Over the past few years, I've noticed that the internet seems to be changing. With social networking coming more to the fore, it almost feels sometimes, that there's a lot of information out there, but it's hard work to find what you want.
With that in mind, I've been wanting to share more of my experiences, share more of my thought processes and perhaps pass on a thing or two to you all.
I'm very passionate about what I do. Making photographs is only part of it, but I love to teach people, help them on their way if I can, and feel I've contributed in some way. I do this by running workshops, which can be immensely satisfying. They're a great way to spend time in a small group of like-minded people who all share the same enthusiasm for photography, and learn some new things. I find the trips great because not only does everyone pick up new things, I get to learn more too.
But It's become more evident that some of you can't participate and perhaps some of you are not sure if a workshop would be right for you, so what better way to pass on a bit of my experiences and tips, than in in the form of eBooks?
With all this in mind, I've been busy putting together a lot of e-Books for you all. I wanted to share my images in a better viewing experience than just a gallery on the web, and I also wanted them to be inspiring in some way. I've put together some short stories in the monographs (picture books). Hey, it was great for me to do this - getting to review what I'd done, relive my experiences was fun and I'm sure you'll get a lot of inspiration out of the results too.
So with all this in mind, I'm pleased to let you know that the e-Books shown in the above picture are available now, and I intend to add a lot more in the coming months too.
You may notice there is an 'HD movie' icon in the above illustration. In case you didn't know - I do a little podcast for iTunes (see the subscription link on the right hand banner to this page). The podcasts are a great way for me to share what I do and try to give you an insight into the experiences I had whilst out shooting in some place like India or Iceland.
The podcasts are something I care about deeply. Due to the bandwidth nature of iPods and iTunes, the quality is, to me, somewhat lacking. So I've prepared some HD versions of the podcasts for you too. They let you see the images in full resolution on a nice big monitor while you enjoy Hi-Fi quality sound too. Trust me - it's a much improved experience from looking at them in a tiny iPod screen or in low-res on the web.
Lastly, I'd like to let you all know about my latest 'technique' book - 'Nocturne - mastering low light photography'.
This eBook covers the essentials if you are to go and make some nice dreamy otherworldly landscape images at the edge of daylight.
I've had a lot of folk over the years ask me how I make some of my images. Why is the light the way it is for example. I've covered some of this on this very blog, but I feel that sometimes, a blog isn't really the best mode of communication. Now that i've discovered the power of the eBook format, I think it's a great medium for sharing my technical experiences and tips with you. You can find out more about it here.
I hope you're all as excited as I am about where this is all going. Being able to communicate, share ideas, teach, inspire - it's all wonderful stuff and I think that with all the new mediums that the web is now starting to provide - it's just getting better and better.
This'll probably be my last post on the blog for the next week as I head out to the Isle of Eigg this Sunday. A whole week of workshop teaching, good eating, great beaches and good company I'm sure, await me. See you all in a week or so's time.