Photographer Clay

Category: Photography

  • My greatest photographic goal

    My greatest photographic goal

    I don’t dream of becoming a high-end fashion photographer, or a world-renowned photojournalist. My greatest photographic goal is to create art that inspires not only me but may inspire others to stop chasing money and start to follow a creative life. To create art that enhances the beauty of the world despite what others may see. If we are surrounded by the beauty of the world we become better people and when we become better we inspire others to become better. My greatest photographic goal is to make the world a better place even if it just starts with me.

    It’s not always about photographing people dressed scantly. It’s not always about scoring the paying event. It’s not always about money, it is about hopes, dreams, emotions, and creativity. It’s about finding beauty in the everyday world and everyday people.

    The photograph I featured today I took 12 1/2 years ago. I was inspired by the artistic expression of the graffiti artist. When the image was shared with the outside world I took a lot and I mean a lot of criticism for glorifying vandalism. While it is true that the act of painting graffiti is a crime the image has nothing to do with glorifying anything but the art. I’m still, to this day, inspired by a lot of the artistic graffiti I see. So much of the world has become hardened and angry and unable to see how beautiful things can become. Maybe, just maybe I can help at least one other person to be able to see the beauty that exists in everyday people and objects doing everyday things.

  • The dream of making a hobby a job

    The dream of making a hobby a job

    We’ve all probably done it. We find a hobby and think, “I wish I could do this as my job.” The problem is that we often fail to realize that we started the hobby to relax from working. The hobby was our way to disengage from the workweek. If the hobby becomes the job is it still a hobby? Do we then have to find a new hobby? I’m sure there are those people that exist that can separate work and hobby when they are the same, such as photography or painting. As for me, I’m not so sure I could separate the two.

    My start in photography was quite an accident. I was given a 35mm camera as a gift. I hadn’t ever really done any photography before. We had cameras but they were mostly for family events, birthdays, Christmas, and such. When I got the camera the more I experimented and played with it the more it became a hobby. It was a way to escape my work, which I really enjoyed at the time but the work was often stressful.

    I have attempted to start a photography business in the past. What I found was there was more work than mere photography. It wasn’t all taking photographs. There was marketing, client meetings, deadlines, product delivery, and product review. There were emails, phone calls, accounting, and a whole plethora of other office work to be done. You also have to maintain insurance, contracts, websites, and equipment. Everything had to be triple or quadruple backed up in case of failure. It was, well, a job.

    I decided that, for me, it was better to keep photography as a hobby and if during the course of performing my hobby someone wanted to buy or pay for my photographs it was great. If not, it is also great because I’m doing something I like the way I like for enjoyment, without pressure to perform or deliver.

    If you are thinking about doing photography as a business because it is currently a hobby consider all the things that it may involve beyond taking photographs. It will save you some headaches and heartbreak if you find you’ve lost interest to continue your hobby because it became a job.

  • Hard work isn’t enough

    Hard work isn’t enough

    Hard work isn’t enough to become successful. I know lots of people who work hard every day but by the common definition of successful, they are not successful. It’s a hard fact that few of us want to admit. We like to believe if we work hard, our hard work will be rewarded. It’s not the case.

    Not only does it take hard work but it also helps to put yourself in a position to become successful. You have to ask yourself what you have done to prepare yourself. Do you have the skills and knowledge in your chosen field? Do you have the experience? Have you invested in yourself? Are you prepared to hear an honest critique of your work?

    Years ago, I got my first critique from a photography instructor. It was brutal, but I needed to hear that critique at the time. It caused me to try harder by taking the lessons more seriously and actually putting forth an effort to learn. It caused me to take an honest look at my work and become determined to improve.

    Sometimes you have to say what needs to be heard. Sometimes you have to roll with the punches. Sometimes you have to take a chance. Sometimes you have to realize your potential or lack thereof. If your potential is lacking you must decide how you’re going to fix it.

  • Stop the fake til you make it as a photographer and artist

    Stop the fake til you make it as a photographer and artist

    I’ve heard this phrase so many times and to some extent, I agree with it. The problem starts when we try to take it too far. You can’t fake talent, knowledge, or skill. Especially when it comes to photographic art. It takes talent, knowledge, and skills to create photographs that are more than mere snapshots.

    I certainly don’t wish to discourage others. I don’t want to discourage others from dreaming big. At the same time, I want to encourage those to be humble and stay grounded. When you try to pass yourself off as the “Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz”, eventually, just as happened with the wizard, the truth surfaces. Now you’ve damaged your reputation unless like in the movie those who pulled back the curtain to reveal you are understanding. In business, that is often not likely to happen.

    I am not the greatest, most talented, or most knowledgable, or even have the best skills. What I have, though is a community to help me along the way. After all the years I’ve been a photographer, I haven’t always been a photographic artist. For years, I was a picture taker. A snapshot shooter. In recent years, I have become passionate not about photography but about photography as an art form. It’s more than setting up dozens of photo sessions and taking hundreds or thousands of pictures. It’s about telling stories, conveying messages, showing emotions, and capturing personalities.

    Photographers who truly want to rise to a level above where they are, be they beginner or advanced, should spend some time on self-reflection. See where you are, objectively, and then decide where you want to be. Develop your skills, knowledge, and creativity. Hone your talent. Only then will you be able to rise above the crowd. The fake it til you make it, is a false god. Learn it til you earn it.

  • Photographer or picture taker

    Photographer or picture taker

    A question many modern photographers need to ask themselves is am I a photographer or a picture taker. Do you merely photograph what is in front of your camera or do you interpret what is in front of your camera? Do you photograph people or do you strive to bring out the personality of the people in front of your camera?

    As a photographic artist, I choose to let the scene talk to me. I work to relay a story with my photographs. I haven’t always done this though. In the past, I was often a picture taker. See the scene and take a picture. Today, I am striving to take my images to a higher level. I am striving to complete a story, and give the world a feeling of knowing a person just by seeing their photograph. Picture taking is easy, creating a work of art and a true photograph can be much more challenging but, in the end, much more fulfilling. Become a photographer, not merely a picture taker.

  • What kind of artist are you?

    What kind of artist are you?

    I don’t mean are you a painter, sketch artist, sculptor, photographer, etc. Are you a trailblazer, setting your own path, creating unique art, and using your vision, or are you a trail follower, creating art that is the current trend and similar work to others?

    I don’t think there is anything wrong with either type, just be honest with yourself and how you present yourself and your art to the work to the world. If you’re a trail follower don’t try to sell yourself and your art as unique and different than others. If you want to set yourself apart from others, truly set yourself apart and create your own unique look and style.

    Being a trailblazer can be scary. You’re going where few to none have gone before. You may come across obstacles, thorns, and other dangers along the way. You may find many don’t like the work and are critical because you’re not following along with what is popular. Being a trail follower you’re just one in a massive crowd. Sort of a “where’s Waldo”.

    I’m not sure which group I fall into right now, but my goal is to become a trailblazer. To stand alone and stand out. To create a path for others to follow. It isn’t that I want to become a legend but that I want to say that I was able to do this thing on my own. I want to create artwork that is truly mine.

    I may have started out on the path but maybe it’s time to blaze through the heavy woods of creativity and see what is hidden in the forest of art.

  • Time to recharge creativity

    I took much of the past several days off, no writing, no photographs. I spent much of the time with family or just “chilling”. It was time to recharge. I have a big, hopefully productive, photo session coming, plus I’m getting prepared for a big life milestone. It was just time to sit and enjoy some free time. Now, it’s back to work.

    During my recharging days, I did give thought to creative concepts and ideas. Thinking about how there are many ways to recreate moods and emotions in the same image with just lighting changes. I’m also working with another photographic artist on what may be a unique new take on a photographic concept. Exciting times, but never forget, sometimes you just need to recharge the creative mind.

  • Do I really need a photographic style?

    Do I really need a photographic style?

    Do I really need a photographic style? We often hear a lot about photographic styles and the need to establish your style, but what if my style is to have a variety of styles. The style I choose may work better with one subject or even one photograph versus another. I may use a different style throughout a photographic session. For me, having the ability to draw from multiple styles is an asset as an artist. Even if I were to run a business taking portraits, I believe it would be an asset to be able to adjust styles to better fit the need or desires of my clients.

    Finding a single style, to me, is self-limiting. It is, to me, like saying I only like hamburgers but only with American cheese, mustard, and ketchup. The greater sign of an artist is to be able to create and modify styles based on their vision.

    Use a single style, no, thank you. I like love the freedom of not having just one style.

  • The two most common mindsets of photographers

    The two most common mindsets of photographers

    Throughout my journey as a photographer and interacting with other photographers I have found the two most common mindsets of photographers are those who think they are better than they are and those who think they aren’t as good as they are. I have also found some that bounce between the two mindsets and I think I may be one that bounces between them.

    There are times when I go out and think, “I’ve got this!” and start shooting away snapping pictures like crazy then I get back to my digital darkroom and realize I bombed it. Other times I get out there and think, “I I’ll give it a go” and get back and look at the results and realize I killed it.

    The photograph I posted above was one of those times I thought “I’ve got this” but I have since become very disappointed with the results. I went unprepared. I went with a mindset of succeeding rather than learning and experimenting. You see, I had not done any of this type of photography before. I am a huge proponent of lighting and creative lighting techniques but this was new to me. Lesson learned. As the Captain said in the movie “Cool hand Luke”, You ain’t gonna need no third set, ’cause you gonna get your mind right. Working on a photography session, project, or even practice, you have to get your mind right. Confidence when called for, humility when needed, and student when necessary. The key is learning to recognize what mindset is appropriate at the time. Stay humble and it is easier to adjust that mindset to fit the moment.

  • Don’t be halfhearted as an artist

    Don’t be halfhearted as an artist

    Don’t be halfhearted as an artist or photographer, or as I like to call myself a photographic artist. Every piece of work we do, especially if we are going to “release it to the wild” should be done with full intensity to make the work a masterpiece. As the saying goes, go big or go home. You cannot make a good name for yourself by churning out incomplete, half-baked, halfhearted projects, work, or art. After all, you are what you create.

    Years ago, I was in a special operations unit. We trained for the “what-if”. When we trained we trained hard and with full intensity. What we discovered was if you trained halfhearted when the time came you were not prepared. While creating art and beautiful photographs may not be life-threatening or have life-and-death impacts the same concept applies. If a piece of work is released without your best effort it can, and often does, become the standard. Once the quality is sacrificed because “you don’t feel like it” you may find many other times when “you don’t feel like it” and release artwork to the world. Once it is out there, it is out there. You’ve let the proverbial “cat out of the bag”. This is especially true if we are producing work for others. Eventually, your clients or customers will see that this wasn’t your best effort and think why didn’t they give me the attention to detail others receive. It will reflect in your reputation.

    The way to becoming better is to work to be better than you were yesterday, last week, or last year. An artist should always create with full intensity and fullhearted effort. Go big or go home or as Yoda (I’m a Star Wars fan) said, “Try not, do or do not, there is no try”. If you truly want to be a photographer and more so if you want to be an artist, do or do not, there is no try.” Even practice with intensity so that you are ready for the big show when it comes because you never know when and suddenly the opportunity presents itself and if you haven’t trained, you won’t be ready.