Tag Archives: workshop

#192 Contest winner announced!

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In December we proposed a photo skills contest that tested the detective work of photo enthusiasts.

Dennis from Ottawa won a live critique session. Good news as he is starting a photo business – it is always good to share views and work as it strengthens everyone involved.

The answwers:

1.Q “Describe the technique, lens & shutter speed used to capture this Reykjavik home:”

Iceland photo

A – This photo was taken at a slow shutter speed such as 1/15th of a second requiring a small aperture like f16. The photo was shot while walking swiftly and steadily. A wide angle lens (14mm) was used on a DX sized (ie small) sensor.

2. Q “Where in Iceland would you go to photograph spectacular waterfalls?”

Iceland photo tour

A – Practically everywhere!

3. Q “Are there opportunities in Iceland to photograph spectacular bird life?”

A YES! Iceland has some stunning birding opportunities. We will be visiting Stykkisholmur to spend time photographing birds on our Icelandic Photo Tour.

Congratulations Dennis!

#191 Iceland photo itinerary

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Iceland Photo Tour

Visit the magical world of lava, waterfalls, and fermented shark delicacy (yuck) in the summer of 2009 with photographer Harry Nowell and Icelandic guide Kent Larus Bjornsson.

Iceland Photo Tour

We travel at photographer speed in the dramatic northwest of the country to avoid the trampled tourist scene and explore the delights of the arctic oasis. The Icelandic photo Tour has just been announced with preliminary details available.

Iceland Photo Safari

#190 Student Success!

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Last year Valerie Wutti signed up for our Professional Hockey Photo Workshop where our students are granted media passes and access to prime shooting areas for one pro hockey game. The Ottawa 67s – a team feeding tomorrows stars to the NHL – gives our students access to shooting.

Valerie is a huge hockey fan. HUGE. She also loves photography and wanted to get more involved shooting pro games professionally. She signed up for our pro hockey photo workshop. The course opened doors for Valerie.

Valerie Wutti - Ottawa 67s© Valerie Wutti

You see, Valerie runs an Ottawa 67s fan blog posting game photos and reviews. After our course the 67s were impressed enough with her photos and blog efforts that they have given Valerie media credentials for the season. But it didn’t end there. She has developed good relations with the trainer and 67s organization and has been asked to do some special photo work.

Valerie Wutti - Ottawa 67s© Valerie Wutti

Recently, she was given access to shoot the dressing room for a photo assignment. Her photos were excellent. See examples above, printed with permission. Well done, Valerie!

Since our Pro Hockey Photo Course – coming up again at the end of January – Valerie has:

  •  improved her photography
  • expanded her event coverage experience
  • gained valuable contacts in the world of pro hockey
  • got accredited access to games
  • learned about the business of photography

Pretty good in one short year! Nice going Valerie.

#184 HoHoHo!

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We hope everyone had a festive break whether a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukkah, or just a peaceful break.

Work skowed down at Harry, Inc. There was some family time, skiing, ‘pond’ hockey, and lots of turkey and  chocolate! The New Year is coming fast.

Just before Christmas we taught a Custom Course with a federal government department. Goals included:

  • teaching outreach staff to take better photos while on the front lines
  • learning about what constitutes a good photo
  • providing a fun, team element for staff

With nine people we spent the session learning how to produce finer photos from existing cameras. Staff were armed with point & shoots as well as digital SLR cameras. They learned the camera doesn’t take good photos – the person does!
Thanks for the fun:

Photo team building

Government Custom Photo Course, printed with permission.

#164 Wise quotes and used gear

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Some miscellaneous notes today:

1. The monthly Exposed! Newsletter comes out this week – “Wise words from working photographers.” Stay tuned.

2. Also just confirming final details of the sports photography workshop that will complete the winter photography workshop lineup.

3. I got an email from veteran photographer Anthony Scullion who is selling some fine photo equipment including:

  • 2 x Nikon F5 and a lens
  • Hasselblad gear
  • lighting equipment

Contact him directly at scullion@magma.ca

4. And as a rookie pond hockey player I am happy the weather is getting cool:Ottawa 67s hockeyOttawa 67s hockey

Harry

#157 – Archiving Work

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I have been looking for more back-up memory for my digital files.

Ideally you want to have at least two backups – redundancy – in case one fails. Currently I back-up to an external hard drive and then burn a DVD which gets deposited offsite as possible.

We are investigating a Wiebetech system that has advantages and can be set up as mirrored hard drives – reducing the need for burning time consuming DVDs.

Another alternative is to store data on online photo sites like Photoshelter. One such service provider – Digital Railroad – just crashed leaving clients scrambling. Read the stry on Vincent LaForet’s blog.

We start the Sessions Photo Challenge tomorrow evening.

Visit tomorrow for some dog photos.

Harry

#153 Stock photography a tough(er) market

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When I started work as a photographer (~1994) I had one goal in mind – shoot stock, period. And that hurt my young business.

The Golden Years

At the time, established and successful stock photographers were making a very good living shooting exciting (and less exciting) imagery. The mantra was “shoot, shoot, shoot.” It was a numbers game – the more photos you could get in front of buying customers the better the odds of sales.

Stock Photo Stock photography

The Bubble Bursting

But everyone else noticed the gold. The market started filling with imagery and sales agencies started undercutting each other in the feeding frenzy. The bubble slowly started bursting to the point that you can now sell imagery for $1 on iStockPhoto and actually earn 20 cents in royalty fees for that sale. Wow. That’s rough.

Current News

I just saw a Photo District News article about Bill Gates’ large Corbis stock agency – they are predicting lower stock sales and reduced royalties for Rights Managed stock shooters – making a tough market tougher.

Stock is still a fun and viable industry but you need to be very savvy on the business front. There are no longer stock streets paved with gold – you have to work much harder to find your jackpots.

Diversify

At “Harry, Inc.“ we still shoot stock, love it, and earn profits. But we are more careful about our business choices and have started seeking out under-saturated stock and photo niches related to stock and photography. I shoot directly for clients and consult on projects. My expertise has diversified. The business has grown well since I took the blinkers off.

This weekend I will be collaborating with the Entrepreneurship Centre to facilitate the Creative Business Seminar where we explore viable creative business practices, evaluate stock agencies and test ideas.

Take photos, work smart!

Harry

#134 Now that’s big!

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Below – an announcement about the RA Photo Club prize winner but first, a BIG announcement from Leica.

The big news:

Leica has just announced a leap forward in DSLR camera technology. The most advanced DSLR’s are trumpeting their 24 megapixel sensors. Leica has come out with a 37.5 MP SLR format camera the Leica S2. While size is only one element of many when evaluating a camera I am certain Leica’s quality reputation will seep into all aspects of the S2. Read more at PDN.

While I am not one to pay a lot of attention to technology – technology doesn’t take good pictures, experienced people take good pictures – this is a significant leap. I shoot much assignment work digitally but I have really held off investing heavily in digital until digital started catching up with some of the finer points of film. Please don’t start screaming – digital has it’s shortcmings, as does film. This Leica may be a good step in a good direction.

The RA Photo Club winners: Malcolm Taylor and Mante Molepo win a $100 gift certificate for any photo course run by HarryNowell.com up to the end of September 2009! Yippee!

Harry

#132 “Wanted: Photographer for well paid, exciting assignments”

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My new Exposed! newsletter has been sent to subscribers. Sign up to receive the newsletter above, right.

You can read “Wanted: Photographer for well paid, exciting assignments” and learn about the obstacles and successes of running a photo business!

Obstacles   Successes

The RA Photo Club also asked me to attend their open house last night to present my latest offerings of photo workshops. A draw will be made today for a $100 gift certificate awarded to one of the attendees. Winner will be announced on Thursday or Friday here at the blog!

Have fun!

Harry