Inspiration

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February 1, 2012 by heber vega

Training our creativity

This last Monday, I put together a blog post about connecting the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ for a story or project. I was basically outlining the creativity process that goes from a concept, idea or vision, through the tools or elements that are needed to transform that concept into a final product. Well, I want to continue with this idea for a bit longer.

About inspiration: it is an important element for creativity, but as others have stated, it doesn’t come to us while we lay down on the couch and we just wait for it. No, more often than not it comes when we are in a process of pursuing it, in a process of cultivating of ideas. Inspiration usually comes when our souls are stimulated by something that’s meaningful to us.

The following video is a good example of how successful artists have trained their minds and their creativity, to start flowing based on prompts. In this case Moby, the singer, had been given certain images and later certain words, to compose and record a whole song within 48 hours.

I think this is a very good training method for photographers (I will talk on this later next week). Imagine having the challenge of composing a photography project based on certain assigned words or music or images. Let’s force creativity, therefore inspiration and our art.

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August 9, 2010 by heber vega

2-Consider: Clients + Love + Marketing

© 2-Consider | Clients + Love + Marketing

How was your last week? Good? I hope so. In my case it was a very different week. I spent most of the time with my family at home, taking care of Belen and helping with what I could, especially with the kids. Speaking of my family, I want to thank you for your prayers and for caring about my wife during these days. We are preparing to go back to Chile for four months, so there is a long checklist with many “to do’s” that we have to work on!

Photographically, my last week was somewhat good. I got to work on some of the photographs that I need for my coming photo coffee table book, which helped me to redefine my vision for it. That project is growing inside of me, and I feel I have the theme that I was looking for. I think it’s going to be a very unique book, because of its photography. The other good news is, that I got to work for Preemptive Love again, even though only for a day. But it is always refreshing and hopeful to work with them. By the way, I’m preparing a blog post on that assignment and some other things about the upcoming book.

Now, let’s talk about the articles that I have chosen for this week. I must say that it was really hard to pick only three this week, because I have at least 5 or 6. Anyway, I’ll try to highlight the ones that can bring more fruit for our photography. Let’s start with the first…

1) What is the role of the Client?

Kirk Tuck did it again! I think for the third time I’m writing about one of his articles. The reason I chose that article, is because only a few times have I read or found a blog post talking about the client issue. You might ask, “What issue?” Well, it seems that it’s not that easy for “creative-artistic” photographers to deal with “business-driven” clients and sometimes the blend of worlds does not work so well. At least that’s what you can understand from comments and tweets coming from photographers in general. With all that in mind, and adding the fact of really bad experiences, I think sometimes we are too defensive while talking with clients, and I think this article can help us to grow in that relationship. So far, I’ve had good experiences, but I’m sure I will find exceptions on the way ;-) … anyway the main point for Kirk in this article is that clients “are your sole financial resource,” so you should invest time and nurture a good relationship with them. He encourages us to see them as business partners.

Kirk, has a list of 4 points on how to build your relationship with the client. (please read the article to understand fully his points)

1. Understand their industry and their position within that industry.
2. Build a relationship with the person you collaborate with.
3. Go into every negotiation looking for ways to sell your vision or style without alienating those you should be collaborating with.
4. If you become a “commodity,” you’re dead meat.

How would you define your relationship with your clients?
Is there anything good or bad with that? What can it be improved?
How can you nurture your relationship with the clients?

Great article for your business all around!

2) For the love of Photography

I think this is the first time I’m posting something from Chase Jarvis, but from now and on I will try to do it more often, Why? Because he is one of those geniuses of the industry, so creative and a great guy, who likes to give back to the community. All these ingredients have made him very successful as a photographer and artist.

During this week he posted a very brief article. Believe me, is not going to take you more than 2 minutes to read the whole thing. But it can have a great impact in your vision and photography…IF…you let his words affect you and if you let these questions sink in to the deepest place of your artistic and photographic soul.

Do you really love photography?
Do we need to love photography?
How powerful is this art within you?
Can photography live/exist in your life even with no great gear?

Take some time to consider these questions, and let us know what you find out.

3) Selling Yourself: 10 Traits of the Master Marketers

This was posted by Photoshelter but written by Grover Sanschagrin, photographer. These are observations that Grover wrote about successful “marketers” or people who really “get it” when it comes to marketing. There’s even a list of the people who inspired this article as: Art Wolfe, Steve Jobs, Joe McNally, Lady Gaga, David Alan Harvey, Guy Kawasaki, Vincent Laforet, Richard Branson, Robert Caplin, Scott Kelby, Chase Jarvis, John Lander, Casey Templeton.

Anyway, I must admit that I need to learn a lot about marketing, because I know that this is fundamental for selling my work. If I really want to go far and have my own spot in the industry, then marketing will be always part of what I do. I know it sounds materialistic, superficial, and probably far from the artistic/creatively part of photography. But again, Do you want to live as a photographer? Do you want to have a career in this? Then you must accept this fact.

Here’s the list. (Remember to read the article to understand what it means)

1. They realize, and accept, that marketing is a lot of work – but necessary.
2. They are persistent and consistent.
3. They know what works, and what doesn’t.
4. They know their audience because they ARE their audience.
5. They find a niche, then define it.
6. They have character and manage to be entertaining or “interesting”.
7. They motive people to spread their messages, using many different channels.
8. They promote others (people, brands, services) in addition to themselves or their own products.
9. They share their knowledge and educate others.
10. They try to never let the world see them “marketing”.

This is one the best lists that I have ever read about marketing and I think we need to learn from it. What I’m going to do, as my own homework, is to try to think and study one of them per day and reflect on how I can use that in my own business. We’ll see what happen from that.

Well, I hope you have a great week, and that you keep growing in your craft.

BONUS.
Creativity… creativity… creativity. Period.

Archive

August 2, 2010 by heber vega

2-Consider: Priorities – The Goal of no Goal – Generosity

© 2-Consider | Priorities + The Goal of no Goal + Generosity

I had a really busy week, which included a lot of work (you can read about it in my previous post here) and also with some really hard times at home. We had an episode with my wife’s pregnancy, (she is in her six month) and for a couple of days we had bad news coming from two different doctors. Because of this, I canceled all my assignments and stayed home. The good news is, that today, after another visit to the doctor, everything is back to normal again, with the exception being that Belen needs some rest and care. So, I will pick up my assignments in the next few days after we have decided how to provide that needed care for my beloved wife. Anyway, this was a good reminder of what really matters in life, and what to prioritize in difficult moments. Hint… Family comes first!

I was about to cancel today’s 2-Consider, and probably my whole blog and social media for a while, but with today’s good news, I decided to keep working. I hope this will help your work during this week.

For the first time, I’m going to comment about two new types of articles. One is totally unrelated to photography, but it was a great discovery and a confirmation for certain things as a photographer. I’m sure this is something that every person driven by passion should read and understand, so I’m including it in this 2-Consider. The other post is about photography in its core, meaning that it’s only photographs – nothing to read, but a lot to get inspired from. During this week I came across two really amazing photo galleries that I totally recommend to you. So let’s start…

1) The Best Goal is No Goal

First off, I want to thank Serge Vancauwenbergh, for tweeting about this article (Serge is a great photographer btw). Serge, you don’t know how much I wanted/needed to read this!

I don’t know how to express how important this article is for me, but I’ll start by saying that my wife and I made the decision to live in Iraq in 2003. The philosophy behind this article has been part of the whole process of our work here. I must admit that it hasn’t been intentional but rather an evolution of things. Let’s call it accident ;-) .

Please, read this article, and don’t let the title mislead you. One thing that you are probably concerned about is that without goals there are no achievements, and therefore it’s a path to mediocrity. But, that’s why you should read this article. I’m a firm believer that you can achieve a lot more without the “restrictions” of goals.

Now, let me give you some more info. I know how to use goals to my advantage; I did it for many years. Even for humanitarian projects, I still need to be capable of showing results, according to the goals written in the initial proposal. I used the GTD method for a year or two. Back then; when there were no laptops I used a Franklin Covey Agenda with Yearly/Monthly/Daily Goals. So, believe me, I know how to work with goals. I know the feeling of satisfaction after exceeding goals, but I also know the terrible feelings after not reaching them!

After all, I can see that goals have worked against me, one of them being PHOTOGRAPHY. Several times, I have been restricted to a certain path due to my goals, with no space to improvise, to experiment, to delight in my artistic side. Now, after all these years, I have reached another stage in life where my biggest goal is not to have them!

I think, though, that if you want to implement this “philosophy”, you should understand first who you are, and your vision as an individual. Once you realize how that is composed, you should set your mind on only one thing everyday… to live and enjoy those things that make your life enjoyable and worthy!

In my case, everything starts with my family and God. Those components are essential to my existence. After that comes my work, and passion for photography and the humanitarian field. So, what is my whole goal today? I think it’s to live those areas of my life, but not through plans and goals, but more from a perspective of enjoying them each and every day of my life. So, if you are thinking about photography, for example, then go and shoot! Just go out and start letting your passion blend with your craft. In an earlier blog, I wrote about working on a photo book. Well, I don’t have a goal for it, but I know my vision and the components that I want to include in it, so what do I do? I just go out and I shoot! Believe me, everyday with no exception I have found beautiful subjects and interesting things to photograph. In this case if I had set goals for this book, I would’ve been working only according to those, limiting my scope/sight from the things that I have discovered by only getting out and letting my artistic side decide. In conclusion I have achieved more!

Now, if you work well with goals, then keep working that way, I’m not trying to change you. But, on the other hand, if you are “miserable” because of those goals think about it. It’s NOT YOU that’s faulty, it’s the system. You are great; you just need to fine-tune your vision and how do you what you do. You count on me for that. Join the club ;-) .

I hope this has helped!

2) 7 Reasons why social media aint working for your photography

I think it’s good to understand the principles of a good social strategy. Did you see that I didn’t say “social media strategy?” I said “social” only. I think it’s important to pay attention to social media, but it’s more important to pay attention to our “social” life. Why? Among other things, because a photographer works/lives by the fruits of good work, and also by having good social relationships/networks. That’s how you get jobs; that’s how you get noticed and preferred by producers, editors, NGOs, etc. So, if you don’t pay attention to this area, you probably won’t succeed in your business, at least not very well, anyway. You can be really talented, but if you don’t know how to deal with others, then you will be a jobless talented photographer ;-) .

So, read this article, just skip reason one ;-) . Then think about not each of them, but the principles behind those points. What are they? What’s the core of the social media? What’s the key to a good social life? …. Did you notice it? IT’S GENEROSITY!!! Period.
The people who live just to brag about themselves don’t get that far, believe me. But, if you care about others and you give in every instance, be sure you will receive back, maybe not immediately, but you will be noticed! Ask about great photographers, and many people will talk about the ones that have made a great impression/impact on them. How? By their kindness, humbleness, and generosity. You can use those principles and be good at “social media” as well.

There’s an example that I used with the professors at Sulaimaniyah University last week. A river needs to be in constant movement; rolling, giving, etc. If you block the ends of it, what would happen then? The beauty of that river becomes the ugliness of a swamp; stinky, sticky, muddy, etc. You get my idea. Then, if you want to become a noticeable “social” person, you need to be a river and not a stinky swamp. You need to receive and give, you can’t take it all for you… that’s for your kid ;-) .

Let me know what you think… leave a comment.

3) America in Colors and Richard Avedon for the New Yorker

Here there’s no comment only awe. These are two great galleries that I found in Twitter during this week. Just incredible!

Thank you for sharing a new 2-Consider with me. You rock!
Peace.

BONUS. For enhancing your creativity in Lightroom!

Archive

July 26, 2010 by heber vega

2-Consider: Style? – Perfectionism & Creativity – Personal Projects

© 2-Consider | Style? + Perfectionism v/s Creativity + Personal Projects

Welcome to, 2-Consider. This section usually features 3 great articles that have contributed to my photography and vision during the past week. Here you will find links and comments about them.

I should probably blog about the creativeLIVE that David duChemin taught during the weekend, but I was not able to watch it myself because the Internet in Iraq doesn’t allow me to :-( . Anyway, for the few of us who missed it, we can still buy it here.

Now, let’s start with the articles!

Where does style come from? How do I get some?

This is another great article from Kirk Tuck. If you have been following this section in my blog, you’ll understand what I’m saying. I’m a big “follower” of good/important content blogs, and Kirk’s is one of these. There are not many either, so you’d better make sure you have bookmarked this great source of information.

Kirk has an important question for the rest of us,“What does style mean in our photography? Have we asked ourselves about this issue before? Is it important to have a style at all?” These are just some of the questions going through my mind these days. Not that “style” is the most important thing in my life, or in my photography, but I think it deserves to be questioned by my vision. Do we care? Should we work towards the creation of our own style? Is it natural in our photographs? Does it need to be forced a little bit more? Is it part of a tendency among photographers? Is it the fruit of a long-term career?

I think we have to differentiate between style and what’s fashionable, because the latter are tendencies that arise every year, that people in general like to follow or fool around with, at least until the next takes its place. But Style, on the other hand, is what defines our craft, who we are as artists, and is the very end-product of our careers; so I’m not talking about the set of rules, presets, and layers that we create in Lightroom or Photoshop. I think style goes beyond the software (although post-processing is also another part of it). I think style is more about the aesthetics, maybe composition, the “eye” in our photos. Sometimes the way we portray our subjects, etc. In the end, I believe it’s what other people perceive as characteristics in most if not all of our photographs. I think we don’t realize that part of us until other people start to notice it. Who knows? That’s my opinion, at least for now ;-) .

Please give it a read and think about this issue. If you arrive at any conclusion, don’t hesitate to leave a comment in this post. I’d like to read it.

Perfectionism is creative death

I’m not a landscape photographer, not at all, and so I don’t usually follow photographers working in that field, at least not until I found the work of Bruce Percy a couple of years ago. If there’s one photographer in landscape that I’d like to attend his workshop, it’s Bruce. He has a very unique style and philosophy of work that calls my attention in every shot. (By the way, he has a fantastic series of Podcasts on the different locations were he usually works, including my own country Chile; plus a series of e-books that you can even now buy for your IPhone, IPad, etc. It’s worth it to buy them!)

Recently, he wrote about perfectionism in his blog, as something that he needs to deal with permanently as a creative artist. He talks about the “dangers” of being a perfectionist in our work, how this has “paralyzed” him as an artist at certain times because he didn’t feel was pulling off “perfect” work. This point is very important, because I believe many of us are perfectionists at our core, and I believe that sometimes, due to this perfectionism, we haven’t been able to keep experimenting with our craft. As a result, sometimes we have gotten stuck in a certain stage of our growing careers. I’m pretty sure I have missed many great shots, just because I have stopped/given up right before they happen.

Bruce’s way of thinking struck a nerve in me. I realized that many times this last year, I have stopped shooting because I thought it was not the perfect time, or situation to do so. He quotes Winston Churchill, saying: “If you’re going through Hell, keep going.” I have given up on so many occasions, and not because of difficulties, but because I thought it was not going to look that great. My question today is, “How in the world can I predict the results of something that I haven’t done yet?”

One of the saddest things that I recognized was that I have stopped photographing my own family, my tough and beautiful boys. Why? Because I don’t like the feeling of “snapping” shots. Terrible!
Next time, I’m going to keep going, I know the results will be worthy!

Note: there’s a new post at Bruce’s Blog, about perfectionism and the positive aspects of that.

The importance of Personal Work

I found Nick’s blog no more than two weeks ago, and it’s been fantastic reading since then. He is doing some humanitarian projects that are just amazing, and I’m looking forward to seeing them done. Because of his expertise in doing these types of projects, I think this blog post is really important for all of us especially the humanitarian and documentary photographers. Why? Because it shows you a path to follow in order to pursue those projects that you are passionate about. You are even given a really great PDF file!

Personally, I found this very useful because I’m currently working on a couple of personal projects, plus I have some others in mind, so this issue of how to carry out these initiatives is really important at this stage of my life. One thing that I learned from Nick is that I have to put all these thoughts in paper, and more than that, I have to be realistic with myself. Which of them are doable at this moment? Have I done a good research on this project? Do I have an elaborate budget for it? Do I know how long will take me to accomplish it? Have I found other organizations or individuals that I can partner with along the way?

Nick organizes projects into three categories: Dreams, Real, and Back-yard projects. The last one being the projects that you can start right now and that don’t require that much in the way of resources from you. You can keep doing them between other projects. The Dream, these are the Vision-driven projects, the ones that challenge you as photographer and at the end, are an adventure and a risk to take. Finally, the Realistic projects are the ones that you have done a lot of research and gathered info on, plus contacted organizations to partner with you on the cause. These projects were a Dream before, but because you have been working hard on them, and it’s your passion, now you are ready to work on them! They have become a Reality!

I like this type of layout for my projects. I think it will be a starting point for the development of these initiatives. There’s more to read in this article, so make sure to read it carefully, and take notes.

Are you working on a personal project? What is it about? I’d love to hear about them. I have my own and I can share them if you ask me to.

Thanks for following another 2-Consider. I have a Bonus for you this week, is coming from Wayne Rowe, a video call “Remembering Haiti” with fantastic images that Wayne have captured in his time over there.

Archive

July 19, 2010 by heber vega

2-Consider: Why not How – Ready to be Found – Focus on your passion

© 2-Consider | July 19

Welcome to, 2-Consider. This section usually features 3 great articles that have contributed to my photography and vision during the past week. Here you will find links and comments about them.

1. Photography is about WHY not HOW

I think the most important advantage that you get out of Social Media, is creating networks, contacts. I don’t care if I don’t get any business out of it, as long as I keep meeting photographers such as the ones I’ve been meeting in the last couple of months. It has been a fantastic experience all around! In Social Media, I look forward to meeting new artists that have something to inspire me and give to my own photography. Last week I happened to meet a couple of new “friends” that are really good at what they do. They are great photographers that have a lot to share and a lot 2-Consider for all of us. One of them is Sephi Bergerson or otherwise known as “FotoWala“. He commented in one of my blog posts here, and had the brilliant idea to leave a link in his comment to one of his own blog posts. Give it a read.

This article was a big help to me by confirming certain things that I have been thinking about lately. You see, I’ve been considering ways to make my photography more interesting, with a deeper meaning, so to say. So, I’ve been wondering about the WHY of my photography, about myself as a person, but also, as what I want to impregnate my photography with. I think, as I said last week, sometimes when you start working on photography, you focus too much on the “tangible” part of it, as if photography would be a scientific science, a mathematic formula, with no “spirit/soul” at all. That’s what Sephi has called the HOW.

Read this article. I think it can really change the approach of your photography in the long run. Among other things, Sephi writes: “Being a photographer is not about the camera or the technique, it is about what you have inside your mind. It is the sum of all your life experiences and your point of view…” This is also something that I learned while listening to Chris Orwig, in an interview for Depth of Field (By Matt Brandon). He said that one day in his career, he realized that his photography/vision was learned not in a classroom, but during a time that he volunteered at a hospital for people with terminal cancer. He said he understood the value of life through that time, and that’s one of the things that is clear in his photography. If you see his work, you will see this vividly, as most of his photographs are an enjoyable moment in life, highlighting the importance of being alive.

2. When you are sure about your work, you are ready to be found

This is a rather short article (maybe because of the length of next one ;-) ). It doesn’t make you read between the lines, it’s just plain that, a question mark, a challenge, to our current estate of photography. How sure we are about our photography? How confident are we in our work? If you are holding onto doubts about your work, you’d better find a professional photographer that can help you to go throughout your portfolio. Ask questions; try to find your weaknesses. Ask why it doesn’t work or why it worked in certain photographs, define and refine your vision. Once you are confident on your work, then go and show it to the world! They will be ready for it.

As a starting photographer, with only few months in business, I’m seriously thinking of finding a pro to revise my coming portfolio before the end of this year. I really want to be challenged in what I do before it goes online. What about you? Any thoughts on this?

3. Focus on your Passion: Tim Mantoani

Tim is here again. Photoshelter understood the value of what Tim is saying about passion, and so they put together this 86 minutes webinar for us to enjoy! I don’t want to comment any more on this, as I have done it here before. Make time this week if you haven’t seen this already, and be ready to fuel your passion for this craft!

Focus On Your Passion: Finding Yourself in Your Photography from PhotoShelter.com on Vimeo.

BONUS:

This video is not totally related to photography, but was so powerful and inspirational for my photography and vision, that I couldn’t NOT post it here. This is the video about Nate Henn, the volunteer from Invisible Children that got killed a few days ago in Uganda. In my opinion, things like this are building my photographic vision. I don’t know what inspired your vision, but examples like those such as Nate are a big thing for mine.

Archive

July 12, 2010 by heber vega

2-Consider: Vision (Jen Lemen) – Creativity (David Burnett) – Identity (Kirk Tuck)

Vision by Jen Lemen + Creativity by David Burnett + Identity by Kirk Tuck

The 2-Consider column this week is a little bit different than usual. Why? Because this week, two of the most important blog posts to my photography were in video form and not a written article. So, for the first time, our 2-Consider has two videos instead something to read about. They will probably be a little more “fun” to follow this time (make sure to let me know). Anyway, there’s also a short, very incredible article from Kirk Tuck.

These two videos contain some really powerful “thoughts” for photographers, and cover two different aspects of our craft. One of them is about creativity and gear. The other one is more about vision, talent, and “shooting from the heart”. I will explain you why I have chosen these articles and how I think you and your work can use them. The third article from Kirk is about “living your dream”, and Identity. Let’s start!

1. How Photography Can Make a Difference – Jen Lemen

I found this video after following a tweet from Erin Wilson, one of the most avid “commenters” on this blog, and a great photographer as well. This video is about 8 minutes long and I totally recommended it to you. I think it’s a good reminder of the following things: (Please see the video before reading my comments)

Answer this question. How can an “inexpert” photographer win a competition among 2500 other photographers? How can a novice, an “amateur” photographer, shooting in “program mode” defeat a Pulitzer prize winner?
My answer? Jen Lemen won that contest by “shooting from her heart.” I know, contests are subjective, tricky, and depend a lot on the judges’ moods. But again, how can you get noticed in a contest as big as this one?

Last year a friend, who is just starting out in photography, asked me if I thought he could win a National Geographic contest. My answer? “No. I don’t think so.” Why in the world did I answer that? I know I’m a bad person for that, and I regret that answer today. But I think I answered that way because we are taught to consider photography as a mere science. Where, if you do this, plus if you add that, then the result will be x; like a mathematical formula. No heart, plain exercise, only a physical thing. Let me be fair on this, not all the people out there are teaching that way, but a large amount. So, what do I think now? That my friend, me or you can win any competition, any day… but there’s a great ingredient, vision, desire for finding who we are as photographers and shooting with that passion in mind, giving all what we are in each frame.

The other important part of this video, at least for me (you can add your own comments) is about the title of the link, and I’m going to transform it into a question, “How Can Photography Make A Difference?”
I think, what gave Jen the edge in that competition, was how she felt about photography and her intention towards the prize if she would win it. The photographs that you see in the video speak by themselves. She is telling stories of other human beings, now affected positively by her photographs. Guys and Pals, that’s what a Humanitarian photographer is about! It’s not a photographer shooting for NGOs or non-profits, it’s a photographer committed to using his/her photography to positively affect the lives of other human beings, specifically the ones who are the subjects of their photographs. GREAT reminder!

I’m grateful to have found this video, so, thank you Erin for bringing it to our attention!
I know you have more comments on this video, so please leave a comment with your opinion.

2. In the Bag, with photographer David Burnett

I found this video through Photoshelter, more specifically in their blog. I thought, “well… another video about gear and that type of stuff.” I know, gear is not a sin… actually it’s good, but vision…. you know the rest of that sentence!

In The Bag with photographer David Burnett from PhotoShelter.com on Vimeo.

My surprise was to find other things about David’s photography that really “touched” me as an artist, and as a photographer. So, let me put my thoughts in order through the following list:

a) Shoot what really ignites your passion; what makes you a creative person, an artist. How many photographers have dumped old gear because it doesn’t turn in sales these days? How many have abandoned old gear because of laziness? I’m not against technology, not at all! But, there’s a rush, an instant thing that’s part of it, that doesn’t allow us to get out all what we are capable of. Photographers, in my opinion, are primary artists, creators, and so if we don’t take the necessary time to be creative, to go through the process of slowing down to think, to get the mojo, the mood, the inspiration and so on, What in the world are we doing? What’s more impotent than that?

b) The GEAR doesn’t matter. Those are tools; we are the authors, the mind behind the photographs. Did you see how David doesn’t care to have the latest or the greatest. He’s got 2 Mark 5D’s! People are dumping those nowadays to get the Mark 5D II. Why? I know – there are good reasons for it. I’m not criticizing your decision, ;-) . Rather, what I’m saying is, if you cannot afford new gear DON’T BE WORRIED, go out and shoot with what you happen to have. Your photography don’t depend on the camera, but in you!

c) Contrary to what people teach and think, the industry pays, yes, pays for YOUR vision, if you happen to have one! Time Magazine hired David because “they couldn’t afford NOT to have his photography.” Do you think that after they saw his amazing work, they were worried about what type of gear he used? They cared about the artist behind those shots, the mind, his vision!

d) Using old-fashioned gear requires dedication, time, slowing down, investing yourself in it. Don’t start buying old gear thinking that you will get amazing jobs because of that cool “status”. You will get those assignments ONLY if you are able to pull off worthy results. The key is devotion to your passion, devotion to your craft – stick to and love what you are, your identity as an artist is fundamental.

Feel free to leave your comments on this video as well.

3. “In Defense Of Doing Things Exactly the Way You Want To,” by Kirk Tuck.

Wow, I didn’t do this on purpose, but I think the three articles today have something in common. They talk about your identity as a photographer and artist; who you are, what’s your vision, the “heart” for what you do. Kirk, in this article, reminds us that we cannot follow all the advice given to us. If you live according to what other people say, you will end up living another person’s life, another person’s dream. If you want to be unique, to be truly yourself, you have to decide for yourself what’s best for your photography. Life is short, so you’d better hurry up in finding a purpose, and answer the important questions about your own existence as an artist. Once you have a clue of who you are, do what you have to do, and not something else. This article struck me really hard, as I am in the middle of a time of adjustment, discovery, and decision making, trying to live the life that I was meant to have.
I think we must go through these questions to really be able to contribute our skills to the world. We have to listen that “voice”, to understand who we are, and then live to make that a reality. Great article Kirk! A timeless one somehow…

Thank you for following another 2-Consider. I hope to have contributed a little bit to your work today.
Peace.

Archive

July 5, 2010 by heber vega

2-Consider: Passion (Tim Mantoani) – Growth (Steve McCurry) – Strategy (Kirk Tuck)

Usually, I come across 2-3 articles a week; that are very useful to my photography that get me thinking and adjusting to new realities. Well, I want to start “archiving” those articles every Monday in 2-Consider. That way you and I can have access to those important and useful articles in just one place. For the sake of this blog and your time, I’m going to be posting only the very best articles that I have read during the week and that I think hold something really important for our work as photographers. I’m not planning to just give you a list of links every Monday, but I want to comment on what I have learned, sharing my conclusions on that issue.

Continuing with 2-Consider, today I want to share 3 new articles!

1. Talking passion and personal projects with Tim Mantoani

This was my favorite article during last week. Tim Mantoani is a photographer who uses large format. He shoots portraits of well-known photographers holding their most iconic prints. This article is really an interview with Tim, trying to cover the history of this special project that Tim has kept rolling for 4 years.

I found it by following Photoshelter’s Twitter. There are so many things that I could say about this Blog post, but I’m going to stick to two ideas for the sake of this section. Both thoughts/ideas follow the title of Tim’s article: Passion and Projects (personal ones).

Let’s start with Passion. One thing that struck me when reading this interview was Tim’s passion. He talks about it in each of his answers at least that what I see between the lines. You can tell that this project has stolen his heart and mind, so there were no other options for him, other than working on it! Tim even reminisces that this project was the result of a long therapy against the cancer that had affected him. I personally think that Passion is more tangible, in moments, or through moments, when we face the reality/hard part of life, when we realize that life is really short for example, and we are put between the wall and the sword. I think in my own experience, my photography is the result of living in Iraq and having faced my own fears.

“The stories are different, but there is a common thread that I hear over and over again “I was out shooting what I loved.” These photographers live and breathe their subjects. Whether it’s music or sports, they are passionate about what they shoot. I have sat next to Brad Mangin, a legendary baseball photographer, at games and while I’m busy capturing the play at 2nd he’s got his camera pointing at something I didn’t even realize was happening (or was about to happen). He understands something about the rhythm, the dynamics, where the next drama is going to play out on the field. He’s not watching a game; he is part of the game. He loves baseball and it shows in his images. I always tell young photographers to go shoot what you love, your images will be better and your career more fulfilled.

It was the same thing with Grant Brittain, a skateboarding photographer or Leroy Grannis, who shoots surfing. They have lived that lifestyle. They understand something about the mentality of the people and the culture because they are part of it, not just simply observing it. Their photos are honest and passionate because of this. As a result, their images really changed the way a lot of people viewed those sports. When you are that involved in the world you are photographing, it just changes the caliber of the images you are able to get. You are not there because you have to be, but because you want to be.

That passion is something that can get easily lost in all the equipment and the technique of photography. Lots of people fall in love with photography itself, but they don’t know what to shoot because they aren’t being driven by a passion for a specific subject. You have to find the passion for what you shoot, otherwise you’ll never be able to really become part of it and shoot it from the inside rather than as an observer.”

Photographers, we are reminded that Passion gives us:
-Connection/involvement with the subject. We are part of it!
-Better images.
-Fulfilled career.
-Desire to keep working.
-Clients. The world is looking for, not just talented photographers, but passionate ones with a clear vision. They pay for it!
-Ideas, projects, etc.

It was great to read this interview and just confirm these things. My question for you is, “Have you found what ignites your passion? Are you passionate about your subject?”

The second idea that stroked me about this incredible interview was the idea of personal projects. I work in what I love and what is my passion, but am I doing the types of projects that really bring out the best out me? That challenges my photography big time? Am I working on a project that I really want to do before it gets too late to do it? (life is short) Those are some questions I had after reading Tim’s answers. I have been postponing certain ideas for a couple of years, but I think it’s time to get started!
I think every photographer should be investing time in his/her own type of projects; photography that’s not for your clients but for your own growth. A good example of someone “rejuvenating” his creativity by doing multiple personal projects, is David duChemin. Go and read his blog posts from the last 6 months or so, and you will see what I’m talking about.

2. US photographer Steve McCurry: Go with the flow

I don’t remember how I came across this article, but what I’m sure of is that in the travelphotographer.blogspot.com, the popular blog that Tewfic El-Sawy runs was also a big issue. The article from The Guardian talks about how Steve McCurry, one of the most famous travel/cultural photographers of all times, is working on a new type of photographic project. According to detractors, it’s very distant from his style that most of us admire profoundly. Well, it seems that Steve is about to start a portrait project but based on a more commercial type of photography, where he will have to “stage” the shots and become “fancy” on those kind of settings. Who are the subjects of his portraits? Famous celebrities at home!

Why was this important to me? Because, I was not just surprised, but happy to see that Steve was going to start another big challenge in his career. You see he doesn’t need it, he can rest in his laurels. I say this because I’ve been taking notes on challenges that I want to start taking for my future as a photographer, and for awhile I thought that I was crazy because of that. You see, some people are criticizing Steve because of this project, but I’m not. I think we have to expand our skills as photographers all the time, without losing sight of what we are passionate about. Steve is passionate about people, portraits, and telling stories, and I don’t think he is getting far from that vision by doing this type of project. He has changed the subjects and the surroundings, but not his photography. I know you like the Afghan girl, who doesn’t! I’m sure Steve is growing as a photographer during this time, and I’m sure that he will able to pull off some amazing work once again.

I want to keep some thoughts for a future post on this issue, but I think photographers doing what I do should be keen to learn multimedia, videography, storytelling, studio on-site lighting, etc. That’s my north; that’s how I envision my work. You may disagree with me, and that’s okay, but in my case I want to use all the possible and available tools to perform what I love to do. I think expanding skills as photographers is a must! GROWTH!

Two words for this article: evolving and growing.

3. Marketing works. But it only works when you do it

If there’s an area where I lack skills it’s in promoting my work, marketing, etc. I think Kirk Tuck and also Jack Hollingsworth are one of the best photographers, out there, in using their blogs to guide you through the jungle of commissioned work. In this specific blog post, Kirk shows us his strategy for marketing (take notes). But I’m not going to discuss the strategies of marketing. There are hundreds of gurus out there that will be happy to talk about it. What I really want to point at, is the fact that whatever strategy/marketing/promotion you have decided to follow, it won’t work until you really work on it! (I know, it sounds easy) you should invest time in doing so, we should establish a business plan and the stick to it. By the way, another article that I found this week in Photoshelter says:

“Contrary to popular belief, your images aren’t going to market themselves for you. You may be an amazing photographer, but if you don’t market yourself – nobody will ever know. Even an average photographer, with the right marketing efforts, can look better than they actually are — and end up with a successful career.”

So, how’s your marketing plan doing? What are you doing specifically to put your work out there? Have you checked the success of your business plan lately? Good questions and a lot to work on!

Well, this is all for this week in 2-Consider, I promise to be shorter next time ;-) .

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