It’s Valentine’s Day, so love and passion abound today. While most people tend to celebrate their personal relationships on Valentine’s Day, businesses also deserve some love and recognition. For entrepreneurs, passion is often what drives them to start their own business. Is passion enough? Does raw talent trump passion? How can and should the two align? These questions are intriguing and have been discussed at length amongst dreamers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners alike. Here are a few interesting posts about these questions: Where to focus: Passion or Ability?
Selected by eztephen
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Most Topular Stories
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Do love and passion conquer all in business?
Up and Running14 Feb 2012 | 12:58 pm -
5 Career Truths I Know Now That I Wish I’d Known Then
Young Entrepreneur - Small Business & Entrepreneur Community » Blog15 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amRemember that awkward phase you went through as a teenager? You were doing battle with acne on a daily basis, you spent six years waiting for the growth spurt that never came, and your braces nearly electrocuted you when you finally got your first kiss. Things were rough. For some of us, those tough times continued right on into our early adult years. We’d gotten that cowlick under control and we’d finally learned how to walk in heels without falling down (well, some of us), but the business world still provided some rough initiations of its own. Hindsight is 20/20, but if I could go back… -
6 Ways to Add Drama and Mystery to Your Images
Digital Photography School15 Feb 2012 | 5:55 amRecently at a get together with 6 photography friends we started chatting about the idea of adding Drama and Mystery to images. Don’t ask me how we got to the topic but the conversation was so good that I decided to ask each photographer for their favourite technique for creating Dramatic and Mysterious Shots. Here’s their responses (paraphrased): 1. Motion Blur While keeping your shots tack sharp is something that many of us aim for – slowing down your shutter speed a little and allowing moving objects in your frame to blur a little (or a lot) can certainly add a new… -
B2B: One Big Top Light
Strobist13 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amWe're back to basics today -- looking at working with a single, large source and how to tweak it. Five years ago, I mostly thought of large sources in a "45-degrees-up-and-over" kind of way. Safe? Yes. But now, that kind of stuff all looks the same to me. So I almost never use them that way. Read more » -
How to Create an Oddly-shaped Surreal House
Photoshop Tutorials13 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amIn this photo-manipulation tutorial, we will learn how to create an oddly-shaped, surreal-inspired, stone house. We will learn how to blend several stock images together to create a pseudo long exposure image of a surreal house at the edge of the dock. We will learn how to create realistic reflections on water and also, enhance the light and shadows of the stock images to create a seamless image. Read more... (http://photoshoptutorials.ws/photoshop-tutorials/photo-manipulation/how-to-create-an-oddly-shaped-surreal-house.html)
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Up and Running
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Do love and passion conquer all in business?
14 Feb 2012 | 12:58 pmIt’s Valentine’s Day, so love and passion abound today. While most people tend to celebrate their personal relationships on Valentine’s Day, businesses also deserve some love and recognition. For entrepreneurs, passion is often what drives them to start their own business. Is passion enough? Does raw talent trump passion? How can and should the two align? These questions are intriguing and have been discussed at length amongst dreamers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners alike. Here are a few interesting posts about these questions: Where to focus: Passion or Ability? -
6 Tips to Create the Best Possible Work Environment
10 Feb 2012 | 4:00 amIf you are the manager of a small business, then you know how difficult it can be sometimes to properly manage human resources. Organizing interviews, talking salary and mediating employee conflict are some of the less-glamorous aspects of the job. However, it’s also one of the most important facets of maintaining a happy and stable workplace. Developing a positive company culture may be one of the best investments you will make as a small-business manager. According to a Gallup Organization’s study of employees across the country, of the three million employees studied, a shocking… -
Cut it out! (Some of the Best and Worst Coupon Campaign Tactics)
9 Feb 2012 | 4:00 amBy Ella Davidson of Coupons.org; Coupons is a site dedicated to giving back to the community while providing informative couponing knowledge. As any marketing strategist will tell you, understanding your target shopper is the best way to achieve success. Many factors can play a role in determining the outcome of your campaign. In a robust economy, simple tricks such as placing desired items at an entrance of a store can lure a potential shopper in. Once the shopper comes into the store, they will begin to look around and thus create sales that otherwise might not have happened. When an… -
Are You LinkedIn for the Sake of Your Business?
8 Feb 2012 | 4:00 amIf you and your business have been hesitant to invest the time and effort into a LinkedIn account, what are you waiting for? With some 120 million users, LinkedIn is still by far the choice of business professionals. Yet, many business pros, and their companies for that matter, have been late to the party when it comes to signing up for and maintaining accounts. For the business professional, even if you choose to come and go with a LinkedIn page, it is a wise idea to have a company page in place so that you can draw people to your site and reach out in turn. This holds especially true for… -
7 Overlooked Tax Deductions for Small Business Owners
7 Feb 2012 | 4:00 amTax (Photo credit: 401K) According to the IRS, each year millions of taxpayers overlook deductions and credits resulting in overpaying their taxes. Here are seven tips so you won’t become one of the statistics. Section 179 Deduction. If your business acquired assets in 2011 either through a lease or by purchasing them out right, you may be eligible to deduct up to $500,000. For more information about this deduction, you can read “End of Year Tax Tips” as well as the IRS publication “Bonus Depreciation and Increased Section 179 Deduction under the American Recovery and Reinvestment…
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Young Entrepreneur - Small Business & Entrepreneur Community » Blog
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5 Career Truths I Know Now That I Wish I’d Known Then
15 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amRemember that awkward phase you went through as a teenager? You were doing battle with acne on a daily basis, you spent six years waiting for the growth spurt that never came, and your braces nearly electrocuted you when you finally got your first kiss. Things were rough. For some of us, those tough times continued right on into our early adult years. We’d gotten that cowlick under control and we’d finally learned how to walk in heels without falling down (well, some of us), but the business world still provided some rough initiations of its own. Hindsight is 20/20, but if I could go back… -
The Power of the One-Page Strategy
14 Feb 2012 | 6:38 amCreating a strategy for your small business can be one of the most important actions you can implement. It’s your road map to success; but often times it’s a step that gets pushed to the side. I was in a recent conversation with a business owner and I asked her, “what strategy have you been following and what’s your ultimate goal?” She looked at me as if I had two heads… Not a good sign. You don’t have to have an exact plan for your business and/or have all the nitty-gritty details for it, but an overall strategy will help steer you in the right direction –… -
Real Investors Don’t Sign Confidentiality Agreements
13 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amEntrepreneurs often get the advice from their lawyers and friends to always get a Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA or CDA) signed before disclosing anything about their new venture. Most investors and startup advisors I know hate them, and refuse to sign them. Who is right? Let me try to put this question in perspective. If you are totally risk-averse, then push to always get signed NDAs. You won’t last long as an entrepreneur in this category, since a startup is all about taking risks. On the other hand, if you intend to patent an idea, you need a signed confidentiality agreement from… -
Making a Difference with Social Entrepreneurship
10 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amJumping into entrepreneurship at a young age is an exhilarating experience. You feel as though you can achieve anything you set your mind to. And for many determined young entrepreneurs, that’s precisely the case. However, is building a successful business enough? If you want to make a difference in the world, consider pursuing social entrepreneurship. How is this different from standard business, you might be wondering? And what kind of change can you bring to the world through business innovation? Keep reading to find out how you can take your first steps into social entrepreneurship… -
4 Keys to Reining in Social Media Overload
9 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amMost businesses understand that they need at least some kind of social media presence nowadays. But what about those who are too deeply entrenched in Facebook status updates and tweets? Or those that can’t keep up with LinkedIn invites and Tumblr reblogs? What about entrepreneurs who are finding it harder and harder to manage all of their social media profiles and run a business at the same time? It’s easy to get overloaded with social media, but if you feel like you’re drowning, it might be time to start simplifying your routine and finding ways to cut back on your time…
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Digital Photography School
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6 Ways to Add Drama and Mystery to Your Images
15 Feb 2012 | 5:55 amRecently at a get together with 6 photography friends we started chatting about the idea of adding Drama and Mystery to images. Don’t ask me how we got to the topic but the conversation was so good that I decided to ask each photographer for their favourite technique for creating Dramatic and Mysterious Shots. Here’s their responses (paraphrased): 1. Motion Blur While keeping your shots tack sharp is something that many of us aim for – slowing down your shutter speed a little and allowing moving objects in your frame to blur a little (or a lot) can certainly add a new… -
5 things to Love [and 5 things to Hate] about Canon G1 X
14 Feb 2012 | 10:29 amThis week, I got my greedy little hands on a Canon G1 X and I have to say, I was {and still am} absolutely giddy over this camera. Bear in mind, it’s been about 6 years since I even owned a point + shoot so getting this camera was like going from VHS to blue ray. There were 5 things that struck me as amazing about this little camera as well as 5 things that made me say “what on earth?”. 5 things to love The sensor is gigantic for a compact digital camera. It’s only 20% smaller than the sensor in Canon’s 7D! Response time is phenomenal. From the time I press… -
Return To The Scene Of The Crime: Shooting Mundane Scenes In Different Light To Improve Your Photography
14 Feb 2012 | 5:33 amWe all have parts of our life that are mundane. Even the most seasoned traveler has mundane tasks or habits that seem anything less than glamorous. While there is certainly something to be touted and enjoyed from the exotic images we all love, there is also some thing to be appreciated in the mundane. First, the mundane is often not always that. While a scene may be commonplace, unless the light never changes, ever, there is always something different about it day to day. My challenge to you is to find beauty, not so much in the objects you see every day, but in the light hitting them. By way… -
3 Minutes with Photographer Steven Bumgardner
13 Feb 2012 | 10:29 amPhotography has always been a powerful medium to share images, but it has consistently been most powerful when used to share stories. As digital SLRs increasingly include video functionality new opportunities are emerging for photographers to enhance their storytelling with video and videographers to return to their roots with still photography. Steven Bumgardner (AKA YosemiteSteve on Twitter) has a gift for storytelling as it relates to our natural world and might just have the ultimate dream job getting to work in Yosemite valley. Steven was kind enough to share a little bit about his video… -
15 Tips for Great Candlelight Photography
13 Feb 2012 | 6:07 amImage by Sea Eye Happy Valentines Day! In celebration we thought we’d publish this post on the romantic topic of Candlelight Photography! Have you ever tried to photograph a candle lit scene with your digital camera? The results can be stunning with the warm glow of flickering flames reflecting off your subjects face (can you feel the romance?) but the shooting in such a low light environment make it can make it a challenging situation. Here are a few tips on how to get that perfect candle light portrait! 1. Turn off Your Flash Lets start with the obvious ones and work our way back.
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Strobist
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B2B: One Big Top Light
13 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amWe're back to basics today -- looking at working with a single, large source and how to tweak it. Five years ago, I mostly thought of large sources in a "45-degrees-up-and-over" kind of way. Safe? Yes. But now, that kind of stuff all looks the same to me. So I almost never use them that way. Read more » -
How the Other Half Lives: George Holz' Beyoncé for Spin
8 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pmPhoto © George HolzYou know how people on the Strobist Flickr group like to talk about how it is technically possible to shoot blow-away white with just one flash?Yeah, this is not exactly that.Hit the jump for a walk-thru vid for the (ahem, eight-light) shoot, including a key light combo that you're prolly gonna want to rent rather than buy next time you are assigned to shoot Beyoncé. Read more » -
Lighting Inside the Box
6 Feb 2012 | 6:30 amAfter 15 years of long-term planning (and saving) Susan and I finally took the plunge with a full kitchen remodel. We were really pleased with the results, and at some point I had promised the contractor a nice photo of the final product.In a room like this you are basically illuminating the inside of a box by using hidden lights, which turned out to be an interesting exercise. And it's something I would recommend for just about any photographer. Read more » -
Core Knowledge: Working With Remotes
2 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amThere are two things you should always remember about radio remotes:One, radio can be fickle. This is true whether you are using your time-honored PocketWizards or a brand new Chinese offering.Two, radio waves -- and success with your remotes -- are all about the physics. So a little knowledge can go a long way toward ensuring good range and reliability. Some basics that every lighting photographer should know, inside. Read more » -
Tyler Stableford: Dispatches From the Underground
30 Jan 2012 | 6:00 amAspen, Colorado-based photographer Tyler Stableford generally shoots action and adventure, most of it aboveground. But this shoot for Timberland PRO would send him a half-mile deep into the earth. That far down, before adding light it is absolutely pitch black. As in, you cannot see your hand in front of your face. And the lights the miners use while extracting coal there aren't much friendlier -- low-level, and a mix of tungsten and fluorescents. So Stableford shot the entire campaign working on the edge of the quality envelope, and lighting with only a few speedlights. Read more »
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Photoshop Tutorials
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How to Create an Oddly-shaped Surreal House
13 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amIn this photo-manipulation tutorial, we will learn how to create an oddly-shaped, surreal-inspired, stone house. We will learn how to blend several stock images together to create a pseudo long exposure image of a surreal house at the edge of the dock. We will learn how to create realistic reflections on water and also, enhance the light and shadows of the stock images to create a seamless image. Read more... (http://photoshoptutorials.ws/photoshop-tutorials/photo-manipulation/how-to-create-an-oddly-shaped-surreal-house.html) -
16 Old-Style Photographic Works by Cally Whitham
13 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amPhotographic artist Cally Whitham is known for her use of romantic light that brings out the aesthetic value of her subjects. Her subjects are depicted in an almost surreal ambience, making her work resemble a real oil painting. This interview will show you her deep sense of beauty and how she translates her visions into stunning works of art. Read more... (http://photoshoptutorials.ws/creative-inspirations/photography/16-old-style-photographic-works-by-cally-whitham.html) -
Let Me Sink - Emotional Rainy Scene Photo Manipulation
9 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amIn this tutorial I'll show you how to create an emotional photo manipulation called "Let me sink". We'll come through techniques of manipulating, retouching, using brush, layer mask, adjusting light and shadow a well as other several techniques to create an emotional rainy scene. Read more... (http://photoshoptutorials.ws/photoshop-tutorials/photo-manipulation/let-me-sink-emotional-rainy-scene-photo-manipulation.html) -
How to Create a Chocolaty Valentine’s Day Card for Your Girlfriend
8 Feb 2012 | 4:19 pmThis Valentine’s day, show your true love with a Valentine’s Day card! Whether it’s for your partner or yourself, you’ll have a fun time making it. This tutorial will show you how to create an easy swirling background and how to use layer styles to create a chocolaty text effect. Once you’re done, feel free to customize it with personal photos or just a few cute hearts. Read more... (http://photoshoptutorials.ws/photoshop-tutorials/text-effects/create-a-chocolaty-valentines-day-card-for-you-or-your-girlfriend.html) -
11 Beautiful Photography Works by Christopher Jonassen
6 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amThis interview features world renowned fine art Photographer Christopher Jonassen. A real visionary, he transforms ordinary, everyday things into visually stimulating works of art. His talent and passion is truly incomparable as can be seen in his work. Read on and be amazed by this talented photographer! Read more... (http://photoshoptutorials.ws/creative-inspirations/photography/11-beautiful-photography-works-by-christopher-jonassen.html)
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Photoshop For Digital Photographers
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Protecting Your Metadata
8 Feb 2012 | 4:44 amEvery time you take an image your camera automatically embeds information into the image. There may be times when you don't want to share this data with others and in this tutorial I'll show you how to remove selective metadata from an image. -
How To Naturally Extend A Canvas
2 Feb 2012 | 4:12 amIf you need to naturally extend one or more edges of an image how do you do this without distorting important elements of your image? Watch this tutorial to find out how. -
Painting A Vignette
3 Jan 2012 | 3:12 amGet more control with your vignettes by painting them onto your images. In this tutorial I'll be showing you how easy this technique is to apply. -
A Killer Portrait Adjustment
22 Dec 2011 | 2:45 amWould you like a simple two layer adjustment that will make your image standout from all of the rest? Watch this tutorial to see how it's done. -
High Pass Sharpening
7 Dec 2011 | 3:21 amIn this tutorial we will sharpen an image by using the High Pass Filter. In addition to creating this adjustment we will also show you how to fine tune the adjustment by creating a smart filter.
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Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider
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It’s Guest Blog Wednesday featuring Peter Hurley!
14 Feb 2012 | 9:01 pmHow important is it to accentuate your subject’s jawline in a portrait? For me it’s major, and more often than not the first direction that comes out of my mouth toward anyone in front of my camera. I believe it’s our job to pull the best out of our clients, so we need to be feeding them constant direction in order to do that.As photographers, we all use direct direction in order to get a client into a position that makes them physically look better. So since this one area means so much to me, I thought I’d share some tips on it in this little video. In it you’ll see how… -
HP Releases the Z1 Workstation
14 Feb 2012 | 12:02 pmHey gang, Brad Moore here with a quick announcement.HP just announced their brand new Z1 Workstation, a 27″ all-in-one workstation that opens to allow for hardware upgrades! This system features the quad-core Intel Xeon processor, an NVIDIA Quadro graphics card, and options for USB 3.0, Blu-Ray Writer, SSD hard drive, and more for top performance.Check out all the details over at HP.com! -
Happy Valentine’s Day
14 Feb 2012 | 7:34 amHowdy folks. Sorry for the late post, but I took today off to spend with my sweetie (we actually snuck away last night and headed to our favorite getaway place, and now we’re spending the day shopping and just hanging out, which I understand may include a stop at a guitar store). :) By the way: the photo above, taken at Vegas Photoshop World, is by my buddy Mike “Hollywood” Kubeisy”Today we’re celebrating our 25th Valentine’s Day together (and this year we’ll be married 23 years!). As all my friends are quick to remind me — I am the luckiest… -
I went with Nikon D800 with the Anti-Aliasing Filter
12 Feb 2012 | 9:02 pmI’ve had a lot of people asking which model I ordered; the regular D800 or the 800e where Nikon has removed the anti-aliasing filter (it’s supposed to create a little sharper images but without the filter you run the risk of certain photos having a moire pattern).Well, I went with the model WITH the filter (the regular Nikon D800). I talked with a few friends that have shot the camera, and they suggested for the range of photos I take (from people, to sports, to fashion to travel), that I just stick with the regular D800 (which saved me a few hundred bucks to boot).I’ve had… -
It’s FREE Photoshop World Ticket Monday
12 Feb 2012 | 9:01 pmI’m going to be giving away a FREE full-conference pass to next month’s Photoshop World Conference & Expo in Washington DC to some lucky commenter here today, but before you rush down and enter (just leave a comment here of any sort, and you’re entered), watch this short video (only 1 min: 31 seconds), to get psyched up for it. It pretty much shows you why you gotta be there (and why you should enter today to see if you win the free ticket!).We’re going to have an all-time record-breaking attendance for our East Coast show, and you’re invited to be there when…
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Holy Kaw!
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Around the world in 179 time lapses [video]
15 Feb 2012 | 9:57 amYep, it’s Time Lapse Wednesday, folks, but this time French Canadian television show VLOG has pieced together 179 clips from all over the world for a truly global time lapse experience. Woo hoo! Full story at YouTube via Geeks are Sexy. More time lapse videos. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Bathing doesn’t get any lazier than this
15 Feb 2012 | 9:49 amIf going from a horizontal position to a vertical one is one of your major morning challenges, the Horizontal Shower by Dornbracht is your dream come true. Six WaterBars provide a luxurious spa experience or body-bruising massage, whatever your preference, thanks to a schmancy-fancy control system that may have you just dragging your pillow in, too, to really cut down on the time it takes to get ready in the morning. Who are we kidding, though; like you’re ever getting to work with something like this at home. Of course, the DIY-version is just laying in the bathtub with the shower… -
Price-hunting from your smart phone [infographic]
15 Feb 2012 | 9:40 am(Click on the infographic below to learn more.) Via Column Five for Milo Like infographics? So do we. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
"What I Really Do" meme
15 Feb 2012 | 9:33 amIf you haven't spotted the "What I Really Do" meme, you probably haven't logged into Facebook in the last 48 hours. The highly sharable and totally relatable meme cleverly illustrates the common misconceptions about jobs like journalists, social media managers, entrepreneurs, and countless other careers your mom just doesn't understand. See more at Mashable. Tickle your funny bone. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
“Temporal Distortion” time lapse [video]
15 Feb 2012 | 9:21 amFar beyond the lights of America’s big cities, there are places where the beauty above our heads is still waiting to be witnessed. From meteors with persistent trains to the Aurora borealis, Randy Halverson has captured the breathtaking beauty of nights in the hinterlands of Utah, South Dakota, Colorado and Wisconsin in this time lapse featuring an original score by Bear McCreary. Full story at Vimeo via Neatorama. Stunning videos. Permalink | Leave a comment »
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Canon Rumors
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A Brief Hands-On With the 3 New Lenses
14 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pmFrom Dan Carr Photographer Dan Carr had a brief hands-on with the 3 new lenses from Canon. He even had the chance to shoot a sample image with the new EF 24 f/2.8 IS. However, as noted in his article, the IS wasn’t operational on the prototypes. There are some images of the new primes on the Canon EOS C300 as well. Are videographers looking forward to these primes? There is also a sample from a hand assembled EF 24-70 f/2.8L II to view. Dan’s take on the EF 24-70 f/2.8L II Mounted to my 5dMKII it felt like a perfectly balanced package. Another physical difference is the 82mm… -
5D Mark III/X Information [CR1]
14 Feb 2012 | 3:05 amaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh! Tons of information coming in about possibly the most anticipated camera of 2012 (sorry Nikon). Announcement date of February 28, 2012? I have received lots of emails saying that’ll be the announcement date. I cannot confirm it to 100% certainty, so for now it’s just a guess. Specs? All the same specs are coming in. 22mp, 61pt af, 6.9fps. It could definitely take the spot of the 7D, if the previous rumor is true. Shipping? Late March or early April is the mentioned ship times for the camera. If this is true, there should be real solid leaks coming soon. -
More Lens Suggestions [CR1]
14 Feb 2012 | 2:44 amThe year of the lens? We mentioned previously Canon may have a “record year” for lens announcements in 2012. Below are more suggestions and info about new lenses. EF 35 f/1.4L II Suggested announcement in April/May 2012. Expect the cost to be high. EF 100-400 f/4-5.6L IS 300 f/4L IS 400 f/4L IS Suggested announcement in the fall. Perhaps showing for Photokina? A replacement to the EF 400 f/5.6 could realistically come in the shape of a new, and much better EF 100-400L IS. A 400 f/4L IS could fit nicely between the 100-400 and 200-400 (which is going to be very expensive). -
No 7D Mark II? [CR1]
14 Feb 2012 | 2:34 amThis is a first I received a suggestion that Canon will not be making a sequel to the 7D. In other words, no 7D Mark II. The 60D replacement (70D?) will move back up to its previous position in the lineup. Does that mean the end of the 60D “super rebel” style camera as well? I’d like to see a higher end rebel retain the scroll wheel. I also think the “Rebel” name alone may add to the sales count better than “60D”. No timetable was given for an announcement. cr -
Canon PowerShot G1 X Review
13 Feb 2012 | 3:18 pmFull review from Engadget The folks at Engadget have posted their full review of the Canon PowerShot G1 X. For the most part they are quite happy with it, although there are a few issues they have with the camera, like the weak battery life. Wrap-Up From Engadget If you demand that an $800 camera contributes to your photography with “extras” like high ISO, interchangeable lenses or exceptional macro prowess, then the G1 X has rivals that are perhaps more worthy of your consideration. However, having used the G1 X heavily for a few days, we can look past its weaknesses — even…
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Canon Blogger: Learning Digital Photography
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Wordless Wednesday #003 – Summertime Fun
14 Feb 2012 | 10:30 pm -
Avoiding Red Eye
12 Feb 2012 | 10:30 pmA common side effect of introducing flash on your subjects is that of “red eye” – those garish red dots that appear in peoples eyes (or green eyes in pets). We all know it’s from the flash, but sometimes you need flash in a shot to provide enough light for exposure to work. So, what can you do? Well, most of us can probably agree that the best approach is to move your flash off-camera. While this is true enough, the reason why this works isn’t because the flash is off the camera, but more accurately, because the camera is off-axis!Here’s what… -
Follow Up: Radio Station Photo Theft
9 Feb 2012 | 5:30 pmEarlier today, I posted the article about a radio station stealing images from a competitor station. After publishing the post, I did my usual bit, tweet the post, and in this case, sent a note to the station manager on the issue, on the off-chance I would get a reply.To my surprise I did! The exchange was thoroughly shocking though – first he said that they never do such things, but by the third email he basically was reduced to a “no comment” status. Kind of implies something in my mind, but what about yours? Here’s the exchange:What do you think? Is that… -
Radio Station Steals Photos
9 Feb 2012 | 6:38 amWe have two competing country music stations here in Denver: KYGO and the Wolf. A photographer has had exclusive arrangements with the former for a number of years. Apparently, he took some photos at a recent Jason Aldean concert, and KYGO posted them to their website. These photos eventually made it over to the Facebook page for The Wolf. Now the photographer is trying to pursue some measure of justice, and is being met with stiff resistance. The sad thing is that he will unlikely get any justice because even though The Wolf is in the wrong, the cost of hiring a lawyer and delay… -
Wordless Wednesday # 002 – A Dog Lives Here
7 Feb 2012 | 10:30 pm
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Photopreneur - Make Money Selling Your Photos
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Become a Photographer Without Giving up the Day Job
8 Feb 2012 | 5:59 amPhotography: Renata Ramsini Renata Ramsini’s website describes her in four different ways. She’s an “efficiency-lover,” a “photographer,” a “policy wonk” and a “law student.” That’s not the order in which her life has played out however. Like many photography enthusiasts, when it came time to pick a profession it never occurred to Ramsini to pick up her camera and push for a career in picture-taking. Although she says she’s always loved photography, she didn’t think it was something that could give her a living. For that she turned to a night class at law school and… -
Microstock Turns to Quality, Not Quantity
2 Feb 2012 | 5:05 amAs top microstock figures complain about growing competition, rising saturation and declining returns per image, microstock companies are starting to push back. Warnings from figures as big as Yuri Arcurs, even as he rolls out a three-year study program, are leading sites to think about how they can best serve both their contributors, whom they need to continue supplying content, and their buyers who always want to pay less for that content and already have plenty of other places and pictures to choose from. Dreamstime, one of the biggest microstock firms, is both typical of the problem and… -
The Secret to Shooting for $1,000 an Hour
26 Jan 2012 | 7:36 amIs it really possible to earn $1,000 an hour as a photographer? A regular photographer. Not the kind of high-end fashion photographer or Vogue cover-shooter that requires a lifetime of career achievement and first-name terms with media moguls. The kind of photography for which there’s constant demand, whose buyers are average Joes and which can still deliver the kinds of rates that even lawyers would be frightened to demand. When we first asked this question back in 2007, the post became one of our most controversial. But what surprised us most about the dozens of comments we’ve received… -
Top Editorial Contributors Get a Share of Demotix’s Ad Revenues
17 Jan 2012 | 5:22 amImage: Demotix Demotix might just have created a new revenue model for editorial photographers and aspiring photojournalists. The crowd-sourced news agency, which has licensed images to publications and outlets including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine and the BBC, is to begin paying contributors a share of its advertising revenue. The company has partnered with Guardian Select, MessageSpace and Google to place ads on all the site’s story pages and news hubs. Demotix will work with the advertising agencies to make sure that the ads are relevant and ethical,… -
Crowdsourcing Photojournalism
16 Jan 2012 | 7:39 amPhotography: Joao Pina Documentary photographers are struggling to pitch their stories. Newspapers and magazines are now rarely willing to cover the expenses that photographers run up when they travel to distant parts of the world, and few outlets want to provide space for a photo documentary on Southeast Asian villagers when a thirteen-page spread of a celebrity on the beach would sell so much better. Some dedicated photographers though have managed to find a solution. They’re not just selling the image; they’re selling the photojournalist experience. And they’re selling it directly to…
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The Digital Dazzle Blog
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As an agency, we will skip iBooks Author
20 Jan 2012 | 11:16 amApart from the big EULA hubbub that broke out yesterday over Apple's restrictive End-User License Agreement terms for their newly released iBooks Author software, there's another reason why we cannot use it in our creative process.From Darrell Etherington's post on GigaOm:iBooks Author won’t be as appealing to those users since it creates a file that is not quite epub2, not quite epub3, and not quite XHTML5, according to Vook’s blog which makes it “one channel only,” or essentially proprietary.Our customers always want our work in standard formats (PDF or epub), since they never know… -
Which Tool To Use?
19 Jan 2012 | 3:13 pmDo you need to create something on your computer? Write a paper? Or do you want to edit gantt chart, but you don't know what software to use?Why don't use ask your fellow computer users?BestVendor.com keeps a list of the most popular software tools. Once you go there, simply name your top three software tools, then access their database to find out what others are using. While their results might reflect certain biases, they will at least give you some starting point when picking a good tool for the job. -
13 Technical Challenges for Enterprise Video
16 Jan 2012 | 9:31 amThe following 13 technical issues related to the implementation of video were identified by enterprise-class corporations in a 2011 study conducted by Interactive Media Strategies. Below are their rankings in order of importance:Network securityContent securityAbility to embed videoSearch and discoveryLDAP IntegrationContent workflow managementTranscoding to multiple devicesAbility to track viewershipAbility to edit contentEnable upload of self-produced videosAbility to distribute to mobile devicesAutomate search engine submissionsSocial media integrationWhile the responsibility of… -
2011 Enterprise Video Statistics
13 Jan 2012 | 2:25 pmA few quick statistics on Enterprise video: According to the 2011 Enterprise Web Communications Survey conducted by Interactive Media Strategies:One-third of all corporations polled said they produce at least one video per week.Two-thirds of the firms surveyed plan to increase their video production in the coming year.The number of companies with online video budgets of $500,000 or more increased by 20 percent since their 2010 survey. -
Add Video Power to Your PowerPoint Presentations
10 Jan 2012 | 9:26 amA truly great presentation keeps viewers engaged by showing them your ideas. A fantastic way to do this is to embed video in your Microsoft PowerPoint presentations. Using video can serve a wealth of purposes — if it’s done right.Action speaks louder than picturesHow does your organization use PowerPoint? Many organizations design presentations for multiple situations:Just So You Know ...According to Microsoft, Adobe Flash has some limitations in PowerPoint 2010 and cannot be played in PowerPoint 2011 on a Mac at all. You can’t use certain special effects (such as shadows or 3-D…
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Stuck in Customs
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The River Wild
14 Feb 2012 | 9:01 pmLos Angeles PhotoWalk soon with me and Tom Anderson! Time/Date: Sunday Feb 26th starting at 4:30PM – Arrive early to shake hands! Location: We’ll meet in Santa Monica at the base of the pier. You can’t miss the mob-o-photographers! RSVP here on Google Schemer Not yet on Google Schemer and want a free invite? Just click this invite link: goo.gl/RoxQg The event is open to all skill levels. Even bring your mobile phone camera! And it’s also a family-friendly event, so feel free to bring your kids. See you soon! Stuck on Earth Community Hangout Last week we had… -
Colorful Cambodia and new eBook!
13 Feb 2012 | 9:01 pmNew eBook! 10 Photoshop Skills Everyone Should Know Get it here now. A new one! I wrote this one for “Beginners and Beyond” because I know how intimidating Photoshop can be to people. It’s full of all kinds of useful stuff to make you more successful (and have more fun!) in Photoshop. Enjoy! Daily Photo – Colorful Cambodia Many of my Cambodia photos ended up going in more of the monochromatic direction. I like the black & white look + sepia treatments. They make it all seem sort of timeless and nice. But when I was processing this one, I decided… -
Why Photographers should Stop Complaining about Copyright and Embrace Pinterest
12 Feb 2012 | 9:01 pmThe Digital Rapture As this future becomes more and more plain to me, I see a rapture of sorts, where old-school photographers clinging to the old-fashioned ways of doing things will be “left behind.” So much of the irrational behavior and anger is usually based in fear (fear-of-change, specifically), but it doesn’t have to be that way. When it comes to sharing your photographs online, you can go in two directions. You can put small images online, watermark them and then spend some or all of the week chasing down people that have used them inappropriately. Or, you can be like me. -
Old Car in Argentina
11 Feb 2012 | 9:01 pmPodcast Update! Our show this coming Monday night will have Daniel Suarez (author of Daemon), Leo Laporte, Gordon Laing, and maybe Kevin Kelly will join us too. We’re talking about “Wearable Cameras of the Distant Future.” I hope you enjoy the show! Don’t forget to tell your friends Option 1: Subscribe in for free in iTunes: http://goo.gl/ZAKd8. Option 2: It’s not in “podcast” form, but you can subscribe to My YouTube channel. Option 3: There are other subscription options avail on the TWIT page at http://twit.tv/tvh And thanks very… -
Boat in Feng Huang
10 Feb 2012 | 9:01 pmRenting a House in the Caribbean I’m looking to rent a house for my family for a few weeks in April. Any suggestions? Daily Photo – Boat in Feng Huang It was a cool and calm afternoon in the ancient and impossible town of Feng Huang. It’s an old town, wreathed in many legends. On the old river, you can occasionally see a boat passing here and there. The boatmen come in all shapes and sizes, but many wear the same hat and style. It is absolutely like a warp of time… Order a Limited Edition print of this photo
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Entrepreneur Update
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Could Your Business Survive Without You?
15 Feb 2012 | 8:00 amSeventy-five percent of small-business owners have no real succession plan -- a potential recipe for disaster. This entrepreneur's accidental fate tells a cautionary tale. -
Seven Business Goals of Social Media - and How to Get Started (Video)
15 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amJason Falls, CEO of Social Media Explorer, explains how business owners can take a strategic approach to social media marketing. -
How to Avoid One of the Biggest Email Hacking Threats
15 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amConsider this advice to identify and avoid 'spear phishing' email -- cons designed specifically to target you and your business. -
An Entrepreneur's Top Leadership Challenges -- and How to Meet Them
15 Feb 2012 | 5:01 amAs their companies expand, business owners aren't always ready to deal with new management issues. -
Do You Know What's In Your Business Credit File?
14 Feb 2012 | 1:31 pmWhy managing your business credit score is more important than you may think.
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Fast Company
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NPR Launches An Answer To Spotify On The iPad With Streaming, Concerts, Offline Playlists
15 Feb 2012 | 9:16 amToday, NPR launched the NPR Music app for the iPad, a new platform that gives listeners access to streaming content, first-listen albums, and live concerts. But why should a nonprofit care about this kind of innovation? So much for relying on your FM dial and antenna's reception. Today, NPR launched the NPR Music app for the iPad, a new platform that gives listeners access to streaming content, first-listen albums, and live concerts. Oh, and hear this Spotify: The (free) app also features the ability to cache playlists for offline listening. The NPR Music app represents yet another push for… -
Congress Quizzes Apple On Path, Google Updates Wallet With Partial Fix, Zynga Posts Q4 Loss, Apple May Cuts iAd Prices
15 Feb 2012 | 9:10 amBreaking news from your editors at Fast Company, with updates all day.Congress Quizzes Apple On Path's Contact Privacy Matters. While the tech world bickers and sometimes misunderstands the tech of the Path contact-upload debacle, Congress has decided to intervene and has sent a letter to Apple's CEO because of "questions about whether Apple’s iOS app developer policies and practices may fall short when it comes to protecting the information of iPhone users and their contacts." Congress has the tech questions right here, and we'll see what Apple says. --KE--Updated 12:05 p.m. -
What Tim Cook Said At Goldman Sachs
15 Feb 2012 | 9:09 amTim Cook is a very different chap to his predecessor, in many ways from his business know-how to his education and manner of speech. We got more insight into all of these during his address at Goldman Sachs yesterday--including a long spiel and a Q&A session that gave us many more public Cook words to analyze.So what did he say? The most common (non-flller) word was "we" with 85 uses, a handful more if you include "we're" and "we've"--a sign that Cook is very much steeped in the Apple team spirit, as other reports have hinted. "I" got 74 uses, since the speech was all about… -
Meet Radio Free Europe's Tech Justice League
15 Feb 2012 | 8:35 amThe Broadcasting Board of Governors is turning to Silicon Valley to help revitalize Radio Free Europe and the Voice of America. A new innovation commission includes big names from Facebook, Twitter, TED, and the media.The United States government has quietly gathered a collection of tech and media superstars to advise on propaganda and public diplomacy. Just think of the new Broadcasting Board of Governors' Commission on Innovation as the Justice League of Public Diplomacy--the commission's unpaid members include Twitter and Facebook's cofounders, Steve Jobs's biographer, media and foreign… -
Custom Jeans Won't Make Your Butt Look Big, Will Change The Way You Shop
15 Feb 2012 | 6:45 amThe future of shopping means every garment--and shopping experience--can be customized to fit both your body and your thirst for discovery.I’ve seen this scenario before, but I will not name names. A woman with a delightful and sensible figure, who looks quite gorgeous from any angle, cranes her neck around to the mirror and asks, to nobody in particular, “Does this make my ass look big?” You look around. Actually, she is asking you. There really is only one reasonable answer to that question--but it isn't the truth. Alas, here is the problem with shopping. It’s uniquely personal, yet…
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crowdSPRING Blog
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Small Business Spotlight of the Week: Should I Get Married?
14 Feb 2012 | 10:05 pmValentine’s Day. Those words might send you into visions of long-stemmed roses and Michael Bolton or into a seizure of disgust and disillusion. Or a shrug of absolute disinterest. But it’s today, the day after Valentine’s, that is the most interesting. It’s the holiday I like to call: “WE’RE ENGAGED! NOW LOOK AT MY RING FROM EVERY POSSIBLE ANGLE AND ON EVERY POSSIBLE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM” Day. (Clearly catchy names are kind of my thing.) For every heart-felt congratulations, there’s always that one couple that causes a Scooby-Doo… -
10 Things Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Politicians
12 Feb 2012 | 10:04 pm‘Tis the season. Not for giving gifts or reflecting on peace on earth. This is the silly season where we have to opportunity to elect our next President of the United States. Every four years, our country engages in a ritual which will impact the course of our economy, our social policy, and our governmental priorities. More importantly, this quadrennial exercise will determine the content of our newspapers, blogs, TV newscasts, and radio editorials. Writers will fulminate, pundits will issue declarations, and talking heads will revel in the traditional aspects of the sport known as… -
Twitter Link Roundup #119 – Small Business, Social Media, Design, Copywriting, Marketing And More
10 Feb 2012 | 7:56 amEvery day on the crowdSPRING Twitter account and on my own Twitter account, I post links to posts or videos I enjoyed reading or viewing. These posts and videos are about logo design, web design, startups, entrepreneurship, small business, leadership, social media, marketing, and more! Here are some of the links that I’ve liked and shared this past week! The image to the left is a fun look at what a movie poster for an Oscar-nominated film would be like if it literally wanted to communicate what the movie was about. More fun posters in the Other section below. 8 Legal Steps for Starting… -
Small Biz and Startup Tips: 5 Ideas to Prepare for an Economic Recovery
5 Feb 2012 | 10:04 pmWhile economists (as usual) refuse to agree on the specifics, there is a general consensus that the recovery may (finally) be underway. Last week the Labor Department announced that in January over 240,000 new jobs were created and that the unemployment rate was at its lowest level in three years. In addition, tax revenues are increasing as is consumer spending, and exports have grown across many industries. For small business this is great news. Not just because it means that other companies are hiring, but it means that other companies are spending. One of the most corrosive effects of the… -
Twitter Link Roundup #118 – Small Business, Social Media, Design, Copywriting, Marketing And More
3 Feb 2012 | 7:05 amEvery day on the crowdSPRING Twitter account and on my own Twitter account, I post links to posts or videos I enjoyed reading or viewing. These posts and videos are about logo design, web design, startups, entrepreneurship, small business, leadership, social media, marketing, and more! Here are some of the links that I’ve liked and shared this past week! The video above is a new Super Bowl commercial from Honda, featuring Matthew Broderick and reminding us how much we loved Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. What Zappos Can Teach You About Becoming Irresistible to Customers –…
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Andy Sernovitz | Damn, I Wish I\'d Thought of That!
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Customer reviews: Are you asking the right question?
15 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amReviews are about more than just whether a product is good or bad. They serve another important function: Reviews let existing customers guide new customers to the right product. If people buy the right stuff, you get happier customers and fewer returns. Sometimes you need more than a 1-to-5 star rating system. Bazaarvoice* and the other review tech providers offer interesting options that focus on issues that are more important to certain customers. Example: Lilly Pulitzer asks customer to “Rate the Fit” of each item. Figure out what causes your new shoppers to buy the wrong… -
DeVry University’s case study: How to create an online community of encouragement with the help of your biggest fans
14 Feb 2012 | 1:02 pmCome to our upcoming BlogWell: How Big Brands Use Social Media conference in Dallas to hear brands like Farmers Insurance, Rogers Communications, Target, Yahoo!, NVIDIA, Hitachi Data Systems, Verizon, and Autodesk share 8 great case studies on corporate social media. You’ll get practical, how-to advice on developing your social strategy, scaling your program, driving sales, engaging internal and external audiences, and measuring it all — and you’ll see some brilliant presentations like this one from BlogWell Atlanta: One of Chase Fritchle, Justin Gillmar, and Laura Dagys’ big ideas:… -
Will you write about me on your blog?
14 Feb 2012 | 11:00 amI get asked this several times a day. Sometimes by well-meaning entrepreneurs and authors, sometimes by talentless PR hacks. Here’s what you need to know: A blogger will only write about you if your stuff makes their blog better. There is no other reason. If you can’t offer something that meets that criteria, then don’t even ask. Don’t ask about promoting your thing, announcing your thing, or selling your thing. Don’t ask to submit a guest column that is a disguised advertorial. What works? Information or content that make the blog more interesting Something of… -
The Jimmy John’s guy came back with a bag of chips
12 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amSomeone in the office ordered a sandwich, and the driver forgot the chips. So he drove back to the restaurant to fetch them and brought them to us. Most places would have apologized (maybe), or issued a refund or discount. Jimmy John’s probably lost a few bucks in labor costs. But the extra effort got noticed: 12 people in the office said “wow.” A few folks ordered from them the same day. And everyone is thinking about them and talking about them. Extraordinary service is always noticed. It’s the true secret to building a phenomenal business. -
No feedback is not good feedback
11 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amSome smart advice from the folks at presentation design firm SquarePlanet: Never mistake lack of feedback for good feedback. If your presentation (or product, or service, or content) gets no one to say something good to you (or to a friend, or a tweet, or a Facebook post) — it’s not good enough.
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Rise of the Innerpreneur
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The Game of Money?
7 Feb 2012 | 9:17 amI like to think about money as an idea in the form of ‘credit’. To get in the money game, I need to build up my ‘credit’. I build ‘credit’ with others, but more importantly, I build ‘credit’ with myself. I receive ‘credit’ for how I hold myself up mentally. When I hold myself as limited in any way, it restricts my availability to ‘credit’. I end up not sharing my gifts, and being undervalued in my relationships. When I practice confidence in my Self, and not put limits on my wealth, I free the ‘credit’ to… -
Michelle Currie: Janaury 2012 Innerpreneur Spotlight
27 Jan 2012 | 4:31 amMichelle Currie Meditative Drumming Teacher Meditative Arts Follow Michelle on Twitter | Become Meditiative Art’s Fan on Facebook I am: a Science nerd perfectionist turned meditative drum chick! My passion is for: Coming up with innovative ways to play big, lead from the heart, live fearlessly, and weave mind-body-spirit together. My business helps you: to think less and breathe more through African drumming and mindfulness. My biggest challenge is: Negotiating with the workaholic part of my personality! I make a difference by: Aligning you with your inner rhythm(s) in order to live a… -
Talking About… Pricing From Personal Conviction
25 Jan 2012 | 10:42 amMonths ago, my dear friend Adam King and I sat down to talk. We’ve been having these skype talks for years now, sharing candidly with each other our expansion in life and business. The last time we sat down to chat however, Adam had an agenda. He wanted to interview me and talk more in-depth about Pay-What-It’s-Worth (Value) pricing for a project of his. It’s a topic that we have explored together many times over the years and I was excited for the conversation. Adam has recently published a book called The Year of Zen, through which he shares his learnings and expansion,… -
Asking My Mentor About… Nourishing My Body
23 Jan 2012 | 9:49 amThis is the fifth installment of Christine and my Peer-to-Peer Mentoring series. On her blog, I answered her question: “Currently I keep an updated CV on file. While I’m proud of my profile and professional history, I’d like to put together a jazzed up version. I’m thinking of doing a website resume- what are your thoughts on the effectiveness of this plan and how would you proceed creatively?“ My Question to My Mentor: “While I love how focused I am on my work, I often find that my focus is so focused that I forget to eat. I am healthy and well-nourished… -
What Was/What Is/Looking Forward
2 Jan 2012 | 2:50 pmAs the new year unfolds before me, I’ve spent time reflecting on the year that passed, and how I will grow in 2012. What was in 2011… What were some of your favourite moments? Being with Daniel (my husband) looking out over the lights of downtown Toronto from 50 stories up while a snow storm blew outside Meeting Jack (my dog) for the first time Taking Jack to the park for the first time Signing my first car lease Landing on Big Island (Hawaii) What challenged you? My confidence Being a true partner Not caretaking My performance anxiety Being a loving and supportive to myself Breaking…
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The Entrepreneurial Mind
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Working On the Business Easier Said Than Done
13 Feb 2012 | 7:12 amEntrepreneurs face a difficult challenge in how they should be spending their time as a business grows. The dilemma is commonly referred to as needing to "work on the business rather than work in it." Typically, entrepreneurs are heavily involved in working directly with their customers during the startup phase. They do much of the work necessary to generate revenues. Tasks such as sending out invoices, bookkeeping and developing marketing materials are squeezed into their days as they can find time. And if there's no time during the day, these things may get put off… -
A Time for Plan C
6 Feb 2012 | 5:41 amOne of the bootstrapping techniques I like folks to consider is keeping your day job while your venture to getting up to speed. This has become a more common financing strategy now that the weak economy has put a hit on the ability of friends and family to provide start-up financing. Erin Albert, who teaches at Butler University, has released a book that offers insights on keeping one's day job while pursuing a start up from a number of entrepreneurs who have used this approach to bootstrap financing. She calls this strategy "Plan C".Here is part of what she learned from… -
Finding Balance Between Family and Business
30 Jan 2012 | 2:12 pmI have written often about the challenges for entrepreneurs of finding balance between the strong, often conflicting pulls from family and from their business. Toddi Gutner offers three case studies on entrepreneurs who have worked at finding this balance in a recent piece at Business on Main.One entrepreneur uses mobile technology, one has built a team, and one has become a master at the art of time management. You can read more here. -
Avoid the Backward Start-up
30 Jan 2012 | 3:42 am"I've developed this really cool product and I have applied for a patent.""I want to show you this awesome app that I helped design.""We've got a great idea for a website."Those of us who work with entrepreneurs hear these types of introductions all the time when people come to meet with us. Whether it is a result of years of development and research, or a sudden inspiration that leads to a "eureka moment," these aspiring entrepreneurs have come up with what they hope to be the next big thing.The problem is that many of these entrepreneurs have gotten the design of their business models… -
Some Trends for 2012
25 Jan 2012 | 7:43 amSo what can small businesses expect for 2012? My general advise continues to be cautious! While we are seeing some of the small business surveys showing optimism increasing and more importantly employment improving slightly, I worry that we have been lulled into a mode of thinking that the worst is over.I believe that we are simply in the eye of the storm. I hope that the storm is dissipating, but I fear that the back wall of the eye will hit us sometime later this year. It may come as a result of the European debt crisis or it may come as a result of the looming Chinese…
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The Way of the Accidental Entrepreneur Blog
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Celebrate Trust (or Why You Owe It to Your Clients to Market and Sell)
8 Feb 2012 | 8:47 pmWhen you work for yourself, trustworthiness is your most important asset. In good times and bad, clients and customers patronize those they trust and avoid those they don't. I'm betting that makes sense to you. But are you as understanding and patient with the process clients need to go through before they can trust you enough to hire you? And are you doing your part to support that process? They Don't Know You (Yet) When you're a good person and care a lot about your work, it's natural to expect people to get that you are trustworthy without being told. If a prospective client or referral… -
Could self-doubt be the grace note in your business song?
5 Feb 2012 | 4:22 pmSelf-doubt is especially frustrating--and embarrassing--when you have a high degree of self-awareness. It seems to fly in the face of all the work you've done on yourself. But self-doubt can actually be a grace note, an ornament to your business identity. Self-doubt doesn't negate your emotional intelligence The first thing to realize is that self-doubt doesn't negate your emotional intelligence. You're a complex being. The fact that you can reflect on the experience of self-doubt is proof of emotional intelligence, not a contradiction. That doesn't make it fun, but it does offer some… -
The deep practicality of radical self-knowledge
29 Jan 2012 | 7:35 pmWisdom begins with a radical self-knowledge before it becomes wise enough to be helpful and useful to others. Michael Meade in Fate and Destiny, The Two Agreements of the Soul The most practical thing you can do when you work for yourself is to know your soul purpose or what I call your life project. Until you know this, all talk of finding your niche or your unique offer in the marketplace is futile. When you do know your life project, it infuses the shaping of a profitable business with meaning, which transforms otherwise daunting and tedious work into creative action. So lets look at how… -
The Incredible Lightness of an Empty Basket
22 Jan 2012 | 7:46 pmThere's a basket in my office where I put things I'm not quite ready to deal with or that I plan to use in the near future. I toss in notes from a teleclass, like the one Susan Harrow did for us last fall, intending to enter them into Evernote. I store bank statements until I get around to reconciling them. I stash outlines for Profit Alchemy. You get the picture. Most of the time, I'm satisfied to let things collect in the basket. But eventually, usually when the basket is about three-quarters full, it becomes a psychic irritant. When I see it, I feel heavy. Almost guilty. Definitely out of… -
Healing the Heart Ache of Screwing Up
15 Jan 2012 | 5:23 pmIt happens. You forget to show up for a class you're supposed to teach. (Yes, I have done this.) You lose track of a bill and get socked with a late fee. (Guilty.) You send an email that you think is merely succinct, and it comes across as hurtful. (Yup. Done that, too. And notice how I couldn't resist a bit of justification.) In a thousand ways large and small, we hurt ourselves or others in the course of work, and it feels awful. (Well, sometimes you're resilient and highly evolved, which is great. This post is about the times you aren't.) Screw ups in work can feel especially crummy It…
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Positive Psychology News Daily
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The Sandwich Generation: Looking Both Ways
15 Feb 2012 | 8:14 amFebruary 15, 2012By Kathryn Britton - My husband and I are members of the Sandwich Generation. Our children are both out of college, but they still have many of their possessions in our house. They have jobs and driver’s licenses, but they still call on us for support and suggestions. My mother can no longer even do volunteer work. I have some of her possessions in my house too, but she’ll never want them back. She gave up her driver’s license years ago, when she figured out that it was too expensive to house a car in the city. (Thank you, Mom, for making that decision yourself!)… -
Feeling Sexy Today?
14 Feb 2012 | 7:03 amFebruary 14, 2012By Marie-Josée Shaar - People usually giggle when they hear me use my favorite word – if you haven’t guessed it yet, yes, I do mean sexy! Synonyms from my Apple thesaurus include stimulating, interesting, desirable, appealing, intriguing, and slick. So no, this article isn’t about being sexually alluring – sorry if that’s a disappointment. What I intend to discuss today is a mechanism that can help us turn our sexy vibe on. When Do You Feel Sexy? Let’s start by thinking about what helps us feel sexy. Vigor is appealing. Is a… -
World Happy Day Coming Up on February 11: Movie Preview
10 Feb 2012 | 7:15 amFebruary 10, 2012By Dana Arakawa - I don’t quite remember what I was upset about before I sat down to watch a pre-screening of Happy, the new documentary directed by Academy Award-nominee Roko Belic and produced by Eiji Han Shimizu. I was probably feeling anxious, thinking about my dissertation, the statistics class that I’m teaching, or the extra research that I “should” be doing to be a better candidate on the job market. We all have a long list of to-dos and I was lost in mine, trapped at a mental crossroads with a thousand and one future scenarios. I’m not a film critic, but to… -
Hugs Matter
9 Feb 2012 | 9:52 amFebruary 9, 2012By Aren Cohen - Free Hugs One of my favorite YouTube videos is called “Free Hugs.” The clip was filmed in Australia, where one day a young man, then a group of people decided to stand in a mall and offer free hugs. The video is amazing. People’s responses, including the police trying to shut them down, are quite profound and moving. Each time I see it, it brings tears to my eyes. Warning: A Notorious Hugger Why did I wake up this morning thinking about “Free Hugs?” I suspect I was considered a notorious hugger in my MAPP class. I love hugs, and… -
Positive Design for Corporate LeadershipTraining
7 Feb 2012 | 7:43 amFebruary 7, 2012By Lisa Sansom - I recently gave a series of workshops to a number of supervisors and managers who all work together within the same organization. This was an interesting study for me, as I’d never before delivered the exact same material four days in a row to different audiences. The Design The overall topic of the session was leadership, though I had constructed the entire day so it was built on a framework of positive psychology. The morning started off with an appreciative interview, inviting participants to share moments of excellent leadership. We then moved into a…
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The Happiness Project
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"I Can Never Get To Bed On Time."
14 Feb 2012 | 11:40 am2012 Happiness Challenge: For those of you following the 2012 Happiness Project Challenge, to make 2012 a happier year -- and even if you haven’t officially signed up for the challenge -- welcome! Each week, I post a video about some Pigeon of Discontent raised by a reader. Because, as much as we try to find the Bluebird of Happiness, we're also plagued by the Pigeons of Discontent. For the first month of the Pigeons of Discontent videos, my friend Maria helped me out. This was a fun experiment, but we couldn't really get that format to work properly, so I'm switching back to doing the… -
Can You Summarize The Challenge of Happiness In A Single Sentence?
13 Feb 2012 | 10:13 amPartly as an intellectual discipline, partly for fun, I often push myself to answer tough, conclusory questions, such as "If you had to pick just one thing, what's the key to happiness?" or "What are the ten most common myths about happiness?" The other day, I asked myself: If I had to state the central challenge of living a life of happiness, in a single sentence, what would it be? This sentence, I decided, would be a good candidate: As Flannery O'Connor observed in a letter, "Accepting oneself does not preclude an attempt to become better." How about you? What's your suggestion for a… -
"The More Familiar It Is The More Rare and Beautiful It Is."
12 Feb 2012 | 4:37 am“Familiarity does not breed contempt. On the contrary the more familiar it is the more rare and beautiful it is. Take the quarter in which one lives, it is lovely, it is a place rare and beautiful and to leave it is awful.” -- Gertrude Stein, Paris France * Join the happiness conversation on Facebook and on Twitter (@gretchenrubin). -
Problem With Procrastination? Try This: Do Nothing.
10 Feb 2012 | 1:02 pmJust about anyone who has ever put off a troublesome task is familiar with one of my Secrets of Adulthood: Working is one of the most dangerous forms of procrastination. When there’s some chore you just don’t want to tackle, every other chore seems alluring. As a friend told me, “My apartment is never cleaner than when I have a writing assignment due.” In Roy Baumeister and John Tierney’s fascinating book, Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, they suggest the “Nothing Alternative” to this problem. That is, if you want to get yourself to do something, make the… -
Quiz: How Fun Is Your Workplace? Your Home?
8 Feb 2012 | 11:31 amIn The Levity Effect: Why it Pays to Lighten Up, Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher make an interesting argument that “levity” is an extremely effective tool for helping people to work better. An atmosphere of light-heartedness, it turns out, helps people pay attention, eases tensions, and enhances a feeling of connection. When I read this, I thought, “Well, levity would be tough for me, I’m not particularly funny, and I’m not particularly outgoing.” But what the authors mean by “levity” is really a sense of lightness. It's less about being funny and more about being able to…
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PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement| PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement
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The 10 Traits of Outstanding Leadership
14 Feb 2012 | 11:13 pmThis article is for parents, teachers, counselors, small business owners, managers, or anyone else who interacts with others and has some influence over them. If this is you – then you are a leader. Having influence over people isn’t just about being in a formal position of authority. This is part of it, but influence works both ways: kids have influence over their parents, students over their teachers and spouses over each other. What is meant by ‘leader’? Ask a hundred people and you’ll probably get a hundred different answers, although many of them will be able coercion or… -
What Exactly is Self-Awareness?
13 Feb 2012 | 11:01 pmI said to myself towards the end of 2011 that apart from being true to myself and who I am, I would like to increase my self-awareness. But wait a minute, what exactly is self-awareness? How can I blog about self-awareness without even knowing how to define it or what this concept encompasses. Of course, my gut reaction was to resort to Google and read about the psychological and sociological definitions of self-awareness. My research led me to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, that to achieve self-actualization, which is according to this psychologist, the highest form of self-awareness via… -
5 Ways to Become More Self Confident Everyday This Work Week
12 Feb 2012 | 10:05 pmDeveloping self confidence is one of the most important things you can do to create a more powerful, successful life. It impacts all facets of our lives, from relationships to career. Those who are truly invested in creating a better world for themselves understand, that like most things, the journey is long. Knowing that, however, can make it very daunting. That’s why it’s so important to have a long term goal – but to break it up into small manageable parts. The key is not necessarily the size of your benchmarks, but the frequency with which you hit them. It’s the cumulative… -
Sunday Best: The most impactful Self Improvement Content This Week From Around The Web
11 Feb 2012 | 11:24 pmHello All! Hope you’re having a great weekend so far. Since I read so much great content all week it’s almost impossible to share the highlights in a meaningful way. I thought I’d try out this new column, called ‘Sunday Best’ – sharing some of the cool stuff you may not have had the chance to catch up on. The case for writing anything always gets me going, so it’s no surprise I’m a huge fan of Barrie Davenport’s post: The Most Important Tool You’ll Ever Need For Life Transformation Mark Harrison took a very interesting position on goal… -
5 Things to Give Instead of Money
10 Feb 2012 | 11:54 pmFor many of us, money is tight at the moment. Perhaps you’ve got a friend in need of support, or you want to contribute to charity … but you just don’t have any cash to spare. Thankfully, money isn’t the only thing that you can give. In fact, it may not even be the most useful. Just think about these seven possibilities instead: #1: Time However rich or poor you are, you’ve got 24 hours in every day and seven days in every week. Can you give an hour or two of time to someone who really needs it? That might mean: Taking care of a friend’s kids so she can have a breather…
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How to Change the World
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Raising Money: What Not to Say and What Not to Believe #OfficeandGuyK
20 Jan 2012 | 10:46 amOver the past two weeks via my partnership with Microsoft and Office Web Apps, I’ve provided templates of models for you to create enchanting PowerPoint pitches, Word business plans, and Excel financial models. They are all available for you to download from my SkyDrive account. I hope these documents and blog posts help you save a boatload of time and increase the quality of your efforts.I leave you with two sets of top ten lies: one of entrepreneurs and one of investors so that you know what not to say and what not to believe. Top Ten Lies of Entrepreneurs “Our projections are… -
Design a Sam Adams beer
20 Jan 2012 | 8:24 amNow this is a fun project. I’m helping Sam Adams “tap” the knowledge of beer drinkers and crowd source its next brew. Join the party by getting the app and designing your beer: The final brew will be released in Austin in the first week of March. #sponsored -
How to Create an Enchanting Financial Forecast #OfficeandGuyK
17 Jan 2012 | 1:52 pmThis is the third post in my Microsoft partnership, and it’s all about numbers. The topic is crafting your financial forecast to include in your pitch. Bill Reichert, my partner at Garage Technology Ventures, created an Excel model and wrote this blog post. There’s a lesson in this too: Get the best person for the job. His grasp of financial models and how to present them exceeds mine by two orders of magnitude. The Purpose of Financial Projections When it comes to financial projections, there are two types of entrepreneurs: first, the “visionary entrepreneur” who… -
How to Create an Enchanting Business Plan #OfficeandGuyK
12 Jan 2012 | 8:16 amHere is the second post in my series about planning, pitching, and launching a new business venture. In partnership with Microsoft and Office Web Apps, I’ve created a Word document that outlines a good business plan. It’s saved to my SkyDrive folder here. Feel free to download it and use it as inspiration. And if you’re working with a partner, you can use the free Word Web App to stay in sync. I provided the PowerPoint document before the Word document because a good business plan is an elaboration of a good pitch as opposed to a good pitch being a distillation of good business plan. -
How to Create an Enchanting Pitch #OfficeandGuyK
9 Jan 2012 | 8:01 amWelcome to the first in a series of blog posts I’ll be doing as part of a partnership with Microsoft and Office Web Apps. Over the next two weeks, I’ll cover everything a budding entrepreneur needs to turn an idea into an enchanting investment opportunity—from the perfect pitch to a killer business plan to financial forecasts. I’m going to start with a little dissertation on creating effective PowerPoint pitches for your company. I embedded the sample deck for you to click through by using the PowerPoint Web App. When you’re ready to get started, you can download the…
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Creativity & Innovation
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The Social Networks of Emily Dickinson, Paul Gauguin, and Charlotte Bronte
14 Feb 2012 | 7:07 amI just read a fascinating article* by Professor Katherine Giuffre, of Colorado College, that asks the question: Do social networks contribute to creativity? Previous research is pretty compelling: social networks and collaboration contribute to greater creativity. But as Giuffre points out, no one has compared creative and non-creative periods during the lifetime of a single person. As she puts it: Over the course of a person’s lifetime, there are some moments of creativity and other periods where that same person is not as creative. If we then trace the pattern of social relations… -
Computing Education for the 21st Century
2 Feb 2012 | 12:54 pmToday and tomorrow (Feb 2-3, 2012) I’m in Washington DC at a meeting hosted by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The meeting brings together researchers from around the country who’ve received funding from an NSF program to improve computing education. What’s exciting is the broad range of research going on here: from middle school, to high school, to college, educators are working hard to figure out how to better teach computer science concepts. One important goal is to encourage more of our talented youth to choose computer degrees and careers, as a valued national… -
Mel Brooks and Group Flow
27 Jan 2012 | 11:59 amWhat can comedian Mel Brooks teach us about “group flow”? Group flow is a state of peak performance, when a group is in sync and creative ideas are flowing. I’ve just published an article in a magazine edited at the University of California, Berkeley, called Greater Good. The article summarizes the ten keys to group flow (as originally presented in my 2007 book Group Genius). Visit the full article or take a quick look at the ten here: 1. A compelling, shared goal 2. Close listening 3. Use “yes, and…” to keep it moving forward 4. Complete concentration and… -
Defense of Collaboration Published in New York Times
19 Jan 2012 | 7:37 amThe same day as my post below, I emailed a letter to the editor at the New York Times, and it was published today along with several other letters critical of Susan Cain’s article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/opinion/the-key-to-creativity-solitude-or-teams.html -
Does Solitude Enhance Creativity? A Critique of Susan Cain’s Attack on Collaboration
16 Jan 2012 | 8:48 amI’ve just read a New York Times article by Susan Cain, author of the forthcoming book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. It’s the frustrated cry of a true introvert. Cain is clearly tired of everyone touting the benefits of collaboration; some people, herself included, just want to be left alone. And, she argues, those are the people who really come up with all of the great ideas. There’s a grain of truth to Cain’s claim: Psychologists who study creativity know that it requires both solitude and collaboration. Exceptional…
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Writing On The Web by Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad
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The Ladder of Emotional Values: Pleasure Reigns
14 Feb 2012 | 3:17 amWhat emotions are people seeking to satisfy online? What can we understand about human motivations and values in order for content marketing to work? Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs tells us we are motivated to satisfy our basic needs first (food, shelter, clothing), before we seek to obtain satisfaction for social, intellectual and spiritual needs. A similar hierarchy of emotional values exists. As incoming information from web and blog pages enters the brain and is processed, our emotional centers assign values to offers. Brain science, along with studies on decision making… -
The Naked Blog: Dress Up Your Words
8 Feb 2012 | 4:13 amWhat can you learn about blog writing and content marketing from the theater? As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve attended local theater productions, including performances on The Naked Stage. (Photos courtesy Stuart Miles) If you’re not familiar with this kind of theater format, the actors read their lines, sitting on stools, dressed in black, without benefit of costumes, scenery, makeup, or movement. Hence the name, Naked Stage: the presentation is devoid of any of the usual visual aids. There’s a narrator to explain the scenes and movements, including sounds, which… -
5 Ways to Get Readers to Respond
1 Feb 2012 | 4:43 amYou spend a lot of time writing content on your blog but if the only comments you get are from people looking for free marketing, maybe it’s time to revise your content strategies. Here’s a guest post from Chris Peterson at Straight North integrated marketing services in Chicago. 1. Your Blog as an Interactive Tool When it comes to effective Web content, it’s no longer enough to post simple text with a graphic. Online newspapers learned that the hard way, but bloggers are discovering ways to use the Web as a means for two-way interaction – increasing the relevance of a blog… -
4 Content Marketing Goals for a Coach Website
26 Jan 2012 | 5:21 amHow should content marketing be used on the home page of your website? What makes good website copy? More specifically, if you’re a professional service provider, like an executive coach, a consultant, a lawyer, health care or financial adviser… how do you create a website that attracts clients and gets potential new leads? No matter what business you’re in, your content must achieve four things. Here are four goals for your online content: Connect immediately (by speaking to your readers’ challenges or problems) Answer questions and educate (by suggesting… -
A Checklist for 2012 Content Marketing Plans
19 Jan 2012 | 3:23 am2012 Content Marketing – how did we get here so fast? I’ve been reviewing my 2011 blog posts, email broadcasts, videos, and taking stock. I hope you’re doing the same, so you’ll get an idea of what’s needed for your own business in 2012. (Photo courtesy Rawich/FreeDigitalPhotos.net) Here’s a checklist for reviewing your 2011 content marketing results so you can know where to spend your time and energy in 2012: What were your most effective blog posts in terms of numbers of page views? Which posts generated the most comments? What email promotional…
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Social Media Darwinism
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Gut Feeling or Analytics – which is better?
8 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amSo I was talking with a CMO buddy of mine the other day over dinner and this topic came up. Of course you know as a CMO of a leading Social Media analytics firm – I think you can guess which side of this argument I was on. But seriously, my buddy honestly wanted to know – so what can you do with all this good social media analytics that you talk about? He really didn’t know. So here is what I told him that marketers should be doing with analytics but haven’t truly adopted. I think part of the problem is that some of these tactics haven’t become a standard operating procedure but… -
What Social Data can Teach You about Audiences
1 Feb 2012 | 10:00 amMy son is a senior in high school and I am beginning to help him with his search for the right school. One of the aspects of college life that he is looking forward to is belonging to a university with strong school spirit. So to help with this, I suggested that we use football teams as a proxy to find the right environment. With this in mind, we set out to find a simple list of “2011 NCAA Football Rankings” – an easy Google search is there ever was one. I assumed that the top result, ESPN’s 2011 NCAA Football Rankings, would be the perfect match for our search, until I looked at… -
Trust is hard to come by these days
25 Jan 2012 | 10:00 amFor years I have kept tabs on the Edelman Trust barometer report, which comes out every January in Davos. And this year was no exception. After last year I figured this years report could make an excellent gauge of the economy worldwide! Simply put the report states: Trust is down in every industry and every country across the board by an average of 6%. So what does this mean for marketers and for major brands in an era of social media? Well 2 things … Hidden in the data is the fact that CEOs and Government officials are at the very bottom of the totem pole when it comes to delivering a… -
Brands: It’s not enough to be liked
15 Dec 2011 | 10:00 amImagine a company that has upscale retail locations around the United States receiving tens of thousands of customer visits. Now imagine not having anyone there to greet and interact with those customers. What’s the point of the storefront? Facebook fan pages are much the same thing. But only 0.2 to 2 percent of fans go back to a page. Why? Because there is nothing going on that interests them. Fan pages are a unique marketing canvas to connect with avid consumers. Yet some brands are terribly underutilizing these pages, making them basically brochureware repositories — essentially… -
How important is real-time data? It’s all relative
7 Dec 2011 | 6:35 amThe speed with which social media spreads ideas and information has led many marketers to place a premium on capturing data in real time. But should real-time data be such a priority? Real time means different things to different people when the term is used as a proxy for recency. To an evolutionary biologist, real time could mean thousands of years of species development data. To a 911 dispatcher, real time is a few seconds worth of critical information from a telephone call. What about marketing and advertising? This notion of “relative real time” extends there, too. To a marketing…
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Servant of Chaos
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How to Rock an Audience
14 Feb 2012 | 4:24 pmWhen I studied theatre, I fell in love with the practice of directing. I loved doing the research – the dramaturgy – into the play or performance pieces we were studying. I was fascinated with the potential and challenge of interpretation. But most of all, I was captivated by the process of performance – of what it took to coach, cajole, push and nurture people through the process in such a way that they would connect and wow the audience. Over the next few months, I am giving a number of workshops and presentations at various conferences (you can see my list over at Plancast – and… -
Time for a U-Turn?
13 Feb 2012 | 3:37 pmThe 2012 season of Vibewire’s #fastBREAK series gets underway on February 24 – with the topic U-Turn. fastBREAK is a monthly series of rapid-fire interactive talks held on the last Friday of each month from 7:45-9:00am at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum. Each event has five young industry leaders from various sectors exploring the question or topic of the month. These five minute responses circle around the themes of creativity, commercialisation, collaboration, connections and conversation. You can join the fastBREAK meetup community here. This month’s speakers include: Robert Beson is… -
Are You Young, Wise or Undiscovered?
13 Feb 2012 | 12:43 pmUnless you’ve been hiding under a non-wi-fi-enabled rock for the last six years, then you will have seen or heard of a TED Talk. This famous conference event has hosted some of the most talked about, viewed and imitated presentations ever seen – covering a wide range of topics and ideas, inspiring millions of people around the world. But how are the speakers selected? How do you attract the all seeing eye of Chris Anderson? Well, it seems that TED are putting the crowd to work in an innovative new way – to uncover new talents, voices and ideas that “the world needs to hear”. To… -
Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week
12 Feb 2012 | 2:02 pmSome weeks I feel like we are actually swimming in information – people are sharing and resharing information, knowledge and ideas, and in doing so, building the wave of information that threatens to overwhelm our meagre senses. But if you have a good, strong network of clever people – people that you trust, have expertise and are willing to share it – then it becomes easier to wade through the torrent. It is in the curating of content that the rough diamond of an idea can be polished and revealed as a gem. Hope you enjoy these five jewels! When we think about social recommendation –… -
Business Impact of Social Media by Wildfire
11 Feb 2012 | 3:11 pmI tend to agree with Olivier Blanchard’s approach to social media ROI – that it is a financial measurement and shouldn’t include various non-financial measurements such as “likes”, comments, interaction or “brand awareness”. That doesn’t mean that these measures are not important metrics for your business or your marketing efforts – it’s that they are not measures that correlate with direct increase in revenue or reduction in costs. When the team at social marketing platform, Wildfire, surveyed marketers to understand where they were looking for returns, many came back…
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Content is Currency
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Keyword Profitability: Making The Most Of Keyword Research
30 Jan 2012 | 10:57 amWe look for profitability in all walks of life: from investments to entertainment, we are always trying to gain something. Similarly, a hot property on the internet are the searches by millions of users. When our prospects are seeking to find something; we should be ready to offer it to them. But, with thousands of companies offering similar products, how can one gain an advantage? Besides, how does Google decide that your website should be featured on its first or second page of results? We already know that the pages that appear on Google are analyzed and presented based on… -
My Interview on Business Owners Toolkit
30 Jan 2012 | 10:40 amI was recently a guest on the Business Owners Toolkit, talking about my new book and the importance of content marketing. check it out: http://bit.ly/wbdHEF -
Lessons to Learn from Social Media Mistakes
30 Dec 2011 | 12:14 amIt’s hard to imagine that just a couple of years ago we didn’t have the option to mobile upload a photo while on the go, check in at our favorite restaurant, “poke” that first crush from way back in middle school, or update a status about the latest happenings in our lives. Well, thanks to the phenomenon of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, the world has been forever changed in the ways that we communicate and share information…and it has also changed the way that we do business. If you are trying to build a brand, drive traffic to your website, gain new… -
The Off-Center Approach to Choosing a Niche
19 Dec 2011 | 12:24 pmBy now, most SEO professionals understand the basic guidelines for choosing a niche for their website: Assess your experience with the topic. Assess the popularity of the topic. Assess the existing competition. Assess the profitability of the topic. If you’re not passionate about it, don’t cover it. But in order to make a strong impression (or even survive!) in today’s highly competitive online content environment, you’ll need to get a little more creative and specific. Specificity is one of the most important keys to building a highly useful and accessible blog or… -
Does Your Content Suffer from an Identity Crisis?
27 Nov 2011 | 2:16 pmIt’s human nature to want to fit in. In our day-to-day lives, we’re constantly trying to fit our ideals and personalities into the little sub-groups that society has built for us. We want to be comfortable among our fellow humans, to be regarded as “one of the guys or gals.” But this attitude also pervades the Internet content world. It’s easy to go with the flow when it comes to creating web content. You can simply pick a title that makes sense for your needs, check what other people have done, and make your ideas just different enough to pass a Copyscape…
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Brains On Fire Blog
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Your Company is the Stories People Tell About it
15 Feb 2012 | 6:39 amI had an entirely different blog post planned for today…and then I saw the below photo (and story) a friend had posted on Facebook. “So today I was in Hallmark buying my mom a birthday card when I noticed this old man stnding in front of the Valentines card section contemplating which one to get. I decided to go over and I asked him “Are you getting a Valentine’s Day for your wife?” to which he replied, ‘No my wife died three years ago from breast cancer, but I still buy her roses and a card and bring them to her grave to prove to her that she was the only one who will… -
Sayings from Smarter People
14 Feb 2012 | 10:57 amQuick shot today: I thought I’d take a break from my own writing and share a few thoughts from people who are much smarter than I am. Each of these quotes made me stop and think hard: “I don’t know where the line is. In any creative line of work that’s also a business, you have to come up with the moment at which something is done or good enough.” –Pat Kiernan from an interview with The 99% “Now by doing this am I going to affect a sea change in the organization? Likely not. But I can make a difference for my team.” –Jamie Plesser in a… -
A Kinder, Gentler Capitalism.
13 Feb 2012 | 6:50 amPhoto from Libby William’s wonderful, heartfelt photoblog. The other day I received an email from someone who had recently read our book and often reads our blog. He wanted to see if I would help him re-frame his background and past experiences to ignite his next career adventure. I agreed to coffee. As he sat down, he said he had come to believe, after getting to know us through our writings, that we were cheerleaders for a “kinder, gentler capitalism.” What a gift he gave me. I’ve been thinking about those three simple little words since our brief meeting that cold, rainy… -
I Watched, I Purchased, My Problem was Solved
9 Feb 2012 | 6:42 amI recently remembered a story about advertising that worked wonders in introducing me to a product that I purchased and loved. Being somewhat of a music and technology nerd, I follow several blogs that keep pace with what’s happening in the industry. I can’t remember exactly where, but in browsing one of those sites a few years ago I ran across this marketing video from a company called Tune Up Media (1): They happened to be running a discount promotion at the time, so in an extremely rare instance for me, I acted on their message, went to the website, and purchased their product. -
Get Your WOM Notebook Ready… Chapter One: Believe
8 Feb 2012 | 6:30 amSo, here you are… a friend of WOM or maybe you are just starting to explore. Word of Mouth Marketing is a passion for me, and I’m lucky enough to have a career in it. But this didn’t happen by accident. My career took root organically, as a result of my belief in the power of WOM, not because I set out to do it. Back in 2001, Brains on Fire partnered with the Department of Health and Environmental Control of South Carolina. We were tasked with the challenge of tackling teen smoking in our state. If you are at all familiar with South Carolina, you probably know tobacco plays a…
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The Brand Chef
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OPEN INVITATION: Business Growth Summit Jan 31, 2012!
18 Jan 2012 | 4:02 pmThis is an OPEN INVITATION to ALL of my friends, colleagues and extended network! (please read all of this post… kinda long, but VERY important.) I wanted to make sure I invited all of you to this amazing event, the 2012 Business Growth Summit coming up on the 31st of January! It’s put on by a group started by some associates and myself about 2 months ago called Above The Line America. We’re a networking group like no other – (no fees, no forced referrals, no stupid clapping – unless you feel like clapping… ). Above The Line America is focused on… -
Create A Personal Annual Report
12 Jan 2012 | 9:05 amJonathan Fields is an author… That’s where it all started for me. I read his book, Uncertainty, Turning Fear and Doubt Into Fuel for Brilliance. And for those that know me, I NEEDED it. I can’t say it changed my life. I’ve personally understood what he wrote in the book for 20 years, but it revealed a path on which I could take the first step. Read it today, I highly encourage it… So, this morning, as I traveled on that path with meetings for a new venture, creating an outline for new campaigns, dreaming of the future and my plans for personal growth and… -
The Intrinsic Value Of Pants
23 Nov 2011 | 8:43 amI joined Kosama Downtown (check out their program here) a few weeks ago, and with my busy schedule, I “wisely” set the time for my workouts for 5 AM. Needless to say, 5 am comes pretty early these days, so forgetfulness is usually forgiven. For those that have done these kinds of wacko workout schedules, you know that forgetting something is a common occurrence. Sure, some times it’s shampoo or a razor – that you can most likely get on with your day and recover from. But today, I had the unique pleasure of FORGETTING MY PANTS! I packed them in my bag. I remember it. -
When Telemarketing Attacks
26 Oct 2011 | 12:38 pmTelemarketing is not dead. I have proof. Well, I have proof people are still trying it at least. Of course there are still common sense uses for telemarketing, but with the onset of digital messaging, I see its use and utility becoming a little like that of the FAX machine. I still have a FAX number on my business card, but really couldn’t pinpoint the last time it was used. So, that brings me to today’s little post. While I was at lunch with some close friends, I saw a call come in on my cell phone that I didn’t recognize. Generally, and I’m sorry to those… -
Giving The Smack Down To Defeat
16 Sep 2011 | 11:20 am“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” — Alexander Graham Bell This is for those of you out there that dwell just a little too long on the word “No.” (And this includes yours truly) Yeah, it sucks, BAD, but after the initial sting of the response, there are two simple decisions you can make: 1) Stand there with your heart in your hand and stare longingly, wishing you could bury your head in a bucket of cement, OR 2) Brush the dirt from the poor…
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Logo Design Blog
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Valentine’s Day Offer – 15% Discount
13 Feb 2012 | 1:01 amOur design services are reliable and of high quality. We’ve got all that you need for establishing a sound brand image, so don’t let go of this opportunity and use our services at a discount price. This 15% discount is applicable on every package you order, no matter how many you order in one go. Yes! You can really save 15% on every package. -
6 Reasons Why Your Business Should Not use Google Analytics Alone
7 Feb 2012 | 2:35 amA website without analytics and a website owner unaware of the intricacies involved in the traceability of websites using Google analytics are sure to lag behind in the competitive business world. Although, the God-Like image of Google has made organizations completely dependent on its tools for rankings, analytics and reputation management. But here are six beefy reasons to why you should not use Google Analytics alone. -
Why is it Necessary for the Domain Name and the Website Name to be Similar?
23 Jan 2012 | 2:05 amMost people make the mistake of naming their websites and their domains differently. It is good to be creative with names but sometimes this creativity may cost a lot. Most effective website names are usually the ones where the domain name is either identical or at least similar to the website. This will do one good thing, something which every website businessman wants for their websites; it will make the name search engine friendly. -
How to Find a Reliable Web Design Service?
17 Jan 2012 | 2:44 amThe foremost thing to understand is: what do we mean when we say that we are looking for a reliable web design service? In simple words, it means that we need to acquire the expertise of a company that will create a design to perfectly represent our business model. Plus, a reliable service also offers revisions to ensure your complete satisfaction. If for some reason you are not satisfied with the design, they will happily make modifications according to your needs and business requirements. -
Make Your Facebook Timeline a Social Resume
11 Jan 2012 | 10:20 pmAs most of you probably know, Facebook is in the middle of updating everyone’s profile to the new Timeline format. Not only does this new layout and design enhance your Facebook browsing experience, but it can also be used as a tool to affirm what you’ve stated on your curriculum vitae and cover letter.
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Storytelling To Create Impact Brands
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Controlling A Brand Story
4 Feb 2012 | 11:50 pmWhat is that makes a brand great. Why do we have likes and loyalty to objects and do marketeers really have influence over our minds? We certainly know our minds most of the time. We make choices of one product … Continue reading → -
Stories That Create Trust
2 Jan 2012 | 1:54 pmStories help us understand the world around us. They have a sticky quality to them when they work and are told well. Somehow we are made to create and retell stories and these sticky stories are often part of culture … Continue reading → -
2011 in review
2 Jan 2012 | 12:50 pmThe WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2011. If it were a … Continue reading → -
Brand Happiness
26 Dec 2011 | 1:57 pmSuccessful brands create states of happiness which may last for seconds or become a permeant for the user. Happiness is a much better gauge of brand success than equity measures we often use today. It seems that happiness, at least … Continue reading → -
Storytelling Superbrands B2B Marketing
24 Dec 2011 | 6:16 amStorytelling to create Superbrands Here is the article I wrote for Superbrands Swedish Edition 2011. One of the most recent trends in business communications is storytelling. It’s an ancient art that has been suppressed in the modern world in favour … Continue reading →
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Twitter / problogger
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problogger: New at ProBlogger: How Gordon Ramsay Can Increase Your “Expert” Value by 23,900% http://t.co/6SO42PJv
15 Feb 2012 | 6:17 amproblogger: New at ProBlogger: How Gordon Ramsay Can Increase Your “Expert” Value by 23,900% http://t.co/6SO42PJv -
problogger: @SuperKawaiiMama would love to see you there!
15 Feb 2012 | 1:14 amproblogger: @SuperKawaiiMama would love to see you there! -
problogger: A Secret for Getting Readers to respond to your Calls to Action: http://t.co/HumOphMm
14 Feb 2012 | 9:22 pmproblogger: A Secret for Getting Readers to respond to your Calls to Action: http://t.co/HumOphMm -
problogger: @Childhood101 no - won't be til March that we release them - just the 'save this date' and speaker submissions are out at the moment
14 Feb 2012 | 9:11 pmproblogger: @Childhood101 no - won't be til March that we release them - just the 'save this date' and speaker submissions are out at the moment -
problogger: @Danimezza I'm glad to hear you're excited because we are growing with excitement each day too! :-)
14 Feb 2012 | 8:56 pmproblogger: @Danimezza I'm glad to hear you're excited because we are growing with excitement each day too! :-)
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Twitter / justcreative
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justcreative: @jasonvana Thanks, stay tuned for the rest :)
15 Feb 2012 | 9:12 amjustcreative: @jasonvana Thanks, stay tuned for the rest :) -
justcreative: @Behance Here is my workspace and set up - http://t.co/YwMFqwiN #WorkspaceWednesday
15 Feb 2012 | 9:07 amjustcreative: @Behance Here is my workspace and set up - http://t.co/YwMFqwiN #WorkspaceWednesday -
justcreative: @imjustcreative No worries, stay creative.
15 Feb 2012 | 8:50 amjustcreative: @imjustcreative No worries, stay creative. -
justcreative: @jasonvana Thanks for that!
15 Feb 2012 | 8:33 amjustcreative: @jasonvana Thanks for that! -
justcreative: @imjustcreative I disagree about brands as a whole, you need to distinguish yourself to differentiate. As for the names, yes, confusing.
15 Feb 2012 | 8:20 amjustcreative: @imjustcreative I disagree about brands as a whole, you need to distinguish yourself to differentiate. As for the names, yes, confusing.
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Twitter / sarahprout
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sarahprout: I have slight ADD today. Need to focus!
14 Feb 2012 | 6:31 pmsarahprout: I have slight ADD today. Need to focus! -
sarahprout: @evelynmezquita @vpsean thank you so much! xx
14 Feb 2012 | 6:31 pmsarahprout: @evelynmezquita @vpsean thank you so much! xx -
sarahprout: 5 Ways to Be Your Own Valentine - Sarah Prout - http://t.co/Fwonov6I http://t.co/P3aqBG8N via @sharethis
14 Feb 2012 | 5:52 pmsarahprout: 5 Ways to Be Your Own Valentine - Sarah Prout - http://t.co/Fwonov6I http://t.co/P3aqBG8N via @sharethis -
sarahprout: @flexnroses thanks :-)
14 Feb 2012 | 5:36 pmsarahprout: @flexnroses thanks :-) -
sarahprout: @jodydowding thanks so much Jody! xx
14 Feb 2012 | 5:31 pmsarahprout: @jodydowding thanks so much Jody! xx
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Twitter / lizstrauss
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lizstrauss: NEW! Invest or Pay off Debts in Today’s Economy? http://t.co/IwFLS0ak
15 Feb 2012 | 8:40 amlizstrauss: NEW! Invest or Pay off Debts in Today’s Economy? http://t.co/IwFLS0ak -
lizstrauss: Looking forward to the @BMOsmb @GlobeSmallBiz Small Biz event tomorrow http://t.co/Ouz1mWAH #SMWTO
15 Feb 2012 | 5:53 amlizstrauss: Looking forward to the @BMOsmb @GlobeSmallBiz Small Biz event tomorrow http://t.co/Ouz1mWAH #SMWTO -
lizstrauss: @Chris_Eh_Young will not!
14 Feb 2012 | 1:15 pmlizstrauss: @Chris_Eh_Young will not! -
lizstrauss: RT @brasonja: 25 Secrets to Live and Work Intelligently from the Heart http://t.co/ZyuK3Z6S via @lizstrauss RT @HowellMarketing
14 Feb 2012 | 1:10 pmlizstrauss: RT @brasonja: 25 Secrets to Live and Work Intelligently from the Heart http://t.co/ZyuK3Z6S via @lizstrauss RT @HowellMarketing -
lizstrauss: @lttlewys loving all the smart #smwto people I'm meeting
14 Feb 2012 | 1:10 pmlizstrauss: @lttlewys loving all the smart #smwto people I'm meeting
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Wallpaper* News Feed
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Ed Ruscha features in Band of Outsiders S/S 2012 polaroid campaign
15 Feb 2012 | 3:28 pmMost fashion advertising looks like a lot of money is spent on it because a lot of money is spent on it. Armies are mobilised, budgets blown. We were charmed and intrigued then by a new campaign from LA-label Band of Outsiders. Pleasingly shot on Polaroid, the campaign features our kind of eye candy: the artist and friend of Wallpaper* Ed Ruscha for the ladies; and the luminous from 'Dawson's Creek'-to-My Week with Marilyn actress Michelle Williams for the gentlemen (allowing for other permutations of course). Band of Outsiders was established in LA by Scott Sternberg, a former… -
Bolon installation by Jean Nouvel: a Q&A with the architect
15 Feb 2012 | 12:43 pmIn a spectacular installation that challenged gravity, as well the traditional ideas of flooring, Jean Nouvel reinterpreted Bolon's new Create collection at the Stockholm Furniture Fair. We caught up with the French architect and Bolon's directors, Marie and Annica Eklund, to find out more. How did the collaboration between Bolon and Jean Nouvel come about? Bolon: We always like to show our material in an artistic way and to challenge ourselves. To us it's important to see Bolon's material with new eyes and think outside the box. Jean Nouvel is a creative force in both design… -
L'École Van Cleef & Arpels opens in Paris
13 Feb 2012 | 1:28 pmIt's not often that we feel excited at the prospect of going back to school but when the teacher is Van Cleef & Arpels and the curriculum promises 'an education in taste and visual appreciation', our pencils are sharpened and at the ready. Add to that the fact that classes take place in an 18th-century townhouse on the place Vendôme, Paris, and, naturally, we want to be first in line and top of the class. Today, Van Cleef & Arpels' school of jewellery - L'École Van Cleef & Arpels - opens its gilded doors for the very first time. Aimed at makers, connoisseurs and those… -
Stockholm Furniture Fair 2012
13 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pmA vast, all-pervading blanket of white may have covered the city last week but inside the halls of the Stockholm Furniture Fair it was quite a different story. Colour was easily this year's biggest trend among the Nordic interiors manufacturers who offered up an uplifting array of bright and vibrant collections. Some, such as Stolab, NC Möbler and Nola, opted for a mix of strong primaries, while others, like Bruno Mathsson, Wästberg and Maze, opted for slightly more muted tones. Trust the oh-so-tasteful Asplund though, to get its hues absolutely spot on with a fashionable palette of… -
Uniqlo 'family' range by Jun Takahashi
10 Feb 2012 | 3:51 pmDesigner Jun Takahashi doesn't have to venture very far to find his harshest critic. 'My nine-year-old daughter is very discriminating,' he grins. 'I will give her my design work and she says she doesn't like it. I try to take it positively - she sees on her own, she has her own style.' Best known for his street style-influenced work with label Undercover, the 42-year-old Takahashi - who originally launched his label in Japan in 1990 - is usually associated with punk, deconstruction and twisted sportswear. His latest project, then, is perhaps more of a surprise - and…
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Graphic Design Blog - An Ultimate Resource for Graphic Designers
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Don’t Make a Graphic Designer your Valentine – 10 Funny Reasons!
10 Feb 2012 | 4:29 amValentine’s Dayis right around the corner and believe me…it really sucks being a graphic designer on 14th February. Considering the overloaded work schedule and tedious deadlines, who can imagine enjoying a pleasant time with their valentine? This conundrum is widespread among graphic designers as I’ve heard many of my colleagues complain of this as well. But does this mean that designers can’t be anyone’s valentine? Thinking about all this, a funny notion came to mind which inspired me into writing today’s post on why graphic designers can’t be an… -
SocialDon – FREE Comparison of Facebook Analytics!
7 Feb 2012 | 9:33 pmEach day, more and more companies are registering themselves on Facebook to increase their online market presence. This is because Facebook is the most used social media site in the world (Ranked 2nd by Alexa in their global website rankings). Did You Know? –› 43% of the Facebook users Like, or are fans of, at least one brand on Facebook. –› The average U.S. Facebook user “Likes” an average of 14 companies/brands. –› 40% users Like a company’s page to receive discounts and promotions. –› 33% users Like a company’s page to… -
25 Amazing Not-Photoshopped Pictures – See it to believe it!
6 Feb 2012 | 2:42 amPhotoshop manipulation is an art practiced by a lot of artists and designers. It is even used in creating print advertisements for major brands and for designing other promotional props. Every now and then, we witness several pictures on the internet that are altered or manipulated using Adobe Photoshop. But there are some pictures that baffle us into thinking they must be manipulated, even though they are not photoshopped at all. Do you know the real secret involved in these pictures that claim not to be photoshopped? Well the answer is really simple…forced perspective. In the field… -
GDB Comment Contest Results Announced – Congratulations Winners!
3 Feb 2012 | 3:13 amHey guys…the much anticipated results of the comment contest on GDB are finally out. I’m sure you all must be ecstatic to know who the winners are. But before I reveal the name of the 3 lucky winners, let us take a brief recap of the entire event. We started this contest on 24th January 2012 with an aim to increase useful discussions and gain healthy feedback about our blog. The contest ends today on 3rd February 2012. In this short span of time, we received over 200 valuable comments from our loyal readers. The 3 Lucky Winners: It was a close competition as several participants… -
Meeting Graphic Design Clients for the First Time – Prepare Yourself!
31 Jan 2012 | 2:54 amI remember my first client meeting…even though it was quite long time back, but the whole episode is still a distinct memory. Not because it was my very first client meeting, but the anxiety and nervousness that besieged me was unforgettable. Trembling hands, shaky knees and sweaty forehead…altogether it was a nerve-racking experience. I am sure most of the newbie graphic designers face the same situation in their first meet-up with clients. However, this was just a onetime incident for me because with time I grew stronger in confidence after each client meeting.
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DesignM.ag
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Showcase Of Creative & Smart Print Ads
15 Feb 2012 | 6:41 amAdvertise here with BSAIn today’s world advertisement plays a very important role. For a product or company to be successful the advertisement must deliver a powerful message. In this roundup we are featuring some fresh and creative print advertisements. Enjoy!! Pilates With Gerda: Belly Bag Stabilo Boss: Highlighted, Maria Antonieta Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1: Robbery GE X500 Camera: Wall Biothymus F: Dye Liberté: Pots, Maple Robin Wood: Felled Tree Só Ação Solidarity movement: Much more than trees, 3 Tefal Newpan: Small Small Talk Natour: NYC Natour: India GearWrench: Pry Bar Hotwheels:… -
Designing a Custom iPhone App Navigation Bar
10 Feb 2012 | 5:32 amAdvertise here with BSAApp development for iPhone and iPod Touch has become a booming industry. Designers from all over the world are jumping at the chance to have their ideas published into the App Store. It’s no surprise more tech enthusiasts are moving onto Apple devices. It can be tough to build an entire app from scratch and Xcode menus don’t make things easier. In this tutorial I’m hoping to introduce some bare-bones essential ideas for customizing an application’s top navigation bar. There is a bit of Objective-C code required but it shouldn’t be too… -
30 Beautiful Multi-Colored Websites
6 Feb 2012 | 8:52 amAdvertise here with BSAIn this post we’ve compiled some well designed colorful websites. Enjoy!! If you like these designs you might also want to check out our previous posts below. Examples of Solid Colors in Web Design Examples of Orange in Web Design Examples of Purple in Web Design thisistommy image-festival brosmind mailbakery bellstrike typemedia2011 rays-lab apbaxter learnlakenona dangersoffracking gimmedelivery formfett besser-leben-mit-lehm baucargo art4web werbeagentur-kopfnuss killingsworthstation mywinebox teamtreehouse mommy blog intercolours festivalmundo isee tinytwig kikk… -
28 Cute Children’s Book Illustrations from Digital Artists
1 Feb 2012 | 2:36 pmAdvertise here with BSAIllustrators have found a nurturing community on the web where they can share awesome work. Artists drawing for children’s books were almost always done by hand. But with the popularity of Adobe software and the many tablet devices it’s easier than ever to move your work digital! In this design showcase I’ve put together 28 heartwarming illustrations from Dribbble artists. These are all featured from many different children’s books and relate to individual projects. If you enjoy any parts of our collection of have example illustrations of your… -
40 Negative Space Logo Designs
27 Jan 2012 | 6:51 amAdvertise here with BSAIn this post we have collected 40 well design negative space logo designs. Enjoy!! If you like these logo designs you might also want to check out our previous posts below. 40 Creative Logo Designs 28 Clean and Creative Logo Designs 24 Clever and Unique Logo Designs Australian wine Ignite biobuddha Two knives VIP1 Net Credit WINEPIRE woman quotes Oak Bros. Happy Catfish Gecko SpadeDealer v2 Alchemic Motion Come home cafe explorations Jurassic Wine French Wine Iconik Patron Agri Systems Outdoor Living Today 247 b/w ConnectedHome Three Nuts General Contractors v.2…
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Just Creative Design
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Scope Creep – How to avoid, manage & kill it.
14 Feb 2012 | 7:51 amScope Creep. No it’s not that guy that’s been sitting in the corner of the cafe staring at you. In fact, if you don’t know how to deal with scope creep, it could be much worse. Scope creep, put simply, refers to uncontrolled changes in a client’s project scope. For example, a typical scenario could be when you’ve finished your design project to the original specifications and then the client emails you with a dozen different new changes and ideas. That is scope creep. The scope of the project may get bigger, but the budget may not. The problem is that clients may not… -
6 Creative Ways to Use Delicious Bookmarks
6 Feb 2012 | 10:57 amThis is a guest article contributed by Rebecca*. – Delicious is a popular social bookmarking site which you can use for saving your favorite website links. The process is termed as bookmarking. This will enable you to share your bookmarks among others as well as allow you to browse bookmarks of other users’. Tagging and search tools help you in browsing as well as organizing topics of interest. It enables you to both create multiple tags and tag sites with manifold keywords. Every tag produces a page with all website links associated to it. You can share each of these pages with… -
The 2011 Logo Of The Year
1 Feb 2012 | 8:40 pmAfter a month of voting on the Top Logo Designs of 2011 the voting has now closed and I am pleased to announce the 2011 Logo Of The Year. The 2011 Logo Of The Year Fork & Knife Restaurant by Nick Sickelton. The Runner Up Bread & Breakfast is a coffee shop / bakery that serves breakfast all day and sells bread and baked goods. The aim was to create a logo that will combine the two elements of business (bakery and coffee shop) without creating an overload of visuals. The positive/negative design of the coffee cup and the bread image that is created by the coffee itself, along with the… -
Flywheel Takes Off
31 Jan 2012 | 2:39 pmFlywheel started with a simple idea… make indoor cycling epic. To make that happen Flywheel partnered with Ammirati (the agency where I currently work) who re-imagined the Flywheel brand experience. A bold, new look enforced by striking photography & solid copywriting was implemented across all facets of the Flywheel brand, including the Flywheel website which I had the pleasure to work on. Ammirati and I had to restructure, rewrite and redesign all pages of the Flywheel website, for both the front and logged in sections of the site. We’re happy to announce the site successfully… -
Accessibility & Integrity
25 Jan 2012 | 7:34 amI was recently humbled and amazed at an email I received through my brand identity questionnaire and I just had to share the story, not only because it opened my eyes to something amazing, but something I would never have thought of and I’m sure not many others would have either. To cut to the chase, the lady who was inquiring about my brand identity / design services was blind. Although accessibility should be built into in all websites, I still find this fact extremely fascinating. I simply can’t fathom the process of trying to find the right designer without being able to see…
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You The Designer
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5 Red Hot Love Icons – a Valentine’s Day Treat from YTD
14 Feb 2012 | 1:09 amCelebrate Valentine’s Day with these icons of loooove! Download them for FREE and spread the love to others by giving them the link to this post. Also, kindly leave a comment as we’d like to know how you feel about these icons (and about us, for that matter). Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Downloaded 125 times -
Help Ink and YTD Giveaway: Win a Shirt and Do Some Good
14 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amHappy Valentine’s Day from You The Designer! Whatever relationship status you have right now, here’s a way for you to spread the love for now up to the rest of the week! You The Designer has written a lot about T-shirt design in the past because, what better way to flaunt your good taste while walking down the street than with a suave design on this most basic of clothing? So anyway, we’ve recently talked with a group of people who understand this from both a consumer’s and a designer’s point of view, and managed to tie this up with helping charity… -
The Rise and Fall of Famous Brands – Why Do They Fail?
8 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amWe are living in a world where water is sold with a name, clothes are being marketed with signature signs and food items are being promoted with trademarks. The concept of branding has completely shaped the way people consume commodities. Customers in this day and age prefer status symbols over necessity. This shows the importance of branding and its influence on businesses. It takes years to erect a successful brand identity, but only an instant to destroy it. All the famous brands and corporations have risen to their current status after a lot of painstaking effort. Failure is common… -
We’ve Started Using PunchTab!
6 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amHere’s another one of our attempts to reward you loyal readers for sticking with You The Designer all this time, and this one is a pretty big deal! PunchTab is a loyalty program that lets us reward you for engaging with the blog, whether you visit, browse, comment on, and vote up our posts and more – with points you can use to redeem a reward from us! As some of you may have already seen by clicking on the Rewards ribbon tab hovering on the left side of our pages, we have a 30-day leaderboard tracking the most active readers on the blog. Right… -
Behance Launches Student Show, an Initiative to Support Emerging Designers
1 Feb 2012 | 12:00 amIf you’re a student, here’s an exclusive design community where you can get your work exposure, get feedback from peers as well as world-renowned creative professionals, and even get hired! Behance has launched a new student initiative called the Student Show Gallery, which aims to showcase the world’s next generation of creative talent. Membership is free! As a member, your work may be featured, “appreciated”, followed by fellow creatives, and noticed by recruiters. You’ll also receive updates on student competitions and exclusive discounts from some of…
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Fuel Your Creativity
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Win Stickers from 1800Postcards.com! [GIVEAWAY]
10 Feb 2012 | 8:41 amAdvertise here via BSA Are you in the need for some stickers for your business, your career or just for fun? Well you can win 300 Custom Stickers for Free from 1800Postcards.com! 1800Postcards.com is the retail branch of Circle Press, a high-end commercial printing firm with a roster of Fortune 100 clients that includes Dior, Tiffany, Disney, American Express and most of the world’s leading brands. These companies demand nothing but the best in quality. To be specific, a quality standard called “G7,” which is only granted to printing firms that meet a very strict set of best practices… -
10 Designs Inspired by Microsoft’s Metro UI
25 Jan 2012 | 5:09 pmAdvertise here via BSA Since Microsoft first unveiled the Metro UI on Windows Phone 7, the rollout has been gradually taking place across every Microsoft product and website. It is the cornerstone of the Windows 8 interface and one of the most notable official uses of Metro UI available now is the excellent implementation on the Xbox 360 dashboard. The new design language has been a refreshing sign that Redmond cares about fixing its messy, bloated and ageing image, and the company is following through and executing. In the process, Metro has picked up a lot of fans in the design… -
Timeless Design, Ferrari
25 Jan 2012 | 10:10 amAdvertise here via BSA To begin with what I hope will end up being a mindful, thought-provoking article on the essence of timelessness in design, I felt it only fitting to start with what gave birth to this idea. As a designer and all around technology consultant, it’s my job to stay up-to-date with current trends and product offerings, which by its very nature is contradictory to the idea of timelessness. I’ve been grappling with this concept for over two years now. A lot of you that follow me on Twitter know that I’m an absolute nut about cars. Up until about 24 months ago my passion… -
Free Web UI Wireframe Kit
24 Jan 2012 | 3:00 amAdvertise here via BSA Sometimes you don’t need to build interactive wireframes, or may not feel all that comfortable in Visio or OmniGraffle. I know there are times I just want to open up Photoshop and start laying things out. This web UI template kit is made completely with shape objects and in some cases converted into SmartObjects. So they’re totally scalable. There are no usage restrictions but if you find them helpful give us a shout. We love hearing from you! CLICK TO DOWNLOAD via -
Shape, Color, Content – The Language of Logos
9 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amAdvertise here via BSA Before you approve that new logo you’re considering, stop for a moment to consider how people perceive visual information. The content of your logo is third in the sequence of recognition, behind shape and color, because the brain takes more time to process language. Letterforms can be very powerful in creating content and meaning. The use of initials as an identifying mark has been around for centuries, since medieval kingdoms became economic enterprises. Letterforms are often abstracted to create clever symbols which act as metaphor for the core brand positioning.
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Featured / by
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Make. it rain
15 Feb 2012 | 6:35 amMake. the design and illustration team is made of Jesse Hora, Abigail Wynne and Darrin Higgins. We design, illustrate, art direct, draw, cut, paste, think, build, photograph, paint and print. Every projects is an opportunity to make something we are excited about. We enjoy making ideas come to life, making work that blows your mind, making a mess and making friendships along the way. We care about being involved in our community, and running our business thoughtfully and responsibly. -
Fonts in Use
15 Feb 2012 | 6:27 amFonts in Use catalogs and examines real-world typography. Effort begins with this blog, a prologue of things to come. Sponsored by MyFonts. _______ Very cool concept, website and entries. If you love typography, this one is for you. _______ via: Alan Houser -
Stellavie Manufaktur
15 Feb 2012 | 5:24 amSimply do the best you can.. by Stellavie Manufaktur. An experimental piece of artwork/home decoration. Precisely cut from 3mm MDF, backed with an unprimed black 300gsm paper, the letters and words appear sunk-in. The run is limited to 100 pieces – engraved, numbered and individually hand stamped on its backside.
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xkcd.com
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Backward in Time
13 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm -
Valentine Dilemma
12 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm -
Kerning
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Car Problems
7 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm
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Planet Photoshop
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3D Foil Balloon Effects
14 Feb 2012 | 11:32 amAs a special Valentine’s Day bonus, here is a cool 3D technique for getting realistic foil balloon. All from scratch! Corey Barker is Executive Producer of PlanetPhotoshop.com and is an Education and Curriculum Developer for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. Corey has also made numerous appearances on the highly rated podcast, PhotoshopUser TV, and is co-host of Layers TV. -
The Bourne Effect
10 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pmCorey shows you how to re-create the graphic effect from the new Bourne Legacy movie poster. With an extra twist! Corey Barker is Executive Producer of PlanetPhotoshop.com and is an Education and Curriculum Developer for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. Corey has also made numerous appearances on the highly rated podcast, PhotoshopUser TV, and is co-host of Layers TV. -
My 3D Feature in Photoshop User
31 Jan 2012 | 7:11 amSo if you are a NAPP member should have just recently received your latest issue of Photoshop User magazine! The official publication of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. If not a member click here to learn more and see what NAPP members get in addition to a year’s subscription to Photoshop User. You can also pick it up at most bookstore newsstands. Anyway in this month’s issue I had the honor of writing the feature article on 3D in Photoshop. I discuss how you can use 3D in Photoshop in not so obvious ways by combining the power of 3D and the compositing power… -
Photoshop World, it will get here fast!
27 Jan 2012 | 11:16 amAre you planning on joining us for Photoshop World in Washington D.C. this March? If so, you better make sure you get registered soon! The early bird registration, which will save you $100 off the full-conference price, will be available through February 17, 2012. I know that seems like a ways off but we all know that will get here a lot quicker than we think. Not to mention you will want to get registered for other events you may be interested in that have a very high likelihood of filling up fast like the pre-cons and the after hours party! Always a blast! This event boasts the biggest… -
Flare Effects
20 Jan 2012 | 12:36 pmCorey has a cool trick for creating a flare brush and see how one effect can lead to another. Corey Barker is Executive Producer of PlanetPhotoshop.com and is an Education and Curriculum Developer for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. Corey has also made numerous appearances on the highly rated podcast, PhotoshopUser TV, and is co-host of Layers TV.
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A List Apart
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The Vendor Prefix Predicament: ALA’s Eric Meyer Interviews Tantek Çelik
14 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amDuring a public meeting of the W3C CSS Working Group, Mozilla web standards lead Tantek Çelik precipitated a crisis in Web Standards Land when he complained about developers who misunderstand and abuse vendor prefixes by only supporting WebKit’s, thereby creating a browser monoculture. Tantek’s proposed solution—having Mozilla pretend to be WebKit—inflamed many in the standards community, especially when representatives from Opera and Microsoft immediately agreed about the problem and announced similar plans to Mozilla’s. To get to the bottom of the new big brouhaha, exclusively… -
Every Time You Call a Proprietary Feature “CSS3,” a Kitten Dies
14 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amAny -webkit- feature that doesn’t exist in a specification (not even an Editor’s draft) is not CSS3. Yes, they are commonly evangelized as such, but they are not part of CSS at all. This distinction is not nitpicking. It’s important because it encourages certain vendors to circumvent the standards process, implement whatever they come up with in WebKit, then evangelize it to developers as the best thing since sliced bread. In our eagerness to use the new bling, we often forget how many people fought in the past decade to enable us to write code without forks and hacks and expect it to… -
Responsive Images: How they Almost Worked and What We Need
31 Jan 2012 | 4:00 amWith a mobile-first responsive design approach, if any part of the process breaks down, your user can still receive a representative image and avoid an unnecessarily large request on a device that may have limited bandwidth. But with several newer browsers implementing an “image prefetching” feature that allows images to be fetched before parsing the document’s body, some of the web's brightest developers are abandoning responsive images in favor of user agent detection, at least as a temporary solution. For us standardistas, UA detection leaves a bad taste in the mouth. More… -
Pricing Strategy for Creatives
31 Jan 2012 | 4:00 amStrategic pricing helps your brand and helps you to make more money. Issuing a price is like handing out a business card—it’s a great branding tool, but be careful about what it says to your market. Beginning relationships with customers at a high price makes the statement: “we’re good at what we do and we know it.” Fighting with a competitor over a low price says “I’m uncertain about my abilities, so I’ll take what I can get.” Failing to use a considered pricing policy will leave you treading water in a sea of design mediocrity, allowing you to just stay afloat while you… -
Building Twitter Bootstrap
17 Jan 2012 | 1:00 amBootstrap is an open-source front-end toolkit created to help designers and developers quickly and efficiently build great stuff online. Its goal is to provide a refined, well-documented, and extensive library of flexible design components created with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for others to build and innovate on. Today, it has grown to include dozens of components and has become the most popular project on GitHub, with more than 13,000 watchers and 2,000 forks. Mark Otto, the co-creator of Bootstrap, sheds light on how and why Bootstrap was made, the processes used to create it, and how it…
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FreelanceSwitch
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Freelance Photography: Digital vs. Film Case Study
15 Feb 2012 | 9:00 amLast week, the British Journal of Photography helped spread the news that Kodak will stop producing digital products as part of their ongoing strategic review? What is Kodak going to do? Refocus on good, old fashioned film. At first, this sounded like brand suicide to me. But then I read on… The news comes as Kodak is undergoing a wide-ranging strategic review of its businesses with the “commitment to drive sustainable profitability through its most valuable business lines.” But Kodak is quick to point out that the move won’t mean the end for Kodak-branded digital cameras. -
Boost Email Productivity with Boomerang
15 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amTrue confession: I recently went on an e-mail killing spree. The objects of my ire were all of those not-so-crucial e-mails that I’d saved under my Gmail account. And I took a certain pleasure in squashing many of them with my Delete key. Ahhh. Nothing like a leaner, meaner Gmail account. Unfortunately, you can only get so far by killing superfluous e-mails. That’s because a lot of the e-mail in our lives is truly useful. It just needs better management. Enter Boomerang, a handy add-on for Gmail, Google Apps, and Microsoft Outlook users. It will allow you to: Schedule email in… -
6 Tips for Designing a Promotion Worthy Business Card
15 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amYou might not always know when an opportunity for networking or the chance to expand your client base will present itself. Incorporating personalized business cards into your professional and personal marketing efforts is a positive way to ensure opportunities will not be missed. But before you can promote, you need a well-designed business card. There are many options when considering what information should be included on your business card. The choices you select should clearly represent your brand or business, but there are many different techniques available. Keep it Simple Your business… -
Happiness and Economic Growth Go Hand in Hand
14 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amWhen I read the headline of this FastCompany blog post, I immediately thought of all those freelancers out there who have made the switch from an unhappy existence in their full time job to freelance freedom. The saying that “money can’t buy you happiness” is true. I know plenty of well-off people who are miserable. But can happiness really mean increased economic growth? Some people think so. Happiness economics is a new term to me. What it is is the quantitative study of happiness—the positive and negative effect it has concerning economics. These happiness economists measure… -
6 Point Productivity Starter-Kit for the Novice Freelancer
14 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amBefore I took the big entrepreneurial leap in 2010, I had always worked for a single employer. But you know how the story goes— suddenly the cubicle walls start to feel claustrophobic, the beck and call of the chain of bosses starts to grate, and you yearn for something, well, more inspired. You feel confident enough in your own skills and personal networks to leave the ‘system’ and start your own freelance business. The highs are higher— exhilarating and thrilling; and the lows are steep drops, where you battle self-doubt and worry about scoring the next project. When we first…
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SimpleBits
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Pears
7 Feb 2012 | 2:40 pmYesterday, on stage at An Event Apart Atlanta, I announced Pears: an open source WordPress theme for creating your own markup & style pattern library. I wanted to create my own database repository of commonly used patterns and figured the tool might be useful for others as well. Breaking interfaces down into patterns has been immensely helpful in learning and re-evaluating the best possible code to implement them. I’ve just gotten started and will be adding more as I create them. But Pears isn’t about how I code these patterns—it’s a tool for creating your own. The… -
Bulletproof Web Design, Third Edition
20 Dec 2011 | 8:07 amYesterday, a copy of my latest book arrived in the mail, the Third Edition of Bulletproof Web Design. The first edition came out back in 2005, and I’ve been revising it every few years. This latest edit was a bit larger than the 2nd because so much has changed. HTML5, CSS3, Responsive Web Design—all of these things dovetail nicely into the core bulletproof concepts from the original book. If you have the 2nd edition, the new version is likely not a necessary upgrade (New Riders probably loves me for saying that). Meaning, the guidelines for building flexible websites are still there,… -
My New Ride
25 Oct 2011 | 5:57 pmA month ago I made one of the best purchases I’ve made in a long time. I bought a kick scooter. Not one of those aluminum things with rollerblade wheels where the handle is so short you have to hunch over—but a scooter built for adults. Check out this video that shows how the KickPed operates—particularly how it folds up. After a fair amount of research I found the KickPed, which is a custom model designed by NYCEWheels. It’s not cheap, but it’s built for the streets of New York and is supposedly maintenance free. The wheels are wide, solid rubber, the birch footboard is… -
New Work: Instapaper 4 Icon
17 Oct 2011 | 10:08 amI had the honor of creating the new Instapaper icon thanks to Jason Santa Maria and his art direction. The new app is superb, and it’s out today! Read all about it from creator Marco Arment and Jason. -
Adapted
19 Aug 2011 | 11:09 amThere’s no doubt that employing a mobile first, responsive design approach to a new project is a wonderful way forward for many sites. I think the most exciting thing about seeing these best practices develop over the last few years is that it finally feels like web design. Finally. That we’re not designing sheets of paper that happen to be on screen. So yes, for new projects under the right circumstances a responsive plan is often the ideal. But what about existing sites? The ones that were designed before browsers supported media queries and before smart people started stitching…
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Jeffrey Zeldman Presents The Daily Report
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A List Apart No. 344: the new Webkit monoculture
14 Feb 2012 | 6:05 amISSUE NO. 344 of A List Apart for people who make websites asks the musical question, “Webkit monoculture: threat or menace?” The Vendor Prefix Predicament: ALA’s Eric Meyer Interviews Tantek Çelik by ERIC MEYER, TANTEK ÇELIK During a public meeting of the W3C CSS Working Group, Mozilla web standards lead Tantek Çelik precipitated a crisis in Web Standards Land when he complained about developers who misunderstand and abuse vendor prefixes by only supporting WebKit’s, thereby creating a browser monoculture. Tantek’s proposed solution—having Mozilla pretend to be… -
Kristina Halvorson – Message and Medium: Better Content by Design
13 Feb 2012 | 9:37 amIN THIS presentation, live at An Event Apart, Kristina Halvorson teaches you to identify your key business messages, understand how they inform your content strategy, and learn how they impact multi-channel content development and design. Kristina Halvorson – Message and Medium: Better Content by Design. -
Big Web Show Podcast #62: Kristofer Layon and me on Mobile Web Design
10 Feb 2012 | 8:51 amAUTHOR KRISTOFER LAYON (@klayon) joins me to discuss his book, Mobilizing Web Sites: Strategies for Mobile Web Implementation in Episode No. 62 of The Big Web Show, my weekly podcast on “everything web that matters.” In a lively hour-long discussion, we learn why “standards-based layouts are already responsive;” discuss the Kano Model and how it helps designers create satisfying mobile experiences; talk about Kris’s road from teacher and developer to conference founder to Peachpit author; and much more. Subscribe to The Big Web Show The Big Web Show features… -
A better Photoshop grid for responsive web design
8 Feb 2012 | 7:58 amIN MAKING the move to responsive web design, one of the potential hurdles is the rather awkward maths for calculating the percentage-based widths necessary for fluid layouts. If, for example, you’re designing with a 960px grid in Photoshop and you have six columns, each 140px wide, you divide 140 by 960 to get your percentage-based width: 14.583333%. Now, I don’t know about you, but numbers like that look a little scary. It doesn’t matter that there are great calculation tools built into TextMate to do the maths for you; the point is that the final figure looks like an arbitrary number… -
Mobile Web Resources
8 Feb 2012 | 5:03 amONE of the most frequent questions we get asked about the mobile web is ‘Where do I go to learn about all this stuff?’ So here’s an extensive list of helpful tools and resources that can help you create great mobile web experiences.” Mobile Web Resources | Mobile Web Best Practices.
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Graphic Design News
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Students get a taste of new cultures
15 Feb 2012 | 5:55 amA sample of spicy sushi from H Mart in Upper Darby that students were able to try. -
Make 'death trap' junctions safer for cyclists, demands university mourning three
15 Feb 2012 | 1:45 amA university that saw two students and a member of staff killed cycling in London last year has accused Boris Johnson of failing to act swiftly enough over road junction "death traps". Travel and tourism student Paula Jurek, 20; graphic designer Peter McGreal, 44; and international development student Ellie Carey, 22, were all hit by HGVs. -
Chanhassen designer's Civil War logo marks 150th anniversary
14 Feb 2012 | 9:31 pmAs a Civil War buff and graphic designer, Michael Campbell proved to be a quick study in a statewide contest to create a logo commemorating the state's role in that epic clash. -
Pocket-Sized Promotion: Perfectly Portable Solutions, by Maggie Price
14 Feb 2012 | 5:21 pmSince 1975, Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market has been a must-have reference guide forA emerging artists who want to establish a successful career in fine art, illustration, cartooning or graphic design. -
Marketing Managers Achieve Communication Goals with Keywest
14 Feb 2012 | 1:12 pmMarketing managers are nearer to achieving communication goals with Keywest Technology, which is offering a checklist on working with graphic artists on digital signage.
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Logo Design Love
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On the 2012 US election campaign logos
8 Feb 2012 | 2:34 amSteven Heller, Debbie Millman, and Alice Twemlow gave their thoughts on the 2012 US election campaign logos. Here’s a snippet from the post on SVA’s Visual Arts Briefs. “What’s right with this logo, other than his political stance?” — STEVEN HELLER “For a corporation, it would feel established and a bit stuffy. Seems as if there should be an image of the Bible on this page… If you’re going to make a site that looks like Tumblr, why not just create a Tumblr account?” — DEBBIE MILLMAN Nb/ Rick Santorum’s website. “The further right… -
“This is what you need — a magic dot.”
6 Feb 2012 | 1:56 amSaul Bass (1920-1996) described a particularly sticky moment when he presented his Minolta design at the company’s Osaka headquarters in 1980. “Although his son, the President of the company, had initiated the corporate identity program, the Chairman and retired founder, Kazuo Tashima, remained skeptical of such fancy new ways. “During the initial consultation process, he listened to my proposals in stony silence. At one point when I was speaking, Mr. Tashima plucked a miniaturized Minolta camera from its display stand, and said ‘Gentlemen, we have a very small… -
Madrid 2020 logo causes controversy
31 Jan 2012 | 12:52 pmMadrid launched its bid for the 2020 Olympics yesterday with a logo that left many Spaniards confused (as reported in The Telegraph). “The design purportedly consists of the letter M for Madrid and the number 20 in front of the coloured rings of the Olympics stylised into arches inspired by the Madrid landmark, Puerta de Alcalá. “But the lettering appears to show “20020,” an effect that has brought much derision in the Spanish press and on social networking sites.” The design is a result of a national competition, won by 22-year-old Luis Peiret. Here’s the… -
How LO can you GO?
24 Jan 2012 | 8:20 amThe following guest post was written by Tom and Phil of London-based Mat Dolphin. One of the services we offer as a design agency is logo design. No surprises then when we recently stumbled upon another agency offering the same service. So far, so average – the majority of graphic design agencies throughout the world do exactly the same. The difference with this one, however, was the costing of their work. $42. That simple. For $42 you can get a logo designed with two rounds of amends and a number of different files formats sent to you. Sceptical of the quality of the work and a little… -
Green T
23 Jan 2012 | 2:48 amCutting the grass is about as far as my green fingers stretch, but I like this logo-growing project by Judy Kameon for the New York Times. Kameon created a T from 130 plants “Together with her husband, photographer Erik Otsea, Kameon created a T from 130 plants. And in a postscript sure to warm the hearts of environmentalists, no flora were harmed in the making of this artwork. In fact, they’re all bound for a new demonstration garden in Kameon’s office and showroom.” Her husband, the photographer Erik Otsea, captured the T The finished product Click for full-size chart of…
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CSS-Tricks
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ShopTalk Episode 5
10 Feb 2012 | 7:32 pmJeffrey Way, Dave and I talk shop about some newly released projects, -webkit-gate, and our weekly staple of Q&A. Direct Link to Article — PermalinkShopTalk Episode 5 is a post from CSS-Tricks -
TL;DR on Vendor Prefix Drama
10 Feb 2012 | 8:27 amDaniel Glazman, co-chair of CSS Working Group, informs us non-WebKit browser vendors are considering supporting the -webkit- prefix in addition to their own for some CSS features. In particular Mozilla, who currently uses the -moz- prefix for experimental features, said "Zero is not an option for us" when talking about how many features they should support with the -webkit- prefix. Daniel calls for developers and evangelists to stop being lazy/negligent and use all the correct vendor prefixes instead of just -webkit-. Remy Sharp says this is a bad idea because it affects the expectations of… -
Musings on Preprocessing
8 Feb 2012 | 9:45 pmI've been using SASS for pretty much everything I do recently. Here's some musings on the journey. From hold-ups, to trip-ups, to turn-offs. From apps and teams to workflows and syntax. You Gotta Work Locally The biggest contributor to me getting on the bandwagon was giving up my going-commando live FTP editing ways. Yeah, Coda is awesome, but it's bad habit forming. It makes it way too easy to work live instead of local1. Working local is full of obvious advantages. Namely, 1) It's fast 2) You can edit stuff to your heart's content without worry you're screwing up a live site and 3) It… -
Speech Bubble Arrows that Inherit Parent Color
6 Feb 2012 | 9:57 amInteresting question: css3 speech bubble question: for the "triangle"'s border color, how can I set it to whatever its parent div's bgcolor is automagically? — Jin Yang (@jzy) February 1, 2012 By "css3 speech bubble", Jin means using a pseudo element on a container to add a little pointer arrow (triangle). Not really CSS3, but that's pedantic. Let's say that pink color isn't practical to set in an external CSS file. Perhaps is a user setting, or perhaps its set dynamically somehow. <div class="speech-bubble" style="background: pink;"> I like bananas, because they have no bones. -
A proposal to drop browser vendor prefixes
3 Feb 2012 | 1:49 pmInteresting idea by Felipe G on using a new at-rule, @-vendor-unlock, to tell the browser to use it's experimental implementation of any particular property, rather than using a vendor prefix on that property. Unfortunately at this point, even if you could get all the browsers on board, you'd need to use this and vendor prefixes to get deep support, which makes the problem worse. What we really need is for all browsers to implement auto-updating so eventually "supporting older browsers" is something we can look back and laugh at. Direct Link to Article — PermalinkA proposal to drop…
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Inspired Magazine
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New Trends in Web Design You Cannot Ignore
15 Feb 2012 | 6:45 amAs we say goodbye to 2011 and welcome another year of the decade no-one can name (the tenties; the tennies; the tens anyone?) we begin to wonder just what exciting trends web design will see in 2012. The fact is that companies are becoming increasingly focused on using the Internet as a revenue stream. As they do, the importance of attractive and user-friendly web design flourishes. A study cited in ‘Behaviour and Information Technology‘ stated that it takes 1/20th of a second for a visitor to your site to decide whether or not they like what they see, and if or not they’re… -
Twitter and the “Tweeting” Attention Span
14 Feb 2012 | 6:39 amAnyone else want to punch this bird? Some of you might ask: how does this factor into inspired web design and development. At first glance, it appears that I have begun to drink too deeply the droughts of social media and succumbed to their guiles. While that may be, bear with me, and I believe that I can make an important connection that will pay dividends and inspire alternative thinking in your designs. The User Wants Content, and it WANTS IT NOW! Whether or not this is a social or sociologic phenomenon, I’ll leave up to the experts. What I do know is that Twitter reinforces this… -
Texture Inspiration: 10 Wood Design Tools for Photoshop
13 Feb 2012 | 6:48 amAs time moves on you tend to expect the styles and trends to move with them. In most cases, this is true. But a core list of trends in the world of graphic design and art have managed to hold on consistently. These lead to plenty of tools to help keep them alive, most made by talented artists and designers, and some by official companies that recognize the popularity surrounding a style. There is no better example of this than wood designs, which have been created and adapted again and again for use in Photoshop. Perhaps it is because of the natural feel to the look, or just that it has a… -
Inspired iPad and Kindle Covers, Cases and Jackets
12 Feb 2012 | 7:22 amIf you have an iPad or Kindle the best thing to do is to start searching for a case or cover to protect it. We invited our friends from Geefts – the gifts for geeks bible – to recommend the hottest cases, covers and jackets designed to keep your precious tablet or e-readear safe. Fossil Transit Vertical Tablet Sleeve In stylish rich leather, the Transit vertical tablet sleeve ($68) will keep your tablet safe and secure. P.A.P. iPad Cover Leather Black Carry your iPad in this black leather P.A.P. iPad Cover ($155). It features a brass button with the P.A.P. logo. Your iPad will be… -
Earn More Spare Time with TextExpander for Mac – only $17 instead of $35!
11 Feb 2012 | 12:08 pmIf you’re like a lot of people, there are likely a number of standard text snippets you use on a regular basis. TextExpander is the most popular Mac typing shortcut utility that saves you time and keystrokes. Just assign abbreviations to frequently-used snippets of text, code or images. Then, when you type the abbreviations they expand to the full text snippets. And you earn more spare time! With this fantastic deal, you can get it for just $17! That’s half off the regular price of $34.95! TextExpander is great for anything you have to type often: Addresses, phone numbers, and…
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PicoCool / Popular items
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Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Modified By Prindivill
28 Jan 2012 | 6:43 amLamborghini is one of top ranked sports car, not only because of its performance but also its killer look. When it comes to looks, Prindiville Design is master in catching the ideas and bring them into reality. This time Prindiville Design is offering their service to Lamborghini Aventador owners. Well if you’ve some extra money then you can get your Lamborghini Aventador customized, whether its exterior, interior or any technical modification.2 Vote(s) -
Breathtaking Cityscape Paintings by Evgeny Lushpin
28 Jan 2012 | 6:42 amIf these beautiful paintings by Evgeny Lushpin don't make you want to travel the world, nothing will. His use of color and attention to detail create amazing moods in his paintings. If you like these, check out more great work on his portfolio.2 Vote(s) -
PENTAX Optio VS20 With 2X Shutter Buttons
26 Jan 2012 | 2:34 amPENTAX unveils its new mega zoom digital camera featuring 20X stunning mega optical zoom. The PENTAX Optio VS20 is world’s first pocket-size camera to offer two shutter buttons so that photographers can switch the portrait and landscape easily.2 Vote(s) -
Opel Rak E Concept Car
26 Jan 2012 | 2:34 amThis is the result of collaboration of Opel and KIKSA. the Opel Rak E concept car is designed to facilitate two people comfortably. Not only the size of this concept car is main feature but also designers have considered all aspects that are necessary to make an ultimate machine.2 Vote(s) -
Micro Sonic Grenade
26 Jan 2012 | 2:34 amDing Ding! Look what we’ve found. Well I know office going people are not bad but this thing can enlist you in bad boys’ category :D Just kidding ;) It’s a little fun product called Micro Sonic Grenade. Yes Grenade which you throw to anyone else’s desk. it will blast a massive sound of siren at 110-115 decibel that is enough to make someone jump-off from seat.2 Vote(s)
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Six Revisions
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Announcement: Winners of Deals2Have Giveaway
10 Feb 2012 | 7:00 pmAdvertise here with BSA We recently ran an excellent giveaway of 5 free Deals from Deals2Have (a site providing great discounts on digital products for Mac enthusiasts, creative professionals and startups). This post announces the 5 lucky Six Revisions winners who’ve won. The Winners Here are the winners of the Deals2Have giveaway: Eric Carrie Cousins Jason Morton Ron Hasitha Congratulations to all the winners! The winners should’ve already received information from the folks at Deals2Have on how to claim their prize via email. About Deals2Have Deals2Have, which started in summer… -
Giveaway: 100 Custom Flyers from Next Day Flyers
23 Jan 2012 | 7:00 amAdvertise here with BSA We’ve partnered up again with our wonderful friends at Next Day Flyers to give away two sets of 1/4-page flyers with free shipping anywhere in the Continental U.S. Each set contains 100 flyers. Flyer printing can be used and customized for a variety of purposes including promoting a club event, marketing a small business and sending out announcements. Read on to see how you can win! ** Update: Giveaway Period Has Ended ** About Next Day Flyers Next Day Flyers is an offset printing company offering an array of printed materials such as flyers, business cards,… -
The Proxority Principle in Web Design
18 Jan 2012 | 5:27 amAdvertise here with BSA In web design, the position of design elements and the layout of web pages is everything. So many cool, exciting techniques are available to help us lay out our designs (especially with CSS3 at our disposal) that we often forget that structure is as important as aesthetics. How do you determine where content should appear, and how can a well-oiled interface increase website readability? This is what we’ll aim to uncover in this article. We’re going to examine a basic technique that could help you improve your general content flow, and, for lack of a better… -
Giveaway: 10 Subscriptions to Mindomo (Mind-Mapping App)
18 Jan 2012 | 5:20 amAdvertise here with BSA Mindomo, a mind mapping application for brainstorming, has teamed up with us to give out 10 Premium Account subscriptions for one year (worth $65 each). Read on to see how you can win this awesome prize. ** Update: Giveaway Period Has Ended ** About Mindomo Mindomo is a simple mind mapping application, which can be used individually or in group for creative idea generation, gathering project requirements, building quick site-maps and simple project management. A designer’s mind map created by Mindomo. Mindomo allows easy development of a design concept or idea. -
Announcement: Winners of PSD2HTML.com PSD to Conversion Services
14 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amAdvertise here with BSA We had a great giveaway from our friends at PSD2HTML.com, a leading provider of PSD to HTML conversion services. In this post, we’d like to announce the two winners who’ve won themselves $400 and $300 worth of PSD2HTML.com services, as well as three free pages of design to mobile template conversion. The Winners The first prize winner receives $400 worth of services and three free pages of design to mobile template conversion, while the second prize winner gets $300 worth of services and three free pages of design to mobile template conversion. Below are…
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Better Living Through Design
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Grip-Tray Serving Tray
15 Feb 2012 | 6:39 amThis tray is serious about keeping things right where you want. It features a high-grip surface of smooth rubber studs (top and underside) so that your plates, glasses, and cutlery all make it safely from the kitchen to table and back. Available in two sizes and four different colors. By Joseph Joseph. Color: Black, Green, Pink, or White. Size: Large or Small. -
Pipe Candle Holder
15 Feb 2012 | 5:58 amDanish designer Pernille Vea based this candle holder on a 6th century Viking design she saw in the National Museum. It’s rudimentary, for sure, yet it’s also quite handy as outdoor lighting as you could hammer or spike them into trees, the ground, the table, etc. (just make sure if it’s your table you’re all right with a few holes). See Danish designer Pernille Vea talk about the design in the video below or on Youtube. Material: Glass, cast iron Vertical: 5.9″ h x 3″ w Horizontal: 3″ h x 5.5″ l -
Seat Cushions by Grain de couleur
15 Feb 2012 | 5:39 amOoo, more eye trickery, and this time it benefits our derrière. Grain de Couleur specializes in digital printing on fabric, and as you can see here, they’ve created these seat cushions that have the look of other various materials, front and back. They are a bit on the smallish (and poofy) side, so take note of the size before buying a full set for a dining chair makeover. Paille Originale seat cushion, $60.00 Capiton seat cushion, $60.00 Formica Bleu seat cushion, $60.00 Also, there’s Tresse Jaune (not pictured) with an antique caning pattern. Size H x W : 14 x 14 inch -
Owly Shadow Puppets Valentines
14 Feb 2012 | 10:23 amWhat an appropriate valentine, eh? I ran across the work of Andrea Everman the other day, and man-oh-man, are there some gems. Namely, her shadow puppets (shadow puppets!) but also her valentines and a little nightlight that says ‘love you’. Cute, cute, cute. See below for pics and prices. Robot Moonscape, $35.00 Andrea Everman also has a lesson plan available on her website for shadow puppetry, fyi. You Had Me at Health Insurance lasercut valentine, $9.00 Love You night light, $22.00 -
Covet Desk
14 Feb 2012 | 9:36 amA glass top desk often appears sharp and sleek, but most lack drawers which can be a little annoying when it comes to desk miscellany. This desk has a drawer plus a storage solution built into its frame which solves that ‘where-do-I-put-my-paperclips-and-files’ question without sacrificing the clean look of a glass work surface. Available in Oak or Walnut. Design by Shin Azumi. By Case Furniture. Material(s): Oak, walnut Dimensions: 58.25″ W X 28.3″ H X 32.7″ D
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Photofocus
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Free Video Tutorial – How to use ACR’s Fill/Recovery Command to fix a poorly exposed photo.
15 Feb 2012 | 5:06 amGuest Post by Rich Harrington - Follow Rich on Twitter Rich Harrington shows you how to use ACR’s Fill/Recovery Command to fix a poorly exposed photo. DISCLAIMER: This post isn’t intended to be definitive – we’re not claiming this is the ONLY way or even the BEST way to accomplish this task in Photoshop, Aperture, iPhoto or any other post-prodcessing program. We’re merely offering it as A way you might accomplish this task. These tips are free, offered only because they might be helpful to someone. _______ This Post Sponsored by: Viewbug - Fun Photo Contests… -
Lensbaby Edge 80 Mini Review
14 Feb 2012 | 5:51 amToday, Lensbaby is announcing a new product. It’s called the Edge 80. It’s part of the Lensbaby Optic Swap system. It’s an 80mm f/2.8 flat field optic that offers the look and feel of a tilt/shift lens minus the shift/perspective correction.) The new optic works with the Lensbaby Composer Pro (my personal favorite) or the Composer, Muse, Scout and Control Freak. Think of Lensbaby lenses as cameras and the optics that work with them as lenses. You mount the Composer Pro and then an optic. In this case, the Edge 80. The new optic brings the full spectrum of special effects to… -
Photographers That You Should Know About – Dorothea Lange
13 Feb 2012 | 6:19 amMs. Lange and her car - Photo Public Domain I’m starting a series of sorts here at Photofocus. The goal is to get you to realize the value of studying (or at least knowing about) the work of the photographic masters. No – I’m not talking about the cool kids with lots of “fans” on Flickr or Facebook. I’m talking about people who never lived to see such things. Now instantly, some of you who are young will decide this can’t help you because after all if it isn’t new – it isn’t cool – but you should read on anyway. You might just… -
How Many Magapixels Do We Need?
12 Feb 2012 | 4:28 amTake Our Poll In view of Nikon’s announcement of the 36+ megapixel D800 camera – What Would You Consider The Perfect Amount Of Pixels To Be On A Full Frame 35mm DSLR Sensor? _______ This Post Sponsored by: Viewbug - Fun Photo Contests / Animoto – Great animated slide shows from your photos / BorrowLenses.com – Renting Canon, Nikon, Olympus & Sony, bodies, lenses, etc. / SmugMug – Professional Photo Sharing / Digital SLR Store - Cameras, lenses, accessories and everything else. -
Free Video Tutorial – How To Use The Synchronize Command in Adobe Camera RAW
11 Feb 2012 | 1:49 amGuest Post by Rich Harrington - Follow Rich on Twitter Rich Harrington shows you how to use the Synchronize command in ACR. DISCLAIMER: This post isn’t intended to be definitive – we’re not claiming this is the ONLY way or even the BEST way to accomplish this task in Photoshop, Aperture, iPhoto or any other post-prodcessing program. We’re merely offering it as A way you might accomplish this task. These tips are free, offered only because they might be helpful to someone. _______ This Post Sponsored by: Viewbug - Fun Photo Contests / Animoto - Great…
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A Photo Editor
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Director Jesse Rosten On His Fotoshop by Adobé Video
15 Feb 2012 | 7:29 amby Grayson Schaffer If you need proof of the career-building power of social media, look no further than Jesse Rosten. The 31-year-old TV-commercial director lives in the small, Northern–California town of Redding and has spent the last eight years producing spots for local clients like casinos and colonoscopy clinics. Then last month Rosten uploaded a fake advertisement for a non-existent beauty product called Fotoshop by Adobé. The two-minute clip is a commentary on the beauty and magazine industries’ reliance on retouching. Launched with a tweet and a Facebook post, Rosten’s video… -
David Mamet: On Directing Film
15 Feb 2012 | 6:11 am…being unprepared on set will not cause you to be creative, at the best you can copy something that you know works or do something interesting that may not be right for the story… directing is all done before the cameras and crew show up. via Winokur Photography. Buying a new website? APhotoFolio.com builds portfolio websites for photographers. Have a look (here). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Looking to buy a new website? A Photo Folio is a website design company created by A Photo Editor. Have a look (here). -
The Daily Edit – Wednesday 2.15.12
15 Feb 2012 | 6:07 am(click images to make bigger) Food Network Design Director: Deirdre Koribanick Art Director: Ian Doherty Photo Director: Alice Albert Photo Editor: Kathleen E. Bednarek Photographer: Yunhee Kim Note: Content for The Daily Edit is found on the newsstands. Submissions are not accepted --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Looking to buy a new website? A Photo Folio is a website design company created by A Photo Editor. Have a look (here). -
Don’t Like Me
14 Feb 2012 | 7:45 amLots of chatter online about how photographers should embrace sharing their work and stop complaining about copyright. All started by this post (here) by the king of HDR (Trey Ratcliff) who says: As this future becomes more and more plain to me, I see a rapture of sorts, where old-school photographers clinging to the old-fashioned ways of doing things will be “left behind.” Which is funny because this sort of rapture, where a photo blogger suddenly loses their virginity, is pretty common. Witness the Strobist back in December of 2008: Four Reasons to Consider Working for Free. Now, I… -
Ipad v Print Portfolio
14 Feb 2012 | 7:33 am“I vote for an iPad when an agent comes to see me and wants to show me books of multiple photographers and/or artists. However, I still prefer a big, beautiful printed book for presentation. I know our Creative Directors still want to see a well-put-together printed portfolio when they’re deciding on shooters for upcoming projects” via blog.imagebrief.com. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Looking to buy a new website? A Photo Folio is a website design company created by A Photo Editor. Have a look (here).
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Tao of Photography
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Transcendent Order
11 Feb 2012 | 12:32 pm"When we say that order is transcendent, we mean to say that somehow, the order makes contact with some other reality, or some other 'something,' which lies outside of and beyond our normal experience. We need a word for this something. It is hard to find a suitable word, since, by definition, the something is beyond normal experience - and presumably, therefore, outside the range of things which have ordinary names... I use the word 'ground' to refer to this something.The ground is imagined to be a pure reality. It is a state of reality, or substance, which is in the universe,… -
Transcendental Mirrors
8 Feb 2012 | 7:11 pm"Bodies of still water arethemselves like minds;transcendental mirrors, Platonic camerasto catch and hold the phenomenological long enough for the onlooker to grasp its reality,the eternal thing behind it."- David Mason GreeneThe Frail Duration"There is, one knows not what sweet mystery about his sea, whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath; like those fabled undulations of the Ephesian sod over the buried Evangelist St. John. And meet it is, that over these sea-pastures, wide rolling watery prairies and Potters’ Fields of all… -
On Seeing
7 Feb 2012 | 5:11 pm"The child has to learn how to separate out the images which assail the newly-opened retina... a whole series of 'senses' are necessary... A sense of spatial immensity, in its greatness and in its smallness, disarticulating and spacing out, within a sphere of indefinite radius, the orbits of objects which press around us; A sense of depth, pushing back laboriously through the endless chain of events and measureless distances of time which a sort of sluggishness of mind tends continually to condense for us in a thin layer of the past; A sense of number, discovering and grasping… -
Music of the Eyes
6 Feb 2012 | 4:30 pm"What prohibits me from treating my perception as an intellectual act is that an intellectual act would grasp the object either as possible or as necessary. But in perception it is 'real'; it is given as the infinite sum of an indefinite series of perspectival views in each of which the object is given but in none of which is it given exhaustively."- Maurice Merleau-Ponty(1908 - 1961)"Perhaps art is just taking outwhat you don't likeand putting in what you do.There is no such thing as Abstraction. It is extraction, gravitation toward a certain direction... It is… -
Celestial Melodies
5 Feb 2012 | 3:35 pm"...above all, I perceive in me with joy, a new tone, sounded by a violin within my innermost being. Its strings are tensed or relaxed through simple differences of temperature and illumination from without. Yet from deep with our being (an instrument that the conformity of habit has condemned to silence), there appears a song - out of those derivations, out of those vibrations - from which all music arises. The weather, on specific days, leads us perchance from one sound to another. We rediscover the lost melody, which - as we might have guessed - appears with mathematical necessity,…
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Camera Hacker: Forums
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Digital Concepts Digital Camera
14 Feb 2012 | 9:41 pmI've been following this thread for a while and thought I'd add my comments. I've got four Sakar built cameras: I have two 98379 models (a Sakar brand, which I . . . Category: Digital Camera: Sakar -
Micro SD card password in Nokia mobile phone
14 Feb 2012 | 6:39 pmMy 2gb memory card is lock. Paswerd delete idea. Plz plz plz:-( Category: Camera Phone -
CafePress 55% Off Coupon Code on Photo-On-Canvas Products
14 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pmTry this link: Save 55% off photo-on-canvas products from CafePress.com Category: Trade -
How to Adjust Focus on Webcam?
13 Feb 2012 | 2:46 pmThat's a good trick. You have discovered the origin of "close-up lens". :-) Category: WebCam -
PictureFrames.com 10% Off Coupon Code
13 Feb 2012 | 11:27 amHey Everyone, Valentine's Day is tomorrow! Be sure to visit Pictureframes.com for One-of-a-Kind gifts for your loved one. Take advantage of the limited time . . . Category: Trade
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ESSENTIALS For Photographers
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Rick Gayle, Photographer: Phoenix, AZ
15 Feb 2012 | 8:55 amI have known Rick for a long, long time. I did not know that he had a blog until this morning. Funny how stuff like that goes around. Rick’s blog is full of images and stories and shows a level of creativity that is rare indeed these days. I will contact Rick for a sit-down interview later this Spring, but for now – take a look at his blog, read about how finding some apple cores leads to a brilliant photograph and take in his tasty lighting. Rick Gayle Photography Photograph by Rick Gayle Photograph by Rick Gayle If you are interested in shooting food and still life, Rick… -
Miami and Key Biscayne Workshop in a Month…
13 Feb 2012 | 3:35 pmI am happy to be working with Mayra and the Fotomiles Group in order to come out to Miami/Key Biscayne for a workshop. This will be a very special, limited participation workshop. Only 10 photographers and me. A full on, learn to light and master the concepts workshop. More information here. You can download the Brochure in PDF form here. All participants receive a copy of my current book as well as some more goodies to be announced. Twitter / Facebook / Workshops / About.Me / My Book, Lighting Essentials on Amazon And if you like the articles here, LIKE them on FB or click the little G+… -
Hey, Hot Shot! One of My Favorite Competitions is On Now!
10 Feb 2012 | 4:08 pmI first encountered Jen Bekman’s project the first year it was on. I was knocked out by the level of work and would go and visit the site many times to view the work. Some of it was quite challenging, and I would look at images that were quite out of my ‘zone’ and to see if I could understand them. Others were simply eye candy, fresh and exciting new ways to see. In both cases I found clarity, intrigue and inspiration. Photography is such a powerful medium, and the more variations we bring into our own senses, the better. I think that the work that is presented at… -
Hey… Where are you going with all that stuff?
7 Feb 2012 | 12:31 pmDidja ever wonder? You got the gear. You got the lights. You got that shiny new megapixelbeast of a machine. You even have one of those latest doohickeys that everyone is drooling over. You know the one. Yeah… it’s sweet. But where are you going with all that stuff? Are you off to make photographs? Why? Seriously… why? Is there a reason for the images you are making? Is there a strong desire to make those images? Is it something you have been thinking about for a long time? Was it a sudden desire to go out and record something on a bunch of pixels or a roll of chemically… -
CreativeLIVE – Seattle – April 6, 7, 8, – Well, This Will Be Fun!
5 Feb 2012 | 7:22 pmThanks to Charles Tibbs for taking the photo. Yeah… that’s me lookin’ all serious and cold leaning against the back wall of my studio. Fact is, it was a bit chilly that day. Unlike today where it is pushing a bit over 70. But the weather is not the subject here – it is the CreativeLIVE show I am doing in Seattle with the great folks up there in the PNW. Yep – I will be doing a Creative LIVE show April 6, 7, 8, in Seattle and hope all of you will be watching. I will be blogging and tweeting the entire experience as well, but it is nice to know that some loyal fans…
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The Imaging Buffet
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Adobe Lightroom 3 Available for Under $70 Today at bhphotovideo.com
15 Feb 2012 | 8:07 amAfter yesterday’s post about Lightroom 3 being sold at Adorama.com for $79, I was surprised to see that today only (Wed. 2/15/2012), B&H is selling the same full version of Lightroom 3 for about $10 less, or $69.95. If you were thinking of purchasing Lightroom, and if you don’t already own a full version of Lightroom, this is a great way to own a full version so that you can purchase an upgrade to Lightroom 4 when it ships (if you decide to upgrade). To visit the page on bhphotovideo.com with the $69.95 offer, Visit This Page. (please note that this is an affiliate link. If… -
Adobe Lightroom 3 Available for Just $79 Today at Adorama.com
14 Feb 2012 | 11:33 amI just came across this offer and wanted to share it with you. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 (Full Edition, not the Student/Teacher Edition) is available today only (2/14/2012) for $79 at Adorama.com. Lightroom 4 will probably be released sometime in the upcoming 8 weeks or so, but if you don’t have a full edition, you will need to pay for a full version. I assume any full edition of Lightroom to date (LR1, LR2 or LR3) will be eligible for the upgrade price, but I don’t know that for a fact. Having a full edition allows you to upgrade for less than the application’s retail… -
Upcoming Full-Day Fine-Art Printing with Photoshop Workshop in NYC
25 Jan 2012 | 6:32 amHello! This quick note is to let you know that some spaces are still available for my full day color management and fine-art printing workshop being held this Saturday 1/28/2012 at Calumet Photographic in New York City. In addition to a full day of color management and printing information, I will be showing more than 30 different fine-art paper types, as well as some metal prints. The first 12 people to register will also have a print prepped and printed by me on a fine art paper of your choice. Below are two testimonials from recent attendees of the same workshop at Calumet Photo:… -
Happy New Year from Andrew Darlow and ImagingBuffet.com
31 Dec 2011 | 12:40 pmHappy New Year! About this image: While looking through my collection of photos from 2011, I thought that this one would be appropriate. I was in New York City one day and drove by a few carriages parked on the side of the street. After being very impressed by this one in particular, I decided to park for a moment and capture what I saw through my rain-drenched window. I think the photo represents many of my thoughts on 2011: It was a bright and colorful year, with some tears mixed in. Photo © Andrew Darlow 2011 was quite a year. As I look back at 2011, here are a few things that come to… -
Hands on Look at the Canon Idea Mine Free iOS App
2 Dec 2011 | 2:16 pmAt the PhotoPlus Expo 2011 in New York City, I had an opportunity to sit down with Paul Pierson of the Carbone Smolan Agency (CSA) to learn about a new iOS app on which his company is working. It’s called Canon Idea Mine, and according to the company, “it was developed through CSA’s extensive research and interviews with dozens of notable photographers. By working closely with Canon, CSA built a versatile tool that’s fine-tuned to the way real artists create amazing images. Through this app and its Digital Learning Center, Canon is building on its role as a dedicated partner…
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canon « WordPress.com Tag Feed
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♥'s Day
14 Feb 2012 | 5:57 amIt doesn’t really matter what date it is. Everyday is ♥’s Day! -
Photo of the day - 14th of February
14 Feb 2012 | 5:13 amDo check out the Gallery-page as well. Update the galleries as often as I can. Bourke Street Bakery -
What could be more romantic than ...
14 Feb 2012 | 4:08 am… to spend the “Valentin’s Day”in Paris at the Eiffel Tower. … a kiss? … an anniversary on top of the tower? (or waiting in line ) or even a wedding (photo)? toujours A happy Valentine’s Day to all of my readers, but also especially to my friends and family. (all pictures were taken during last years Valentine’s day) -
Day 141.. Long walks on the beach
14 Feb 2012 | 2:25 amHand in Hand a couple takes in the glorious rays that were beaming down onto the sea. And at the same time ticking off the cliche box, with a long walk on the beach -
Earthly Eden
14 Feb 2012 | 2:22 amKevin Russ might just live in paradise. Bleached by the sun, blessed by the rain and fed on the holy
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(New!) Canon Photography Group
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Home Based Work: Best Way to Earn Money by Typing!
15 Feb 2012 | 9:47 am -
4 You!
14 Feb 2012 | 7:59 amHappy Valentines Day 2012...Flowers For You CANON 40D EFS 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 IS Current Event. -
Lover's Escapade
5 Feb 2012 | 12:39 amTo My Streetlife. 2008 Parks and Wildlife. -
S H O P A H O L I C - RUSH SALE: Pre-loved Canon EOS 450D complete with kit lens and accessories 18K.
4 Feb 2012 | 9:58 pm -
Macau Nights...Wynn Hotel
28 Jan 2012 | 7:50 amCANON 40D EFS 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 IS To My Travelogue. 2010 Macau,
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Canon Blogger: Home of the Learning Digital Photography Podcast
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Wordless Wednesday #003 – Summertime Fun
14 Feb 2012 | 10:30 pm -
Avoiding Red Eye
12 Feb 2012 | 10:30 pmA common side effect of introducing flash on your subjects is that of “red eye” – those garish red dots that appear in peoples eyes (or green eyes in pets). We all know it’s from the flash, but sometimes you need flash in a shot to provide enough light for exposure to work. So, what can you do? Well, most of us can probably agree that the best approach is to move your flash off-camera. While this is true enough, the reason why this works isn’t because the flash is off the camera, but more accurately, because the camera is off-axis!Here’s what… -
Follow Up: Radio Station Photo Theft
9 Feb 2012 | 5:30 pmEarlier today, I posted the article about a radio station stealing images from a competitor station. After publishing the post, I did my usual bit, tweet the post, and in this case, sent a note to the station manager on the issue, on the off-chance I would get a reply.To my surprise I did! The exchange was thoroughly shocking though – first he said that they never do such things, but by the third email he basically was reduced to a “no comment” status. Kind of implies something in my mind, but what about yours? Here’s the exchange:What do you think? Is that… -
Radio Station Steals Photos
9 Feb 2012 | 6:38 amWe have two competing country music stations here in Denver: KYGO and the Wolf. A photographer has had exclusive arrangements with the former for a number of years. Apparently, he took some photos at a recent Jason Aldean concert, and KYGO posted them to their website. These photos eventually made it over to the Facebook page for The Wolf. Now the photographer is trying to pursue some measure of justice, and is being met with stiff resistance. The sad thing is that he will unlikely get any justice because even though The Wolf is in the wrong, the cost of hiring a lawyer and delay… -
Wordless Wednesday # 002 – A Dog Lives Here
7 Feb 2012 | 10:30 pm
