You see, today is Nice Photo Mag’s 1^st birthday!

When I started Nice a year ago, I had an idea about what I wanted to say, but that idea crystallized over the past 12 months to the point where it is now. Just where is that? Thanks for asking. It’s the Why To photography magazine. There are lots of great places out in the world and on the web where you can find How To photography. Though I’m pretty pleased with my technical chops I think pretty much all of the top photo bloggers have a better handle on that angle. My strength is in the creativity department, the why I do the technical things and the creative decisions. My entire adult life the only way I’ve earned a living has been through my creative endeavors: Writing and directing TV and Features, taking portrait, documentary, and fine art photography. I’m very fortunate to get to do what I love and get paid for it, too. That was my goal growing up.

Now I have a goal with Nice, and that is to encourage other photographers and film makers to think about the medium from the creative point of view. The idea. The story. The message. I’m not trying to downplay the technical. I’m a gear head. I love tech knowledge. But technology doesn’t communicate, it’s the ideas, the stories, the art created with the technology that can topple governments, convince the world to take up a cause, or make me mum cry.

Do your favorite photographs make you feel or think? Or do you like them because they are neat looking? If you said, “Neat looking,” that’s fine. I love neat looking photographs, too. But if you want your images, the images you take, to illicit a reaction other than, “neat,” go to the library and spend a day or a week or a month looking though the photography section. Find images that aren’t just technical wonder-works, but instead cause you to feel something deep in your gut, to move you. Then start thinking about how you can make an image that would have that effect on a stranger who might look at it someday, somewhere.

It’s hard. I think it’s worth it.

Some may disagree, and after all, it is just my 2 cents, but I’d rather look at a scratched up Polaroid that tells a story than the most technically perfect photograph ever taken.

Anyhow, today Nice turns one year old. I’ve changed the drapes. I’ve gone with a hint of the past. A touch of old circus. Why? Well, it seems to me a lot about the good old days was good, or nice. Heck, they must have called it good for some reason. I mean, they had the worst depression ever and even that was the Great Depression. Now that’s the kind of attitude I’d like to share. I hope, in some way, I can make a few people’s day just a little bit more Nice.

Stay tuned. I’ve got some very interesting things planned for year 2.

Nice!

http://chsvimg.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/d90/en/d-movie/

It looks sweet to me. Sure, there are limitations, and sure, I shoot Canon, and sure if the Canon 5D follow up doesn’t have a HD movie mode I’m totally going to cry and maybe pee a little in pants like a little baby. What? I’m just being honest.

Bottom line? Being able to shoot with high quality glass, short depth of field, and almost full frame sensor at a range of ISO’s makes me get all giggly. Now I just have to wait for Canon to do it. PS: Canon, make yours full frame and shoot to uncompressed video and the world will forget you weren’t the first folks out of the gate with it. I promise.

Hugs!

Nice!

At Nice our focus falls on the motivation, the idea, the process that leads up to making a photograph rather than taking it. It’s a place to find stories related to photography from a different point of view. Photo tech tips, how-to’s, photography videos, interviews, behind the scenes, advice, opinions, and photography equipment, books, and video reviews – it’s all right here.We’ll try and keep the complaining to a minimum. If a product sucks, we’ll say so – and at volume, but mostly we’re here to have fun, share information, and maybe help a few people think about photography from a different point of view. In the end if that means they take better photographs, that would be Nice.

Though we’ve gone with a magazine format for the layout, the plan is to try and post at least a couple articles every week, so feel free to check back often. To be sure you haven’t missed any articles click the recent articles tab on the front page to see the latest 12 posts or check the archives in the lower right column for a list of posts in chronological order by month.

Thanks and welcome.

We still have a few more articles to finish before we officially announce that Nice is live, so if you found us early, please excuse the mess. We should be good to go by the 24th. Come back as often as you like as we’ll be updating regularly. Thanks!

Nice is an online magazine about the world of digital photography from a photography-as-art point of view. Whether it’s black and white photography, fashion or glamor photography, photo equipment gear reviews, digital photography tips, or articles about professional photographers, it’s always about the art of making better creative photographs.