ILovePhotoBlogs

The Impossible Project – Hope for Polaroid Lovers

For Polaroid lovers, the dream can to an end in mid 2008 when Polaroid shut down production down its factory in Enschede, which had manufactured film cassettes for the SX-70 — the signature Polaroid camera that folds into a squat rectangle. However, due to its popularity and cult-like following, a small group of Dutch scientists and one Austrian salesman have dedicated themselves to the task of reinventing one of the great inventions of the 20th century 0 — Polaroid’s instant film.

Impossible b.v.   has been founded with the concrete aim to re-invent and re-start production of analog INTEGRAL FILM for vintage Polaroid cameras.

The Impossible mission is NOT to re-build Polaroid Integral film but (with the help of strategic partners) to develop a new product with new characteristics, consisting of new optimised components, produced with a streamlined modern setup. An innovative and fresh analog material, sold under a new brand name that perfectly will match the global re-positioning of Integral Films.

Find out how you can show your support for this exciting project  !

SEO Tips for Photo Bloggers

How do I increase my photoblog audience?

This is one question I receive quite often and my response is always the same. How much do you know about search engine optimization? I have created this post, not as a SEO guru, but rather a web knowledgeable photographer focused on getting my readers headed in the right direction towards improving your site’s relevance on the web.

Find the Best Keywords
Two of the most common mistakes people new to search engine optimization or SEO make is 1) they pay no attention to the power of keywords or 2) waste time optimizing their site for keywords nobody searches for.

There are several free keyword search tools on the market that can help you with this process. I started out using the free trial at WordTracker.com  . This is a great tool for getting your feet wet in the research process.

While doing your keyword research, you will want to keep a spreadsheet or notebook handy to capture your results. When looking for effective keywords, look beyond single words. One of the my favorite strategies is discovering “keyword phrases”, typically containing 3 or 4 words. The reason? The competition for these phrases is much lower and the ability to dominate a specific search is much greater.

Since I specialize in photo blog reviews, I make sure to optimize for this phrase. You can check on all the major search engines and you’ll see we rank very well!

IMPORTANT – Once you define your niche it is important to establish who the big players are within this space. A quick Google search can give you a good idea, however, the more information you have on your competitors the better you are able to develop a effective strategy to compete.

The most effective tool I have found for researching my main competitors is SEO Elite  . Learn what keywords your competitors focus on, who they link to, who links to them, PageRanks of specific pages and much more. In the beginning I spent a great deal of time using this program to study other sites, however, today I am more focused on tracking my personal progress…the peaks and valleys. If you’re unsure about your ability to use this tool, let me assure the learning curve is very short. In addition, SEO Elite   comes with an eight week money back guarantee.

>>>For more great tips on SEO for bloggers 4

Greg Williams Photography

Greg Williams’ photographic style 1 merges reportage together with cinematic lighting and composition.

As a photojournalist Greg shot news features in such trouble spots as Burma, Chechnya and Sierra Leone in the 1990’s. He also worked on in-depth photo essays that tackled such issues as CJD (the human strain of Mad Cow Disease)  , Thalidomide’s second generation of deformed children  , and brain damage rehabilitation for children.

In 1997 British-born Greg embarked on an assignment for the London Sunday Times Magazine incorporating his love of film into his photography. This project developed into his first book “Greg Williams On Set  ” (published 2001- Vision On), a reportage photo essay behind the scenes of the British Film Industry. to date greg has worked as a “Special Photographer” on over 120 films including “King Kong”, “The Talented Mr Ripley”, “The Bourne Ultimatum  ” and “Attonement”.

As a portrait photographer he has worked with many of the world’s most popular actors including Catherine Zeta Jones, Brad Pitt, Kate Blanchett, George Clooney, Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Robert Downey Jnr, Keira Knightly and Daniel Craig for such magazines as Vanity Fair, GQ, L’uomo Vogue and Esquire.  

Read more about Greg’s biography >>>  

Sheep and The Big Bad City – Ioana Dodu

The journey of a young photographer   from her native country of Romania, to her new home, Sweden.

Big Apple Dave

…another interesting photo by New York street great Dave Beckerman  .

The Portrait Photographer

The Portrait Photographer….a topic specific site with great tutorials dedicated “to the most current info and techniques for professional portrait photographers. Lighting, posing  , marketing- everything a pro needs.Info is compiled from books published by Amherst Media. Supplemenetal material will be featured as well. “

Digital Photography School Has It All

Digital Photography School is a great resource for all things photography. If you’re anything like me, sometimes you just want to window shop photography related topics. If so, you will love this site. This is a tremendously popular destination with over 230k unique visitors a month, along with 93k+ rss subscribers. Some of the main categories include; photography tips & tutorial, cameras & equipment, post production (my favorite), camera of the moment, a forum, and much more…

Half a Tank – Along Recession Road

Half A Tank 1 is a summer-long quest to find images and stories of people whose lives have been altered by a flattened economy. Starting from home in the D.C. suburbs, Theresa Vargas and Michael Williamson are traveling around the country to experience how people are coping, struggling, even flourishing as we all reconsider how we live.

Chesapeake Bay Watershed – Photographer Bill Emory

Just received an interesting photoblog submission this morning…. featuring black and white photography by Bill Emory 0; the  outlying areas of the Chesapeake Bay. Love it! I may be just a little biased…living only a mile or two from the Chesapeake Bay myself. The use of black and white effectively drives home the Americana feel in these images. Love the small town vibe…the hunting dogs, old churches, front porch gatherings, etc. Another big plus…the photoblog is updated regularly and contains a large archive…Check it out!

UNphotographable – Oddly interesting

A viewer wrote in this evening suggesting I take a look at the photoblog UNphotographable  . At first glance, I didn’t get it. However, after reading several posts I found myself drawn in to his approach..understanding the concept completely…Kudos to Michael David Murphy 1 for this unique perspective on visualization!