more busy days are upon me

It has been a little while since the last time I wrote. The past two months have been really busy and hectic. But, that is when life is usually the most exciting.

I have been taking some classes this semester to keep things fresh and new for me. Plus, it doesn't hurt to learn something new and grow the box that you live in. One of the classes I am taking at ACC this semester is Studio Management. Despite the course name, this is actually a class focusing on the business side of photography. We have had lecturers of all types come in...bankers, lawyers, insurance agents and may different photographers. The photographers that we have had come visit us range from portrait and wedding photographers through commercial and editorial photographers. Recently, we had Kirk Tuck come in and speak to us. This man has and continues to have a great career in commercial photography. He had some amazing things to share with us about running a business and how to remain successful in the current trying times. Keep an eye on his blog, Visual Science Lab. Kirk updates this blog daily with some great material that everyone should read.

On a side note, I just returned from a job shooting a ton of new images for a local Texas busines, G and S Fish Market. I am finishing up the images for delivery as we speak. This was, in my head, going to be a fairly easy, but fun, assignment. So of course there were some slight issues to overcome. Remember, shooting shiny and reflective items will require you to think a little outside the box and challenge you to work harder.

Enjoy your week!

I Have Something Great to Reveal!

I will apologize ahead of time for how long this video takes to load. But it is definitely worth the wait.



This is a viral video that I stumbled across this evening. It was created by DRAFTFCB out of Stockholm. And the best part of all....its 100% interactive. You can make one for yourself or for friends and family.

Jonyrose Filip

i am unsure who took this image at this time

and i add more to this again today

today i learned that i lost a really good and close friend
Jonyrose Filip

Why does Photography cost so much?

I have been working on a post in regards to the of good photography cost and dealing with educating our clients about it for a couple days now. This morning while reading and catching up on blogs I follow, I stumbled across this gem written by Marianne Drenthe. Its a great read and written in the context of a portrait photographer, but the principles and concepts still apply no matter what aspect of the industry you are involved in. So, I have temporarily put my own post about this topic on the back burner and have presented what I found for you in its entirety (and with permission even)here.

This is a great read from Joe McNally.....even for you non-photographers out there....thanks to my buddy, Stephen Hooker for pointing out this gem that I managed to overlook on part of daily reading.

What to do when it snows in Austin, TX?

So, I am going to start this off with a bit of history. Sunday afternoon was in the low 80s. By Monday morning, the weather had dipped back down to about 50 or so. This morning I awoke to it snowing. Yes. Snowing. In Austin, TX. So what did I decide to do with the opportunity? I went and took pictures.

Last Thursday, I got my hands on a Cambo large format view camera. I didn't get much opportunity to play with it and shoot until Sunday afternoon. And even then, I only shot 2 sheets of film. I forgot how much I loved working with the view camera. There is something magical in the tilts, shifts and swings of the standards. It is a very organic and slow process. You bring out the legs and then set up either the short or long rail, then the standards and bellows. And then you start framing your image. By the time you have framed and composed your shot, you can easily have spent 30 minutes before you are even ready to contemplate loading the film and setting the aperture and shutter speed. That process alone is an art form; ie. bellows extension factor.

Accidents do happen.......

like this one on my personal vehicle this morning.

So, today we will talk about insurance I guess.

Do not skip this important step. Insuring yourself, any one you bring in for a shoot and your equipment is a necessity. It covers your butt if an accident were to occur. There are many choices out there as far as carriers go. This link will help you compare rates from different carriers. The good news is that these types of policies are a lot cheaper than one would expect. Call your agent that handles your vehicles and your homeowners policies. Find out if a general business policy suits your needs or if you need to look at also carrying an inland/marine policy.

These links should also help answer some questions and point you in the right direction:
Camera and Equipment Insurance
Business Insurance Primer for Photographers
Protecting Your Business with Insurance


The biggest suggestion I can offer in regards to insurance is make sure deductible is one that you can afford to pay in the event an accident does occur. And always go with replacement cost for all equipment.