PHOTO ANTHEMS BLOG

13 August 2013

The Evolving Photographer

"It's evolve or die, really, you have to evolve, you have to move on otherwise it just becomes stagnant."

~ Craig Charles

None of us can remain stagnant in any of the different professions we work in. It used to be that you could work the same job or within the same company, at least until you were ready to retire and then the employer would take care of you throughout your golden years. That paradigm concluded when the industrial age gave way to the information age and the information age has been getting exponentially faster at an ever accelerating rate. I would wager that Moore's Law has even been halved, as well.

This has never been more true than in the photography trade. The former barriers to entry of the high price of gear and years of apprenticeship have given way to cheaper cameras and a flood of entrants that prefer full auto to learning the trade. Technology has not only leveled the playing field, but dropped it below sea level behind a dam that has cracks.

So what do we do now, fellow photographers? We change, that's what. We don't acquiesce to clients like the photogs who panic and start giving away their work for free. We don't abandon the print in favor of handing over Hi-Res images. But we do change. And that starts with CREATIVITY! Creativity brings back the craftsmanship to photography that we've dearly lost. This is no different of a time than when Polaroid came out with instant film. There was the same level of ire from "true" photogs towards instant film. It was the same with disposable cameras. Well, this is the digital age and its no different. Our clients and the general public are looking for the next evolution in the digital realm to see what we come up with next and its already happening when you look at the inspiring work of Benjamin Wong or Chase Jarvis.

So how do you begin to make that next evolutionary step? You keep learning and stay open-minded. I learn from different sources, one of which are podcasts. Chances are, whenever I'm driving, I've got my earbuds in listening to TWIP (This Week in Photography), hosted by Frederick Van Johnson. Let me just focus on him for a second. Frederick Van Johnson is the owner of MediaBytes, a marketing and consulting firm and he hosts a varying panel of photographers and photo experts who discuss photography news and photo topics of interests. Lately, he has given a lot of focus to the Mirrorless genre, such as his latest episode, "Reflecting on Mirrorless". I've listened to it FIVE times now and I have to say, it's been very timely for me and here's why.

"What's dangerous is not to evolve."

~ Jeff Bezos

For myself, it began last Summer with my switch from Canon to Nikon. I used to carry two large camera bodies and just about every L-Series lens out there. But after switching to Nikon AND reorganizing my business more towards travel work, I felt the need to carry less gear. The Nikon D800E solved my needs for high resolution for fine art, but I could not invest in a second body at the time because I could not find a suitable complement from Nikon for my D800E. Today, the closest is the new D7100. I feel like I would love that camera, but I am still hesitant.

My real interest has been with the Sony RX-1r, the only compact full-frame camera on the market, which also has eliminated the anti-alias filter over the sensor like my D800E. Ideally, the Leica M Type 240 mated with a Summicron-M 35mm f/2 lens would be my choice, but I can't see shelling out $11K on that just yet. And the more I think about it, the Sony NEX-6 would also serve me well in the field. Both of those platforms have some features yet to be included that would make my choices more concrete. However if not for my need for the high resolution, I could potentially travel with just the Sony systems.

So I have to change! I can't hold onto the idea of big DSLRs and heavy lenses. I'm not getting rid of my Nikon, but it will share time with Sony very soon, (and the Leica if God truly decides to bless me!) And I've got to step up my work. I've got to offer more. I've got to give my client something they haven't seen. Is this hard? Yes and no. I've already subscribed to the fact that my services are not for everyone. If you hire me, its because you want MY talents and are comfortable with my fees. Price-conscious clientele are probably not going to be as cool with me and I understand that. My creativity comes at a premium and I am not afraid to recognize that or ask for the sale. So as long as you know your market, you can stop wasting time outside of it.

So what about you? What are you doing to differentiate, evolve, and become more creative? That question needs to be answered every morning you get up. I know because I face it every day and do not always like to answer that question. But face it I must. Move on to the next gig and focus on the goals at hand.

Here is a Von Wong installment for your enjoyment:

29 July 2013

The Disappointment of a Failed Proposal

“A large-boned unexceptional young woman. Yet as soon as she disrobed and took her place on the platform, she became not only a bare body but a splendid living design. She became a nude.”

~Maureen Mullarkey

Off the Cliff Edge, Black Canyon, CO
©2006 Terrell Neasley

You know that feeling you get when you stump your little toe and there are other people around? The pain is excruciating as hell, but somehow you are able to stifle the outburst that is welling up like a volcano in your throat so as not to startle or frighten those around you. Funny thing is, those same people will often know exactly what you are going through and the second they see you, they experience a sort of phantom pain in their own toe. You see their faces wince as YOU try to keep a straight face.

Well, that's what I experience when I got a letter in the mail last week from a client who gave me the final verdict on a proposal for a project that was going to net me between $6 and $8 Grand over 2 months of shooting. This project has been in the works for close to 3 months, which was started back in April. Now normally, I don't discuss or show pics of my client work so much. And I'm not going into detail here but suffice to say it was more of the REASON I lost the gig, more than anything. I got the "we regret to inform you" letter and took it in stride, but it was hard to let go without calling the client and making sure I didn't miss something.

"If we will be quiet and ready enough, we shall find compensation in every disappointment."

~ Henry David Thoreau

The "why" was because of my nudes. And yes, my nude work was brought up in the beginning. It was known about throughout the entire negotiation, the planning, and narrowing down of the scope of work and all parties involved. But just as the trigger was about to be pulled to green-light the project, it was the wife of one of the decision-makers who called a halt to everything. Apparently, as she revealed to her husband, my nudes did not set the right precedence the company needed to uphold. I countered with the fact that I did not hide my artwork and many photogs shoot nudes, but the simple reason that I do it and do it so often disqualified me from the association I desired. So this was not an executive decision, but rather the (non-employee) WIFE of an executive who made the call for him. And chances are, they'll take my idea and pay another photographer to help them realize the concept I had them so excited about.

Yeah, it stinks. Am I over it...no. But understand this. My nudes are mine. I'm not halting or altering my process. I shoot the nude and will continue to shoot the nude as often as I can shoot and edit and find some time to eat and sleep in between. Am I crazy? Probably so. That's never been a debated case. So as maddening as this is, I have to understand and respect it. I've always held that not everybody will be able to appreciate what I do for one reason or another. Some have a moral issue with it. Some have a religious problem with nudes. Others see it as pornography, plain and simple. Regardless, I still respect their values and opinions. The only difference in this case is that I had every indication to believe we were moving forward and there was a lot of money involved. I feel like falling on the floor and throwing a temper tantrum like my grand-daughter might. But the reality is I have to keep with my respect of other people's tolerances and move on. Its a failed quest. Next challenge, accepted.

16 July 2013

Riding on Top of the Wave

"There is a certain relief in change, even though it be from bad to worse! As I have often found in travelling in a stagecoach, that it is often a comfort to shift one's position, and be bruised in a new place."

~Washington Irving

There is a lot of stuff going on in this business of photography. I can spend the rest of the month in constant discussions without taking a rest and still never touch on half the issues. This is definitely an interesting time in photography...a new paradigm shift, possible devaluation of the services, and trends that will, in all likelihood change how we capture and manipulate light. There is enough to make you wonder whether or not you even want to venture into this thing. You may even contemplate what gear you decide to purchase, and the brand or format. As with all times of change, transition is a definite challenge. My goal is to ride it out like a surfer on a wave. In which case, it is highly important to be on top of said wave, as opposed to being under it!

Art Model, Christina
©2013 Terrell Neasley

What do I mean with all this? Lets look at a couple of points. If you've been reading my blog lately, I've touched on problems for the pro photographer. Look at the news and you can see the Chicago Sun Times firing its entire photo staff. You can read about copyright infringements for photographers in record numbers. There is an increasing expectation of free/cheap services from photographers. Many wedding planners will spend big on food, flowers, the dress, and the venue, but when it comes to the photography, they look for the deal or find the cheapest person holding a camera they can. Let their house catch fire and the first thing they grab is the photo albums. I've been in situations where I've watched a client pay huge sums for everything else to cater an event, then call me and ask me to photograph it for credit and exposure. There is not one event or situation I have worked where the "exposure" ended up as a future gig that made me money. And until they start taking photo credits in lieu of cash for my rent, I'll continue to charge my regular fees, thank you very much.

What about the future of DSLRs? Are these big cameras gonna last? Are they still necessary? I'm predicting that within 2 years, a major camera manufacture will introduce a mirrorless full-frame DSLR. I think its inevitable. Some include the almost 3 times crop sensor like the Nikon 1 system, the 2 time crop Micro Four/Thirds format like the Olympus OM-D, or my fave, the Sony NEX system, particularly the NEX-6 with the APS-C sensor found in DSLRs. Canon is still trying to find its way into the mirrorless market. Some of these gimmicky features like built-in wireless/GPS may be handy for some, but not the masses. But mirrorless technology? Yes, this is coming to a DSLR real soon. Big and clunky will be a thing of the past and that's okay.

Times are a-changing. I'm not stopping my photography, so I want to be on top of this wave, hanging ten. I can even tell my own tendencies have adjusted. With travel becoming more and more important to me, weight is of a major concern. I want smaller gear. While I'm still partial to my Nikon D800E for fine art, I don't really want a DSLR second body like I used to have when I shot Canon, along with almost every L-series lens out there. There's not another full-frame to complement my 800e (that I like) and I don't want to duplicate that platform. The D7100 may be close, but I still prefer full-frame. Depending on the money, I think I'd opt for the Sony RX-1R (for $3000) when becomes available, as my second body.

"It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory."

~W. Edwards Deming

What I would really like is the Leica M Type 240. Now we're talking about a SYSTEM here. Check out this review. If you don't read all of it, skip to the end. Spoiler: He buys the camera! The Leica is the Mercedes of 35mm format of cameras. Its a rangefinder and is definitely not cheap at just under $8 grand. I would love to travel with just a rangefinder and a single lens, probably the 35mm prime lens. That set up would put me $11,000 in the hole. I can do a lot of traveling on $11,000, or actually $7,000 (the difference between the Sony and the Leica). The thing is that, I just feel like I need to be a Leica owner. There are just some things you need to do at some point in your life. If you haven't done it yet, I think its a must to fly first class on a good airline. I always thought it was trivial. I mean, everybody gets there at the same time, right?

Under the Super-moon,
Art Models Christina, Emma, Emily, Alethea
©2013 Terrell Neasley

No. First Class is the shit. Even if you only experience it once, you need to do it. In addition to that, get behind the wheel of a luxury car on an extended trip...not just a test drive. Whatever you have to do, make that happen. You'll never look at cars the same after that. And in the same light...I think I need to be a Leica owner. You don't have to own the plane you are flying First Class in, nor the Mercedes for your road trip. The same cannot be said of this Leica M Type 240. Renting it would not be the same. You must own it.

I'm certain there is still room on top of this wave, but as any surfer will tell you, you're going to have to practice, get to know your way around a board, and understand the water. In photography, understand the light. Get to know your way around the new technologies. And practice, practice, practice.

11 July 2013

Eleven Ways to Reduce Camera Shake

"A lot of photographers think that if they buy a better camera they’ll be able to take better photographs. A better camera won’t do a thing for you if you don’t have anything in your head or in your heart."

~ Arnold Newman

How many times have you had to throw away a shot because of instability or camera shake. I just picked up the Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 with Vibration Control. Tamron is the only lens manufacturer that makes a stabilized 24-70mm f/2.8 lens (surprisingly) and its significantly cheaper than both Canon's or Nikon's. As for this post, I'm not getting into who's got the better lens. This one is on methods to reduce camera shake and options to stabilizing your camera. I'm having to assume you understand terms such as stops, f/stop, aperture, and so forth. You may have to Google some of them if you aren't familiar with the terms of ask me in the comment section. So here we go. Eleven methods to reduce camera shake:

1. Fast Glass - Usually we're talking a lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 or wider, such as an f/2, f/1.4, etc. Remember, the smaller the number, the wider the aperture. A wider aperture lets in more light, which allows for a faster shutter speed.

2. IS, VR, VC - Image Stabilization (Canon), Vibration Reduction (Nikon), Vibration Control (Tamron). These are additional features that some lenses have that allow more steadiness, especially when you are hand-holding the camera. Most of the lenses with this capability will claim 3 or 4 addition stops of control using an internal mechanism that compensates for lens movement and shake.

3. High Shutter Speeds - This may sound obvious, but nonetheless its the main thing that allows you to get a sharp image when photographing a moving object. Movement has to do with time and the shutter controls time. A shutter speed of 1/60th or faster will usually allow you to hand-hold your camera to shoot a slow moving subject. If you are trying to freeze the action of a passing car, you'll need to be at 1/250 or better. Try freezing the action of a baseball as it comes off a bat and you better be at 1/500th or better.

4. High ISO - ISO regulates the sensitivity of the sensor to light. High ISOs means you are increasing the sensor's sensitivity to light so it takes less light to get the same shot. This is going to depend on the quality of your camera. If you have a Canon 40D, you'll max out at ISO 1600 before the image starts to look grainy. However, if you're shooting a Canon 5D Mark III, you can go upwards of ISO 12,800 with ease. That's a 3-stop improvement. Shoot the lowest ISO you can get away with, as a general rule, but make sure you get the shot.

5. Use a Tripod - This is the easiest way to stabilize your camera. You simply take it out of your hands and put it on a tripod. Just don't go cheap. I'll talk bad about you if you spend $2000 on a camera and put it on $60 sticks. Expect to fork over $200 on a good set of legs and decent ball head, but there are definitely deals to be found. I personally like carbon fiber tripods and use this Manfrotto as my main tripod.

6. Flash - Shutter speeds get slow because there is not enough light coming hitting the sensor. Flash fixes this by flooding the scene with light thereby allowing a faster shutter speed. You can have flash guns (speedlights), or mono-lights on light stands. Your camera will usually sync up to 1/250th of a second with flash, but if you need to go faster, the latest flashes will have some sort of high-speed sync feature built in. I use Nikon SB-700's and Paul C. Buff Einsteins.

"I never have taken a picture I’ve intended. They’re always better or worse."

~ Diane Arbus

7. Rear Curtain Sync Flash - Wait...what?? Its called rear-curtain sync which is another feature on many flash guns. You're basically telling the flash to fire just as the rear-curtain (or second curtain) of the shutter begins to close. In the normal mode, flashes fire as soon as the shutter opens. The problem is that on longer exposures, that freezes the image initially, but since the shutter doesn't close right away, movement is still being captured on top of that frozen image. With rear-curtain sync, the flash fires right before the shutter closes, so the frozen part of the image is on top of the movement.

8. Cable Release - Or Remote Shutter. This keeps you from having to touch the camera at all. When you REALLY need a steady shot, even hitting the shutter release button can cause camera shake and make you miss that clean shot.

9. Mirror Lock-up - Okay so you have a cable release. If you're doing some night time photography with pin-point stars in the skyline, you can still get camera shake simply via the camera's normal operating mechanisms, specifically the mirror raising and lowering. Mirror lock-up makes you have to hit the shutter button, (or cable release button) twice. One to raise the mirror and lock it in the open position, and then again to actually open the shutter and take the picture. The mirror comes down again after the shutter closes and the operating cycle ends. This is a menu function on most digital cameras.

10. Intentionally Underexpose - This is very interesting and goes against most rules. Its often frowned upon to say, "I'll fix it in post". But essentially, that's exactly what you want to do here. If you're sitting on a shutter speed of 1/30 and you need at least 1/125th of a shutter to stop the action, you're talking about a 2-stop difference. I'll take that. By manually going to 1/125th, you are cutting the light and underexposing the image, but the action is frozen. Okay, if you're shooting RAW...no problem. You can increase that exposure those two stops again in Adobe Camera RAW or Lightroom. The important thing is to get the shot, so if it takes fixing it in post, then so be it!

11. Photoshop CC Camera Shake Reduction Feature - And finally, speaking of fixing it in post...this is exactly that. The latest version of Photoshop, Photoshop CC (Creative Cloud) has a feature that does an excellent job on camera shake compensating. Whatever algorithm this thing runs to make a determination on how the image should look is phenomenal. It doesn't perform near as well with an image that is simply out of focus, though. So if you're manually focusing or if the camera auto-focuses on a point other than the spot you intended, its not going to fix that so well. But if you have good focus, but simply can't be still, its got your back. So movement issues...yes. Focus issues...not so much.

08 July 2013

What I Wish Photographers Would Do, Part 3

Alright. Here we are at the last and final part of this series, "What I Wish Photographers Would Do." And this third part is probably the one that means the most, benefits you the greatest, and cultivates the photography trade in the best manner possible. So as a matter of much import, this last part should most likely have been brought up first. However, in the natural order of things, it has to come last. Now where are we? Number 1...Stop giving away work. Number 2... Study your trade. With the first point, I'm trying to get you to respect yourself and this business. We already make it seem too easy with our clients. There's no reason to validate that notion. And with the second point, I want to illustrate how important it is to grow your skill set and improve your ability to get a shot in any situation. So what's the third part?

Part 3: GIVE BACK!

Now this third part comes last in the natural order of things because it operates under one primary assumption: That you have been successful at the first two parts and now HAVE something to give back. Let me elaborate on this a bit further. If you haven't studied your trade and you continue to give away your money in the form of cheap services and hi-res images, THEN YOU CAN'T HELP THE NEXT GUY COMING UP!! Giving back is simple. You take the knowledge that you have learned and you help that new batch of aspiring photographers learn a thing or two about the trade. THAT'S giving back.

Or how about this. Volunteer! "Wait...volunteer? Didn't you JUST say quit giving away your work?" Yes. Yes, I did. And I mean that shit. Volunteering is something entirely different. A portion of your work and time can still be donated to a worthy cause. The brand new couple who just became parents that spend $5,000 dollars on a new crib and $20K remodeling the room for Jr, but balk at paying you $500 for good family pics is NOT a worthy cause. That's business. However, if this same family, who has just spent all this money, is devastated because they suddenly find out Jr. has a terminal birth defect...Well, if you volunteer to do remembrance photography for them...THAT'S a worthy cause. I don't care how much money they make. Losing a kid hurts the same across the economic scale.

I've talked about the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation on this blog before. Everything I do is at my own expense. Every family gets my best work as if they are paying me top dollar...but for free. It serves my community, it serves my trade, but it also serves my own heart. Give back. When the young man or woman admires your work, honors you with praise, and then asks for some advice, guidance, and suggestions on how they may also achieve, take a second to light that path. Chances are, you didn't get there on your own. Somebody helped you learn the ropes. Pay if forward. Give back. But I know... everybody can't do NILMDTS. I get it. If you can, great. If not, find your thing. My good buddy Scott Roeben is a complete NATURAL at shooting kids. I mean... A NATURAL. He, and several other friends shoot Joy Prom every year. That's his thing. I can't say its my gift. But we each do our thing and GIVE BACK!

How else can you give back? Find a worthy cause...check. Teach a new photog...check. How about donate some time, prints, or gear to an auction raising money to beautify your community, fight cancer, or help out the homeless. Okay, you're right. That still sounds like just another worthy cause. Okay. How about this then: Every 7th paid gig you do, offer to do an under-privileged family for free. There's no cause to it. Its just an altruistic gesture for somebody that wasn't even expecting it in the first place. Somebody who normally could not afford you gets your full and undivided attention as if they were one of your top-billed clients. How about that? What else? I don't know...YOU BE CREATIVE! Come up with some of your own ideas. I don't care. I just wish more photographers were giving back. Give back. It does your heart well.

07 July 2013

What I Wish Photographers Would Do, Part 2

"What makes photography a strange invention is that its primary raw materials are light and time."

~John Berger

Everything I write here for this 3-part series of posts are actually for the purposes of self-preservation. I'm not in any way saying photography is dying, but let me be clear, it is definitely sick. As I've stated earlier, a third of the blame lies with knuckle-heads in the business. So yes, self-preservation is my goal here, but its always been my nature to help, teach, protect, and edify. Understand me. I love this thing of light capture and pixel punishing. Its my thing. Passionate is too light of an adjective to ascribe to my thing for photography and I don't like seeing it sick. So let me get started on the second part of this series.

Part 2: STUDY YOUR TRADE

Like anything you undertake that is worthwhile, planning, research, and ongoing study is imperative if you wish to be better and achieve some reasonable degree of success. Far to often, I run across a photog doing paid work, who has no idea of how to operate their camera out of the "scene" modes, know the relationship of aperture to depth of field, use flash off camera, work with radio triggers, understand when to use ND filters, do post-work in Photoshop, use a lens other than the 18-55 or 18-135 kit lens their camera came with, ever use Bulb mode, or do anything else that might be evident that they take photo seriously. Okay, so you know the alphabet in order. Now identify the f/stops in order of widest to the smallest you can recall.

I'm not picking on anybody...well, okay. Yes I am, but for good reason. If you are not training yourself to get better, eventually you get yourself caught in a situation that you can't account for and thereby fail to deliver on promises you made. In addition, how can you place any value on your services when you do nothing to justify your worth. Spending big money on a good camera gives you no more right to call yourself a photographer than someone who buys an expensive hammer and calls themselves a carpenter. Knowledge and skill must wield the tool.

Art Model, Christina
©2013 Terrell Neasley

“I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers.”

~Mahatma Gandhi

I'm not saying anyone has to go spend 4 years in school and get a degree in photography. Not at all. But you still have to read. There is too much information online, much of it free in the form of tutorials and articles that can bring you up to speed and help you grow in your trade. Much of it is scattered all over the internet, but there are also central areas of creditable knowledge that can steer you on the straight and narrow. Lynda.com is a powerful source of info on just about anything for creatives. Plearn.com is one that I'm becoming familiar with. Take a look at my iPhone and you will see several subscriptions to photo-related podcasts that keep me abreast of the latest in photo news, issues, techniques, opinions, and more. Two that I am religious about are TWIP, with Frederick Van Johnson and PhotoFocus run by Richard Harrington and Scott Borne (located here in Vegas!). Chances are, if you see me on the road, I've got my ear-buds in listing to a podcast of some sort.

But wait, there's more. Do you subscribe to any magazines? Why not? Rangefinder Magazine, by the Neilson Photo Group (who runs WPPI) even has a paper version for free! My daughter first told me that. They do a State of the Industry report on the photography business in general every year. How about joining PPA? There are all kinds of benefits and networking opportunities there? Join a local photo club or meetup group lately? You have the benefit of learning from each other in those things. Does your city have a local camera store? Mine does. B&C Camera. You can go in and see the new gear that's just released and ask questions from a sales staff who are actual photographers. There are pros that come there on Saturdays to hang out and answer questions for you. Why? Because they love this thing. You can't do that with online stores. And try it at Best Buy and chances are, you'll be talking to a kid who can read the information off the card for you. Every use a Tilt-Shift lens? Wanna see what you could do with a fast telephoto lens? Spend a few dollars and rent one. I recently read an article about the Nikon 200mm f/2 as being the best for portraits. So I tried it out. Now I know that the Canon 85mm f/1.2 is still the best to me, but the Nikon 200mm comes in a close second for its sharpness and quick auto focus. I got to experience it and know for myself and that's powerful. Don't be too tight to rent some gear. Sacrifice some Starbucks and McD's. Its worth it.

All I'm saying is this. It cheapens photography when people get into it to make a buck, but don't want to put in the study or the work. It devalues the trade when you don't do it right. We all help ourselves when we treat the trade with respect. Practices that benefit you for the moment, but kills you and everybody else in the long run is just stupid. I don't care how many people buy cameras and join the club. I'll even help you do it as best I can. But I'm going to hold it against you if you are hollow, cheap and irresponsible with my love. Be respectful.

05 July 2013

What I Wish Photographers Would Do, Part 1

More and more people are wanting to get into photography these days. Why? Because its much easier. A lot of the hard and challenging aspects of photo have been eliminated by cameras that do more for you in the automatic modes. Does this make it tougher to earn a living in photo? Yes and No. Photography, as we know it, is definitely under attack. With the Chicago Sun Times firing its complete photography department, you can already see the credits starting to roll on photojournalists. A few months before this, Yahoo! CEO, Marissa Mayer makes a statement claiming "there's no such thing as a pro photographer".

I'll talk more on this a little later. The state of the business has got my blood boiling a bit and a third of the fault (if not more) falls at the feet of photographers. Again, more on this later. For now, I would like to see more and expect more from photographers. So I've compiled a short list of what I would like to see more photographers doing, whether they are in business or not.

Art Model/Painter, Emily
©2013 Terrell Neasley

Part 1. STOP GIVING AWAY WORK.

Let me clarify this a bit. I don't mind free work. Two things, however that make me go batty is CHEAP work, and HI-RES give-aways. I would honestly rather do something for free and donate my time rather than go cheap. Cheap work devalues the trade and thins the blood of the business. This is the absolute Number ONE harm and threat to the business. If a client wants cheap, they can go the Wal-Mart studios. If you are doing it and charging $50 or $100...for anything, you need to have your head examined. If your work and your time can only demand that sort of value, get the hell out of the business until you are better. And getting better is easy. Don't fear that or get intimidated by your camera. Don't become a "natural light" photographer just because you don't understand flash or monolights. There are too many tools and free techniques out there for you to learn on, IF you really want to learn.

"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value."

~Thomas Paine

Why are photogs doing work on the cheap? For a couple reasons. For one, many don't know any better. These photogs are not confident enough to put a real value on their work and don't know what the going rates are anyway. So they throw out a small figure to a client...usually a friend or relative whom they don't want to offend with a price that's "too high". Then you have those photogs who know better, but become desperate for the business and will low-ball another peer or succumb to pressure from a client who threatens to walk in favor of a cheaper photographer. I gotta say, sometimes you have to let people walk. Price conscious clients are going to take advantage of this as best they can, and what shouldn't they if we choose to let them?

The second part of that is the handing over of Hi-Res images. What I mean by this is doing the photos and then handing your client digital images that they can go print on their own. That's your money and your work that's just hemorrhaging out of your wallet. I've heard the argument that its what clients demand. Well, for one they wouldn't be demanding it if photographers all over weren't giving them away en masse. Its not different from back in the day.

Photogs didn't hand over negatives without triple the pay, at least. On top of that, I know of a photog that debated this point ad nauseum, UNTIL a client used said Hi-Res images to RE-EDIT them in a really crappy manner, yet still leaving the photog's watermark on them, and plaster them all over Facebook. I don't know about you, but I own the copyrights to all my images and control the quality of my work and prints. Only ONE group of people get my Hi-Res imagery and that's the families I do the volunteer work associated with Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. I voluntarily share those copyrights, and put that info into the meta-tags on each picture.

There is no way you can complain about not making money in photo if you are guilty of any of this. Thankfully, all you have to do is change your ways, but it will take longer to change your reputation. If you start out cheap, it's gonna be a pain in the ass to get beyond that expectation, because you've conditioned your clientele and market to view you this way. Word gets around.

26 June 2013

"Control Your Own Destiny or Someone Else Will"

"Control your own destiny or someone else will."

~Jack Welch

This last blog post made me recall a conversation I had recently with an individual whom, without going into specifics, lets just say I had to engage him. During the course of the discussion, this individual became appalled at a couple of strong declarations I made in which I described being adamant about life decisions which he determined to be unwise and unforgiving to say the least.

There are, for sure, some things I am simply adamant about, but I will not say absolute and resolute. One of these is that I have no intention of returning to a regular 9 to 5 job. I follow that statement up with this interjection, that in no way am I minimizing anybody's job, way of life, or economic choices. We all do what we have to do. My choices are for me because they suite me and are not intended to be a model for anyone else. Right now, that's not my path. I've been there and done it. I've made money for other people, given the priority of my time to other people, and sacrificed my own well-being for other people. My choices, my time, and my money are regulated by me at this point. When I have means, I do things. When I'm broke, I sit my ass down.

Art Model, Panda
© 2013 Terrell Neasley

Where I am not so resolute in this statement is when opportunities present themselves where my objectives can be realized via employment under an entity that pays extremely well and there is no significant sacrifice on my time and personal objectives. Case in point...I work 2 days at B&C Camera. I am employed by my friend and fellow photographer, Joe Dumic. I get a salary (not an extremely well one, I grant you), but I also get to work under a genius of a businessman. My time is not significantly sacrificed and when I need more time, I take it. As his friend, I am considerate about this. I don't just leave him high and dry with no notice. That's just rude.

The aforementioned individual at the beginning of this post could not understand my position or mentality to commit myself to my choices. I know what is important to me and that means more than selling a product or service that isn't aligned with my goals. Now its time to work for myself and my own objectives. If I fail, then its on me. I've played by the rules with the job thing and I simply can't leave my future in the hands of a company who's management operates for the benefit of the owner(s). I am simply a means for a function of profit that is not my own where cutting labor is often a first step towards minimizing costs when management screws up.

"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing."

~George Bernard Shaw

I feel confident in my faith, my upbringing, and myself. But when I do fail, I am also confident in the fact that I am resilient and resourceful enough to get up and try again. I have a history of tenacity and I think this is my time to give it a shot doing what I love. Photography is not only a means to that end, but also a reason for my passions. Your's might be fishing. I served with a guy who bought a Dodge truck and a bass fishing boat from winnings he was awarded over the course of a year. That was his passion and he built upon it. Guess what he did after the Army! The man became a pro bass fisherman. He told me it was the best job in the world, but really he meant it was the best job in the world FOR HIM.

Photography may not give me ALL the means for my objectives. I'm not sure I'll ever get my Tartan series yacht and circumnavigate the world sailing the South Pacific indefinitely on photography alone. I'm not even sure I can travel to the upcoming places I need to visit by way of photography. [Oh yeah, if you need a personal photog on YOUR travels and excursions, feel free to look me up. I am the bomb-diggidy.] If I can manage this, then that will simply be a dream come true. But whatever means I employ to achieve those goals, it won't take away from my photography. "Life is either a Great Adventure or Nothing". I chose the Great Adventure.

25 June 2013

"Life is Either a Great Adventure or Nothing"

"Life is either a great adventure or nothing."

~Helen Keller

And such is the nature of life. Challenges hit us. We make plans. Then Life happens. What do you do? You make a new plan. So that's what I'm doing. I'm sticking to the goals, but just altering how I get there. Setbacks and a few project collapses have cause me to delay my next travel excursion. I'll admit to some disappointment, but at the same time some new opportunities present themselves. New ideas and considerations have me even more excited than I had been previously. I just have to work things out. Okay, so plans change. You're only mad if you're too inflexible to change with them. So I'm just gonna roll with this and keep moving forward trying to make the best decisions I can with the information and opportunities I make for myself.

I think its this way in many of our lives. Things hit us and we stay down, or decide to quit, or sometimes become bitter about the original choice to act on a dream. Excuses of all kinds begin to creep in and layer a coat of sugar on the fact that we've failed. This is a natural human reaction we conjure to help us feel better about quitting. The only problem is that choice will often come back to haunt you later.

As a kid, I frequently had a tendency to sit and listen to the stories of old people. Listening to the elderly garners wisdom. That's not the way I looked at it then, I assure you. Mine was one of curiosity. I had never been anywhere, so I'd listen to stories of people's experiences and go home to pretend that I could visit those places and experiences the adult things they'd tell me about.

"As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do."

~Zachary Scott

But I can think back to moments where I would also here stories of regret. They would never say they regretted anything openly, but as I replay some of those stories in my adult mind, you can sense it. I remember talk of wishing they were 30 years younger or maybe talk of the benefits of being my age. They'd talk of what they'd do differently given what they know now. You'd here them discuss an ALMOST achievement, but something came up...maybe a death in the family, kids that came along, or a bad economy.

This is one of the things that I want...GREAT STORIES, from now til I'm no more. And then I want people talking about my adventures after I'm gone. I want it evident that I lived life to the fullest. That I maximized my opportunities, and that I was the kind of guy that did whatever he set out to do. This is the legacy that I want to leave for my kids and the rest that come after me. I want my life to be a model of a good example of the kid who made things happen. I've never had any special advantages. No silver spoon here. So if this empty-handed kid from Texas can do it, you can too. I want to die exhausted with no regrets. I can live with bad choices because I tried something new, took chances, or blazed my own trail instead of meandering with the crowd. When I do face my end, I want to face it looking forward. Death should simply be the next adventure.

**By the way...see the girl in the pics? As the captions evidently state, that's art model Kristi C. Know what's cool about her? She's on that same mission..."Life is either an adventure or nothing". I so love that quote!**

08 June 2013

On Judy Blume...

"The books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers."

~Judy Blume

My mom got me involved in reading at an early age. As a teacher, education was an important factor in our daily lives. And one thing in particular that I appreciate her for is the fact that she didn't force reading on us. Oh we had our summer educational chores, mind you. How many of you know what a Cyclo-Teacher is? Well that was a learning aid that covered science, math, spelling, and everything. My brother and I spent considerable time most every day when school was out on this thing.

But reading, Mama made fun. I closed down to many of my teachers that would force me to read books I had no interest in. Mama got us involved in the local library reading contests early. She made it meaningful for us to have our very own library cards with our names printed on them. This is well before the internet AND Atari. I could see that it pleased Mama to bring home a big stack of books. And if you brought them home, you read them. Conversely, I could also see Mama's disappointment if we selected something that tended to be "too easy", which geared me towards books with no pictures that got thicker and thicker. By middle school, we had a beautiful, brand new, full volume World Book Encyclopedia set. Not many kids could say that in my neighborhood. I can't say I went through the entire volume, but there were days I would just start with the letter "A" and simply read.

"Let children read whatever they want and then talk about it with them. If parents and kids can talk together, we won't have as much censorship because we won't have as much fear."

~Judy Blume

Most of my books early on were about ant, bees, and spiders. I even used to have some bees for a little while. I didn't read much non-fiction early on, but when I did, I latched onto Judy Blume's "Tales of a Forth-Grade Nothing"! I think I was in the fifth grade at the time when I was reading it. At the time I didn't realize Judy Blume was such a controversial author, but her books have been on many-a ban lists and she's one of the most challenged authors of the 21st century. She writes for kids, but challenges our ability to handle the more controversial topics common to growing up. She tended to address bullying before it was more mainstream to do so. She took on the racism and divorce. And nobody was tackling the menstrual cycle, masturbation, or teen sex like she has done.

According to Wikipedia, a feature film based on one of her most popular books, "Tiger Eyes" was released today in art house cinemas and video-on-demand. You can also listen to her interview on NPR. Y'all know how much I like me some NPR. This woman is a perpetually significant author and a definitive pioneer in literature, especially for young girls. She connects with youths in a much more meaningful manner than other most other authors who strictly entertain. She addresses issues that parents might often find difficult to confront and puts them front and center when others would choose to ignore. I know I had those moments that I simply couldn't go to Mama for help, but kids still get a sense of connection with Mrs. Blume. She has simply found a way to relate and understand. I'd love to see schools who once shunned her work, bring them back in as required reading. I'd like to think we've evolved a bit further on these matters. Follow her on Twitter! She loves tweet'n!

Many thanks to my dear friend, Art Model Leslie for posing for me. These images come only 10 days after neck surgery, yet she still had the stamina and guts to shoot with me. I tell you I love this woman for her courage to simply be who she is. There was no hiding behind the scar on her neck. She's actually proud of it, because it represents an end to the pain she was dealing with for so long. She's not only a durable sort of woman, but she's also pretty damn smart. I walked out from this shoot with a couple points added to my I.Q. She's inspired me to renew my interest in the domestic environmental nude. There will be more.

04 June 2013

On Jean Stapleton...

"I wish we could all make a more concerted effort to appreciate, laud, celebrate, and bestow gratitude on deserving people while they are yet here to receive it. No one would ever go unappreciated as of a result of it."

~Terrell Neasley

There are probably fewer people in the world who can formulate a face in their minds when they hear the name, Jean Stapleton. However, if I asked you if you knew Edith Bunker, you can not only see that face, but you can also hear that voice as well. Sadly, Jean Stapleton passed away a few days ago. Actually, let me take that back. Its wasn't a sad thing. The lady lived into her 90's. She had a long life and her's is celebrated. I don't know her or remember any other roll that she played in outside of the "All in the Family" situation comedy that aired during my time as a kid in the 70's.

Few people know that "The Jeffersons" spun off from this show and these along with "Good Times" were my first windows to important events and issues that went on in the world. This was my first look at race and gender issues and Jean Stapleton was an integral part of my social education. If anything is really sad, its that I don't think many people really gave her the dues and admiration that should be accorded someone of her contributions to television and acting, to include myself.

Then again...maybe that was her gift. There are some professions and roles that the better you are, the less you are seen. Referees have been recently described as such. They do their jobs well enough that you do not even see them. I would say soldiers are the same. Our job is to stand in the gap so that you can sleep at night. These are the unsung and oft-times less celebrated professions and roles in society. Jean's gift to us was to make us believe, understand, become aware, and educate, all under the guise of entertaining us and making us laugh. And she did this all the while staying invisible. I hope there are more tributes and recognition afforded to her and her family than I have seen thus far. I wish we could all make a more concerted effort to appreciate, laud, celebrate, and bestow gratitude on deserving people while they are yet here to receive it. No one would ever go unappreciated as of a result of it.

“Among the things you can give and still keep are your word, a smile, and a grateful heart.”

~Zig Ziglar

This past week has been a good one. I've been hard at work on edits from a couple shoots that were absolutely astounding and propitious. Two of the most intriguing women you'll ever meet where front and centered of my lenses this past week and I'm greatly excited about our future work. One of which is Kristi C., whom you're witnessing as you read. This year is half-way done almost and I'm glad I've maintained my focus of reestablishing my art nude work. I entered 2013 shooting nudes and it is now my goal to be doing the same thing as this year gives way to the next.

Kristi and her pooch, Cuki have the type of inseparable bond only found in the closest of friends and families and it is aptly illustrated in this series of work. They've inspired me to pursue more nudes with their pets. If others can give me half of what I got from Kristi and Cuki, I'll be good to go. Cuki is a champion Vizsla who competes in agility competitions, trained by Kristi who is also an avid horsewoman, photographer, and artist. This is probably why we gel so easily and well. I greatly benefit from working with other creatives and its a blessing to have their ideas, input, and feedback. While I have her, she won't go unseen or under-appreciated.

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