Hop on this photo a day for 365 Project that Zack Arias (previously featured) is working on. There’s some really good stuff so far! Like many photographers, he’s trying to push himself, to get out of a rut and onto the creative edge.

I am wanting this year to be a benchmark year in my life as a photographer. I feel as though I have been hitting a glass ceiling for a few years as far as my creativity goes. I preach the importance of shooting, shooting, shooting yet I get so busy in life I forget to practice what I preach. I’m married, we have four kids, and a busy studio to keep going in addition to teaching. If I’m going to grow I have to be creating work. The 365 project model is perfect for this.

Check out the latest posts (updated automatically):

burn is an evolving journal for emerging photographers. They publish new stories or singles at least three times per week from submissions they receive from up and coming photographers. David Alan Harvey, a Magnum photographer and mentor, curates the work shown on the blog, which draws lots of commentary from viewers. In describing the idea behind burn, he writes:

My whole philosophy of teaching and mentoring is based on the theory that I will be of most value to emerging photographers because I am very much a working photographer. I am constantly creating books for myself, planning exhibitions, printing for collectors, proposing and shooting magazine assignments, and do the occasional advertising shoot. Because of this NOW experience , it is quite easy for me to relate to the world of younger photographers who may benefit from my editing and expertise, yet know full well that I struggle with the environs of a fickle publishing world as do they.

Not only is burn about mentoring emerging photographers and publishing their work, there is also an emerging photographer grant given out each year to support personal projects. Check out the latest posts, and be prepared for inspiration (updated automatically):

Nancy Ray, an up and coming photographer from Raleigh, North Carolina, shoots weddings and portraits. I could tell you all about her blog and her classic style that gives you a feeling of warmth and comfort, but I’ll let the over 40 emails that came in from our recommendations page do the talking:

Nancy Ray Photography is a blog I love to follow! She never disappoints. – Jo E.

I’m pretty sure I check for Nancy’s blog every single day! I love it! Her photography is fantastic and beautiful just like her heart. EVERYONE should check it out. -Daryl M.

I absolutely LOVE Nancy Ray’s blog! She motivates me and inspires me not only with what she writes but of course all her photos! – Debbie M.

Boy have I got a great photographer for you! I myself enjoy photography as a hobby but love finding other photographers that capture the glorious moments of life! Nancy Ray is a by far my favorite photography blog that I have found. Her photos and lovely commentary of life in this blog just makes my day a little more joyful and bright. I get a giddy feeling everyday to go online and check and see if there is a new post! Nancy Ray is pure joy. – Stephanie D.

Nancy Ray is one of the most genuinely sweet photographers I know! Every individual I have ever talked to after having a session with Nancy already loves her! Her sweet spirit and winning personality definitely carry over into her blog. When I read her blog, my breath is not only taken away by her photos but I feel like I am sitting in her apartment having a cup of coffee with her. -Sarah F.

Nancy Ray is not only an amazing photographer, but she is such a beautiful person inside and out! It is fun to read about her life and art through her blog and get a glimpse of her work! She has taken my family’s portraits for the last two years, as well as taken my maternity portraits. She is fun, professional, sweet, creative and a truly genuine person! I highly recommend her for her work as well as her blog for a great read! – Kellan V.

You get the idea. Go check her blog, and you can see her most recent posts here (updated automatically):

Stacy Reeves, Dallas-born and based, has a keen eye for vintage/modern photographs and shares lots of them from all her shoots on her blog, stacyreeves.com. She prides herself on helping people move past their insecurities and feel beautiful. In addition to inspiring photos, she shares lots of great business resources for photographers, including a well-though-out Photographers Pricing Guide. Check out her latest posts (updated automatically):

I’ll start off by saying Pete Souza doesn’t have a blog (as far as I could find). He does however have one of the coolest jobs any photojournalist could hope for. He’s the Chief Official White House Photographer for President Obama. When I discovered he posts photos to Flickr, I got excited.  Souza is on an extended leave of absence from Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication where he is an assistant professor of photojournalism. He has worked as an Official White House Photographer for President Reagan, a freelancer for National Geographic, and as the national photographer for the Chicago Tribune based in their Washington bureau.  Souza’s book, “The Rise of Barack Obama,” was published in July 2008 and includes exclusive photographs of the Senator’s rise to power. Souza extensively documented Obama’s first year in the Senate and accompanied Obama to seven countries including Kenya, South Africa and Russia. The book was on the New York Times bestseller list for five weeks.

So while Souza isn’t a blogger, any photojournalist looking for inspiration will be excited to see an inside peak at White House life through the official White House photostream on Flickr.

As a well known commercial photographer with a successful business, Chase Jarvis’ blog is a must for anyone looking for some inspiration.  He reviews new gear, discusses developing your creativity, lists great stuff from around the web and more.  And one of the most interesting and inspiring pieces on his blog is the collection of photos posted from his iPhone.  Check out the latest posts (updated automatically):

BAGnewsNotes is a progressive blog dedicated to visual politics, the analysis of news images and the support of ‘concerned’ photojournalism. It is run by Michael Shaw, a Clinical Psychologist, writer, analyst of visual journalism and interpreter of political images.  “The BAG” offers a daily semiotic analysis of news and political images from a political, cultural or psychological point of view, and is also a platform for original social photography and photojournalism. It’s a great resource of photojournalists, especially for the more introspective moments when we take a look at what we’re doing and ask if we’re on the right track.

My aim is to provide a much more direct; far larger; less rarified; more expedient; and profoundly less commercialized or compromised channel between the visual and written narrative of the photographer on one end, and the concerned audience on the other.

In a typical post, a photo is presented, details within the photo are highlighted—isolated and pulled out for examination and discussion. The discussion then moves on to speculate beyond these details and explore the “story” within the image as it relates to a fact, meaning, message, or understanding within a specific context (media, politics, culture, religion, etc.) or framework (psychological, sociological, anthropological, technological).  Some posts are “investigative” in nature, where information is extracted from a photo that is newsworthy in itself, raises questions or sheds light on a political story, or provides an insight on political relationships or media practices.

While the process of photo analysis begins in the post, it is continued in the comment thread. BAGnewsNotes is like a daily seminar: the comment thread becomes an important supplement to the post, and many commenters are regular visitors to the site.  Check out the latest posts (updated automatically):

Zack Arias is an Atlanta-based full time editorial photographer with a specialty in press and publicity photography for the music industry. On his blog he shares photos from his shoots, gear and gadgets and a regular podcast of photo critiques of other photographer’s websites.  His style of writing is down to earth and easy to relate to, as evidenced in his story of getting back into photography:

My first run at being a freelance photographer left me heavily in debt and placed my family on the edge of destruction which eventually tipped right on over despite all attempts to keep that from happening. I came to a place in my career that required me to put the cameras down and take a “job.” After two years of leaving the cameras and selling them off to pay rent and fix beater cars, I was given a chance to come back as a second shooter for a friend of mine who shoots weddings. I took a D100 that he bought me, a 285 flash, an ample amount of faith, and quit my job at Kinkos in October of 2003. I was determined to do things differently this time around.

His minimalist approach to photography turned into a workshop in 2005 that he now teaches nationwide. It has become so popular that dates for the workshop regularly sell out months in advance.  As of this post, dates for 2009 are not announced, but be sure to check the OneLight website for more details.  And something I find interesting is that he his a dual shooter – carrying both Canon and Nikon equipment in his bag!  Check out the latest posts (updated automatically):

“1854 brings you a daily dose of photographic news, from the latest gear to the best exhibitions to the best insights on ongoing and upcoming trends in the industry. 1854 is written by the editors of the British Journal of Photography, the world’s oldest photography magazine.”

That pretty much sums it up. I read this blog for a daily dose of photo news covering pretty much everything a photographer would be interested in.

Check out the latest posts (updated automatically):

Doug Menuez is an award-winning documentary photographer based in New York City. His more than 25 years in the business has varied from photojournalism to commissioned work and personal fine art book projects. He’s fascinated with finding the balance between art and commerce, evidenced in a post about a commercial campaign for Emirates Airline that allowed him to “get paid to shoot what [he] love[s] and would be shooting anyway”. He also shares his sources of inspiration and people who’ve influenced his career, but it was his post on the Zen of Film vs. Digital Gratification that really got me hooked.

Mulling it over, I couldn’t articulate it fully but definitely, I knew I had become lazy, really lazy. A spectacular sloth by the standards of shooting film. Film is hard. Film is a stone cold unforgiving killing bastard. Film is once in a lifetime, no excuses. F8 and really, really be there: ready, steady, in focus, correct exposure, and pressing the shutter in sync with life.

If you’re trying to make money and do what you love (shoot photos, tell stories, whatever you call it), Doug Menuez 2.0 is definitely a resource for inspiration. Check out the latest posts (updated automatically):