On the Web: Sites You Must Bookmark
Howdy, everyone. Today is kind of a last minute post as I have been bogged down with order fulfillment and fighting a touch of illness. I was working on getting my introductory scanning piece ready, focusing on creating a great work flow for scanning film to be utilized in a RAW work flow. Its a big piece, and I was not comfortable releasing it yet.
Instead, I am going to make it an easy day and point you towards some of the photography blogs I frequent. If you are a fan of LifeInDigitalFilm, I am sure that you will find content on these sites that you will absolutely love. Much of my inspiration comes from these talented people and I hope you will find their material as a great resource and a great read. So moving on.
X-Equals
First off, I need to direct you to X-Equals, as always. Brandon Oelling has created a killer resource for any Lightroom user and the quality content grows every week. Alright, I admit I am partial here, as I am a regular contributor to this fine site, allowing me to delve further into post-processing and digital photography than I feel is appropriate here on LIDF. However, me writing for X-Equals aside, I have to admit Brandon is one of the go to guys when it comes to Lightroom. He knows his stuff, and if he doesn’t he will get an answer to any question posed.
X-Equals backlog of content is amazing, especially for any photographer taking steps to becoming pro. I know that even before I started collaborating with Brandon, his blog was a daily resource for me as I started up my small photography business. The style and knowledge presented on the X-Equals blog also inspired a lot of LifeInDigitalFilm’s content and is also a driving factor in the redesign of my blog and future changes coming up. I have culled a lot of useful knowledge regarding photographic work flows from Brandon, and X-Equals helped me design an efficient work flow for my work.
An added resource from X-Equals is the X-Equals+Digest, an bi-monthly newsletter providing exclusive content and presets of my own design. I know I have been pushing this alot, but you really need to sign up for this great resource. If you sign up today, you will even be eligible for a free copy of my Cold Storage Collection Vol 1 presets. We will be giving away 3 copies of my collection to 3, randomly chosen new sign-ups before the October 1st issue drops. Click on the ad for the Digest on the sidebar of my blog to get entered.
Brandon Oelling: @xequals on Twitter
Epic Edits
Alright, so you must like film photography if you are here on LIDF. BE it shooting the film or simulating it, you have the interest. Epic Edits is an awesome resource for any photographers, film or digital, but as you read through this blog, you will find Brian Auer is a true traditional photography devotee. The man shots, develops and prints from film, as less people are doing every day. His experience from shooting old school carries over into each of his posts, regardless of if the content is relevant to film or digital.
A great aspect of Epic Edits is that it is not merely a simple blog, but a growing, active community. Brian presents a variety of activities for the community, from give-aways of his darkroom prints to “Edit my Photo” competitions where he challenges readers to take his RAW file of an image and process it as they see fit. This experiment leads the reader to truly see the wide variations available to photographer to present their image in the way they choose.
Aside from this, Epic Edits is a treasure trove of reviews, tips, tricks and guidance relating to photography. Once you land on Epic Edits, be prepared to devote some time exploring. Any lover of photography will be at home on Epic Edits, and the wide variety of content and the active audience participation in comments will draw you in and keep you coming back for more.
Brian Auer claims to be an enthusiast, however I feel you will find his blog, content and photography to be on a professional level!
Brian Auer: @auer1816 on Twitter
Photofocus
Scott Bourne. Rick Sammon. Two photographer that are well known on the Internet. I first discovered Scott Bourne via This Week in Photography back when he got that project rolling. I admit, Scott can be abrasive to some, especially when discussing copyright, he is extremely passionate about photography. Regardless of what you feel about Scott Bourne, he knows photography and is an invaluable resource for those seeking guidance. Rick Sammon is an accomplished photographer who lends his technical knowledge to this blog as well. Between the two and selected guests, they explore photographic methods and techniques and force you to think beyond your gear and focus on becoming a great photographer.
The blog itself is a great resource, filled with informative posts and excellent video presentations. However the big draw is the Photofocus podcast, which is a listener driven podcast where Scott and Rick answer reader/listener questions. They always get a good answer and if for some reason they don’t they will find an answer. The blog and podcast are a must for beginners and even more advance photographer will often stumble upon techniques and knowledge they were not already aware of.
Scott Bourne: @ScottBourne on Twitter
Rick Sammon: @RickSammon on Twitter
Give these three resource a read and see if you are as satisfied with what they present as I am. And stay tuned for more great links in the future, as I have a list of great sites to visit that I am saving up for posts just like today’s. Especially for the days when my original posting plan falls apart, such as today.
Again, another reminder: Sign up for the X-Equals+Digest today for you chance at one of three copies of my Cold Storage Collection presets!
Michael
Bless you for putting this list together. I’m always looking for photography sites like these (and yours).
Wow! Thanks for the great reviews! It’s not every day that fellow bloggers put so much time into thoughtfully promoting other blogs/websites — it’s very much appreciated.