Check out this self portrait...

Some of the best things I see come from the good people who read this blog, this self portrait is no exception.

It is of (and done by) Monica Martin.

There are two things I like about it, it has a "minimalist" look, an image with the least amount of pixels as possible (much like telling a really good story with the fewest words possible), and I think this image is a great example of just how important the eyes are when taking a picture.

"The eyes are the window to the soul" comes to mind.

So I emailed Monica for permission to show her image and ask her a few questions, she kindly agreed.

Monica, how did this image come about?

"It was actually taken without fixing white balance and came out pretty orange. I have a huge window and was playing around with the natural light coming in with a reflector on a very purple wall as the background."

How was the camera setup?

"I used a tripod and timer"

What do you have around your head, is it a hood?

"I have a fuzzy hat and scarf around my head and face. Love hats!"

What kind of camera did you shoot it with?

"I shot this with a Canon 5D and 28-135mm canon lens, 1/100s at /5.6, ISO 500"

And post processing?

"It was edited in Camera Raw and CS3 to convert it to black and white and I used Ron Nichols palette to brighten, to add contrast in the eyes, and to soften skin."

Thank you Monica for letting me use your image and taking the time to answer my silly questions.

Be sure to learn more about Monica at her website and her blog.

(click on the image to view larger and in a new window)

Okay, I lied to you...

and I'm so ashamed! (all said tongue in cheek)

;)

Last week I said that beginning today we would start a two week series on social media, image keywording, SEO (search engine optimization), and how these things impact the business of photography.

But I had forgotten that today was a holiday, I don't usually post on holidays (or if I do it's not "on topic") and I am heading south at the crack of dawn on Thursday for a wedding that will keep me out of state until next Sunday night.

So not only will I be gone for 4 days, I will be spending the next couple days prepping for the trip.

So we will start the 2 week series NEXT Monday instead of today, I promise.

I have a camera for sale...

I am selling a Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro 6.2 mp / 12.1 mp with a Nikon mount, it was the backup to my D300, but now that camera is the backup to my D3, making the Fuji "expendable".

You can read why dpReview.com made it a "Highly Recommended" buy here.

Feel free to drop me an email if you are interested.

Have a great Labor Day.

Paint Shop Pro X2 Ultimate for $39.95...

This week (ending 9/12) BestBuy has the latest version of Paint Shop Pro on sale for only $39.95.

I know some of you may be looking down your nose at this, even though I have CS4 and Lightroom there are times I want to do some quick and simple editing and Paint Shop Pro fits the bill nicely.

And you may be new to photography and don't want to take out that second mortgage to get Photoshop CS4, well Paint Shop Pro is a more than adequate alternative.

If you are wondering what others have to say be sure to check out the review from CNET and/or Top 10 Reviews.

You will have the option of either downloading, or getting the boxed version at the store.

Follow this link to find a BestBuy near you.

You just can't make this stuff up...

It's the weekend so I am legally allowed to go "off topic", it says so on the "Blogging Rules and Regulations" handbook.

;)

When I first saw the Snuggie commercial I thought it was a "spoof", a Saturday Night Live skit, especially when the family wore them to the football game.

I mean, really?

Then they had to take it too far by making Snuggies for dogs!

And taking me just to the edge of sanity simply wasn't enough, they had to come out with the "wearable towel" and push me waaay over!

I would pluck out my own eyes so I wouldn't have to see these commercials, but then again I would still be able to hear them.

So when you see me at a football game wearing a Snuggie, know that I have a wearable towel on underneath.

Your online presence...

During the next two weeks we are going to focus a good number of our posts on what photographers can (and need to) do to improve their online presence.

The things we will be covering are social media, image keywording, SEO (search engine optimization), and more.

We will review resources like Rod Evans "Facebook Marketing Tutorial", "Socialnomics" by Erik Qualman, and many more social media and online resources.

But before we can map out a where we want to go we need to determine where we are.

A very good starting point is the "Website Grader" a free SEO tool that will that will help measure the current marketing effectiveness of your website.

Your score is based on traffic, SEO preparedness, social networking popularity, as well as other factors.

To see what they look at when grading your site and the kind of recommendations they make for improvement you 're welcome to view the report for Weekly Photo Tips.

I know this is not a glamorous, sexy, or even slightly exciting subject (then again, the same can be said about me), but I would argue that your online presence will play a larger role in your (financial) success as a photographer than will your camera.

So run your website report before Monday and then follow along as we start putting together the building blocks for online success.

Q & A with Joe McNally...

Peachpit has started a new feature called "Q & A with Joe McNally", where you can submit your question (and up to 2 images) and each week Joe will pick one of the entries to answer and critique.

You can find the submission form here, submit your photos to the Photography Q&A with Joe McNally Flickr Group, and can read Joe's answers to the selected questions here.

If you do submit an image you will need to agree to the photographic release form, but unlike too many other online resources that require a photo release form, Peachpit does it correctly (and fairly), leaving all ownership and rights with the photographer:

"By submitting any Photograph to the Blog, Peachpit does not claim or assert any ownership of any Photograph and shall not use the Photograph other than for the purposes of the Blog. All Photographs shall remain the property of their rightful owner."