And The Winner Is.....

Last Friday  I ended the Twitter contest for a free colormunki calibrator.  The winner was announced on Twitter but I neglected to post it here on my blog.  I am proud to announce at this time that Niall Cytryn from San Francisco won and will hopefully be sending me a photo of himself with his new colormunki to post here on my blog.

Thanks again to everyone who entered and stay tuned for more contests to win great photo prizes.  The next Twitter contest is coming soon!

Always Dream Big!

Summer School

What will you do to enhance your career in photography this summer?

Come join me in Vegas this summer with a host of amazing photographers as we each share our knowledge on becoming a better photographer.  From July 31st - August 3rd, 2011 you can learn from Clay Blackmore, Scott Bourne, Bambi Cantrell, Skip Cohen, Tony Corbell, Bob Davis, Jules Bianchi and Joy Bianchi Brown, Doug Gordon, Jerry Ghionis, Kevin Kobota, Tamara Lackey, Vincent Laforet, Bobbi Lane, Roberto Valenzuela and yours truly!

To learn more about this and to register go to Skips Summer School!  I hope to see you all there!

Always Dream Big!

How to Become a Photographer

25 Years ago I worked as a photo assistant and everything I know today is came from my experience working as a photo assistant.   Assisting was the single best thing I did to advance my career.

I remember being in class and a professor saying, "the best photographers in the world are in New York City, Paris and London.  If you want to be the best go to one of those places".  I left school and went to assist in New York and the rest is history.

Next week in Los Angeles I will join forces with fellow photographers Astor Morgan, Brian Smith and others to help give instruction, inspiration and more to the next generation of photo assistants.  If you are interested in joining us for this two day event next Saturday and Sunday please register at www.APA-LA.com.  

For more information on this event check out the Face book page here!

I hope to see you next week!

Dreaming Big

One of our biggest gifts in life is free will.   Free will gives us the ability to do great things if we just dream big.  No matter how things in your life are at any given time we have the ability of reversing them if things are not going our way by simply changing our thoughts and dreaming bigger.   Today is my birthday and I happy because each day brings new possibilities.  As a photographer the possibilities are endless and if we all dream bigger we can achieve anything we wish for.  It all first starts with a dream!

This past weekend I spoke in Banff, Canada and talked to my audience about the importance of dreaming big.  The dreamers of the world are the one's who change the world and photographers who dream big can change the course of photography.  The only thing that is certain, besides taxes and death is change.  Everything we know now will change and it's the dreamers of the world that will make that change.

Dreaming big is the first step.  The next step is to take immediate action in making your dreams a reality.  Don't worry about how silly or crazy your idea's may seem, the important thing is to act right away.  Remember at one point flying was impossible, as was making an automobile or sending man to the moon.  All these ideas and more started with a dream and then unfolded as those dreamers took immediate action.  When you have an idea, write it down, then sketch it out so you can take the images in your mind and turn them into something tangible that you can see and touch every day.  Once you can see your vision in this manner the rest stats to come to you as the universe helps you bring your dreams to life.

Here is a great clip in helping you achieve your dreams:  http://youtu.be/KshMNvZuCXs

You still have time to win a free Colormunki calibrator.  To enter follow these simple rules:

Follow these simple steps:

1. Follow Matthew_JordanS on Twittter
2. Follow PPOC_BC on Twitter
3. Tweet the following message EXACTLY

#JoyofPhotography - Check out the new MJS blog and be Entered to win a FREE colormunki calibrator http://bit.ly/dNjmMV

THE COMPLETE RULS

1. You must be 18 or older to enter.
2. You must be following Twitter.com/Matthew_JordanS and Twitter.com/PPOC_BC
3. You must send out the above tweet EXACTLY as it appears - failure to do so will disqualify you - DO NOT put the @ symbol in front of either name of anywhere in the Tweet.
4. The prize will be awarded on Friday, April 22nd at Noon PST and announced via the blog and Twitter.

Always Dream big!

TWITTER CONTEST

The only way to ensure you get the best color in your photographs is to have a calibrated monitor.  This week I will help one lucky person win a FREE colormunki calibrator and open the door to incredible color.
The Twitter contest starts now and runs until Friday, April 22nd at 12noon PST.  Follow the rules below and your could win.

To select the winner we will keep a record of each tweet in a database and use a random number generator to select the winner.  Due to the volume of requests, we cannot answer any questions about the contest on Twitter or via email. Good luck!


The contest will be announced at Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC) in Banff, Alberta this weekend, but you can get a head start and enter today!  Its as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Follow these simple steps:

1. Follow Matthew_JordanS on Twittter
2. Follow PPOC_BC on Twitter
3. Tweet the following message EXACTLY

#JoyofPhotography - Check out the new MJS blog and be Entered to win a FREE colormunki calibrator http://bit.ly/dNjmMV

THE COMPLETE RULS

1. You must be 18 or older to enter.
2. You must be following Twitter.com/Matthew_JordanS and Twitter.com/PPOC_BC
3. You must send out the above tweet EXACTLY as it appears - failure to do so will disqualify you - DO NOT put the @ symbol in front of either name of anywhere in the Tweet.
4. The prize will be awarded on Friday, April 22nd at Noon PST and announced via the blog and Twitter.

Want Great Color?

The only way to ensure you get the best color in your photographs is to have a calibrated monitor.  This week I will help one lucky person win a FREE colormunki calibrator and open the door to incredible color.
The Twitter contest starts now and runs until Friday, April 22nd at 12noon PST.  Follow the rules below and you could win.

  
To select the winner we will keep a record of each tweet in a database and use a random number generator to select the winner.  Due to the volume of requests, we cannot answer any questions about the contest on Twitter or via email. Good luck!


The contest will be announced at Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC) in Banff, Alberta this weekend, but you can get a head start and enter today!  Its as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Follow these simple steps:

1. Follow Matthew_JordanS on Twittter
2. Follow PPOC_BC on Twitter
3. Tweet the following message EXACTLY

#JoyofPhotography - Check out the new MJS blog and be Entered to win a FREE colormunki calibrator http://bit.ly/dNjmMV

THE COMPLETE RULS

1. You must be 18 or older to enter.
2. You must be following Twitter.com/Matthew_JordanS and Twitter.com/PPOC_BC
3. You must send out the above tweet EXACTLY as it appears - failure to do so will disqualify you - DO NOT put the @ symbol in front of either name of anywhere in the Tweet.
4. The prize will be awarded on Friday, April 22nd at Noon PST and announced via the blog and Twitter.

Always Dream Big!

The Making of Iconic

The Future of Photography

This past weekend I spent time with some amazing new photographers.  Students from Yale, Columbia, Pratt, CW Post, FIT, Parsons, NYU, NY Film, SVA, ICP and RIT came together to work on a project with Sony and the Aperture Gallery in New York City.   The students had to go out and photograph images that spoke to "The Culture of Now".  For some it was a challenge, but for others they really put thought into the project and created stunning images.

This project started on the west coast the first weekend in April and then concluded on the east coast the second weekend in April.  I was joined by three other photographers in Los Angeles and New York to help guide the participants through the process.  My fellow photographers in Los Angeles included, Andy Katz, Christina Goettsch Mittermeier and Brian Smith.  In New York City I was joined by fellow photographers Andy Katz, Brian Smith and Sylvia Plachy.  Together we gave direction, inspiration and guidance to students through the process of weaving their voice and style into the assignment.  The process was broken up in three parts.  A meet and greet on the first evening, followed the next day by all day shooting and ending on the third day with an edit session and time with three key individuals from the gallery side to critique and narrow down the selections.  The images selected will end up in a group show the end of June at the Aperture Gallery in New York City.    Congrats to all of the students and I wish you all the best.

Always Dream Big!

The Culture of Now

I just landed in New York for a project I am so proud to be a part of.  The Aperture Gallery, in conjunction with Sony, are in the midst of sponsoring an incredible event.  Photography students from all over the country are shooting images to be a part of a group exhibit this summer in New York City.  Last weekend students on the west coast shot for this theme, and tomorrow students from Yale, Pratt, CW Post, FIT, Parsons, NYC, NY Film, SVA, ICP, RIT and Columbia will take part in this incredible project.

I will tweet photo's throughout the day so come follow us and see tomorrow's shining stars in action.  Follow the shoot by going to Twitter.com/Matthew_JordanS.

East Coast Photo Students

Ten Ways to Photograph Woman

There are many ways to photography women, but to truly master the art you must go deeper than simply thinking about lights and camera's.  Just as one light is not right for everybody, every aperture is not right for everybody.  By doing simple test you can determine the perfect aperture to use in different situations to complement your subjects to look their best.  In the new video download, Ten Ways to Photograph Women, several options are explored to create stunning images.  The video also includes exercises to help you determine your best lens, light and aperture for photographing women.  The download is availabe at such a low cost it's a sin not to learn these priceless lessons 

Download:  Ten Ways to Photograph Women 

The Joy of Teaching Photography

Years ago I taught a class on photography at SVA, the School of Visual Arts in New York City.   I taught the class along with a good friend of mine Kwaku Alston.  I didn't know it at the time but it would change my life in many ways.  I fell in love with sharing my knowledge of photography because of this story.

Our photo class was filled with students but there was only two black students, and we wondered why so few minorities were interested in photography.   Out of all the students one student seemed uninterested, and it bothered us because he was the only Black male student in the class.  As the semester went along we saw him start to change little by little but the entire semester I never knew if we'd made a connection.

At the end of the semester SVA held a gallery event where the students displayed their best work.  I was so happy to view Kareem Black's work and see his growth and just as I was smiling on the inside I heard Kareem come up with his parents and say, "there they are!  I turned to see Kareem and his parents and they were all beaming with joy.  Kareem's parents said, "he has talked about you guys every day.  Thank you!  I was in shock!  I had no idea we were getting through until that moment.  His parents told Kwaku and I what an impact we had on their son and I can't explain the joy I felt inside.   I was so happy and proud to be a part of Kareem Black's life and even now I am proud to watch his career blossom.  I watched him transform in front of my eyes in one semester and today he is represented by one of the most prestigious agents in New York City.

I fell in love with sharing knowledge during that semester at SVA, and even though my schedule does not permit time to teach in the traditional manner I can still teach via my lectures, my wonderful sponsor, Sony and via my instructional video's.

Today, I am proud to share this video of my ex-student turned professional photographer:




If you are interested to learn more about photography or know of someone who is interested in photography please introduce them to the downloadable video's aimed at teaching and improving the art of photography.

Link:  Downloadable Photography Videos

Headed to Banff Canada

There is so much going on this month!  The Professional Photographers of Canada, (PPOC) is having their convention, in Banff, Canada this year and I am one of the speakers along with my friend, Art Wolfe from "Travels to the Edge", Jim DiVitale and many more.

On Saturday, April 16th I will conduct a full day class on How to Excel as a Photographer.  Seating is limited so book now.  On Sunday, April 17th I will give a keynote speech from 9:00 - 11:00 AM on The Art of Making Great Photographs.  For more information check out the site by clicking the link below.

Link:  PPOC

Today there are great photo related articles in Pixiq so make sure you check out this amazing site!

$750,00.00 a Year!

Would you like to make 750,000.00 a year or 1,750,000.00 per year?  We learn something new every day if we open our minds to all the great information that is available to us.   This morning I started my day off as usual by going through my morning activities which include listening tos Napoleon Hill speak to me.  As I listen I try to apply this knowledge to my photography business as well as my life.
 Today I'd like to share Napoleon Hills words with you again here.



This weekend, I took part in an amazing photography project with photo students from the west coast.  The project is sponsored by the Aperture Gallery and Sony and I am so thankful to them for giving me this opportunity.  The three other photographers involved in this project were Brian Smith, (my brother), Andy Katz and Christina Mittermeier.  This weekend some of us will travel to New York to work with Sylvia Plachy to do the same with photography students from the east coast.  Stay tuned for more info, photos and more on this in the coming days!

Have a great week!

How to Photograph the Female Nude

The most important element in photographing nudes is shape.   Finding the perfect form is only the beginning when creating stunning nudes.  Lighting, choice of lens and much more are key elements in bringing the nude to life successfully.

In my latest video:  Ten Ways to Photograph Women I explore many ways to photograph woman ranging from boudoir, glamour and much more.

To practice creating great nudes take a trip to an area like Death Valley and capture the beauty of the sand dunes.  Once you learn how light creates some of the most beautiful images around from the sand dunes you can make stunning nudes.

Enjoy April Fools Day and have a great weekend!  If you are a baseball fan, good luck to the Philadelphia Phillies, the Cubs, Chicago White Socks, Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins!