by successfulbob | fine art photography, photography education
An excerpt from Robert Genn’s newsletter… Find more here on the Painters Keys
“The creative memory is fickle and needs to be taken fresh. If you seize the day and go to work at the first flush of interest, you’ll find your work and your creative ideas freshen up too. Just as the love of a certain medium can have a “life,” so too can subject matter. Many artists report tiring of themes or subjects. Feeling they haven’t exploited them thoroughly enough, they guiltily resist moving on. Sometimes they get stuck for months, even years.
The popular use of digital cameras makes it easy to put stuff in the can–sometimes without even looking at it–for another time. This can be a mistake. The important thing is to be wired, enthusiastic and alive in the moment. You can learn a lot from your dog. Tail wagging is a bit much for some humans, and it can get on the nerves of fellow travelers, but it’s the straight route to creative joy.”
I’ve been told to take my happy butt and leave places on more than one occasion so I can relate to the Tail Wagging. I have been trying to bring that enthusiasm to my photography more lately and I think it’s showing up in new imagery.
Been playing a lot with the in camera panorama stitching in my Lumix GX7. Panoramas are a different way of viewing the world and the ease of working with this is great leading to some extra experimentation.
I often find ideas to use from artists outside the photography realm… If you’ve found inspiration like that how about sharing with me and I can pass it on? Add a comment or drop me an email. Cheers!
by successfulbob | architectural photography, photography, photography education, success education
Light rain misted the Atlanta restaurant my friends brought me to see. I ran outside and took a few moments getting my hair wet to photograph the brick building from several angles and went back in to laughter, swapping stories, enjoying food and downing a Guiness or two.
Original capture. Obviously the light under the overcast, rainy day was pretty flat.
Back in the office I downloaded the image and went to work to give the image an old world painterly quality.
Here’s the finished art piece I sent.
Send an email to the owner with a copy of the image and receive this response, “Oh my GOD!!!! I will call you – I want to talk to you about this as soon as possible – when is a good time to catch you by phone? Let me know the best number to reach you…….
Best, AK”
A few attempts at communication and all was quiet… for a year.
Back to Atlanta for some PPA biz and I made a canvas of the image to take to AK and the sale was made. We are working on some details right now but she wants to use the image as the restaurant’s signature image for marketing on the web, in the restaurant, on menus and T-Shirts.
Two questions for you… Do you do work on speck? And, do you follow through?
By the way, the owner didn’t think I was being pushy for continuing to follow up. She thanked me profusely!
by successfulbob | black & white, landscape photography, Lumix GX7, photography, photography education
There’s a small lurch as the wheels slowly begin to turn and the view out the window begins to change. Traveling on a train is great entertainment especially when rolling through Sycamore Canyon on board the Verde Canyon Railroad. Red rocks slide by as do glimpses of water flowing gently through the winding creek bed.
Verde Valley Railroad train. Illustrative Art setting pushed to black and white with the white balance setting.
And best yet, I get to play with more settings on my Lumix GX7 as we squeal and clatter along the rails to Perkinsville and back. The more I play with this computer, and yes it is a powerful computer in my mind, the more I like it. Didn’t realize I would enjoy the soft… or the dynamic black and white. I already know I like the in-camera panoramic stitching. (but I don’t use it on this trip because it’s hard to stitch while on a moving platform… or is it?? something I’ll have to experiment with in the future!)
The semi-abandoned train station in Perkinsville.
Because I have this time to mess about with picture settings and play the ‘Let’s see what happens if I do this’ game. I’m finding new looks that I want to program in the camera. It is becoming an another tool in my artistic arsenal to share images. I encourage you, no matter what camera you own to go in and play with the settings so you can find and learn the full capabilities at your disposal.
Pushing and playing to learn new ways to artistic expression with the Lumix camera.
by successfulbob | photography education
Huddled in the bathroom with three other people and two dogs all of us shivering with fear listening to the wind howling I was wondering if the roof would peel back. Suddenly the water heater began to shake like a break dancer with an appreciative crowd adding to the cacophony already rendering the air.
Four more times the water heater did an encore dance driven by tornados on the road behind the house. Then blessed relative silence as the torndos wormed their way down the road overturning buildings and twisting the tops of trees off as if they were mere matchsticks.
Water lashed the building in sheets finding it’s way through microscopic openings we didn’t know existed puddling on the floor.
NO this isn’t a report from the typhoon in the Phillipines, it was 1994 on St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands in the middle of hurricane Marilyn as the wall of the eye passed by…
“What the hell does this have to do with photography, Bob??”
Well, I’ve been reading some posts on forums and blogs and seeing the vitriol being released about MWACS, AWACS, GWACS, the arguments to sell or not sell images CD’s, the “my camera is better than yours”, who is a pro photographer or not.
And – I’m tired of it! You know why? We are so fortunate to live in the country we do with all the benefits we enjoy. The arguments are not life or death. We are intolerant and don’t take the time to be thankful for what we have and how wonderful it is to work in an industry we enjoy. Let’s show a little more love to each other. Be more tolerant. Revel in the relative bounty we enjoy and take a moment to show and share gratitude for the bountious world in which we inhabit.
Thanks for listening to my mini-rant. I now return you to posts specifically geared to photography, business and marketing. Remember to share the love!
Spent a long time recovering from this hurricane.
Can only imagine what the people in the Phillipines are going through. Please be thankful for all the you have and the gifts you constantly receive in your life and share the thoughts with others
by successfulbob | photography, photography - art quote, photography education
Simple message.
One sentence long.
Andy Warhol. “I always think I don’t do the first one good, so I try to do it more.”
Simple sentence. Lots to think about.
Tiger Woods doesn’t show up for the tournament and walk away with the top prize. He practices his craft. He works hard. Even after completing a round during the competition he’s back out on the driving range perfecting his timing or on the putting green getting the groove down for the next day’s play.
How much do you practice your craft? How good do you want to be? I think we can take the Warhol words, whether you like his art or not, and put them into practice. Good luck in really learning your craft… I’m still working, and practicing too!
by successfulbob | marketing, photography education, success education
“Hey! What does your bill say??!! I’m not sure I read mine correctly…”
That was the cry when our checks were presented. Smiles passed from face to face around the table as each person read the message in the presentation folder…….
Have a great night…
You could feel spirits lift as everyone tried to figure out what was going on. We had requested separate checks. So we each got one. Even the person who had taken the waiter aside and asked to pick up the tab had an extra smile on his face because of all the laughter washing around the table.
The smooth move by our waiter cost him only the time to jot the extra notes and pass out the fraudulent checks to the group.
Which begs this question… What small thing can you do that would delight your clients in a big way that would have them sharing YOUR story?? As evidenced by this savvy server you don’t have to give away the store to bring a smile to your customers.
Got some ideas to share?
