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Authentic Activism

The text a few lines below is from a conversation in one of the groups I am in, which is populated by some highly educated people who I have seen to possess fairly valiant hearts. Each wants to contribute to making our planet healthier, and Humanity happier. Our conversations frequently examine activism. This most recent one had me thinking about all the different voices in the world using Causes to drive Companies, rather than Companies to drive change within Culture. Healthy change will always come down to an embrace of Authenticity and Honesty. Here is my response in our conversation

Samsung NX1: Modus Augmentation

Long time friend, and sage photo editor Jeff Divine, once put this question to me after pouring over a seasonal submission of imagery. Pages of 35 MM slides encased in Vis a File plastic sleeves, were stacked on his light table. “Don’t you ever shoot anything besides golden hour?” “Not if I can help it, Jeff.” (He looked at me quizicaly) The edit session gave me a reason and motivation to examine my method of operation in creation of my work. (Good editors are like that) Eventually this led to a higher (and narrower) degree of focus. That modus, which

Love and Trustedness

Maybe it is the full moon which hangs sagging slowly through a clear western sky which has me awake at 3am working. But I suspect that it may be something else. It always cracks me up, when as I am sorting through the variety of large and complex projects which are the melange of companies I get to help shepherd, that a blog invariably pops in from Seth Godin. This one, (as usual) was exactly about what I am working on today. Creating trust. He titles it: Belief is More Powerful Than Truth. I am a strong believer in Strategic

Imaging Accountability and Authenticity

In the pretense of living in the now, it is not that uncommon for both people and business to overlook the manner in which they are able to affect things on the global stage. The connection culture of today, brings with it, an ever greater demand for accountability. Accountability is one of “those things”. It is a tenet which is (hopefully) acquired at some stage in a person’s life, and (again,hopefully) as they grow, and the scope of the world in which they live enlarges, it scales. If it does not, you really could see some larger scale problems arise.

The Intrigue of Story

I get this with reasonable frequency. A publication or commercial client or individual will contact me regarding doing some work for them. We sit down, a back and forth ensues. They really like what I am doing, and want work which will enhance their online presence by engaging Social Media. Then the conversation inevitably takes a dark turn when they state: “We need this imagery to go viral.” The next thing that generally occurs, is a discussion of the type of work they want: stills, motion, video etc. Then the conversation turns to cost-expense. I detail those for the different

Fore

This is number five in the series on Loves. It is actually entitled Four. (Really.) If you understand the play on words with the copy title “Fore”, well then, you “get” Art and Artists. That is a good thing. We like it when people get us. It is why artists do what they do. ART is our love. Robb Havassy just left, after a 30 hour visit. When he had arrived, I was working through a series of images where I had been subtly taken by surprise at how the ocean had sculpted rather unique looking gems my Canon 5DM2

Savantism

I know who I am. So I recognize those traits that resemble mine, in my colleagues and friends. This creates a deep affinity with those people who I repeatedly refer to as Savants. Check the definition below. savant |saˈvänt; sə-| noun a learned person, esp. a distinguished scientist. See also idiot savant . ORIGIN early 18th cent.: French, literally ‘knowing (person),’ present participle (used as a noun) of savoir. I was pleased and honored when one of those, a certain Sean Davey, showed up at my door in Ventura, California. Sean is a Tasmanian born, Hawaii ensconsed photographer whose work

Small Town, Big World

I get a global look at things through my photography business, which has web strands anchored to many countries. I see something first hand, that many do not have the personal luxury of acquiring: a broad economic and cultural perspective. This country is in the single greatest period of change and challenge since the Great Depression. So what to do, as assets dwindle and fiscal potential narrows? For the answer, look to the past. About a year ago, a group of people met in my little town. There were a series of meetings actually. No official city committee was involved.

Model Models

Recently, NYC based production company Silent Crow was in Ventura. Two writers with the company happened to have connected with Donna Von Hoesslin of Betty B and learning a little bit about her female inspired Eco Fashion line. They came up with an idea. Producer Matt Bennett showed up to do a little bit of discovery work, and honed a reality show concept that deviated from the norm, in that it endeavors to look at the personalities and lives of the women in both my and Donna’s lives. Silent Crow named the show Bonafide. Donna and I have long exchanged

Cameraless

I was cameraless this week. It was great. Sort of. Okay, maybe not completely cameraless. I still had four 35mm stills film bodies, three mini DV cameras, and five high speed film motion cameras, all sitting on the shelf, along with the water housings for those. But I loaned my Canon 5DM2 system out and sold my Rebel T1i, in preparation for buying the new RebelT2i. (Wow, that Rebel was so new it had only seen 3000 frames before the new one was released.) Canon (along with Apple) has been blowing my mind the past few years. We spoke, they

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