Current Reading: The Cello Suites by Eric Siblin
Current Music: The Promise by Bruce Springsteen
Mood: Motivated to do good
Smells: Coffee
Sounds: Wind & garbage trucks
Temperature: 9 degrees, cold very cold.
Thoughts: Implied harmony & empty space…
1.24.2011
Pittsburgh Photography Workshop 2.12.2011
In your gut you want to be a PHOTOGRAPHER. Or maybe you just want to learn how to use that expensive camera you just bought but you’re not sure who to ask. You have a great eye for composition but you just need some guidance, an advisor to help YOU fulfill your dreams. Make the jump from thinking, daydreaming and create great photographs…
Is this you?
-You take great pictures
-Everybody tells you that you take great pictures
-Your friends and family always ask you to bring your camera
-You bought an expensive new DSLR camera
-You have no idea how to use to it, except on AUTO
-The camera’s manual scares the bajesus out of you
-You love photography and want to get better
Who should take this workshop?
-If the list above is YOU
-You love taking photographs
-ISO, F/stop, shutter speed, and aperture are words that means nothing to you
-You have no idea what DSLR means
-If you want to able to tell your camera what to do
-If you want the mysteries of the photo universe revealed to you
What you will learn:
-Understanding exposure
-How to use your camera in manual mode
-How to take a photo “correctly” in camera
-Natural light techniques
-Understanding your lens
-Understanding White Balance
-Flash Techniques
TO REGISTER FOLLOW THIS: (HERE)
http://www.craig-photography.com/workshop/howtophoto/
Is this you?
-You take great pictures
-Everybody tells you that you take great pictures
-Your friends and family always ask you to bring your camera
-You bought an expensive new DSLR camera
-You have no idea how to use to it, except on AUTO
-The camera’s manual scares the bajesus out of you
-You love photography and want to get better
Who should take this workshop?
-If the list above is YOU
-You love taking photographs
-ISO, F/stop, shutter speed, and aperture are words that means nothing to you
-You have no idea what DSLR means
-If you want to able to tell your camera what to do
-If you want the mysteries of the photo universe revealed to you
What you will learn:
-Understanding exposure
-How to use your camera in manual mode
-How to take a photo “correctly” in camera
-Natural light techniques
-Understanding your lens
-Understanding White Balance
-Flash Techniques
TO REGISTER FOLLOW THIS: (HERE)
http://www.craig-photography.com/workshop/howtophoto/
1.21.2011
1.20.2011
1.18.2011
Intentionality of Vision
Looking through this distorted field of vision, raindrop starbursts by oncoming headlights, the separation of colors became only black, white or red, leaving little room for depth perception. My vision scared me. I had little control over my sight.
It was hard to see while driving home from teaching a workshop last night, it was a rainy night. It was one of those nights that the rain was not hard enough to have your wipers going constantly, but enough rain to impair vision.
When I would turn the wipers on it would blur my vision well before improving my sight. So, I would only sporadically turn the wipers on and off as needed. Driving with this pixelated windshield of small raindrops had me thinking about vision.
The word "vision" to me usually takes on a future-thought of what is to come. The word "vision" is one of my personal motivational words as in: “I need to have a vision, work with a purpose and give without expectation”. A simple phrase that I use to guide me along my journey of life.
This vision-experience of driving in the rain had me thinking about the intentionality of seeing; vision with a purpose.
A while back I came across a photo-book taken by children at a school for the blind. The book was amazing. It was about the intentionality of seeing even when sight is not an option.
I often wonder if I would still create photographs if I could not see them.
I think I would.
The idea to create something, be able to physically hold onto a moment for all to see is important. The idea that these blind school children are actually holding onto a photograph that they created...a photograph which would hold more of an image than the human eye can see because it held real life is amazing to me.
Their intentionality of what, when, where & why they perceived this moment worthy of documentation.
That is powerful.
I love the light. I hope it never fades.
If darkness approaches, I will photograph. It may/will become more of a collaborative effort but I will still photograph.
The images will be created out of the intentionality of seeing; vision with a purpose guided by sound, touch, taste and the warmth of the sun.
1.17.2011
Pittsburgh Photography Workshop 2.12.2011
In your gut you want to be a PHOTOGRAPHER. Or maybe you just want to learn how to use that expensive camera you just bought but you’re not sure who to ask. You have a great eye for composition but you just need some guidance, an advisor to help YOU fulfill your dreams. Make the jump from thinking, daydreaming and create great photographs…
Is this you?
-You take great pictures
-Everybody tells you that you take great pictures
-Your friends and family always ask you to bring your camera
-You bought an expensive new DSLR camera
-You have no idea how to use to it, except on AUTO
-The camera’s manual scares the bajesus out of you
-You love photography and want to get better
Who should take this workshop?
-If the list above is YOU
-You love taking photographs
-ISO, F/stop, shutter speed, and aperture are words that means nothing to you
-You have no idea what DSLR means
-If you want to able to tell your camera what to do
-If you want the mysteries of the photo universe revealed to you
What you will learn:
-Understanding exposure
-How to use your camera in manual mode
-How to take a photo “correctly” in camera
-Natural light techniques
-Understanding your lens
-Understanding White Balance
-Flash Techniques
TO REGISTER FOLLOW THIS: (HERE)
http://www.craig-photography.com/workshop/howtophoto/
Is this you?
-You take great pictures
-Everybody tells you that you take great pictures
-Your friends and family always ask you to bring your camera
-You bought an expensive new DSLR camera
-You have no idea how to use to it, except on AUTO
-The camera’s manual scares the bajesus out of you
-You love photography and want to get better
Who should take this workshop?
-If the list above is YOU
-You love taking photographs
-ISO, F/stop, shutter speed, and aperture are words that means nothing to you
-You have no idea what DSLR means
-If you want to able to tell your camera what to do
-If you want the mysteries of the photo universe revealed to you
What you will learn:
-Understanding exposure
-How to use your camera in manual mode
-How to take a photo “correctly” in camera
-Natural light techniques
-Understanding your lens
-Understanding White Balance
-Flash Techniques
TO REGISTER FOLLOW THIS: (HERE)
http://www.craig-photography.com/workshop/howtophoto/
1.14.2011
Friday 4AM
4am. Can't sleep. Decide to get up out of bed and write something. Laid in bed thinking about different rants that I could write about, after getting out of bed and setting up a writing corner by the fireplace I can no longer remember what to rant about. The fleeting muse is a mystery to me. She opens herself up to you in moments of drifting consciousness and leaves in wakeful moments of clarity.
Reading “Life” by Keith Richards & James Fox. I like that Richards gives credit to his co-author of the book. Too many books are co-authored by ghostwriters. Why not give credit?
A couple of years back I used to have an e-mail relationship with a ghostwriter. She would give me tips and encourage me to write in different directions. I enjoyed that relationship, sorry that it drifted away.
Writing has always been integral to me. As I move forward in this year much more time is dedicated to long journal entries. Much of last year was also dedicated to this, for some reason I did not share much of it. My journals from last year are in no way reflected on the blog. I may try to dig up some of that stuff and share it with you. I have a nice essay on “Faith & Creativity” that I think you might enjoy.
Back to “Life” by Richards, damn he writes great about playing guitar. He hits the emotion of what it is like to be intertwined with an instrument better than anybody else I have read. What is most surprising to me is that the reason I pick up the book in the first place was because it was listed on the best of business books by Wired magazine.
Everything happens in music first. If you want to be ahead of the game on marketing, advertising, branding and most importantly creativity start by studying the music business.
I have based my entire photography career on what I have learned as a musician. There is just something about the balance between extreme commitment (wood-shedding) to your craft and the ability to go out on stage and earn your audience.
Last thing ~ If you haven’t check out my wife's blog in awhile be sure to give it a look. She has been creating some killer stuff… (HERE)
Reading “Life” by Keith Richards & James Fox. I like that Richards gives credit to his co-author of the book. Too many books are co-authored by ghostwriters. Why not give credit?
A couple of years back I used to have an e-mail relationship with a ghostwriter. She would give me tips and encourage me to write in different directions. I enjoyed that relationship, sorry that it drifted away.
Writing has always been integral to me. As I move forward in this year much more time is dedicated to long journal entries. Much of last year was also dedicated to this, for some reason I did not share much of it. My journals from last year are in no way reflected on the blog. I may try to dig up some of that stuff and share it with you. I have a nice essay on “Faith & Creativity” that I think you might enjoy.
Back to “Life” by Richards, damn he writes great about playing guitar. He hits the emotion of what it is like to be intertwined with an instrument better than anybody else I have read. What is most surprising to me is that the reason I pick up the book in the first place was because it was listed on the best of business books by Wired magazine.
Everything happens in music first. If you want to be ahead of the game on marketing, advertising, branding and most importantly creativity start by studying the music business.
I have based my entire photography career on what I have learned as a musician. There is just something about the balance between extreme commitment (wood-shedding) to your craft and the ability to go out on stage and earn your audience.
Last thing ~ If you haven’t check out my wife's blog in awhile be sure to give it a look. She has been creating some killer stuff… (HERE)
1.13.2011
Moment
Current Reading: Life by Keith Richards
Current Music: Small Craft on Milk Sea by Brain Eno
Mood: Good
Smells: Snow melting on my dog
Sounds: Heater kicking on
Temperature: 19 degrees light snow
Thought: Hurt less, feel more....
Current Music: Small Craft on Milk Sea by Brain Eno
Mood: Good
Smells: Snow melting on my dog
Sounds: Heater kicking on
Temperature: 19 degrees light snow
Thought: Hurt less, feel more....
1.12.2011
1.10.2011
Creative Non Fiction ~ Until the next death, Big Blue
Standing outside on the sidewalk on Wallace Street. Just walked out of the big blue funeral home. Directly in front of me is the church where I attended preschool. Hated that place. Who hates preschool? I did. Mean old lady teacher, still gives me flash backs of her yelling at us.
For the life of me I cannot remember the name of the funeral home that I just walked out of. Big Blue on Wallace Street is all I can ever remember calling it.
I have walked in and out of this place well over a 100 times. That is a lot of time spent in the house of death. It’s the family funeral home. My Grandfather was one of thirteen kids. They created quite a lot of offspring, in turn lots of deaths throughout the years. Top that off with the fact that I was an altar boy for St. Michaels Church right down the road from big blue. A couple times a month I would be standing next to Father John holding the smelly smoking incense as he recited the rosary for the mourners. More often than not it was someone who was somehow related to me.
Today I was at big blue paying my respects to Mrs. Waterston. I knew Mrs. Waterston my whole life and never new her first name. It was always “Hi Mrs. Waterston” followed by a hug and kiss on the cheek. A kind lady, she will be missed.
Mrs. Waterston is Jimmy's mother, my best friend from elementary school. This was the first time I have seen Jimmy in over twenty years, at his mother funeral.
Jimmy and I did not have much to say to each other besides the general niceties about our lives. “Kids?” and “Yes, two boys and a girl.” “You?”, "One girl. She is four, five this January.” Next I would have asked how his mother was doing but that topic of conversation was no more. He asked about my parents. I said goodbye to Jimmy then proceeded to kneel at the casket and say a prayer for his mother and to thank her for all the cinnamon toast that she made us.
It's nice seeing your first best friend, even if you have nothing to talk about. Talking, that should not have been a problem for us. We never did have much to talk about even as kids. Jimmy was smart and bad at sports. Me, I was not interested in school and getting better at sports every day. No big childhood break up; one day I went to the ballfield and he went to the library and that was that.
There would be one more time that Jimmy would come into my life before the death of his mother. Right after college we were both dating sisters at the same time without either one of us knowing it. My sister was here in Pittsburgh and his sister was studying at Penn State. The sisters did not turn out well for either of us, especially me.
So here I stand on Wallace Street, outside on the sidewalk in front of the big blue funeral home across the street from my preschool after having a short and slightly awkward conversation with my childhood friend at his mother's funeral viewing.
The street is dirty, littered with garbage day. My car is parked between two pickup trucks that are filled with junk they must have collected on trash day. You know those trucks that drive around picking up broken lawn mowers and old TV’s that no longer work? Those types of trucks.
I sit in my car and think about the fact that the only time I come back to this town is to go to the big blue funeral home. Nobody ever gets married here, they only seem to die. How odd is that?
Drove past the elementary school. Still the same but with a new playground. Drove past the ballfield that I spent the majority of my childhood at. It’s a mess. The basketball backboard is torn down. Two big metal polls are left standing where backboards used to be hung. The ballfield is over grown and the batting cage has been removed. My childhood ballpark is now a ghost town and is no field of dreams.
Drove my old paper route to see what has become of the place. Houses condemned, abandoned or just not kept up. This is why people only die here, I think to myself. There is no life left.
Drove past Jimmy's house on 10th street. Big yellow house with a For Sale sign in the front lawn. All I could think to myself was 'Good luck unloading that Jimmy.'
I had one of those moments where I could see the eight year old in me playing in that yard, climbing that big tree that still stands in the backyard.
I loved the town that I grew up in. It was old world. Everyone was Italian, we were all Catholic, and even the non-Catholic seemed catholic to me. We listened to Bruce Springsteen, drank iced tea out of paper cartons. I delivered newspapers to old ladies who would give me cookies and to old men who would let me sip the wine they made in barrels in their garages.
Today I am 41, Mrs. Waterston died at 77. I never even knew her fist name, never even thought about it until I started writing this.
Until the next death, Big Blue.
For the life of me I cannot remember the name of the funeral home that I just walked out of. Big Blue on Wallace Street is all I can ever remember calling it.
I have walked in and out of this place well over a 100 times. That is a lot of time spent in the house of death. It’s the family funeral home. My Grandfather was one of thirteen kids. They created quite a lot of offspring, in turn lots of deaths throughout the years. Top that off with the fact that I was an altar boy for St. Michaels Church right down the road from big blue. A couple times a month I would be standing next to Father John holding the smelly smoking incense as he recited the rosary for the mourners. More often than not it was someone who was somehow related to me.
Today I was at big blue paying my respects to Mrs. Waterston. I knew Mrs. Waterston my whole life and never new her first name. It was always “Hi Mrs. Waterston” followed by a hug and kiss on the cheek. A kind lady, she will be missed.
Mrs. Waterston is Jimmy's mother, my best friend from elementary school. This was the first time I have seen Jimmy in over twenty years, at his mother funeral.
Jimmy and I did not have much to say to each other besides the general niceties about our lives. “Kids?” and “Yes, two boys and a girl.” “You?”, "One girl. She is four, five this January.” Next I would have asked how his mother was doing but that topic of conversation was no more. He asked about my parents. I said goodbye to Jimmy then proceeded to kneel at the casket and say a prayer for his mother and to thank her for all the cinnamon toast that she made us.
It's nice seeing your first best friend, even if you have nothing to talk about. Talking, that should not have been a problem for us. We never did have much to talk about even as kids. Jimmy was smart and bad at sports. Me, I was not interested in school and getting better at sports every day. No big childhood break up; one day I went to the ballfield and he went to the library and that was that.
There would be one more time that Jimmy would come into my life before the death of his mother. Right after college we were both dating sisters at the same time without either one of us knowing it. My sister was here in Pittsburgh and his sister was studying at Penn State. The sisters did not turn out well for either of us, especially me.
So here I stand on Wallace Street, outside on the sidewalk in front of the big blue funeral home across the street from my preschool after having a short and slightly awkward conversation with my childhood friend at his mother's funeral viewing.
The street is dirty, littered with garbage day. My car is parked between two pickup trucks that are filled with junk they must have collected on trash day. You know those trucks that drive around picking up broken lawn mowers and old TV’s that no longer work? Those types of trucks.
I sit in my car and think about the fact that the only time I come back to this town is to go to the big blue funeral home. Nobody ever gets married here, they only seem to die. How odd is that?
Drove past the elementary school. Still the same but with a new playground. Drove past the ballfield that I spent the majority of my childhood at. It’s a mess. The basketball backboard is torn down. Two big metal polls are left standing where backboards used to be hung. The ballfield is over grown and the batting cage has been removed. My childhood ballpark is now a ghost town and is no field of dreams.
Drove my old paper route to see what has become of the place. Houses condemned, abandoned or just not kept up. This is why people only die here, I think to myself. There is no life left.
Drove past Jimmy's house on 10th street. Big yellow house with a For Sale sign in the front lawn. All I could think to myself was 'Good luck unloading that Jimmy.'
I had one of those moments where I could see the eight year old in me playing in that yard, climbing that big tree that still stands in the backyard.
I loved the town that I grew up in. It was old world. Everyone was Italian, we were all Catholic, and even the non-Catholic seemed catholic to me. We listened to Bruce Springsteen, drank iced tea out of paper cartons. I delivered newspapers to old ladies who would give me cookies and to old men who would let me sip the wine they made in barrels in their garages.
Today I am 41, Mrs. Waterston died at 77. I never even knew her fist name, never even thought about it until I started writing this.
Until the next death, Big Blue.
1.09.2011
Monday ~ Interesting Stuff
Came across some interesting links.
Evernote app (HERE), I am late to the game on discovering this app. I just downloaded it to my iPad. I keep paper journals but think this is the best note-taking tool that I have ever discovered. Not sure how much I will use it but I am interested to find out, especially like the voice recording feature.
“Facebook hype will fade” article by Douglas Rushkoff, read it (HERE). It seems that the Facebook story has been all over the news network shows this weekend. This article is a counterpoint outlook to the 50 billion dollar hype that has been surrounding Mark Zuckerberg.
Is the Internet Changing the Way You Think? A new book edited by John Brockman the founder of EDGE.org. This is a book that I am very much looking forward to reading. Wall Street Journal has a good article about this upcoming book (HERE).
It looks like my reading and studying digital culture/commerce has not come to an end in the New Year. The hive mentality of copying the digital leader is too wide spread for a new culture to arise. Can you think of music or fashion that dates the 90’s or 00’s? The 60’s, 70’s & 80’s have a sound a fashion but these last twenty years has been owned by the remix, remash and redo culture. Or as I like to call it the copy, pay & wait culture of current day.
Who am I to complain? The last ten years of my life have been very good to me. My lifestyle could not exist if it was not for the digital culture/commerce that the Internet has provided. If I had to be tied to a brick and mortar store the freedom that I have would be gone.
Create, connect & grow.
Pittsburgh Photography Workshop 2.12.2011
In your gut you want to be a PHOTOGRAPHER. Or maybe you just want to learn how to use that expensive camera you just bought but you’re not sure who to ask. You have a great eye for composition but you just need some guidance, an advisor to help YOU fulfill your dreams. Make the jump from thinking, daydreaming and create great photographs…
Is this you?
-You take great pictures
-Everybody tells you that you take great pictures
-Your friends and family always ask you to bring your camera
-You bought an expensive new DSLR camera
-You have no idea how to use to it, except on AUTO
-The camera’s manual scares the bajesus out of you
-You love photography and want to get better
Who should take this workshop?
-If the list above is YOU
-You love taking photographs
-ISO, F/stop, shutter speed, and aperture are words that means nothing to you
-You have no idea what DSLR means
-If you want to able to tell your camera what to do
-If you want the mysteries of the photo universe revealed to you
What you will learn:
-Understanding exposure
-How to use your camera in manual mode
-How to take a photo “correctly” in camera
-Natural light techniques
-Understanding your lens
-Understanding White Balance
-Flash Techniques
TO REGISTER FOLLOW THIS: (HERE)
http://www.craig-photography.com/workshop/howtophoto/
Is this you?
-You take great pictures
-Everybody tells you that you take great pictures
-Your friends and family always ask you to bring your camera
-You bought an expensive new DSLR camera
-You have no idea how to use to it, except on AUTO
-The camera’s manual scares the bajesus out of you
-You love photography and want to get better
Who should take this workshop?
-If the list above is YOU
-You love taking photographs
-ISO, F/stop, shutter speed, and aperture are words that means nothing to you
-You have no idea what DSLR means
-If you want to able to tell your camera what to do
-If you want the mysteries of the photo universe revealed to you
What you will learn:
-Understanding exposure
-How to use your camera in manual mode
-How to take a photo “correctly” in camera
-Natural light techniques
-Understanding your lens
-Understanding White Balance
-Flash Techniques
TO REGISTER FOLLOW THIS: (HERE)
http://www.craig-photography.com/workshop/howtophoto/
1.05.2011
Thursday
Long days, been fighting the flu.
Currently working on enhancements to the photo-workshop during the days. A great deal of the updates can be found throughout the archives of this blog. There is something greatly egotistically enjoyable about scanning through your own archives for new ideas.
Life is lived forward but understood backwards. Which philosopher said that? That is what’s great about keeping a working portfolio and journals. With reflection, perceptions and time away to see the work anew again.
As I write this post I am on a conference call with/about entrepreneurship. Is there anything more boring than listening in on a conference call that is nothing more than a blog article rehashed? (maybe reading about me complaining about it)?
On an odd side note: I went to the eye doctor today. How long will my eyes stay dilated? Eye drops were applied around 4pm and it’s now 9:30pm and I look all black eyed.
1.04.2011
1.03.2011
Moment
Current Reading: Just Like Someone Without Mental Illness Only More So: A Memoir by Mark Vonnegut
&
The Thieves of Manhattan by Adam Langer (both books very enjoyable)
Current Music: Antonio Ramos "Maca" (... Spanish Flamenco bassist, great stuff)
Mood: Back to life
Smells:Wine
Sounds: My dog panting..she does that a lot in her old age.
Temperature: 34 degrees
Thoughts: Life is lived forward but understood backwards.
&
The Thieves of Manhattan by Adam Langer (both books very enjoyable)
Current Music: Antonio Ramos "Maca" (... Spanish Flamenco bassist, great stuff)
Mood: Back to life
Smells:Wine
Sounds: My dog panting..she does that a lot in her old age.
Temperature: 34 degrees
Thoughts: Life is lived forward but understood backwards.
1.01.2011
Working Artist's Duty
1:47am on New Year's Day. Still feels likes New Years Eve to me, I haven’t gone to bed yet. Elizabeth and I spent our New Year's Eve shooting a wedding. I finished importing my last wedding of the year, currently backing up to external hard drive while drinking a glass of Chianti Classico wine as I type this. Hope your holiday was a great one!
I have been writing and reading during my blog hiatus, felt good just to write. In this next year this blog will take on more of a diary style of writing to its format. No more “How-To” posts. Format is an odd word to use when blogging but I am going to use it.
Thinking about shutting off the comment option to this blog to keep my focus on generating a body of work and not to be influenced by what others think….not that I get many comments either way… It feels like the purity of creating and uploading for the sake of doing it should be enough. Not sure yet what, if anything, I will do.
For the past two years I have been community building, better yet, trying to community build in the photo community in Pittsburgh. I no longer will focus on that anymore. To my disappointment it seems more/most people (not all) are interested in opening a businesses than enjoying/learning the process of creating photographs. That's not a bad thing, unless the knowledge is being used to jump in with both feet while neglecting the process of gaining experience, being ethical to the professional community around you and the clients you are about to serve...which seemed to be the case.
Why? It could have been me; there is a good chance that I delivered the wrong message. So let me put it straight: Create something new, daily. Enjoy the creative process. If you have a passion to understand the craft of photography by all means go for it. It’s a great life.
With that said, teaching, consulting and workshops will continue but the open door policy that I have embraced will be no more.
Let me offer two apologies: one to the people with passion and effort who have a love for the creative process,. And two: to the established photo community at large, I meant no harm. I am sorry for the culture that arose.
Let me end with some good news…
I deeply believe that it is the working artist's duty to mentor and help the next generation of up and coming artist. I promise that I will figure out a way to help those who are truly passionate about there craft.
Do the least amount of harm possible and be aware of the harm that you cause.
I have been writing and reading during my blog hiatus, felt good just to write. In this next year this blog will take on more of a diary style of writing to its format. No more “How-To” posts. Format is an odd word to use when blogging but I am going to use it.
Thinking about shutting off the comment option to this blog to keep my focus on generating a body of work and not to be influenced by what others think….not that I get many comments either way… It feels like the purity of creating and uploading for the sake of doing it should be enough. Not sure yet what, if anything, I will do.
For the past two years I have been community building, better yet, trying to community build in the photo community in Pittsburgh. I no longer will focus on that anymore. To my disappointment it seems more/most people (not all) are interested in opening a businesses than enjoying/learning the process of creating photographs. That's not a bad thing, unless the knowledge is being used to jump in with both feet while neglecting the process of gaining experience, being ethical to the professional community around you and the clients you are about to serve...which seemed to be the case.
Why? It could have been me; there is a good chance that I delivered the wrong message. So let me put it straight: Create something new, daily. Enjoy the creative process. If you have a passion to understand the craft of photography by all means go for it. It’s a great life.
With that said, teaching, consulting and workshops will continue but the open door policy that I have embraced will be no more.
Let me offer two apologies: one to the people with passion and effort who have a love for the creative process,. And two: to the established photo community at large, I meant no harm. I am sorry for the culture that arose.
Let me end with some good news…
I deeply believe that it is the working artist's duty to mentor and help the next generation of up and coming artist. I promise that I will figure out a way to help those who are truly passionate about there craft.
Do the least amount of harm possible and be aware of the harm that you cause.
12.23.2010
12.22.2010
Night Photography & Workshops
Up at 5:30am, feeling awake…not sure why. Went to bed at 1am. I did drink my body weight in coffee yesterday morning, maybe that had something to do with it?
Will be going out tomorrow night to do some city-night photography. I love the light and the extreme dark of the winter sky in Pittsburgh, an odd juxtaposition that only happens in the cold. Not a fan of freezing, but a fan of the results and the experience of shooting. The cold weather brings stillness to the city streets, few choose to battle the cold.
For this outing I will be changing myself to shoot night photography in a different way. Typically I perch myself atop one of the city overlooks and shoot long exposures, f/22 ISO 100 & 30seconds is my sweet spot for night compositions. Tomorrow I will be going hand-held shooting wide open with a fast ISO for the conditions. Not sure what will happen, if anything, but I will be leaving the tripod at home (that in itself will be change enough for me).
I will be teaching my last workshop of the year tonight. Next series of workshops will not start until late January. The HOW TO EVERYTHING workshop is back for only one date this year. You can book (HERE) if interested.
Looking for some good novels to read, any recommendations are welcomed.
12.19.2010
Life, Updates & Random Stuff
New Photography Workshop Book HERE
Weather is cold, brisk winds; snow flurries fill the nighttime skies. I haven’t had to shovel the driveway yet. Will see what the morning brings me.
Finished two book by Douglas Rushkoff this week, “Life Inc.” & “Program or be Programmed”. These two books are a good ending to a year of reading about digital culture & digital commerce. The best book by far was “You Are Not a Gadget” by Jaron Lanier (I read it twice. It was that good). If you work or create in the digital realm, I highly recommend Lanier's book.
This time of year it is appropriate to write about reflections of the past year or resolutions of the year to come, but I just do not feel like sharing it at this time. Been journaling about what I have learned and experience this year. This year has been about flux, growth, new directions and a return to basics.
What I would like to share is that meditation and journaling are the two best tools that I know of to help spur creativity.
I will be modifying my copyright next year. Will be sticking with Creative Commons, just tightening the usage/flexibility of the licensing of my work.
Until then if you like the photo above feel to download it (HERE).
12.16.2010
Moment
Current Reading: Life Inc. By Douglas Rushkoff
Current Music: Bright Size Life by Pat Metheny
Mood:Existential
Smells: Courvoisier
Sounds: Heater
Temperature: 19 degrees
Thoughts: Picture quality or quality of picture????
Current Music: Bright Size Life by Pat Metheny
Mood:Existential
Smells: Courvoisier
Sounds: Heater
Temperature: 19 degrees
Thoughts: Picture quality or quality of picture????
12.15.2010
12.14.2010
Common Photo-Biz Mistakes
***** Special Note: This will most likely be one of my last "how-to" posts on the photo biz topic. For awhile I felt myself moving in the guru direction which I do not feel that I am a good fit for. I hope you find this article helpful, it has helped me along my journey. ******
The artist’s job is to create, grow, earn and keep their audience (a.k.a. the client.) This is why so many photography businesses fail within their first 2 – 5 years of being open. No audience.
Common nonsense mistakes that photographers make:
1. SEO is marketing.
2. Websites and blogs are enough.
3. Traditional media (mass or targeted) work in a digital world.
SEO, websites and blogs are the minimum tools that you need to manage your digital-find-ability. SEO, websites and blogs are mandatory and important, but they are not marketing.
Five years ago when the transition from brick and mortar studios to online studios was happening SEO, websites and blogs were the best transitional tools a person could possibly use.
Today SEO, websites and blogs are only as effective as a listing in the yellow pages, a marquee storefront sign and the unlocking of your front door for business.
It’s mandatory, it's important, but it is not marketing...it is only letting Google know that you are open for business.
What works in digital commerce/culture?
1. Photography communicates better than anything else…share it.
2. You are either transparent or obscure in today’s photography market.
3. You must sculpt a photo-biz to suit your own personal intentions and life. (This is what "authentic" is)
4. Attention-grabbing media works. Go out and earn your audience, daily.
5. If you believe in your photographs then get them in the hands (or screens) of your audience.
I ended a blog post last week with a quote by Douglas Rushkoff. It feels like a perfect ending to this post.
“As many small business owners soon learned, going online often costs them their last real competitive advantage against conglomerates; the human relationship and connections they enjoyed in the real world.”
The artist’s job is to create, grow, earn and keep their audience (a.k.a. the client.) This is why so many photography businesses fail within their first 2 – 5 years of being open. No audience.
Common nonsense mistakes that photographers make:
1. SEO is marketing.
2. Websites and blogs are enough.
3. Traditional media (mass or targeted) work in a digital world.
SEO, websites and blogs are the minimum tools that you need to manage your digital-find-ability. SEO, websites and blogs are mandatory and important, but they are not marketing.
Five years ago when the transition from brick and mortar studios to online studios was happening SEO, websites and blogs were the best transitional tools a person could possibly use.
Today SEO, websites and blogs are only as effective as a listing in the yellow pages, a marquee storefront sign and the unlocking of your front door for business.
It’s mandatory, it's important, but it is not marketing...it is only letting Google know that you are open for business.
What works in digital commerce/culture?
1. Photography communicates better than anything else…share it.
2. You are either transparent or obscure in today’s photography market.
3. You must sculpt a photo-biz to suit your own personal intentions and life. (This is what "authentic" is)
4. Attention-grabbing media works. Go out and earn your audience, daily.
5. If you believe in your photographs then get them in the hands (or screens) of your audience.
I ended a blog post last week with a quote by Douglas Rushkoff. It feels like a perfect ending to this post.
“As many small business owners soon learned, going online often costs them their last real competitive advantage against conglomerates; the human relationship and connections they enjoyed in the real world.”
12.13.2010
12.09.2010
Rant on Social Media
Social media has become way too corporate and commercialized for me to employ as a trustworthy tool.
Is social media transparent or media-hyped for big biz? Is there any part of “social” left or is it all just “media”?
I cannot watch a commercial or buy a product without being asked to follow them (insert company name here) to become a follower (insert cult reference here). I do not want to follow a product or company. I want to learn something new, daily, from a person.
I am Twittered out, Facebooked over. The oddest (most enjoyable) hypocritical thing is that this rant will automatically be fed by RSS to Facebook and somebody will most likely share this link on Twitter.
Disclaimer of the hypocritical writer alert:
I like Facebook & Twitter… I used and will use them for my photography biz and personal connection. (Friend me, please?...we could get coffee together)
Let me end this rant with a quote by Douglas Rushkoff.
“As many small business owners soon learned, going online often costs them their last real competitive advantage against conglomerates; the human relationship and connections they enjoyed in the real world.”
Going out for a cup of coffee….
Bye.
Is social media transparent or media-hyped for big biz? Is there any part of “social” left or is it all just “media”?
I cannot watch a commercial or buy a product without being asked to follow them (insert company name here) to become a follower (insert cult reference here). I do not want to follow a product or company. I want to learn something new, daily, from a person.
I am Twittered out, Facebooked over. The oddest (most enjoyable) hypocritical thing is that this rant will automatically be fed by RSS to Facebook and somebody will most likely share this link on Twitter.
Disclaimer of the hypocritical writer alert:
I like Facebook & Twitter… I used and will use them for my photography biz and personal connection. (Friend me, please?...we could get coffee together)
Let me end this rant with a quote by Douglas Rushkoff.
“As many small business owners soon learned, going online often costs them their last real competitive advantage against conglomerates; the human relationship and connections they enjoyed in the real world.”
Going out for a cup of coffee….
Bye.
12.07.2010
Washington D.C.
Spent some time in Washington D.C. over the Thanksgiving weekend. Traveling during a holiday weekend was easier than I expected.
Went down D.C. to do some night photography of the city. The art portfolio of our website has not been updated in awhile. In the last year I have been traveling much more than previous years but I have not taken photos of the cities that I have been in. In this upcoming year a stronger focus on creating photos for art portfolio is a goal.
While in D.C. we ate at an Ethiopian restaurant. It was my first time enjoying the cuisine. We ate a plate of sautéed vegetables served on a sheet of bread named “Injera”. Injera is made from the teff flour and it is a crepe thin bread that you use to scoop up the food. No utensils are used for the meal, only your hands and Injera bread.
Good cuisine, new experience and bad wine. We selected a bottle of wine that the grapes came from Ethiopia and bottled in California, not good, at all.
The photography did not turn out as I hoped. The photos will not make it to the website but I have shared a previous photos (HERE) on the blog and the photo above I like but it's not art portfolio worthy.
The weather was windy, extremely. My tripod, which is heavy, was shaking in the wind. It was the first time my tripod could not stand up to the elements.
12.06.2010
Why Be Needy?
I read the book “Etiquette of Freedom” and watched the companioned movie “The Practice of the Wild”. The topic was of Gary Snyder's works and life.
Snyder has been a strong influence on my view about understanding the space that you live in. Be it the soil under your feet, the street you live on or the woods that you hike through, understanding your surroundings and your impact on the environment is important.
This current work is a conversation between Snyder and Jim Harrison (an American author known for his poetry, fiction and essays). The conversation ranges from landscapes, Zen, poetry, human studies and reincarnation.
Snyder calls reincarnation a “charming metaphor”. I like his choice of words in describing the un-describable. For me I think of reincarnation as a romantic notion, getting to be all things at some point in our journey.
My favorite quote from the book is:
“So, why be needy? Why be looking for new experiences? Instead, let’s settle in and see what we can really think about now….we have already been every possible form already. So why be needy.” - Snyder
What I take away from the passage is – stop seeking and start noticing what is happening all around you. Do not search out new experiences, but take the time to notice all the things that are already arising within and all around you. That means that we can start living moments to their fullest.
That’s what enlightenment just might be...
Snyder has been a strong influence on my view about understanding the space that you live in. Be it the soil under your feet, the street you live on or the woods that you hike through, understanding your surroundings and your impact on the environment is important.
This current work is a conversation between Snyder and Jim Harrison (an American author known for his poetry, fiction and essays). The conversation ranges from landscapes, Zen, poetry, human studies and reincarnation.
Snyder calls reincarnation a “charming metaphor”. I like his choice of words in describing the un-describable. For me I think of reincarnation as a romantic notion, getting to be all things at some point in our journey.
My favorite quote from the book is:
“So, why be needy? Why be looking for new experiences? Instead, let’s settle in and see what we can really think about now….we have already been every possible form already. So why be needy.” - Snyder
What I take away from the passage is – stop seeking and start noticing what is happening all around you. Do not search out new experiences, but take the time to notice all the things that are already arising within and all around you. That means that we can start living moments to their fullest.
That’s what enlightenment just might be...
12.02.2010
12.01.2010
Moment
Current Reading: The Mind’s Eye by Oliver Sacks
Current Music: Everybody Loves Happy a Ending by Tears for Fears
Mood: Under the weather, not feeling well mood..
Smells: Coffee
Sounds: Quite house
Temperature: Light snow, 30 degrees
Thoughts: Life is random chaos with simplistic moments of perfection arising every moment.
Current Music: Everybody Loves Happy a Ending by Tears for Fears
Mood: Under the weather, not feeling well mood..
Smells: Coffee
Sounds: Quite house
Temperature: Light snow, 30 degrees
Thoughts: Life is random chaos with simplistic moments of perfection arising every moment.
Moment
Current Reading: Life Inc. By Douglas Rushkoff
Current Music: Bright Size Life by Pat Metheny
Mood:Existential
Smells: Courvoisier
Sounds: Heater
Temperature: 19 degrees
Thoughts: Picture quality or quality of picture????
Current Music: Bright Size Life by Pat Metheny
Mood:Existential
Smells: Courvoisier
Sounds: Heater
Temperature: 19 degrees
Thoughts: Picture quality or quality of picture????
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