Who do you stalk?

I get asked from time to time who's blog I follow. I would more or less consider it blog stalking, because I'm checking their blog every morning over my cup of java and oatmeal.

This is my speed dial of bloggers:

Jessica Claire - jessicaclaire.net
She is a superstar shooter, living in SoCal. Primarily a natural light wedding shooter, she has a way of capturing everyone in a very fresh, clean way. I love her stuff.

The Becker - beckersblog.com
Again, a great wedding shooter living in the golden state. I enjoy his images, but moreover enjoy his free spirited approach to blogging and his don't care attitude about expressing his opinion. Lover of all things Apple.

Chase Jarvis - chasejarvis.com/blog
A wonderful commercial and stock photographer. Do a youtube search for this guy, you will love how he accomplishes his shoots. Just amazing. I love this guy.

Jenn and Steve Bebb - bebbblog.squarespace.com
Oh my, are these guys amazing wedding photographers. I have so much to learn from them. They are based in Vancouver Canada, and were voted one of the World's Top 10 Wedding Photographers in 2007 by American Photo. Stellar, stellar, stellar. Just wish they'd blog a bit more (much like myself). Recently Jenn paired up with Jessica Claire to shoot Gary Fong's wedding (an industry icon himself, no longer shooting weddings) If you only had 1 blog to check out today, pick this one.

Chris + Lynn Jakksa - chrispluslynn.blogspot.com
International wedding and portrait photographers based in Vancouver. They are a wonderful husband and wife team, who so easily capture emotion, but are unafraid to tackle the elements and low light conditions to create truly one-of-a-kind images for their clients.

Nate and Jaclyn Kaiser - theblogisfound.com
Wonderfully talented duo who put a wicked spin on what might otherwise be considered fairly mainline photography. Brilliant in their approach. Brilliant in their execution.

Jeff and Julia Woods - jeffreywoods.typepad.com/
Can you believe this guy used to work 2 jobs to support his wedding photography passion. Such was his talent and mental strength that they now rightfully charge a premium dollar for their premium product and service. Currently, one of my fave photographers to stalk.

Jasmine Star - jasminestarblog.com
Only 2 years in biz and this girl has already taken the wedding photo world by storm. Learned by some of Cali's best and brightest (Mike Colon, David Jay, The Becker...), she has created her own niche and is now taking names.

Bludomain - bludomain.com/blog.cfm
My current web hoster. Wonderful product, fun, funky blog.

Nick Onken - http://www.nickonkenconnection.com/shoptalk/
I like this guy. Cool. Laconic. Collected. Great imagery. Talks about more than just photography. Currently has plans to write his own travel book.

***UPDATE***

Hey, how could I forget my Ottawa brethren?! Sorry gang. Some e-props for you.

Derrick Rice - derrickrice.com/blog
Check him out! He's only been in biz a few years (correct me if I'm wrong D) but his burgeoning photography business is taking Ottawa by storm. He's an East Coast lad whose pics and personality please all his clients.

Andrew Geddes - andrewgeddes.blogspot.com
Andrew is another talented capital city photographer. By putting a new spin on traditional wedding photography, he is helping us shape photography in this great city. Have a look at his latest work.

Sam and Mary - smphoto.wordpress.com
Great stuff from this duo. Creative, intelligent portraiture really set these guys apart. I love their lifestyle sessions and hyper-realness to their imagery.

For the rest of the Ottawa photographers out there, you had better hop on the blogging train. It's such a great way to connect with clients. I think Susan Stripling said it best "People come to your website once, but they visit your blog daily". Keep it updated, and folks will keep coming back to see what you're doing in your life and what new, unique ideas you've added to your brand.

If you have a few spare hours...or days, go check them out. All do amazing work in their own field and are very involved in giving back to the photographic community. Some do workshops, some give out their secrets and what made them successful on their blog, some show you videos on youtube. All are educational, but moreover all are interesting and fun.

Enjoy.