Sometimes a moment is best realized in a photograph.

Travis

Used GridLens to stack photos before uploading them.

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The Mind Barnacle - Sailing the open seas

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So many awesome places to explore. A city that is a joy to get lost in.

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Photosynth stitched environment can be seen here.

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Couldn’t capture the sense of space that it deserves without a wider lens. But a peaceful moment watching time pass before you is not a bad thing either.

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Another oldie but goodie. In hind sight in not to crazy about the label. But building something from photo, design and then 3d has its rewards too.

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The Mind Barnacle - Sailing the open seas

Had the idea a while back to bring an old sketch into a new barnacle theme. Takes on a whole new feel. I just might have to dust off some other forgotten drawings.

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The Mind Barnacle - Sailing the open seas

My 17 month old son’s first attempts at uneven ground happened at Idlewild park a couple of days ago. Luckily I was able to get my phone out of my pocket to capture the last few falls.

Everything is funnier with that old Benny Hill theme.

I couldn’t resist.

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The Mind Barnacle - Sailing the open seas

Found this post on JPG magazine. I think that the inspirational words that Cheryl voices are easily transferable to anyone’s career path. Replace the word “photographer” with your discipline.

Lots of gems in here. Thanks Cheryl.

My Advice For Aspiring Photographers

Cheryl Jacobs Nicolai

I get asked all the time, during workshops, in e-mails, in private messages, what words of wisdom I would give to a new and aspiring photographer. Here’s my answer.

- Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don’t look outward for your style; look inward.

- Know your stuff. Luck is a nice thing, but a terrifying thing to rely on. It’s like money; you only have it when you don’t need it.

- Never apologize for your own sense of beauty. Nobody can tell you what you should love. Do what you do brazenly and unapologetically. You cannot build your sense of aesthetics on a concensus.

- Say no. Say it often. It may be difficult, but you owe it to yourself and your clients. Turn down jobs that don’t fit you, say no to overbooking yourself. You are no good to anyone when you’re stressed and anxious.

- Learn to say “I’m a photographer” out loud with a straight face. If you can’t say it and believe it, you can’t expect anyone else to, either.

- You cannot specialize in everything.

- You don’t have to go into business just because people tell you you should! And you don’t have to be full time and making an executive income to be successful. If you decide you want to be in business, set your limits before you begin.

- Know your style before you hang out your shingle. If you don’t, your clients will dictate your style to you. That makes you nothing more than a picture taker. Changing your style later will force you to start all over again, and that’s tough.

- Accept critique, but don’t apply it blindly. Just because someone said it does not make it so. Critiques are opinions, nothing more. Consider the advice, consider the perspective of the advice giver, consider your style and what you want to convey in your work. Implement only what makes sense to implement. That doesn’t make you ungrateful, it makes you independent.

- Leave room for yourself to grow and evolve. It may seem like a good idea to call your business “Precious Chubby Tootsies”.…but what happens when you decide you love to photograph seniors? Or boudoir?

- Remember that if your work looks like everyone else’s, there’s no reason for a client to book you instead of someone else. Unless you’re cheaper. And nobody wants to be known as “the cheaper photographer”.

- Gimmicks and merchandise will come and go, but honest photography is never outdated.

- It’s easier to focus on buying that next piece of equipment than it is to accept that you should be able to create great work with what you’ve got. Buying stuff is a convenient and expensive distraction. You need a decent camera, a decent lens, and a light meter. Until you can use those tools consistently and masterfully, don’t spend another dime. Spend money on equipment ONLY when you’ve outgrown your current equipment and you’re being limited by it. There are no magic bullets.

- Learn that people photography is about people, not about photography. Great portraits are a side effect of a strong human connection.

- Never forget why you started taking pictures in the first place. Excellent technique is a great tool, but a terrible end product. The best thing your technique can do is not call attention to itself. Never let your technique upstage your subject.

- Never compare your journey with someone else’s. It’s a marathon with no finish line. Someone else may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never “arrive”. No one ever does.

- Embrace frustration. It pushes you to learn and grow, broadens your horizons, and lights a fire under you when your work has gone cold. Nothing is more dangerous to an artist than complacency.

View the original entry.

Travis