So pleased to be able to show this sample of the work of photographer Sean Arbabi, aka “PhotoGuru” and author of The BetterPhoto Guide to Exposure. It’s the first of many that will appear on Koloist over the next several weeks along with his informative article, "Image Making 101." We’ll publish this in installments. Enjoy this first installment, and feel free to post questions and comments for Sean.

As a commercial travel photographer for 19 years, and one who has taken pictures since age 11, I have had the opportunity to capture every subject under the sun – from action and adventure, to landscapes and wildlife, faces and places around the world, to the hustle and bustle of city life. As a working pro I keep abreast of the latest and greatest in digital gear, computer software and products that have become the tools in our industry and the “digital darkroom” for today’s photographer. With my professional experiences and knowledge I have taken on the self-professed title of “PhotoGuru.” Through ideas of how to incorporate photography into your life, while introducing you to a variety of equipment, software, tips, and techniques, I will bring exciting facets to image-making while giving you a better understanding of the art.

If this doesn’t float, I’ll go after my dream of being a successful pro bowler.

FINDING AN EYE
The increase in photography’s popularity today may come from our digital camera allowing us instant access and gratification in reviewing images taken just a second earlier. But it doesn’t offer you the skills and techniques for producing a better picture. When it comes to taking good photos, a familiar comment I hear is, “When I get a good shot I’m pleased with, I don’t really know how I did it.” The key to capturing quality images is to learn the techniques that produce a better photograph, to train your eye to see in two dimensions (as your one-eyed camera does), to understand your camera and its various functions, and then, on occasion, to get lucky. As Ansel Adams put it, “Chance favors the prepared mind.”

COMPOSITION
Composing a scene is arguably the most important aspect to great image making, but often it is not thought about by a beginner photographer. There are a few basic rules you can follow to help when it comes to composing a scene.

1) The Four Corners Rule: This basic rule states that your subject is not interesting when placed in the middle of the frame. Put your subject in the upper left, upper right, bottom left, or bottom right and you will create a more attractive arrangement to your photo.

2) Rules of Thirds: In some cases you can divide your image, whether horizontally or vertically, into thirds (a foreground, middle ground, and background). This can give more perspective to your shot and help create a flow to your image more pleasing to the viewer.

3) Get in Close: As Robert Capa, a famous war photographer in the mid 20th century, stated, “If your photos aren’t good, they aren’t close enough.” People often make the mistake of placing too much of their surroundings in a photo. Get in close and “creativity edit” your environment to focus the image more on your subject.

4) It’s All About the Angles: Photography really is all about finding the best point of view. Sometimes creating a quality image means getting out of our five-to-six-foot eye level, dropping down low or finding a higher perspective to take a photo. Both on occasion can provide cleaner backgrounds, a unique perspective that most don’t see every day, and often give you a better composition.

Once you understand these rules, put them to practice and learn about how and why they work; on occasion you can go outside the rules and produce an amazing image just as well. I always say, know the rules so you can break 'em- it is part of the art of creativity.

The second installment of this article will appear on Koloist soon.

If you're curious to know more about Sean Arbabi, his biography and photo now appear on Koloist in the right hand side bar under Contributors. (Click on his name.)

Visit Sean Arbabi's web sites here and here. See previous posts about Sean Arbabi here.

Artist Lie Fhung is starting a new art project she's calling Dream Archives that will involve Kolo Havana Boxes:

I just wanted to share with you the process of my first experimentation with a KOLO Havana Box. Well, well, well, I am very impressed with how sturdy and durable the KOLO Havana Box is! I was surprised to find out that it was made with wooden board instead of book's binder board as my initial guess. It took me a hack saw to cut a window on the lid! Next, I wanted to burn out the small window on the front wall to provide an opening to peek through. Well, guess what? It wouldn't got burned! Well, it might eventually get burned if exposed to open flame for hours, I guess... I did singe the fabric lining a bit, but the paper itself persisted. I had prepared a small bucket of water with dampened cloth nearby beforehand just in case - but it was proven to be totally unnecessary! I was using a small lighter and after a while I just couldn't stand the heat on my finger so I had to give up and just used a cutter instead. Even with a cutter it wasn't easy! Now, isn't it something to say about the quality of KOLO Havana Box?

Here are a couple of photos of the progress. I got really impulsive playing with the paint there - didn't plan to cover it so much, but I had fun with it and I will continue working on it...

Check out Fhung's art work here and her digital artistry web site here.

You can see previous Lie Fhung projects that have appeared on Koloist here, here, here and here.

If you're thinking of making a Mother's Day gift for Mom (it's coming up May 10th), here's an idea from designer Ali Edwards:

Create a 4x6 album that includes the photo overlays in conjunction with journal blocks. This one is super simple and would make a great gift. If you don't print your photos at home you can add the overlays to your photos before uploading or taking your photo card to the developer.

She showed this platinum Kolo Noci photo album project on her blog. Her post demonstrates how to do title and journal photo overlays for 4” x 6” photos digitally in Photoshop.

For more photos of this project and the full how-to, check out Ali’s project post here.

Photographer Sean Arbabi is a busy guy. He's promoting his new book The BetterPhoto Guide to Exposure while collaborating with producer Eric Dyson to create a new television show about photography, PhotoGuru.

He hails from California, but Sean has taught photography to thousands of people in more than 20 countries. His photographs have appeared in more than 250 publications around the world including the nature photographer's holy grail, National Geographic. He shoots a variety of subjects: action and adventure, landscapes and wildlife, faces and places and city life.

You might recall seeing a recent Koloist post about Sean's appearance on The View from the Bay where Sean gives a few simple tips about how anyone can improve their photography. Check out more about Sean Arbabi including his blog and photography workshops information here.

I took this photo of a bird's nest last spring after it had been blown from a tree during a storm. Blue threads woven into the nest were apparently gathered from a nearby disintegrating vinyl boat cover. ~ Ugo, Koloist editor

On this Earth Day more than ever, we recognize that our planet is fragile. We can all be better stewards of nature by learning simple ways to reduce our carbon footprint -- to do so, go here.

For sobering inspiration, check out this beautiful Time Magazine photo essay, This Fragile Earth, honoring "Heroes of the Environment" here.