Sunday, August 5, 2007

New colors

Welcome to the new Pink and Orange look. :)

I went camping this weekend. It was nice to not have to work. I also made some "arty" photos of myself and my friends.


I am thinking of taking this "look" and using it to photograph families. Maybe for a project I had in mind "the people that live there now." Portraits of people who now live in places that were once my home.


I would like to do these in a suburban house setting of a family. It would need to be a creative bunch willing to work with me - and it's obviously very posed. Kids with an ability to hold still would be nice... am I asking for too much now? I'm trying to decide the best way to find these models. I might start with people I know. Also maybe craigslist? Families of friends?

Also I met with a photographer I used to intern for on Friday, Jeff Stevensen. (http://www.jeffstevensenphoto.com) We talked about what I was doing now and he said "you may not realize it, but being a working photographer after graduating is a major success itself. So many get discouraged and go into something else." This was helpful insight to keep things in perspective for myself.
I tend to focus on what else I could be doing and hot to be MORE successful. He also things that my focus as a portrait photographer is perfect to work in the commercial market because it's one of the few things that clients will always need - current photographs a specific people. And you can't just "use stock." Something I hadn't really thought of - but a good point. We also talked about my marketing & branding (right now just focused on wedding photography). It's nice to hear what things other people are doing, and are not doing. All in all it seems as though, according to Jeff anyway, I'm on the right track. This is a good thing. Especially coming from working commercial photographer! I'm not sure what my career plan will be - but I do thing that commercial work will be a part of it. Maybe teaching as well. Art would be nice too - but seems like such a difficult way to make a living. Right now I'm just going to keep shooting Art and Weddings and hope the puzzle pieces fall into place and I continue to "make a living" with my camera.