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Promo…

This is one of the current promo/mailers that I’ve started sending out to potential advertising clients.  It focuses on my lifestyle photography.  You know, the ads where a family is running through a field, and the ad is selling some sort of allergy medication.  Or the young couple in bed on a sunny morning, with a laptop and coffee – the ad selling anything from online shopping, to travel options, to pajamas, to whatever.  The photos that don’t necessarily have the actual product in the picture, but convey a certain feeling instead.  That’s the type of photography I can do well.  
I can’t do product and table top photography (the perfect pictures of a product in an ad or flyer or on the box of the item) well enough to compete with the big boys in town (and there’s a TON of money in DFW for that type of work), so I have to focus on what I am good at.  Hopefully, my editorial style transfers over well enough to regular and consistent advertising “lifestyle” shooting.  That is what I actually CAN do, and have done somewhat in the past.  
These are pics from an major ad campaign I worked on for a large financial institution in 2007.  The client wanted a wholesome, family-friendly look to all their ads and literature for savings, retirement, and health benefit options.  My regular portfolio is a lot edgier, showing off much of my rock and roll portraits and other bold images, so hopefully this mailer will be a good balance to that.  
Figuring out what images to send out can be so hard sometimes.  Some people say to send images of the stuff you love to shoot or only send your most personal work.  That way the client can get a feel for what you have inside… for what you are truly capable of doing.  Others say to send out images from recent assignments, so clients can see how well you do in the real world – since, that’s what really matters to them.  Some people mix the two together, and others say that a mixture will appear too scatter-shot and unfocused.  Ughhhh…  too many choices and way too many suggestions…  
Well, for now I am showing my edgy portfolio and following up with a more real world mailer.  We’ll see if this plan works.  I love the occasional big advertising shoots I’ve done and am hoping this helps me get more.
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No money from U2? Are you CRAZY?!?

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fa20090320a1.html  

I was shown this link and I’m not sure how to react.  Part of me respects the pure artist in this story, but part of me wonders just how smart of a business move this was?  
I have billed major labels up to $7500 for an album cover shoot in the past, and that wasn’t even for a disc like this – one that will surely go multi-platinum.  So, we are talking about a cover shot worth a minimum of $20k, if not $50k or more…  I’ve heard of artists spending up to $100k on artwork before, so who knows what could’ve been negotiated here?!?  
Now, if he doesn’t need the money… fine.  Or, if this is part of a bigger plan… fine.  But, this kind of pure art, not selling out thing is just too hard to do in the modern world.  I’m not saying you should completely sell your soul for a paycheck.  However, you do need to balance your artistic integrity with your need to feed and clothe yourself.
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The Cowboy Preacher

I had a request to see some of my rodeo and cowboy shots, so I thought I’d post this story I did for American Profile Magazine. It’s about a cowboy preacher that travels with a professional bull riding association and provides religious services to the riders and crew.
I thought it was something a little different from the “normal” cowboy story. Something with a bit of heart and soul to it. You can see that he spends his days guiding these men, praying for them, and helping them cope with the dangerous lifestyle they chose to live. It was such an interesting story to shoot…

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I’m tired…

I’m tired of reporting bad news in the newspaper industry, but here is more: 

I skipped linking a couple recent stories on failing or failed papers across the country, just because I didn’t want this blog to seem like a broken record.  However, The Globe would be a huge loss to the newspaper industry.  Losing it would be insane.  
I understand the whole idea of moving along with changing times and technology, but there is so much information I can find in the paper every day.  It would suck having to hunt it down on the internet, or at the very least, trying to nimbly navigate through a muddled newspaper website for good info.  
There’s just something about skimming the headlines of each section that seems easier in print.  Maybe because I’m old?!?  I’m tech-savvy.  I know a thing or two about this whole internet thing.  I just think the printed version still has some use…
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Are you employed?

I started flipping through the new issue of PDN while feeding the boys their lunch (I work from home most days, so I watch the three babies on the non-nanny days), and I noticed a little news note about unemployment.  On page ten, in the bottom corner, they mention that unemployment for photographers has grown to six percent, bringing it more inline with national unemployment figures.  

Of course, this doesn’t really take into account all the self-employed photogs that have taken a huge hit in business.  I bet many of us freelancers are having trouble making enough to pay bills at the moment (I’ve lucky worked on turning this sinking ship around and am now on the financial upswing – keep your fingers crossed that it continues).  When a couple publications close down or scale back their budgets, the freelancer losses probably aren’t tallied by the Bureau for Labor Statistics.  They weren’t technically fired, since they were never an employee.  
I bet the industry is hurting just a little more than those numbers can convey.  All the lost business for the self-employed equals a lot more people with trouble paying mortgages and car payments.
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A different kind of photo shoot…

So, this week’s issue of Quick features my cover photo of Jesse Jane.  She is an adult movie actress, apparently a very well-known adult movie actress.  It’s the first time I’ve ever photographed anyone like her before.  The shoot was very wholesome and fully clothed, so don’t go thinking I did something naughty here.  Anyway, it just goes to show that you can shoot some pretty interesting subjects from time to time…  

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Life…

I have a friend who is working at the new Life website.  It’s based off the old Life magazine that generations of Americans were used to reading.  Right now they have a great set of never-before-seen pictures from the day MLK was assassinated.  You should check it out.

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Great kid pics!!!

I ran across this article, originally from Professional Photographer Magazine, while I was cruising through the Mamiya blog:  

There are some pretty nice portraits in there, well worth checking out… especially if you photograph children.  Speaking of kid photos, I should have the re-launch of my family and wedding website done soon.  Though I don’t plan to do portraits and weddings full-time (rock and roll is still number one!), I will be taking limited engagements.  I have too many people ask me about it, so I thought an official website would be a good way to go.  I’ll keep you posted.
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Sharing some recent work…

I thought I’d give you a peek at a recent photo shoot I did.  I’m starting to do a lot more corporate work.  I’m still doing a ton of bands, but the corporate world gives me a chance to diversify a bit.  In case it isn’t clear from the photos, he’s a lawyer (and a real nice guy).  It’s strange, because I’ve photographed more lawyers this year than I probably have my entire career…