TUTORIAL: If I Had to Start Today talk by Zack Arias

Zack Arias [link] is one of those guys I have a lot of time for and for good reasons. Like any good mentor he doesn't sugar coat things, tells you what you don't want to hear but need to and allows you to learn from their mistakes the easy way rather than the hard way.

If you wanted a starting point to thinking about starting up a photography business then contained within this talk there are some great guidelines.

In summary

1. Get an accountant!!! 
2. Know your numbers (figure out the cost of doing business)
3. There is good debt and bad debt avoid bad debt. Bad debt is that lens or body that you don't really need but would like to have etc. 
4. Get a basic, simple website (wordpress template)
5. Find your niche/market (research, research, research) 
6. Find your referral base (find the people that can connect you with people who would buy your work) 
7. Get invovled in your local community (making meaningful relationships) 
8. Hustle (get off xbox, photography forum, internet) shoot new work,  
9. Out source what you need to (focus on the stuff you do well and then outsource the stuff you suck at)

TUTORIAL: You Suck at Photoshop by Matt Bledsoe and Troy Hitch

A oldie (cut me some slack I only started this blog up three days ago and working through a serious back log of quality posting material.) but a goodie. Once again a tough call, as to whether this was better placed in the Comical category but there is a lot of solid Photoshop advice packaged in a black comedic box. The world of photoshop tutorials was ripe for a parody and Matt Bledsoe and Troy Hitch of the Big Fat Institute for Advanced Interactive Design delivered.   

Now in it's third season, you can find more in the series at his You Suck at Photoshop Youtube channel [link]Word of advice just don't recommend, it to your 8 year old who just got SC6 and want to learn how to use it.     

TUTORIAL: Pro Photographer / Cheap Camera - Chase Jarvis by DigitalRev TV

If you ever find yourself on a 40,000 dollar commercial shot with nothing but a lego camera and flash, then take a few pages out of Chase Jarvis' [link] book, it may just save the job and allay the concerned look of fear on the face of the art director. This also puts one of Chase's mantras to the test that the best camera is the one that is with you [link].

This is but one of many Pro Photographer / Cheap Camera series presented by Kai Wong [link] and the DigitalRev TV Crew [link] so check the rest out. 

COMICAL: Smoking Strobes Onelight Clamshell Lighting Tutorial by Michael Zelbel

I didn't really know whether to put this one of but many great Smoking Strobes lighting tutorials [link] by Michael Zelbel (if that really is your real name) [link] in the comical or the tutorial category, due to their ever so subtlety subversive presentation of technically correct information. His like the Ali G of the photography tutorial game poking fun of the authoritative photographer as youtube personality and lets be frank they are a dime a dozen these days. Having said that there is actually a lot of solid and technically correct advice.

COMICAL: Photoshop Tutorial Rap by College Humor

The crew at College Humor [link] and their seemingly endless pots of gold have done it again with a rap inspired photoshop tuturial that is both eye popping catchy and educational. Mark Galer [link] the gauntlet has been thrown down good sir, the gauntlet has been thrown.

I know you're asking how could this get any better right? Well they did a sequel, although I have to admit it's hard to buck the age old adage of the orginal is always the best. Case in point.

TUTORIAL: It's All About the Jaw by Peter Hurley

Los Angeles based photographer Peter Hurley [link] is well qualified to be articulating the finer points of the headshot, including this handy little snippet. Just remember it's all about the jaw.  

TUTORIAL: Autofocus Fine Tuning by easy exposure

Is your cameras autofocus spot on? 

A very informative, comprehensive and easy to understand tutorial on autofocus fine tuning, by Easy Exposure [link]. You may have the best lens and camera combination that money can buy, but if the auto focus is off by a smidgen, kiss the sharpest possible eyes goodbye in that textbook portrait (using a Canon 85mm f1.2 shooting at f1.2) kind of way (assuming here you are using autofocus (if you are using manual focus well it's you not the camera so get your eyes checked [link] and or diopter adjusted [link] )). You owe it to your paying customers to be spot on each time and until Lytro [link] comes out with a more professional grade model that doesn't make you look like you are shooting the entire campaign on a mobile phone or a new focal plane shifting tool ships with CS7 you better get with the program.