I needed a backdrop for my Christmassy photo booth, so I headed to Photo Backdrop Supply Co. to see what could find. There were two red ones that caught my eye. The first had a nice, elegant pattern to it, and the second was a solid, classy red. I ended up getting both of them and decided to compare them side by side to see which one was more photogenic. The difference was night and day…
Archive for the ‘Work’ Category
Restless and Creative
October 20, 2011Every so often I get restless, and I know I need to make something. Of course this feeling only comes at the most inconvenient times, like today when I’ve got 3,000 photos to sort, a video series to edit, three estimates to send, and an album to design. …0h, and I’m getting married in 17 days. So yeah, it’s not like I didn’t have anything else to be doing. Nevertheless, I needed to clear my head and art has a way of doing that for me. I suppose it’s my brain’s way of keeping me from being a workaholic.
Anyway, here’s what I came up with. I don’t love it, but it served its purpose; so I’m happy. It’s a mixed media piece. The drawing was done in my sketchbook and then I added some color and toning in Lightroom.
Enough about me. What helps you clear your head and unwind? When was the last time you were compelled to create? Where has your latest source of inspiration come from?
When Stage Lighting Gives You Lemons
October 19, 2011
The way a stage looks in person and the way it looks in a photograph can be two very different things. My job in this case was to make the photos look as good (or better) as it looked to the audience. The client specifically wanted to make sure the background was colorful, not washed out. Unfortunately, however, the stage lighting was awful, so this was quite a challenge.
I ended up having to use two off-camera speedlights on either side of the stage to brighten up the speaker. Both flashes had a snoot on them to help aim the light and keep it from hitting the audience. I also had to make sure they wouldn’t spill light onto the background and wash out the green colored lights.
This second images shows how it looked before I added my lights. Notice how much less detail you can see in his suit coat as well as the brightness of his skin.
It would have been much easier to shoot with the available light and then pass the blame, but a photographer’s job is to produce good photos with no excuses attached.
Does Specialization Lead to Burnout?
October 14, 2011If there is one photographer I respect the most it’s gotta be Jeremy Cowart. The dude is crazy talented, always pursuing big ideas, and he puts his family first. When he talks I listen. However, yesterday he made a point that I would generally agree with but my experience tells a different story. Here’s what he said:
Photographers, remember: you need to make a decision. Shooting weddings, families, pets, bands, sports = jack of all trades, master of none.
I consider myself to be a jack of all trades. I certainly don’t feel like I’ve mastered anything, but I’m confident that I can shoot most things better than the average photographer –Hint: the trick is not to be better, but to try harder.
Lately I’ve been wrestling with the notion of finding my niche, but the more I press down into a certain field the more complacent I become. I recently shot photos with a dude who’s been shooting weddings for “unfortunately 17 years” in his words. He certainly made a decision about the work he does, but he also got comfortable and apathetic in the process.
I have a hunch that specialization leads to burnout or boredom.
Personally, I need variety in my work. I value creativity too much to be comfortable with a repetitive diet. Even people like Jeremy Cowart who are exceptionally specialized often pursue creative, personal projects that are extremely different from their normal gig.
The deeper you dig in a single direction, the more you need external stimuli. Creativity thrives on variety.
Then I see someone like Joe McNally, who is one of the best photographers in the world, describe himself as a generalist, and I can’t help but wonder if that’s part of the reason why his photos are so remarkable. Personally I know that I’ve learned things from shooting fashion that have caused me to shoot weddings differently, and I’ve learned things from street photography that has improved my headshots.
So what do you think? Do you consider yourself a specialist or a generalist? Does an artist ever feel like he’s mastered something, or is that word merely attributed to someone else who does something better than we do? Does Talent + Complacency = Mastery?
A Note About Your Time and Prices
September 15, 2011It’s straight up 11:00 o’clock and I just walked in the door from a shoot. Four and a half hours earlier I was sitting here half awake double checking directions and making sure everything was packed and ready to go. I finished getting ready, grabbed my gear, and then hopped on the metro. In the last four and a half hours I spent maybe 20 minutes taking pictures, maybe.
If you must know, I was shooting four corporate headshots, but that’s irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that you have to account for a lot more than the time spent shooting photos. Time is time. Whether you’re taking pictures, writing a contract, or doing the dishes, everything takes time. More often than not your time as a photographer is eaten up by what happens before and after you hold the camera in your hands.
So next time you are asked to price an assignment consider all that goes into it. Time spent packing your gear, picking up rental equipment, traveling, setting up for the shoot, editing (of course), managing the files, creating and sending invoices, depositing checks at the bank, blogging about the shoot and uploading pictures to Facebook, etc… Don’t forget to include the time you spent estimating the price and corresponding with the client in the first place.
Everything that requires your time means you can’t spend that time doing something else. Is it worth the trade?
Camera Bags for Event Photographers
July 31, 2011When I show up to shoot an event with my 34 pound backpack plus light stands and belt pack I wonder whatever happened to the days when taking pictures meant heading out with nothing but my camera. Now it takes me 10-12 minutes just to get setup for most shoots. The problem is that the more I learn about photography the more gear I want to get, which means there is more stuff I’ve got to schlep around with me. Eventually I outgrew my Jansport backpack that I had been using for just about everything since third grade. I remedied this by getting the ThinkTank Airport Antidote backpack which I’ve blogged about before.
While the backpack is perfect for carrying everything from my studio to another location and back, it’s completely impractical to use during a shoot. Personally I group photo bags into one of two categories: transporting or shooting. The backpack clearly falls under the first category where durability, space, and weight are primary concerns. For shooting however, I need a bag that is accessible, comfortable, and snug. You’ll notice “stylish” isn’t exactly on that list… Personally, I prefer the ThinkTank Pro Speed Belt.
The belt itself is just that. A belt. But when you trick it out with some modular pouches it becomes a fanny pack on steroids that will have all the ladies wanting you.
The beauty of it is that all of the weight you are used to carrying around your neck and shoulders is now spread around your hips. Everything is close to your body, so you can run at full speed without worrying about your stuff banging around. Everything is easily accessible –no more digging around in the abyss of your messenger bag for that memory card– and often times that can mean the difference between getting the shot or missing the moment. I’ve been using my belt for over two and a half years now, and I’d be hard pressed to come up with a better solution for event photographers. If you find yourself looking for a better way to consolidate and access your gear while shooting, I suggest you give the belt a try.
Here’s a look at my setup. Clicking on the image will take you to Flickr where you can see the notes explaining what’s in each pouch.
P.S. The belt is also great for hiking. I usually strip it down until it’s just the belt and camera holster. It protects the camera and makes it easily accessible. I recently climbed Old Rag with it and I had zero complaints.
*I’m not affiliated with ThinkTank Photo in any way. They simply make good products that make my job easier, so I’m happy to talk about them.
Lessons Learned: Making Your Work Accessible
July 21, 2011I’ve barely gotten any real work done today. I’ve spent most of my time sorting through hard drives and trying to locate photos. It’s annoying, but it’s been a good reminder of how important it is to make your work accessible not only to myself, but my clients (lesson 3 below). Here are a few things that make this easier…
Lesson One: Don’t delete your photos. Today I’ve had three completely different clients say, “Hey, can you re-send the photos from ____?” They all have different reasons for needing them again, but the point remains the same. If I didn’t keep my photos long term then I’d have three disgruntled clients to deal with. It seems like a no brainer, but you’d be surprised how tempting it is to delete photos when you find that your hard drives are full. Which leads us to the next point…
Lesson Two: Establish an archiving solution. The important thing is that you have a system. Buying another external hard drive to “free up space” is not a system; it’s a symptom of a bigger problem. What you need is a plan. You need to know where to export your photos when you’re done with them, and you need to know how to find them years from now. I’ve blogged about my system before, but there are many different ways to do it. Find a solution that works best for you.
Lesson Three: Create online client galleries. This is where I’ve slacked off, and I’m paying the price for it today. Basically, you want a place where you can upload your finished, high resolution jpegs for the client to access on their own. I use Zenfolio, and I couldn’t be happier with it! I create a new group for each client, and then I add a new album for each shoot. This is ideal for corporate work where you’ll do multiple shoots for the same client, or destination weddings where you will have multiple days of shooting for a single wedding. The real advantage comes from the various options available such as privacy, expiration, and access control. This means my clients can locate their photos and download the high resolution images without having to wait for me.
Moral of the story, there is nothing sexy about file management. Do yourself a favor by making it as efficient and accessible as possible.
Lessons Learned Shooting with Canon
June 28, 2011
My friend and fellow photographer Emily Chastain approached me with a great idea. She suggested that we plan a shoot where we swap cameras; I would use her Canon and she would use my Nikon. Now, I’m not sure if she was just tired of my Canon bashing or if she had something else in mind, nevertheless I jumped at the opportunity to give her a chance to experience the greatness of Nikon. We scheduled the shoot in Annapolis, giving her home field advantage…
Hours of Operation
June 22, 2011
It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of 9-5 jobs. Even still there is at least one important thing that we creative freelancers can learn from them. It’s a little thing called work hours.
I’m gonna venture a guess that most full-time photographers and designers work their butts off at all hours of the day. Personally, I enjoy working late because my inbox and phone aren’t vying for my attention, and I often find my groove between 10:00 and 3:00. That’s just how I roll. Read the rest of this entry ?
25% Off Every Photo Shoot
April 29, 2011I have a theory that coupons are merely a different form of advertising. They combine the allure of desire with the advantage of saving money, and people always like to talk about a great deal they found. Thus the advertising then becomes word of mouth. Given that, I’m doing a little experiment this weekend, and keeping my fingers crossed that it will help pull me out of the funk that has been the month of April.
Every client that books a shoot by Monday, May 2nd will receive 25% off the total price. The shoot can happen any time this year; it just needs to be booked by Monday. A down payment of fifty percent is required. It can be everything from a wedding to a new headshot or even a company Christmas party. Get creative! Contact me here.
Lessons Learned from Shooting a Chef
April 12, 2011This is maybe the 4th or 5th time I’ve shot portraits of a chef, and I’ve really come to love it. I felt like I learned so much this time, and I’m excited to share it with you all.
Don’t tell him to smile. Give him a reason to smile. The difference is night and day.
For crying out loud pose your subjects before you start photographing them. Don’t just have them stand there assuming they know what to do. Tell them that it will probably feel awkward but look great on camera. Subtle changes can make a big difference.
During the first half of the shoot I used a three-point light setup. If your key light is too bright, your background light (aka rim light) will be lost. Notice the changes around his left temple. There needs to be enough room (on a brightness scale) to brighten the rim of your subject without blowing the highlights and losing detail. … Do what David Hobby does and set your key light last.
Hard key light combined with hard background light on opposite side of the subject produces a very stylized look. Using a fill light washes out most of that look.
Generally I don’t like tilted shots, but it might have helped to try some here to keep things from looking so rigid and stiff.
For the right chef the dramatic look of a key-only light setup might make for a really cool photo. …probably would work best with a softbox thought.
Sometimes you just have to say “Screw the three-point lighting” and just use natural window light. This way you don’t have to worry about creating the mood of the place, but you can simply capture it. This is especially helpful if you’re trying to showcase both the setting and the chef. A reflector nearby will bounce just the right amount of light back on your subject so that his face isn’t too shadowy.
As much as I don’t want to admit it, I am much better at working with natural light than I am at crafting light from scratch. Even an average window-lit shot from this shoot is way the heck better than any of the three-light shots. Sometimes you have to let go of your pride and preconceived notions and go with your gut. Both my client and I really wanted to nail a shot with the windows, water, and boats in the background, but as soon as we sat him down and shot parallel to the windows we knew we were onto something much better.
If your subject is wearing white (eg. chefs, brides, etc.), have them to turn their back to the light source. This will minimize the light it catches and you will have fewer blown-out highlights. Have them turn their face toward the light in order to light it properly –this is often a more pleasing pose anyway regardless of the light [see next comment]. All three of these photos had the exact same exposure settings, but the brightness in his shirt is quite different.
Angling his head in a different direction than his chest creates a much more dynamic pose.
If his face is still too dark, overexpose the white shirt by just a little bit –about 1/3 stop– then you can bring it down in post. Use the Graduated Filter to only darken the lower part of the image, not his face.
As a general rule, window-lit portraits look fantastic in black and white.
I should have experimented with some gelled light to give the background more color. Shouldda wouldda couldda…
Learning from other people is great, and I highly encourage it; but until you learn something yourself it’s easy to forget (or not fully understand in the first place) what the other person was trying to teach you. For example, I feel like all of the stuff I’ve written here are things that Bambi Cantrell talked about in her recent Creative Live session, but I didn’t really get it until now. There is no learning method that can replace good ol’ fashion hard work.
Don’t Hog Your Journey
April 9, 2011It’s been said that the difference between a good photographer and a bad one is that you never see a good photographer’s bad photos. If I’m really being honest though I think that I’ve used that as an excuse to not share anything at all. I’ve simply renamed laziness and called it perfectionism.
Someone once told me “Don’t hog your journey.” For me, that’s what this 30 Post Challenge is all about. There are so many things I’ve learned, experienced, and photographed just in the last year and a half but I’ve been so painfully stingy in what I share. I never meant to keep things to myself, but it seems there is always one more reason, one more thing to finish before I’m ready to share my journey.
I’m realizing now (as I write) that the repercussions of this are far reaching. When I keep my journey to myself I get discouraged because it reminds me that yet another opportunity has been stifled. This in turn destroys expectations among my friends, family, and even clients. I then get stressed out and frustrated because I feel like I’ve let people down. To make matters worse I am robbed of opportunities to teach from my experiences. …all because I didn’t share.
So in an effort to overcome this disease called perfection I’m going to be pulling some photos from the archives and telling their stories here on my blog over the next couple weeks. There is so much I’m eager to share…
Not only is it common sense marketing to share your work, but in my case it’s downright unhealthy not to. So don’t take for yourself the painful route that I stumbled upon. Let’s keep shooting, sharing, and inviting others into our lives. Whether you’re making music, teaching improv, or serving the brokenhearted let’s share the journey together. We’ll all be better off for it.
Suggestions for Buying a New Camera
April 8, 2011It’s pretty much a safe bet. Whenever I get an email from a friend that I haven’t heard from in a long time there’s a good chance they are saving up to buy a new camera and they’re looking for some suggestions. So, here ya go…
Compact Cameras
Asking a professional photographer about compact cameras is about like asking Lance Armstrong which bike you should get from Wal-Mart. …well, maybe not quite that bad, but you get the idea. I don’t own a compact camera, but there is one that I would like –one that I would feel is a good enough replacement to an SLR. That’s the Canon G12. It gives you full manual control over your exposure and it can shoot in RAW. From what I’ve heard, it out-performs Nikon’s comparable camera even though the latter has better specs. Then again, at $500 you might just consider getting an entry-level SLR (more on that below).
Aside from the G12 I honestly don’t have any recommendations for compact cameras. At the rate that smart phones are going, we might find compact cameras to be a dying breed. Nevertheless, if you don’t want to break the bank and you want a pocket-sized camera consider the following guidelines.
- Zoom – You’ll want a decent zoom, but make sure it’s an optical zoom; a digital zoom won’t do you a bit of good.
- Battery Life – I wouldn’t recommend buying a camera that runs on double A batteries; instead look for one that uses a custom lithium battery or something like that. They’ll last longer and cost less in the long run.
- Shutter Delay - The shutter delay information may or may not be readily available, but basically it’s a measure of how quickly the picture is taken once the button is pressed –this can mean the difference between getting the shot you wanted as opposed to missing the action.
- Megapixels – don’t worry about them. We are slowly coming out of the age where all cameras are measured by the number of megapixels they have, but that simply is not any way to determine a camera’s image quality. I’ve got a 20″x30″ print that was taken with a 6 MP camera; had I not told you that you never would have known by looking at it.
SLR Cameras
Despite my preference for the G12, I’m a huge fan of Nikon. Thus my suggestions will be a bit biased entirely in favor of Nikon. Canon makes great cameras too, but in my opinion everything about them feels backwards. I would also go so far as to say that Nikon has really developed an edge over Canon in the last two years as they focus on better image quality and fewer megapixels. Personally I prefer the color tones of Nikon; they just have a richer feel if you ask me.
The good news is that buying an SLR is fairly straightforward; the more you spend, the better the camera you get. Let your budget determine the camera, but be sure to leave room for a lens, memory cards, batteries, and maybe a flash if you’re feeling adventurous. There is no reason to go into debt buying a camera unless you are confident that you can make money with it –and if you can do that, you probably already have a good camera.
I don’t mean to be Johnny Raincloud here, but this needs to be said: Don’t confuse need for desire. You will always want a better camera. If you have a camera already (particularly an “old DSLR” –which is somewhat laughable to put those to words together) ask yourself how much you are using it. Chances are that the camera still takes great pictures, but you don’t use it like you could. Getting a new camera will generate some enthusiasm for a little while, but unless you make a point to get out and take pictures often you’ll be no better off with a fancier camera.
Once you narrow it down to a couple choices find a way to get your hands on each camera and play with them for as long as you can. Borrow one from a friend, or at least test out the model at a local camera shop. Chances are pretty good that one will feel more intuitive and comfortable than the other. After budget, I would say that this is the most important factor in your choice. If you don’t feel comfortable using your camera you will likely get frustrated and not take as many pictures or you’ll just keep it on Auto and never use all the features you paid for.
Don’t overlook the option of shopping for used cameras. You could buy a decent camera used, play with it for a year or so, and then sell it again putting that money toward a better camera. It requires more work and more time searching, but it’s the most cost effective option in the long run. Just make sure to do your homework and only buy a used camera if you feel completely good about it. Aside from physical damage I would say the most important thing to check is the number of actuations (ie. shutter clicks) when buying used. If the seller doesn’t know the number or doesn’t know how to find out (hint: check out Opanda or Exif Viewer) then it’s probably not worth buying from them.
As for lenses, some of them may come with a “kit” lens, which is usually the 18-55mm. It’s a decent little lens, but not spectacular by any means. If you’ve got the room in your budget, I would suggest going for the 18-105mm lens, or even the 18-200mm VR2.
Don’t forget to add a memory card. You probably don’t need to spend the extra money on a super fast card at this point. Also, you’d probably be fine without an extra battery –all of Nikon’s cameras should be able to get at least 1,000 shots on a single charge, probably more.
Hopefully that helps! Feel free to share with the rest of us if you have any tips from your own search.
Setting Up a Home Photography Studio
April 7, 2011I’ve been using my living room as a make-shift photo studio for about 6 months now. It has served me well for the most part, but I’ve decided to kick it up a notch, turn it into a studio rather than a living room. I still have some work to do before it’s fully functional, but I thought I’d share the process with you so far.
First is the (hopefully) obvious stuff:
- Decide what type of work you want to be doing in the studio and plan accordingly.
- Consider your light source –north facing windows are ideal because they never receive direct sunlight.
- Measure everything. You’ll save yourself a lot of trouble if you know exactly how much space you have to work with.
The two most important things for me are 1.) having an open, adaptable space to do creative portraits and personal projects, and 2.) being able to precisely control the light.
The first goal is a combination of several smaller decisions which I will highlight in Part 2 once I actually finish them (ie. the next time I’m procrastinating). For now I want to focus on my second objective. To properly control the light you’ve got to minimize bounced light. Shooting in a small space with white walls makes it nearly impossible to isolate your light because white is so reflective even if it’s a matte paint. The best way to get around this is to darken things down.
Take a photographer’s Color Checker to Home Depot and tell them you want middle gray in flat paint. Don’t get confused by the term “18% gray” which is often used in reference to metering and exposure. The percentage refers to the reflectivity of the material, not the brightness. In other words, there is also 18% black and 18% white and 18% green, etc… You don’t want your walls to be reflective at all; they are much easier to work with if they are completely flat. The important thing is to get a medium gray color. I opted for a shade halfway between black and white. It’s light enough for a livable space, but it’s also dark enough to soak up most of the light.
Avoid any color in your paint. If you have a green wall, for example, any light that hits it will bounce back as a green color. It may be cool for a shot or two, but it will annoy the crap out of you in short order. If you need color, you can add a gel to your flash. The whole point of creating a neutral (gray) space is that you can make it whatever you want. Also, the darker walls will respond better to color gels than a white wall. In other words, if you’re trying to create, say, a blue background it’s much easier to do this by pointing your blue-gelled flash at a gray wall than a white one. White walls tend to make colors more pastel.
I only used one coat of paint. Even though it seems good enough I can see advantages of having a second coat, mostly because I would’ve been less stingy with the paint and had fewer visible strokes. Then again, I can always re-paint later.
I left the ceiling white. Some people suggest painting it black for a photo studio but personally I like having the option to bounce my lights off the ceiling for a large overhead light source that doesn’t take up any space overhead. Secondly, I don’t want my clients to think I’m some goth emo freak who lives in a cave with a black ceiling. You’ve got to consider the psychology of the space as well as the efficiency of it.
It took me a while to make up my mind about which walls I would paint. Should I leave one white? Maybe paint one black? Eventually I realized that it would be best to paint everything gray and use the backdrops to change things up as needed. My setup allows me to cover two walls with backdrops (more about that in Part 2). If I want a pure white background I simply use my giant white paper roll. If I want black I can underexpose the gray walls until they appear black in the photo or just use a black paper roll. In the end it’s much easier to have a neutral space that can be changed quickly and easily.
All of this cost me less than $40. One can of Behr Premium Ultra gray paint put me back $32. One roll of 2″ painters tape was another $6. I was able to borrow painting tools from my brother who recently finished painting his own studio. Chances are pretty good that one of your friends has some painting supplies you could borrow too.
Check back for Part 2 of this post for tips on finishing your home photography studio on a budget.
Backpack and Gear for Event Photographers
April 5, 2011If I had a nickle for every time I’ve been asked about my equipment…
So, the purpose of this post is first to answer the question of what I use and secondly to serve as a guide so that my assistants know exactly how to make everything fit inside the backpack. I’ve tried many many variations and this one seems to work the best for me. When the backpack is fully loaded it weighs about 34 pounds, and it is designed to fit perfectly under any airplane seat. Be sure to view the image on Flickr to see the notes describing everything.
The backpack itself is made by ThinkTank Photo, and I’m a huge fan of their stuff. They make top quality gear for just about everything a photographer could need. I use their Pro Speed Belt system while I’m shooting, and it has made my job so much easier. Maybe that’s worth a post of its own…
Marine Corps Marathon: Kids Festival
October 26, 2010Last year I shot the Marine Corps Marathon: Kids Festival for the Crystal City BID and now I’m seeing these advertisements all over the place. I rarely get to see the end result of what happens with my photos, so it’s extremely encouraging to see my work put to use for a big event like this.
You can see more photos from last year’s event here. Also, be sure to check out what else is going on in Crystal City. They put on a lot of great events year round, and plenty of them are free!
If you’re running in the marathon this year, or even if you’re just cheering from the sidelines look for me in Crystal City –I’ve got a high five with your name on it!
Open Call Photo Shoot
July 5, 2010So I rented a few lenses for the Fourth of July, and to my surprise I get to keep them an extra day. There’s a pretty good chance that you have today off from work, so it seems to me that the time is ripe for a spontaneous photo shoot! Here’s how (I’m hoping) it will work.
I need all of the following things:
- A place to shoot
- A person to shoot
- Ideas for how to shoot it
- Fun people to shoot with
My goal is to have fun, collaborate with other artists, and make some sweet photos. I’m hoping this will attract two different kinds of people.
Non-photographers – First and foremost we need someone to photograph! Maybe you have an idea for something you’d like to do, or maybe even a need for a particular photo (promo, album cover, Flat Stanley, impersonation, etc…) I would love to find someone who needs a sharp new photo and can benefit from this spontaneous idea. If we can fill a need while being creative and having fun, then lets do it!*
Photographers – Amateurs, professionals, hobbyists, weekend warriors, etc. If you like taking pictures and you’re available this evening then you are welcome to come. Please bring your camera and any lenses, flashes, and accessories you have. We may end up with too many cooks in the kitchen, but considering the short notice I don’t think that will be a problem. I realize it’s a moving target and that makes it hard to plan around, but, that’s pretty much the world I live in as a freelance photographer. Once I’ve got a plan, I will update this post (or leave a comment) with details.
*There is one catch though. The shoot has to be somewhat challenging and have plenty of room for creativity. The most creative and practical idea submitted is the one that we’ll do. For example, if someone says, “I need a new headshot,” you’re gonna have to get more creative than that. Or if you are looking for a picture of you rappelling down the Grand Canyon, well, that’s not quite practical in this case. We need a creative idea and a place to make it happen. BTW, it’s the day after the Fourth of July. Surely someone has some leftover fireworks…
It’s 2:30 right now; I’d love to start shooting around 7:30 or so. I realize this is completely last-minute, but then again so was this shoot, and this one, and this one, and this one…
If you’ve got an idea, or if you’d like to join me, feel free to hit me up on twitter, facebook, email, cell phone, whatever. Let’s throw excuses and Resistance to the wind and go make some photos!
Giving Yourself the Time of Day
June 3, 2010Most financial experts preach the following principle: Pay yourself first. Essentially it means you need to save money even when things are tight. You have to make your own financial health a priority above others because there will always be more things to buy and more people who will gladly take your money.
The same thing is true with your time.
I can attest to the fact that if you put work before yourself, there will never be enough time for you. There will always be more demands on your time than there are hours in the day. I think this is especially true for creative types who are passionate about their work. It’s easy to overwork when you enjoy it, but if you’re not careful you will exhaust your creativity, motivation, and drive.
So this is what I propose: Make time for yourself first. Yes, I know you’re buried and overworked and facing a tight deadline, but that is all the more reason why you need to put yourself first. Do whatever it is that makes you come alive, and give yourself enough time for it. Schedule it on your calendar and stick to it. If you don’t take your own time seriously then what makes you think other people will?
For the last two weeks I’ve blocked off my calendar from 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon every day. During that time I silence my phone and disable email notifications. For four hours I do something for me. I read books, take pictures, find interesting videos on TED, dream, journal, work on personal projects, write this blog post, draw, etc…
There are dozens of reasons why this is a dumb idea, but you already know that. What you probably don’t know is what might happen if you try it.
Art Exhibit by Dylan Byrd and Yours Truly
May 1, 2010Consider this your formal invitation to join me this Friday for the most amazing art gallery on the planet.
How’s that for managing expectations? Seriously though, I have the distinct privilege of displaying some of my work alongside illustrator Dylan Byrd. Dylan is a friend and extremely talented artist. It’s worth coming to the show just to see his stuff!
As for me I will be featuring some brand new pieces as well as some old favorites. You will find a combination of commissioned work and personal projects, photography and graphic design.
Basically, you should come check it out! In addition to the artwork there will be live music and some goodies to munch on. …and did I mention that it’s FREE?! Yeah, what’s your excuse now? Besides, it’s from 7:00 – 9:00, so you’ve got plenty of time to get your Friday night party on afterward. Details below:
- What: A stunning visual experience that is sure to make Avatar look like a thing of the past.
- When: Friday, May 7th from 7:00 – 9:00 PM (and it’s ONLY during that time. One night only.)
- Where: Ebenezers Coffeehouse (201 F Street NE)
- Why: Because it will rock your flippin’ socks off! Gosh! Besides, it’s local to support sexy artists.
- Who: You! Me, Dylan, and a special guest appearance (of international fame, no joke!)
- Bonus: The first 362 people will get a souvenir high five from Stephen Elliot! Better come early!
- No need to RSVP, but here’s the Facebook event page if you’re into that sort of thing.
My Take on an Old DVD Cover
March 14, 2010I used to create custom DVD covers for all of my wedding clients. This gave me the chance to take the work I was doing and push it closer to the art of filmmaking.
Recently I designed one for Ellen and Brendon’s wedding. They got married on a snowy day in December (DC’s biggest snowfall in years! …until Snowmageddon in February, that is). Unlike any other DVD cover I had done thus far, they specifically requested that the design resemble the cover of Field of Dreams. Before I saw it, I thought, “This will be a piece of cake. The hardest part of a design is figuring out how to arrange everything, and in this case I’m just mimicking another layout…” Then I Googled “Field of Dreams dvd cover” and became less than excited.
For starters, it’s one of the tackiest movie designs I’ve seen in a while. To complicate things there are three variations of it. Basically, I had to take the essence of this and force it into my style. To make things even more difficult, I failed to do my research beforehand so I had no pictures of either the bride or groom posing like Kevin Costner here.
In the end, the three variations actually helped. Finding the consistencies between them allowed me to boil the design down to the most basic elements: person in the middle, text overhead, big circle, and implied triangle. Here’s what I came up with. What’s the verdict? Does it look Field of Dreams-ish? (Note, back cover was an open design.)
P.S. I’d be happy to talk in detail about the ins and outs of making a DVD cover. Pipe up in the comments if you want to see more detailed posts like that ’round here.
