By the way...

If you still haven't figured it out, you need to ask for the sale, so to speak. I've had a few people state this fact, since the economy took a dive this year (I think Hal Samples can be credited to one of those times). And guess what... It is true!

I used to be able to do my work, and new clients would call me. I've heard a few people say their business was the same way. Those same people are saying they have changed gears and are now calling up potential clients and asking for the shoot. This doesn't mean that you call them and start begging for work. It means you need to put your name out there and let them know that you are interested in working with them.

This proactive mindset isn't as easy as the old days, when I'd have a new client call me. But, you know what? It is paying the bills. So, find a list of people that you think you should be working for (don't call up Nike and ask to shoot their next campaign, if you are fresh out of college. Look for REAL day to day clients that you know would be a good fit for your shooting style and level) and call them. You'd be surprised what will come of asking for the work, instead of just sitting and waiting for the phone to ring.

My Photo, as a Painting...

I always admired the work of Cabe Booth, a Dallas artist that paints rock and roll portraits to hang in local venues (you can currently see his work on the walls at Nokia Theater and hanging up at Curtain Club, as well as other places around town.)

As long as I've been shooting Dallas music, it took FOREVER for one of my photos to be turned into a painting. I was very happy when Cabe finally painted one of my pics a few years back to hang for everyone to see. The band was Advent, which eventually changed names, then broke up and moved on to bigger and better musical collaborations:

www.flickr.com/photos/cabebooth/2496116579/in/set-72157605082785242/

Hopefully, one day more of my images will be used by Cabe, because his work is amazing! It is very flattering to see him turn my work into something new...

Oh, here is a link to more of his work, incase you wanted to check it out:

Cabe's Flickr account

My newest video...

Here is another recent video I did. I think I'm getting better with the Canon 5DmkII, though I could still use a bit more practice. What do you think?

lakehighlands-dallas.blackwhiteread.com/view/articles/13681

The video is an interview with local musician and studio engineer Tom Bridwell.

BJ and Lester...

This post may not mean anything to most of you. You pretty much had to grow up in the Dallas area during the 1980's, like I did. During school days on channel 39, which used to be a much different television station than it is today, there was a children's show called The Cartoon Clubhouse With B.J. and Lester. I watched it all the time. It was a great show for kids, back before children had twenty different cable channels all devoted to their viewing pleasure.

Well, fast forward to my adult life, shooting anything and everything performance and art related in town for newspapers and magazines. My job took me to all the best concerts, musicals and plays. A few years back - maybe in 2004 or 2005 if my memory isn't failing me - I walk into a local musical to shoot the rehearsal for the Dallas Morning News and I see a face that is so familiar. Suddenly it hits me. It's B.J. from B.J. and Lester!!!

Well, I shot another play review this week and B.J. was in it. It's funny how I still associate him with this children's show, even though it was something like 25 years ago. It's also funny how it still affects me so many years later. Seeing him had me feeling like a kid again, and I left the shoot smiling. Now, if I could only meet Mr. Peppermint and Muffin!

State Fair of Texas...

I haven't had time to update the blog over the last several days, because I've been so busy with shoots. However, I wanted to put something up, so I thought I'd share a fair pic:

Music, Music, Everywhere...

It has definitely been a musical week for me. So far I've photographed Fall Out Boy, Blink 182, Bowling For Soup, Boys Named Sue, Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swift. Oh, and some band I'd never heard of before (and can't recall their name off the top of my head) on Universal's label.

The music isn't about to stop either! There are some acts performing at The State Fair of Texas that I'll probably shoot and I'll be headed to Austin next weekend to get in as many of the 150 or so bands performing at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Yup, it has been a musical week all right. Well, really a musical month, if you look at the other bands I've shot earlier in September. I like it that way. I like music.

Warning: This Photo May Be hazardous To Your Health...

arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/09/

The above article discusses a possible French law to label Photoshopped images with a warning. I am assuming it would not apply to basic cropping, color and contrast adjustments, and only to major alterations (like reshaping someone's figure, removing their skin blemishes, etc).

It is an idea that will meet a lot of resistance from advertising agencies, and possibly some photographers. When trying to sell the public on your "perfect" product, you don't want a disclaimer getting in the way. Just as the alcohol and tobacco companies initially lobbied against printed warnings for their products, there will surely be resistance in France - and here, if the US government ever attempts something similar.

But, why would a good photographer care about this warning? If it DID pass, companies would seek out better photogs who could capture a great image in camera. If the photog can get it perfect without the need to do a lot of Photoshop magic, the warning could be avoided. This means bigger budgets for good photographers and more demand for perfect photos. This would actually be a win for those of us who don't rely on heavy post production!

Now, I'm not saying I am for a law like this. I'm just pointing out both sides. I wouldn't want some silly "reality warning" pasted on any of my photos. I think people should be smart enough to live life without such a stupid disclaimer. I'm just saying that such a law could actually benefit our industry in the long run - or, at least those of us who know how to shoot well.

Big Tex and my baby...

I've been a fan of the State Fair of Texas since as long as I can remember. I have not missed a single fair in approximately 31 years. Big Tex was always a highlight as a child, so to meet the modern day voice of Big Tex was a true delight!

I first met and photographed Bill Bragg (Big Tex's voice) several years ago, while doing a story about the state fair for a national weekly magazine called American Profile. At the time, my oldest boy was my only boy, and he must've been just under a year old. The story required me to make several trips to the fair, and I took my boy on a few.

On the day I met Bill, my boy tagged along, and we took this photo of the two together (after I finished my portrait of him for the magazine):

Well, jump forward a few years. I just pitched a fun photo essay idea to Quick, called the ABC's of the State Fair. I was really just looking for a good excuse to go to the fair a million times this year. Plus, I thought it would be a fun photo project for the readers. It's basically 26 fair photos, one for each letter of the alphabet. Of course, I thought Bill/Big Tex would be the perfect photo for the letter B!

After completing our photo shoot today, I had Bill pose with my boy again - now about to turn 4 years old. He was so happy to have his picture taken with Bill, and was so excited to see Big Tex again. I'm hoping that he (and my other boys) will love the fair as much as I do...

On a side note, Bill was nice enough to say that out of the thousands of photos people have done of him, mine is his very favorite! He repeated that statement a few different times throughout our shoot today, so I imagine he really meant it, not like he was just being polite or anything.

I have to say, that is quite an honor to hold that distinction!!! I am such a huge fan of the fair and Big Tex, so to know that out of all the publications and all the photographers who've had Bill in front of their lens... I was the best! It's the Texas State Fair honor of a lifetime for sure.

Bikini Girls?!?

I'm not the kind of guy who normally takes pictures of hot girls in short shorts and bikini tops. However, I was that guy for the current issue of Quick. Now, before you start imagining some sort of party with champagne, loud music, models cavorting around in their underwear, etc... You must be thinking of a totally different photo shoot!

This one was actually pretty tame, though very funny and amusing at times. The girls were pretty down to earth and normal. The wife was working, so I had my baby asleep in his room and the two toddlers up in the studio with me - they have a corner with a play kitchen, so they stayed out of our way for the most part. It was a simple, smooth shoot with little fanfare, though it was pretty memorable when the boys cooked up some pretend hot chocolate for the models to drink.

The wife was surprised at first that I would have the boys up in the studio with these women, but quickly calmed down. After all, it was no worse than what the lifeguards wear at the country club pool the boys swim at all summer long. And the girls were very sweet and nice - nothing was said that couldn't be said in church. It was really just another day of play for them and another shoot for me.

Morton H. Meyerson, and Not the Symphony Center

A lot of Dallas streets, parks, schools, landmarks and buildings are named for people that most of us have no clue about. Well, I was thinking about it the other day, and thought I'd share some photos of Morton H. Meyerson. Yes, the man who's name graces our Symphony Center.

You would think it is named after some person from a hundred years ago, but it isn't. I actually had the chance - no, the honor - to photograph Mr. Meyerson at his home a few years back for The Dallas Morning News. He was very friendly, very sincere, very cool. He just seemed... nice.

Anyway, I only spent an hour or so with him, but I think I got some good shots. Now, it makes me wonder what other landmarks are named after people I could still meet face to face. I know plenty of places are named after the city's founders and early leaders, but it still makes me curious about the story behind every dedicated building or street sign I see.

Jason Janik vs. Drew Barrymore...

Maybe that title is a little off. Drew was awesome and very easy to work with. It SHOULD read "Jason Janik vs. Drew Barrymore's fans" to be more accurate, because there were a lot of them to deal with. This shoot was a little bit wild, thanks to a bunch of rain, a late plane and hundreds of screaming fans.

You see, I was hired by Drew's movie studio's PR company to take photos of her during her publicity appearance. I was basically supposed to get shots of her interacting with the fans and with the media. Then, she had to rush over to her movie screening.

Well, fans started lining up 6, 7, even 8 hours early just to see her. It had been raining all day, too. As a matter of fact, the rain wound up delaying her flight, which pushed everything back. Then media kept her busy longer than they were supposed to. Finally, the eager fans got their chance.

Drew was so nice to each of the fans. I'm a decently nice guy. My wife is even more nice. However, I've never seen anyone as nice, sweet and sincere as Drew was with her fans. I've done tons of these PR events before, and many celebrities don't care. They are doing it because they HAVE to. Drew was taking a real interest in what her fans were saying as they chatted with her. She was awesome!

Because of all the delays, Drew didn't get to see everyone who was waiting for hours, but she tried her best. After security closed the event, Drew was nice enough to take a moment with me, as seen above. And, yes. I now have proof that she is as cool in real life as she appears to be on the silver screen...

More Profoto AcuteB 600r talk?!?

I use my Profoto lights ALL the time, so I'm bound to have something worth saying on the matter. And since so many of you have discovered my blog by searching for more information on the strobes, I thought I'd provide a little more.

I can't see who you actually are, but I do have access to a few details that brought you here (like what search words were used to find me). I noticed that one search was asking about troubleshooting the 600r with a Pocket Wizard transmitter. I know why that search was made. I had the same issue at first.

One of my packs would not fire every time. It was an expensive new pack and an expensive new PW MultiMax. I thought the MultiMax might've been defective, because my older, cheaper Pocket Wizard transmitter worked fine. Well, it was the MultiMax and it wasn't.

I switched the MultiMax transmit channel and it hasn't missed a single fire since. I guess a few of the channels aren't very friendly with the Profoto gear. Oh well, no big deal now that I have it figured out!

Oh, and this should be obvious, since it states it right in the manual, but... Always fire your PW within thirty seconds of turning on you 600r pack. It will search for a PW signal within those first thirty seconds.

You too can take pictures from outer space!!!

These college students spent under $150 by using a cheap camera, a styrofoam beer cooler and a weather balloon to take images from the Stratosphere, about eighteen miles up:

www.wired.com

and more here:

space.1337arts.com

Inside the Pelican case: Profoto heaven...

OK, so I've received a LOT of hits from my Profoto AcuteB 600R review found here:

www.janikphoto.com/blog

It was a pretty good review, though it rambled quite a bit. This time, I figured I would show you some pics. For anyone who wants to pick up a pair of these portable powerhouses (I love alliterations), this will clue you in on the best way to make this system 100% portable.

This first picture is of the case: A Pelican brand 1560 wheeled case, with the dividers (not the foam). This case is great for maximum maneuverability and protection. Plus, it can double as a step stool, so that is one less thing to carry with me. I've stood on this case a bunch, and it holds up well.

This next shot is inside the case. You can see everything I need for a basic shoot:

A.) a Pocket Wizard Multi-Max transceiver - remember that the 600R has PW receivers built in.

B.) two Manfrotto stands. I think they are 3373's off the top of my head. They are small enough to fit inside the case, but go tall enough for most shoots.

C.) Profoto AcuteB 600R power pack.

D.) Profoto AcuteB head.

E.) Pelican 1560 rolling case.

One more look at the case full of gear. As you can see, any softboxes, adaptors or other accessories have to be carried separately. No big deal, though. I can often roll this kit, carry a backpack with cameras and hold a bag of softboxes/misc items all at once. I can roll into a shoot without assistance, and be set up in five minutes...

Slobberbone!!!

Denton, TX band Slobberbone was playing at an event I had to shoot for a client this weekend. However, their performance was not part of my shoot - I just decided to take some pics of them on the side, after I was done with my paying gig. I'm glad I did, because I came home with this nice little shot:

For those of you who aren't familiar with the band, they were popular among the indie and alt-country crowd during the 1990's and were quite good. They are mentioned in one of Stephen King's novels, who was a fan of the band. They broke up in the early 2000's, but have regrouped for some shows here and there. I think they may even be working on a new record!

Like father, like son...

I let my three year old boy (about to be four in a couple months) use my Canon 5DmkII (secured on a tripod, of course). He said he wanted to take pictures of me. I was very excited, so I jumped at the idea. Here is what he captured:

I reciprocated the offer by photographing him. He's used to being in front of the camera, so he was very playful. I think he was pretending to be in a rocket ship here:

Watching (adobe) TV all night...

http://tv.adobe.com

I could probably spend all night watching these Adobe tutorials. I won't, at least not tonight... But, I could definitely use a few new tips and tricks.

Gordon Keith...

Regular readers of Quick probably know that I've photographed local radio and television personality Gordon Keith quite a bit. As a matter of fact, I've probably shot him more for Quick than anyone else. I can't recall an exact number, but I can count at least seven or eight different shoots I've done with him over the years.

He's a fun guy, and he's a very nice guy. Well, here is the latest cover of Quick, once again honoring Gordo's clever and creative public persona (did you like that playful pair of alliterations?). Hope you enjoy my newest pics of him...

Stock Photography or not?!?

I'm not totally against stock photography. A lot of assignment and commissioned photographers are, though. I understand why. We are trying to create a five star dining experience, and along comes stock photography with its fast food prices (and in most cases, fast food quality).

But, stock DOES have its place in the photo world, just as McDonalds has its place in the food service industry. And, there are many parallels between fast, cheap photos and fast, cheap food. You buy them both out of convenience... out of necessity... as filler.

When to buy stock images:

1. When you just don't have enough time to hire a photographer to do a shoot. You can usually find an acceptable stock image after an hour or two of searching. To hire a photographer and get an image knocked out would be really hard to do in the same amount of time. Most shoots are set up a couple days to a couple months in advance (depending on how involved/complex they are).

2. When you simply don't have the budget to hire a photographer. To commission a photographer, you'll spend a few hundred dollars to a few thousands dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the image and your licensing needs. To license a stock image, it could be as cheap as a dollar. Many images are under a couple hundred. Sure, stock images can sometimes cost thousands or more, depending on licensing needs, but the average person rarely spends that kind of cash.

3. When the project is low priority, a mock-up or a throw-away piece. Sure, every project should be a work of art, but reality doesn't allow that. Stock images come in handy for designing mock-ups for clients or roughing in a design before the "real" image is shot. Or, for projects that are hidden at the very back of a website... Some projects just aren't important enough for the extra cost and effort.

With that said, every priority should be taken to get original, unique images for your projects. Stock usually looks "stock" and feels bland and average. A custom pic can be shot to your specific needs, and made to fit your message perfectly. If the project is important enough, it deserves a unique image.

Recent Quick covers...

I know a lot of you know me from my work with Quick, so I thought I'd share my cover shots from the last two issues. Keep an eye on the next couple issues, as well. They should be exciting (I know the cover shoots were)...

Nightlife shooting is not easy...

Think it is all just fun and parties when I go out and shoot nightlife stories? It is fun and rewarding, but it is not a party when I'm on the clock, and it is not always easy. Just like any other shoot, there are a lot of variables that can go wrong...

I'm at a new club every weekend, shooting it for a story/feature/review and I need to get good action images. Things that show what the place might look like to any of the readers, if they decided to go. However, sometimes bar owners and managers have their own agenda. They try to steer me towards certain areas of the club, even if that's not what the writer is focusing on. Sometimes they are worried about a bad review and can be uncooperative - forcing me to spend thirty extra minutes just getting permission to shoot inside. Sometimes, the bar owner is a media hog and tries to get in EVERY photo, making it hard to get the shots I need.

But that's not the only issue. Because so many factors effect the nightclubs, some have been open and running when the story was assigned, only to close down for good on the day before or day of my shoot. That happened this last weekend and the writer called me to scramble for a back-up club to visit. Then, at the back-up club, the owner was hesitant to let us in for a review and photo shoot, so it took twice as long to complete.

Of course, there is always the safety factor. I'm carrying around expensive equipment around drunk people, on dark streets, late at night. Drunks could easily bump into you or fall on you and break something expensive - like a flash or lens.

And theft... I'm lucky, but I know people who have lost all their photo gear when someone broke into their car right before or after a shoot. I know several bar managers and musicians who have been mugged late at night. Makes the job a little more scary than fun.

Then of course, there is the problem of getting correct names to go in the cutline. The cutline, the info right under the picture, usually has the person's name, like "Mr. So and So dances at X Club in Dallas, TX, on Saturday, blah, blah, blah." Well, drunk people in loud clubs are not the best people to get properly spelled, accurate identification from. Some slur their words, some try to give fake names, and some are so drunk they can't remember their name.

And let's not forget this:

There are ALWAY drunk people who grab at you, stop you and yell, "Hey! Camera guy! Take MY picture!!!" The images are often very funny and/or embarrassing, but not what I came for. They just slow me down, but what can you do?!? I can't just tell them to get lost. It causes less trouble If I just take the picture and smile.

I'm not complaining or whining. I like shooting nightlife. I'm just letting you know there are a lot of things to deal with when I go out. It's not all champagne and caviar as I randomly point my camera and pop my flash. Nope, I'm out there working... and enjoying the feeling of capturing such a vibrant part of society on film (well, virtual film).

Final Cut Pro is the way to go...

If you want to do some decent video editing, you can get by with a program like iMovie or the millions of other consumer-level programs available. However, if you really want to make some pro-level videos, you need to buy and learn Final Cut Pro. I use FCP 6, but they just released FCP 7, which has some nice updates/upgrades. You can see a review of the program here:

www.bhphotovideo.com/c/find/newsLetter/FinalCutPro-7.jsp

Dad vs. Son?!?

this:

www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/02/sean-lennon-and-nude-mode_n_275541.html

vs. this:

images.search.yahoo.com

Sick can't stop you...

I got sick this week. Some sort of cold or flu or something... whatever it is, I don't like it. It has slowed me down, but it hasn't stopped me from working. I still went out yesterday and shot photos of a former Dallas Cowboys player who was indicted in federal court. Today I still had to shoot Dallas area radio personality Gordon Keith for an upcoming cover of Quick. And the weekend is full of shoots - tonight, Saturday morning and all evening on Sunday.

I still have bills to pay. As a freelance photographer, I don't have the luxury of calling my boss and taking a sick day. I will admit that I took yesterday off from marketing. I normally try to contact a couple new/potential clients every work day, but I didn't have a clear enough head to pitch my services. Today I had to play catch-up, and even though I'm still sick, I felt good enough to start contacting businesses again.

That's how it is when you want to be a full time freelancer. It can be very rewarding, but it really is full time. No paid vacation. No sick days. Just shooting pictures and contacting clients... but I love it!

Mexico border town photos, round two...

I decided to dig up a few more images from old trips to the Mexican border towns. These have never been shown before and are probably five to seven years old. same story as the other shot in the previous post - the street children of Progresso, working to make what little money they can.

Canon 5D mkII vs a street preacher...

On my way to a nightclub shoot last weekend, I spotted this man preaching. I found it fascinating how strong his determination was, as drunk club hoppers passed by him in the middle of the night...

This was shot with a stock Canon 5DmkII, 16-35mm 2.8L series lens, racked out to 16mm, shutter speed was 1/30 sec, probably wide open 2.8f aperture and around 3200 iso (for all you tech nerds). Don't hold me to those exact numbers, though. I'm going off my memory from several nights ago - but it's close.

Portraits from a Mexican border town...

I used to travel to the border towns of Mexico every year, and I would get some pretty interesting images. It has been several years since I last went. Much of the shooting was done during my college years, so the work might not be as strong as the stuff I do today. However, I bet there are still a few good images in the bunch.

I still really like this one, shot somewhere around ten years ago. I used to go down there with my Russian 6x6 TLR and shoot a whole pile of medium format film. There were all sorts of wonderful people walking around. This image is from the town of Progresso. It is filled with young street musicians, like the boy below...

Canon EOS 7D...

Well, it looks like the rumors are no longer rumors. Canon has officially announced the 7D, which appears to be a combo of the 50D and the 5DmkII, with a few new bonus features thrown in. Will I be getting a 7D? No, I don't have much need for one. However, there are a few features that make it very desirable.

http://www.calumetphoto.com/item/EC27100WL/

Wireless flash ability built right in? That's a very cool feature! Now you can trigger your Speedlight without extra adaptors or wires/cords. 100% viewfinder is also a big plus, as is the 8 fps shooting speed! Not too bad... It makes me anxious to see the 5DmkIII that will surely hit stores in the next year or two.

Shooting grass...

Have you ever thought about doing a photo study on... grass?!? I met Matt Nager when he took an internship at the Dallas Morning News. Over the years, I've watched him grow, becoming a darn good photog, someone I can actually look to for inspiration. Like this:

www.mattnager.com/blog/?p=324

Who would've ever thought that a photo study on grasses would turn out so interesting and engaging?

Photo books...

There are several good photo book companies available to choose from, and I just found another company that looks promising for wedding books. Long gone is the idea of the "wedding album" full of pictures. Now everyone wants a real, regular book, with pictures printed right on the pages - not matted 5x7 prints on display in a big, bound album.

So, has anyone used www.graphistudio.com for this service yet? Their product looks pretty good from their website. I wonder if it looks as god in person? What are some of the book making companies you've had success with? I've heard mixed reviews about blurb and rave reviews about asuka. Which ones have you used so far?