“Shoot! The Blog”, an editorially-independent community blog focusing on all aspects of the photography industry, debuts today at http://blog.photoshelter.com. The mission of “Shoot! The Blog” is to inform, entertain and unite the photographic community with content targeted towards photographers at all experience levels, image buyers, editors, designers, students and anyone interested in commercial and artistic photography. Updating two to five times a day, “Shoot! The Blog” resident blogger, Rachel Hulin, will offer industry insight and knowledgeable commentary, while mediating discussions pertaining to news, trends and the latest industry gossip. She will draw on her experience as a professional photographer and photo editor, having served as the online photo editor at Rolling Stone and as a photo editor at Nerve.com. “Shoot! The Blog” will also feature guest bloggers and interviews from voices throughout the community.

Weekly features include “In the Field,” which spotlights a professional photographer in the form of an interview, anecdote, or a look at day in their life. “Tearsheet” is all about what’s hot in the advertising industry, and examines a visually compelling, successful advertisement, breaking it down, from image to layout, to determine what makes it work well. “The Cutting Edge” is a design-focused section, profiling what’s new in the world of gadgetry, gear and graphic design with input from a design professional. Finally, the Friday “Happy Hour” provides a roundtable discussion of the week’s biggest news item featuring opinions from other bloggers and photographers.

“My goal is for ‘Shoot! The Blog’ to become a daily destination of avid discussion, news, practical advice and fabulous, discussion-provoking images. We’re looking to create a dialogue between all members of the photographic community including photographers, art lovers and buyers,” says Hulin. “I’m excited about the level of talent we’ve confirmed for the first month, which includes photographers Nikola Tamindzic, Antonin Kratochvil and Noah Kalina. I’ll also be speaking with Nayland Blake, chair of the MFA program at the International Center of Photography and several noted photography buyers, gallery owners and advertising agency creatives.”

Monthly features will profile local photography or art communities worldwide. In addition, the site will provide interviews and close-ups of teachers from fine arts colleges, as well as public high schools, to uncover the latest trends, up-and-coming stars and promising former students. “Gone, But Not Forgotten” features will take a look back at the life and work of photography legends of the past. “Shoot! The Blog” will include live updates from industry events, a regular gallery recap, a new talent showcase and guest bloggers.

“We’re really excited to have Rachel on board and kickoff the new blog today. PhotoShelter’s growth has surpassed our own wildest projections – we’ve very quickly become a gathering place for thousands of brilliant photographers and creative professionals who use photography,” said Allen Murabayashi, CEO of PhotoShelter. “Just as PhotoShelter brings together photographers and buyers around fresh, diverse images, ‘Shoot! The Blog’ is a natural fit for us to provide our community with constantly updating, insightful and entertaining content built around the one theme that unifies everyone – exceptional photography.”

“Shoot! The Blog” is hosted and sponsored by PhotoShelter Inc., the world’s leading advocate for independent photographers who seek commercial success. The PhotoShelter Collection is where 14,000 pro and amateur photographers from 120 countries license their fresh, diverse images to buyers of exceptional photography, and they earn the industry’s best 70% share of every sale. The PhotoShelter Personal Archive is used by 20,000 professional photographers to store and protect their images, customize their websites and sell directly to clients. “Shoot! The Blog” will remain editorially independent and PhotoShelter CEO Allen Murabayashi will continue to update its corporate blog, “A Picture’s Worth” at http://blog.photoshelter.com/corp.

About PhotoShelter
Created by photographers in 2005, PhotoShelter has quickly become a trusted partner to the professional photography industry. More than 22,000 working photographers rely on their Personal Archive system every day to host their online archives, power their websites and manage their businesses. With the launch of the new PhotoShelter Collection, photographers of all levels can now benefit from a worldwide image-selling marketplace that returns commercial and creative independence back into the hands of the artist. The PhotoShelter Collection aims to offer commercial buyers a fresh, editorialized collection with a broad selection of imagery. With hundreds of new members joining daily, PhotoShelter is a thriving creative community where advanced technology combines with a native understanding of photographers to power the future of photography online.