Manhattan-based photographer Robert Caplin reviews AdoramaPix‘s premium quality photo books.

I’ve always toyed with the idea of printing my own photo books, but I’d never gotten around to actually printing any because there are so many services and frankly, I’m really lazy when it comes to editing my own work.

It wasn’t until an opportunity came about for me to test drive a new photo book service that I really gave it a try. Fortunately for me, the company offering this service is one of my favorite photo labs in NYC, AdoramaPix. I do a lot of my shopping at Adorama and have most of my prints made through their sister company AdoramaPix. The company sells quality goods and very competitive prices.

I enlisted the help of my graphic designer wife, Laia Prats, to put together a well-designed layout from our recent trip to Marrakech, Morocco. We both do a lot of travel and have contemplated making high-end coffee table books from our travels. This opportunity would allow us to really see what was possible in the realm of self-publishing.

Now, these books are a bit different than your average photo books. First and foremost, you’re working with a professional photo lab located in the heart of NYC, which means you’re going to have a highly trained technician overseeing the production of your book, which they do all by hand. This is key, because it’s always difficult to know if your own computer monitor will be perfectly calibrated with any printer. You have the option with every book to choose to have the professionals at AdoramaPix use their skills to make sure your images print perfectly with their printer profiles. Alternatively, you also have the option to do all the profiling yourself as they do offer the exact calibration settings for their printers online. Personally, I recommend having their techs make the tweaks, as only they know how their printer will reproduce a file.

What’s great about Adorama’s new books is that the images are printed on actual photo paper, not card stock. I choose the lustre finish, as I’ve never been a fan of glossy. The books utilize a special “lay flat” binding that keeps each print from warping into the spine like traditional photo books. This is great for panoramic double-page spreads.

I was also impressed with the high-quality cover image, which is physically wrapped around the hard cover. Additionally there’s a leather binding option if you’re interested in making more of an album. I would note that you should keep careful eye on the edges of your cover as the image wraps around the book. Make sure your important edges are well within the bleed area.

Lastly, you can very easily share a digital version of your book and even sell it online using AdoramaPix for fulfillment and online sales. You can set your own prices and have the books made and delivered directly to your customers.

Now that I’ve seen my first AdoramaPix book, I’m impressed. I’ve sent a copy to the owners of our Bed and Breakfast in Marrakech so they can share with their clients. I’ll also be throwing this book online in hopes of making some additional sales!

Whistler, BC-based ski photographer Dan Carr had some of his images featured in The Daily Mail Ski & Snowboard Magazine from the UK.

The Daily Mail Ski & Snowboard Magazine from the UK just ran a gallery of some of my images in the March 2012 issue.  If you are in the UK you can probably still find it on store shelves in all the major newsstands.  It features photos from last winter in British Columbia.  The first shot of Charley Ager was taken in Revelstoke and actually the third shot of Riley Leboe was taken on the same trip not so far away.  The crazy shot of Dane Tudor was taken on the Pemberton Icecap near Whistler and, as is Dane’s way, was his first run of the day.  Just a mellow warm-up ……..  The final shot of Sammy Carlson was also taken on the Icecap.

See more ski photos on Dan’s blog and find out more about his work on ConnectWithDan.com.

Seattle-based freelancer Daniel Berman photographed the Cupid’s Undie Run in Seattle.

I had a hilarious time photographing the Cupid’s Undie Run in Seattle yesterday — and not just because I got to capture this surreal experience — though, luckily for all involved — I remained clothed! This was a blast because everyone seemed to be having a lot of fun, and were not timid about the huge number of photographers that seemed to make it out to Fremont. I tried my best to get close to people and let them know my intentions and put them at ease. Their alcohol tended to do the rest…

See more hilarious photos of the Cupid’s Undie Run on Daniel’s blog.

East Chicago, Indiana-based photographer, videographer and lighting technician Guy Rhodes shares some pictures of the Luminous Field light exhibit in Millennium Park, Chicago.

As a photographer, I felt a bit guilty strolling around the Cloud Gate sculpture (a.k.a. “The Bean”) in Chicago’s Millennium Park while viewing the Luminous Field projection exhibit. Each time I lifted my camera to my eye, the projections by artists Petra Bachmaier and Sean Gallero presented a wonderfully abstract landscape in light. Add some human beings wandering around in the mix, and you have a photographer’s dream.

Continue reading and see more photos on Guy’s blog.

Dubai-based photographer Wouter Kingma worked on a promotional shoot for the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

Pulling off this PR shoot to promote the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship was, for my client, six years in the making. And last Tuesday, it finally came together. The world’s greatest player in the world’s greatest bunker.

I was first called in for a recce early January under the guise of the expert in dune photography … a nice sub to have, which pays dividends in these parts of the world but may render me homeless back in Europe. We met up at the amazing Qasr al Sarab resort in Liwa. Sitting on the border of the Empty Quarter, the landscape is vast, stunning and without fail awe-inspiring. I’ve shot here on many occasions yet it never ceases to blow me away.

Continue reading on Wouter’s blog.

Phoenix-based sports photographer Mark Rebilas shot one of the craziest crashes hes seen in his 22 years as a motorsports photographer.

I have been shooting NHRA drag races for over 22 years (since I was 10 years old!) and thought I had seen and shot it all. With all the wild rides I have seen over the years, nothing really surprises me. During the first round of eliminations in the top alcohol dragster category at the NHRA Winternationals, driver Mike Austin got my attention as he went for quite possibly the wildest ride I have ever seen in my life.

See all the photos of the accident on Mark’s blog.

Manhattan-based freelancer Robert Caplin shot on the set of NBC’s new show Smash on location in Times Square.

I got a call form the New York Times photo desk late in the afternoon a few months back asking if I could run down to Times Square late that same evening and photograph a new tv show called Smash being filmed on location. I was told the show was NBC’s answer to FOX’s Glee, but was more of an adult-themed drama/musical about the making of a hit Broadway play.

So I jumped on my scooter and headed south from my pad on the Upper West Side of Manhattan to Times Square around 11PM for the shoot. When I arrived, I was immediately confused because the crew was apparently on a break and all I could see were tons of tourists hanging out in Times Square…the usual. Moments later as I saw the camera crews start to move around, it dawned on me that I was actually standing in the midst of hundreds of extras who were only acting like tourists for the production! Clearly they were doing a great job as they even fooled a New Yorker like myself!

Continue reading and see more photos on Robert’s blog.

Sarasota, FL-based photographer Chip Litherland covered the Florida Republican Primary debate in the 2012 race for the presidency.

I could sit here and write a ton of copy about covering Florida politics.

Fact of the matter is, it’s weird, it’s draining, and it’s one of most fun things I get to do in photojournalism.

With that, here are some random rectangles from the week of covering Mitt Romney’s win in the Florida Primary with some scraps from the cutting room floor as a bonus.

See more photos on Chip’s blog.

Seattle-based freelancer Nate Watters recently photographed a chocolate factory.

Theo Chocolate is a rapidly growing, local chocolate company located in Seattle, WA.  They are the only organic/fair-trade chocolate factory in the country.  Everything in the process – from roasting cocoa beans to producing and wrapping the bars and confections – is all done inside their Seattle factory.  Nearly everything is done by hand and in small batches – preparing and mixing ingredients, tempering chocolate on large slabs of granite…it’s pretty amazing to see.

After putting together a photo essay about Theo’s artisan chocolatiers for City Arts Magazine, Theo became interested in commissioning a few prints for their newly remodeled retail space.  They wanted to use a few of the photos used in the photo essay piece, but also wanted a few unique photos as well.  In order to get the photos I needed, I was allowed nearly unrestricted access to their factory space.  We really wanted to emphasize the hands involved in the chocolate making process as well as the rich colors of the equipment and ingredients found throughout the factory and kitchen.

The majority of the photos were taken using available light from the large factory windows and interior building lights, however there were times when an off camera strobe was very helpful.  Especially when capturing cocoa beans and nibs falling from the winnower machine, or when the overhead fluorescent lights in the kitchen just weren’t cutting it.  Either way, between the smell of fresh chocolate, all of the amazing equipment, and the incredible people who work at Theo, I would shoot there every week if I could.  Even before I did any work for them, I always recommended to anyone who came to Seattle to stop in at Theo for a tour and some chocolate.  They’re truly one of my favorite places in the city.

See more photos on Nate’s blog. He will be having an opening reception for his work at Theo’s retail store on February 3rd as part of the First Friday Art Walk in the Fremont Neighborhood from 6pm-9pm.

L.A.-based travel and editorial photographer Jennifer Emerling recently started a project on The Loneliest Road in America – Highway 50 in Nevada.

Last fall I spent four days driving a roughly 400 mile stretch of highway extending from Carson City, Nevada to the Utah/Nevada border pursuing a new project on Highway 50, also known as “The Loneliest Road in America.” People often ask me if the highway lives up to its nickname, and while there are long, isolated stretches of road that are truly lonely, with the halfway point marked by the existence of Austin — which, in many ways, is a borderline ghost town — I was pleasantly surprised by the sparks of life scattered along the way.

Right now, the main tourist push is headed by the Pony Express Territory, who challenge travelers to “survive” The Loneliest Road, offering free survival guides to anyone who wants them. They boast that you “really haven’t seen America until you’ve traveled The Loneliest Road,” and I’m not one to argue otherwise.

Continue reading and see more photos on Jennifer’s blog.