Neil Gaiman Addresses the University of the Arts Class of 2012
If you are an artist of any type… this is a must watch video. Enjoy!
Motivational Monday – Never never give up or Quit!
Vince Lombardi came up with one of the world’s most famous motivational commands of all, beloved of managers everywhere: “Quitters never win, and winners never quit.”This is so true in life and in business… I know too many studios that have thrown in the towel recently because they couldn’t see the finish line and it was just around the next corner. Check out this video for your motivational Monday.
Do not waste any time thinking you are stuck – you can take control over your life, and change it faster than you might think.
Hopefully this story can inspire you to follow your dreams – whatever they may be.
Anything is Possible!
A Day In the life of a School Portrait Photographer
I had a friend of mine in the school portrait business e-mail me this yesterday. I thought it was so funny… we’ve all had these days.
Totally Rad Photoshop Plug-In
Do you have any favorite plug-ins? I have several that I use on a regular basis, but recently I stumbled across a plug-in I had never heard of before called Rad Lab by Totally Rad. I’ve never seen them at any trade shows or heard anyone mention them before, but it looked cool so I downloaded the free 30 day trail and started to “play”. Overall I really like the creative looks and the real time preview it generates. Once I’ve had a chance to play with it more maybe I’ll do a more detailed review. What are your favorite plug-ins? Here’s a recent image I created using one of preset. You can find their website here: Totally Rad
Using Gels to Change Background Color
“Beauty in Mind” – The Thinking Behind Shooting Memorable Beauty Photographs By: John Farrar
This is a trailer from a video we just finished featuring fashion photographer John Farrar. His new video is titled “Beauty in Mind” – The thinking Behind Shooting Memorable Beauty Photographs By: John Farrar
From John Farrar the Fashion Photographer of the Year in 2010 & 2011
Farrar’s Beauty in the Mind DVD, which includes a discussion of his widely heralded work and a live shoot in which he explains as he works. You will see a masterpiece being made.
A few notes from Farrar follow.
- Back up every shot with a half dozen brackets. The model, makeup and studio time are all set so there’s no need to suffer the consequences of trying to save a few seconds.
- Wanting to be outstanding is step one. Farrar notes that we all see a lot of photos every day but rarely do we see one that will be remembered. His advice: Plan in advance to make your shoot something memorable.
- Organize your shoot in detail but don’t become inflexible in your plan of action. Be ready to change your direction if the session suggests you do so.
- ‘Beautiful’ isn’t enough. Do something unique. Stand apart.
- Give your work a second look the next day. Don’t send anything out immediately after the shoot. Looking at it the next day will be a completely different experience. Work on it again then, too.
- Don’t rush the session. Saving a few minutes is not your goal. His average time per session is one hour, but he says, if it takes more time than that, stay with it.
- Don’t be too concerned about people considering your ideas to be odd. Farrar quotes Bacon in saying, “There is no beauty without strangeness.”
- Props can be anything. Use your imagination. In Farrar’s work we see a girl with a wet paint brush over one eye, another girl emerging from the water with a fish in her mouth, and head coverings made of a washing machine hose, a paper milk carton, etc. and Farrar’s famous pair of red shoes. He also had his makeup artist paint a crisscross pattern on one girl’s face. It was definitely memorable.
- “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Don’t hesitate to do something completely different from what Farrar and other masters are doing. You can learn from them but what you eventually must do is develop is a signature style of your own.
Dozen of the world’s top models have raved breathlessly about Farrar, including one that summed up the others saying: “You are WOW!”
Order John’s New Training Video here: Beauty in Mind Training Video
Video Trailer:
Nadav Kander talks about his approach to Photography and Portraiture.
Fashion Photography Secrets
Merry Christmas
Don’t forget the reason for the season. Enjoy this new flash mob performance that took place on December 18th at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach, California.