Archive for August, 2009
Help Portrait - Jeremy Cowart
Ok just saw this on Scott Kelby’s blog and think it’s a great idea. I’m in and would
love to see this big in Houston. Actually let’s see it big all over the world.
Go to the Help Portrait website to learn more about it and engage!
For all Houston photographers, make up artists, hair stylists and studio owners please let me know
if you’re in and we can make this a real great thing in H-Town.
Scott
JR & Jonathan
For the best coffee in town follow @coffeegroundz on Twitter. And here are
two of the people that bring it to you. Teaser from a shoot today and part
of a new project I’m working on.
Twitter weekly
- RT @chasejarvis: 9 things to do when your creativity is feeling stale: http://twurl.nl/4cgd1n #
- Just love his stuff http://christopherwilsonphotography.com/ #
- RT @TimesFashion: Photographer David Bailey on why he hates airbrushing and how many models he really slept with http://tinyurl.com/m49tjx #
- Printing the new book for meetings next week. Stoked to meet all the great people in San Francisco #
- When driving becomes writing http://vimeo.com/5233789 #
- As much as I love taking my photographs I love printing them and holding them in my hands on paper. Nothing better than that. #
- And the final page is finally printing. The new book is ready #
- On the way to San Francisco. Fun weekend and then great meetings next week. #
- Thanks Houston weather for making my flight 2 hours delayed. Let’s see if it stays that way. #
- Finally made it into San Francisco #
- Love SF http://twitpic.com/exilh #
There are a lot of people in this business but damn few really good ones. — Hal Riney
I wish there would be a screening in Houston some time. Thanks Rob for posting this over at aphotoeditor.com
There are a lot of people in this business but damn few really good ones. — Hal Riney: “
The frightening and most difficult thing about being what somebody calls a creative person is that you have absolutely no idea where any of your thoughts come from really and especially you don’t have any idea about where they’re going to come from tomorrow. — Hal Riney
Screenings (here).
New York, NY
Fri. August 21 - Thurs. August 27 12:50, 2:35, 4:20, 6:20, 8:20, 10:20 p.m. IFC Center, 323 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY
Denver, CO
Fri. August 21 - Thurs. August 27 5:00, 7:30 p.m. Denver Film Society, 900 Auraria Parkway, Denver, CO
Chicago, IL
Fri. August 21 5:45, 7:45, 9:45 p.m. Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave, Chicago, IL
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Buying a new website?
My new company, APhotoFolio.com builds portfolio websites for photographers.
Have a look (here).
“
(Via A Photo Editor.)
Convergence
I love Tri-X …
… and this is nothing where digital can come even close to. It’s not that the
technical quality of digital is bad. The opposite is actually true and I will
continue to shoot the majority of my work digital. But what is missing especially
in b/w photographs is the soul of an image. The feel of the grain the little
imperfections that give life to a photograph. I’ve been shooting more film lately
side by side with digital. What I can say is that the images out of the 5DII and
the 1DSII have a flat plastic look vs. the alive feel of the Tri-X scans.
The most important reason though to shoot film for me is to slow down and think more
about the image. I shoot different when shooting film especially the bigger the format
gets. The images below where shot today with my RB67. Tomorrow I’ll lug the 4×5 around
to see how that works if not in a studio.
One thing that remains true though is the following: the content of your image remains the
most important part over everything else. A crappy photograph remains a crappy photograph
even when taken with an old film camera.
Twitter weekly
- New email promo ready to be sent out. Preview it here http://bit.ly/BCC2r - Thanks AdBase for making it so simple #
- First off to the gym and then location shoot. Start your day early and with some exercise to be even more creative #
- And back from a great shoot. Love those days. Next shoot .. tomorrow. #
- When you do a shoot and the images come out exactly like what you imagined then you’re on the right way. Closing the creative gap is key #
- Early bird gets the shot. And off to a full day of shooting. #
- My new ride http://twitpic.com/dmcax on location #
- The day is coming to an end. Only two more hours. http://twitpic.com/dnvux #
- Dayum .. buying non odorless stop bath was a mistake .. a BIG mistake yuck #
- Writing promo cards to line up meetings with agencies. What are YOU doing to promote yourself? #
The Sooz
Did a quick shoot today with Sooz and her KX85. Had also some fun on it Downtown :).
2 Rules of the Photography Game…
This post from Nick Onken is oh so true. Thanks Nick for putting it out there. It doesn’t matter
how great you are if you don’t tell anybody. It also doesn’t help if you tell a million people
how great you are as a photographer if your images don’t back it up. It goes hand in hand.
Couldn’t agree more.
2 Rules of the Photography Game…: “
In the words of my friend Mark Leibowitz:
‘The business of photography breaks down to two main parts, 1: Make better pictures, and 2: Show more people.’
I thought this was great advice, because being successful in this business is really all about those two things. Granted there are a million things that go along with that when you break it down, but I think it’s fair to say that sums it up.
I’ll break it down lightly, here. In the commercial world(much different than the wedding world), the bar is set quite a bit higher when getting hired for the big jobs. Your body of work has to be properly curated, show a solid style, and show the breadth of what you can do enough to give your client the confidence that he/she can hand you $1/$10/$20/$50/$100/$200/$500K to produce them images that are what they signed off on. The quality and production value of your work will have to show that you can handle that.
1: Make better pictures. So, what does that mean? You have to make better images that shows the kind of work you want to be shooting. In the path that I’ve taken, I’ve followed this theory whole heatedly. Through time, development, and persistence, you will begin to get hired for the jobs at the level your portfolio is conveying. Since photography is a artistic journey, your skills are refined as you go and it’s not really a field that you can just jump in with the big boys if you have the money. (granted seed capital sure makes it easier). You have to constantly work and hone your craft to become better and better. That will naturally be conveyed through the work you produce. Everyone is different, and enjoys shooting different subjects and styles. Find what inspires you the most, produce better images in that realm, create a consistent style within that that is different than everyone else, and that’s what the buyers are looking for. Developing a unique style takes years and is something you have to have the drive and perseverance to get to. All the top photographers sucked at the beginning points of their careers.
2: Show more people. I’ve thought about this a lot lately. Your work HAS to get in front of the right people for you to get hired. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it does it make a sound? If you make a great image, and no one sees it what value does it have? That said, the first part is showing the right curation of your work. I like the word curation rather than ‘edit’ because you are essentially pulling together a finite collection of your work. Just like a museum. A curation that is a true testiment to who you are as a photographer. This is obviously unique for every photographer. The right curation is just as, or more important than shooting great images. It tells the story of who you are. Most photographers are terrible at curating their own work, and need to realize that. Then hire people that can do it for them. It is a definite investment, but a person who knows what they are doing in that realm can make you look like a much better and put together photographer. You first have to have the body of work that is broad enough for them to curate.
Part two of showing more people, is the packaging that people are seeing it in. AKA your branding. I’ve already written on the importance of it, but I will reemphasize it again. Branding is something that the average person doesn’t see because they weren’t formally trained in it. Bad branding can make a good photographer look like they beg for money on the street. Do yourself a huge favor and realize when branding isn’t your forte then hire someone to do it for you. If you can’t fully afford it, try teaming up with graphic design student and working with them for their portfolios. It gives them real world experience. Hire people that do what they do best. I recommend my http://www.brand-envy.com (as you can see they designed my killer biz cards).
Part three is getting your work out there. This comes after your proper curation, branding, portfolios, and website. Getting your work in front of people is a big process. Something that I hired my consultant for. Amanda Sosa Stone: http://www.sosastone.com There are many of them out there which it’s best to find the right one that best fits you. These guys can take a look at your work, and figure out a game plan. Even help you ‘curate’ your work. Then figure out a good game plan to get it out there to the world.
“
(Via nickonkenShoptalk.)
