ellipsis…

i finished the book How to Succeed in Commercial Photography last night. for the last couple of months i’ve been struggling with the “next step” in trying to branch out into commercial and fashion photography. unfortunately edmonton is not the best place in the world for commercial/fashion photography, especially when all of the big names have moved away.

a couple of years ago i met Nick Onken on a trip to Seattle. Nick is a great lifestyle photographer who is now based in LA. somehow through reading his blog, and then linking to a couple of other photographer’s blogs i found this book. written by Selina Maitreya, one of the first photography consultants in the States. over the last 29 years in the industry, she has written a collection of essays that touch on everything from portfolios, to sales and marketing, to how to have faith when the going gets tough. the book is a peek into the world of photography, and a wealth of knowledge on how to get started and keep going. it was exactly what i needed to hear.

i totally recommend How to Succeed to Commercial Photography to any photographer who is starting off or who just needs a fresh way to look at the industry. in the short 200 pages, Selina has opened up a world that i could not have been taught in a class and given me a rough path to a career i’ve always dreamed of.

i have also been finding some valuable blogs from industry professionals who are not photographers. i’m figuring out that the best advise has not been coming from other photographers but from art buyers and photo editors. check out aphotoeditor.com and Heather Morton’s blog for some insights into the other side of the coin.

so here i go. i’ve got a jumping block of knowledge and some good ideas (at least i hope they are) to start a new body of work. this is the biggest challenge i’ve taken on so far, and i’m more ready for it then i’ve ever been. the journey seems like it’ll be a long road, so wish me luck!

after five and a half years of virtual torture, my Apple PowerBook G4 800Mhz finally gave out on me. i would have hoped that it would have gone out in some glory but i was saving a tiny php page, and that seemed to be enough to fry the motherboard. to be honest, it doesn’t owe me anything. i’m actually quite amazed that it didn’t catch on fire or completely melt. i remember running OS 9 on it!!! and up until 3 weeks ago i’ve been doing all of my photography, design and video editing on it. i have a shiny new Mac Pro that is faster than i can even think. so i don’t think i’ll be buying another laptop until i really need one for an assignment. rest in peace laptop, you’ve served me well.

i’ve been looking for a mini tripod for my hexar over the last couple of years. my konica hexar is the camera i take when i travel. great little film camera. super sharp 35mm f/2 lens, and fires so quite that i can hardly hear it when i’m taking a picture. anyways, i came across this new “tripod” from manfrotto. i don’t think you can really call it a tripod, but it works perfectly for my hexar. when i’m traveling i don’t want to be carrying a tripod, no matter how small. and really i just needed something to prop up my camera and make it a bit more sturdy. the nice thing is that it fits neatly under my camera without sticking out. and so it’s fastened tightly on bottom of my camera ready for the next time i hit the road, whenever that will be.

the new Running Issue of IMPACT Magazine just launched, and i had the opportunity to photograph a couple of ultra-runners for this issue. these guys do some insane distances. 100 miles!!!