Articles by: Hanna Brooks Olsen

[caption id="attachment_10180" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo by Paul Reynolds via Flickr[/caption] Before there was the despited-yet-beloved, maligned-yet-embraced phenomenon known as the selfie, there was the self-portrait, which was actually a highly respected art from practiced by some of the greatest photographers and artists in history. Throughout the decades, self-portraits have allowed photographers to practice taking pictures of the human form, to experiment with their tools, and to challenge our idea of what portraiture can be.

[caption id="attachment_10143" align="alignnone" width="620"] Image via Flickr[/caption] As we've previously established, color has a profound impact on everything from how we respond to pieces of media to our physical health. Color can drive our behavior, change the way we think about about a product, or even help us fall asleep at night.

[caption id="attachment_7138" align="aligncenter" width="620"] By Kristian Karlsson[/caption] In the era of the freelance economy, writers, designers, and other creatives are increasingly more able to choose where they want to live based on their preferences, rather than where the work is. But for photographers, it's a little different — after all, unlike designers, who can work offsite most of the time, photographers have to actually be where the work is, whether it's a commercial job, a wedding, or a sweeping outdoor landscape.

[caption id="attachment_10079" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo via Flickr[/caption] In the broadest definition of the words, the difference between a professional and an amateur lies not in the action of doing a thing or performing a service, but rather, whether or not clients are willing to pay for that thing or service. An amateur does something for fun, and they don't get paid.

[caption id="attachment_10059" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo by Maria Elena via Flickr[/caption] Blogging in and of itself isn't a highly lucrative pursuit for most creative entrepreneurs -- instead, it's an important part of their overall marketing and SEO strategy, which is a great reason to do it. However, if you're very savvy and also have the potential to sell digital products, like ebooks, crafting patterns, MP3s, or other goods which can be delivered and consumed via the internet, it's not that difficult to put your blogging skills to real work and start turning a profit.

[caption id="attachment_10036" align="alignnone" width="608"] Photo via Sue Bryce/Instagram[/caption] As we approach the holiday season, if you're even remotely handy with a camera, you're probably already preparing for the inevitable moment when you wind up behind one, trying to get all seven of your aunts and uncles to smile like they mean it. Family photos, portraits of the kids in their new clothes, or candids of everyone bustling around -- during this time of year, your subjects are probably less likely to be professional models, and more likely to be related to you.

[caption id="attachment_10016" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Sal Cincotta[/caption] Terrible customer service experiences are so common -- and so commonly frustrating -- that websites like Yelp and Urban Spoon rely on them for their business. Because, of course, very few people have such blindingly good experiences that they merit a review.

It's my culture. It's where I come from.