by successfulbob | success education
I’m a fan of Jack Canfield having read and worked with his book The Success Principles. (I highly recommend it) Here’s and article he wrote about pushing through in spite of negative feedback…
Life is a Laboratory by Jack Canfield
Everyone has a dream.
Many of us simply lose sight of it or let it go because of some earlier disappointment, rejection, or lack of progress. The natural tendency is to protect ourselves from getting hurt again, so we deny our dream, afraid to reach out for the people, resources, and opportunities that could support it.
I want to share a quick story about my friend Catherine Lanigan. She had earned a college scholarship on her strengths as a gifted writer. Catherine’s Harvard professor gave her an F on her first short story and convinced her she had no talent. She wrote nothing more for 13 years.
Then one day in her small Texas town Catherine visited a movie set. When she expressed her desire to be a writer, one of the scriptwriters shot back, “B.S.! If you wanted to be a writer, you would have written.”
When Catherine explained how her professor discouraged her, the scriptwriter replied, “An academic guy? What does he know? I write for a living. Tell you what. You go home and write something and send it to me, and I’ll tell you if I think you have any talent in the real world of commercial literature.”
A year later, Catherine finished her novel and sent it to the scriptwriter, who loved it and sent it to his agent in New York. The agent also loved it and asked to represent her work. Catherine’s first novel was followed by numerous others including Romancing the Stone and Jewel of the Nile, which became a major motion picture.
Is there a dream buried deep within you? If so, you owe it to yourself—and the world—to fully express it.
First you need to get in touch with your dream. When you get in touch with the essence of who you are and what it is that really wants to come through you, it propels you forward, allowing you to overcome any obstacle, no matter how big.
Secondly, gather feedback from many people (but don’t let someone else’s opinion bury your dream as Catherine did for so long). Whether you’re venturing into a new career, proposing a project in your community, or developing a computer application, get as much feedback as you can. Weigh it; then follow your own instincts.
Finally, try things you’ve never tried before to see what works. When we were kids, we’d try anything, but now? Today a child having a computer problem will hit every button to get it to work. Many adults fear touching the wrong button will break it.
Embrace a spirit of curiosity and playfulness in your pursuit. If one thing doesn’t work, try another. If that doesn’t work, try something else. This can be great fun. Imagine life as one big laboratory—and keep experimenting until your dream yields the results you want.
Jack Canfield, America’s #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul® and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at:
www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com
by successfulbob | Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, musician photography, photography
Guitarist JJ Sansavarino likes to bring guests along to his gigs at Sound Bites Grill in Sedona, Arizona and last Friday night it was New York singer Vivian Sessoms. She has a silky voice and you can tell she’s been at it a while as proven when I went to take a peek at her bio from her web site.
“Born and raised in Harlem, Vivian, whose mother was a session/jingle-singer, and whose father was a flautist/percussionist (who’s played with the likes of James Brown), learned the wonder of music at a young age. Surrounded by nightclubs, churches and regular jam sessions at her family’s home, she was already singing by the time she could talk. “Growing up, there was always music to express the way I was feeling. I was so immersed in it, that I kind of viewed music as a kind of backdrop to my life,” she recalls.”
Original photo was captured with the Panasonic Lumix GX7. The density range available on this camera’s chip is really helpful for working in harsh LED stage lighting conditions and still being able to pull detail out of the shadows. The fact that it is a very low profile size allows me to capture the action without disturbing the guests during the performance. Very cool!
The image was imported into Photoshop where Vivian was extracted from the photo and put on her own layer. Then a drop shadow was added to give the image some depth. Then a Inner Glow was added to give her some separation using Layer FX. Multiple textures and blend modes were used to add the artistic treatment to the image.
Here’s the finished art photograph for the ‘Wall of Fame’…
Vivian Sessoms – New York singer at Sound Bites Grill in Sedona, Arizona
by successfulbob | photography education
Today’s quote is from Wayne Miller.
“I think good dreaming is what leads to good photographs.” I have to agree. When I let my mind run free pursuing ideas for a different photographic image good things happen. I believe that’s because in dreamworld, whether it be day-dreaming or full on dreaming while in the sleep state, there is no negativity. No one saying, “You can’t do that.” Or, “That’s not possible.” Or, “Nobody will like that.” The ‘Negative Nellies’ are not present in dreams. Now the only secret is to bring that idea out and execute it before anyone has a chance to knock it! Dream on!
I didn’t know who Wayne Miller was, I just enjoyed the quote… which led me to find out Wayne was born in Chicago, was a combat photographer in WW II working in the unit with Edward Steichen. He was also a contract photographer for Life Magazine and was president of Magnum Images for a time and helped with the Family of Man photography exhibit in NYC. In other words he was a trail blazer for photographic imaging. Wayne made it to the age of 94 before passing away in May of this year.
by successfulbob | Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, photography education
I went to visit the Sedona Airport for a WW II USO show put on to promote the Sedona Wine Fest. It was very well put together. WW II planes including a B 25 were on display and Sedona’s local songstresses Shondra Jepperson, Jeanie Carroll and Susannah Martin played the stage dressed for the part with WW II uniforms. They sounded wonderful. Other characters like Rosie the Riveter, a Detective, Jane Mansfield and others from the era were played by local Sedona actors and it was a blast. You can see images from the fun here. In the dialog box add your email. The password is 092013 The BW tone you see on some of the photos is a tweaked preset on the Lumix GX7.
Here’s a sequence I made with Shondra using the 10 fps burst mode with a preset tweaked to black and white on my Lumix GX7 then turned into sepia and animated gif. The animated gif was created in Photoshop using images imported into the timeline.
That girl can swing!
(you might have to wait a little bit for this to download)
And a little feedback from Shondra…
“Hey Bob!!
This is HYSTERICAL!!! VERY cool how you captured this.
THANK YOU SOOOOOOO Much for taking photos of all of us!! Can hardly wait to see the rest of them!
BIG Hugs,” Shondra
I donated my time shooting and processing these images and video in support of the event…
by successfulbob | landscape photography, Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, panorama, photography
While in Salt Lake City I had a chance to chase around the area for some scenic photos. On the way to Park City we passed by this area. Lots of material to work with in this scene. St. Mary’s of the Assumption Catholic church is an attractive piece of architecture in the field. Throw in the cattails that are changing color behind the split rail fence. Add some mountains and clouds in the background and there are lots of permutations for different looks in working the scene. My favorite is a panoramic that was stitched in the camera. The Lumix GX7 really has an incredible ability to keep lines in place while putting the image together. It will tell you if you’ve gone astray either panning too fast or too slow or offline and lets you start over to shoot it properly.
Of course, you need to get in the proper position for everything to work in the final composition. Here’s a shot of me getting the shot by Panasonic rep (and great touring partner!) Kristin Long.
Kristin Long photo of me getting the shot.
And the shot….
St Mary’s of the Assumption Catholic Church – Park City, Utah
by successfulbob | photography education
I spend time looking for inspiration for the art of my photography away from our industry. While I am often inspired by wonderful photographic images and ideas from other photographers I don’t want my thinking to become completely ‘inbred’. Here’s an artist I follow who has inspired me in different ways on a regular basis. Robert Genn’s Twice-Weekly Letter. You can sign up here. In this post I am sharing here Robert gives credence to the afternoon nap as a tool of creativity. I like it!
Take a nap
September 24, 2013
Dear Bob,
I’ve always been keen on “don’t rest–run.” Often a quick jog after lunch seemed to perk me up and send me back to the studio with a new sense of adventure. Now I’m not so sure. Strictly between you and me, I’m now taking naps.
This follows recent research into the value of sleep, especially short sleep. Sara C. Mednick is a sleep researcher at the University of California, Riverside. Her studies look at the relationship between napping and performance. Mednick thinks humans have a biological need for an afternoon nap. She’s the author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life.
It’s not just the need, it’s the benefits. In sleep our minds become highly active. In sleep we apparently improve our creative ability by uncovering novel connections among seemingly unrelated ideas. Sleep also enhances performance, learning and memory. According to Mednick, after sleep, people are 33 percent more likely to be creative.
Google, Cisco Systems and Proctor & Gamble have now installed Arshad Chowdhury’s “EnergyPods.” These are smart looking recliners with egglike hoods that block noise and light, allowing employees to take naps at work. These companies find that a little sleep helps “reset” the brain to look at things from a different perspective.
According to Mednick, the best time to nap is after lunch. This is the time when most humans and animals experience what is called “the post-prandial dip.” It’s a low-ebb for cogno-processing and physiological responses–when a lot of us actually do feel sleepy. Naps, Mednick found, improve cognitive performance better than caffeine.
I’d be interested if any of our readers have had experience with this. In my case Dorothy the Airedale and I go into the house and nap in a spare room. I read a bit first, preferably something unrelated to art, then I just turn over and snooze. Dorothy doesn’t need to read first. Actual nap time is from 20 minutes to an hour. If the house phone rings, the spell is broken for both of us.
Returning to the studio, I quite often see right away what’s wrong with what I’m doing. Other times I’m driven to start something new. As an early morning riser I’m often petered out after lunch, but I can report that an afternoon nap gives Dorothy and me two days for the price of one.
Best regards,
Robert
PS: “There are biological dips in our rhythm and in our alertness that seem to go along with the natural state from way back when.” (Sara C. Mednick)
Esoterica: At least two methods awaken the potential of a nap. One is to pose a problem before you drift off. Notes unanswered on a pad of paper do the trick. Fresh in the top of the mind, the underground mind works on the notes as you snooze. The second is to go to sleep with nothing much on your mind at all (the purpose of neutral reading beforehand) and let the old subconscious mix and match where it will. “‘Scuse me, I gotta’ go.”
by successfulbob | Lumix GH3, Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, musician photography
Happened in to Sound Bites Grill for a bite to eat and and heard some pretty cool sounds coming from the stage and wondered why I hadn’t been called to photograph the band for the ‘Wall of Fame’. I went around the corner and the owner looks and says, “Do you have your camera with you? This group needs to go on the ‘Wall’!” Well since I’ve gotten the Lumix GX7 I’ve pretty much had a camera with me all the time so I was able to say, “I do and picked up some work that night.” The camera has such a small profile and is so lightweight. Even with that I’m able to get lots of info from the files and not worry I don’t have enough pixels even though it’s a micro 4/3rds format.
As you know if you follow this blog I am a Panasonic Lumix Luminary but became one because I liked the small size of the cameras for travel. I am now finding more and more that I am using either this camera or the Lumix GH3 for 80 percent of my pro work and 100% of my travel – and as I learn more about the camera it will probably replace my current DSLR system…
Adrenaline Band image at Sound Bites Grill, Sedona, Arizona
Here’s a word or two from Charlene the lead singer and manager of the band. “That is freakin awesome!!!!!! I love your work!!!! Do you have a rate sheet or price breakdown to do future pics??”
That’s music to my ears… Are you in a music group or do you know any band that needs some photography art work? If so please give me a shout. Thanks!
by successfulbob | photography - art quote, photography education
Think about images that stay with you.
Here’s one of mine. I remember a framed Cezanne print that hung in the dining room when I was growing up. It was a simple table setting called Apples and Oranges done in muted yet attractive colors. Under the table was a shadowy figure and I was always curious what that person was doing there. I found an air of mystery that tended to haunt me after playing back the image in my mind.
Apples and Oranges available as a print here.
Another was from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was an almost life size painting of a bedoin prince in white robes. He was adorned with jewels. The lighting? Exquisite! The rendering by the artist of the metal and details like the hair on his knuckles was stellar. I thought it was possible that I was just amazed by this art because of it’s size. Not true. Upon revisiting this art several times I am continually amazed by this piece.
Moorish Chief at the Philadelphia Museum of Art by Austrian Eduard Charlemont
Oil on panel 59 1/8 x 38 1/2 inches (150.2 x 97.8 cm)
Photographs that captured your attention and keep coming back to visit in your mind. They usually have touched a cord inside of you for one reason or another. I believe that Paul Cezanne has given us twelve words and a thought process that will help us to create better, more memorable images. Start with the emotion and find a way to tell the story more deeply and people will find your images more memorable.
How to get the emotion into your image? I suppose it depends on the emotion you are trying to elicit in the viewer. Happy, sad, love, jubilant, sad, placid, agitated, angry, frustrated (don’t ask flight attendants at the end of a four day run for emotional words)
A quick trip to Wikipedia say about emotion: …Emotion is a subjective, conscious experience characterized primarily by psychophysiological expressions, biological reactions, and mental states. Emotion is often the driving force behind motivation, positive or negative.An alternative definition of emotion is a “positive or negative experience that is associated with a particular pattern of physiological activity.”
I find that images that have shadows have more depth and tend to strike a cord more deeply than those that are brightly lit. Bright colors elicit energetic thoughts. Bright colors with wonderful shadows are even more powerful. Shadows with a soft edge transition tend to be more pleasing than high contrast shadows which tend to jar the viewer. Somber, muted, warm tone colors convey quiet.
The idea here is to begin to think of the emotion first then figure the best way to convey it. Now, how will I create a Tango image that shows all the power and grace of the movement??? Time to start thinking… thanks to Paul.
“A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art.” Paul Cezanne
by successfulbob | landscape photography, Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, photography
I’m getting ready to do a couple classes a little later this AM (9/28) at Pictureline in Salt Lake City, Utah for Digitalfest.
Had the pleasure of getting out and photographing some areas off in the mountains. I gotta tell you this is one pretty place! I made a panorama photograph using the Panasonic Lumix GX7. The in-camera photo stitching continues to make me grin… The file is sweet straight out of camera. A tiny little tweak of the color using Adobe Camera RAW followed by adding a slight vingette was all that was done in post. This was photographed standing on the roo of the car in order to just get above the treeline to let the snow covered mountains in the middle-ground sneak up a bit in the frame. Let me know what you think.
Utah Panoramic phototography of mountains near Salt Lake City.
by successfulbob | architectural photography, Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, panorama
On my way to the airport after speaking at the professional photographers of Michigan convention I was able to spend a few minutes with Jim downtown Grand Rapids along the river with all the art that’s installed right now. He gave me a great chance to play with the LumixGX7. I’m really enjoying the panoramic capabilities of the in camera stitching and the way the final output comes. Here are a couple images from the shoot.
Riverfront image along the Grand River in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Airport entrance in Grand Rapids, Michigan
