October 29th, 2009
CNN posted an article today entitled “15 Stressful Jobs That Pay Badly.” Number 8 on the list? Commercial photographer.
They fail to explain in any detail what makes it so stressful, and offer an anecdotal story about a photographer who found herself dangling off of a catwalk under a New York bridge to get the right shot. I see those moments as stress relief, rather than stress-inducing.
They also failed to mention the inherent stress that comes with being a freelance professional. The running joke is that we, as photographers, wake up every morning unemployed, and have to always be seeking the next job, following up on leads, showing our books, etc. Most commercial photographers are a one-person business, having to deal with marketing, accounting, and production ourselves. So when business is handled for the week and the shoot’s been organized (or orchestrated), there is nothing more relaxing than when we finally get to pick up the camera, contort our bodies into goofy positions or dangle from a bridge and just make the images.
October 28th, 2009
I spent some time in downtown Philadelphia yesterday, just walking around. The lady-friend had never been, so we went on an abbreviated tour of the city. Of course, no tour would be complete without a trip to city hall and a ride to the top of the clock tower to catch the view.
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October 24th, 2009
Had the pleasure of hanging out with New York Photographer, Matt Hoyle at his home/studio in the West Village the other night. We had some great salmon teriyaki and talked about his upcoming project, Barnumville, which is sure to be quite the experience. This photo was taken from his private rooftop. I’m not sure how he gets anything done at all with a beautiful distraction like that.
October 7th, 2009
Irving Penn died today, leaving behind a huge legacy. His work has served as inspiration for just about any photographer you can name, and for as digital as the internet may be, you can feel an overwhelming sense of longing in the numerous articles that have come out about his life and death.
He is known mainly for his long career with Vogue magazine and the reinvention of fashion photography, but the natural simplicity with which he portrayed his subjects, famous or frozen, gained him respect from viewers and the photo community alike.
We’ll miss you, Mr. Penn.
Via Joe Martinez and The New York Times.
October 1st, 2009
From left to right: Mamiya 645, Speed Graphic 4x5, Rolleiflex, Chinon 213P XL
So I’ve acquired some new toys recently. I had a birthday back in August, and my family gave me a complete Rolleiflex TRL set up, complete with filters, flash, pistol-grip, and light meter. It even came with a bunch of old sales literature and vintage instructional books, which is pretty sweet.
On top of that, a good friend of mine, Erick Montes just got hired at The Decoder Ring in Austin, Texas. Deciding to get rid of a bunch of old stuff before moving, he gave me a box full of his old camera gear, which included a Mamiya 645 Pro TL, a Graflex Speed Graphic 4×5 camera, and a nifty little Chinon 213P XL Super 8 movie camera. All of it came with some accessories like film holders and extra backs and filters and such. Thanks to Erick for giving me a going away present, and good luck in Austin!
