I was in a meeting the other day, and I realized I had skipped over some of the things I normally talk about with couples. So, suddenly, there I am, talking about how important it is to capture moments and tell stories, when it hits me that I never even confirmed this is what they were after. A definite mistake. I paused and asked them if this was something they were looking for, and they not only confirmed it was, but they spent a good deal of time after that chatting about how valuable moments and stories are. This is the type of confirmation you want from people. You want them to commit to your value propositions, and the more … Read more...

I stood there in front of a desk not unlike most any other you’d find in a typical New York workspace, except that on this particular occasion, I was inside The Knot, the largest wedding media company in the world. I watched the cursor dart from point to point and folder to folder. In front of me was Rebecca Crumley, the weddings photo director, explaining the ins and outs of upcoming trends, shifts in the industry, and a myriad of keen observations that were mentioned so casually you’d barely notice, were it not simply for the fact that there were so many of them. All the while a single question kept ringing in my head. “Does anyone know more about … Read more...

There’s nothing worse than knowing what’s coming around the bend and still getting smacked on the head with it. I just got an offer form AT&T for a free Microcell. What is it? It’s an ugly signal booster to take up space and a power outlet in my home to allow me to get the quality of coverage I’m supposed to be able to get without needing one. Sure, I’ll take it it, but come on, what type of excuse is that for the awful coverage that I get? And it’s not like this isn’t something they’re aware of. They know their coverage sucks, and I’m sure they know it’s a problem. But they can’t seem to get it fixed. … Read more...

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I think when most people talk about composition, they’re referring to balance and the way everything feels. And not to downplay the importance of a well-balanced shot, but I think what really matters about composition is what you include. It’s putting the components in there that tell the story, and keeping out the rest of the distractions. This is just a classic kiss on the surface. I imagine it to be a kiss by request from the audience. Maybe it’s after a speech. I don’t know for sure. What’s great, though, is the way the picture provokes me to imagine these things. It’s true storytelling at it’s best. It’s not just sticking the … Read more...

I’ve had this nagging thought for awhile. With information so liquid now, trending becomes much clearer than it used to. That means, so too does copying become easier. As I walked around the Aperture gallery the other day looking over their show for reGeneration, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pervasive insecurity. It was a distinctly different feeling from what I experienced looking over the book. As small prints, most of the pictures were, at very least, interesting, and sometimes quite engaging. But seen larger and isolated in the context of an exhibition, many didn’t hold up. Not for lack of talent, for sure, but, rather, because it seemed the ideas behind the pictures hadn’t fully emerged. … Read more...