An 'Image Creator' No More: My New Photography Business Plan - Part 1

I was pouring through the latest issue of the ASMP Bulletin (American Society of Media Photographers), and there in Director Eugene Mopsik's commentary column, it hit me. Square in the face. The "inconvenient truth", one I have tried desperately to avoid facing for so long, reared its ugly head and looked me straight in the eye.

According to Mopsik,

"Recent changes in the industry, economy, and society have created a perfect storm — the transition to digital capture, digital distribution, the explosion of digital media outlets, the rise of the talented amateur, all coupled with a dilution of effective copyright protection have made it virtually impossible for a commercial photographer to sustain a career solely as an image creator."

Please read that last part carefully.

Virtually impossible...to sustain a career solely as an image creator.

If true, that, my friends, is a bit of dream-killer. A snuffer, if you will, of one's long-time career goals and lifelong passion. Including mine.

In layman's terms - simply the end. Game over. Give it up. Time to get a real job...

Now, normally someone in my position - a longtime freelancer, struggling but determined to get my career rolling again - would read this "doomsday prophecy" from a knowledgeable industry insider, and immediately get nauseous, light-headed, and quite possibly faint. Or maybe cry a little. After all, who would blame me for taking this news badly?

I had become The Little Engine That Couldn't...

Fortunately, I am a "glass is half full" kinda guy. Not only that, but I can actually see the waiter coming over to fill it the rest of the way. Let's just say I try to stay extremely positive, even under the most stressful and challenging circumstances that life throws at me.

I continued reading...

Mopsik goes on to say,

"While the photography community is working diligently to navigate this new world and take advantage of the enormous new opportunities it presents, the print-to-pixel revolution has been as disruptive to professional photographers as it has been to publishing and electronic media. For many, survival is contingent on the establishment of multiple income streams."

Well, there you have it! Mopsik's dire observation is quickly tempered with a logical and hopeful solution!

I'm saved! We are all saved! Huzzah!

Seriously, it is worth repeating:

Survival is contingent on the establishment of multiple income streams.

And with that declaration nestled firmly in my brain, the "real" truth finally emerged, and I realized it was not inconvenient at all.

Nothing Mopsik disclosed was a surprise to me, let alone a shock. Deep inside, I knew his words were true, and had known for quite some time. In fact, the writing on the wall had taken place literally years ago. At least if you were paying attention...

So, to salvage my sagging career, it is not a question of suddenly taking his advice to heart and coming up with a new plan to "establish multiple income streams", but rather just keep working on the plan that I already have in place. A plan that I'm pretty damn sure will work.

And what exactly is that plan? Well, to learn that, you'll just have to wait for Part 2...

Photographyreview.com Studio & Lighting Forum Is The Place To Be...

I'm the moderator with my pocket calculator...

Do you use lighting in your photography? Of course you do. What a silly question. That's what photography is. But do you use artificial lighting in your photographs? Well, chances are you do that as well.

If that's the case, I'd like to mention that I moderate the fun and informative
Studio & Lighting Forum on the always spectacular photographyreview.com web site.

The forum is a great place to learn or share information on lighting, as well as all things related to working in the studio. All are welcome and made to feel comfortable, from the absolute newbie to the seasoned, veteran pro. Topics discussed range from choosing new lighting gear, lighting setups for particular shots, inexpensive alternatives to pricey studio grip equipment, and of course troubleshooting individual problems with your lighting or studio setup. Trust me, there's a little something for everyone.

My job, of course, is to keep everyone in line, and to make sure we all play nice. Not too difficult with the great group of members we have on the site. And registration is free...

With my return to shooting editorial fashion in the coming months, I plan on spending much more time on the forum, and will be making it a priority to share my shoots and how they were planned and carried out.

What better time to come aboard and be a part of it?

"Endeavor To Persevere..."

Sometimes this simple quote is enough to keep me going. Especially considering the original source...

Spoken by wonderful Native American actor Chief Dan George's character Lone Watie in the classic Clint Eastwood western, The Outlaw Josey Wales, it has become one of those larger-than-life movie quotes taken from Hollywood but applied often to real life. George's role in the picture, while played mostly for deadpan comic effect, closely mirrors that of actual American Indians throughout our history.

And so, for him to continually utter the phrase in the face of his monumental struggle, it becomes easy to transfer it and its meaning to the more mundane challenges we face in our modern lives.

Endeavor to persevere. Strive to make the effort. Keep on keepin' on. Never give up. However you want to package the words, they remain a potent reminder.

Not of the solution. But of those first steps towards it...

Hit A Roadblock With Your Portrait Photography? Let's Round Up The Usual Suspects...

I taught a handful of photography subjects during my time living in South Florida, from black & white film and print processing, to studio lighting, to photo composition and critique. All were satisfying, as they helped open up new worlds to students, giving them tools to further their work, sometimes in surprisingly wonderful ways. But the most enjoyable by far were my classes on photo composition.

Sure, the equipment can be fun, the shooting can be fun, and the process can be fun, but what I tend to cherish most about photography is viewing and talking about photos. My photos. Your photos. Their photos.

And so, with that in mind, I'd like to pass along a little easy-to-remember visualization tool for making your photos (especially your people shots) stronger. I came up with this technique years ago, and it was usually the very first thing I taught my students. Not to brag, but sometimes the improvement of their images between the first class and the second was dramatic. Kind of like flipping a switch. Even if you've been doing this photography stuff for a while, you may find it helpful.

Start by picturing one of the most straight-forward, flat, unemotional, boring visual scenes out there: your typical police lineup. Here's a very well-known example:

Now, just for a second, try to ignore the fact that these are Hollywood actors projecting oddball personalities as part of the plot of the movie. If these were just your "average Joes" rounded up and used for a standard police lineup, trust me, this would be a very boring picture.

As I'm sure you realize, a police lineup intentionally lacks any kind of visual style. It is evenly lit, the subjects are evenly and symmetrically spread out, standing straight up and looking eyes forward, expressionless. They are all the exact same distance from the viewer. Everything is in focus. It's sole purpose is to impart clear and accurate information to the viewer.

Ok, now the fun part. If you start with this bland composition, any deviation from it will result in a stronger and more interesting photo. Think about that...

So, take your pick. Raise or lower your camera angle? The shot gets stronger. Angle your background so it recedes into the frame? The shot gets stronger. Group multiple subjects closer to one another asymmetrically or at different heights or distances? The shot gets stronger. Have your subjects interact and show emotions? The shot gets stronger. Throw parts of your scene out of focus? Move your light source around? Well, you get the idea...

That's really all there is to it. When you pose your subjects in photos, if you're struggling with your composition, try to keep the image of a police lineup in your head, and avoid its compositional pitfalls at all costs. Even if your portrait is of a single person, the visualization will usually hold true.

Class dismissed...

And To Think, I've Been Here The Whole Time...

O...M...G!  Has it really been all these months since my last blog post? That's really hard to believe, considering how many things I have going on inside my head at any given moment, and also how much I like to talk about them.

But then again, maybe not, as I've gotten into the habit, like many of you, of posting many of my thoughts, ideas, and career events on my Facebook pages with great regularity.

Still, my blog needs to be an important part of my online presence. It should be informative, fun, and timely, or else why even have it?

So, with that in mind, I (also like many of you) have made one of my goals for the new year to be keeping this beast fed on a regular basis, and making a better effort to funnel my career and industry news and advice through this megaphone.


BTW, you are more than welcome to join my posse at my Photo Asylum Facebook Fan Page. 

Wow, this is like, ya know? A timely and informative blog entry! So far, it looks like I'm sticking to my goal. Awesome!

My New News Page: All The News That Fits...

I'm finally finding some time here and there to do some design work on the Photo Asylum web site. Obviously, web sites are by nature always works in progress, but every so often they need or deserve a complete overhaul visually. Sort of a "rebranding", if you will.

Culling ideas, sketching things out, even storyboarding and flowcharting are all fine and good, but it's the actual creation and uploading of the new artwork to the site that is usually a royal pain in the arse. I don't know how folks do this type of thing for a living...

Anyway, the latest Asylum section to get a makeover is my NEWS page. And I'll be trying very hard to take advantage of this opportunity by making a commitment to keep it current as well. After all, in the digital age, few things are more boring than old news.

The basic design I choose has a slight grunge-tech feel to it, something I want to keep consistent throughout the site. The top of the page (under the banner) is a "breaking news" box allowing me to draw the viewer's attention to something immediate or timely. Under that is a clean, double-column listing of various topics. I include a nice colorful thumbnail icon to go with each bit, and the HTML is a basic table, which gives me the freedom to move any of the sections up or down, prioritizing them as I see fit.

Now, what I actually consider "news" on my site probably won't change much, if at all. I'll keep you up to date on work I'm having published, gallery images available online, photo shoots and projects, workshops or talks I may be doing out in the "real" world. That sort of thing.

One interesting feature that is new (but only temporary) is my "Fashion Casting Call" section. If you're a model or stylist in Central or South Florida, you may want to pay attention to this. I'll try to keep a current list of all the shoots and projects that I have talent needs for. It won't be very detailed, and will soon be moved to its own page, so I can give more precise information about each individual job.

So, let me know what you think! And spread the news...

Ansel Adams In Color? Who Knew???

Now, I already know that I'm going to ruffle some feathers with this post, so why don't we just go ahead and get it out of the way?

I am not particularly a fan of photographer Ansel Adams, and looking back, realize I have never been. Don't get me wrong, I fully acknowledge the man as an absolute icon of photographic art, and will be the first to stand up and salute his amazing contributions to both the technical as well as esthetic aspects of the medium.

It's simply the work. His meticulous and mind-numbingly analytical breakdowns of scenic light and exposure, and absolute perfect processing and printing of large-format negatives has neither insired me nor motivated my own work.

I am most defintely from the "deconstruction - reconstruction" school of art, and I've always prefered my images include people (and their emotions), man-made structures, movement, spontaneity, elements of artificial light, and storytelling in lieu of anything purely scenic and natural. And I also think obsessing too much over the technical apsect of photography often takes away from its emotional impact.

My inspirations early on were abstract artists such as Duane Michals, Andy Warhol, Art Kane, and Jerry Uelsmann. When it's all said and done, we are what we are, and are driven by our unique individual passions. I will never apologize for that...

I'll take this blasphemy one step futher. Over the years, I have often looked at the works of Adams, tonal perfection and all, and have thought to myself, "This looks like such an amazing scene. It's a shame the image isn't in COLOR..."

Now, before you start to go round up the townsfolk to chase me up into a tall wooden structure that you plan to set on fire, let me assure you these thoughts were not out of ignorance. Early in my career, my work was almost entirely black and white (both commercial as well as exhibition). And from the time I first learned of it, I fully embraced the Zone System as the primary exposure tool for my film (and now my digital) photography. I adore a monochrome world!

But alas, when it comes to art, I usually go with my gut, and all I can say is that IMHO certain images, certain scenes, just lend themselves more to a color treatment. And to me, stripping this element from a wonderous, majestic, stunningly beautiful natural landscape, no matter how well done, bleeds it of much of its life force and emotional power.

Which brings us to the whole point of today's entry!  Last weekend, whilst browsing my favorite local bookshop on a lazy Sunday morning, I stumbled upon what I think is an absolutely marvelous photo book: Ansel Adams in Color (http://amzn.to/9yUHpj).

It was as if my wish over the years was finally granted...

Now, in all fairness, this is not a new title. It is simply revised and expanded from the 1993 edition. But it is better, the main reason being its image scans have improved, and the printed photos most surely are much closer to what Adams originally achieved in his darkroom or custom lab.

And what photos they are! This was my first time really looking at this work, and as I thumbed through the volume, I was surprised how many of these pictures moved me in a way the black and white classics never did. It's not something I can easily explain, and it's certainly not something I can argue about with a "purist", but in my heart I know I was right, at least from my point of view...

I honestly feel that these "new" images are undiscovered treasures for many photographers and art lovers who only know Adams as a black and white artist, and whether you prefer them to the iconic, traditional versions or not is really not the point. I see it as simply adding to Adams' amazing legacy and body of work...