follow the links from Scott Bourne's post you'll find one to the US Customs & Border Protection (US CBP) Traveler's Checklist. Under the US CBP Checklist if you read #5 it states: “Receipts or registration paperwork (CBP Form 4457) for any new electronics, such as a camera or laptop, that I’m taking with me? (Only suggested if traveling with recently purchased goods. Not necessary for goods more than 6 months old.)”

I have asked about getting stopped and having gear searched by US CBP and the best answer I got from a Supervisor at Los Angeles International Airport (who wishes to remain anonymous) is “it's all about red flags.”

US Customs scans tens-of-thousands of passengers in airports daily. Some are flagged by passport control, others for body language, and others by intuition, but you need to send off a red flag to have your bags checked upon reentry into the United States as a Citizen.

I have set off red flags and been checked more than once, but never once have I been threatened with a duty on my equipment. I have been flagged after traveling to Tokyo for 36 hours. When asked why my trip was so short I replied that there were no earlier connections home … that was a red flag. Explaining to passport control that on a trip I had travelled to Basrah Iraq for six hours followed by a two-hour stop in Kuwait City … and I was not traveling with the Military … that was a red flag. Having passport control notice I had been in and out of Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport 3 times and Paris's Charles De Gaulle Airport once in a single day … that was a red flag.

I have set off red flags and been checked more than once, but never once have I been threatened with a duty on my equipment.

In all of these red-flag instances when my camera gear was revealed it was obvious that I was a professional photographer, my equipment was my own and it had likely been in my possession longer than six months.

US Customs agents are over worked and under staffed at nearly every airport I know. I spent a considerable amount of time documenting US CBP as a news photographer for a major magazine a few years back and got to witness how they operate from the inside out, not just from the perspective of a passenger, and agents generally use their own common sense to determine who is being truthful, who is lying and if equipment being brought into the country left the country with the traveler.

One way to ensure your gear will not get a second glance should you get red flagged is to take ownership of your gear before you leave. All of my equipment have uniform labels with my name and contact info on them, some pieces of gear have it twice. All of my gear is marked with tape (I use pink tape to quickly be able to ID my own gear), the tape on all the gear makes it uniform. My cameras all have gaffers tape in the eyepieces, nearly all my lenses have gaffers tape on the lens hoods or marks of the tape where the hoods attached to the bodies. All my camera batteries have pink tape and identification labels as well.

One way to ensure your gear will not get a second glance should you get red flagged is to take ownership of your gear before you leave.

When my bag is opened up an agent knows my equipment is … well … my equipment. Gear that is 2 days old may look cleaner than gear that is six years old, but having them taped and marked the same way speeds up the process and I never get a second look.

The one time I ended up being significantly scrutinized by a CBP Agent, at Atlanta (ATL), the agent asked for my card, I handed it to him and he walked off. He checked my web site, saw I legitimately was a photographer, he apologized for the delay, helped repack my bag and sent me on my way.

One thing to note is that in Scott Bourne's post he suggests filling out the Form 4577 then having it signed by the US CBP at your Port of Entry (POE) prior to departure. This is problematic for many travelers. Never mind that nearly every CBP Agent I have asked said they hate signing off on Form 4577s because its never one form, its 30 forms and they need to verify every piece of gear … but there is no CBP Office near many travelers and most travelers depart from a location different than their Port of Entry. For example, most of my trips start and end at New Haven's Tweet Airport, but my Port of Entry when I fly home is usually Philadelphia … although my Port of Entry can also be Atlanta, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Shannon (Yes there is US Immigrations & Customs in Shannon Ireland), Miami, Toronto (Yes there is US Immigrations & Customs in Toronto), Newark, Detroit, Dulles, etc etc etc.

One thing to note is that in Scott Bourne’s post he suggests filling out the Form 4577 then having it signed by the US CBP at your Port of Entry (POE) prior to departure. This is problematic for many travelers.

Travelers who feel the need to have a Carnet or Form 4577 for reentry back into the United States should look for a local CBP Office, although there are many regions that simply don't have an office conveniently located.

So what should you do when you fly internationally and are returning home to the United States? Know the rules, US CBP will not laugh at you, as Scott Bourne states … and I have had my fare share of run-ins with Agents (just search my blog), but if you are right you ask for a Supervisor and as them to review the US CBP Traveler's Checklist … unless you've already read the CBP Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (which I don't suggest reading, its quite boring).

Happy Flying!

Your comments below will inspire a dialogue. We want to hear your opinions. So, step up and speak up!

This is a guest post by Robb Hill, a Washington, DC based photographer.

A few years ago I received an e-mail from my father. It was a link to a story in the Louisville Courier-Journal about how Kentucky and Indiana were in the planning stages for a new bridge to cross the Ohio River. His e-mail included the news that the location for the connecting highway will run about half a mile from the 150-year-old farmhouse they’ve lived in for 35 years. It was then I decided to photograph our pocket of rural, Southern Indiana.

Creating a historical record of the area before construction began appealed to me. A few months later I was photographing the woods, farms and fields I tromped around in as a kid. I found an old family cemetery I never knew about. Subdivisions that were just a few homes when I left for college had grown into communities of their own. Some of the woods were sparse from being logged over. Much had changed already in the land of my youth.

What has changed very little since I moved away are the people. Almost everyone I knew while growing up still lives there. A few have passed away and one couple moved. This should not have been the surprise to me it was. The Meyers have been farming the same land for four generations. The names Summers and Lentz on the headstones in the family cemetery from the 1800s can be found on mailboxes today.

Since starting my HomeLands project, I’ve come to understand just how much the land and the people are one. They may not say it in those words, but I know they feel it. Where they live is who they are. That can be said about anyone, I know, ask any New Yorker. But these people are unique: They know their way of life is facing imminent demise.

To see more of HomeLands or donate via the Kickstarter.com website click on this link.

Your comments below will inspire a dialogue. We want to hear your opinions. So, step up and speak up!

This guest post is by Livingston, New Jersey photographer Chelo Keys.

If you’re a part-timer working hard to be taken seriously, save yourself from some of the mistakes I’ve made.

It’s no secret that part-time and emerging photographers have to work hard to shake off the “weekend warrior” label. First, it’s hard to be taken seriously when there are so many part-timers entering the market at super low rates. Second, it’s very difficult to form good relationships in the photographic community when both your weekdays and weekends are taken up. With that said it’s easy to find yourself in a place of isolation, stumbling in the dark and making mistakes as you try to build a sustainable business. But even if you’re thinking of throwing in the towel, the good news about being a part-timer is that it’s never too late to start over, reassess your business and earn respect amongst your colleagues.

I’ve made some whopping mistakes starting out. But, I’m in the mist of a huge overhaul and can say that the following helped me chart a path to starting anew.

Practice Humility

Picking up a camera for the first time and thinking you know everything about the business is seriously obnoxious. I did this, so I know. If you’re doing this, stop it. I once worked for a prominent photography studio. Their practices were “old school” but the clients were rolling in and the sales were piling up. I was convinced that they were doing it wrong because they didn’t blog, Facebook or have a fancy flash website. Instead of soaking it in and taking notice of what they were doing right, I was pig-headed, left the job and thought I could do it better myself, but far from it. I failed and flailed. Lesson learned: Never rebuff anyone that is successful.

Accept Critique

I don’t think there is anything more anxiety provoking than taking critique from colleagues. But if you have the ear of a successful and trustworthy professional, take advantage of her or him. I recommend face-to-face critique. But remember, there is nothing more frustrating than advising a person that has selective hearing. Make sure to be open and don’t take it personally. If their advice is sound and you rebuff them, it will only bolster the idea that part-timers are Uncle Bobs with no regard for building skills.

Be Respectful

Things are hard when you’re just starting out, working part-time or transitioning to full-time. You need advice, but maybe you’ve found that other professionals are reluctant to speak with you. First of all, it’s my belief that good teachers should be paid for their time. Personally, I don’t mind answering questions because I don’t think I’m a super star. But I have contacted prominent photographers in the past and expected them to spend their precious time divulging everything to me. How rude! Don’t do what I did. Instead, contact the person that inspires you and make it clear that you are willing to pay for their time. Most importantly state that you are looking for advice on your business and not wanting to know every detail about theirs. Who knows, maybe they won’t want to be paid – but don’t make the assumption that they owe you anything. I’m happy to say that I’ve found a great teacher thanks in part to being respectful of their time.

Don’t Be A Groupie

This goes along the same vein as being respectful. I’m very eager to learn anything I can from successful professionals and it took me a while to learn that prominent photographers are real people. I remember second shooting for someone I really admired. I spent so much time star struck that in the end my photographs of the day left little to be desired. I may have also made the person uncomfortable. Needless to say, they never called me back. I also remember landing a small part-time job with a studio I was completely enamored with. I was so blinded with admiration that I exaggerated my skills, asked way too many questions and found myself fired 2 weeks later. Remember, fawning is not always taken well by others.

Don’t Brag

It’s unbecoming. There is nothing wrong with posting that you’ve booked another wedding on Facebook or Twitter. However, when colleagues state that they are having a difficult time in this economy, don’t counter with “Don’t know what you mean! I’m doing better than ever!!” Especially if your prices are still relatively low and you’re not able to fully sustain yourself on your photography income. Remember, part of this business is about building good relationships.

Be Professional

This should go without saying but you should be paying taxes and have insurance, even if you are part-time. You should develop a sound business plan and formulate rates that adequately cover your expenses and don’t undermine the industry. We’ve all heard the “you have to start somewhere” excuse. But believe me, after undervaluing myself for close to 3 years I’d rather the “somewhere” I started from was an educated and sound place!

Take it Easy

This is the last and most important point. Don’t rush into things like I did. You’ll find yourself paying for mistakes long after they are made. I’m excited to say that there are some great changes coming to my photography business and that the path ahead is promising. That’s the other great thing about being part-time – you can take the time to do things right. But, if you’ve stumbled around like me you can always, always start over.

Your comments below will inspire a dialogue. We want to hear your opinions. So, step up and speak up!

Today's guest post is by Nick Franklin, a photographer and student from Huntsville, Alabama. Follow him on Twitter.

Risk and reward is the mantra of business. How many risks and rewards does a person have to take to be a professional photographer in this market? What are you willing to lose for chasing a dream? If you haven’t looked at these questions yet, you will. No one can provide you the answers, and no one can make choices for you. What they can do, is tell you what they did, and maybe you can glean experience from them. I’d like to share my own with you here.

As an amateur-professional I faced a hard decision early on with where I would take my photography, and what I would lose doing so. Art college is a heavily debated topic in the field, some say it’s almost necessary, others say you’re better served in business school. I weighed the pros and the cons. Being surrounded in a artistic zone could be hugely beneficial in developing a vision, but could also burn me out soon. And, above all, was the cost. My choice schools, somewhere like the Savannah College of Art & Design or Brooks Institute were hugely more expensive than some of the top business schools available to me. Combine that with a looming recession, and my choice was practically made for me. I would not pursue any academic credential in photography. I took instead a more common path, a business major, and secured myself a job through college. I don’t regret this decision now, as the market has not recovered, and I was able to devote what time I had for photography to its best use. I shot what I wanted, and learned a lot photographing things I never thought I would. Making images became a retreat from the norm, and only increased my desire to make them.

My improvement over two years only opened more doors to me however, and with that came more decisions. Clients began to pop up, and I had to decide whether I wanted to forgo those unique shooting excursions to make side money and begin the trying process of building a business. I chose the latter, and it turned out to be considerably harder than I had expected. Balancing shooting, editing, and managing some level of brand on a limited schedule was quickly running my love of photography into the ground.

It wasn’t long until I would drop everything I had on my plate. I left my job, took a semester off from college and stopped taking clients. What on earth could create such a sudden about face? A chance of a lifetime I thought. A photographer who I respected greatly, to the point of modeling my own hopes of success on, was accepting internships. I applied, was accepted, invested over a thousand dollars to relocate myself and for the first time pursued photography full time with no hesitations. My hopes going in were that this was at least a foot in the door of a major studio, or a life adventure I would never forget.

I got much more of the latter than the former. Personal differences led me to leave the studio less than two weeks into my internships. In such a short time my expectations were crushed, and I was left broken. The risk I took had not paid off. It had cost me not only monetary value, but pride and a place beside someone I respected. I found rock bottom.

I didn’t pick up a camera for nearly three months. I was able to resettle myself at home, though not able to make up the lost time from school, and found myself another job. I spent that time thinking about why I took the risk originally, and what I learned from it. I learned that despite how much we get consumed with the mood and meaning of imagery, behind the camera and in front of the lens are real people with real problems. That the things we let go to pursue a dream are the very things that made it in the beginning. In some ways this failure taught me more than success would.

It’s a personal decision in the end how much you are willing to risk for this lucrative career. It’s the things you don’t think about that hurt the most, things like family and friends, or the impression you have a hero. Measure these things very carefully, but go boldly with what you decide. There can be no reward without risk, and sometimes the rewards aren’t always evident.

This is a guest post by Trudy Hamilton, a portrait and lifestyle photographer and blogger, originally from Florida and now residing the the San Francisco Bay area. She can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Most photographers that I know enjoy the adventure that travel brings into their lives. Whether it be personal travel, such as visiting family, or business travel, such as the destination wedding or a location commercial shoot, travel is both a pleasure and necessity. However, unless we're all Joe McNally, we probably don't travel as much as we'd like to.

One of the best reasons to travel is simply to experience the culture of another, hopefully though an open mind, heart and camera. However, you don't have to travel all of the time to experience and photograph another culture. An exciting and economical way to do so is to explore the cultural events of your community. I photographed my first community cultural event in 2006 and I have been interested in them ever since. The beauty of people, music, food, fashion and uniqueness has always excited me and appealed to me. This is why I travel, but also why my mind and heart can travel even when I am home.

A few good reasons to embrace your local community cultural events are:

1) It's a learning opportunity. If you are open to it, a community cultural event can be a learning experience for you. Certainly I could have read an article on the Obon Festival, but I chose to attend one in Japantown of San Jose, CA a few weeks ago. I have been to Japan, but certainly couldn't pick up and go again a few weeks ago. But by attending the festival, I chatted with and photographed Japanese, Japanese Americans and others at the event, listened to the powerful yet soothing sounds of the San Jose Taiko and enjoyed gyoza–some of the same activities I did while I was actually in Japan a few years ago. For several hours, it was like I was transformed from traditional Bay Area Cali and merged into Japanese culture.

2) It's a photographic opportunity. Certainly most photographers desire paid work versus unpaid work, especially the ones running a business. However, sometimes it is good to photograph truly for the sake of creation. Cultural photojournalism differs from my portraiture work. I use different camera settings, I have different compositional ideas and a different intent and message with every photograph that I create at a community cultural event. It's great exercise for me for when I do have paid event photography and great exercise in my creativity and storytelling, in general.

3) It's a networking opportunity. I am an introvert. Though I am not shy, as introversion does not always equate to shyness, I am usually uncomfortable and drained by traditional networking events and conventions. However, at a community cultural event, such as one I attended a month ago in San Francisco, Juneteenth, I can stay below radar and only photograph if I choose, or chat with people who ask me about my work simply from seeing me with what they call a big camera. At this aforementioned event, someone came up and talked with me. I ended up booking them as a client on the spot. So not only was it a great cultural experience (even just to embrace stories of Black people in America–ones that I could see in the very skin of the men I photographed below, who are only a few generations removed from slavery) but it was a business opportunity as well.

Acknowledging, embracing and understanding the cultures of others doesn't just make us better photographers, it makes us better humans. So I encourage you to view your city's website or a site like Yelp and look for the next event in your area, whether it be a Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Filipino, Jamaican or Irish festival (I've been to all of these types) and check it out. It may truly be a learning, photographic and networking opportunity for you as it has been for me. Embrace the true beauty within yourself, by embracing the beauty of others.

Robyn Mayne tipped me off via Twitter to this wonderful video that you must watch. Do you ask yourselves WHY you photograph? Does your photography make a difference in people's lives? What is your take on all of this? Well, tell me in the comments below AFTER you have watched this video of about Jen Lemen.

Jen Lemen shares the the 2010 Name Your Dream Assignment Award with Stephanie C. Roberts for their project Picture Hope. You may also want to order their book, Expressive Photography: The Shutter Sisters' Guide to Shooting from the Heart.

This is a guest post by Knoxville, Tennessee wedding photographer Shannon Kelley who has set up a successful photography community. She can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

Back in January of this year, after attending a Dane Sanders workshop, I made a commitment to find community. Not online or Facebook friends, but real live community.

You see, it is so easy for me to sit behind a computer, chat on Facebook with some clients and other photographers, post some blog posts, read some others and think that that is enough. But I knew that I was missing something, local support and community. So I started doing things, little things. And I ended up shocked. Shocked to find many other photographers that were craving the same thing. Photographers who were supportive and nice. And who wanted to get together and just chat about life and photos.

Five months later and lots of those little steps, Knoxville now has a community co-op studio that my friend and I run, a Facebook group of 250+, monthly shootouts, SMUG's, and best of all, we all have the support of one another! It has been such an amazing thing to witness and be part of. I had no idea how reaching out and embracing local photographers would change my whole sense of who I am as a photographer.

My challenge to you: Leave your desk and computer screen in this next week for a real life connection. Reach out, don't get hurt if someone tells you no because there are people out there who won't get it. Then keep doing it. Take a little step every week and see how your support and community builds!

Here Are Some Of The Little Steps You Can Take:

1) Search one of your fave forums to see who else from your area is on there and then connect with them

2) Have a local photographer whose blog you stalk? Leave a comment or email them

3) Invite a local photographer to coffee

4) Search Facebook for a local photography group

5) Invite a JSO photographer to go on a photo walk with you. Learn from each other

6) Be nice and friendly when you see other photographer's out doing shoots. Maybe give them your card and start a conversation

Does your town or area not have a local photographer group? Or are the local resources available to you limited? Then be a path maker! Start doing things that build community in a larger sense.

1) If your town doesn't have a photographer group, start one on Facebook and organize some get togethers
2) Ask a local photographer to teach on something for your group
3) Organize a shootout (details here)
4) Find out if other groups are meeting in your area and go! (check to see if there are SMUG's around or other locally ran groups)
5) If you are on the hunt for a studio, consider a co-op or community one that will help save costs and build relationships for you!

A Note On Shootouts:

Shootouts have been one of the best ways here in Knoxville for us to reach out and build community. While these can be time consuming and detailed, they can also be basic and so easy to put together that you could be having a shootout by next weekend.

Here is a simple way to do a shootout: Ask someone you know to be a model, pick a cool location, tell the model to wear fun and funky clothes, invite another or several photographers along. Bam! You got yourself a little fun shootout.

There are tons of ways to make shootouts more complicated but if you aren't into all the planning of it, you can still do one and keep in simple. This is how we organize photographer shootouts in Knoxville

Here Are Some Images From Our Recent Local Shoots:

So what do you think? Are you ready to start or be a part of a photography community? What benefits do you see in collaborating with other photographers? What kind of road-blocks are you experiencing? Do you think you can or want to overcome them? Speak your mind in the comments section below. We love to hear from you!

I think it was Zack Arias who lit a fire in me to think about off-camera lighting for my wedding and portrait photography. Since taking his workshop in Boston a few years back, I have been to a number of other workshops. I'll be happy to post a short list of those in a future blog post.

The one lighting workshop that always eluded me, however, was Joseph Victor Stefanchik's 1 Day Speedlites Workshop in Dallas. For a few years JVS, as he is called, only had these workshops in Texas. Now he and his lovely wife Anne are now taking these workshops on the road.

The one in Boston will be on August 26th. It will be held at LensProToGo‘s amazing warehouse space in Concord, Massachusetts. Learn more about these workshops.

JVS and Anne publish a blog called Off Camera Flash. You may want to bookmark it as it is one of my go-to-blogs for inspiration. Check out the images posted there and at his wedding website.

The word – “excited” – is a bit of an understatement. I spoke with JVS about this workshop and he promises me that he will elevate my ability to craft images with light and depth. The cost of the workshop is $500. It's a long, intensive day where you can expect to start using one-light and then two-lights and by the end of the course, three-lights. Class size will be small – no more than 15 people. The bonus is a PDF that JVS and Anne custom-design from the workshop that you attended with images, lighting diagrams and a list of equipment used for each example. This dedication to their craft and to their students alone convinced me that these guys are the real deal.

If you are interested in this Boston workshop by JVS & Anne, use this link to register. Please enter “PICSESHU” in the “Enter Promo Code” box during step one of three on their shopping cart. The cart will automatically apply a $50 discount for the first 10 people to register.

Yes, we are all inundated with requests to attend photography workshops all the time. Which ones are going to hit the mark … for you?

No easy answer to that one. However, here are the steps I usually take when I am considering a photography or lighting workshop of any kind:

1) I outline my immediate needs to grow as a photographer
2) Research the forums to see what is being said about a workshop I want to attend
3) Ask my peers if they have attended the workshop you are considering
4) Get a sense of who the instructor(s) are and what their goals for the workshop will be
5) Look for a way of following up after the workshop

Full disclosure: If I get 10 people to register using the link above, my registration fee will be complimentary. So, yes there is vested interest in plugging this workshop, but people who know me even remotely will tell you that I promote products and/or services that are only of a very high standard.

I hope you will join me in Boston on August 26th. We have much to learn … together!

This is a guest post by Tom Bourdon, an award winning travel photographer based in Spain and specializing in creating images of global celebrations. Find his blog here.

I have to admit I procrastinated a little over writing this blog, I was stumped as to what my subject should be, and without that I couldn't begin, searching for inspiration I headed over to Google. Then it dawned on me – inspiration – that's it, perfect, and I was off.

All artists need inspiration, where it comes from is difficult to say and there's no one guaranteed method of producing it. Sometimes you just need to let your mind wander for a short while, or see things differently, so I've put together a list that I hope will help everyone, myself included, when we're lacking that mystical power.

Now, I'm a travel photographer so this list is slightly biased towards that, but for sure it can be relevant to all photographers.

So with out further ado.

1. Read A Book

Any book. It doesn¥t have to have anything to do with photography, just pick one from your bookshelf or even a library (yes, they do still exist) and just read, its an exercise that will get the brain cells thinking outside of your normal life.'

2. Watch A Film

Books are great to get your imagination working, but films have the huge advantage of being visual, even if you never plan to shoot a second of video you can still learn plenty about composition from the cinema greats.

3. Visit A Flea Market Or Boot Fair

You never know what you're going to find at places like this, but for certain they'll be some interesting shapes to shoot.

4. Become A Tourist For The Day

Do touristy things in your own town, take a trip on the open top bus, wander around your town with fresh eyes, look up, wander down strange narrow streets, even get lost if you can. This is why I love travel photography so much particularly the festivals as there is always something unique to shoot.

5. Visit An Exhibition

No matter where you live there's bound to be a photography exhibition of some sort nearby, if not create one. In fact I'm off to see one later today.

6. Search Google Images Or Photo Libraries

Similar to visiting an exhibition except you can do it from the comfort of your own home. Find out what others are shooting and how. My current favorite is Reportage by Getty

7. Wake Up Early

Where you live probably looks very different at 6 in the morning, so wake up and explore this new place. Also by making the effort to get up early you'll feel more eager to shoot as getting up at ridiculous o'clock was the hard part, well it is for me.

8. Read A Blog

Don't know which one, here's another quick list:

Digtal Photography School
Strobist
Photopreneur
Catchy Colors Photoblog
Photodoto
Daily Dose of Imagery
Photoshop User TV
DIYPhotography
Earthbound Light
David DuChemin
Nature Photographers Of The Pacific Northwest
Stuck In Customs
Chase Jarvis Blog
Beyond the Obvious
F/1.0
Photoshop Insider
Photo Business News & Forum

… and there's plenty more.

9. Buy A Photography Book

Makes sense, no?

10. Set Yourself A Challenging Assignment

For example, shoot only red things for the day or only shoot from very low down to include your subjects feet. Its a great way to starting thinking about composition, by limiting yourself like this you¥ll be looking for new ways to shoot familiar subjects.

11. Make Friends In The Photography World

With the tidal wave of social media that¥s now upon us, its never been easier to meet like minded folk. These friendships can easily progress from the Internet to actually meeting up and who knows where it will go from there. Talking with other photographers is bound to shape your own photography. There¥s also Scott Kelby's Worldwide photo walk which is a great way to meet others and is well worth checking out.

12. Shoot Some Self Portraits

It could be as simple as a hand holding your camera and shooting your reflection in a mirror or it could be as complex as a full studio shot with big umbrellas either way its probably something you don't shoot very often and something you can play with for weeks until you get an image that you can be really proud of.

13. Check Out The Big Winners

The winners of big photo contests, such as the Pictures of the Year, Travel photographer of the year, World press photo, Photo district news. There's bound to be plenty to inspire. Which ever area of photography interests you there's bound to be a competition for it and the winning images should be somewhere online.

14. Play With Settings

Use slow shutter speeds and slow sync flash, set your aperture to f22 and shoot into the sun, use your highest ISO, just have a play and see what happens – perhaps you think you know, if so prove it. You may well be surprised.

15. Take A Photography Class

This doesn't have to be as time consuming as you might think. Creative live run free online photography courses with an incredible line up of teachers, you can even ask questions during the class and yes it really is free.

16. Ignore The Silly Criticism

Constructive criticism can really benefit the serious photographer, but it's not always great for your inspiration, particularly the silly criticism. At the end of the day if you¥re shooting for yourself and your happy with what you're producing then that's great. However if you're shooting for a client and your client isn't happy with your work – well that's something very different.

17. Shoot Something Random

The inside of your freezer, a radiator, your attic, the inside of your car, the dust on the top of your wardrobe, something you'd never normally think about taking a photo of. Spend some time on it playing with composition and light. Shoot five different, but thought out, compositions. This is harder than it sounds.

18. Doodle

I bet you haven't done this in a while, but just sit down with a pen and a blank piece of paper just scribble away absent-minded, move the pen around, make shapes, but don't think about it too much. This technique is often used by other visual artists, but I don't see why it can't aid the photographer.

19. Print Your Pictures

Not many people do this nowadays, myself included, which is a real shame. But being able to touch an image gives it a new dimension, I'm sure but there's probably some complex science behind all this, but all I know is to see my best work professionally printed on lustre paper I want to go out and shoot some more.

20. [fill in the blank with your own]

Now number 20 is up to you guys, leave your own ideas for what inspires you in the comments section below, there's no prizes (unless Seshu wants to jump in here with something ;) ) it's just sharing ideas, which is what the Internet is so great for.

This is a guest post by Divya Manian, a standards-based web designer who now lives in Seattle. She publishes her own blog, Nimbupani.

What pictures come to mind when you think of India?

Wait, I do not need to ask you, all I need to do is to look at Flickr search results and it is obvious what India means to photographers. What about Africa?

India, is much more than vermilion, yellow, vibrant colors and dark women. It is now a land of high-rises, malls, and industrial pollution. Unfortunately, this is not a popular stereotype and rarely highlighted in photography. It perpetuates a myth of poverty and rustic living that is now not true for most of India. Similar is the case with African countries. The greatest catastrophe is the grouping of so many different countries into one ideal “country” called Africa. Africa's landmass can contain China, US, and more in terms of land area. There are people of several cultures within a single country in Africa and African towns and cities have a lot more technology than popular photographs indicate.

A photograph is a slice of time which exaggerates the importance of the captured moment, just like a painting. Photographs have been used to perpetuate myths as well as facts. They alter public opinion with force that is unseen in the written text. As in the movie Spiderman, Uncle Ben says, “With great power, comes great responsibility” and here I would like photographers to use this power wisely.

It is easier to shoot photographs that match a popular stereotype than to go against it. Many times, a popular stereotype reinforces the familiarity of a shot and makes a photograph appealing. Unfamiliarity with the subject being photographed can cause this too. Sometimes, it invokes a sense of nostalgia for a time that could have been or sometimes, a sense of relief for not being in that position, or there can be simply nothing else to do (e.g. Taj Mahal, or birthday parties). Still, stereotypes pander to an opinion that already exists and brings nothing new to life, and I consider that an opportunity lost. A popular cliche these days is a religious priest with a “hi-tech” gadget.

This is a call to all photographers to look beyond the stereotypes, or to use stereotypes wisely. For example, Mr. Oochappan takes great photographs of a part of Tamil Nadu that is rarely seen by the city dwellers. His photographs revels in the stereotypes so much that the pictures bring out unseen facets of Tamil culture. See this image in particular of a man dressed like the Hindu deity Shiva.

Akshay Mahajan usually take photographs that go beyond the stereotypical shots:

I don't mean to hold these two as extreme examples and not all of their photographs fit into the boundaries I have drawn around them. It may not be possible to escape the cliche, but as photographers we must try.

How do you know if you are subscribing to a cliché? Simple, if a shot looks “perfect”, ask yourself why you think so. Is it because it fits into a known stereotype of a “perfect” shot for that place/occasion/people? Or is it because that shot tells an unusual story? Whatever it is, before you take or share a photo you have taken with the world, spend some moments thinking about the story the photograph tells and let it not be “perfect”.

What do you think? Ink your thoughts below in the comments section.