Friday Shoutouts, Butterfly Kisses & Big Foam #1 Hands

Another week down, and another set of shoutouts and exploding fist bumps to our friends in and around the PhotoShelter world…

Weekend Photography Activity, Everywhere on Earth – Join in!
In case you haven’t yet heard, the New York Times LENS blog is organizing A Moment in Time, May 2, at 15:00 hours (U.T.C.).  They’re asking photographers across the world to capture “this singular instant in whatever way you think would add
to a marvelous global mosaic; a Web-built image of one moment in time
across the world.” This should be pretty damn incredible when complete and we’re really excited to see how the Times displays the aggregated output. We hope you’ll join…so visit LENS to make sure you understand the time zone differences wherever you may be on Sunday. 

Wine for the weekend?
Congrats to PhotoShelter member Per Karlsson of BKWine, who recently published its one hundredth wine video on BKWine TV.
BKWine TV is a YouTube video channel with interviews with winemakers
and reportage from wineries and vineyards across the world. The latest
video is an interview with South Africa’s first black woman winemaker. BKWine is a Paris-based wine
journalism, wine travel and wine photography organization run by the
originally Swedish couple Per and his wife Britt. Apparently they visit over 200 wineries every year.  Not a bad gig, huh?  Per markets his wine stock photography library using PhotoShelter, and embeds PhotoShelter gallery slideshows in his blog.  (Via Photo Archive News)

1. Vineyard Photography – Images by Per Karlsson

From the “transforming your business” files…
PhotoShelter member Rob Casey shared an inspiring anecdote with us about how he found new photography business success by shifting his attention to a subject that was better aligned with his passion. “As my business died with the economy, I realized my normal methods of doing business weren’t working and my obscure arty images I love to shoot weren’t selling anywhere. So I decided to start shooting a new interest and passion, the new sport of stand up paddling. I realized few were shooting it in the Pacific NW, so I decided to shoot it 100%. I attended races, set up shots with myself or models, and simultaneously contacted industry magazines. A year later it’s beginning to pay off as I’m writing articles for SUP magazines and have had a few contact me for cover and inside editorial pieces on the sport.  I also just completed writing the first instructional book on the sport covering several aspects of it – rivers, surfing, expeditions, fitness, and tidal rapids.  The book has allowed me to shoot experts in those areas, run a river standing up, and meet many of the top paddlers.  Interest from the book which is due out Spring 2011 is also bringing me extra work and interest.”  Congrats Rob, keep us posted on the book launch!
 

Kudos to PhotoShelter member Miami photographer Brian Smith, whose Art & Soul project was displayed yesterday in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress.  Art & Soul is Brian’s collection of portraits of performing artists, the cornerstone of The Creative Coalition’s arts advocacy campaign to focus national attention on the need to secure federal funding and support for the arts.

Congrats to PhotoShelter member Thomas Pickard, who is a finalist in the PDN Top Knots Wedding Photography Contest.  We’re pulling for you Thomas!

And to PhotoShelter member Heimo Aga – thanks for sharing your video of the Robot Sumo European Championship 2010 in Vienna.  This Robot Sumo stuff is serious folks, whether or not you like watching robots fighting each other.  Don’t take our word for it, watch Heimo’s video.  And if you like it, you can vote for Heimo in the Can Do Film Festival.

Robot Sumo from Heimo Aga on Vimeo.

That’s all for this week. If you need some weekend reading, you should be sure to pick up our latest free report, The Photography Blog Handbook.  Have a good weekend!