There are several phases of being a photographer. The obvious ones are beginner, amateur, professional and, perhaps at a stretch, “master.” You may disagree with that progression and that's fine. But I suspect you will agree with me when I say that at every level (yes, even if you self-proclaim yourself the Grand Poobah of photography), you are constantly learning.

Yes, that's right. Educating yourself never ever stops. It's what I find most exciting about photography. Every day, I am learning something new about the art and also ultimately about myself.

Several weeks back, I announced the 1st annual Tiffinbox Award winner. That photographer is David DuChemin, an author, blogger, teacher and foremost a visual explorer. I urge you to check out his blog and his books.

David is also the visionary behind Craft & Vision e-books for photographers of all stripes. Each of these books is $5. They are a fast read and are chalk-full of great tidbits of useful information that you don't just save in your head but are forced to go out and try out for yourself. To say that I have fallen in love with these e-books would actually be a bit of an understatement. They are exquisitely designed and of course contain some of the best photography I have seen. I eagerly wait for each new e-book because they are so remarkable.

Today, Craft & Vision is doing something different. They are actually giving away their latest e-book, 11 Ways You Can Improve Your Photography.

So, why is this 69-page e-book free? What's the catch, you wonder? There is none. Think of this book as a sampler. The authors of these chapters are representative of the breadth and depth of the topics you will find on the Craft & Vision website. The writing is lucid and engaging. The images are spectacular. If you are even remotely inclined to educate yourself or even elevate your photography, these e-books are a must. Being e-books, I carry them around on my iPad 2 and flip through them when I want a quick burst of inspiration.

I bet you are curious to know what those 11 ways are right? So here they are, in the order they appear in the free e-book (yeah, download it now):

1) Make Your Images More Dynamic by Piet Van Den Eynde
2) Tame Your Digital Exposures by David DuChemin
3) The Power Of The Print by Martin Bailey
4) Learn To Direct The Eye by Michael Frye
5) Understand The Stages by Alexandre Buisse
6) Create Projects And Collaborate by Andrew S. Gibson
7) Refine Your Composition by Nicole S. Young
8) The Power Of The Moment by Eli Reinholdtsen
9) Forget Lens Stereotypes by Piet Van Den Eynde
10) Slow Down And Learn To See by Stuart Sipahigil
11) Make Stronger Portraits by David DuChemin

Buy one or two, or better yet, buy them all (and save 20%). With the Christmas season around the corner, I don't think there is a better set of gifts than these e-books for the budding or experienced photographer in your life. I know I would appreciate it, if I was presented this incredible opportunity to learn from the very best in the industry.

Disclosure Of Material Connection

When it comes to business, Kristen Kalp doesn't clown around.

She is the author behind the outrageously astute BrandCamp Blog and also a photographer based in Philadelphia.

Circus Circus, her new offering in the form of a PDF, tackles the sometimes difficult task of communicating with one's potential business clients. It's more a workshop than an e-book, so come prepared to roll up your sleeves and get some elbow grease.

Circus Circus isn't just a bunch of copy that I've written so you can paste it into your website and hope for the best. That's like buying brownies from the bakery and eating 'em right up – eating brownies doesn't get you any closer to creating brownies.

In the 52-page book, Kalp, takes several irreverent swipes at conventional business writing books by presenting her material in both a concise and witty manner. She is comfortable engaging her audience from the get go. Just take a look at the table of contents:

Now, I don't know of anyone looking at that table of contents who will not want to read right through in one sitting. I did that, knowing full well that there might be parts where I would be asked to stop, write things down and then reflect.

The first challenging part of the book was coming up with a manifesto. To be honest, I am still not done with mine. Kalp says she took nearly five hours to complete her manifesto. What's so important about a manifesto? Well, it “establishes the sound of YOUR voice on your website or in your brochures.” That, in my opinion, is reason enough to keep chipping at it. I promise to share my manifesto when I feel it is ready for public consumption. What helps is Kalp's five-step process to craft that manifesto, each with vivid examples and a worksheet to practice on your own.

The part of Kalp's e-book that I found most fascinating was the “Fire-Breathing Show,” where words are used to convey features and benefits to clients. I know I struggle with this in my own copy, but this guide book shows you how to arrive at these personal and business characteristics, to help sell YOU to your clients.

Kalp also talks about offering your clients incentives (she calls them cotton-candy to stick to the circus metaphor), creating a one-line bio, how to respond to e-mails, crafting an elegant e-mail signature, writing a FAQ email, negotiating price objections and expressing yourself in blog posts.

And you can see that Kalp practices what she preaches. Take a look at her own photography website – Essential Imagery. Just about every part of it is eager to connect with the visitor. “Let's Have An Adventure! What kind?,” is an invitation to join her in something mysterious, yet cool. Her website exudes her down-to-earth, yet fun personality.

If you are a photographer, you can no longer just post great images on your site and expect your potential clients to be able to connect with you. You do have to write and express yourself. If you struggle with the written word, Kristen Kalp's Circus Circus is must-buy. She'll take you step by step (and it isn't in the least bit easy mind you) through the various parts of your site where you may want to tighten up your writing and engage your reader.

It's priced at $149 (and I bought my copy, by the way) so it isn't inexpensive. If you are looking to persuade your clients that you are worth what you charge for your services, then the value this e-book/guidebook/workbook is truly immense. Full disclosure, I get no financial commission for suggesting this book to you. If Kristen reads this review and feels like sharing a special promo code with us, I'll update this post so you can order the book within a specific time frame. Does that sound good to you?

Sound off below if you have already bought Circus Circus. What did you think of it? How far along are you on your manifesto? What portions of it have you already put into play for your business? Start the dialogue here. Let's talk!

Well, Kristen did respond to my request for a special promotional code to be used towards Circus Circus. At check out use “SESHU” and get $50 off. This is good only through April 5, 2011, so bust a move. Your final price will be $99. Nice!