So, you know Zack Arias, right? He's taught two workshops here at creativeLIVE? The first one was a Studio Lighting workshop and the second was on the Foundations of a Working Photographer? Maybe? He's the photographer with the beard? There ya go.

Anyways, at the end of Zack's Foundations of a Working Photographer workshop I took his portrait using bits of what I learned from his first workshop and bits of what he told me right then and there. I kinda had the light where I wanted it, but I didn't quite get the effect that I wanted. Zack picked up the light stand and without looking set it back down. I snapped the picture again and the picture on the left is basically SOOC. He knows his stuff.

After taking his picture, learning more about lighting, and growing my beard out for a couple months I decided I was going to repay Zack by shooting his doppelgänger. Me.

Happy holidays from everyone at creativeLIVE! As a way to say thank you for being an awesome community of creatives, we have a special gift for all of you. We're replaying popular segments from our 2011 workshops! Every two hours through the end of the year, catch the best of creativeLIVE on the live feed: creativeLIVE.com/live

Plus, get 20% off ANY course. Use the coupon code CL2011 at checkout to receive 20% OFF the regular price of ANY creativeLIVE workshop! Use for as many courses as you'd like! This special deal expires December 31, 2011. Don't miss out.

Last week I came across this video when looking into iPhone accessories for Jack Hollingsworth's upcoming iPhoneography workshop on creativeLIVE January 5-6, 2012. I'm super impressed by the CineSkate Camera Sliders as well as the fact that the company was started with a Kickstarter campaign. They are spot on with the notion that, "Video quality is no longer limited by resolution, but instead by stabilization." I enlisted some filmmaker friends to help me hunt down the most innovative HDDSLR gadgets and accessories on the market today. Here are some of their favorites along with demo videos I rounded up: 

First let me introduce myself. My name is Matthew Kunce and I am a relatively new photographer. I got my first DSLR mid-year 2010 and discovered a passion for photography. Since that time I have been teaching myself photography in any way that I can: reading books & blogs, watching videos, taking pictures, participating in creativeLIVE events. The method that has helped me grow the most in photography is self-assignments.

While I did spend a good deal of time taking pictures of whatever I could it was not until I started setting goals around certain skills and deliberately practicing those skill that I started to feel more comfortable in my photography skills. It helped me see and understand the concept I was working on with more clarity. Setting self-assignments helps you focus on what you want to learn. And then gives you a basis to review what you did, how you did and what you need to work on next.