Monthly Archives: March 2011

Change Is Here (with a Song)

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You may notice that things look a little different on the site (unless you’re reading this in a reader). I’ve ditched my old theme and a over 75% of the content. Don’t say I didn’t warn you this was happening.

This is part of my quest to reclaim the site that carries my name and make it once again represent the person I am, what I do, stand for etc. So why take the old content down? Because it feels like a misrepresentation of the above stated. To me, at least. Much of the most popular content is still available in the Microstock Photographer’s Guide, which continues to get a lot of traffic and so deserves to stay online.

So to end this post on a positive note looking towards the future, here’s a video I put together out of iPhone snapshots. It’s set to the song “All In All” by yours truly.

Presenting PixMuse

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PixMuse is an iPhone / iPod touch app I put together for all you stock and microstock photographers out there.

PixMuse generates a random photo shoot idea by presenting you with a theme, a subject and a mood. The three elements represent the overall concept, the central element and feel of the suggested photo. Simply hit the button or shake your device to generate a new photo concept.

PixMuse is made for inspiration and fun. There is no guarantee that the photo concepts generated by PixMuse will have any commercial value, though all the elements included were picked specifically because they rank among the most popular and widely used genres and concepts in stock photography. So even though it’s random and silly, there is a useful side to PixMuse as well.

Use PixMuse as a tool for brainstorming. Some of the combinations will fit any portfolio, and you will see elements combined in ways you hadn’t thought of before, which might just spark your imagination. And did I mention it’s free?

Link: Download PixMuse from the iTunes App Store – FREE!

Change Is Coming

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I haven’t updated this blog in ages. Not because I haven’t had anything to say, but because I haven’t felt like this was the right place to say it. As I have grown and evolved as an artist, shooting stock photography has become less important to me – and writing about it even less so.

Writing has always been my first passion, but after my debut novel was published in 2001, I realized doing it for a living would be near impossible. At the time, my day job was in IT and though my title was designer and project manager, I spent some time coding and scripting too. Fast forward a decade and I am writing a ton of different stuff (from D&D adventures to screenplays) and I’ve taken the first steps into iOS development. Not surprisingly, my first app – WriMuse – is made for writers.

I love photography and shoot a ton. But I don’t really feel like writing specifically about that anymore. I have no ambition of becoming a photographer’s photographer like my friends Jack Hollingsworth or Rob Sylvan. They rock at what they do, but my passion lies elsewhere.

If you have been reading this blog and have learned or found inspiration from my words, I wholeheartedly thank you. Those who have left comments, sent me notes of encouragement and support, or purchased a copy of the Expanded Microstock Guide – you are the reason I kept at it this long. But the time is nigh for the site that bears my name to also reflect the person I have become.

So what lies ahead? I am still debating the details. Part of me is tempted to do a complete reboot, start from scratch with a blank slate. Another part of me wants to turn this place into something other than a blog, but I have yet to decide. Will I ever write about photography again? Of course. It’s a huge part of who I am. What about microstock? Probably not as much, but from time to time, maybe.

I do have a little something on the way for the microstock photographers out there. Stay tuned.

What I am doing right now, is concentrating on developing Another Passion. My blog about art, creativity and passion-driven lifestyles is so much fun to produce, that even though it is actually costing me more than it brings in, it has become what I enjoy doing the most. It combines writing and photography with meeting some very talented and inspiring people. Another Passion is also syndicated by Fox/Tribune Media via the Seattle area blog portal, Puget Hound. This has opened up a unique possibility for me to help get more artists and creative professionals seen by a broader audience – which is nothing short of awesome.

Next week, I am scheduled to appear on Q13 Fox News in the morning alongside local author Sean Beaudoin. I’m super excited and thrilled to help get Sean some publicity for his book — it’s called You Killed Wesley Payne, by the way. Check it out. This kind of work is mostly voluntary, but gives me great personal satisfaction.

The future is unknown, but for one thing: change is coming.