Slow time

Well, it's almost Christmas, and that usually means things are slowing down in commercial photography for at least a little bit. I wanted to take a second to talk about some things that can help during the slow times and how to stay busy.

Most photographers go through ebbs and flows of work, and I would say it's more about how you handle the ebbs then the flow. Not only that, but it's important to remember that after a really busy period you will probably have at least a few days without work. Here are some thoughts on how to handle it and some things to remember.

1.  It's not a vacation. Yes you should take vacation sometimes, but it should be something you schedule not something that happens to you. My first thought is to treat photography just like any other job, you go every day no matter what. Most bosses would agree that there is ALWAYS something to do if you look, and you are your own boss, so you can figure it out.

2. Start making contacts. PICK UP THE PHONE. When was the last time you called someone and set up a meeting? Our industry is a very large one, full of really cool people that can help you in your journey.  Do some research, find some new people to meet, and get out there! A few good places to look would be Linked In and Agency Access. I am sure there are more, but that's what I use the most.

3. Take a creative day. This is very different from a vacation. My last creative day consisted of me sitting in a coffee shop looking at websites and re-writing my business plan and direction. I'll also walk around department stores and look at images to get inspiration or go walk around the city. Do what inspires you, and do something different than you do every day, this is a day to break the mold and step outside.

4. Personal Projects. I have so many personal project ideas that I can't actually keep up, which is great because that means we are really busy! But as soon as I see a lull in the schedule I book a personal project, this will help keep you sharp and growing as a photographer. Over the holidays my team and I are shooting over 10 personal projects and I am completely revamping the web page. We work on new lighting, find new subjects and make new contacts, all at the same time! If you are lacking inspiration then look at what other photographers are doing and try to copy it, I guarantee it won't look the same and you will learn something in the process.

5. LEARN! Photography is always evolving, and you should be too. There are incredible, not to mention free, resources out there now that can help you grow exponentially. Even just watching short videos that show behind the scenes lighting can be so helpful.

To finish this blog I am going to post some videos that I have found really helpful so you can watch them and maybe be inspired by them as well. As a side note, if you enjoy stuff like this I tend to post the videos I find on Twitter, so follow me there if you're interested :)

This is just a few to get your juices flowing...go out and find more, would love to see them! Until next time...be awesome!

3 Things

When I first started photography I wasn't good...and I think that's the case with a lot of people.  However, there were a few things that really launched me in a different direction and I wanted to share those with you.

1. Shoot in RAW

If you're just getting started in photography you probably don't even know what I'm talking about, and no, it's not a vegan diet. RAW is a file format that your camera puts out instead of a JPEG. You can usually do both, but I would recommend getting used to just shooting RAW. If you aren't shooting in RAW now I would encourage you to learn not only what it is, but also how to work with them. In a nutshell RAW images contain a MASSIVE amount of information that JPEGS throw away, and it enables you to make larger changes later on.

I remember when my good friend Zak took me out to shoot about 7 years ago and he asked me if I shot in RAW, I looked at him like he was speaking a different language. It was on that day that I switched over and then learned what the heck he was talking about, it was the beginning of the journey for me.

2. Start Learning Lighting

It all started with a reflector. I think it was about 6 years or so ago that I bought my first reflector, and I was blown away! I thought most certainly that my images would be on the cover of Vogue any day (not even close!). Once I started getting more serious I bought an off-camera flash and have now used most lights on the market, from Profoto to Elinchrom and Broncolor to Alien Bees. I think lighting and use of lighting is one of the main things that separates the pro's from the amateurs. So start with a reflector, learn how to use it, and then the skies the limit!

3. Learn How to Edit Your Images

I use Photoshop, a lot. In fact I have even retouched for massive companies like Ariat, Tazo, Coca-Cola and more because I like it so much. Obviously you don't need to become a retoucher to edit your own photos, but I think a lot of people skip this step because cameras are digital now. If you are thinking about becoming a professional photographer you need to at least know the basics of editing photos, just like you would need to have known the basics of how to use a dark room back in the day.

If you're looking at all these things and feeling a little overwhelmed, there are lots of great resources to get you started. Places like Lynda.com, Phlearn.com, and Kelbyone.com are just a few that I've seen that offer great tutorials on everything from using your camera, lighting and handling files. I learned most of the foundations from Lynda.com, then I mixed that with school, a lot of terrible photos, books, and internships, that is how I became what I am today.

Finally I wanted to say this; when you're new it's ok to suck, but in order to grow past that you'll need to invest time to keep growing...then one day it will all click, and you'll get it! So check out this video for inspiration and then go be awesome!

I think it was in the time of spring 2012, when I came across David Shiyang Liu's lovely piece of work about Ira Glass. It was the most inspiring and motivating video I had ever seen in my life. I watched it over and over again, listened to Ira Glass' voice, and told myself, that I am not the only person who is constantly disappointed about the gap between one's taste and one's skills. Later in 2012, I decided to do my own filmed version of Ira's interview - using my own language to tell his message. It took me about a year from concept to upload. I made it for myself and for anybody who is in doubt about his/her creative career. I also think that Ira Glass' message isn't only limited to the creative industry. It can be applied to everyone who starts out in a new environment and is willing to improve. THANK YOU Ira Glass, whom I've never met in real life, but who had such a big influence on my development. Thank you for telling beginners what nobody else does. David Shiyang Liu for the video that inspired me to start the project. You all should watch his awesome kineticTypo-version here: http://vimeo.com/24715531 The people from current.tv who originally recorded the interview with Ira Glass. See the relevant part here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI23U7U2aUY The people from Magic Lantern who gave DSLR videography a new dimension (I chose this project to be a test run with the RAW plugin)! Steven Sasseville for painting the "taste" painting for me. Pedro Sousa for his advice and working his ass off at the "creative work" chalkboard. Wolfgang Kraus for letting me borrow his sound equipment. Kai Löhnert for working out on his birthday in the "fight" take. Wolfgang Hendrik Schnabel for giving me the museum-like atmosphere and his silhouette in the painting takes. Hermiyas Ötztürk for his hairy "good enough" hand. Orange Hive Studio for light equipment and location. Mima and Heinz Sax-Schmitz for the location of the "ambitions" take and finding me the "finish 1 story" typewriter. Joyce Chen (https://vimeo.com/clownmori), Soufiane Mabrouki (http://vimeo.com/user21466567), Damien Tsenkoff (https://www.behance.net/damtsnkff), Nikita Samutin (www.baselinedesign.ru) and Andrej Mikula (http://amara.org/en/profiles/profile/65015/) for taking the time and patience to create Chinese, Arabic, French, Russian and Slovak subtitles and dissolving language barriers to make even more people understand Ira's words. A SPECIAL THANK YOU Solveig Gold for being the most patient and supporting person in my life. She appears in a lot of scenes in this video. Jutta and Uwe Sax for several pieces of equipment and their support.

BTS Video

I was recently on set with the gentlemen, a very loose usage of the term :), from Sean Hagwell Studios and Contrast Creative, I thought you all might enjoy a behind the scenes look at what we do!

I shot this whole video on a D7000 and edited it in Premier...just in case you were wondering :) Also, the music is by one of my favorite artists, Odesza, You can find more of their music at www.odesza.com