Recently, I interviewed photographer Rick Smolan, who - along with his wife and creative partner, Jennifer Erwitt - put together the new photo book, “America at Home: A Close-Up Look at How We Live" from Running Press.

One of the best things about finding a good craft blog, whether it's someone using yarn, fabric, paper, tin, or plastic, is seeing the photographs of a person's work. When an item is well-photographed, the hand of the creator can be seen in the work. It's almost like touching the product. However, taking a great photograph is not the easiest thing to do.

It's a beautiful day and Dad has taken the kids out to play on an inflatable slide; they're all laughing and having a great time, and he snaps some pictures of the fun... until he's called a pervert and told to stop. I think that sounds like a plot for a ridiculous, contrived fiction story, but it's what actually happened to the U.K.'s Gary Crutchley when he was on an outing with his two sons and other parents protested his picture-taking:

Since Bruce Schneier published his June 5 Guardian essay asking the question, "Are photographers really a threat?", this weary topic is being revisited. Amidst the paranoia-fest that has moved in since 9/11, taking a photograph has become suspect activity. Many shutterbugs I know have been questioned and harassed by police officers and over-zealous security guards who believe they are protecting the country from some elaborate evil plan that evidently cannot engage without some glossy 8x10s.

Calling all photo enthusiasts! Grab your cameras and put on your walking shoes, it’s time for BlogHer’s first ever PhotoWalk, brought to you by the Shutter Sisters, and taking place immediately following the BlogHer '08 Photography session on Saturday afternoon, July 19th, from 3:15-4:30PM. If interested, just meet outside the meeting room where the Photography session concludes at 3PM on Saturday.

"A good nude photograph can be erotic, but certainly not sentimental or pornographic." --Bill Brandt, British photographer (1904-1983)

"Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still."--Dorothea Lange, American photographer, (1895-1965)A picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes, but some photographs can be worth just one heavy handful of potent words - words pregnant with meaning, set in bold with exclamation points and a severe emotional font, like Toxica.

"I chose nature photography as a way of capturing and sharing the beauty, power, and fragility of wild places and the life that inhabits them, so that those who have become mired in the man-made chaos may open their eyes to the real world."--Guy Tal, American naturalist and landscape photographer

In the first of what will probably be numerous such posts, I am here to ask you what you want. We've lined up a fantabulous photography mentor for a session in BlogHer '08's How We Communicate track, and we want to know how you want her to focus the 75 minutes she will have for her session. Meet Ma Ra Koh. This is a rare case where her About page tells you a really compelling story. As she says: I didn’t find photography. Photography found me. And then it healed me.

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."--Ansel Adams

"Dear God, I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday. That was COOL." --Eugene, from "Children's Letters to God" A friend, Amy, recently told me about a new tradition in their family: Whenever they go on a trip or an outing, each kid (she has three – ages 5, 7 and 9) is given a disposable camera and encouraged to take whatever photos they like. “It’s great to see the world through the eyes of a child once again,” said Amy. “And, they often end up taking the best photos!”

"A camera gives you a reason to stare." --John Running, American photographer I was born with a Hemangioma, which is basically a benign tumor made up of blood vessels. Some, like Gorbachev’s famous mark, are less obvious. Some, like mine, are hard to ignore. Located on my right cheek, just under my eye, it takes up a fourth of my face. For the first 21 years of my life, I had 25+ surgeries to correct it though, for the most part, I have always led a normal life.