Smashing Magazine Presents My Free Textures

Smashing Magazine, a popular blog which covers all things graphical and webby, has just published a huge swath of free textures. Of the 2000 they received, they chose to display one of mine -- woo hoo!. In the nature section you can find "Seeds". Or link directly to a zip that includes a high resolution version you are free to use in your own work.

It may not be obvious, but that file has three other royalty-free textures as well -- bonanza! Read on for more info and some critique.

Ricoh Lenses On Pentax Cameras -- The Ricoh Pin Fix

Out on the interweb thingie there are horror stories of people who got an old manual focus lens stuck on their Pentax cameras. Actually, there are not too many stories, but it only takes one or two for the fear to set in. Pentax are known for having the most compatible lens mount in SLR history. So the thought of a lens that not only doesn't fit but in fact might damage your camera is scary. Here I'll show you how to recognise such lenses and actually fix them. Banish your fears and read on!

A Short Music Rights Primer

I'm involved in a local compilation of electronic music, by way of being selected as a contributor. Along the way certain questions have come up about music law, so I thought I'd explain the facts as I know them, with the usual proviso that I am not a lawyer and have never played one on TV, etc., etc. This article will be from the perspective of you, a composer and musician, releasing your first song on a brand new CD compilation.

There are several distinct issues: copyright, performing rights, mechanical rights, cover versions and sampling. I'll explain these as simply as possible -- full details by following the links.

250 Photography Themes

Stuck for photo inspiration? In a rut? Why not pick a specific theme to focus your attention? Sometimes limitations are good. Read on for over 250 photo themes to get your gears turning again. Pick one at random and go out and shoot with that theme in mind.

The Past Six Months... And The Next

It's hard to believe that it's been over six months since I've updated my category pages. In that time I've written thirty articles that were not properly indexed. Even when I think I'm not paying enough attention to this blog I end up writing more than an article a week. Here's where I catch up on the latest changes.

Using Email In The Twenty-First Century

I often end up explaining to my web development clients about how best they should use email. To those without a great deal of experience it can be a confusing area. In this article I will explain about the types of email applications and which is best to use.

You've Bought A Camera... Now Buy These

Sixth in a series that gently explains digital photography and makes helpful recommendations.

It would be nice if buying a Pentax camera gave you everything you need to start shooting. But no, the camera kit is only the beginning. In this article I present a checklist of accessories you might need -- or absolutely must have. This article will be oriented towards the K100D Super I've discussed previously. But most of the points apply to most cameras.

Any Web Stores For European Photographers?

Maybe you can help me. I am looking for a website (or software that can integrate with a website) suitable for a European photography storefront. This should allow integration with my own domain name and complete self-branding, as well as all the usual features one might expect (eg: organisation into albums and collections, access control, integrated shopping cart). As far as merchandise goes, I am happy with a simple high-quality print service, though everyone seems to do key chains and mugs these days. The goal is simple: I want my clients to be able to see my work and order prints easily off a website.

Fake Post-Punk Record Sleeves

I've been having fun cooking up record sleeves for various post-punk bands, using photos I've taken recently. For fun, guess which artists these covers represent. The songs are all real, though I tried to pick ones that do not have existing record covers, likely because they were never released as singles. Mousing over the image will reveal the answer.