If you don’t let people know you’re important, no one will. Have confidence in what you do, and people will fall in line. A lot of people who shy away from themselves. They look to please and impress by guessing what they think their clients want, but that’s not really how it goes. The first time I went to Eleni’s bakery over in the Meatpacking District, I couldn’t help but find myself entranced by the delicate presentation and well-designed interior. So their cookies were a bit of a shocker to me. I bit into the free sample, and much to my surprise, they were crispy.

At first, I wasn’t impressed, but as I let the flavor and crispness of it … Read more...

Photo by David Wittig
www.davidwittig.com
blog.davidwittig.com

Taking a picture is all about looking inward. It’s not just finding a spot or identifying a subject. It’s connecting with that theme, and unearthing the subtext. It’s all about what it says to you and understanding how to communicate that to others. David Wittig picks a perfect spot for this image. The lighting is moody and rich, with a great contrast between the hardness of the brick and stone environment and the elegance of the chandelier. But the the thing that really makes it work is the pose. It’s always a temptation to go with something soft, romantic, or glamorous, but David takes a bolder approach, using body language that borders on confrontational. … Read more...

I keep reading this on forums. New people are ruining the industry. So what? Who cares? Maybe they are. Maybe they’re not. It’s just how things go. Is wedding photography doomed? Beats me. But if it is, it is. I don’t really think so, though. Because all the people doing it for nothing will eventually have to charge more, and the rate of entry will stabilize. The new equilibrium might be lower than it used to be, but that’s just how things go.

Apparently, at one time, screws were considered a very specialized part with no standardization. You’d have to go to a machinist to make them, and because they were all unique, you had to use the same one … Read more...

Photo by Casey Fatchett
www.fatchett.com
www.fatchett.com/blog/

I love it when people decide to take a bit of a risk. It doesn’t have to be something ground breaking. Just seeing the world their own way or assuming that viewers will get what they’re saying. It’s such an essential part of photography, yet so easily forgotten when it’s a day-to-day job.

By removing the couple’s bodies and the rest of the swing, Casey lets our imaginations fill in the rest. It creates symbolic account that is, ironically, more whimsical than most depictions. Had we seen more, we’d become anchored on what is literally taking place. The abstraction, though, turns the tables on what is normally a weakness of most swing images – … Read more...

Putting things off is the kiss of death. Don’t research things more. Don’t wait for information. Don’t stall, because making the wrong decision hurts. Be the person who can take the pain, and you gain an immediate edge over every competitor, because most people can’t stomach it. They hold back. They slow themselves down. They create businesses that don’t have strong personalities, because they avoid the decisions necessary to create them. It’s all of the little things that matter. Figure them out, commit to a direction. What’s the worst that could really happen?

If you look at people from a 10,000 foot perspective, we all look and act pretty much the same. Zoom in more, and we start to act … Read more...