Dear Photographer,

Do what you love

Paul — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:06:23 EST

Take photos what you love and what interests you — and chances are someone else will love it too (and pay you for it) — unless your passion is HDR, then only murderers and Satan-worshipers will love you.

Try not just standing there

Paul — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:27:14 EST

I know it's difficult and time consuming, but you might want to try not just standing there when you shoot something. For instance, bend your knees. Or even better, get down on the ground. Or how about this, stand on a chair. Perspective. Get some.

Money covers a multitude of sins

Paul — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:00:00 EST

Just because someone does a fashion shoot with an iPhone 4 don't be fooled into thinking you can also — well, unless you have $45,000 worth of lighting equipment. With that kind of equipment you can shoot a piece of belly-button lint with a pin-hole camera and it would look great.

You will lose a client to a 14 year old who can't drive

Paul — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EST

When a famed and talented photographer like Jeremy Cowart start to lose large clients to 14 year olds who think an f/stop is a sexual position and that aperture is just a software program, then you know professional photography is in a major state of "talent tainting".

The worst made up holiday in the creation of the universe

Paul — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:34:23 EST

It appears that tomorrow, Sunday June 27th, is "International HDR Day", or what I will call it, "International Worship Photos Created By Satan Day". To honor the day I will be squirking lemon juice and lighter fluid into my eyes and setting them on fire (thanks for the heads up carissa).

Don't be lazy

Paul — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:05:33 EST

Never use technology as a crutch for your laziness. Plan ahead. Get the right setting. The right lighting. Have the right lens, focal distance and blocking. Never say "I can fix that in Photoshop" when it can be fixed with preparedness.

Photography is a fantasy

Paul — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 02:00:00 EST

Fastinacting talk (at TED) by photographer/photojournalist Taryn Simon on the hidden and secret world that can be uncovered in photography. She also reinforces the idea that photography can expose a fantasy but also can be used to distort and fabricate truth or reality into a fantasy.

Turn that frown upside down

Paul — Fri, 28 May 2010 11:21:42 EST

If you have a really dull and uninterseting photo (which honestly, 99% of all photographs are) try turning it upside down. BAM! Instant depth and interest (but not really). It's the equivalent of hitting an "awesome-ify" button.

You look like a sweaty pig

Paul — Tue, 25 May 2010 08:57:37 EST

Photography always has a style cycle, and right about now the "sweaty pig look" should go away. It has it's place — like if you want someone to look like a sweaty messy pig — but it's also overdone. Never use a style for the fact that everyone else is doing it.

Death and taxes and HDR

Paul — Thu, 06 May 2010 09:35:41 EST

There aren't many guarentees in life. Death and Taxes. And HDR. HDR is like spraying your eyes with liquid death aerosol while eating a scalding bowl of boiled taxes.

You must know the rules to break the rules

Paul — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:00:00 EST

You cannot create anything that lasts, that's original, or has a voice unless you understand the rules — and then you can break them. You must learn the tools before you can master the trade.

Chuck Close on Photography

Paul — Sat, 01 May 2010 08:11:43 EST

"This is simultaneously photography’s great advantage and its Achilles’ heel: it is the easiest medium in which to be competent. Anybody can be a marginally capable photographer, but it takes a lot of work to learn to become even a competent painter. Now, having said that, I think while photography is the easiest medium in which to be competent, it is probably the hardest one in which to develop an idiosyncratic personal vision."

— Artist Chuck Close (Thoughts on photography and its personal voice)

I've long been an admirer of the work of Chuck Close (since studying Art History in college about 18 years ago). I couldn't agree more with these sentiments.

Adobe Photoshop Mind-Reader Edition

Paul — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:02:09 EST

I'm 87% sure the next version of Photoshop will be 1 button that says "Fix-ify" and BLAM — it'll read your mind and create an image (but then crash and output an HDR image of a cat on a macro-flower).

It might be about what is unseen

Paul — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:46:51 EST

Photography is as much about what is seen as what is unseen. Never take for granted the power of inference and the imagination of the viewer.

The writing on the wall

Paul — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 08:04:46 EST

I hate to say I told you so, but ... I told you so. Sure you still have to own a camera, and know how to take off a lens cap, and point it in the general direction of something, and upload it to some site where you lie about how it was all "in camera"; but the market for "real" (and by "real" I mean studied, experienced, full-time, paid, creative, technically able) photographers is shrinking like a dog's anus on a winter evening walk.

Never cut a deal

Paul — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:08:11 EST

Once you compromise a "deal" for a "friend" to do pictures, you will be stuck with that "deal" forever. Lesson: charge what you need to make, regarldess of friend status. If they're a true friend they'll understand (and go to someone else who just bought their camera and has everything set on automatic and thinks shooting RAW is some weird fetish fade of taking pictures of meat)

How about no

Paul — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:00:00 EST

Holidays are the worst time to be a photographer. At any family get-toghether you will inevitably be "asked" to take various pictures of family members — because "you're the photographer" (of course for free, effectively turning your holiday party into work). The simple solution: NEVER BRING YOUR CAMERA TO FAMILY EVENTS (this also applies to office parties, birthdays, bar mitzvahs, bars, restaurants, bookstores, bus stops and sidewalks)

Sad Fact

Paul — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:39:41 EST

You'll find that number of moments, memories and occassions you capture (in photos) for other people means the fewer you capture of your own.

Tilt Shift isn't really what you think

Paul — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:59:41 EST

So this is apparently the best examples of the tilt-shift technique. Sadly, a real tilt-shift lens will never yield the selective focus that enhances that "minature" look (specifically on images like this, or this or this). So, just know, its not really tilt-shift photography, but "I'm Good At Using Masks In Photoshop To Make Things Looks Really Tiny" Shift.

Not all things that are fake are bad

Paul — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:43:24 EST

Not everything that's fake is bad — for instance breast implants, but HDR is not one of those things.

HDR = Wrong. Bad. Fake.

Style versus results

Paul — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:56:02 EST

Let your limitations define you style, but don't let your style limit your results.

You're just like George Lucas, all effects and no story

Paul — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:11:15 EST

Photoshop is a wonderful tool (don't get me wrong), but without a great photo all your filters and effects don't give you a great image — it just makes you the George Lucas of the photography world.

Photoshop owns your face

Paul — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:23:11 EST

Your job is in danger. Pretty soon photographers, you will be obsolete; thanks to Adobe Photoshop. You won't even need a photo, Photoshop will just create an image based on a "hunch" of what you might want.

If you suck, watch out

Paul — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:49:26 EST

Not everyone who claims to be a photographer can get away with it, as this poor shlup found out. Not that wedding photographers need more pressure, yet if you suck, you could get your ass sued. Might as well give a homeless man a disposable camera than go cheap for your wedding photos — you get what you pay for.

Really, legs? Legs are good photography?

Paul — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:32:40 EST

Paint me confused, but I don't get all the photos of legs. Legs with knee-highs. Legs in water. Legs with hipster sneakers. Wow, I've never seen that before. Why aren't they're hairy man legs? Because its gross. Sure you got the sexy goods ladies, but honestly, big deal. Move on.