Happy Monday everyone! Let’s kick today off with something really inspirational. I spent Friday evening having dinner with David duChemin of The Pixelated Image, and it was a very revelatory meal. David’s an amazing photographer, and the work that he is doing is truly inspirational. I even got to share with him what I’ve had on my mind for a while.. and now, I am inspired to see if this is even doable- Shooting Kathmandu in Nepal and Bhutan. Man, would I be excited about this..

We talked a little bit about the work that he does with World Vision, and something called the Gift Catalog. I don’t know why I hadn’t heard of it sooner, but the idea is just amazing.

If you click on this website here, you will be taken to a section where you can make a contribution, as if you were picking something out from a catalog. Did you know that you can provide a goat for someone in Malawi or Haiti for $75.00? How about providing food for an African family for $50.00? One of the things that I really like about this is the fact that this form of giving is hopeful – a contrast from the bleak images that have been used in the past. It was a wonderful time, and it was certainly a pleasure having him in this neck of the woods.

Moose Posts, a new Column, and the Weekly Contest, all after the jump…

Moose Peterson’s “Dial” Post
This struck a real chord in me when I saw it. I sat there and thought to myself, “How many times have I gone out to shoot and completely beat myself up after not coming back with anything?” After reading Moose’s post, it made me think that this sort of thing happens to the best of us, and in the end, I really need to spend more time loving the process, and not being obsessed over the result. That, my friends, is my insightful thought for the day. If you want to check out Moose’s post, click on the link below:

Moose’s Dial Blog Post

Richard Harrington Column
Check out our new column by Richard Harrington! He shares an interview he did with Deeje Cooley, who’s an evangelist for Adobe’s Dynamic Media Organization and former product manager for the Adobe Media Player. They talk about the new Adobe Media Player.

Click here for the full column

Contest Time!
So this week, our prize is going to be a copy of “A Celebration of Art: Paint Like a Master” by Fay Sirkis, as well as a year’s subscription to Layers Magazine. To enter the contest, go to the Contact Section of the site. Select the “Layers TV” section from the drop-down. Fill in your name, email, and answer “Fay Sirkis uses Photoshop and …”

Name the other program she uses..

Contest will close this Thursday, May 1 and the winner will be posted on Friday, May 2.

Have a wonderful week everyone.. and I will see you here in the AM!