Archives for November 2011

Spending too much time on production and project management? Stop it. Shame on you. These are the activities of sloth. No, not physical sloth. You can easily bury yourself in 80 hours of toil. But mental sloth. Because you know you should be working on the future, but you’re stuck in the present. Because the production is easier. Because it’s tangible. You get something checked off your list. And because future planning is equal parts fun and scary. Fun because, well, it’s fun. Scary, because you need to actually figure things out. And make decisions. Commitments. And to hope that the hope you have has the potential you think it does.

But I’ll let you in on a little secret … Read more...

This is the book I’ve been waiting for, and I didn’t even know it. But for anyone who knows me, there are two things they’ll know. First, I think Magnum is amazing. Second, I’m tired of Magnum. Not for what they’ve done, not for the photographers who are there. And their significance is obvious enough, but after spending years inhaling their work and dwelling in documentary photography, I’ve also found myself a little spent. As I’ve watched the language of photography evolve, I’ve been focusing on a greater level of abstraction and personal intimacy. Yet, for all that, looking through the contact sheets of some of the greatest photographers of the twentieth century left me inspired, winded, and humbled. It … Read more...

Oh vintage, we barely knew ya. Oh, wait, that’s not true at all. I think we knew ya quite well. Here’s something from the Huffington Post. Harmony Walton heralds the end of the vintage trend with a return to classicism.

Seriously, though. Vintage. Classic. Modern. Who cares? The problem isn’t vintage or mason jars, decorations or details, shoes, dresses, or any one thing. The problem isn’t brides and planners. It’s not even evil corporate boogeymen. The problem is we live in a world and work in an industry where we signal substance by pointing to the end of a trend through the birth of a new one. It may be a rallying cry, but it’s no salvation. It misses … Read more...

Game Changer:
1. A person who is a visionary.

2. A company that alters its business strategy and conceives an entirely new business plan. This type of company switches up and forms a new business strategy in order to compete directly or indirectly with competitors. A game changer changes the way that something is done, thought about or made.

And let’s be sure to add:

3. A hackneyed phrase with over 10 million results on Google to validate daily declarations of undeserved significance.

Does it ever feel like everyone else is doing something more important than you? Lately, I hear a lot about game-changers. Politically. Economically. Photographically. Artistically. Game-changers for technology, for photography, for film making, for culture, for life. … Read more...

It’s been awhile – I think the longest while I’ve had away from Ground Glass, and all I can say is that I will be back and soon. Been missing the time at the keyboard, the words, the thoughts, and the ideas, but more than anything, all of you – the posts, the comments, the sharing. Life has been crazy, but there is lots of good stuff coming out of it, and this I can say: I am well underway in working towards improving the site, and I can’t wait to get back!… Read more...