“I’m an optimist. I’ve always believed the future is going to be better than the past. And I also believe I have a role in that. The great thing about human beings, myself in particular, is that I can change. I can do better. If you can get up every day, stay optimistic, and believe the future is better than the past, those few things get you through a lot of tough times.” – Jeffrey Immelt
It’s one of my favorite quotes, because I’m often criticized for being overly optimistic. I love this industry and while being a small business owner keeps getting tougher, there’s business out there, but it takes creativity, diversification and focus to find it.
Above Bob Coates taking a break in the studio getting ready for some ‘Chill Time’.
I don’t know anybody who’s afraid of working hard, but the tough part is patience and recognizing when you need to take a break. You can’t be creative if you’re tired or missing time with family and friends because you’re working so hard.
For example, now and then something comes along that totally lights your fire. You’re driven by the passion for some aspect of this business you love. Before you realize it you’ve become completely consumed. You’re totally focused, never noticing that very thin line between your obsession for your business and that of a crack addict!
You’ve got to recognize what they meant when they coined the phrase, “Rome wasn’t built in a day!” That means it’s up to you recognize when you’re approaching burnout and take a break. It takes work to find balance between all the hats you wear, and it’s just as constructive to step away from the business as it is to keep working.
Remember, you can’t create images that tug at people’s heartstrings if your own heart isn’t in it! Recognize when you’re tired, creativity is declining and you need a break. Then, like the Nike tagline: JUST DO IT!
Skip Cohen has been involved in the photographic industry his entire career and previously served as President of Rangefinder/WPPI and earlier, Hasselblad USA. He founded SkipCohenUniversity.com in 2013. Skip is a co-host for “Mind Your Own Business” and “Beyond Technique,” webcasts through Photofocus.com, writes for several publications including Shutter Magazine and is actively involved in several advisory boards for non-profit organizations.
This is the show I appear on every month for about 1/2 hour. (listening time 20 minutes) On Tech Talk, I chat with Tom Tabback about photography and the tech that goes along with it. In this edition, we talk about a family portrait that was almost a world record,** art and the creation of art in photography, the value of a photographic muse and camera tech.
KAZM RADIO – Tech Talk audio
Here’s Tom!!
We have a great time on this show but we talk about some serious stuff!
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
** PS – there will be a more in-depth post with the family portrait later this month here on successful-photographer
I gotta tell ya it is some kind of wonderful to have a creative person who enjoys being in front of the camera! I’ve never had a muse before. For those who might not know the term here’s the Dictionary definition.
Verb (used without object),mused,mus·ing.
to think or meditate in silence, as on some subject.
(in Greek and Roman mythology) each of nine goddesses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who preside over the arts and sciences.
synonyms:
inspiration, creative influence, stimulus;
formalafflatus
“the poet’s muse”
2.
a person or personified force who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist.
Having a person who is an artist in their own right is a gift. Pash has ideas, shares them with me and then lets the chips fall where they may. We start to make photographs with her thoughts in mind then we go wherever the first situation takes us. She has an intimate relationship with the environment which is usually the starting point. Then I add a couple of thoughts to refine, and we experiment and play, and this invariably leads me to create new imagery that I find exciting.
I usually end up pushing my personal boundaries as we work together. And then, even more, when I get into post-production.
Our latest foray into collaboration led to a photo session on Oak Creek in which she had a thought of ‘creating a mermaid.’ I had the urge to play with infrared and had her do some warm-up posing on the rocks with a dress, flowing cloth and au’ natural.
This Photo has the feeling of a Greek Statue to me. Infrared made with Lumix G6 converted by LifePixel
As the session went on, I added Tiffen neutral density filters to extend the time that the shutter would be open.
The neutral density filters extended the time allowing the wind to register in the trees.
This image reminds of one of the classic painters.
Here’s my new best friend ‘Scoot.’ Scoot makes it possible for me to move about as I work to rehab my Iliopsoas muscle. The scooter is there for a bit of support when the pain in my a** gets too intense. But mobility leads to some possibilities.
Meet ‘Scoot’ My new best friend for a while.
I broke out the Lumix FZ2500 because of its range and all in one 24-480mm f2.8-4.0 Leica DG Vario-Elmarit lens. This is the first time I’ll have a camera in my hands in over a week. Can you say withdrawal?? I had asked my wife Holly to bring a camera to the hospital to document some of the things going on around me. Too much pain, not enough sleep and worrying about the camera being in a hospital environment. My wife told me I was nuts to even think of doing that, once again proving that my wife is the smarter of the people in our marriage… and I was wrong again.
Onward to day’s walk to the end of the driveway. I made it under the mesquite tree and was pausing for a break. Lo and behold I was enjoying the soft fuzziness of the yellow blooms against the beautiful blue sky. Off the get the camera and an excuse for a bit more exercise.
Goal. The shade under the mesquite tree at the end of the driveway.
Once underneath the blooms, I started looking for some interesting compositions.
The sharp yet soft bloom of the mesquite against the Arizona blue sky.
A pollinator visits the yellow bloom
I guess I’ll have to be creative find images within this 100-foot circle until I can begin to range further.
Pash is a life model, dancer, mask maker and performance artist. Her tagline is ‘Masks, Movement, Modeling and More.’ She often is performing new concepts and pushing boundaries that inspire and inform new work for me. Just yesterday Pash asked if I would cover a life posing event for her with her artist group. This day would find Pash and her group at the gallery of John and Ruth Waddell in Cornville, AZ. The Waddells have created a magical space with bronze sculptures dancing and cavorting around the property. A truly magical area that Pash enhanced with her interaction while the artists sketched and drew their interpretations of the scene.
Pash in a pose integrated with John Waddell’s bronze
Pash asking me to photograph and document her event had me make this image
Which led to me isolating some areas in moving toward a new piece of art
Working sketch experimenting with beginning textures
A picture I am currently calling ‘Merge’ (working title)
Images such as this are put together utilizing multiple photos of textures blended using Adobe PhotoshopLayers, Color Modes, Blend Modes, and Masks. I sometimes will experiment with ten to twenty different versions before settling on a final image. This one is getting pretty close.
Dan’s work is a mix of in-camera artistry using artificial lighting and photorealistic compositing, often with a fun and vibrant feel. He’s only been a shooter since the digital age, so progressive lighting and digital manipulation have always been a part of his work. Dan’s business is split between his portrait studio and commercial work, and you can see the influence of commercial lighting and sheen in his portrait work.
“My inspiration is generally gleaned from my clients, so my concepts are a collaboration between me and them within the parameters set by their needs. My challenge is to see how technically interesting and creative I can get within those parameters. Beyond client work, I try to challenge myself a couple times per year to create something I have no idea how to pull off just to make myself learn how to do it. Our Christmas cards and my annual schedule poster for the Iowa State Cyclone basketball team are examples of this. Aside from being great learning experiences, these personal challenges generally reciprocate in the form of successful competition prints and great exposure for my brand. For example, the image above of the family having a food fight was commissioned by a mom that saw our crazy/fun Christmas cards and wanted something like that for her family. I’ll take it!
Commercial photography created by McClanahan Studio in Ames, IA. Des Moines photographers specializing in modern, creative imagery for marketing and advertising campaigns. Dan and Alex McClanahan create promotional photography throughout Iowa and all over the midwest.
“I’m not adept at drawing or painting like many of my peers, so when I composite I tend to photograph my components with precise lighting to match the scene so that the layers come together naturally and don’t require much blending in photoshop. I tend to use shapely lighting setups that retain the full dynamic range of the subject while sculpting expressions and textures to look 3-dimensional in a way that is coherent to the scene. Rim lights and fill lights are often used in addition to a key light to create this look. Remember, it’s easy to add contrast in post-production, but it’s tough to fix a photo with blocked up blacks or blown out highlights.”
Dan McClanahan became a photographer in 2009 with the goal of creating a fresh alternative to traditional photography in his market. His quest was so successful that his work quickly made waves in the photo industry with multiple Grand Imaging Awards from Professional Photographers of America (PPA), Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) awards, magazine features and becoming one of the youngest photographers on record to receive all three photography degrees bestowed by PPA. Dan has given back to the photography community as an educator, teaching numerous times at Imaging USA, SYNC, After Dark Education, PhotoVision and other events.
He owns and operates McClanahan Studio with his best friend and beautiful wife, Alex. He splits his time between advertising photography and high school senior photography. The couple live and work with their daughter in a twelve thousand square foot historic building they renovated and share with nine tenants.
Outside work Dan is a small town Iowa introvert that loves Jesus, his family, punk rock drumming and strong coffee.
For infrared conversion of my cameras I use LifePixel. Infrared allows you to put an older camera to use and opens up a new time time of day for productive image creation.
Learn Photoshop in a fun environment. Aaron Nace applies the right amount of fun with easy to understand and follow tutorials. Actions and brushes are included with lessons!
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Platypod has become a great resource for being creative in getting your camera gear easily into unusual places. As an Platypod Pro I get to work/play with the gear even before it comes out. Head over to Platypod, subscribe to the newsletter and you will get special discounts reserved only for subscribers.
Above Bob Coates taking a break in the studio getting ready for some ‘Chill Time’.
dustry his entire career and previously served as President of Rangefinder/WPPI and earlier, Hasselblad USA. He founded SkipCohenUniversity.com in 2013. Skip is a co-host for “Mind Your Own Business” and “Beyond Technique,” webcasts through Photofocus.com, writes for several publications including Shutter Magazine and is actively involved in several advisory boards for non-profit organizations.
