If you have been a reader of PhotoComment Magazine from its earliest days then you may have come across – in my Final Comment column – a reference to a Podcast called TWIP (This Week in Photo). It is a fantastic podcast filled with great advice, interviews and even humour.

A few months ago the website underwent a complete revamp and having been an avid listener to the show I quickly became an avid reader of the site and participant on the forums. It is a great place to be and makes it as our Photo Website of the Week. Why not check it out and even join in the forum discussions?




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This weeks photography website is ‘Weekly Photo Tips” a blog that comes highly recommended by even some of the most prominent photographers like Scott Kelby.

A great resource for photography tips and ideas with the goal to make you a better photographer. There are some great images which as we mentioned in our Photo Tip this week, it is in browsing other photographs that we are often inspired.

Head on over to the site and enjoy.




We are excited to announce that moving forward in PhotoComment Magazine we will be getting some contributions from abroad. One such contributor is Lisa Solonynko, a Canadian based photographer. We met Lisa on a photography forum where she regularly provides input and guidance for photographers many of whom are still coming to grips with a new found hobby.

Lisa describes here blog as a “window into her personal and professional life”. It will also take you on a visual journey through her images and portfolio where you may find yourself being inspired to try something new or just see a scene in a different way.

We hope you enjoy her site and look out for her technique features in upcoming issues of PhotoComment Magazine.




Its has been an incredibly busy weekend but rather than skip our regular ‘Photo Website of the Week’ I thought I will post it late, you just can’t pass over this particular site as well. This is one of those site’s that – particularly as a new parent – is a tear jerker.

NILMDTS – or Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep is a foundation that works to bring healing to parents who know that their children will have life threatening illnesses or wont live long after birth. Rather than follow many doctors advice to not get attached to the yet unborn child, parents can go to NILMDTS where over 7000 volunteer photographers can be dispatched to the hospital etc, and take intimate portraits with family and child to show that while their life may have been short, that child was still here.




Were you at the FNB Stadium this past weekend for the big match? Even if you were not check out http://player23.co.za/fancam.php?track=fancam

The Vodacom Fan Cam Image is a 360 degree HD image of the entire stadium and all the people in it. The image takes roughly 4 minutes to capture the stadium in its entirety with 800,000 individual images being taken, the 800,000 images will then be “stitched together” to create a seamless image of the entire stadium and all the people inside it. The images were captured by Virtual Africa the company which also did the 360 degree views of all the World Cup stadiums. For more information on how they capture these great images and for more images head over to http://virtualafrica.co.za/




We love to highlight local photography websites and this week we’re picking Full Circle Photography. Marius and Michelle seem to have a passion for wedding photography which is evident in their words and images. Their website also serves as another great example of a combining a portfolio site with a blog. I am not even looking for a wedding photographer but I find myself drawn more to such sites where one almost feels like they are building a relationship without evening having met.

If you have a website of your own or any other photography site that inspires you and you wish to share it then feel free to contact us.




This week’s photography website is a local. South African photographer, Rikki Hibbert – who recently did a guest post on Recycling or Reusing Glass Jars as photo frames – is full of fantastic tips and ideas for photographers as well as some great images.

Based in Johannesburg, Rikki has images ranging across several genres including Food, Portraits and Travel, a topic that seems to be close to her heart.

Rikki’s site is a great read and visual feast, so check it out.




This weeks website is aimed at professionals and those aspiring to become professional photographers. Going Pro 2010 is an initiative by Scott Bourne and Skip Cohen aimed at reaching emerging professionals. As Scott Bourne has said concerning the project “Everyone is fighting over the same piece of pie!  We’re going to go out and make a new pie!”

The background of these two industry gurus is extensive with Skip Cohen’s CV features companies like Polaroid, Rangefinder Publishing and President of Hasselblad USA. Scott Bourne is the founder of Photofocus.com which has a blog readership of over 100,000 photographers and a podcast download 4 times that per month. Having won numerous awards and worked in many different field of photography from studio to wildlife (with bird photography as is speciality) Scott Bourne has a wealth of knowledge and experience as a working professional.

Going Pro 2010 is one of the most informative sites and podcasts around and will only offer insights into the world of professional photography.




A site I had stumbled across before some time back and recently rediscovered is DIY Photography. This site is a fantastic particularly if you dont mind getting your hands dirty and you want to save some money – like building your own background support stand out of PVC pipes – or try something new like pinhole photography, by making your own pinhole camera.

I am really excited by some of the stuff on here and we will certainly be trying some of the ideas out and giving you feedback on the site or even in the magazine. So if you are looking for a weekend project to do when you are not busy shooting, give this site a try.

If you have a favourite website why not tell us about it.




Sorry for the late post again, we got busy with the Scott Kelby World Wide Photo Walk and time has just flown past. We will post some images from that later today.

Onto our website of the week. This week our pick is 100 Cameras and the best way to share with you what they do is to share with you their mission: “100cameras identifies children living in unjust conditions and gives them cameras to document their lives. Their photo narratives are used to raise awareness and capital to meet physical needs and empower sustainable growth within their community.”




Our website for the week is PixelatedImage, the home of international photographer, David duChemin. Some of you may recall us reviewing David’s inspiring book ‘Within the Frame’ in our May 2010 issue of PhotoComment Magazine.

David’s site has two main parts, his portfolio, and his informative blog. We highly recommend his site, particularly if you need to get your motivation back on track.




Back in our September 2009 issue of PhotoComment Magazine we featured wedding photographer Christine Meintjes as the Pro Portfolio and what an enlightening read that was. For that reason we’ve made Christine’s site our pick of the week.

Christine’s site is filled with inspirational images and stories and a section dedicated to photographers.

You can follow Christine on Twitter, become a fan of her Facebook Page or go straight to her site.




This weeks website is the New York Time’s ‘Lens – Photography, video and visual journalism‘ blog. browsing the site opens up a visual feast of images that evoke emotions and communicate to the soul the stories they tell. The particular story that made us aware of this site is ‘Poverty, and Little Sympathy, in South Africa. Do yourself a favour and check it out.




The Manfrotto School of Excellence is possibly one of the most exciting websites I have come across in recent weeks. Filled with informative articles and tutorials from some of the best in the business, perhaps the best way to explain what it is all about is to share with you a brief intro from the ‘About Us’ page.

“The skills of the world’s best photographers and video operators are brought together by Manfrotto in an innovative on-line school.

Featuring: Bill Frakes, Roberto Bigano, Ami Elsius, Drew Gardner, Joe McNally, Marc de Tollenaere, Kristoff Ramon, David Duchemin, Jim Oltersdorf and Cliff Guy.

The Manfrotto School of Excellence promises to be a quality resource covering all aspects of modern photography and videography. It will focus on the most interesting topics and latest features in the sector: video and photographic equipment, techniques, the use of light, and post-production processing.”




Light Stalking must be among one of the first sites I became a follower of on Twitter and since then we at PhotoComment have grown to really appreciate their regular newsletters with useful articles and tips. Light Stalking is a great place to learn if you are just getting into photography and even for the more seasoned enthusiast.

From useful ‘how to’ articles to picture collections that inspire you are bound to find something that fits just for you. Why not check it out here.




If you are into live music and photography then this site is fantastic. I SHOOT SHOWS is Todd Owyoung’s site and is a great music photography site. Todd’s images are vibrant and full of energy and life, you actually feel like you are there.

In addition to some great images, Todd shares some great tips on how to shoot live shows and what gear to use, in fact he even has a post on what is the best compact camera to use, so there is something for everyone. It’s a great site and worth checking out, head over to http://ishootshows.com/




This week I have chosen two photographer’s blogs that are sharing a common theme. Lisa Bettany (who has a great article in the May issue of PhotoComment Magazine going live next week) is professional photographer based in Vancouver and highlights her experiences shooting with her iPhone on a recent trip when not using her Canon EOS 5D MkII.

Sean Brady is part of the CODP (College of Digital Photography) Network and shares his experience of using is Nokia cellphone to capture some images on a recent business trip to the Eastern Cape.

While their sites in general are fantastic, the particular posts mentioned above give great tips on what matters most, the images and not the gear. Check out their sites for some inspiration.

http://mostlylisa.com/blog/nyc/

http://seanbrady.codp-network.co.za/?m=1&idkey=541


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