Things learnt

[I'm going to make a concerted effort to post more often in here. I've been slack about it for the past couple of months because, all at once, I've been busy and uninterested in the rest of the world. Shame on me, true, true, and this is part of my effort to remedy that.]

Over the weekend of the Southern Short Course in Charlotte, I learned quite a bit from listening to people and looking over their work. Unfortunately, I only got a little bit written down, which is what I'm going to share here. So, here we go ...

From Jeff Widener:

• Build a photo library. Have a collection of inspiration on your bookshelf. Anytime you feel you're lacking in ideas, go look through a couple books of someone else's work. It's all been done already anyway.
• Get inspiration from old magazines. Find old stories that need to be updated.
• Be persistent with other people, but don't piss people off.
• Have fun with your art -- it's not just a career, it's a good time.
• If there are personal things that get in the way of making good photos and taking the pictures you want to take, deal with it. It's a major block.
• "Make love to your craft."
• Find humor in the situation. It'll make things fun, and enjoyment increases productivity.

From Shawn Rocco, regarding portfolios:

• Every photo in your portfolio should be a visual surprise, moving the viewer the want to see the next photo.
• A photo story should have something between 6 and 12 photos -- succinctness is key.
• Leave out photos that detract from the portfolio as a whole. There shouldn't be any photo in the set that just leaves a viewer with an "Eh, okay, whatever ..." feeling.
• Wide-angle vertical shots are not very attractive. Maybe kinda avoid them.

From Ross Taylor:

• Why the hell are you there? Know why you're shooting, and let your subjects know why. If they ask, have a good answer ready for them.
• Avoid acid-washed jeans. Way uncool, dude.
• Draw out a storyline, under which should be two things: Themes and Visual Icons. Themes are the parts of the story that should be told, like love, hate, fatigue, worry and other such mostly abstract ideas. Visual Icons are the way you tell an audience about those emotions and thoughts through your photography. List both.

From various people who slip my mind ...:

• Project boxes: cardboard boxes with a certain title, into which materials for long stories or projects are placed. Probably more useful for long-term projects.
• When getting a Web site, make the interface intuitive, make sure it loads quick, always include your phone number instead of just an email, and respect the photography more than the Web design. Also, avoid designed named after platypuses.
• Don't blow stuff off -- go anyway. No matter how stupid it may seem.
• Get the important stuff: tight, medium, overall, opener, closer, emotional, et al. No matter what you're shooting.
• Have a large visual vocabulary.
• It's not just skill, it's passion.
• Keep your photos clean.
• Chaos is opportunity. Get in the midst of it.

Sure, that's just a little sample of what was digested, but hey, time is money, and I'm broke. ... which means I need to do other things. Ciao.

Charlotte

I don't think I've ever really said this enough, so I'll say it now. I don't like Charlotte. I don't know that I ever have, and I doubt that I ever will. Most times I come to or through Charlotte, I end up with a headache the size and shape of North Carolina somewhere between my eyes and a little south of my senselessly-kill-things synapses. This time, however, has been a treat:

• traffic sucks and I arrive late to my hotel and to the Southern Short Course for News Photographers, which has brought to this urban hell.
• whilst going to a "community coffee hour," I slam the small finger of my left hand in the door, resulting in a painfully sensitive pinky that has yet to subside.
• the panelists, though hopefully and seeing lots of potential and competence in my portfolio, point out that I too goddamned "safe" and "there's obviously something that's distracting you, so deal with that." (So I guess this is not so much an I-hate-Charlotte-and-it-hates-me bullet, but more of an informational tidbit.)
• that night is spent restlessly twisting and turning, intermingled with slightly offsetting dreams and thoughts, and the usual question of "What in the hell am I doing awake this late?"
• overslept the next morning because the damn alarmclock is broken
• my car was raided sometime in the middle of the night and the assholes didn't have the decency to shut the door, and now one of my favorite flashlights is MIA. but they left eveything else (boots, tent, voice recorder, monocular, TrailMix, various things underneath the seats, fire extinguisher, two jackets, spare shoes, and the rest of the accumulated junk that coats the floor of my car)
• and I'm not feeling too hot.

Yeah, it could be worse. But I still don't like Charlotte.

Ciao ...

This makes me happy ... truly, it does ... kick his ass, Gary. We'll burn your character sheets for you.

Whoa, been like ... a long time

Holy crap, I haven't written in here in too long.

I haven't had much to write about, though -- classes are continuing on, I'm still working for the Red and Black (some weeks more often than others) and people are still idiots. I'm still working on my mother's site, and I'm also trying to get my own revamped. And my roommate wants help on his.

Looks like I'm going to head up to the Southern Short Course in Charlotte (? That's right, isn't it?) with at least my friend Amanda, but that's not until the end of March. Speaking of this month's traveling, I'll probably head up to West Virginia finally. It's something I've been wanting to do for a couple years now, and I might actually have the opportunity this year.

... hmm ...

Sort of saw this coming

Well, Castro stepped down today. This was the reason that I spent the money to go over the summer -- I now have the ability to say that I was one of the last Americans to visit Cuba during the Castro regime. How's that for pretty damned cool?

I'm not really sure if anything will change, though. Maybe it will, maybe not. We'll just have to wait and see ...?

I like old people

I should say, more correctly, that I love old people who just don't give a damn anymore.




Anyway, ciao.

Imagine a rant

People are stupid -- they make stupid decisions, deciding to get together with their ex, who happens to be three years younger and still in high school. They shun you because you aren't tall, skinny and Latino, despite being a pretty damned good match.

Or they're perfect for you, you love each other and they just ... can't get it together. No matter what.

People are fools.

Thank God this holiday is over.