Today marks the final edition of the Rocky Mountain News which was the oldest newspaper in the State of Colorado.  Since 1859, the News has provided the news to the residents of the Denver area.  I headed out this morning to pick up a copy of the newspaper and on the way home, placed it on my front porch.

As I brought it into my house I dropped it on top of The Denver Post prior to giving the RMN one final read.

While the Denver Daily News had the headline of “We’re a 2-Daily Town” which may be true in their eyes, it is a different landscape now for print media in Denver.

Today the media landscape of Denver changed as it was announced by EW Scripps the Rocky Mountain News which has been around almost since the birth of Denver over 150 years ago would publish their last edition on Friday February 27th, leaving Denver as a one newspaper town.  While it wasn’t a total surprise this would happen since the announcement in December that Scripps wanted to sell or shut down the paper in thirty days, it was a decision many had hoped would not be the final result and a buyer would be found.  As the distribution of news turns to the web, advertising dollars have decreased which isn’t helped with the current downturn in the economy as well. Newspapers are needing to redefine themselves to help with the changes the web has brought in recent years.

With this change in the Denver print media it was somewhat ironic Detroit Michigan Photographer Rosh Sillars presented this evening at the ASMP Colorado chapter meeting on the topic of new and social media for photographers.  In his presentation discussing the various social mediums available in this present state Ross did a great job explaining how to best set-up your soft marketing of social media between the hybrid (Flickr, YouTube) and community (Twitter, Facebook, MySpace) sites as your website and blog remains the focus of this marketing.  However as someone who already uses some new/social media the one item I took away from this presentation is that there is not one solution for all and you need to address the various options which are right for your business.

As I walked home from the presentation, I noticed a satellite truck in the middle of Civic Center Park and a reporter preparing for a 9pm live shot.  Looking at the set-up the shot it included the skyline of Denver and the building which houses both Denver newspapers.  This evening the Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post logos were both illuminated on the Denver Newspaper Agency building, and while this may continue after tomorrow the media landscape of Denver has changed.

Running from February 21 through the 27th, Denver Restaurant Week is the linking the week site for this week.  During the week over 200 restaurants will offer a multi-course meal for $52.80 (plus tax and tip) or $26.40 for one.  Additionally some restaurants have extended this offer for an additional week, giving you the chance to check out some of the great establishments in the Denver metro.  Check out the website for all of the details and remember to act quickly on this deal, as the mile high price will quickly be gone.  Have you taken advantage of this offer yet, let us know where you have been and how it has worked for you.

This past weekend marked the first training hike for the Rocky Mountain region of Team in Training Hike program summer season.  As I mentioned before, I am a captain for this season and will not be fund raising, but will support the hikers who are with their training and fund raising.  While running out the door to get to the meeting location, I realized I did not have a camera with me so there are no images from this hike, but in the upcoming weeks I will be sure to include some.

With the first hike for the group, we started off with a local hike at Doudy Draw which is part of the Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks system.  It was a little chilly at the start as a weather system moved into Colorado overnight leaving a dusting of snow which would soon melt with sunshine filling the sky.  Fifteen hikers headed out of the trailhead parking lot and up the trail enjoying the peaceful morning as we got to know each other during the hike.  From the trailhead off of Highway 93 we headed across the Flatirons Vista North trail, and met up with Doudy Draw as we descended down the ridge.  From there we did the Springbrook loop and then headed back towards the trailhead.  After completing the loop you could tell that the snow was melting quite quickly as areas which had snow on the trail was now either muddy or even dry as we retraced our route.  At the end of the hike we had covered around seven miles on a perfect February day to kick off the hiking part of the season.

In addition to some information about the hike, each week I will also provide a link to one of the hikers participating this season in case you would like to donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Team in Training program.  This week Janet Hukill is the featured participant.  Janet was my mentor last season when I hiked at Rocky Mountain National Park and has been involved with the Hike program for a couple of years.  To learn more about why Janet is hiking and support her efforts with a donation, please visit Janet’s fundraising page.

This month our f/22 profile is Amanda Grace who is a photographer in eastern Pennsylvania.  Amanda started as a child and baby photographer and has recently expanded into wedding photography.  I have always been impressed with Amanda’s work as she is able to capture the unique moments from her subjects which is always quite a challenge with young children.  I hope you enjoy my e-mail interview with Amanda.

Amanda, how long have you been photographing and what got you started?

Gosh, I have had a camera in my hand for as long as I can remember.  I progressively learned more and more about photography throughout my life, however I really started getting serious a few years ago. One of the most amazing things about photography is that it is always changing.  I learn something new every time I pick up my camera. I was first introduced formally in high school. My school had a beautiful darkroom and great teacher. I was the kid begging to keep the camera longer than necessary and spending all of my extra time there!!

Prior to becoming a full time photographer, you were working in an educational field. How do you find this background and knowledge helps you with your artistic visions of photographing childhood?

My educational background has helped me tremendously and continues to help me with every shoot. I had been teaching autistic children before deciding to go back to school and pursue photography full time. It has taught me how to “modify” behaviors to get the outcome I need. It has also helped me to be very sensitive and patient. I think a major mistake photographers and parents sometimes make is telling the child what to do instead of letting them be who they are. I allow a lot of flexibility in my session and let the child choose activities in an effort to make them feel that it is about what they want and this helps to bring out their true personality. Children are so honest, every expression comes from a natural reaction to their surroundings. I pride myself on letting a session unfold naturally so that I may capture a personality, not just a smile.

Initially Amanda Grace Images was focusing on photography of babies and children, but has expanded to weddings. How did you decide to expand your business?

I am not sure that I actually made the decision to expand, I don’t recall one clear moment… it just happened. I was helping out another photographer as a second shooter at weddings and I began getting my name out there I guess. I started to receive a lot of inquiries and it has been growing ever since. I did my first advertisement this month and I am really excited about it, it is fun to try new things and stay fresh.

What photographers do you follow on a regular basis, and what about their work inspires you?

I love Annie Liebovitz. I love her work but I love understanding the way she has evolved, her new book “at work” is super inspiring!  It gives me hope and makes me look for that one CHANCE, and it motivates me to be ready when it happens. I also follow my friends, colleagues & past teachers obsessively!  Having a network of “like” professionals to communicate with is one of my biggest assets. I like to think we continually inspire each other, I know a lot of my inspiration comes from them!

How would you describe your style?

This is a tough question because I feel that a good photographer is always evolving. You need to change in order to grow and stay fresh…. but for the purpose of business consistency I would say I have a photo journalistic style. My weddings are not filled with overly posed images. I strive to fade into the background re-creating the day image by image, moment by moment. I need to establish an intimacy with my clients so that I can fully create the emotion and craziness of such an amazing day. This intimacy is established over many months of planning and communicating with them. I fall in love with everyone I photograph at some point. The greatest compliment I can receive at a wedding is that they didn’t even notice me there.  I use a similar approach with children. I approach each session with endless possibilities and I strive to make it as unique as the child I am working with. It is not unusual to see me playing peek a boo or having a tea party in the play room. I need to know the child so that I can capture who they are right now.

Do you have any projects you are planning to do in the future?

In January I made the commitment to never be without my camera, for a whole year. I always have it within reach… just in case. There have been so many times in my life that I find myself somewhere I wish I had my camera. No matter how many times you miss the shot, you never forget it. I have a list in my mind of all the things I should have recorded but did not because I didn’t feel it important enough to always be with my camera.

What have you learned along the way which has been a valuable lesson in your business?

I have learned that consistency is the most important key to running a successful business. Clients must always get what they expect from you and more. Make friends with your “competition” and create a level of respect with them. I believe that although you may be trying to do the same thing you do it very differently. I know my clients will choose me for my style and therefore competition doesn’t exist. They are no longer competition but colleagues, friends and mentors.

A photographer that i had the pleasure of learning so much from, Neil Chaput de Santoinge, gave me a great piece of advice. He said that a Good Photographer never keeps secrets and is always willing to teach someone else how they created an image. This meant a lot to me because I feel that teaching is one of the best ways to keep learning. I spend many hours a month with another wedding photographer just learning from each other and playing with new ideas. And most importantly, always be honest to yourself and your clients.

Thank you Amanda for taking the time to be the f/22 photographer this month.  The following images are a sample of Amanda’s work, more of which can be seen at her website.

Images Copyright Amanda Grace Images, all rights reserved.

Be sure to check out more of Amanda’s work at Amanda Grace Images.

On Thursday February 19th, Neil Corman Photography will have a booth at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce quarterly Colorado Business Marketplace at Business After Hours.  This event will be held at the Denver Athletic Club located in downtown.  If you are a chamber member please stop by the Neil Corman Photography booth to see some recent work and how we can help you out on your next project.  If you are not a member of the Denver Chamber of Commerce, let me know and I can put you in contact with a chamber representive to get you more details as possible have you attend the marketplace event as a guest.  For this quarter a bookmark of a winter scene will be distributed at our booth.

This weekend marks the first group training for the Team in Training program here in the Denver area.  As I have mentioned before Hike for Discovery is now a part of Team in Training and for the summer season I will be a part of the support staff as a Team Captain.  For this first weekend we will be meeting at REI for a gear clinic, which works out well as the temperatures will be in the 30s over the weekend.  The finale hike this season will be at the Grand Canyon in one of two events.  The larger of the two is the Grand Adventure, which is an overnight trip into the canyon.  I am hoping to make it to the Grand Canyon for the primary event which will be a day of hiking and support of the fund raising participants.

For this season I will not be fund raising however if you would like to donate towards the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society please let me know and I will send you a list of participants who are hiking and working towards their fund raising goals.  As with all Team in Training events, 75% of the money raised goes towards the mission of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and your donation is 100% tax deductible.

Lastly, if you would like to particpate in this hike event it is not too late to sign up for this season.  Please feel to contact me, and I can put you in touch with someone at the LLS office.  The four sports which make up Team in Training are Hike, Triathlon, Run/Walk and Cycle.  Each have a great events offered and even if you are not in the Denver metro area there are chapters all across the country who particpate as part of Team in Training.

This Friday February 13, 2009 SHOT! Magazine will be holding their opening for the Ullr/Snow edition at Reed PhotoArt in the Santa Fe Arts District.  Located at 833 Santa Fe just south of downtown Denver, the gallery will be open from 6pm – 10pm showing the work of the various artists who contributed work, including myself.  John Fielder and Richard Patterson will be included in attendence during the event as well.

In addition to a piece of work of winter in Washington Park in the magazine, I photographed the series “What Would Jim Do” as we follow a Jim Morrison model out on an evening at various businesses in Denver.  The complete Ullr/Snow edition of the magazine may be seen online or please contact me if you would like to receive a free copy.