Photopol.us Gallery show...

Well, I was trying to take a break from gallery showings this year, but I guess I'll have one more piece (maybe two) shown this year. I was asked to participate in the Photopol.us show. Info can be found on the flyer:

I'm totally stealing that idea...

I just read a post on LinkedIn that suggested delivering cookies or cupcakes to a potential client after an interview/initial meeting as a thank you. How cool is that idea?!?

I'm totally stealing that idea! Well, maybe not stealing it. I'm going to think about a way to alter it and make it my own. Maybe have some cookies baked with my logo on top? Maybe find a way to incorporate my brand identity into the cupcakes? I'll think about it for quite a while before I decide how to implement the plan, but man! What a plan!!! I wouldn't forget a person who gave me cookies!!!

It's nice to get noticed...

Rhett Miller got a little love from CNN recently:

www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/08/12/rhett.miller/index.html

And, it was real nice for F!D Luxe's Christopher Wynn to give me a little more love for my contribution to Rhett's new album:

shoppingblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/08/old-97s-rhett-miller-is-pretty.html

Seriously, who doesn't love a little respect for their hard work?!?

Similar, but different...

This is a blog by an Atlanta photographer named Zack Arias:

www.zarias.com/?p=391

As you can see by the link, some of his techniques and style have a similar quality to mine. Of course, he does some stuff very different than I would. I like seeing a different approach to subjects. It keeps me thinking, keeps me growing. You should be spending a little time every day, trying to look at and learn from your fellow photos. Whether their style is similar or different than yours, you can always pick up something new.

It feels good to volunteer...

dallas.iabc.com/2009/07/13/jason-janik-named-volunteer-of-the-month

The biggest questions...

Wow! It still amazes me what you people have questions to. It is always the same thing: Invoices and taxes. I don't know who is searching for this info, but I do have access to some basic data related to my blog, like what search words you used to get here and how long visitors stayed on certain pages.

Each week, with the use of this data, I can put together a simple list of what topics were most important to you all. Every week seems to be the same topics: Invoices and taxes. Yup, I could say it again and you would probably love it... well, I've decided to give a sort of yes/no faq today.

Most searched was about sales tax for Dallas photographers: Yes, you are REQUIRED to charge sales tax for the majority of your customers. You had better collect it, too. If you are doing this as anything more than a hobby, the government will know. Trust me. I have a friend being audited right now. Luckily, her photo business is run like a top, so she's safe.

Who doesn't have to pay sales tax? Out of state customers are one example. Someone in New York may see one of your prints and set up to pay you for a copy. You mail that copy out of state and you don't mess with collecting state sales tax. They come to Texas and pick it up? Then you collect sales tax.

Who doesn't have to pay sales tax? Businesses who have a Texas sales and use tax permit AND who are using your service/product in something they are reselling (and ultimately collecting sales tax from and end user for that final product). In other words, I am shooting for the local newspaper. The pay me to take a picture, then they use that picture for their final product - the actual newspaper. They deal with tax, not you. If they have a tax permit and are planning to resell your work, they are good.

Who doesn't have to pay sales tax? Charitable and/or religious entities that are registered with the state. There are certain restrictions here as well, so don't just assume that tax should not be collected, because you are shooting for a charity or church.

The next highest search was about a photographer's invoice. Well, I already detailed that in an earlier blog. I'll add a search feature to this blog soon, so you can easily find that entry.

The next biggest search was about w-9 forms. In simple terms, this is the form you fill out as a freelance or contract worker. You client will let the IRS know that you were paid X dollar amount over the full year and that you will be reporting this income on your return. You should report ALL income no matter what, but if you filled out a w-9, you better make SURE you reported it! They know about it.

In turn, if you hire a photo assistant a bunch, racking up (I think) $600 or more in deductible fees, you are supposed to have them fill out a w-9, then you file that (or have your accountant do all that messy, non-artistic stuff like filing and deducting).

I think this is enough info for now. I'll try to address some of the other frequently asked questions later. But I have to get back to work. I have a couple invoices due to clients by tomorrow morning... Oh, and by the way - Don't take this as the final word. If you REALLY want to know about this stuff, go here for the definitive answer: www.window.state.tx.us

Annie...

You need to read this, even if you aren't an Annie Leibovitz fan:

nymag.com/fashion/09/fall/58346/

The Canon 5DmkII vs Poison...

OK, next victim... But first, let's recap: After testing the Canon's video/audio capabilities straight out of the box, I concluded that the mic just can't handle the extreme decibels from the photo pit. Maybe if there was a way to attenuate the sound coming in, so it wouldn't clip? And we know the video will have the same issues that still pics will have... Reds can easily blow out and block up, since most concerts use a ton of red stage lighting (and camera sensors can have issues with an abundance of that part of the light spectrum - can anyone find me a scientific explanation why CMOS sensors seem to lose details in over-exposed red channels, easier/quicker than in blue and green?)

We also learned that following focus in such a fast-paced, dynamic setting was a big chore, since you have to base focus off the small on-camera screen (which doesn't flip up/down/out). However, there was still enough potential in the Canon 5DmkII that it is worth refining.

Now, to the next match-up... The 5DmkII vs 1980's rock band Poison:

OK, so my main focus on this trial was to improve the sound. The video wasn't too important to me, so I didn't worry about critical framing or focus. I really just wanted to see what I could do to fix the weakest link in the camera's chain. The next logical step? Add an external mic that has the ability to attenuate the input and reduce the chance of clipping.

I used a set-up that I already had for better sound on my camcorder - an XLR-style shotgun mic and a Beachtek input adaptor with phantom power. It is basically like this one here: Beachtek adaptor

I've used this sound system with pretty good success on my camcorder-created videos. The only downfall is the lack of meters. You can ballpark the sound with a set of headphones, but meters would be MUCH better. This unit is more expensive, but is specifically designed for the 5DmkII and I think it has an input VU meter: Beachtek adaptor for the 5DmkII

So, without a meter and no headphones to rough in the settings, I just decided to knock down the input to the halfway mark. The sound is MUCH better, but 90% of it is still way too hot. I can see clipping across all but the quieter sections, when I view the sound levels in FCP. However, this set-up made a BIG improvement over the stock, in-camera mic. I bet with the correct input levels set on my Beachtek, I would have great sound.

But all is not perfect in the audio world. The shotgun mic is facing forward and picking up C.C. Deville's guitar. It was either grabbing his stage monitor, or the sound straight from his guitar amp(s) and not much else. You can tell the difference when I pan away from the stage around 8 sec and pan back around 20 sec. The sound is more uniform during that minor period, then it's back to being overwhelmed by the guitar directly in front.

This issue makes C.C.'s amazing guitar work really stand out and shine from 21 sec to 30 sec, but won't cut it for an overall video recording. Just look at Bret Michaels' vocals around 51 sec to the end. He's talking, but you can't hear him. Not good if you can't pick up any vocals. So is there a solution?

There IS a solution! I am wondering if the cheapest thing to do is to face the mic up or away from the stage, trying to pick up the stage's main speaker system. It will have a mix of ALL the performers. Another choice is to try a different type of microphone. Mine is a shotgun type, which works perfect for my interviews. It focuses in on the sound from the person in front of me, and it pretty much ignores stuff to the left, right and behind. It is a focused mic.

Instead of a mic with a very focused, narrow field, the use of a microphone designed to pick up a wide range/field might be the way to go. This might've seemed obvious to you guys that do video as a main career and stills as a side thing, but I'm the opposite. I'm learning video as a supplement to my stills work.

Another option is to capture sound from the soundboard (the place where the guy sits and adjusts the monitors, speakers, mic input, etc for the show). The soundboard input will be a rough mix, but still much better than the shotgun mic or the in-camera mic. There are other, more complex options, but then it gets to be a big production, and that's missing the spirit of using the 5DmkII for concert video.

Don't get me wrong. I think the 5DmkII would make a great pro concert video. Get three of them running and a pro sound recording rig and you could make a GREAT video! You could have one guy on each side of the stage and one in back getting the long view... Man, that would be wonderful. But, this is really about a one-man photo-j style video.

So, let's tally the votes so far. Canon vs Slayer? A definite win for Slayer. Their massive lighting and powerhouse sound pummeled the stock camera. Canon vs Poison? I think Canon could've held its own visually (you can see I got some nice close-in stuff of C.C. Deville during his intro riff), if I had concentrated on the video better.

The sound, though? I think Poison still beats Canon, or at least with the way I have it set up so far. But, this gave me a few ideas on how to finally beat the next opponent, whoever decides to challenge this superb little camera. I bet I come back with some nice - OK, acceptable - sound from the next match!

Real or Fake?!?

I have a friend who edits over at Life. It is no longer a printed magazine like it used to be, but it still has a strong web presence. While looking through the images, I spotted this page:

www.life.com/archive/realfake

It's fun trying to pick out the real images from the fake ones. It can be hard on some of them. I maybe got 60% to 70% correct. There were several that threw me. It just goes to show you how hard it is to tell a "real" photo from a "fake" one.

Round three: Marilyn Manson vs Jason Janik...

Yet another audience-made video of the Mayhem Fest concert in Dallas, TX. This one was made during Marilyn Manson's set. You can clearly see me at 1:40 as I change some settings on my camera. You can't see the point in which I get a little of his spit on me (yes, it was gross), but you can see me here and there throughout the video... looking like a nerdy photographer:

Round Two: Slayer vs Jason Janik...

While updating some stuff on youtube, I noticed some other Slayer videos online from the same concert I shot. These were shot from the front of the audience, so you can actually see the photo pit. I can be briefly spotted in them, if you look close enough...

Selling old camera gear...

Do you have some photo gear that you want to sell? Well, I got a call from someone who is looking for gear to buy. They are a reseller, so you might make more selling it on your own, but the convenience of having a buyer come to you sounds kind of nice. This is the info I was given (I'm not affiliated with this company in any way, just passing along info):

I am coming to Dallas from September 1st to 18 to buy photo equipment, If you have anything for sale, do let me know or if you know anyone that that may, please forward my information:

Eric Mehl, buyer
Columbus Camera Group,inc.
55 East Blake Ave.
Columbus,Ohio 43202
614-267-0686

eric@columbuscameragroup.com

Flip it...

When shooting a concert, flip the camera around and capture the crowd. You'll sometimes come back with more interesting, moving pics of the crowd than of the stage performance! This is just a random sampling of crowd shots that I've taken over the years. Hopefully, it will give you an idea of the potential waiting behind you at a concert:

I'm seriously jealous...

I stumbled across Erin Trieb's website today. I haven't seen her in a couple years. I met her when she did an internship at The Dallas Morning News. She lives in Austin now. Her work is very cool:

http://www.erintrieb.com/

Your new friend...

A lot of photographers seem to love the Canon Powershot G10 as a good pocket-sized camera to carry with them. It is perfect for location scouting, casual pics, model selections or any other photo that doesn't require the use of pro-level gear.

Well, it looks like Canon is going to release a new and improved version... the G11:

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0908/09081908canong11.asp

New Business Cards...

My proof is ready for my new cards. I will go approve it tomorrow and then (hopefully) have cards not long after. Why do I bother telling you this? Maybe, because I get "real" cards, not cards printed on the home computer... not the ten dollar cards you can get at Office Depot (the ones that look like you found for free in a dumpster). I pay decent money to get custom cards made.

You are handing this card to someone who may pay you hundreds or thousands of dollars for a photo shoot. You need to hand them a card that looks professional. You need to hand them a card that looks creative. You need to spend a little money here.

OK, you are saying to yourself, "But, custom cards cost $50 to $100 to make, not $15 or $20 like the ones I currently get from Staples. I don't want to pass out expensive cards to everyone and their daughter."

OK, I'm right there with you. I don't want to waste my expensive cards on a homeless guy asking me for change or the woman who was just telling me about her recent alien abduction. Nothing wrong with aliens or the homeless, but if they show absolutely no interest in photography, a fancy business card isn't going to change their mind.

However, when I meet someone working in the marketing department of a local business/corporation, I want to hand them something very professional. I want them to see my confidence in my craft. I want them to see that I didn't just print off a card at home and decide that "today is the day I'm going to be a professional photographer".

Spend some money on good cards and hand them to potential clients. It is worth the extra money. Trust me.

Robert Capa...

One of the most striking, moving photos of the last one hundred years has received a new batch of criticism. As a photographer, there is a good chance that you are familiar with Robert Capa's "Falling Soldier" image. As a photojournalist, you pretty much HAVE to know about it. Even if the name isn't instantly recognizable - like say Ansel Adams would be to the average photo fan - you'll probably still know the image.

Well, read this story regarding the debate behind the image:

www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/

Was it staged? Is it real? What do you think? How do you think that affects the impact/emotion/importance of the image?

No more Zilker Park dust...

I know many of you following my blog are specifically music photographers. Many of you will be down in Austin, TX for the Austin City Limits Music Festival held at Zilker Park. Many of you also know how dusty and dirty it gets from all the dry ground being kicked up by hundreds of thousands of footsteps. Well, this year might be a little different:

www.flickr.com/photos/austinparksfoundation/sets/72157621795998000/

It looks like the parks department and ACL grew a ton of grass. In theory, this grass should still be alive and thriving during the three day music festival, so... no more dust storms?!? Let's keep our fingers crossed.

I'll see you all down there this year (I've been ALMOST every year - just missed the first one). Looking forward to another amazing line-up!

The O's and Alternative Press...

So, I finally got a copy of the April 2009 issue of Alternative Press Magazine (a national alternative music publication) that had my picture of The O's in it. I was expecting the pic to run 1/4 page or bigger, so I was a bit disappointed with the smaller size. However, it's still nice having another major music pub that I can add to my list. And, you've got to start somewhere with every potential client. My first shoot for Spin started out years ago with a small picture of rock band Fuel, eventually working my way up to full page feature photos...

By the way, if you haven't yet heard The O's, you are missing out! They are absolutely amazing and deserved to be part of this "100 Best Bands of 2009" issue.

The Canon 5DmkII vs Slayer...

I decided to test out the Canon 5DmkII at a recent heavy metal concert that I was shooting. The show gave permission to shoot video during the first minute of the first two songs. Of course, I was being paid to shoot still photos of the show, so I didn't want to burn up that much time testing video.

So, I decided to shoot the audience cheering as the band took the stage and maybe 30 seconds of the first song, to get a feel of how a stock Canon 5DmkII would handle such a loud and colorful subject. I think it will give you just enough video to see what the Canon can do.

I bet the camera could capture much better images during a show that didn't have such pummeling, extreme lighting. However, the mic probably won't hold up to anything but a stripped, folk, acoustic-style show. Of course, a separate mic setup with adjustable attenuation and meters would be easy to add. Other options are to record sound from the soundboard (if you have access/permission to do so).

Overall, I think it's safe to say that something like this Slayer concert would be the extreme. Most concert video from the Canon 5DmkII should fair much better. Now, the next big challenge is to find a way to easily keep focus held while shooting in a busy photo pit, without having to add a complex follow-focus system to the kit.

Video at my studio...

I forget if I linked to this a few weeks ago, but I don't think I did. If you've already seen this one... sorry. If not... enjoy! It is a video that Cindy Chaffin did for Quick, with Hunter Hauk. They interviewed Danny Balis and Trey Johnson about their respective upcoming albums, then i took pics for the cover and feature story.

You can see a bit of me in action, spread throughout the interview. Little snippets here and there. And if you like Texas music, you'll enjoy listening to Danny and Trey talk about their music.

My Profoto Acute B 600r lights...

OK, so I've had my Profoto Acute B 600r packs/lights for a couple years now. I bought them when they were still pretty new to the market, when pretty much nobody was using them yet. In fact, they were so new that people were linking to MY initial online review of the packs!

Well, now a bunch of photographers are using them, probably some more skilled than I am. A few great reviews have popped up online. There is good info to be found on these superb packs. However, I'm not sure anyone has done a long term evaluation yet, so I guess I'll be the first again...

First off, these lights are GREAT!!! If you know what to do with them, you can really get creative with your images. They are durable, compact, versatile and easy to use. Of course, they are expensive and much more of a hassle than working with natural light or a small Speedlight-style off-camera flash. They also won't have the quick flash duration or recycle time that a big studio pack will have. But, they do have an excellent, all-around convenience.

Comparing them to the big studio packs:

Sure, you can get more power, faster recycling and shorter flash duration from a big power pack and head, but you have to plug it in to the wall. Plus, it will be three or four times the size and weight of this setup. For on location shooting, the Acute B is a snap. It is light, quick to set up and gives great performance.

Comparing to using natural light or a small off/on camera flash:

Sure, setting up the Acute B takes a few minutes, maybe five minutes including the softbox and test shot. However fast and convenient the available/natural light option is (meter and start shooting - it doesn't get much easier/faster), you won't always have the quality of light available to you. There have been plenty of shoots that I intended to use natural light, but wound up breaking out my Acute B kit as plan B. Either the light disappeared or the light didn't match the feeling that I needed for the shot.

And forget about comparing it to a Speedlight, or even a Strobist-style setup. I have purposely gone with my Canon 580 flash before, looking for a very specific style of light, but you just can't do everything this kit can do without a LOT of extra effort. The only real advantage to the Strobist kit is the cost (with most full kits being around a thousand to fifteen hundred bucks. My Acute B kit totals six grand with everything included).

Now, what about details on the gear? Well...

I carry two Acute B 600r's, two heads, two compact Manfrotto stands and a Pocket Wizard MultiMax, all in a Pelican 1560 rolling case. It is heavy to lift, but way less heavy than the plug in lights I used to lug around, and way more powerful than the tiny portable light kit I used to use. Plus, the wheeled case makes it easy enough to get from point A to point B. In addition, the Pelican case doubles as a step stool, allowing me to stand on it for extra shooting height.

The only things that don't fit in the case are my camera and the softboxes with ring adaptors. I can carry everything in on one trip and don't need to search for a wall plug. The lights always last through a whole photo shoot, usually a couple hundred frames at reduced power (around minus two setting and halfway cranked up on the knob). My batteries are now a couple years old, but don't show signs of replacing, yet. I bet I can get another year out of them.

The cables from the packs to the heads are still like new, the heads fire perfectly, I have a small dent in one of the reflectors, but that's fine. Speaking of the reflectors, I still find them to be nearly useless. They were designed to be extra-compact, but that makes them suffer in the light-shaping department. Larger Profoto reflectors will fit them, but make them bulkier to transport. I often shoot with a softbox or a bare bulb, so it's not the end of the world to me.

The packs have the most damage to them. One of the knobs needs to be refitted and tightened down. It still moves and clicks, but it isn't pointing at the correct dash. It has approximately ten dashes that represent the different power levels, and mine points off in totally different direction. I need to retighten it, but for now, I can just count the clicks to know what power setting I'm on. Annoying, but it can be easily fixed... I'm just lazy.

Next, I just recently lost one of the feet on the bottom of the pack. It sill works fine, but wobbles a bit when set on the floor. Absolutely no performance is affected, it's just a minor detail. I bet I could get Profoto to send me one for a few bucks. Let's hope their service department is cool like that.

The 600r is a 600 watt pack with a radio receiver built in. I turn them on, pop the Pocket Wizard MultiMax and they are ready to go. Super easy to use. The receivers never gave me any trouble, though they seemed to like certain Pocket Wizard channels/frequencies better than others. The 600 watt seconds is enough power to light most anything in front of me. I use two packs, and heads so I am actually carrying 1200 watts of juice! I can light big groups and small rooms without a problem.

The packs still recycle really fast when used on a reduced power setting, and can recycle at a decent shooting speed even when pumping out full power. Only outside during high noon Texas sun have I needed full power, mostly I will shoot on minus two stops and sometimes minus four! At these levels, the packs will recycle fast and shoot almost all day long.

I also have a Profoto ringlight for these packs, which works fine. But, that review will be for a different day.

There you have it. Good packs, especially for location shooting. I even use them in the studio sometimes, though I have dedicated studio packs. The only issue with the 600r packs in the studio is that full power flash duration is too slow to really stop fast action tack sharp. But, you are talking about maxing out a small 600 watt pack, compared to setting my giant 2400 watt Speedotron pack on it's lowest setting and getting a similar power output and better flash duration.

It's REALLY silly to compare the two, since one is a specialized studio pack and the other is an SUV or cross-trainer type of pack. Honestly, if I could only have one, I'd go for the all around pack over the specialized pack, because I can do a lot more with the Acute B with a LOT less effort.

Do you want or need more info regarding this kit? Let me know and I'll try to post more details. Many of the images you see from me were taken with these lights. I shoot for magazines and newspapers around the world, and have put these lights to work, constantly shooting with them. I have shot so many frames (tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of frames by now) with these lights, that I should be able to answer any question you might have regarding them.

Garage Days, re-re-revisited?!?

I wonder if this photo idea was lost on most of the viewing public? I had to photograph a great Dallas band, named Here, In Arms for a feature in Quick. They are definitely NOT metal, but I thought it would be fun for them to honor/spoof a classic Metallica cover.

I'm not the first to pay tribute to this image, and probably won't be the last. I know of a band called Sloppy Seconds that copied it down to the tiniest details, even shooting in a similar white bathroom. I've seen others, but can't recall names off the top of my head.

However, even with a world full of Metallica fans and numerous copycat images, I am thinking that most of the readers might not get the reference. I wonder how many (or how few) got the joke?!?

My image of Here, In Arms, goofing on the Metallica cover:

The original Metallica cover:

On a side note, this is one of those images that always fascinated me for some reason. Maybe because the band looks so intense... and the wide angle lens makes everything feel so 'in your face' that you can't help but notice it. I have it on CD, but would love to find out if it was produced on vinyl. That would look so great hanging in my studio!

About David Leeson...

Do you know who David Leeson is? No? How can you call yourself a member of the Texas photo community and NOT know Leeson?!? Read more about the Pulitzer Prize winning Dallas photographer:

blog.livebooks.com/2009/08/after-staff-a-closer-look-david-leeson-on-leaving-newspapers-and-rediscovering-old-passions/

Learn how to price your work...

The ASMP is offering seminars on negotiating and pricing your photography. They have seminars all over the united states, with one in Dallas on September 19, 2009. Are you a member of the ASMP yet? You should be:

www.asmp.org/links/10

Really?!?

I'm speechless...

www.raphphotography.com/galleryhtml/boudior/index.html

and, the pinnacle of the portfolio:

www.raphphotography.com/galleryhtml/boudior/slides/nb2.html

Craigslist? Really?!?

Would you do this:

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/muc/1279764661.html

I just don't see an ad on Craigslist as being the best way to market yourself. Maybe I'm way off on this. Maybe this person is bringing in a lot of new clients this way. I just don't think a Craigslist ad is the way I want to go with my business.

Maybe this is how kids start out advertising these days? This kid appears to have only shot one band so far, so maybe they are having difficulty getting more traditional photo gigs? What do you think? Is there ever a point in your career that advertising on Craigslist (the Penny Saver of the net) would make sense? Is it a viable option for someone just starting out?

I personally believe that your brand image is important right from the very start, and something like this is NOT the way to go. However, you may have a different opinion. How do you see it?

How many Pulitzer Prize winners do YOU know personally?!?

I know quite a few Pulitzer Prize winners. I'm not bragging. I'm actually just using it as a segue into the following topic: Cheryl Diaz Meyer. I met her up at the News years ago and remember when she won a Pulitzer for her work covering the Iraq war.

Apparently, Apple (the computer company) thinks she is cool enough to do a profile on:

www.apple.com/pro/profiles/cherylmeyer/index.html

I tend to agree with Apple. She is pretty cool. Check out the link and learn more about one of Dallas' coolest photographers!

Texas State Sales Tax?!?

This is a VERY confusing subject for most photographers. I will link to a few important website you should read regarding the collection of tax:

www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/sales/faq_exempt.html#resale1

www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/sales/

www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/sales/new_business.html

And finally, a fancy PDF with a bunch of handy info:

www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxpubs/tx94_105.pdf

Basically, you NEED to be collecting sales tax and paying it out to the government. I have several clients who are not required to pay sales tax. Some of them are exempt, because they are charities or schools. Some of them have a state sales and use certificate, and my photos will become part of a product they are going to resell (like a magazine or newspaper). Some clients are out of state and I will be shipping the final product outside of Texas' borders.

However, other clients I DO collect sales tax on, and I send it in to Austin every January. If I shoot a wedding or family portrait, I am REQUIRED to collect tax. You should be doing it as well. If they can't fill out a resale certificate form for you, then you have no other choice. They won't be reselling the wedding album they bought from you. They have to pay tax.

Anyway, the above links will help you get a better idea of when to collect sales tax and what to do with it when you do. Hopefully, this will help make sense of such a confusing topic.

Vinyl, you elude me...

I've had my photos on a bunch of albums over the years... many local, some regional, and a handful of national/internationally-known bands. I am also a big music fan. I love listening to music, collecting music, and enjoying music.

Today I realized something. I've never had (that I'm aware of) a photo of mine on a vinyl release. Vinyl has become a real hot thing lately, so many bands are releasing special pressings of their album on vinyl - especially indie bands. So, if you can find all sorts modern albums on vinyl, thanks to its recent resurgence, why has it still eluded me?

I really want to shoot an album that will be released on vinyl. I mean, look at this: www.newburycomics.com

Both classic re-issues and new releases on that faithful old format. Brand new and ready to play. And look at that huge artwork!!! CD's and digital downloads just can't compete...

Another video...

Here's a link to another video story I did recently.  I think I did a pretty good job on it:  

lakehighlands-dallas.blackwhiteread.com/view/article/12206  

This video is about a local, community library that is just a little bit different from your normal public library.  It's called Launa's Little Library and it was a blast to document!  

Screech?

Considering the fact that most professional photographers need to use Photoshop on a regular basis, I figured I could just barely make this story relevant.  Of course, I really just wanted to post a link about Saved By The Bell:  

nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/07/poor_screech_cropped_and_photo.html

OMG! OMG! OMG!

Please, God.  Tell me that I will soon have enough money for this:  

www.hasselbladusa.com/products/digital-backs/cfv-39.aspx  

www.hasselbladusa.com/media/1928194/uk_cfv39_datasheet_v4.pdf  

I so want to use my old Hassie 500c/m and 501c/m in the digital world.  I have a few beautiful Hasselblad lenses that would be fun to use with this digi back...  

PS - For those of you who don't know me well enough, I don't make it a habit to use omg, lol, lmao, or any other silly abbreviation like that.  The title was actually a bit of a joke, since this digital back got me all excited like a little kid at Christmas.  Trust that I never actually use those terms when working with clients!

Does it inspire you?

I found these "inspirational" videos and a couple of them are quite good.  At least they inspired me to step it up a bit on my shoots.  I wouldn't mind trying a few of the techniques seen in the videos.  

I found a couple of the videos to be kind of lame and dated, but hey... they can't all be winners I guess.  And I'm sure those lame ones must appeal to the more conservative shooters out there.  They just seemed like a "been there done that" moment.  I want to see more new, edgy stuff.

Anyway, watch these and see if you find something to inspire you:  

www.creativelight.com/inspire