Old speedlights?

Through the haze of screaming children and crashing toys today, I was trying (unsuccessfully) to straighten out my gear.  Once everyone was down for a nap and the house was quiet for an hour or so, I was able to really dig through my stuff and get things arranged.

During this time of focused sorting in silence, I realized two things.

1: I'm completely at peace when I can find silence.  It was a good feeling.

2: I really love old speedlights.  

That second thing got to me a little.  Why do I love old speedlights?  Why do I have so many?

Well, I have so many because I use them all the time and I love them because they're cheap and crazy powerful for the money.  I like the subtlety of the smaller lights and lower outputs from speedlights.  I like the control I have with them.  Need more than max output but not a full stop more? Bring out another speedlight at half power.  Sure, you could get the same sort of fine control out of a big studio strobe but can you do it for $200 at a flea market on a Saturday and walk out with a duffel bag full of them?  Probably not.

If you're reading this, and I don't know if anyone even is, give old Vivitar, Sunpak, Quantaray, etc. speedlights a shot.  You won't get functional TTL but, if you don't mind playing with your seings manually, I think you'll be glad you did.

The art of acting like a professional

As a photographer who shoots primarily marketing photos for companies, my portfolio is vastly different from the work that comes my way.  I normally end up shooting ads for local companies and regional offices, non-profits, and bars and restaurants that are in no way my vision.  It's just the nature of my usual work.  The clients generally wants my style but their setup and background elements.

It may feel like I'm sacrificing artistic integrity but, in reality, you can't eat integrity.  You can't live in integrity. What you can do is deliver your best work adhering to the client's guidelines or shot-list and get paid.  That's the problem I see with so many people in the art world.  They get hung up on integrity of their art.  That's just not how you get paid.

My product portfolio is filled with shots like this.  Simple, understated, well lit, and(as I see it) beautiful.  What I typically end up sending to print is, to my eye, slightly overdone and a little garish but it makes the clients happy and they're the ones cutting checks at the end of the day.

Just remember, you can't get hung up on making yourself happy.  when someone approaches you and says they like your style and they want you to take the reigns and go with it, take that as a compliment to your style and your work.  Be happy when those gigs come along.  when someone comes to you and says they need a photographer and want their ideas, be happy you're about to get paid.

You are not "Just"

I was making my daily rounds of ad shoots today and I overheard something that really helped my crappy day hangover from yesterday's weather messing putting off two shoots for me.  I was in a local business to shoot and I overheard the janitor getting a down-dressing by one of the employees.  The owner came over, patted the janitor on the back, and told the rude-ass where he could shove his attitude, if he didn't like it, he could hit the bricks.

that's not the part that got to me.  The part that got to me followed after the douche-nozzle slumped away.  He to the man that he was just as important as anyone else in the building.  If he wasn't there to clean up, customers would have no interest in coming in because the office would be a mess, the toilets would be a nightmare, things would generally smell very bad.

Here's why this moved me.  I've often said to myself that I'm just a photographer.  That's all I am and that's all I'll ever be.  I go around with lights and a camera and take pictures of people.  In reality, what I do, and what we all do as professional photographers, is make people, places, and things look the best that they possibly can.  If you shoot catalog ads, you are directly responsible for how people see a product in print and, more so, online ads.  If you shoot headshots, you are responsible for how some of the most powerful people in an organization present themselves to the world on social media and on their business cards.  If you shoot family portraits, you are responsible for the only tangible thing that people will have to look back on when someone passes on(It's sad but true).

What I'm saying is this:  No matter what your work focuses on, keep in mind that you are just as important as anyone else in the room.  Present yourself and your work well, act like a true professional while you're working, and never, EVER, let anyone tell you tat you are "just" anything.  You are you and you are important.

Earlier, when I said that all you need is simplicity and real emotion, this is what I meant.  My client and oldest friend was sitting for some headshots with me last night.  Simple, high key, one light.  Her daughter came over for a hug and BOOM, magic.

Keep it simple

I don't really know where to start so I'll just start by saying welcome.

The plan for this blog is to not be the typical photographer's blog with "Hey! Check out this new stuff I got." and  "Hey. This thing right here will make your work so much better/make you a cool as James Bond with an ice cream in a snow storm" or any of that.

I believe that simplicity is almost always best.  You don't need 1500 watt second Broncolors and a Phase One to shoot portraits.  You don't need a 1Dx and a 300mm f/2.8 to shoot sports.  You need creativity and the ability to find the moments.  The real moments that can't be staged and can be conveyed to the world with a cell phone camera and an internet connection.

I've got a perfect example of what I mean coming up later today.