Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Why I stay away from photography "News sites"

I love photography.  I've been a professional photographer since taking my first assignment in the year 2000.  It was a small magazine assignment that basically had me follow a couple around photographing their first date.  I was so proud of my three photographs that appeared in this national magazine(which no longer exist), I put one of the tearsheets up as a trophy in my apartment.  Although the majority of my work has been for private clients, since then, you name it...I pretty much shot it.  Or some variation of, at least.  I'm fairly proud of the list of clients I'm able to say I have worked with.

Through my career development, something has always kind of irked me, however, and I noticed it again today, just like I did 20 years ago when I was dreaming of being a professional photographer.  Go to your local bookstore(or google) and look up any of the major photography magazines.  I did this little experiment just now.  The first 8-10 articles are all products we need to buy.  All new lenses, new software, new bodies, lights, this, that, or the other.  Pepper in an article on a technique, then back to products.

This is the problem.

And its our fault.

We've allowed the manufacturers of the products we use to convince a good portion of the public that quality cameras replace quality artist, to the point that even our periodicals and news sources have become nothing more than long advertisements.

Look, I get it...we work in an industry where our instruments are important, and as such, should be given a degree of priority in our professional discussions.  However, the technical aspects do not outweigh the business aspects.  In today's day and age, our industry is so much more about relationships than it is about a damn lens or piece of lighting equipment.  Yet none of that is given thought.

I'm curious to know how you all feel about this.  What would you like to see more of in our industry?

Sunday, February 5, 2017

Fog

I've always loved the fog.  It was really foggy the other day...I took the camera out.  Enjoy!