DavidB's stock photography resources

Beloit has always been a very exciting place to photograph. Being in the Midwest, you are given your choice of 4 complete seasons - each one offering dynamic possibilities for photography. As a student, I was always in awe of Chuck Savage's work and friendly personality - you don't always find they go hand in hand. It has been so much fun taking photos for Beloit - and every event gets me excited to look for a new piece of equipment to get for next year's homecoming or reunion! You can get overwhelmed, and I have to remember what many pros have told me, all the best equipment won't make a good photographer! However, sometimes you do need to upgrade, so I have come up with a list of places I find helpful...

ABT.com, wolfcamera.com, target.com
Before you start to research, you may want to get a feel for what SIZE of a camera you are comfortable with. The internet can give you all the specs of the insides, but nothing beats the feel of the camera. Sometimes people with bigger hands don't like the little buttons, sometimes 5 pounds sounds light until you pick up a 5 pound camera and realize that a 10 hour hike with that weight around your neck will NOT be comfortable. I would suggest going to Wolf Camera if you have photographic questions, their sales staff seems to be very knowledgable and interested, not just there for the sale.

dpreview.com
If I can't decide on which lens or camera might fit your needs, I ALWAYS refer to the in-depth reviews from dpreviews.com. You can compare different cameras in a side-by-side comparison grid, or read the very in-depth reviews and view sample galleries.

amazon.com
Amazon is always a good place to check what the real going prices are, as well as real-world customer reviews. Unlike dpreview, Amazon reviews are to be taken with a grain of salt as they might very well be a rep from the manufacturer giving 5 stars, or a competitor giving 1 star. I can usually get a more hands-on feel for the camera with Amazon, however, because people will write reviews about very detailed problems or strong factors for cameras, lenses, batteries, etc. I would advise against purchasing a camera with no reviews yet.

porters.com
Porters is a friendly, smaller company that usually can offer you great prices, and you can actually talk with someone, unlike the HUGE companies. They may not have everything available, but they may have some fun obscure specials, and they also offer printable tips on how to be a better photographer.

bhphotovideo.com
If you are looking for high end, or expensive Pro equipment, I would suggest B+H out of New York. This place is usually only for the pros, but you can get almost anything available there. They have EVERYTHING!

Email DavidB to chat about cameras, photography or design!

DavidB, not only a web designer, but also a photographer.

As a photographer, I always have a camera on me, and have since I was young. It has been fascinating to see the industry change over the years. With the advent of digital photography, you can save money in the long run - no film to buy, no processing to deal with. Hardware is still a consideration, and now you usually want some sort of editing software (I would only recommend Adobe products).

Until the internet became a household word, it was a challenge to share your photographs with the world. Then came the internet boom, and Flickr.com, as well as other photo sharing web sites. Flickr allows me to show my photos to the world, as well as help me track what photos were taken when. Flickr also allows you to track what camera was used for your photos, and look at other photos taken with the same make and
model of camera!

I have been able to discuss, comment, and ask advice of pro photographers, as well as hobbyist who surprise themselves finding that they can take great photos too. Many people would have never been able to show their photos to friends or other photographers until Flickr. You can still print photos too, though now the internet has high quality printing services - my favourite right now is SnapFish.com

You may have seen some of DavidB's photos in the recent Beloit College Magazine! And on the Homecoming/Reunion postcard mailer.



If you need photos for your website, please give us a call. (Or if you just want to talk cameras!)

The nature of motivation

Every so often a link is sent to one of us here at YourPlanB.com that we just have to share!

This is one of those times. It is a really interesting animated essay about motivation: Tobias Buckell blog with a quick 10 minute talk Dan did about motivation:

I am about to pick up Dan Pink’s book about motivation, called Drive.
Sounds like a good read!

Countdown to the 5th Annual Woman Road Warrior Day!

This Year's Theme: Women Who Go the Extra Mile and the Shoes They Do It In

Who's Eligible?
Any woman who travels as part of her business and who exemplifies "going the extra mile." This could be someone who travels the farthest, travels the most or does the most unusual or complicated travel. We are also interested in people who "go the extra mile" by the business or community service they provide.

Who can nominate?
Any friend, colleague, family member or admirer

How do I nominate someone?
Please submit your nominations here!

Event details: The Great Shoe Show EXTRAVAGANZA
Fashion Show & First Class Breakfast
September 21st 7-9:30am
THE STANDARD CLUB OF CHICAGO
320 South Plymouth Court
Chicago, IL 60604-3859
See womanroadwarrior.com for registration details!

SITE LAUNCH RosensteinPropertyLaw.com

Property lawyer Richard Rosenstein wasn't looking to build the paperless office. He came to Your Plan B Co. with the idea for a web site that would supplement the traditional paper correspondence that was the hallmark of his law practice. His site allows visitors to get the basics on real estate law and determine whether or not they have a case.

Richard's orginal site was launched in the Fall of 2002.
Since then, times have changed online and now his new site reflects that!

Kudos to him for keeping his site current and his content clear.
We look forward to working with him into the future.

Back to School

Hard to believe but it is that time of year again! School supplies, agendas and homework.

Thought you might like some links to help our teachers and their students:

http://www.senatorsteans.com/teacherwishlist/
http://www.donorschoose.org/
http://www.goodwill.org/press-releases/join-the-donate-movement-by-supporting-the-goodwill-and-family-circle/
http://www.salvationarmy.com/usn/www_usn_2.nsf

And for fun, send Sharpie your doodles!
Did you know there is a bona-fide science behind the art of doodling? Sharpie is giving you the chance to have a real doodling expert translate your casual scribbles into surprising conclusions. Click to submit your doodle to the Showcase!
http://sharpieuncapped.com/default.aspx?gclid=CPqy7Pf7wKMCFWBd5QodtWH0ag

And if your student happens to be heading to college, check out the Beloit College Mindset List for the Class of 2014! http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2014.php

Best of luck to all you students out there!
May your pencils never dull and your brain stay sharp :)

Are you an online moderator?

Are you a moderator of a small or giant online group?

Here are some helpful references for you! Moderating can be a fulfilling task or it can be a tiresome chore. We hope these help you make your group site the best it can be!

http://www.10e20.com/blog/2009/04/30/social-networking-101-basic-tips-for-online-and-offline-social-networking/

http://www.theadminzone.com/

http://www.well.com/confteam/hosting.html

http://www.wikihow.com/Moderate-an-Online-Community

http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050623mallasch/

And for fun, may we suggest a very funny book about life as an online moderator (you could replace the word vampire fan with your subculture site and I bet it rings just as true) Will the Vampire People Please Leave the Lobby? (True Adventures in Cult Fandom) (Paperback) from Amazon.com