I have spoken about the business project we have been working on in a few posts here on Pixebian.com. Well all the hard work has finally amounted to the official  opening of the website for Shutter Tours.

The company was born out of a trip my wife and I took to New York in 2008. We wanted to get out and see the city, take photos and hit all the iconic locations in New York. Problem was, none of the vehicles stopped at any locations and if you wanted to take photos, well there was the opportunity to shoot through tinted windows at 30 mph. So we started researching the idea and spent countless hours developing the format, dealing with all the paperwork and permissions required to create a tour. We also did sample walk throughs to make sure it was interesting enough and that people learned from our walk.

With a light history lesson and lessons on composition ideas and skills, Shutter Tours will be starting May 1st in downtown Seattle. If you happen to come to Seattle for a vacation or a weekend, check out a Shutter Tours walking tour designed for photographers.

One of the earliest photographs in existence sold for $62,500 at Sotheby’s auction house in New York.

The photo, which was estimated to bring in anywhere from $50,000 to $70,000, was sold to an unidentified buyer.

The 5.5-by-4-inch, black and white daguerreotype shows a New York country estate.

The half-plate daguerreotype dating from 1848 shows what was then known as old Bloomingdale Road and referred to as “a continuation of Broadway.”

As usual, the photographer will never see a penny

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Being a photographer, one is always on the look out for what others are doing to hone their craft and create images that create an impact or evoke an emotion. Seldom are there times when an image can move me to the point or creating  a lump in my throat, but one image from the Obama inauguration by Scott Strazzzante of the Chicago Tribune, did just that. His photo is both timeless, yet perfect for the times. It could have been taken last week or decades ago when Martin Luther King spoke in Washington.

Out of respect for the photographer, I’m not going to leach his image off the web, but point you to an article on Sportshooter.com to read the story behind this iconic photo that will surely be one we will see for years to come.

So as a point of discussion, what do you think creates an iconic image? Check out Nocaptionneeded.com for ideas.

So it’s the holidays, you’re at work, the boss is gone for the rest of the year and your only friend seems to be the Internet. The projects will have to wait until next year, because you just discovered Photofunia.com. This is one of the best sites I have come across in quite awhile, seriously. It is nothing more than a boost to that big ego of yours, when you see your photo on billboards, Vogue magazine and hotties dreaming of you.

The idea behind the site is to take an image of yourself and the website will insert it into all type of photos. Here are just a few examples, using a photo taken of me in Mexico after a full day of shooting.

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