Hello Readers ,
Today is a milestone for FYP, this article is the 500th article published on since we started on June 17th, 2009 with an article titled ‘New Orleans Post Katrina.’
We have come a long way since our first post, in recent times we ramped up our publication schedule to bring you new content 5 days a week (Monday through Friday). We have also revamped some old favorites like the weekly Indie Spotlight series in which we discover new photographers from around the world. Additionally, I know you will enjoy the awesome free resources that Ameena scours the internet for and publishes a summary in the Freebies column which is returning to monthly publication starting this week.  As if that wasn’t enough to keep you inspired and informed, we even added professional photographer Dawn Sanborn as our Photography Coach, feel free to ask her any photography related questions you may have from the bacic to the advanced.
While you know that we bring you exciting and inspiring content, what you may not know is that FYP exist almost entirely in the virtual world.  FYP produces an on-line photography magazine, written by a dedicated team of geographically diverse writers, that you consume in cyberspace. Our team, which almost completely spans the globe, lives in 17 different time zones and through this virtual medium we collaborate to write articles to inspire and educate you.
This month we are also bringing you articles on what to shoot when you can’t travel, another installment of the ongoing Lightroom tutorial, a review of The Photographer’s Ephemeris and many others, be sure to put us in your favorites!  We enjoy bringing you exciting new articles but we equally enjoy hearing what our readers want to see us cover. If you have a suggestion for me please leave a comment on this article and I’ll get it on the roster if we can feasibly cover your request.
While you are inspired by reading these articles don’t forget to actually get out and practice the techniques you have learned. Reading is a great refresher and knowledge booster but is no replacement for practice, the reality is you MUST get out with your camera and shoot, that is how you boost your skill. In order to encourage you we have the Weekend Photo Focus and also the FYP Monthly Photography Contest.  These are great primers but remember that photography is also a social undertaking, the majority photographers practice their craft with others or for others to appreciate (monetarily or otherwise).
One of the ways to do this is to shoot with friends or take an excursion with your spouse, partner or friend if they are photographically inclined, this was something I covered in my very first post at FYP. If you don’t have this option available to you, you probably have a some photography aficionados in your next of the woods, here is a pretty up-to-date list for the USA, of course that won’t help all of us by any means, but that is what Google is for, you could even ask around at the local camera shops. Using Google it was quite easy to locate The Barbados Photographic Society, of which I am a member and also the President. I speak of these organizations with a special love because on joining the local Society my photography has increased to the point where I have now won gold awards in photography exhibitions and my photography has improved to the point where it has literally taken me all over the world.
Exhibitions; yes i mentioned the scary E word.  For the uninitiated, the pressure of exhibiting your photographic work on the wall is daunting and the thought that it will be juried does not make it any easier. Preparing your work for exhibition is a photographer’s trial by fire but by the end of second exhibition you will find that you have a greatly increased attention to detail and a finer appreciation for what elements of your work viewers appreciate.  Photography clubs/societies often have group exhibitions in which you can participate by entering one or two pieces.
So, keep reading FYP and let us inspire you to get your camera out and roll your shutter click count higher, but just as importantly share your images with us in our Flickr group. Â Show of your work!
Don’t forget to let me know any topics or items that you’d like to see FYP cover and I also encourage you to interact with our writers, via the comments section at the bottom of each article, as they would be happy to hear from you with any questions or observations you may have.
As always, take care, and happy shooting.
– Jeremy
Editor-in-Chief
