The Shoot + Share7

One of the cool things about being a Craft & Vision author is the ability to have direct contact with people who buy my books. With my most recent book, Shoot + Share: Getting Your Photographs Out Into the World, I've been able to watch a small group of Craft & Vision Community members—dubbed the Shoot+Share 7—work through the exercises I discuss in the book in order to determine why they want to share their photographs, who they need to share them with, which photographs to share, and finally, where the best places are for them to show their work to the world.

It's been interesting to see each participant consider their own work in light of the topics discussed in the book. From the beginning, everyone was thinking deeply about why they wanted to share their work. About her reasons for sharing, Roberta Harper said:

“I personally am infatuated with this earth.  My spirituality comes from being connected to the earth and appreciating the visual feast that is often presented to us in natural environments.  Fortunately, I have the opportunity to experience this but not everyone else does.  If through my lens I can encourage someone else to trigger their sense of curiosity or persuade them to be more physically engaged in nature, then I would be pleased.”

That's a powerful message, and one that would have Ansel Adams nodding his head at in agreement.

Chelin Miller took a page from my other C&V book, Close to Home: Finding Great Photographs in Your Own Back Yard, and used her familiarity with her childrens' school to create an online album of photos from a charity sale there, some of which were later published in the school magazine.

She says:

"For this third assignment I have chosen an example of the work I am sometimes asked to do for my children’s school. Many of you will be more interested in the professional side of photography – and don’t get me wrong, I am too. But I haven’t seen many examples of the more mundane, familiar side of photography – which is just as valid when it comes to sharing."

The hardest exercise for the group, and one I find just as difficult, was the self-editing exercise. It's something that never gets easy, no matter how experienced you become as a photographer. Ken Udle really took this one to heart and whittled over 2000 images into a baker's dozen for a photo series to share with family and friends. Ken writes:

"As Stuart says, this is a time consuming but important task. It helped me realize the relationship between the pictures that work best in a portfolio will sometimes exclude pictures I considered one of my favorites. They will eventually be shared too, I just need to find or take pictures that will compliment them."

It's been fascinating to see all of these folks turn my words into action and I'm thrilled that they've been able to push themselves forward with Shoot + Share. My hat is off to Ken Udle, Chelin Miller, Roberta Harper, Patti Castagne, Jennifer Wolf, Peter Michael Dedes, and Ingrid Abraham for sharing their process with the C&V Community and for their hard work throughout the process.

So, dear Shoot + Share 7, I'd like to thank all of you for participating in these exercises, so each of you can select any one of my photographs from either of my Craft & Vision books, Shoot + Share or Close to Home, and I'll send you a signed print of it. It's a way for me to share my photographs with you and it's the least I can do for all your hard work. Please contact me through the web site here with your mailing address and your choice of images and I'll get it out to you as soon as possible.

My thanks again to the Shoot + Share 7 for bringing the book to life for me, and also to Sabrina Henry for setting this up over on the C&V Community.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of the Shoot + Share 7's work out in the world—and yours, too!

Shoot and Share

"It takes a lot of nerve to show your dreams to someone else." - Erma Bombeck

I thought you'd like to know that today Craft & Vision is releasing my newest ebook, Shoot + Share: Getting Your Photographs Out Into the World. As with Close to Home, I'm both excited and a little bit terrified. My biggest goal is that you find it useful to you and your work.

I feel deeply that photography is a gift that is best shared, and this book is designed to help you decide where that works best for you, whether you intend to sell your work or not. At it's core, it's a guide to help you figure one thing: how to put your photographs in places where the people you want to see them will be able to. Whether that's your family and friends or major art collectors, the book helps you figure a plan to reach your photographic audience, both on- and offline. It's written to help you navigate the numerous places for posting your photographs—Facebook, Flickr, 500px, etc.—and for talking about them through social media and other channels. In addition, I've pulled examples from my current approach to sharing my work as examples throughout the book.

Of course a Craft & Vision book isn't complete without an abundance of photographs, and there are many in this book to serve as examples that I've shared along the way… and even a few that may be new to you. There's also a bonus section at the end of the book about sharing your knowledge of photography with others through teaching. Whether you lead a photo walk in your neighborhood or formally teach classes at your local art center, sharing your experience with those who need a little help is a very rewarding experience… for both of you.

As always, I'm grateful to many others for the help and encouragement they've given me in writing and publishing this book. Of course, the folks at Craft & Vision have been terrific in helping me put together a quality product for you. My friends, Sabrina Henry and Ray Ketcham read early versions of the book and offered valuable counsel as it progressed, and Justin Van Leeuwen was gracious enough to allow me to use his experience on Flickr as an example in the book. Merci beaucoup, Justin!

And, of course, my thanks to my wife, JoEllen, who talked me into first sharing my images publicly a couple of years ago. Sometimes we all need a little push, and for nearly 30 years, she's always been the one willing to do that for me.

I look forward to seeing your work out in the world.

Special Offer on PDFsFor the next five days only, use the promotional code SHARE4 when you checkout so you can have the PDF version of SHOOT + SHARE for only $4 OR use the code SHARE20 to get 20% off when you buy 5+ PDF eBooks from the Craft & Vision collection. These codes expire at 11:59pm PST April 28, 2012.

February 2012 wallpaper

Already a month gone by in this new year of 2012. Sheesh. So, that means it's time for a new wallpaper for your desktop, and here it is.

This is a Jesuit Cemetery in West Baden Springs, Indiana. West Baden Springs Hotel is a beautiful resort in southern Indiana that's been around since the turn of the century—the turn of the last century, that is. It began as luxury resort, built around the natural springs and salt licks in the area. It fell on hard times after the Great Depression and changed hands quite often, at one point serving as a Jesuit College from 1934 to 1964. This cemetery was begun during that period and now contains the remains of 39 Jesuit priests. The cemetery itself is still owned by the Jesuits and is maintained by the local Catholic Church.

A little drama and a little history, all wrapped up into your February wallpaper. Simply click on the image to download the full 2560 x 1600 version, suitable for your computer, tablet or phone. I hope you like it.