I’m pretty much addicted to photography. Methods, gear, news, you name it. It really is kinda scary. To keep my addiction in check when I’m not shooting or shopping, I need a steady flow of photo content to keep the shakes and withdrawl symptoms from popping up so I put together a list of what i consider to be some of the best photo-related content out there. Read on for more photo link porn than you can shake a stick at including 25 blogs, 20 AMAZING photographers, and some other fun stuff that will make those days you feel stuck at your desk wishing you were shooting go a bit smoother…  (continued)

It gathers together some amazing links that I probably will mine for future inspiration and photography tips. But if you want to read them in advance, be my guest.

in my picture I’m bouldering in a indoor rock climbing gym in Sacramento CA

Joe M.

[If it came out!] I couldn’r stop watching this Jack Russell terrier running up a tree to get a ball stuck in a crook … not especially exciting but it was damn funny.

Holly G.

High-Hand flower truck

Fern H.

“Another tough morning work day for Ritzy”

Matt V.

Pretty boy.

Jodi A.

Got your own caption to submit? Fill out the form to let us know what your picture is all about. (As a bonus, when your camera comes in, we’ll shoot you an e-mail so you can see the gallery.) Nothing will be done with your e-mail except for that. We don’t spam.

According to Wikipedia:

Street photography is a type of documentary photography that features subjects in candid situations within public places such as streets, parks, beaches, malls, political conventions, and other settings.

That precisely describes the type of “slice of life” imagery that I hope the cameras will capture. Documentary photography at the micro level.

The rest of the Wikipedia article is interesting as well. It lists well-known photographers who used this technique. Whether it’s better to have the camera hidden or visible and the all-important “how to overcome shyness.”

For today’s inspiration, I thought I’d link to a site that is completely filled with photos that you aren’t supposed to take: photos at concerts, photos of military installations, photos inside condemned buildings.

The site is Strictly No Photography.

Now we’re not recommending that you violate laws or put your life in danger to get a great photo, but looking through these galleries I was struck by how great some of the shots were and how arbitrary the rules that made them technically illegal seemed.

At any rate, it’s an interesting gallery and a great way to get your creative juices flowing.

I’ve also distributed more tags in the past few days, including batches in Missouri and Minnesota. I have California covered, so now I just need to get some out to the East coast.

Any takers?

Like everything else in life there are two ways to get better at photography. The first is teach yourself through practice. The second is to learn from others. Both are important, but the second is a lot faster — especially when you are just starting.

That’s why I am happy to direct people to Jodie Coston’s Online Photography Course.

This is a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to learn how to take better photos. You can work at your own pace and even look at how other people completed the assignment and upload your photos to share with others.

Lesson 1: Composition And Impact - It’s A Beautiful Photograph, But Do You Know WHY It’s Beautiful?

If you can answer that question, you’ll be well on your way to taking great photos.

Link: Jodie Coston’s Online Photography Course

So my friend Rouver and I were discussing ways that we could improve the chances of receiving the cameras back. We discussed the idea of letting people develop the film and e-mail the pics, but that actually seemed like more work and cost than mailing the camera back.

His next idea was one that I had toyed with and discarded: Putting postage directly on the camera so that the last recipient could just drop it in the mail. That sounds good in practice, but i was worried that the post office wouldn’t go for it. So I did a quick Google search on “mailing disposable cameras” and I found this wonderful project: Camera Mail.

The site looks like it might be abandoned (no updates since 2006 that I saw.) But it is interesting how people think in parallels. The upshot is that I’m pretty sure the post office will do it, but I’m still going to talk to the postman if I can grab him at work today, just to make sure.

One of the habits I developed then was to carry my camera with me everywhere. So I had it around my neck when I went to a local flea market. I got some great shots on black-and-white film of creepy marionettes and dark hallways lined with books.

As I was lining up my next shot, a voice came from behind me. “Hey, you can’t take pictures here.” A burly tattooed man who was selling some beat up tools was walking towards me. “This is private property.”

I pointed out that I wasn’t taking pictures of him or his belongings, but he was insistent. “This is private property and unless you have permission from the owner, you aren’t allowed to take pictures.” Since he had more tattoos, muscles and sledgehammers than I did, I agreed and moved on.

But truthfully, I was pretty sure I could take photos there — but I wasn’t positive. Later, I learned that you can take pictures on private property as long as it is a public place, unless you are asked not to by the owner (or if there are posted signs.) Mr. Tattoo had no right to tell me I couldn’t shoot photos.

If you start taking pictures on a regular basis, this kind of thing happens all the time. I found a great article over at Photojojo that lists The Ten Legal Commandments of Photography. It’s a fantastic resource, and worth printing out and throwing in your camera bag. While it’s never worth getting into a fistfight, sometimes just knowing the law can help you defuse a situation with an over-caffeinated mall cop or even the real police.

The Ten Legal Commandments of Photography

I. Anyone in a public place can take pictures of anything they want. Public places include parks, sidewalks, malls, etc. Malls? Yeah. Even though it’s technically private property, being open to the public makes it public space.

II. If you are on public property, you can take pictures of private property. If a building, for example, is visible from the sidewalk, it’s fair game.

Where’s the rest of the list? Well, you need to visit the original post to get that. It’s not cool to steal someone else’s content.