Month: April 2009

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Me, in action…

A friend sent these images to me.  She was sent them by a friend who was at an event I was assigned to do a video story on.  I forget the original photographer’s name, but I’ll try to find it and attach it to these images.  She deserves proper credit, even if the subject matter is something boring like me…  

 
Anyway, now you can see me in action – looking all goofy.
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Invoicing…

Why is invoicing clients so horrible?  I try my best to put it off until I have to.  I procrastinate and look for ways to postpone it (like writing blogs, instead).  You’d think it would be the very first thing that I wanted to do.  

When you are billing clients hundreds or thousands (or occasionally for me, tens of thousands) of dollars, you’d think the invoice would be a celebrated and joyous event.  Well, there is a certain amount of pride that comes with seeing a large dollar amount attached to your hard work (it’s much better than doing a lot of work and being unpaid and unappreciated), but it is still office work.  
Maybe because I’m an artist at heart, or maybe everyone hates this sort of clerical stuff…  I don’t know.  Either way, I absolutely hate having to create and send invoices.  It is so boring.  That’s the life of a freelance photographer, though.  25% fun art stuff and 75% boring business/office stuff.  Get used to it, if you want to be in the business.
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Another blog…

It’s interesting what all you find on the net for inspiration.  I spotted this blog and liked a few of the shots on it:  

Her style is much different than mine, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get inspired from some of her work.  Maybe you’ll look over it and see a few things that catch your eye, too?  It’s always good to look at other people’s work and draw inspiration and ideas from it.  I wouldn’t suggest trying to copy it, but you can take little tidbits from everywhere/anywhere in the world and incorporate it into your own personal style…
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Pinhole photography…

There have been a lot of photographers attempt the art of pinhole photography.  I spent an entire semester in an independent studies photography class focused on pinhole photos during college.  It is a very challenging and very rewarding art form.  

It’s been years and years since I pulled out any of my homemade pinhole cameras (I built them from old scraps of wood, tin cans, or any other light tight object I could find).  I was reading the Sunday edition (yes, it’s Monday already…  I fell a day behind in the newspaper, because I was really busy yesterday) of the Dallas Morning News and noticed a fun story in the Guide Sunday section.  
The story was about one of the DMN photogs – G.J. McCarthy – titled “In Trash, Beauty”.  In the ten years I’ve been contracted to shoot for them, I’ve seen a lot of the photographers up there try some pretty fun and creative photo essays.  I think this is the first pinhole essay, though.  
There is a video link on their website, if you missed the printed story.  It shows a few pinhole pictures and has an interview:  
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Current issue…

I’m pretty happy with the current issue of Quick.  I think my photo of Denton, TX musician Robert Gomez looks pretty darn good.  A great cover is not just a great photo.  It takes the photo, the initial idea/plan, the layout and design, and a good editor to make sure the vision/idea actually translates well in the final product.  

I’ve seen plenty of publications get things “kind of right” or “not so right”, because they messed up in the planning stage, photo, layout, or final edit stages.  It really takes a lot of effort to make something look effortless…

The current issue is filled with my photos, but I’m not going to copy and paste ten pages worth of my images.  You’ll just need to pick up a copy around town or download it at www.quickdfw.com to see everything.  I will share this page, though:  
Why this one?  Well, I just think it’s interesting when a photographer photographs another photographer.  I think I captured Scotty Mankoff’s spirit pretty well.  His interview is a pretty fun read, as well.  The quantity of pictures that he’s taken over the last couple years is mind-boggling, so I wanted to show him buried in his photos – literally!
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Canon tutorials…

I was talking with the canon rep recently, and he suggested that I visit here for some cool videos and tutorials on the new gear:  

It looks like they have some fun info on their stuff and plenty of tips and tricks.  You should check it out, too.  It’s funny, but I actually know a couple of the guys giving the tutorials.  I guess if you are in the business long enough, you get to know some pretty talented people…
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I was in Paris, TX today and saw this:

In case you didn’t already know, I’ve been working on a religious theme project for the last twelve to fourteen years now.  Most of it is religious graffiti or messages that a single person has created.  However, a few of the subjects are big murals, billboards, or other large pieces like this one.  
I eventually plan to show it in a gallery, though I’m still feeling like I’m a year or two away from doing that (besides, I just had that big show last fall).  I think I’ll just “know” when the work is ready for a formal show, hopefully.  I’m not getting the feeling just yet.  Too bad, because I’m anxious to show it.  I’ve already got a ton of very interesting, moving pieces…  
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Not everything should be judged by the paycheck…

I have a few clients that I don’t bill my normal corporate rate for. There are a few non-profit groups that get a special rate, and a rare few charities that get my pro bono work. Why? Well, sometimes it is better to help a worthy cause. Sometimes you will gain more from helping them in the long run (like networking with bigger, better clients during your non-profit help). 

If they are making a buck, you should expect to make a buck. But groups that are on shoestring budgets, trying harder to help or educate the community rather than making a huge profit, well, they deserve some help.  And, I feel good helping them.  I know that I’m doing something positive with my talents.

And it’s not like there aren’t other ways to get a few perks. Some of the clients throw nice fundraising events with fancy food, and I get to join them. Some have services that I can use for free, in exchange for being part of their “family”.   Some have given me access to cool rock stars or important people.  It doesn’t always have to be just about money. Some clients can be judged by more than just the paycheck you bring home from them.
This was the case today… The oldest boy was away at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, but the wife and two other boys were sitting at home. I had a shoot scheduled for a really cool and fun museum, and I can usually get them in to any of the exhibits for free. 
So, I loaded up the posse and let them enjoy the afternoon with me. After I was done working, I joined them and we toured all the dinosaur stuff, let our middle boy dig in the sand (you can “hunt” for fossils), and played with a bunch of really neat displays and projects. It was a good time.  We all loved it a lot!  
Heck, even if we had to pay, it still would have been worth it.  It was a fun place and a fun day.  But that’s not the point of this blog.  Just remember to weigh all the factors when deciding if you’re going to work with a client and whether they will receive any sort of special rate.  
I know one photographer that shoots for an airline in exchange for free tickets anywhere/anytime.  Not exactly a non-profit organization, but the point is that he actually gets a better deal than if he billed them for money and then purchased tickets like a regular customer.
Speaking of deals to make with clients, I have heard of a few other non-cash deals to go down here and there.  I have heard of some photogs that shoot for firearms manufacturers that have had the rifles/shotguns transfered to them instead of taking a check.  
Not a bad deal to get a $1200 shotgun instead of a $600 check (if you want/need that sort of thing).  Or, I’ve heard of people shooting for camera or lighting companies in exchange for free photo gear instead of money.  Again, you’d get more gear than if you’d bought it outright with the money you could’ve charged from the shoot.  
I bet these kind of deals go on all the time, though I have always limited them to charities and non-profits.  Maybe it’s because the right client hasn’t come along yet.  Heck, if I shot for Porsche or Ferrari, you know I’d try to work out a trade!!!

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Forget about being a photographer at the moment…

I have several friends who were all just laid off earlier this week from a major newspaper (one of the biggest in the country).  One of them was there for 34 years and was an amazing photographer.  

I hope you aren’t expecting to grab a camera, walk right into this industry, and find a job right now.  It’s a tough business and getting tougher.  The equipment costs are insane, the number of jobs are shrinking every day, and the number of people fighting for work is growing like mad.  But, if you continue to make it, the rewards are out of this world…