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100 Things I have Learned about Photography

Jonathan Eger — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:01:54 +0000

This past week I stumbled upon Eric Kim‘s list titled “100 things I have learned about photography”. It was such a great idea that I decided to do one myself. I have yet to read Kim’s full list as I didn’t want it to influence my own, but I will be going through his afterwards. I suggest you do the same.

It was hard at first, but once I got going, the list was fairly easy to complete. Some of the better items are listed near the end, so if you have the time, I suggest reading the entire list.

If you get into photography, do it for Love, not for Money.
Very few photographers are naturally talented. Most of us have to work hard to improve our skills.
Get a photography buddy. You will get out shooting more often, and will see the world from different perspectives.
Don’t put on your lens cap while standing beside a raging river (unless you want to watch it floating away).
Only an open minded person can learn new things.
The best way to learn is to take a lot of photographs. Join a community. Get feedback.
Spend a lot of time looking at other people’s photographs. It is both relaxing and inspiring.
Leave comments on photographs (online), even if the photographer doesn’t need the feedback. You will improve as a photographer.
Leading up to a wedding, I am always nervous. Once I start shooting however, I get into a groove.
You miss 100% of the photographs you don’t take. (modified from a Wayne Gretzky quote, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take)
When working as a photography assistant, you only end up taking photos about 1% of the time. The rest of the time you are packing/unpacking merchandise, painting sets, adjusting lighting, etc.
Learn what genres of photography you like and spend a lot of time with them.
Developing E6 film in the complete darkness is fun.
Making colour prints without any safe light is less fun.
A polarizing lens is a must when shooting waterfalls.
Research locations online before visiting them. You will save yourself lots of time in the long run.
Abandoned buildings can be beautiful locations. Be carefull however, as they can also be dangerous.
Lighting is the most important element of a photograph. As long as the lighting is decent, most photographs can be salvaged.
I’m not interested in selling prints. I’m more interested in the experience of taking photographs, and the process of editing them, sharing them, and getting feedback.
Lenses hold their value a lot longer than camera bodies.
I want to be remembered as a photographer.
Bokeh is awesome.
If you shoot at 1/60th of a second, you will need a tripod. 1/30th if you are good.
Ever since I purchased a wide angle lens, I rarely use anything else. (I shoot mostly landscapes)
It’s always exciting to win a photography contest, no matter how many times it has happened before.
Original ideas are hard to come by. Having said that, I do my best to to be original.
There will always be people who put your down in order to make themselves feel better. This includes voting down your photographs online.
Nudity and sexuality are two completely different things.
I prefer natural lighting. Having said that, I need to practice more with studio lights.
You should clean your sensor often; at least once a year.
PLEASE do yourself a favour, and take your flash off the camera. Direct flash is horrible.
While convenient, spraying and praying is not a recommended technique.
I shoot aperture priority 50% of the time, manual 40%, and shutter priority 10%.
Avoid using a high ISO at all costs.
Always shoot RAW.
I rarely print my photographs. This needs to change.
Prepare to look foolish in order to get the photo you want.
Composition is incredibly important. The rule of thirds works more often than not.
I think about photography more often that I think about sex.
It’s not worth risking your life for a photograph. Be careful.
Having a UV filter on your lens is a good idea. It once saved my lens from being scratched.
You don’t need to replace your camera as often as people would have you believe. I have had the same camera for 5 years (Canon EOS 5D) and have no plans on upgrading in the near future.
Always make sure you have enough film/memory cards.
Backup your photographs. Twice.
The hardest part about starting up a photography blog is marketing yourself to the world.
Never rely completely on your webhosting company to renew your domain name. It will end in heartbreak. I owned PhotographyWeekly.com for years before my webhosting company was bought out, and the new company failed to renew the domain.
Try shooting in black and white. It will force you to focus more on composition and lighting.
Never rely on family or non-photography friends to critique your work. It will be more back patting than anything else.
There is a difference between a photographer and a guy with a camera.
Better equipment will not necessarily make you a better photographer, just like having better cooking equipment will not make you a better chef.
Control is power. The more control you have over your camera, the better off you will be.
When shooting waterfalls, rivers and streams, I find that 1 second is the minimum exposure needed to get silky smooth water.
I prefer smaller capacity CF cards (2 GB, 4GB) over large capacity CF cards (16GB, 32GB) because cards can fail. I’d rather lose 4GB of photos than 32GB.
It’s difficult to look at your own photographs objectively.
The quality of a photograph and how well it fits into a contest topic are two completely different things.
Photography is subjective, therefore you will not always agree with other people’s opinions.
It’s impossible to take a bad photograph in Iceland. lol.
The more often you take photographs, the better you will be as a photographer.
Developing film and prints on your own, while fun, is probably bad for your health.
You need great patience to be a wildlife photographer. A 400mm lens doesn’t hurt either.
Wedding photography is a serious business. Don’t take it lightly.
Putting a fly in the freezer for 15 minutes before a photo shoot ensures he will stay still. (I have yet to try this)
You can use your hand to stop lens flare when you are shooting in the direction of the sun.
Shooting from a low or high angle will instantly make your photograph more interesting. Shooting from a low angle makes things seem larger or stronger. Shooting from a high angle makes things seems smaller, or less intimidating.
I never get tired of photographs featuring an Aurora Borealis.
Black backdrops are great for portraits since you don’t have to worry about shadows.
Organize your photographs in a way that allows you to find them easily (ex: 05.28.2012.Toronto Zoo).
I don’t like overdone HDR photographs (for the most part).
Sometimes photographs look great on a LCD screen, but lose their beauty when viewed on a computer monitor.
When shooting on location, try shooting from multiple angles.
Always bracket when their is a big difference is lighting within the scene.
Learn what a histogram is and how to read it.
Where you live has a large effect on what you can charge as a photographer. This is especially true for weddings.
Know your apertures and shutter speeds by heart.
I have never expected to win a juried photography contest. In all cases, I was pleasantly surprised. You can’t win if you don’t enter.
The time in my life when I took the least amount of photographs was when I worked 8+ hours a day as a photography assistant. (I am referring to personal photographs here, not work related photographs).
There are some things in life that cannot be properly described in a photograph, such as the scale of the grand canyon.
I still don’t have a good processing workflow for winter scenes.
If you are a commercial photographer, and you edit the final image by placing your face onto a prop in the background (such as a monkey statue), the colour correction department will notice.
If you incorrectly expose your roll of film, you can push or pull during development to salvage your work (within reason).
If you haven’t tried pinhole photography, you probably should.
Light drawing is incredibly fun and creative.
When out shooting, avoid a large camera bag, otherwise you will be exhausted from carrying it around.
Learning how to verbally pose your models is a great asset.
In most cases, including a person in your photograph will make it more interesting.
When you are shooting in a touristy area, don’t expect everyone to be courteous.
I still don’t understand why governments get so uptight about people taking photographs in public places.
Unless your name is Yuri Arcurs, don’t expect to make a living from stock photography. It can be done, but takes years of submissions to get to a point where you can make some a stable income.
Hone your skills as much as possible before travelling to far off destinations, otherwise you will be forever wanting to return to take better photographs.
Adjusting the white balance on your camera can completely change the mood of a photograph, especially when shooting at night.
If you win or place in an important photography contest, notify your local newspapers. You can build up your reputation this way.
Despite what some people may say, shaking a roll of film will not make the exposures blurry.
While I don’t think camera phones will ever replace DSLR’s, I have to admit that the iPhone4s’ camera and video are very impressive.
I’m surprised how difficult it is to give away a free DSLR camera.
If people know you are a photographer, there is a good change someday that someone will offer to give you an old, unused camera.
Sometimes people expect you to take photographs for free. Don’t let people take advantage of you.
If you want to market yourself as a photographer, tools such as Twitter and Facebook are a necessity.
There is no formula to becoming a great photographer. Each person will take their own path.
While film is no longer the popular choice, it will be around for quite some time.
I love photography and hope to being shooting for the rest of my life.

[via AppartmentTherapy]

The Three Types of Photographs

Jonathan Eger — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 05:01:34 +0000

In my opinion, there are 3 different types of photographs: Those you Find, those you Take, and those you Make.

Photographs you Find:

This is the term I used to describe locations where you can repeatedly return to and reproduce an image of similar likeness. Think landscapes, monuments, or abandoned buildings. While the photograph may change over time due to aging, weather conditions, the season, or the time of day, there is a recognizable photograph you can expect to walk away with.

Photographs You Find

Photographs you Take:

These are once in a lifetime moments. Think street photography, sporting events and weddings. Whatever it is, you are capturing a moment in time. If you miss the shot, or return to the location the next day, then you will be unable capture the same image.

Photographs You Take

Photographs you Make:

This category covers all of the photographs in which you are in control of the scene. Think still life, studio shots, and portraits. These are photographs that you can reasonably re-create, even if the subject or models are not exactly the same.

Photographs You Make

How to Use Layer Masks

Jonathan Eger — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:01:55 +0000

There are some things I have been doing for so long that it’s easy to forget there was a time I didn’t know about them. Layers Masks are one of those things. They have become so routine in my workflow that I could never go back to not using them. In this post I’ll explain what they are and how they are beneficial to your editing workflow.

While the following editing steps are specific to Adobe Photoshop, the same concepts can be applied to most editing programs.

What are Layer Masks?

Simply put, a layer mask is an extra layer in your working file that hides and/or shows the details of the layer beneath it. There are a couple of benefits of using Layer Masks. The first benefit is that you can apply effects to a part of the image, as opposed to the entire image. The second and most important benefit, is that when you use a Layer Mask, the original pixels are left untouched. In other words, using a Layer Mask is a non destructive editing technique. This is helpful if you want to test different editing techniques on an image, or if there is a chance you will re-visit your editing at a later date.

The layer mask on the top layer (orange) allows the bottom layer (blue) to be seen

How to use a Layer Mask?

The first thing you need to do is create the layer mask. With both your images combined into one document, select the top layer and go to Layer->Layer Mask->Reveal All. You will want to check off Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask as this will allow your mask to work with layer immediate below, as opposed to affecting every single layer beneath it.

By using the paintbrush tool, you can selectively paint which areas you want to mask. Areas in the layer mask that you paint in black will be opaque while areas in white will be transparent. Transparent areas of the mask will allow the layer below to show through while opaque areas of the mask will not be shown. Gray areas will be treated as transparent. The amount of transparency will depend on the relative lightness or darkness of the gray values.

Now, with the Layer Mask selected, grab the paint brush tool and make sure the foreground colour is set to black. In the main work area, carefully paint the areas which you wish to use. Don’t forget you can always switch back and forth between black and white in order to adjust your layer mask.

Some common reasons why I might use a Layer Mask include:

If I want to seamlessly combine elements from multiple photographs
If I want to sharpen the image, but do not want the sharpening to affect the out of focus areas (see example below)
If I want to manually create an HDR image by combining multiple layers and masking out the areas I don’t want to use

The layer mask allows the top layer, which is sharpened, to only affect the reflective sphere and not the out of focus leaves on the ground

Using Adjustment Layers

To be honest, I rarely use Layer Masks on their own. These days I only use Layer Masks in conjunction with Adjustment Layers.

An adjustment layer is when you apply an effect to your image on a separate layer. Again, the advantage is that the changes are non destructive and you can use layer masks to select which areas of the image you want to apply the effect.

By creating multiple Adjustment Layers, you can quickly and easily test out different edits.

Some common reasons why I might use a mask on an adjustment layer include:

If I want to blur the background but keep the foreground subject in focus
If I am applying an Adjustment Layer such as Brightness/Contrast, Hue/Saturation or Curves, but don’t want it to affect the entire image
If I want to selectively saturate/desaturate the image (see example below)

An example of a Black & White Adjustment Layer with a Mask

Conclusion

In my opinion, using the eraser tool to combine layers is very amateurish and not nearly as precise as using layer masks. It’s also permanent which means if you want to re-edit a photograph, you’ll have to start from scratch.

The overlying message of this post is that by having more control over your editing process, you significantly increase the chances of improving the quality of your images. If you are interested in taking your editing to the next level, I highly suggest you take the time to learn more about Layer Masks and Adjustment Layers.

29 Different Kinds of Websites Every Photographer Should Know About

Jonathan Eger — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:01:20 +0000

Let’s be honest, there are so many photography related websites that it is nearly impossible to create an all encompassing list. Instead we’ve created a list featuring different types of websites. We’ve done our best to give examples of each category using the most popular sites, or ones that we have had good experience with. While many of these websites could have been placed in multiple categories, we’ve organized them so that they are only listed once.

The 29 categories are listed in alphabetical order.

Accesories – If you’re looking for bags, tripods, dollys, filters, custom camera straps or flash diffusers, the following links are a great place to start.


Lowepro	Tamrac	ThinkTankPhoto

Manfrotto	DynamicPerception	HoyaFilter

Tiffen	Cokin	HighKeyCamera

PhatStraps	GaryFong

Blogging Platforms - If you are looking to create a customized website, or if you plan on constantly updating your website with photographs and text, then creating a blog is probably the best way to go. We use WordPress for this site and have found it very easy to use. Blogger is a great alternative. Tumblr, while newer than the other platforms, has seen incredible growth recently.


WordPress	Blogger	Tumblr

Blogs – The following blogs will keep you up to date with all that’s going on in the world of photography. You may even learn a thing or two along the way.


PetaPixel	Pixiq	FStoppers

PhotographyBay	DIYPhotography	StuckInCustoms

Brick and Mortar Stores – If you want to look at equipment in person before purchasing, then you have many options. B&H and Adorama are great choices if you are in the New York area, while Vistek, Henry’s and TheCameraStore are listed for our Canadian friends.


B&H	Adorama	Vistek

Henry’s	TheCameraStore

Camera & Lens Manufacturers – Below we have listed the most popular camera and lens manufacturers.


Canon	Sony	Nikon

Samsung	Panasonic	Olympus

FujiFilm	Casio	Pentax

Leica	Sigma	GoPro

Contour	Lensbaby

Communities – The following communities were created for people with common interests. NAAP was created for people who are interested in improving their Photoshop skills. Planet5D is geared towards Canon users, while Nikonians caters Nikon users. As the name suggests, APOD has a different astronomy photograph every day, and 360Cities features beautiful panoramic photographs from all over the world.


NAAP	Planet5D	Nikonians

APOD	360cities

Contests – While there are other places that offer similar services, the following websites are dedicated to online photography contests. Both PWOContests and DPChallenge have weekly contests and allow you to register for free. PhotographyCorner offers real prizes, which means the contests are less frequent. Worth1000 emphasizes photo manipulation. Photos2Win is an example of a contest site where you pay to enter each contests and where the top photos share the winnings.


PWOContests	DPChallenge	PhotographyCorner

Worth1000	Photos2Win

Crowdfunding – Crowdfunding is when a large group of people agree to fund a project if it meets it’s fundraising goal. It’s also a great way to purchase new photography accessories, often at a price lower than the final MSRP. The projects on Kickstarter seem to garner a lot of attention, but there are other sites such as IndieGoGo which are just as good.


Kickstarter	IndieGoGo

Editorials – The following media websites have wonderful photo editorials.


BostonGlobe	TheAtlantic	LATimesPhotography

Educational Resources – If you are looking to learn about photography, then you might want to look into some of the following resources.


BetterPhoto	Strobist	LuminousLandscape

NYIP	DigitalPhotographySchool	PSDTutsPlus

Events/Conferences – While we’re sure there are many more photography related events and conferences, here are a few that spring to mind. The WorldWidePhotoWalk is an annual event that gets people out shooting within their community. WPPI is a conference specializing in wedding photography. PixelHackDay is an event where programmers and photographers get together to create interesting projects.


WorldWidePhotoWalk	WPPI	PixelHackDay

Gallery/Portfolio Creation – If you want to set up a slick portfolio without having to build it from scratch, then you will want to look into the following websites. While most will allow you to sell prints, 500px, SmugMug and Photoshelter allow you to customize your portfolio. In most cases, you will need to pay a yearly fee to use their services. 1x works a little differently in that your photographs are jurried, and only the best photographs are accepted on the site. As well as providing portfolios, Photo.Net offers a wide variety of benefits.


500px	SmugMug	1x

PhotoShelter	DeviantArt	Photo.net

Group Buy – When products are sold in bulk, you get a discounted price. While Groupon and Woot are not photography specific, there are some great photography deals to be had. PhotoWhoa, while relatively new, is similar to to Groupon except that it only has photography related products and services for sale.


Groupon	Woot	PhotoWhoa

Humor – If it’s fun you are looking for, here are a few starting points. WhatTheDuck is the great photography related comic strip. PSDisasters takes pleasure in point out editing mistakes that have been published in the media. And while ProductionFail has yet to set up a website, their tweets are definitely worth looking into.


WhatTheDuck	PSDisasters	ProductionFail

Image Hosting - If you are simply looking for somewhere to host your photographs online, then have a gander at the following links. While flickr is probably the most popular, we’ve listed some other options. TweetPic is an example of a service that allows you to share images via twitter. Imgur allows you to post photographs so that they can be linked on other websites.


flickr	Picasa	PBase

PhotoBucket	TweetPic	Imgur

Law & Copyright – There are many resources to help you protect your photographs and your equipment. ImageRights will help you if any of your photographs have been infringed upon. GadgetTrack is a service which you can sign up for in an effort to return lost or stolen equipment to it’s rightful owner. IFoundYourCamera and StolenCameraFinder are services which aim to help you find lost or stolen equipment. TinEye and GoogleSearchByImage allow you to find out if your images are being used on other websites by matching them with your photographs.


ImageRights	GadgetTrack	IFoundYourCamera

StolenCameraFinder	TinEye	GoogleSearchByImage

Magazines – Photography magazines are a great source for inspiration, knowledge and photography contests. We’ve listed some of the more popular magazines below. While NationalGeographic isn’t a photography specific magazine, we feel it belongs on the list nonetheless.


PopPhoto	OutdoorPhotographer	PhotoLife

BJP	PhotoDistrictNews	AmateurPhotographer

AmericanPhoto	PhotographyMonthly	NationalGeographic

Online Shopping – If you enjoy shopping without leaving the comfort of your home, then look no further. Amazon, Ebay and DigitalRev are great places to purchase photography equipment online. Photojojo has all sorts of interesting photography gadgets while Lomography focuses on traditional film cameras.


Amazon	eBay	Photojojo

DigitalRev	Lomography

Online Storage – If you want to backup your photographs online, or transfer large files to a client, then you can look into the following services. While DropBox has traditionally been the most popular option, we would definitely recommend SugarSync. If you would like to sync photos and other information between your apple devices, then iCloud is the way to go.


SugarSync	DropBox	iCloud

Prints & Merchandising - While many photography communities offer the ability to sell your prints, here are some stand alone options. SnapFish is one of the highest rated print services in terms of customer satisfaction. Blurb allows you to create beautiful custom photo books and ebooks. CanvasOnDemand is a great place to print your photographs as large prints. We’ve been pleased with VistaPrint for customized items such as business cards, thank you notes and calendars. CafePress, Zazzle and RedBubble allow you to customize almost any type of merchandise you can think of. Are you feeling inspired yet?


SnapFish	Blurb	CanvasOnDemand

VistaPrint	CafePress	Zazzle

RedBubble

Promotional Tools – In addition to participating in photography communities, you will need to promote yourself if you want to be a successful photographer. Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are the top social media traffic drivers for this site. Photozz is a directory of all the latest and greatest photography posts on the web and will certainly drive extra traffic to your website. Pinterest has exploded in recent months and could prove useful in marketing yourself. WeFollow is a twitter directory which will help people with similar interests find you. Last but not least, if you are really committed to growing brand awareness, Google Adwords or Facebook Ads are worth looking into.


Facebook	Twitter	Google+

LinkedIn	Pinterest	WeFollow

AdWords	Photozz

Resources – ModelMayhem is a great place to meet photographers, models and make up artists. UrbanExplorerResource is a database of abandoned buildings all over the world. Panoramio shows you photographs that were taken in specific locations and therefore is a great way to find interesting subjects in your area.


ModelMayhem	UrbanExplorerResource	Panoramio

Reviews and News – You would have a hard time arguing that DPReview isn’t the best digital camera review site on the web. If you are looking for information on upcoming cameras, then the following rumor sites will keep you up to date. While we’ve tried to avoid adding individual photographer’s websites to this list, Ken Rockwell and Rob Galbraith have spent many years reviewing photography equipment. KenRockwell has some fairly intensive camera and lens reviews on his website while RobGalbraith focuses more on photographic accessories.


DPReview	CanonRumors	NikonRumors

PhotoRumors	43Rumors	SonyAlphaRumors

MirrorlessRumors	KenRockwell	RobGalbraith

Software & Plugins – Here are some of our favourite photo editing programs and plugins. PhotoMatix is our preferred HDR editing software, while NoiseNinja is awesome at removing noise in photographs. While Topaz Labs offers many plugins, TopazAdjust is great at changing the look and feel of a photograph in a matter of seconds.


PhotoShop	LightRoom	Premiere

PhotoMatix	TopazAdjust	NoiseNinja

FinalCutProX

Stock Photography – There are many stock photography sites out there. Whether you want to start selling your photographs, or need to purchase some images, here are some of the most popular options.


Alamy	GettyImages	iStockPhoto

ShutterStock	Dreamstime	Fotolia

BigStockPhoto	123RF

Tools – There are a number of tools available for photographers online. CameraSim allows you to virtually adjust camera settings to see how it affects the outcome of a photograph. CameraSize allows you to compare the physical size of digital cameras. LightingDiagrams allows you to create top down lighting setups that you can share with others. MyShutterCount allows you to upload an image to determine how many photographs you have taken with your camera. Simalarily, ShutterLifeExpectancy is a database that let’s you see how many shutter actuations other photographers have taken, as well as whether or not their camera is still operational. Decide helps you determine when it’s a good time to purchase electronics based on price trends as well as whether or not there is a next generation device upcoming.


CameraSim	CameraSize	LightingDiagrams

MyShutterCount	ShutterLifeExpectancy	Decide

Video Hosting – These are, hands down, the best two sites for video hosting. There are a lot of tutorials, podcasts and behind the scenes videos on YouTube, while Vimeo tends to focus on fully realized films.


YouTube	Vimeo

Webhosting – If you decide to use WordPress, or have your own custom website, you will need a webhosting provider. We use BlueHost for our contest site and have no complaints so far.

Update: We have removed both HostMDS and GoDaddy from our list. We do not recommend either of them.


BlueHost

Other – The following websites are not necessarily geared towards photography, but I would still consider them good photographic resources.


Wikipedia	Reddit	StumbleUpon

So… how did we do? Let us know if there are any categories or websites which you think should be on the list.

Disclaimer: PWOContests, which is listed under the Contests section, is run by PhotoWeeklyOnline Inc. Also, both the Amazon and B&H thumbnails/text have affiliate links. In other words, if you follow those links and you make a purchase, PhotoWeeklyOnline will get a small percentage of the sale (usually 2-5%) at no extra cost to you.

Protest SOPA and PIPA

Jonathan Eger — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:31:55 +0000

I don’t support piracy, but SOPA and PIPA are not the answer. You can learn more by watching the following videos.

Beware of Penny Auction Sites

Jonathan Eger — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:01:47 +0000

For the past few years Penny Auction sites have become relatively popular. You may have seen advertisements for them on websites through Google ads, or even commercials on television. In most cases they claim you can get merchandise at a fraction of the MSRP price. I won’t tell you whether or not you should participate on any of these sites, but I do want to make sure you understand how they work so that you are not misled or left disappointed.

Note: We’ve hidden the names of the bidders in the images.

How they work

Penny Auctions may vary from site to site, but the general idea is as follows. You sign up on a website and purchase “bids” which can be used in the auctions. The price of a bid varies depending on the website, but is usually somewhere between $0.50 – $1.00. When an auction starts, the purchase price of the item starts at $0.00. Users place a bid on an item they would like to win. When they do, a countdown clock begins. If someone else places a bid, then the clock restarts and the purchase price increases by a nominal amount. However, if nobody else bids on the item before time is up, the last person to bid wins the item. The winner must pay the final purchase price in order to “win” the item in the auction.

Let’s look at an example

For the following example, we decided to watch a penny auction for a Kodak PlaySport waterproof camera on the site BidHere. Below is a screenshot of the auction after it ended. We’ve added a few notes in blue.

#1 – As you can see in the image, the purchase price increases by $0.01 for every bid. The timer resets every 15 seconds providing someone has placed a bid.

#2 – This particular auction ended with the winner placing 76 bids in total

#3 – The statistic which claims the winner saved 98% off the MSRP.

Analysis – The House

First let’s break down how the house makes money. If the purchase price starts at $0.00 and increases by $0.01 for every bid placed, that means that there were 326 bids made in total. On this particular site, bids cost $0.70 each. Therefore:

326 bids x $0.70 = $228.20

Therefore the house made $228.20 on a product which is supposed to retail for $179.00. Let’s not forget that they purchased the merchandise at a lower price than what they sell it for, so I’d say they did pretty well for themselves. There may be times when the house loses money on an item, but more often than not, they are making good money. It is not uncommon for the house to make 2 times the MSRP on popular items.

Analysis – The bidders

There are two types of bidders: The person who wins the item, and those who do not.

The Winner

As we can see in the reference image (#2), the winner bid 76 times.

76 bids x $0.70 = $53.20

Therefore the final cost of the item (not including shipping if applicable) was $56.46 ($53.20 for the bids + the $3.26 final purchase price).

Paying $56.46 for a camera which retails for $179.00 is a great deal, but a far cry from the 98% discount advertised. In actuality, the winner saved 69%. Still a good deal, but intentionally misleading.

The Losers

While we can see there are 7 different people listed in the Bid History, it’s not clear how many different people bid on this item over the entire course of the auction. At bare minimum there were 6 other people bidding on the item, but chances are there were many more.

At any rate, the take away here is that while one person may have gotten a great deal on an item, there were many other people who paid money and got nothing in return.

Is it gambling?

While penny auction sites will argue they are not gambling sites, I have to disagree. In a regular auction, whether online or offline, you do not lose any money if someone beats your bid. This is not the case with Penny Auctions as you can lose money and have nothing to show for it. They may offer other incentives such as “credits towards future auctions”, but how is this any different than frequent player rewards at a casino?

One saving grace for Penny Auctions is that on certain auctions, you can put your losing bids towards the price of the item. Using the auction above as an example, if you spend $50 trying to win the item, but are unsuccessful, you can pay an additional $129 to buy the camera ($50 + $129 = MSRP of $179). Please be cautious however as this option is not available on all sites or auctions. Do your research before getting involved.

I thought I would also mention that the Better Business Bureau named Penny Auctions as one the Top Sales Scam of 2011.

Sales scams are as old as humanity, but the Internet has introduced a whole new way to rip people off. Penny auctions are very popular because it seems like you can get something useful – cameras, computers, etc. – for way below retail. But you pay a small fee for each bid (usually 50₵ to $1.00) and if you aren’t the winner, you lose that bid money. Winners often are not even the top bidder, just the last bidder when time runs out. Although not all penny auction sites are scams, some are being investigated as online gambling. BBB recommends you treat them the same way you would legal gambling in a casino – know exactly how the bidding works, set a limit for yourself, and be prepared to walk away before you go over that limit. – BBB

The Verdict

While most Penny Auctions appear to be legitimate and not a scam, they are intentionally misleading in order to gain more customers. If you are looking for some entertainment in which you might win some merchandise, then feel free to dive in. If you go in expecting it to be easy, or expecting to be able to purchase an item at a discounted price, you will most likely be disappointed.

365 Days of Clones

Jonathan Eger — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:01:47 +0000

272/365 - Troopers atop a Skyscraper

My brother, David Eger, recently completed his 365 days project in which he took a photograph of Star Wars Clone Troopers every single day for a year. In this post, we take a look back at some of the best photography themed images. For those who are interested, he will be continuing this project on a weekly basis. You can keep up to date by vising 365daysofclones or by joining his Facebook & Twitter pages.

Famous Photographs

99/365 - Galloping Trooper

94/365 - Million Trooper March

226/365 - The Kiss

145/365 - Trooper vs Trooper

201/365 - One Small Step

248/365 - Death of a Clone Trooper

275/365 - Gandhi

364/365 - Gammorean Churchill

Artwork

105/365 - Vitruvian Trooper

285/365 - Galactic Gothic

122/365 - Troopers In Voluptas Mors

Album & Magazine Covers

248/365 - Another Bounty Bites the Dust

220/365 - Abbey Road

342/365 - Imagine

Movie Posters

162/365 - B.F. (Boba Fett)

352/365 - The Adventures of FettFett

Link: 365daysofclones.com/

Photography Contests 2012

Jonathan Eger — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:00:16 +0000

It’s hard to believe another year has gone by. Fortunately that means it’s time for our list of Photography Contests for 2012. Please bookmark this page as it will be updated as contests become available. All contests are listed in order of their closing date.

We have done our best to list significant photography contests which we feel are honest, safe and well run. Unfortunately, PhotoWeeklyOnline cannot make any guarantees.The information listed below is unofficial and is meant to be a starting point for photographers looking to enter photography contests.

Please let us know if their are any other major contests that are not on the list.

Best of luck!

Black and White Spider Awards
Contest Closing Date: January 20th, 2012
Categories: Professional: Abstract, Advertising, Architectural, Fashion, Fine Art, Nature, Nude, People, Photojournalism, Portrait, Silhouette, Sport, Still Life, Wildlife
Amateur: Abstract, Architectural, Fashion, Fine Art, Nature, Nude, People, Photojournalism, Portrait, Silhouette, Sport, Still Life, Wildlife
Eligibility: N/A
Fee: Professional: $35, £20, €30 Non Professional: $30, £17, €25

Contest Link

PDN Photo Annual 2012

Contest Closing Date: January 25th, 2012 (February 12th late entry (add $10 late fee))
Categories: Advertising, Magazine/Editorial, Photo Books, Photojournalism/Sports/Documentary, Corporate Design/Photo Products, Personal, Stock Photography, Websites, Student Work, Video
Eligibility: Anyone except employees of Nielsen and their families.
Fee: Single Entry $45, Series $55, Student $25

Contest Link

Vistek Photo Contest

Contest Closing Date: February 24, 2012.
Categories: Solitude, Courage, Joy, Hope, Mystery
Eligibility: Canadian Residents who are 18 years of age or older.
Fee: N/A

Contest Link

The International Color Awards
Contest Closing Date: February 10, 2012 (early entry deadline), April 20, 2012 (early closing deadline), June 22, 2012 (final deadline).
Categories: Professional: Abstract, Advertising, Aerial, Americana, Architecture, Children of the World, Fashion, Fine Art, Food, Nature, Nude, People, Photojournalism, Portrait, Silhouette, Sport, Still Life, Wildlife
Amateur: Abstract, Aerial, Americana, Architecture, Children of the World, Fashion, Fine Art, Nature, Nude, People, Photojournalism, Portrait, Silhouette, Still Life, Wildlife
Eligibility: N/A
Fee: Professional: $35, £20, €30 Non Professional: $30, £18, €25 (discounts for multiple entries)
Contest Link

3rd Annual The Great Outdoors

Contest Closing Date: April 10, 2012
Categories: N/A
Eligibility: U.S. residents age 18 or older.
Fee: N/A
Contest Link

Nikon Small World Competition

Contest Closing Date: April 30, 2012
Categories: N/A
Eligibility: 18+, Photomicrographs must be taken using a light microscope
Fee: N/A

Contest Link

The American Landscape

Contest Closing Date: May 23, 2012
Categories: TBD
Eligibility: Legal residents of the 50 United States and District of Columbia (excluding residents of Colorado, Connecticut, Vermont, and Maryland), who are 18 years of age or older.
Fee: $20 (4 photos)

Contest Link

National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest 2012

Contest Closing Date: July 11, 2012
Categories: Travel Portraits, Outdoor Scenes, Sense of Place, and Spontaneous Moments
Eligibility: Contest is open only to individuals who have reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence at the time of entry and who do NOT reside in New Jersey, Vermont, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, the Province of Quebec, Sudan, or Syria.
Fee: $15 per entry

Contest Link

Digital Photo Pro – The Face

Contest Closing Date: September 28, 2012
Categories: Faces
Eligibility: Legal residents of the 50 United States and District of Columbia , who are 18 years of age or older
Fee: $35 (Up to 4 photos)

Contest Link

WorldWide WOW Photo Contest

Contest Closing Date: October 7, 2012
Categories: Nature, Global Travel, Capture Canada & Faces Around the World.
Eligibility: Canadians amateurs (those who derive less than 50% of his/her income from photography)
Fee: $35 each or 3 for $90.

Contest Link

Popular Photography 19th Annual Readers Photo Contest

Contest Closing Date: October 22, 2012
Categories: Action/Sports, Animals, Cities/Architecture, Landscape/Nature, Objects/Still Life, People
Eligibility: The Contest is open only to individuals who are sixteen (16) years or older at time of entry, excluding residents of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, the province of Quebec, Sudan, Syria, and any other jurisdiction where this contest is prohibited.
Fee: $10 per image

Contest Link

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Nikon Photo Contest International 2011-2012