Where’s the Inspiration?

The Insanity of Inspiration.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the most important skill a photographer can possess in order to have a successful career. After crunching the numbers and analyzing the empirical data the evidence is clear; success doesn’t rely on skill as much as it relies on inspiration; the paranormal event that fuels the creation of brilliant images that is totally unreliable in its visitations to your career.” [ APA National ]

A Different Way To Think About Creative Genius

All creatives dream. Photographers, writers, designers, musicians, dancers, chefs… dream of doing something so phenomenal that the whole world suddenly knows about it. We dream. We practice. We work. We think. When we’re lucky, we truly create. What is the nature of creativity? Where does it comes from? Where does it go? [ Pixsylated ] Eds Note: My apologies to Pixsylated who I failed to properly credit for this posting.

Invasion of the Shutterbugs

At a time when people in all kinds of careers are looking for a Plan B, there’s one that’s already teeming with dabblers: photography. Amateurs with digital cameras are hanging out shingles, offering to shoot portraits of people, pets and, even more challenging, weddings — skimming business from professionals while, some say, knocking off their style at lower quality. [ Crains - Chicago ]

Playboy Plans ‘Radical Changes’ to Print Model

During its quarterly earnings call Monday, Jerome Kern, Playboy Enterprises’ interim chairman and CEO, said the company is considering “radical changes” to its print business model. The publisher reported a $13.7 million net loss during the first quarter of 2009, compared to a $4.2 million loss during the same period in 2008. Revenues for the period were $61.8 million, down more than 20 percent from $78.5 million during the same period last year. [ Folio Magazine ]

Obama Girls Used With Murdered Kids Story

On Wednesday, a story featured on the Washington Times website about murdered Chicago schoolchildren was inexplicably paired with a photo of President Obama’s daughters. The two girls are not mentioned in the story, and aside from having at one point been schoolchildren in Chicago have no connection to it. [ Huffington Post ]

Copyright Critics Rationalize Theft

Imagine a city of many millions of people who support themselves and their families solely by arranging words, images and sounds, or in the industries that make this work available to others. They neither farm, fish, mine, manufacture, manage, heal, teach, build nor defend. But what they do influences most everything, shapes politics and governance, provides a conception of our time, forges the culture such as it is, and stamps the imprint of the present for history to judge. Though builders may build, in the main they follow the plans of architects. Teachers teach, but they must have a text. Politicians govern, but only upon the flow of commentary that raises them up or casts them down. [ WSJ ]

This Week In Newspapers

American Press On Suicide Watch [ New York Times ]

Bad Day For Newsrooms And Democracy [ TruthOut ]

David Simon On The Downfall Of American Newspapers [ MediaBistro ]

Photo News

A conversastion with Amy Stein

CBSNews.com – Redesigned with More Photos

Arnold in 1985

Bill Jay – RIP

Linsey Addario Injured in Pakistan

Lessons 46-50

Flight 1549 Photos Published With Airlines Logos Removed

What will become of photojournalism in an age of bytes and amateurs?

Twitter News & Tweets

Twitter’s On Fire!

Photographers on Twitter

Canada Gets Twitterized

NASA Tweets

Facebook News

ADL urges Facebook block Holocaust-deniers

Facebook Virtual Payments

Facebook Face.com photo scans

First Verified Facebook App

Facebook Easter Egg

Viral Videos

Apple Elimination

MOMA: I see

Stride: Heirloom

NBA: Shaq

Transform :: A short film for Scott Kelby