http://blog.iamnikon.com/en_GB/tag/abstract-macro-photography/

As stated above this is the Nikon Blog. Here one will find loads of information about Nikon cameras and what people do to get the magnificent photos they get. Myself , I am interested in abstractions of nature and macro abstraction. This site gives great advice and real life applications. There are many categories to chose from like subjects to shot and equipment to use.sorry so short ran myself out of time but please feel free to check this site out

For my chosen professional blog post, I choose Splice blog. You can find it here at this link. https://splice.com/blog/category/splice-news/

I choose this blog because it focusses mainly on music production and related news, which is what I might be interested in doing someday. The site features all kinds of production tools, tutorials and tips on how to do certain production techniques, as well as what they mean, news relating to music and music production, artist interviews, and some interesting videos. The site doesn’t have a whole lot of videos yet.

The website is very nicely laid out, making it easy to locate posts. Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be a search bar yet, so the user can’t lookup specific posts. The site seems to have been created in 2014, so I’d say it’s still fairly new. The website is also very clean looking and organized. Nothing seems too cluttered and the posting all seem well written out.

One really good resource I found from this site is the different kinds of tutorials you can find. Although there’s not a lot, the ones that are posted provide a ton of information to get one started. There 101 series for example. https://splice.com/blog/effects-101-reverb-explained/. This post talks about what reverb is, all the different kinds of reverb, and the best reverb practices. Lots of information while still being short and sweet.

For me wanting to know and get into music production, this is a good starting blog to find out tads of information about the industry and the practices. Of course if someone wants to find out more, they are always free to check out other sites or various videos. This blog might not have all of the information one might hope for, but it’s still very good.

-By Tyler Plummer

Skate Daily is a blog site that provides news and videos regarding skateboarding. They categorize all posts with dates to help organize the massive amount of information they have on the site. Skate Daily has skate videos that I enjoy watching and they provide great information regarding the video, like who is in the video, where it was shot, and the date.

To me this is a great resource for someone like me to find a focused area in which to see cool skate videos.
The site has a cool layout that is targeted towards others interested in skateboarding and it really shows in the design. It is a bit messy but that does not bother me (or the target audience). It is produced well because it knows its strengths, focus on detailed explanations of videos and knowledgeable information regarding skateboarding and that makes it interesting.

The quality of the information is simple but very easy to understand. Most of the posts are about videos or upcoming contests. One recent post is the results of a contest as well as the list of contestants provided below a video of highlights. Some posts are about news regarding certain companies involved in the skate community. One post by Bryce Kanights talks about “Vans Pro Skate Park Series Announces Partnership With International Skateboarding Federation”. These are cool topics I like reading about.

In my opinion the site is very cool and very much focused on bringing skate content to those interested or involved. I started skating very recently and enjoy seeing pros and amateurs landing or trying new tricks. Hopefully one day I could possibly write for this site and/or see my own skate videos featured on the site.

Skatedaily.net

Into Car’s? Check This Blog Out:

Link:  http://www.autoblog.com/

What I Like:

1. Layout
2. Car Search Of A Preferred Vehicle
3. Blog Search By Writer

I find myself a lot on this blog. I like the fact that you can go to this blog and search for any review or video on car’s you want to know about. This is a great site for information,such as their test drive’s, rating’s, and comfort. Many of the blogger’s on this site like to review the comfort of the vehicle. For example, the great part of AutoBlog is that you are able to get 360′ degree view of the interior, and view other people’s review’s/comments on any type of vehicle you desire. This is just a few of many more resourses this blog site has to offer for the average car guy or girl. Autoblog to me looks very well put togther. It seem’s to me that it is a porfessional grade blog site. Many people/bloggers have key factor’s that make this blog run everyday. This lead’s me to believe that this blog is produced by many author’s/ car people ,on this blog. Their are many other auto blog’s out there, but this one is by far my favorite one.

http://fliponline.blogspot.com/2008/11/getting-animation

This blog was created by Cameron Fielding. Cameron Fielding works at a video game industry called The Valve and even worked as an animator for the third Madagascar movie. in his post called “Getting an animation job in games,” he explains information you need to know in order to become an animator.In the beginning of the post he explains the rules of working in the industry.The most important rule is figuring out if becoming an animator is a job your going to have fun with and want to pursue. When your working in animation there is a lot of information you have to figure out and you have to make accommodations for the things that don’t work. Another thing i find important is he mentions the common misconceptions people have about the industry. people think that they need to know specific programs to work in the industry however, that isn’t true all the time. When he first started out he only knew how to use one program but he eventually learned how to use many more programs. A common misconception people have is that you need a degree to work in the field. People that don’t have degrees can still get a job in animation but they have to know what they are doing and know how to animate. In my opinion this is true in some cases, but it’s still important to earn a degree so you can be more successful. Overall i really enjoyed reading his blog. I feel that the information helps give detail into the gaming industry and it gives a desire to want to learn more about the field.

If you’ve got a moment, I would like to introduce to you the “Indie Filmmaking Blog” (http://www.lightsfilmschool.com/blog/) produced by the Lights Film School.

Things I like:

• Free filmmaking tutorials
• Well laid out
• Film clips and trailers of upcoming releases
• Interesting subject matter like current Indie News, Why folks are motivated to see a movie and would you make a film if you knew no one would go to it?  

The school itself, I’m not sure about. The blog is slick, but it seems to be an online school, and I’m always skeptical about those. Not that there aren’t any good online schools. I just think you have to be a little more careful when considering an online school, because they’re not regulated as rigorously, especially if they’re located in another country. That said, the information on this school’s blog is engaging and entertaining. It draws you in and makes you want to explore and learn. If that’s any indication of the quality of training they offer, then I wouldn’t be too concerned.

I especially like the video, “Pointing in the Dark”, which discusses why artists continue to produce art even if no one appreciates it. This short video focuses on Vincent Van Gogh as an example. It’s well done. Good production value and minimal frustrations when attempting to play (do not use the current version of the Maxthon browser, FYI). This video contains excellent information that could help the struggling artist continue, if they were considering the alternative either in frustration or necessity.

If you get a chance and you’re interested in indie films, it’s worth taking a look at this Indie Filmmaking Blog.

By A. H. Norton

I love horror movies (a few blogs I reviewed said the same thing).  I have since I was a little kid; starting with those terrible monster movies or Bela Lugosi’s Dracula flicks they showed on Saturday afternoon TV.

I like it all: from the psychological thrillers (Psycho – duh! The Shining and the Ring) to the silly slashers (The Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th and Halloween series).

My dream is to write, direct and star in my own horror movie.

In the meantime I found a blog called Bloody Disgusting to keep me current with all the latest horror news.  http://bloody-disgusting.com/

Bloody Disgusting gives previews of upcoming movies, reviews of current horror movies and even reviews of ones that are older or obscure.

As far as resources go this blog is one big resource for all things horror. It gives horror-related articles such as “You have to visit these 8 Horror Film Bars.  There’s even one in Portland, Oregon that I want to visit. It has articles about directors.  It has a piece on “What qualifies as scary these days?”

Bloody Disgusting reviews horror TV shows, games and music.  It also gives updates and reviews about films that are not horror-related.

[Review] ‘Criminal’ Is a Violent, Trashy, Spy-Fi Actioner

By Daniel Baldwin on April 15, 2016@DanielWBaldwin

I found this blog very easy to navigate and a lot of fun to read.  When I first looked at it I found a whole list of movies I want to check out – old and recent. Of course movie reviews, especially horror movies are subjective but the reviewers here seem to want to like the movies.  When they don’t they almost always find at least one positive thing to say about it.

There is tons of information in this site as I stated before – horror movies are the main focus but again you can read about all things horror.  At least the kind for entertainment and thrill purposes. I would highly recommend this site for my fellow crazy scary movie fans.

By Melissa Norton

A good practice for many photography professionals is to be aware of other professionals in their field so that they can recognize what has been done, and to find inspiration and motivation from other’s work.

I explored many professional blogs and  found a lot that I appreciated (Jeremy Cowart’s blog, PDN Online, Pixsylated,) but was truly captivated by photofocus.com. On this site, you’ll find and endless treasure of resources that can resolve any creative block known to mankind. On the home page, you’ll see a video reel, in-place of a dominant photo. Videos can catch your attention and keep you on the site. You’ll be able to navigate through the online interface with ease. Visitors to the site can find photos, including “Photos of the Day.” There are a plethora of resources for learning tutorials, business practices, inspiration, news, software, along with other topics. Kevin Ames and Nick Monroe are just two members of a knowledgable staff. They are great at explaining even the most complex topics, such as technology previews, HDR Photos, Lenses, and more. You can even contact these two directly through multiple social media outlets. This site is also good for basic photography techniques  as they will walk you through how your camera settings (ISO, aperture, shutter speed) vary from shot to shot. What aperture should you use for portraits? What is ISO should you use for night shots? What is a good shutter speed to capture live sports? All your questions can be answered on this site.

Wether you’re new at photography and want a good start, a strong foundation of knowledge to build off of, or an experienced photographer looking for new ideas and inspiration, I encourage you to visit photofocus.com and subscribe. I did, and there’s no looking back. With the assistance of this site, I will be able to create strong compositions through photography and I’ll be aware of current or upcoming trends in technology and practices. And so can you.

by: Jeffery King Osborns

Hello my Peers today i will be giving you all a special treat, for i am going to show you this awesome concept art blog i found its called (Draw Maeve, draw) you can find this blog at http://drawmaevedraw.tumblr.com.

This blog focuses on visual development and concept art in a video game style. i find this blog is inspirational and visually pleasing for some one who draws more graphically like me. This blog follows Maeve as she produces absolutely stunning concept art, of sets or props in a isometric view “this is the made up perspective some video games use” i find her concepts to be visually fun and adorable.

Maeves dose a good job explaining posts, what she is doing, and shares content to help people draw and come up with good ideas. In one post she talks about some things that most people don’t know about photoshop; like how to make lines smother or how to adjust color.

For a artest this is extremely helpful too because if your only going of of your knowledge, or the knowledge of a class, they might not have been teaching the tools in that way, and you may not be able to figure that out on your own. i also want to point out again that mauves focuses primarily on sets and and props. Sets and props are a completely under appreciated skill that most people don’t think about because they get lost in there character design.

Maeves shows her progression as well which lets you see things go from a idea to a product instead of just being like she waves a magical won and theres a picture. as a artist and, someone who draws concept art who has been known to accidentally only care about the characters this is refreshing and inspirational I highly recommend it

tell next time mac Out.

by Mackenzie Bohlman

http://expertvagabond.com/travel-blog

“In the fall of 2010 I quit my job, left my girlfriend, sold everything I owned, and bought a plane ticket to Guatemala.”- Matthew Karsten   

     This blog tells the story of an Expert Vagabond traveling the world.  His name is Matthew Karsten, a professional photographer, blogger, adventurer, and all around living legend.  I found this guy thru the grapevine of Facebook.  Just from liking outdoor equipment pages, mutual friending, traveling junkie posts, and Poof! His page popped up.  

Initially I was drawn in because of his title,”Vagabond.”  This was a nickname given to me from my grandmother at the ripe age of 14.  Due to how I was always on vacation, physically or mentally, or out to lunch as she would put it..  But anyways, that is what attracted me to Matthew’s site initiallly. And from there I fell into his world, head over heels into the bright rabbit hole of this, “Expert Vagabond.”

“Once in a while it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to.” ~ Alan Keightley 

This blog truly slows down my world, and gives me a chance to breathe.  It is the few moments in my life where I allow myself to live vicariously thru someone else’s. I absolutely admire his attitude about life, and truly living in the moment attitude. Not talking about it, but being about it.  We must surround ourselves around more people like this.  To be present in every moment, and live like tomorrow will never come.