It feels almost surreal to think that January 1, 2024 will mark the start of year 10 of this photography website. It has been a very interesting journey to say the least. We’ve certainly grown our subscriber base over the years, and it’s now quite possible that many of our newer subscribers may not be aware of what led to the creation of this website.
This article provides some background on how this website came to be, as well as discussing our plans for year 10 and beyond.
NOTE: Click on images to enlarge. Photographs have been added to serve as visual breaks.
The initial seed for this website started back in 2013 when I was using full frame camera gear and wanted a back-up camera for my client video business. Basically I stumbled into the Nikon 1 system.
The idea of using my Nikkor F-Mount lenses on a Nikon 1 V2 body though the use of the FT-1 adapter intrigued me. The crop factor when used with a Nikon 1 body meant that those lenses could add a new dimension to my video projects. So, I decided to order a Nikon 1 V2 with 10-30 mm kit lens, sight unseen, along with an FT-1 adapter.
I can still remember opening up the packaging for the V2 kit and holding the camera in my hands for the first time. I was shocked. My initial thought was, “What the heck have I done? Should I even bother keeping this thing?” I then reminded myself that this was only a back-up camera… one that intrigued me for a number of reasons. So, I decided to keep the V2 and experiment with it.
It only took a few weeks for me to realize the potential of this diminutive system. So I quickly added two 1 Nikkor prime lenses and a couple of additional zoom lenses to my kit. At that point I began to use the system with native Nikon 1 lenses, along with my full frame kit, for some client video projects. The FT-1 adapter ended up being my least used piece of Nikon 1 gear.
By 2013, sensor size bias was well entrenched in the photography market. I discovered that the more I used the Nikon 1 system, the more I came to value its flexibility and efficiency for my client work. As my experimentation increased I began to more fully realize how much the Nikon 1 system was misunderstood and significantly underestimated.
There was no shortage of criticisms and assumptions about the system. For some reason, it was a system that many people loved to hate. Even if they had never even held a Nikon 1 body in their hands or shot a single image with the system.
I began to post comments on Nikon 1 related articles that were published on Photography Life, which was my favourite photography website at the time. I thought it was important to share my experiences with the system, and to help dispel some of the assumptions and falsehoods about Nikon 1 equipment.
Out-of-the-blue in the fall of 2013, I received an email from Nasim Mansurov, the founder of Photography Life, asking me if I could do a review of the Nikon 1 V2 for his website. I agreed, and my first article on Photography Life appeared on November 16, 2013. It garnered numerous comments and positive reaction from some of Nasim’s readers.
My wife and I visited New Zealand in late 2013, and I asked Nasim if he’d like me to do a related travel photography article for Photography Life. That article appeared in January 2014 and the majority of the images in it were captured with a Nikon D800 and Nikkor F-Mount full frame lenses.
A week or two later I was in my home office when the phone rang. It was Nasim calling to ask me to join the writing team at Photography Life. We chatted for a couple of hours and I eventually agreed.
During 2014 and throughout 2015 I wrote regularly for Photography Life. As time went on, a growing number of my articles featured images captured with Nikon 1 gear. My full frame equipment was starting to collect dust as it sat idle on a more frequent basis. Although not intended, I became referred to as “that Nikon 1 guy” in some photography chatrooms.
During the two years that I worked with Nasim, Photography Life published over 150 of my articles. It was a great personal relationship that continues. As a natural progression, I decided to start my own photography blog which launched on January 1, 2015. About 2 dozen intrepid Photography Life readers initially subscribed to my new website.
The easy part about having a photography blog is initially deciding to do it. The hard part is making strategic decisions about content. Target audience. Reader environment. And of course creating a business plan.
Those are the key decisions that enable a website to last for more than just a few months… or not be a site that only posts original content a few times per year.
I knew that my first decision… about content… would have a negative effect and limit my potential audience size. That decision was not to create yet other camera gear review site. The internet was chock-a-block full of such information.
Almost all of the popular photography websites had a focus on reporting on, and testing, new camera gear. That was something I had no interest in doing. Sharing photographs, information and experiences (both good and bad) was my objective. I needed to have faith that at least some photographers would enjoy that type of content.
My second decision was target audience. I wanted to attract a select number of readers who had a love for photography… but were not fixated on gear. And, were not expecting regular camera equipment reviews. Folks who would enjoy hands-on, practical content… and appreciate not being continually encouraged to buy camera gear that they likely didn’t need… so the website could make click-through sales commissions.
Creating a safe and welcoming reader environment was critically important to me. Many photography websites at the time were like the wild west without any control of reader comments and the vitriol that often ensues. From day one, I made a commitment to my readers that they would never be subjected to attacks on my website.
To ensure a safe and welcoming website I decided to pre-screen and approve each and every comment before they would be posted on my website. This practice continues today and will be in effect for as long as this website is published. Over the past nine years only a very few reader comments ever needed to be eliminated. That speaks volumes about the photographers who visit this website.
I was pleased to see most photography websites adopt some kind of policy about abusive online behaviour.
My purchase of the 1 Nikkor 70-300 mm f/4.5-5.6 zoom was the straw that broke that camel’s back in terms of my continued use of full frame gear. By July 2015 I had sold all of my full frame equipment, and I was shooting exclusively with my Nikon 1 kit for both my client work, and on a personal basis.
In the summer of 2018 the Nikon 1 system was discontinued by Nikon. Obviously for someone referred to as “that Nikon 1 guy” that corporate decision had significant consequences for both my client business and my photography blog. Subsequently we decided to make the move to Olympus M4/3 equipment so we could continue to reliably serve our clients in the future.
It was also necessary to reposition this photography website as the thorny issue of sensor size bias was becoming even more pronounced and ingrained in the photography market.
We decided to tackle the issue head on by renaming this website Small Sensor Photography, and removing almost all of the previously published articles that featured images captured with full frame gear. That affected over 160 articles with their removal from this website. It was important for us to let potential readers know upfront what kind of content that they would find here.
In terms of our business plan we decided to let this website live or die based on direct reader support. From the inception of this website we never accepted adverting or paid product mentions/articles. During the first year we absorbed all of our operating costs to help the website get established. In 2016 we added a donation function. Since that time this website has been self sustaining thanks to direct support from our readers.
I can remember back in the fall of 2014 when we were preparing to launch this website, wondering how long it would exist. And, how many articles and images we would share with readers. For some reason two numbers popped into my head… 10 and 1,500. I wondered if we’d last for 10 years, and publish 1,500 articles.
In January 2024 we will start year 10, and with this posting we will have published 1,333 original articles. We’ve also shared well over 13,000 original photographs with our readers. So, those two numbers that popped into my head back in late 2014 aren’t too far off from reality.
What about the future?
Over the past number of years we’re created a selection of eBooks that are available for purchase and download from this website. At this point we have eight eBooks available, seven of which are photography related. We have two additional titles under active development, with another three in the concept stage. We anticipate publishing at least two new eBooks in 2024. Obviously our eBook revenues help to support this website.
We have no plans to buy or replace any of our existing camera gear. Our three Olympus camera bodies and nine M.Zuiko lenses are doing an outstanding job for us. We’ll do our best to continue to create, experiment, and find some inspiration to share with you next year… and hopefully for years after that.
Will we create 167 new articles by the end of next year and hit that 1,500 number? I doubt it. Even creating 100 new articles per year is challenging. So far this year we’ve published 97 new postings.
As a person ‘maturing in age’, it is important for me to stay active and to keep pushing my creative envelope. I’ve been contemplating resurrecting our YouTube channel… but I’m not convinced that would be a good use of my time. That platform seems to be increasingly glutted with sensationalized, and in some cases nonsensical, content.
Depending on how one looks at the situation it could represent an interesting opportunity… or not. If you have any thoughts in this regard please share them with me. Resurrecting our YouTube presence would likely reduce the amount of content I could produce on this website.
In terms of new articles we will continue to photograph birds on a regular basis. There will likely be a bit more emphasis on handheld macro photography as we need to do more field work for a potential handheld macro photography eBook that is in the concept stage.
I’m sure my fascination with all living things that fly will continue. You’ll likely see future articles on insects in flight including dragonflies, butterflies, bees and wasps… and anything else I can find.
Hopefully nothing like COVID 19 will surface as I missed the opportunity to do landscape photography for a few years. I’d like to experiment with more landscape photography by using in-camera focus stacking, Live ND, Handheld Hi Res, and HDR1/HDR2 technologies.
I remain intrigued with the potential use of the Digital Teleconverter capability in our Olympus camera bodies. So, I anticipate more field work in this regard and potentially identifying some of the more promising subject matter and shooting conditions where this technology can be effectively utilized.
Both my wife and I very much enjoy flower photography, and we’ll no doubt be spending time with this subject matter. I anticipate doing more experimentation with in-camera focus stacking, Handheld Hi Res, and HDR in-camera technologies with this subject matter.
Like all photographers, I need to keep an eye open for new opportunities and approaches that can be used to expand my capabilities. As I find them… I’ll be sharing them with all of you.
Please accept my sincere thanks for all of your support over the past nine years. This website would not still be in operation without you. Hopefully year 10 will prove enjoyable, inspiring, and rewarding for all of us.
Technical Note
Photographs were captured handheld using camera gear as noted in the EXIF data. Most images were produced from RAW files using my standard process in post. Some photographs that utilized in-camera focus stacking or a digital teleconverter were created from out-of-camera jpegs. This is the 1,333 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.
How you can help keep this site advertising free
My intent is to keep this photography blog advertising free. If you enjoyed this article and/or my website and would like to support my work, you can purchase an eBook, or make a donation through PayPal. Both are most appreciated.
Our eBooks…
The Finding Visual Expression eBook is designed to provide readers with some photographic inspiration and composition ideas. The Little Camera That Could details our extensive experience using the Nikon 1 system. Our eBooks also include a number of travel photography publications including Images of Ireland, New Zealand Tip-to-Tip, Desert & Mountain Memories, Images of Greece, and Nova Scotia Photography Tour. We also have a business leadership parable… Balancing Eggs.
Donations support this website…
If you click on the Donate button below you will find that there are three donation options: $7.50, $10.00 and $20.00. All are in Canadian funds. Plus, you can choose a different amount if you want. You can also increase your donation amount to help offset our costs associated with accepting your donation through PayPal. An ongoing, monthly contribution to support our work can also be done through the PayPal Donate button below.
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Article is Copyright 2023 Thomas Stirr. All images are Copyright 2013-2023 Thomas Stirr. All rights reserved. No use, duplication or adaptation of any kind is allowed without written consent. If you see this article reproduced anywhere else it is an unauthorized and illegal use. Posting comments on offending websites and calling out individuals who steal intellectual property is always appreciated!
By the way, I advertise my youtube, and flickr as no swearing, great for kids and NO politics … heehee
Thank you Thomas!
Congrats on year 10 and beyond. 2024 is the first year that I will be without a website to showcase my photography. I had it for almost 20 years … yikes. But hardly any traffic and the time involved and the cost meant it went away. I am retired now, and primarily a stills daylight shooter.
I also have a youtube channel, however, 6 months ago I blew out a lower disc and the recovery at my age is taking a bit.
I hope to be out and about next year.
As to the youtube channel, I do it for my family to see what crazy uncle Randy does with his time. My 94 year old mom loves it.
For you, I would not think yourube is a way to go, it takes way too much time, and these days there are so many rules on content. I have been called out a couple of times for innocent copyright infringement …
As I said, stills are my way to go, and I have shed all my FF cams and lenses and now “only” have my OMD system which is quite extensive. That is all I need to make beautiful photographs.
I would say that at least every night I pick a couple of articles you have written and they give me fresh ideas to try new things.
I also started aerial stills photography with my drone and look forward to really getting into that next year.
Looking forward to more “stuff” from y’all and see you next year.
Cheers!
Randy
Hi Randy,
Thanks for sharing your experiences with your own website and YouTube channel. I have been hesitant to get back on YouTube due to the time commitment required as well as some of the issues your comment addresses. Given my priorities with some new eBooks that I plan to launch in 2024 I don’t think creating content for YouTube would be a good use of my time.
Tom
I anxiously await your ebooks
Hi Randy,
We should be launching one in early January.
Tom
Hi Thomas, I visit the site often because it contains beautiful photographs and interesting concepts. Although the name of the site itself recalls small sensors, I haven’t seen for some time what I would expect, i.e. photos taken from compact cameras with a sensor smaller than an inch. in any case it seems to me that emphasis is rightly given to the Nikon system, but I wonder for an enthusiast who wants to purchase a powerful and small-sized system, wouldn’t it be better to turn to modern Panasonic products?
Hi Domenic,
I do not have any access to Panasonic products, and based on a less than acceptable experience with some M4/3 camera gear from that manufacturer a number of years ago, I would not purchase any Panasonic products for my own use. I absolutely love my Olympus kit and have no plans to change systems in the future.
I occasionally use my Olympus TG-5 (1/2.3″ sensor) and write articles that feature images captured with that camera from time to time. Those particular articles never attract very much in the way of readership so I don’t spend very much time creating that type of content.
The name of this website is really to let potential readers know in advance that they will not find any articles or other content that deals with full frame or medium format cameras. Most photographers would consider M4/3 format as a ‘small sensor’ camera.
I recently had an associate ask me if I would ever take photographs with my Smartphone and post them here along with commentary. The short answer to that is no. I almost never use my Smartphone for photography and have no plans to do that in the future.
From a broader context, quite a bit of the content here is applicable for a broad range of camera formats as it deals with composition.
Tom
Hi, I still suggest you shoot with the baby Olimpus, just to demonstrate what a small camera can do, as you have already written elsewhere the post production software is continually improving, so it will be perfectly possible to obtain highly professional images from them.
Regards
Hi Dominic,
I appreciate your interest in cameras that utilize 1/2.3″ sensors. The TG-5 and more current models in that product line are excellent cameras in their class. I will try to remember to pop the TG-5 into my camera bag as I venture out with the hope that I can create a few more images with this camera. As you can imagine, the time that I can dedicate to field work is very limited so I’m unable to make any hard and fast promises.
Tom
Dear Thomas,
Congratulations on your long and inspiring presence on the internet. You were the main reason that I entered the world of the Nikon 1 series. I occasionally still use the cameras but like you I have moved to a larger sensor camera. In my case it is the slightly larger Nikon ZFC and Z50 series.
Thank you for your continued guidance,
John
Hi John,
Thank you for your supportive comment… much appreciated! I hope you find enjoyment and inspiration with your photography for many years to come.
Tom
Congratulations!
Sometimes I come here for the gear, others for inspiration.
But the reasonable common sense writings and the Photos… The Photos are just something else.
So it is me that I have to say: Thank you, sir.
Thank you for your kind words Antonio… much appreciated!
Tom
Hi Tom,
Congratulations on 9 years and 1333 original articles!!
I suspect that I’ve read the majority of your articles, and they have enabled me to be a better photographer, and more important, a more relaxed and satisfied photographer. Starting with Nikon 1, I have more or less followed your route, and have greatly benefited by doing so.
I look forward to at least 10 more years and 1500 more articles to help keep me active in my retirement.
Warm regards,
Bill
Hi Bill,
Thank you for your supportive comment… and having the stamina to follow me for all these years!
Tom
Hi Thomas
Thanks for your continued inspiration.
The format is excellent.
My only request is for you to transfer some of your vast experience. (my brain works by trying to understand how the camera designers were intending me to use the camera).
Regards
IanM
I’ll try my best Ian… 🙂 the older I get the more important it is to use as much grey matter as possible!
Tom
Hello Thomas,
Your blog is an excellent source of information, inspiration and most of all good company. Hope it will keep doing so for many years to come.
Thank You!
Best Regards,
Mauro
Hi Mauro,
I appreciate your comment and will do my best to keep the ball rolling. 🙂
Tom
Hello Thomas,
Thank you for sharing your experience in such an enjoyable good reading blog.
To ten more years!
Best Regards,
Mauro
Thanks Mauro! 10 more years… hmmm… we’ll have to take that one day at a time!
Tom
Hi Tom,
Thanks for this valuable website! I like the blog format better than YouTube because it gives me the opportunity to look at your photos in detail and absorb more knowledge through the written word. But maybe I’m just old-fashioned!
Occasional YouTube videos that perhaps show your post-processing workflow as well as fieldwork could be useful.
Best Wishes,
Steve
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your feedback about the website and YouTube. I guess I may be old fashioned as well as I also prefer information that I can study in detail, rather than just have it zip by… forcing me to watch it multiple times. I’ve been off YouTube for quite a few years and I don’t feel any burning urgency to get back on.
Tom
Howdy Thomas… It’s been a few years since I stopped by. I tracked you for several years not long after I bought a Sony NEX-5N and started playing with adapted lenses.
Then life happened and I put aside my cameras for a few years. Then life happened again (ha!) and I found myself needing a way to nourish my soul that didn’t require a lot of free time. I picked up my Fuji X-T1 again earlier this year and started carrying it or the X100S when walking my dog.
That resulted in my purchase of a used Fuji X100V and a new X-T5. The latter paired nicely with my collection of Fujinon glass.
I’m not sure if APS-C qualifies as “small sensor” or not, but it is what I use.
In the process, I came across your feed in my Feedly account and started reading again. I always found your prose and images inspiring. So, here I am. I’m here reading your weblog again after a long holiday. Your work is just as lovely and inspiring as it was when I first dropped by. Thanks for sharing your lovely work with us.
N.B. My own weblog is over 20-years old. The first ten or so are archived in another CMS after a server crash encouraged me to change CMS programs. I make nothing for the effort and have few readers. I don’t really care as it is a place for me to share a few words and images with my friends and family and it is not FB. 😉
Hi David,
Welcome back to the website!
I enjoyed reading about your photographic journey with all of its twists and turns. Like you, I drifted in and out of photography. I never enjoyed the film days and my passion for photography was re-ignited with the creation of digital photography. I suppose ‘small sensor’ is a relative term. For many folks anything smaller than full frame is a small sensor.
Thanks for your comment and reconnecting.
Tom
Hi Thomas,
I discovered your Website only a few months ago, but I’ve already learned a lot from reading your posts, be they recent or older. I love how you explain technical details along with the creative aspects in many of your articles. But most of all, I appreciate your generosity in providing a wealth of information about your outings and the photos you take. I bought my first Olympus camera and lenses in 2014, and I own pretty much the same Olympus material as you, so I enjoy seeing what you can achieve with that equipment. I hope you’ll continue posting articles for many years.
Long life to your Website and especially to you!
Sylvie
Hi Sylvie,
Thank you for your kind words… I’m glad the website has been helpful for you. One of the wonderful things about creating this website is the opportunity to make connections with people. I hope you find enjoyment here for many years to come!
Tom
I am a relatively new subscriber to your long tenure. Given the YouTube content you describe, I think you would attract a good audience.
Hi Robert,
Thank you for sharing your perspective on YouTube potential.
Tom
Thomas, A deep-felt “Thank you” for this site. As a fellow Olympus user you’ve inspired me to become a better photographer and provided information that I’ve sorely needed at times — Thank you indeed!
Hi Woody,
I’m glad that the content on the website has been beneficial for you. I appreciate your feedback as it provides some motivation.
Tom