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Re-read: meritocracy and crowdsourcing by Jeff Howe

In 2006, Wired Magazine published an article by the reporter Jeff Howe devoted to the new phenomenon of the influence that crowds of like-minded people have on decision-making and progress. He named this effect “crowdsourcing.” Development of present-day stock photo houses would not be possible without the rise of amateur photographers due to falling costs of photo equipment and Internet access. The groundbreaking article written five years ago helps understand other important modern trends and gives a reasonable assessment of own professional chances.

Color of the month: Green

Green sets records for hue diversity even if all the shades are named the same. Experts have found almost fifty hues of the color in Snake Charmer (1907), the painting by Henri Rousseau; it is the color of youth and rejuvenation, of plants, sea grass and bacteria capable of photosynthesis.

Say Cheese!

Do you smile while somebody takes a photo of you? A little more than a century ago, our ancestors smiled rarely for the camera. And absence of good dentistry was not the reason. In 1870, the grueling time required for a good exposure could reduce any trace of a smile. Besides, an opportunity to have your portrait taken might occur only once in your life, so it was prudent to take it seriously. Emotions played a small role in early portraiture, even though laughter was considered to be one of the qualities of an educated person.

Illustration Now!

"Illustration Now!" is a series of books about illustration art, edited by Julius Weidemann, an author of many Taschen digital and media titles. Illustration Now! Portraits The book is a spectrum of nowadays portrait masterpieces, from caricatures to realism. During last ten years illustration has been on easy street as for computer working artists, as for artists who work by hand. The most interesting and also difficult thing about illustrations is a portrait. It is usually used in editorials, advertising, and recently has become a subject of big exhibitions. "Illustration Now! Portraits" by German publishing house Taschen consists of exclusive and even not published portraits of artists from all over the world, also such famous names as Aaron Jasinski , André Carrilho, Hanoch Piven, Anita Kunz, Jody Hewgill, and Dugald Stermer. Steven Heller has written an introduction to the "Illustration Now! Portraits".

Start the New Year with some “New Yuri” photos!

Microstock photography phenomenon Yuri Arcurs, at age 33, is the world’s top-selling microstock photographer. In 2008, he hit a record high of 1 million licenses sold. In 2010, PDN Magazine called him the most influential photographer of the century! Yuri’s clients include Hewlett-Packard, Time magazine, Samsung, MSN.com, Sony, Microsoft, Canon, MTV, and many other famous brands. It took him only seven years to achieve worldwide fame. He employs a full-time staff of 35 people in Denmark and Scandinavia, and another 50 in India, the U.S., and South Africa. He lives and works in Denmark, but spends six months every year in Hawaii, Norway, or South Africa. Yuri created his own photo studio in order to capture people in “real” indoor locations like spa salons, dentist’s office, business offices etc. In general, he chooses the most popular topics for the market, such as business, computer technology, family, and romance. In addition to photography, Yuri develops free programs for photographers. His program Easy Keywording has made photographers’ work easier, allowing them to speed up their work process in general. In addition, he writes tutorials for photographers, runs his video blog, and actively communicates with his fans.

How Beautiful?

Any photographer, photo editor and casting director will be curious to hear firsthand from colleagues how standards of beauty change over time, and how future standards of beauty depend upon today’s standards. Every little change in the field of beauty affects how it is perceived, and the public perception of beauty is extremely important for business, and one could argue, the growth of mankind. Still and all, the fleeting nature of beauty is its most compelling aspect. Standards change so quickly that, according to exhibition participant and British photo journalist Felicia Webb, “by the time I had my children they can't even recognize the world of fashion and beauty that I came up in.”

Happy Holidays!

Winter around the World

Every year people from all over the world celebrate winter holidays. They have different traditions, but what binds them together is the customs they observe during the winter solstice. Here are some examples how people from various countries celebrate their winter holidays.

Words about photos

“There is only one Coliseum or Pantheon; but how many millions of potential negatives have they shed,—representatives of…