It's a no brainer that if you are a photographer, you ought to know how to use light; ambient or man-made. Zack Arias is a master photographer and teacher of light. I attended one of his workshops and was totally blown away. I have mentioned before that he is coming out with a set of DVDs that will walk you through his way of lighting (I am sure he urges you to find your own style though).

Here is the teaser to that DVD. It looks amazing and I will be dropping some coin soon when it becomes available.

Sign up for Zack's pre-sale email list and get into the action early. I, for one, can't wait.

My brother-in-law, Vinod, has taken up photography like nobody's business. He and his wife just had twins and so there is nearly double the need to make (great) images. I introduced him to his first DSLR (a Nikon D80) and urged him to start making images with a single focal length 35mm f/2.0 lens and a dedicated flash unit (his choice was a SB-600). The results are spectacular.

But before I unveil some of his images here, I must also say that I was instrumental in having him use off-camera flash. Why? Because on-camera flash is blech!

Check out his latest experiment and see for yourself:

This image is the on-camera (blech!) version:

This image is the off-camera (wow) version:

Both images had to be optimized for the web and so you may not fully appreciate the quality of these two images. The first, more easier, option delivers an image that is “good-enough” (oh, how I hate that expression!) It renders my sis-in-law in harsh, unforgiving light and says nothing of her relationship with her newborn son. The second option, to move the flash off the camera shows how you can really play with light and affect the mood, quality and emotion that's built into any moment. What does this second image say? Is the image not more dramatic, inviting, soft-in tone? Vinod placed his strobe in such a way that it gives the entire image a dimensionality that the first option simply lacks. Bravo, Vinod!

So, all you dads and moms out there with point-n-shoot cameras, I hope you will reconsider and buy a DSLR, one lens and of course a flash unit that you can trigger using your camera's wireless system. Your kids will thank you for it.

For more information about using your flash, the go-to-site is The Strobist.

Go get it here.

“It’s brimming with tried and tested real-world Photoshop solutions that will add impact to your next web design project. If you’ve ever been stuck for inspiration, have puzzled over just how to create a shiny aqua-style button, or wanted to create that seamlessly tiling background image you saw on a site recently, you need download this book.”

You have till June 13, 2008 to get the PDF (both hi-rez and lo-rez versions).

Via

Ok, I get nothing for plugging products here and this time it's no different.

David Hobby, aka. The Strobist, has an instructional DVD set coming out on Tuesday. If you are a photographer and haven't been living under a rock, I highly recommend you take a look at David's website and buy his new DVD. It promises to be chalk-full of great info. Cost: $139 (I believe)

Here is a preview (via) of what you can expect. Be prepared to upgrade your skills.

Another lighting master on the verge of a DVD release is Zack Arias. Having been to Zack's One Light Workshop in Boston, I have gotta say that his DVD will also revolutionize your photography. Cost: $250 (I believe)

Also, check out his series on high-key fashion lighting on his blog. Part 1, 2, 2b, 3, 4. Simply amazing!

Update: The Strobist now has his DVD-set on sale. Go get 'em!

Bill Waldman of 365 Portraits fame is on a roll. First it was Jhumpa Lahiri in Time and then this excellent advice about buying equipment. Read both posts and book mark this guy's sites. He is awesome!

Happy Cinco de Mayo everybody!

J. Adam Huggins shows us that the manhole covers found in NYC are made in India

You have heard of Craigslist haven't you? Well here comes a website that pulls the RSS feeds off of the original and delivers it in a much more creative/clever/clear way: crgslst

David duChemin asks “What makes a great photograph?“

Dr. Brown's Services – if you are eager to make your life a little bit easier using Photoshop you will download these scripts and use them.

Flaunt your photographs using flauntR, a free and easy online photo editor

21 Ways To Shoot Better Photographs

drop.io – faxing for the free

Learnfest by Lena Hyde, Tamara Lackey, Laura Novak, and Audrey Woulard: some very fine photographers out to teach you the ropes. I wish I could go. The price tag is $2600 for three days/2 nights and includes the teaching, the food and the accommodations. Guess, I shouldn't be complaining. In the long run I do see it is a terrific opportunity.

In the Hindu pantheon, Yama is the god of death. Well check out this camera. Freaky, isn't it?

Lakshmi's Lounge is hosting Sandeep Sood, the man behind Badmash

Simple + Dirty – David Jackson's personal work. Some very fine art indeed. Check out his other work here. His blog is here.

So, you are a professional photographer? Got a business plan? I am working on mine right now using Strategy Avenue‘s Path To A Business Plan. Strategy Avenue also has a blog written by John and Laura.

I am infatuated with Design Aglow.

MacUpdate and MacHeist both have some cool promotions on right now.

The Vagabond II may be back-ordered, but it is the only well-built external battery source I have found for my on-location portrait photography sessions. Now to order one!

The other day for some reason I kept thinking about the movie Amelie. Photo booths are so trippy, aren't they? I may have mentioned the Photobooth Blog before. If you want to set one up yourself and have a PC, try Photo Boof!. For the Mac folks among us, there is The Mugshot Machine. Then there is Rolland Elliot who will ship and rent you a booth for a fee.

Blurb, the self-publishing/designing online tool has a new version of BookSmart out. Download it here.

Vanessa Winship was in India.

Adrees Latif wins the Pulitzer prize for photography. Read all about it here.

Book reviews aren't easy and for a guy who reads at a glacial pace it's doubly hard. Thankfully UNSUNG by Anita Pratap and Mahesh Bhat has some incredibly captivating images that kept me engrossed, flipping page after page taking in each of the richly textured black & white images.

What I found curious was that the images nudged me on to read the accompanying text. Ms. Pratap's easy writing style makes it an enjoyable read as she narrates each of the nine stories about average Indian citizens doing some great things for society with very little resources. This book is simply inspirational and a must-read for all.

Whoever designed this book must also be applauded. The pacing of the images, the right pull-quotes in the right places and the easy-to-read font make this book something extra-ordinary.

Please support independent photography and writing projects such as this one by buying this book here.

As a wedding and portrait photographer, I spend a good deal of my time custom designing albums for my clients. It's not an easy process and it takes a good deal of my time. Part of me wants it all to be perfect. From the colors in the images to the layout; everything must match my vision and the energy of my clients.

Andrew Funderburg's Fundy Album Builder gives me just that option. As a beta tester and now full time user, I couldn't be happier. This isn't me just schilling some product to make a commission (though I do make a small amount to support this website). I have tried it, tested and been in touch with the developer who is continually making this a product you can use in your business. The cost of the program pales in comparison the returns you will make after you use this program on a regular basis. The video tutorials will help you get all set up and started in no time.

Interested? Now until April 15, 2008 receive 15% off of this product when you mention the following promo code: “seshu.”

Happy designing! Leave your comment here after you have had a chance to use Fundy Album Builder.