Photography Blogs to Follow, Part One

Yes, this implies at least a “Part Two”.

Maybe even a part three.  We’ll see on that part, but at least two.
I’ve been at my new job for five weeks now and, frankly, I’m so exhausted by the end of the day, I haven’t really had anything left over for hobbies.  In fact, I’ve barely had any energy left over for watching television or reading.  So, you know, my photography has been, well, languishing, just a bit.  What that means, too, is that my creativity is at a pretty low ebb.  That’s okay, because, hey, that’s life, but I still want to share something cool with you on Fridays.  So, this week, I’m going to share some of the blogs I go to so that I can feel connected to and inspired by photography.

I shoot with Canon gear.  I’m not saying that Canon is better than Nikon, although long-time Nikon shooter Scott Kelby did change over to Canon a little while back, so make your own judgements.  In any case, as a result of my personal connection to Canon, I follow two important Canon blogs.
First, there are the Canon Professional Network blogs.  Specifically, I follow the Canon Professional Network “Technical” blog.  This blog has all kinds of information about the specialized techniques photographers use to get great shots.  I may never personally use most of these techniques and software, but it’s good for me to see what is available.  I also follow the Canon Ambassadors Programme blog, which highlights photographers who use Canon equipment and have been chosen by Canon to represent their brand out in the world.  These folks are really inspiring.  They consistently bring their best for us to marvel at and aspire to.

Of course, I don’t always believe everything the company tells me, because, well, they have their own agenda.  But, that’s why I follow the Canon Rumors blog!  As the name implies, they may not always be 100% accurate, but they really give us a good idea of what’s coming down the pike from Canon.  Also, this is where I learned that Canon finally updated their camera utilities for Windows 7 and up!  (If you haven’t yet, you can download them here: Canon Utilities.)

And, the last blog I’ll share this week is the blog of my favorite flash photography teacher, Syl Arena, Pixsylated.  I’ve taken his class twice and found it inspirational both times.  I cannot recommend Syl enough.  He is a very, very accessible small-flash educator and, although he does shoot Canon, his general photography teaching is pretty brilliant, too.  He has several books out, including his incomparable Speedliter’s Handbook, which is the definitive guide to Canon small flash and is being updated this Fall.  Seriously, this guy is the best and always happy to talk to an eager, new photographer.

And, I think that’s enough for this week.  More blogs next week!