Thoughts

The summer is a great time to take some time and relax with a good book. It may be one which provides some education or something which is just a fun read. I tend to lean more so towards non-fiction as of late for my reading and have found these books of interest lately and ones you may enjoy.

 

Denver

• For some interesting history on Denver, check out the various books by Phil Goodstein. I own the Denver Streets and Denver Civic Center books, which may be in limited print but are still available locally.
• While it is just over ten years old the book Getting to know Denver: Five Walking Tours can also be an informative guide of the downtown Denver area.
• Hiking Rocky Mountain National Park: When a photographer who has covered almost every mile within Rocky Mountain National Park publishes a hiking trail book you know it will be great. This is exactly what you get from this book and it is a must if you hike in RMNP at all.

 

Business

• Best Business Practices for Photographers: Currently in its third edition this book by John Harrington sits on my bookshelf as a great reference tool for anyone who is selling their work, or is interested in getting in the market.
• 100 Side Hustles: Just published, Chris Guillebeau looks at 100 different people and their success in building a sidehustle while maintaining their current job. Reading the stories helps the reader think of ways they can incorporate these bits into their own side hustle.
• You are a Writer (So start acting like one): This is a good quick read to reinforce the notion which you can be a writer and express your thoughts in various manners. This was Jeff Goins book and which started his writing career.

 

Travel and Photography Inspiration

• Atlas Obscura: This guide is readily available in my living room and when wondering what there is in the world I pick it up and flip through for a while. Featuring some of the more interesting places in the world it is always fun to pick up and start to get me thinking about places to visit next. There is also an Atlas Obscura website you can browse as well.
• How to Travel the World on $50 a Day: This best selling book was one the first ways I came across Nomadic Matt and is a great read on how to save money when traveling anywhere. His newest book is due out in July and is part memoir and also looks at why we travel.
• Obama: An Intimate Portrait: You may not live in the United States or are registered in one of many political parties, however hands down you can not argue about the tremendous job Pete Souza did capturing the presidency of Barack Obama. This coffee table book contains many of the images we have seen published before and those which are new. It is a great reminder of how to photograph and catch the moment.
• The Thirty Days Project: I may be biased on this book which I released a few years ago summarizing the first five years of The Thirty Days Project which I have done in the past.
• Treasured Lands: Photographer QT Luong visited all 59 National Parks (now 61) over the course of 20 years to put together this 450+ page coffee table book. There is some amazing photography in this book which will inspire you to photograph, travel and most importantly explore. The new expanded 2nd edition of this book is due out later this summer.
• Ultimate Journeys for Two: Published just over year ago by National Geographic, Mike and Anne Howard continue to travel and explore their world on an ongoing honeymoon. This book may motivate you to take that trip or find an off the path location to visit. During Travelcon earlier this year I had the privilege of meeting these two adventurers.
• 1000 Places to See Before You Die: This is one of the original bucket list books and continues to be one to have on your bookshelf. Like Atlas Obscura above it will give you that push to go and visit somewhere new on your next adventure.

Others

• Danny’s Decades: The story of Danny from the age of ten as he follows his pursuit to become a journalist and communicator. This is also the first book written by my father.
• Chicago Sweetest ’16: A Baseball Fantasy: This is the second book by my dad. Imagine a baseball season where the Cubs and White Sox both make it to the World Series which hasn’t happened since 1906.

Thank you for taking the time to taking a look at the Neil Corman Photography 2019 Summer Reading Guide. When available I have used links to Amazon for ease, but most of these items can be found at local booksellers in your city.

This year I have decided to put together a small gift guide for some of the items which I have used, read or enjoyed in the past year. Based on your needs, you may want to add to your wish list for the holidays or in the future.

 

Denver

Two organizations which I am a member of are the Denver Botanic Gardens and Denver Architecture Foundation. Located not far from downtown Denver the York Street location of the Botanic Gardens is the one which I visit most often whether it is for an inspiring walk through the gardens anytime of the year, or for one of their special events like Blossoms of Lights. The Denver Architecture Foundation is one of the organizations behind the annual event Doors Open Denver and various other tours during the course of the year which promotes architecture in the Denver area. Many of the popular venues for Doors Open Denver will sellout and with a DAF membership you do get priority registration.

For some interesting history on Denver, check out the various books by Phil Goodstein. I own the Denver Streets and Denver Civic Center books, which may be in limited print but are still available locally. While it is just over ten years old the book Getting to know Denver: Five Walking Tours can also be an informative guide of the downtown Denver area.

I frequently use the Colorado Atlas and Gazetteer when exploring Denver and beyond. Quite frequently I will make notes in this publication to keep track of places I have photographed or those which I would like to revisit in the future. While it is easy just to use our phones to keep track of these things, not everywhere in Colorado is it possible to get a reliable cell phone signal to access your information stored in the cloud.

 

Photography

I quite frequently am asked which camera set-up I am using for the images on my website and also at art festivals. The answer is, it depends. Most of my work has been taken with Nikon cameras, and at this time I am using the Nikon D810. I would recommend doing your research on what is the best gear for the type of photography which you would like to capture. Over the past couple of years I have also moved to a mirrorless camera, which is smaller and makes perfect sense for me when traveling. I use the Olympus OM-D M5 Mark II with a 12-100mm F/4 lens. This is a nice small set-up which gives the equivalent of a 24-200mm range on the lens, and I have taken it with me across the United States, Cuba, Singapore, Hong Kong, Ireland, Canada and plenty more locations. These cameras may seem expensive and yes they are, however I also have featured work I have taken with my iPhone including one of my best selling images.

It is not always about the gear itself but how you see and capture the image you are taking. Classes at local camera stores are readily available, as well as online courses like Mastering Travel Photography.

 

Travel

I am always on the search for the perfect travel/camera bag and found one just over a year ago which is perfect for me. The Tenba DNA15 is now always with me when traveling due to the amount of equipment it allows me to carry and also the comfort it brings. One of my first uses of this bag was to Cuba a year ago. It easily held two mirrorless cameras, three lenses, accessories, a 15-inch laptop and other various items while still fitting under the seat on the airplane flight. I have also used this on weekend trips as my only bag since the camera inserts can be removed. From 3-Day weekend flights, or crossing the country on Amtrak it is perfect for my needs and really doesn’t look like a camera bag.

When traveling internationally you will need to use a different plug, thus an all-in-one travel adapter it quite helpful. For under $10 you can find one to handle the various types of outlets especially when we need to charge all of our electronics. This one also includes USB ports for you to charge your gear.

 

Travel and Photography Inspiration

I am always looking for books and other publications to help with inspiration and education for travel and photography. Here is a brief list of some of these items from this year.

• Atlas Obscura: This guide is readily available in my living room and when wondering what there is in the world I pick it up and flip through for a while. Featuring some of the more interesting places in the world it is always fun to pick up and start to get me thinking about places to visit next. There is also an Atlas Obscura website you can browse as well.
• Best Business Practices for Photographers: Currently in its third edition this book by John Harrington sits on my bookshelf as a great reference tool for anyone who is selling their work, or is interested in getting in the market.
• How to Travel the World on $50 a Day: This best selling book was one the first ways I came across Nomadic Matt and is a great read on how to save money when traveling anywhere. He also has smaller guides for specific areas, and during my trip to Hong Kong this year I got a lot of my travel planning information from that guide.
• Landmass Maps: How else would you show off where you have been in the United States or the World without a map to display. Once you have visited a location you can scratch it off with a coin. Instead of scratching off lottery tickets and hoping you can now scratch to remember all of the places you have visited and also see where you want to go next.
• NeuYear Wall Calendars: How else can you visually plan for your year in travel or other projects which you are working on other than with a wall calendar. I have used this to plan the year for projects, trips and everything else which comes up in life. I would recommend the dry erase option as we know plans can change. [This link will also save you 10%]
• Moleskin Notebook: A good notebook is always a tool which you have with you to write down notes, ideas or anything else which may come to you at the spur of the moment. I have a stack of various sized of these notebooks on my shelf and will have one with me when traveling.
• Obama: An Intimate Portrait: You may not live in the United States or are registered in one of many political parties, however hands down you can not argue about the tremendous job Pete Souza did capturing the presidency of Barack Obama. This coffee table book contains many of the images we have seen published before and those which are new. It is a great reminder of how to photograph and catch the moment.
• The Thirty Days Project: I may be biased on this book which I released a few years ago summarizing the first five years of The Thirty Days Project which I have done in the past. This is currently on sale as well.
• Treasured Lands: Photographer QT Luong visited all 59 National Parks (now 60) over the course of 20 years to put together this 450+ page coffee table book. There is some amazing photography in this book which will inspire you to photograph, travel and most importantly explore.
• Ultimate Journeys for Two: Published just over year ago by National Geographic, Mike and Anne Howard continue to travel and explore their world on an ongoing honeymoon. This book may motivate you to take that trip or find an off the path location to visit. During Travelcon earlier this year I had the privilege of meeting these two adventurers.
• 1000 Places to See Before You Die: This is one of the original bucket list books and continues to be one to have on your bookshelf. Like Atlas Obscura above it will give you that push to go and visit somewhere new on your next adventure.

 

Charity

Lastly I would like to point some of the non-profits which I support due to personal ties to the work they support. As I mentioned at the beginning of the year the Ocular Melanoma Foundation and Cure OM (through the Melanoma Research Foundation) is something personal to me. In addition the National Brain Tumor Society I continue to support due to way too many people I know who have been lost from brain tumors.

 

Thank you for taking the time to taking a look at the Neil Corman Photography 2018 gift guide. When available I have used links to Amazon for ease, but most of these items can be found at local camera stores or other small businesses in Denver or wherever you call home.

Last year I spent a good amount of time in Juneau, Alaska which prompted some questions about Juneau and I tried to answer all of those.  There are three ways to get to Juneau; Boat, Air and being born there.  Flying into Juneau is not easy as highlighted on this video taken earlier this month on a clear morning during final approach out the window of the combi aircraft.

As you can see it is quite a scenic place to visit, especially in the summer.

Is there still leftover turkey in your house?  If so this may be a great day to explore what is happening this weekend around the Denver area.

• Today is Small Business Saturday.  While small business owners hope you will make everyday one where you shop at a small business take a moment to find one today as they may have a great offer for you with minimal lines and top notch customer service.
• The Rocky Mountain Toy Train Show is today and tomorrow from 10am – 5pm.
• At the Colorado Convention Center through the weekend is the Rocky Mountain Auto Show.
• Today is the Victorian Holiday Home Tour just east of downtown in the Upper Colfax Business District.
• The holiday lights have been lit at the City and County of Denver Building in Civic Center Park so be sure to check out this annual display.
• Various markets are around the Denver area for the holiday season through Christmas including Skyline Park.

What do you have planned for this weekend?

It is the first full weekend of November and plenty is happening in Denver.  This is also the weekend when daylight savings ends resulting in an extra hour on Sunday morning as the clocks fall back one hour.

• Denver Arts Week has kicked off with today being the focus on the museums around the city.  Plenty of other events today, tomorrow and during the week as well.
• The Colorado Ski & Snowboard Expo is this weekend at the Colorado Convention Center
• Free performances at the recently refurbished McNichols Civic Center Building is ongoing today.
• The Starz Denver Film Festival has kicked off and runs through next weekend.
• On Sunday the Hatch Foundation presents the 7th Annual Chili Cook-Off at the Oriental Theater.  Help raise money for wildfire victims, enjoy some chili and watch the Broncos on the big screen.  The event starts at 11am.
• The 9th Annual Colorado Country Christmas Show takes place all weekend at the Denver Merchandise Mart.

What do you have planned for this weekend?

Fall is in the air hee in the Denver area, along with some of these events taking place around town this weekend.

• The Zombie Crawl takes place in downtown Denver starting at 2:00 PM.
• Today is also the 24th Annual VeloSwap at the National Western Complex.
• The Denver Cutthroats continue their opening weekend at the Denver Coliseum this evening.
• Becoming Van Gogh opens at the Denver Art Museum on Sunday and runs through January 20th.  Timed tickets are required for this exhibition.

What do you have planned for this weekend?