It has been a year full of firsts, bests, and favourites. To round out the year, I want to show some love to a few other writers and photographers who I enjoy reading on a daily or weekly basis.
I rarely miss a post from any of these publishers. If there are any new sites here, I recommend checking them out and subscribing yourself.
In no particular order:
Audacious Fox by Kyle Dreger
Kyle’s latest site is relatively new and his sites seem to have a new design every time I visit. What doesn’t change is his sincere, lucid expression. Kyle is straightforward, to the point, and very economical. His posting has gone a little quiet recently, but when it comes around, it’s the first thing I read in Reeder at the end of the day.
Ed is one of the premier pen reviewers on the internet and his photography is second to none. I often forget to read his written work because I get caught up in his photographs. If you’re looking for a visual dose of the pen world, Ed’s site is the place to start.
Modern Stationer by Doug Lane
If you could combine the first two sites on this list, you would end up with the Modern Stationer. Doug combines excellent wordmanship with excellent photography to provide some of my favourite analog reviews on the web. Doug is directly responsible for many purchases on my end, so the least I could do is point him out in the crowd.
I discovered Jorge’s photography through his work on Tools and Toys and I have tried to shoot like him ever since. His photos are very different from mine — Jorge’s photos are vivid, with awesome colour and great contrast. My photos are drab and laid back. I’ve been trying to edit and shoot more like Jorge recently and the difficulty in achieving that look is a testament to Jorge’s work.
The Pen Addict by Brad Dowdy
I had a chance to talk with Brad and Myke on The Pen Addict Podcast a few months ago and I had the time of my life. As good a speaker as Brad is, he is equally impressive with a keyboard. His pen reviews are full of character and are tremendously fun to read. The only part I don’t like about Brad is his ability to spend my money; beside “enabler” in the dictionary, you will find Brad Dowdy. Don’t head over if you’re not prepared to part with your wallet.
Shawn is the founder of three of my favourite websites, but I’m a fan of his personal site first and foremost.1 Shawn imbues a perfect tone in his writing that I aim to achieve every time I put my hands on a keyboard. Shawn writes about coffee, Apple products, design, creativity, family, photography — really whatever his heart feels like writing — and I can’t get enough of it.
Analog Senses by Álvaro Serrano
Analog Senses is one of the newest kids on the block, but that doesn’t mean Álvaro’s writing or photography doesn’t measure up. His recent scotch whisky series has both incredible prose and gorgeous photography. I link to Álvaro a lot on the Sunday Edition, but that’s because his work is some of the best around. If you aren’t an RSS subscriber yet, you should be.
The Brooks Review by Ben Brooks
Matt Gemmell characterized Ben perfectly one year ago:
He’s the J. Jonah Jameson of the tech industry, and I mean that with great affection.
Ben is honest, which seems so rare on the web today. I appreciate his straightforwardness and his drive to do what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants. Disappointingly though, he’s a Fuji fan, which means he tempts me right, left, and center with his new X100T. I hope he showcases his new camera and the artwork it creates in 2015.
Fifty Foot Shadows by John Carey
John creates some of the most beautiful device wallpapers you can find on the internet. His photographs are stunning and his ability to highlight a product (like, say, in this header photo) with creamy bokeh is just unfair. I always shoot for a smooth, creamy, soft backdrop in my photos, but John has mastered this skill better than anyone I’ve come across. Each and every one of John’s header photos is a delicious treat.
Patrick has become a legend online at this point and I doubt he needs any introduction. His positivity gleams from his work. While his written work is as good as it gets, I appreciate his positive attitude above all else. Patrick discusses toys, tools, writing instruments, and productivity. In the end though, most of his discussions boil down to simplicity, positivity, and kindness. I admire Patrick’s work and hope to snag his positive balance at some point in the future.
There you have it: ten different writers and photographers that have inspired me to hit the publish button each week. If you’re looking to bolster your RSS feed for the coming year, I can’t recommend any of these ten writers/photographers enough. They rock. Plain and simple.
2014 Roundup
As a way to look back in the future, I wanted to finish off this forward-looking piece with a review of the most popular posts on The Newsprint for the 2014 calendar year.
These are the top five most viewed posts of the year:
And here are the pieces of work I am most proud of:
Thank you to everyone for coming by this year. Here’s to an even better 2015.
And, considering the fact that I write for one of his other sites and that I’m a gigantic Tools & Toys fan, my love for his personal site has to be sky hig ↩