A beautiful blog…

Her beautiful home…

Her amazing style…

And, if you have a little more time, check out my Pinterest boards, and sign up for your account. It really is an amazing source of ideas and inspiration!

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Danielle turned me on to this guy, and I have to say Im so drawn to his films. This one, called The Birdman, made me tear up. I think its because Chris took the time to tell his story, a guy that probably hasnt had many folks sit with him and want to know about his life. It really made me want to start a project like this in our area (if only I had time for another project). So often we go through our days thinking about ourselves and all we have to do, but it would really mean so much to so many, if we just took the time to ask about their life.

The Birdhouse Man from Chris Wiegand on Vimeo.

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Two of my favorite things all rolled into one beautiful online package. You know I love an online Mag. and one of my most favorite photographers is the ridiculously talented Jose Villa. We had the opportunity to have dinner with Jose in Nashville a few years ago, since then his popularity, has continued to grow, and it was pretty darn high back then. He has since had a book published, that Im dying to get my hands on. He is all film shooter, and his work is unmistakeable. Check out his amazing cover and feature(pg 64).

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Im on vacation this week, so Ive had lots of time to play on Pinterest. Thought this was fun. Pick the color you like the best, Without Reading the Description, see how accurate it is. PLEASE share in the comments. It makes me happy to know you guys read my silliness! I picked gravel…hmmm….

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Animator Letters Project: Letter from Pixar Animation Studios Animator, Austin Madison:

Via: Deb Schewdhelm

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Picasso was eating in a cafe when a woman recognized him and asked him to sketch her a quick picture. Picasso said, “Sure!” and began sketching on a napkin. When he finished he handed it to the woman and said, “That’ll be $50,000.” The woman responded, “Why?! That took you 5 minutes!” and Picasso responded, “No, it took me 50 years.”

Love it…read more here

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Sam is lovin Art Camp this week! I wanted to share a few of his fun Projects with Kasey Hope owner of  Pzazz. If you are local, and have kiddos you should check her out. Besides being very talented (check out her Art HERE ) she has a special way with children. Be looking for more about her, here very soon!

Today they studied Jackson Pollock…

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I’ve seen these floating around the internet, and never realized the were CHALK???!!! Amazing work by Dana Tanamachi. I think Im going to issue a challenge to Josh, our resident drawer (is that a word?) to fill our chalk board with something so cool!

Ace Hotel Room 1021 from Dana Tanamachi on Vimeo.

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Words Every Aspiring Photographer Should Know

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 consensus.

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.

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 not 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. Spend money on equipment ONLY when you’ve outgrown your current equipment and you’re being limited by it.

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 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 complacence.

– Cheryl Jacobs Nicolai

Via The Creative Mama

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