Five ways to use the Web—the world's largest photo gallery—to help you become a better photographer.
The Web has become an infinite photo gallery where we can show our best shots without stepping anywhere near a printer or photo lab. Increasingly, cyberspace is also where photographers go to learn technique and stay current. But browsers beware. "A lot of the advice and opinions you get on the Internet is just plain off," says photographer Bob Krist. "Anyone can put up a slick-looking website. I want to take my advice from someone who's making a living making pictures." With that in mind, Traveler asked some two dozen photographers—mostly professionals—to reveal their favorite hangouts in cyberspace.
1. Get Inspired
2. Gear Up
3. Learn the Ropes
4. Share Your Pictures
5. Order Prints
1. Get Inspired
Scrutinize the work of the masters and the pros.
"To improve my own photography," says Will van Overbeek, photographer and photo instructor, "I look at other photographers' photos and treat them like a puzzle. I ask myself, how was that done? Then I figure it out."
The Web is full of pictures worth scrutinizing. For starters, go to Masters of Photography, a plain-looking site displaying prints by a good sample of photographic greats, such as Ansel Adams, remembered for his large-format black-and-white pictures of Yosemite Valley; Margaret Bourke-White, the first female photojournalist to shoot for Life magazine; and Gordon Parks, a barrier-breaking African-American photographer.
A deeper source of historical imagery is the Library of Congress. Its website contains a million digitized photographs, including those by such masters as Dorothea Lange, who photographed scenes of the Great Depression for what became the Farm Security Administration, and Mathew Brady, the most famous photographer of the Civil War. Another treasure of classic photos—from the collections of
Photography books, often of the coffee-table variety, have long been a source of inspiration to photographers, and now you can browse them on the Web.
"When a photographic project gets to the stage of being published in a book, typically that means the body of work is really solid," says photographer Justin Guariglia. "I look to photography books more than magazines to get inspired." His favorite publishers: Aperture Foundation, Twin Palms, Phaidon, and Nazraeli, not to mention National Geographic Books.
Photo-eye, an online photo store, lists some 14,000 photography books, as well as an online gallery of fine art photography by the likes of Steve McCurry, Robert Capa, and Imogen Cunningham. "Looking at photo books feeds ideas into your subconscious," Guariglia says, "and they come back when you're out photographing."
A source of inspiration unknown to many amateur photographers is photo agencies, or "stock houses," which sell images by thousands of contemporary photographers as well as from historic archives. Search their collections to see how the pros have already shot your upcoming travel destination—say, the
"Before going on a trip, I go to Corbis to see what a place looks like in general," says photographer Catherine Karnow. "That helps me narrow my shooting list." Corbis, founded in 1989 by Bill Gates, has some 70 million images. Other stock houses worth browsing are Getty Images, Magnum Photos, and VII. "For inspiration," says photographer David McLain, "I go to Aurora Photos more than any place else on the Web. It's the photo agency I belong to, and I always like to see the weekly features that are up as well as keep up with what my colleagues are shooting."
Another way the pros get inspiration and ideas is by visiting other shooters' own websites. "If you run across an interesting photographer," says van Overbeek, "say, in a magazine article, look for the photo credit, then google the name and check out the photographer's website." Adds photographer Farah Nosh: "My Web designer and I comb through hundreds of personal photography websites every time we are preparing an update for my own site."
Finally, realize that photography is part of the evolving digital media revolution, so keep an eye on "cutting-edge multimedia sites" like MediaStorm, says Daniel Westergren, Traveler's senior photo editor. Projects on the site converge photos, text, audio, and video.
2. Gear Up
View ratings and reviews before you buy.
When selecting a camera, there's no substitute for actually trying out the model you have in mind—but camera review websites come close. Start at Steve's Digicams, where photo buff Steve Sanders has been reviewing digital cameras since 1997. Reviews are indexed by brand and resolution. If you're looking to pick up an old two-megapixel camera on eBay, read the review here first—and view sample photos taken with the camera.
Another site that reviews pro models as well as entry-level cameras is CNET. "I like it because it not only has equipment reviews—often appearing just days after the product is released—but it also has user ratings and opinions," says photographer Kris LeBoutillier. "This gives me points to discuss with the salesman when I go to the camera store. You can also compare prices here."
Several professional photographers we interviewed recommended Digital Photography Review, founded in 1998. "It's very good for keeping you updated on new software as well as camera equipment," says photographer Palani Mohan. The site, written simply enough for novices and reviewing cameras at all price levels, claims to receive 18 million visitors a month.
Two companion sites that get the nod from some of the pros are Imaging Resource, for cameras, and SLR Gear for accessories, particularly lenses. "Both sites have no problem pointing out flaws and drawbacks in equipment," says photographer Raymond Gehman. "I found the honesty extremely helpful, especially when buying zoom lenses, which usually have great range, from good to bad, in quality."
At the high end of the technical scale is a site aimed squarely at professionals: Rob Galbraith, run by photojournalists. "This is the best site for pros who want to keep up with the latest hardware and software updates to the digital imaging and archiving tools we all use," says photographer Cotton Coulson. Of course, serious amateurs are welcome.
3. Learn the Ropes
Tap the collective know-how of the best shooters.
Once you've got a camera, you must learn how to use it. A font of basic knowledge is About, which covers everything from getting started in digital photography to how to photograph nudes. "For amateurs, I like Take Great Pictures," says photographer Michael Yamashita. Besides the basics, the site recently featured articles on underwater photography, shooting tornadoes, and photographing high-speed events like car races.
Go into more depth at the Luminous Landscape, maintained by pro shooter Michael Reichmann. Most notable are its columns by professionals and tutorials on subjects ranging from creating digital panoramas and understanding depth of field to night photography and matting prints.
Another site of use to professionals and amateurs alike is Fred Miranda, with articles, reviews, essays, and forums. The site, run by a freelance photographer, delves deeply into technique and equipment issues but still covers basics, including recent articles on "The way I shoot my flowers" and "Digital photography in the wilderness."
A site that helps take the fear out of flash is Strobist. "It has great ideas for lightweight flash and lighting solutions for photographers on the go," says Krist. Don't miss the primer called "Lighting 101."
Another good blog is the Online Photographer, "my favorite website," says Westergren, "where you can find discussions on all aspects of photography." The site tends toward advanced discussions but also links to fascinating projects such as "Life Vicarious: 448 days around the world," a photo documentary that commenced in September.
Check the website of your camera manufacturer for helpful resources. But also look at independent sites devoted to your brand, such as Nikonians, for Nikon users, and Photo Workshop, focusing on Canon equipment. Is it really necessary to steep yourself in all the technical aspects of photography? "Yes," says Guariglia. "You have to know how to work your camera really well before you can do anything."
4. Share Your Pictures
Post your photos online and let the world critique them.
Social-networking sites have exploded on the Web, and several focus on photography. More than just a gallery, these sites offer the chance to engage a community of serious and not-so-serious shooters. All the sites Traveler reviewed overwhelm you at first with the sheer volume of images posted. But the better sites impose some degree of order on their ever-growing collections.
Flickr, for example, is a site for the masses. It has a simple interface that hides a deep well of some 270 million images—all searchable by "tags," or keywords users have assigned to their own pictures. A search on "Grand Canyon," for example, brings up 67,730 photographs; "
A site with similar tagging functionality but a more elegant interface is SmugMug. Here you can customize the look of your image collection with various thematic templates, such as "seasons," "holidays," and "sports," and then invite your friends to browse them for free. You pay $40 a year for the privilege.
Photo.net attempts to be comprehensive, offering not just photo sharing among its approximately 514,000 members, but also classified ads, equipment reviews, a learning center with tutorials, and discussion forums on such subjects as "lighting," "classical cameras," and "digital darkroom." Users post their images to a critique forum. The highest-rated shots appear as "top photos," so you can quickly view the best and skip the rest. "This site has a broad range of information," notes Westergren. "I particularly like the camera shopping forum, where users share good and bad experiences buying cameras."
Or, forgo the networking sites altogether and put up your own site, as the pros do. Some consumer-level image-editing software programs—such as Adobe Photoshop Elements—will automatically arrange your photos in a Web format. You then upload the files onto the Web space allotted to you by your own Internet service provider. Or pay extra to host a site through a domain registry like Network Solutions. "It's easier than a lot of people think," says van Overbeek. "Once you get the page up, circulate the URL among people you know who care about photography, and ask for their feedback."
5. Order prints
You can even get your photos in hardbound books.
Despite the wonders of showing your photos online, the Web will never fully replace the experience of viewing photographic prints. It does, however, provide a convenient way to buy them. Ordering prints from online photo labs is cheaper than printing your own at home and easier than dropping your files off at the drugstore—particularly if you have a broadband connection for fast uploads.
The leading online photo finishers, Snapfish, Kodak EasyShare Gallery, and Shutterfly, are all comparable in ease of use, delivery time (usually three or four days), and quality of printing. And all can also print your pictures on products other than paper, such as T-shirts and mouse pads. (Note: Macintosh users can order Kodak prints through their iPhoto application, but prices are lower at the Kodak website.)
You can also use the photo lab websites to share your photos. Simply send friends and family links to your online albums, where your guests can browse the pictures or purchase prints of their own. Even the pros, who generally get prints made at custom labs, use these sites to make hardbound books of their images quickly and easily. "It's the best product the online labs offer," notes Westergren.
One networking site, Fotki, offers enlargements that are considerably cheaper than the rest. Additional options include Wal-Mart, Clark Color Labs, and York Photo.
All online labs compete by price, with 4x6 prints going for as little as nine cents each. "At those prices," Westergren says, "even if the prints someday fade, you can just order more from your digital files, which stay fresh forever."
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