ken zirkel

The furor across the web about microstock has largely died down, but clearly there are still people out there who are (understandably) threatened by it. The argument, most recently expressed by Kenneth Jarecke in The Online Photographer, goes something like this: Time Magazine used to pay $4,000 for a cover photo, but now they only [...]

[Read more →]

My iStock image of Pomham Rocks lighthouse was used on the cover of this street atlas of Rhode Island.

Original image here:

Somebody at American Maps must like me, since they used another of my lighthouse images on their Cape Cod street atlas.

[Read more →]

Someone on Reddit asked advice on becoming a professional landscape/wildlife photographer. I’m not a pro, but I’ve followed the industry for a few decades from a few different angles, and I have met a lot of professional photographers. Anyhow, this was my reply:
I don’t want to discourage you. I’d never want to discourage somebody young [...]

[Read more →]

Constantly look at the media all around you. Pay close attention to commercial photography; not photojournalism or art. I’m talking about photos that are used in posters and advertisements, magazine articles, travel guides, church newsletters, even (to some extent) magazine feature articles (not news), etc. What kinds of imagery are they using and why? What [...]

[Read more →]

I found myself headed for the in-laws house over Columbus Day weekend; they live in Nassau County, Long Island. My wife agreed to let me take an overnight lighthouse trip, and I decided that, starting from Nassau County, a tour of coastal New Jersey lights would be just the ticket. My timeframe was short: just [...]

[Read more →]

While browsing a bookstore in Hyannis, we came across this Cape Cod street atlas. On the cover is my iStockphoto of Nobska Lighthouse in Falmouth.

Original image at iStockphoto:

[Read more →]

In January of 2008, the NY Daily News asked if they could run a photo I took, for their print edition. “It will probably run as a thumbnail,” the photo editor said. They offered me their standard rate, which was US$150.
Last week, the Huffington Post asked if they could run a photo of mine for [...]

[Read more →]

People are always asking me what kind of point-and-shoot camera should they get. They want the best! So, I immediately start thinking of some great cams in the US$400 and up range. Then they come back with, oh, it has to be under US$150. Um, right.
So, here are the standard links I send folks when [...]

[Read more →]

Because I’m completely crazy, and because I have kids, and because I enjoy paddling sports, I was attracted to the idea of getting one of the new underwater cameras. I love my Panasonic DMC-LX3, and the Panasonic DMC-TS1 just came out, and seemed to be getting better reviews than the Olympus, so I bought a [...]

[Read more →]

My design school alma mater is calling for postcard artwork from alumni, to be auctioned off as a fundraiser for the university. It sounds like they are expecting some kind of one-of-a-kind hand-created artwork. Of course, I don’t really do that kind of thing. My art medium is photography, so I’m making some little 4×6-inch [...]

[Read more →]