Practice is the real key, but it can be hard to find inspiration to put in that practice. Here are some ways that I eventually came across which helped me develop my skill, and weren’t nearly as expensive as just trading up to a newer model camera in the hope that it would somehow improve my abilities.

The 365

This is a classic technique, and one employed by photography schools around the country. The idea is simple; take one photo a day for an entire year, hence the “365″ moniker. You can have more (or less) structure in addition to that, but if you’re just starting out, it might be best to just go ahead and keep things loose. That way any picture you take will count, and that will come in handy on days when you’re less than motivated to go out and find the perfect shot.

Assignments

Homework isn’t just for students, and you don’t need a traditional teacher to receive assignments. There are a number of places on the web to pick up tasks and prompts that can start a fire under your photography habit.

One of my favorites might already be familiar to many hobbyists. It’s Darren Rowse’s Digital Photography School. Not only does the site provide great tips and tutorials for people at all skill levels of digital photography, written by a wide variety of industry professionals, but it also features an ongoing weekly assignment section that you can use to help create some truly inspired work. Even just browsing the contributions of other users can provide great ideas.

Competitions

Similar to assignments, but not the same, are contests. They aren’t the same because there’s a competitive element involved, and the point is to share your work, whereas with an assignment you could just keep your results to yourself if you prefer.

There are no shortage of photography contests going on online, so it’s hard to narrow the field down to just a few. Photo Friday is a great one, though, because it occurs weekly and results are posted both online at the web site and now to a special Twitter account, too. The stakes aren’t that high, but it’s a great way for beginners to get exposure and there’s no shortage of chances to win.

One thing to watch out for is sites that aren’t exactly honest about their processes in these competitions. The thing is that stock photography is lucrative, and there’s no easier way to amass that than to hold a “contest” in which all photos submitted automatically become property of the site, which means they can collect royalties instead of the photographer.

Become a Double Threat

Being a good writer is a really useful skill to have if you’re going to pursue work online, especially if you’re looking to get into blogging or copywriting. It’s good, but if you can pair that with photographic skill, it becomes great. The years of the one-trick pony in online work are behind us, as more people flock to the web to make some money. The true test of whether you succeed will depend upon your ability to outperform others in multiple areas, not just one. Video is next, but that’s a horse of a different color.

What tips do you have for budding photographers?

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The telescopic XShot camera extender ($29.95) is a simple but “wow” device that allows you to mount your digital camera and then extend it away from you so you can include yourself in the pictures. At conferences, however, the clever device is being used by attendees to raise their cameras above the heads of a crowd or audience to more easily capture footage of speakers onstage or simply get a more interesting view of the room. The XShot 2.0 gives you as little as 9 inches and up to 3 feet of extension.

XShot has also come out with a new device that is equally as useful in a thump-on-the-head “why didn’t I think of that!” way. The XShot iPhone Case ($29.95 ) fits iPhone 3G and 3GS and features a tripod mount to quickly and easily attach your iPhone to a tripod (such as my favorite Gorillapod) — or the XShot Camera Extender — to get the same added functionality as you would with a regular digital camera. The tripod mount isn’t a separate attachment but already built right into the case, which is perfect for me because I always lose extra attachments and peripherals.

Right now, you can only preorder the iPhone case at XShot.com; the new product will be available starting in November. You can also pre-order an XShot and iPhone Case bundle for $44.95.

And rumor has it XShot is coming out with yet another device in the near future — a micro version of its XShot 2.0 that is smaller and lighter, but still highly functional.

What is your current favorite “must-have” gadget?

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Apple MacBook

I’ve been asked to live blog an event for a client and their members. Actually, I’ll be live blogging, podcasting, Twittering, Uttering, and live streaming an event.

I am putting together my equipment, securing accounts with all the online tools and services I need, and reviewing the schedule so I’m prepared. This will be a major undertaking that will include two 12 hour days as well as pre- and post-blogging.

Normally, live blogging a conference is done with a team, but this is a proof-of-concept so I’m on my own.

While I’ve live blogged and live tweeted conferences before, this is the first time I’ll be doing it formally for a client. The conference is not my usual fare – it is about philanthropy instead of Internet or technology. I’ve worked with many nonprofits over the last 15 years – including running a nonprofit in New York City in the mid-90s – so the issues aren’t foreign to me. Still, I’ll have to be on top of my game – with a healthy dose of caffeine – to keep up.

Here’s what I’ve put together so far for my Live Blogging Gear.

Keen Oswago Bag

The Bag
I almost attempted to make a bag that could handle my MacBook, assorted digital devices and a variety of accessories and that would keep everything at my hip, fairly ergonomically balanced, and extremely accessible. Luckily, I found something close to what I needed at REI. The Oswago Keen bag sits neatly on my hip, and I can quickly access my MacBook, a notebook and pen, my digital camera, my video camera, my iPod Touch, extra batteries, and all of my power cords and accessories.

The Computer
Black MacBook. Perfect size, weight, capabilities, sleek and good looking. Why use anything else?

The Digital Camera
I’m using a Nikon Coolpix L5 – 7.2 Megapixels, 5x Zoom. An older model but still going strong. I’m still on the fence about upgrading to a slimmer, lighter model. I’ve been using a variety of Nikon Coolpix for many years after graduating from an old digital Olympus. Any recommendations? Keep in mind I am not a professional photographer, and these photos are mostly for the Web.

Flip Mino

The Video Camera
I’ve got The Flip and love its self-contained utility. I’m upgrading from the original model to either an Ultra or a Mino. I should go for the Mino because in addition to the sleekness, it is rechargeable via USB port as well as power adapter. I’m planning to try live video streaming from Flip to Web.

The Digital Recorder
While I’d love to get the Marantz 660 because I also do radio (you remember radio, right?) in addition to audio podcasting, I’ve decided to be a little more frugal at the moment and get the Edirol / Roland R-09HR Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder. Both were recommended to me by radio producers, although the latter choice was focused more on podcasting so that definitely works for the live blogging. I’ll be interviewing panelists and speakers before or after their sessions.

The Blog
At the moment, the client is setting up the blog. I’ll be consulting to make sure it is “social media ready.”

Ustream.tv

Ustream.tv
I’m planning on using Ustream.tv to live stream parts of the conference. I’m still checking with the client about whether to keep all of this private (for their members only) or public.

Utterz
In a pinch, I’ll post some Utterz when I don’t want to mess with the digital recorder and want to have some audio up on the organization’s blog quickly.

Flickr
There will be a private collection of photos uploaded each day from the event on Flickr. These will also be posted on the blog along with additional cross-posting.

Twitter
But of course I’ll do a little live Twittering on Twitter. It will be private though, only accessible by my client’s members.

Other Miscellany
I’m packing all the powercords and chargers including a slew of rechargeable batteries and a multi-battery recharger. Rule of live blogging: Never run out of power. And of course I am packing a notebook and pens to give my wrists a break. I’m pretty sure there is no way I can type notes on that many sessions without some repetitive stress injury.

As I look over my list, I wonder about overkill. However, even though there is some crossover of functionality, every device can serve a backup function in one way or another so I feel like I’m covered for everything.

What am I forgetting? What do YOU use when you live blog an event?

[photos from Apple.com, REI.com, TheFlip.com, Ustream.tv]

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