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Michael Jordan’s Obituary…

I photographed Michael Jordan – the CEO of EDS, not the basketball player – some years ago for eWeek Magazine. I had photographed countless people, celebrities and heads of companies before. However, this is the first time I had done a portrait of the CEO of a multi-billion dollar international company. I’ve shot many other Fortune 500 CEO’s since then, but I still remember this one.

I remember he seemed very busy and stressed, as any person at his career level would be. In the thirty minutes I had with him, he seemed very polite and nice. He seemed very committed to his company and employees. But, man… I remember leaving that shoot and feeling glad that I wasn’t a CEO. It looked like a job that was just too stressful for me to handle.
Anyway, I was kind of sad to see this in the paper today:
Sure, I didn’t really know him. Thirty minutes is hardly enough time to remember a person at all. But still, it’s sad to know that someone I met, someone I looked at through the lens on my Hasselblad and captured on film is no longer here.
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This never gets old…

Though I’ve seen this a million different times, in a million different publications over the last thirteen or fourteen years, it still never gets old. After all, what artist wouldn’t want to see his work published?!? And, who can complain about having their name listed next to some of North Texas’ best shooters, like Allison V. Smith, Mei-Chun Jau and Evans Caglage?

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Art show, anyone?!?

I received an email about this one from one of the sponsors in their weekly e-blast. Maybe you should enter:

www.artofphotographyshow.com

And, PDN always has a contest going on. Outdoor/landscape shooters might want to enter this one (deadline is May 10th, so hurry):
Pictures of the Year International has a program/competition set up for emerging photographers to receive up to $10k in assistance:
www.poy.org

Also, for members of the Dallas members of ASMP, there will be a juried art show in September 2010. Entries will be accepted, starting in June. More info here:
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A nature post…

I still haven’t straightened out my blog issues, but I thought I could post some fun nature photos in the meantime. There’s something very zen-like when I shoot bees and bugs and flowers…









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Iphone pics for clients…

While I’m waiting for my IT guy to move my blog to WordPress (so I can keep uploading it directly to my website, instead of this stupid blogger link), I thought I’d do one more post. This is something that’s happening with more frequency, so it’s kind of important to the professional photographer. What is it? It’s iphone (or smartphone for the other brands of cellphones out there) pictures for your clients.

Why would someone hire you to take pictures with your iphone, instead of a regular camera? Well, instead isn’t the best word… try in addition to. Yup, I’m having more clients ask if I can snap a few pics with my iphone and immediately send them to the company’s social media person.
For one, this allows them to put up a professionally composed image on facebook and twitter (and everywhere else on the internet) immediately. The event is currently happening, and they can advertise it with a much better pic than any of them could take with their phone. Plus, the picture isn’t too professional and slick, so it feels real and genuine, like a snapshot that a customer might take.
Every so often, I would put down my Canon 5DmkII with the 16-35mm f2.8 L series lens and 580exII flash, and I would pick up my iphone. A few clicks and a quick email is all it took to get some snapshots of the event online in real time!
So, don’t think it’s an awkward request if a client hires you for hundreds of dollars per hour, just to have you pull out your iphone camera! It might just happen to you, too.
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Sorry for the absence…

I know I haven’t posted an update in forever, but there are two reasons… One, I have been totally slammed with photo shoots. That’s a good thing, because it means a ton of money has been coming in to make up for such a lackluster January and average February. Two, I need to move from Blogger to WordPress, since Blogger is discontinuing their FTP service. I don’t want to do a bunch of posts that potentially could get lost in the move.

I’ll be posting a bunch of stuff soon, but for at least another week, I might be pretty quiet here. Sorry.
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Taylor Swift’s lovely locks…

When I was shooting the Taylor Swift concert last night here in Dallas, I noticed something… As Taylor swung and danced and shook, she had a few stray hairs fly off her head and down to the stage floor. One slowly floated down into a girl’s hand at the edge of the stage. She held her hand out and watched it slowly land, like she was waiting for a snowflake to fall on a calm winter day.

I’m not sure if she kept the solitary hair and took it home, but I’m betting that single strand would fetch a nice reward on ebay! Not that I’m changing career paths to start capturing and selling celebrity hair… just saying, I’d rather sell it than keep it! I’m not much of an autograph guy, either – though I’d keep her autograph before I’d keep any of Taylor Swift’s body parts!
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Really, Rolling Stone? Really?!?

Am I the only one who thinks this, or is this one of the worst Rolling Stone covers in a long time? Nothing against Shaun White. I don’t think it was his fault. The photographer, Terry Richardson, seems to have grabbed a cheap point and shoot, closed his eyes and pushed the shutter button. I feel bad, because he mentions it’s his favorite cover work to date. If that’s the case, I’d hate to see his worst!