Photography, Entrepreneurship, : Know your limits
I once had a business partner. Things did not work out and we parted ways. He moved away. I stayed here and continued running the show. In a way, I always ran the show and held things to a higher standard. The parting of ways was an eye opener. I was able to discover things about myself, my business, and most importantly, the direction I wanted to be going in. While we had a business and a studio and worked toward building a reputation and taking on larger studios in our area, I was building a reputation for myself. I was doing the work that I really wanted to do, which was most important to me. When the time came and things were ready to end, after a small messy battle, I kept moving forward and have made changes with my business.
You will not see me discussing the past business beyond how I did so above. I will not discuss past shoots that occurred under that business. By all accounts, I am that business, have always been that business and will always be that business, that is, until a time comes that I chose to follow other leads in life. I have a new partner now. A new business parter, my wife. She believes in me and wants me to succeed more that the former business partner did. She cares about my business, nurtures my creativity, and wants me to be the success that I am and will continue to be. She does so out of love and care, but also because the more successful I am, the more we prosper as a couple.
Sue, cliff side, Cannon Beach area, Hiking to Indian Head Beach, Oregon
My wife, Sue, is always quick to point out the importance of downtime and knowing my limitations. Sue has endured her share of physical set backs. Her health at times is like a roller coaster, up and down, peaks, highs, and lows. She is always encouraging me to rest and get better sleep, which I am finding out makes a huge difference. I have cared for her when she has needed it, never giving her many opportunities to reciprocate. Her mother is a retired nurse. Sue grew up in a house with two other sisters, her father, and the best possible kind of caretaker there is, a nurse. She learned to be more compassionate, undoubtedly, from her mother, who I may add is a sweetheart, and if she is reading this, I'm sure she is now blushing.
Photo Credit: Sue, my wife. Landscape, Oregon.
Yesterday, while running some errands for the house and picking something up at the Home Depot for a project I am starting, I experienced a pain in my back. It was familiar, yet strikingly new. By the I made it home, I could not walk up the driveway. I attempted to help with a few minutes of yard work and found it to be a challenge. I retired to my new leather chair and ottoman. I fell harshly into it and painfully began to find a spot of comfort. With minimal strength to even lift my legs, I was able to sit into some sort of contorted position that was as pleasant as it was painful. I texted my uncle to let him know I would be unable to join him that evening. I closed my phone and laid back watching season 7 of Californication. I had no idea the rest of the night was going to be a painful spiral downwards.
By the time I was able to get into bed, wiping the tears from my eyes, I was near delusions. Some how she managed to make me laugh, which amplified the pain, which increased the tears and laughter. Oh I was more of a train wreck last night than anything I have seen in a while. After some pills and a few sips of water, I checked out for the night.
12 hours later I rose like the holy man himself. I was in pain, yes, but had to get up and stretch out as well as empty the bladder. Today was a new day with a new possibility of gaining some mobility. Around mid-night I had texted one of my long term clients, whom I am friends with and informed her I had to reschedule the shoot. That is something I do not commonly do. As a business owner, there are times when meetings and shoots have reschedules, and things need to be adjusted. Happens in all industries for countless unforeseeable issues that arise. Today mine was a physical limitation. I was upset and concerned that I would either end up in the hospital or worse have to cancel the first few days of my week.
While I was seeing the light and nearing the level of pain that induces a coma, my first thought was my business, my second thought, was my business, my final thought before passing out, was my business. This is where knowing the importances of your limitations are and knowing how to shut off from time to time comes into play. This week was not horribly crazy, compared to the past. Friday was fast paced day, day before injury, and was not super, over the top crazy. However, the fast movement from place to place, shoot to shoot, in some way contributed to my Saturday collapse. Not that I fell, but that metaphorically I did collapse. It was time to rest. The biggest bummer of all, Sunday, today, was one of the most nicest days we have had this spring. I was looking forward to a successful shoot in the morning, a nice road trip with my wife and our fur kids, and a grilled dinner, with a fire to top it off. So far I have managed to sit in the sun, read 8 pages from a book I am in love with, and barely eat a frozen mash up of rice and beans cooked by one of the finest microwave ovens Best Buy has to offer. However, during all of that, my new partner has been there by my side, holding me as needed, walking with me to loosen up the tight muscles, and tend to the yard work that so desperately needs it.
View of Pacific Ocean from cliff side, Indian Head Beach area/Cannon Beach area, Oregon
It is incredibly cliche to say, "don't take things for granted." In some ways, we are as human beings take everything for granted at one point or another in our lives. The flexibility to get in a car and drive anywhere and do just about anything, so long as we have the proper resources, enables us to take for granted what we do have, life. During my struggles and my pains over the last 24 hours, 12 of which we unmeasurable in terms of pain levels, I never kept my wife in mind and thought of how well she is doing with taking care of me. I am not easy to manage when I am in pain and she did a stellar job. While this blog post is more about the undertone, "don't take what you have for granted" and know your limitations and rest as needed so you can avoid injury and risk to your job, life, or business, it is also a way of me publicly saying thank you to my wife. Without her I would have suffered insurmountable levels of pain that would have kept me out for days to come. But her encouragement and support is what has gotten me up. She believes in me in ways I still don't yet understand. But the level of support and creative freedom she gives me gives me courage to fight on and be better than I can imagine.
Thank you Susan.
Travel Photography: Charleston South Carolina
Charleston embodies the south and southern living. There is a rich history that can be seen, tasted, heard, and enjoyed in all parts of the city. I am spoiled, as we all are, by such travel shows like Guy Fiery's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. Such shows are as entertaining as they are informative. My wife and I have made a point that when we travel, we are going to eat at the places we see on Guy's show. This trip to Charleston, we had neglected to think of doing that, probably because that was before we became obsessed with his show. We did however get a chance to try a well known restaurant, Poogan's Porch.
A culture can not exist without its people. People are the creative force that designs the food, art, and music that make up each region of the world. When I photograph someone I have an instant connection with them as well as I can understand them better. This is irregardless of age, race, or gender. The same can also be said for when I photograph the places I travel to. I try to experience the music, food, architecture, and art as best as I can. One of the things I fell in love with is the rich, vibrant, saturated colors of the buildings. The colors reminded me of Bermuda and some regions of the Bahamas, bright.
Whats better than food and art? music. Country music all sounds the same, just like a lot of other styles of music. But there are some artists that embody the places around them and become an element of that region by the sounds they create. One of the best ways to absorb the sounds of an area, get very close, so close that you can feel the tones, the sounds, each strum of the guitar or hear the sound of the singers lips opening and closing. Get close and take it in.
The area around Charleston is just as beautiful. We rented a car and made a point to visit Angel Oak. I am pretty sure the tree is older than the dirt that its roots are firmly planted in. Other things that come out of the ground are vegetables. Colorful, beautiful, natural vegetables. Crossing the bridge from Charleston we headed towards Sullivan's Island. Along the way we stumbled upon a farmers market that was part of a larger fair.
The south is known for a few things, BBQ is one of them. I wanted to find something authentic. I am not sure where we stopped, Fiery Ron's Home Team BBQ, was authentic, but it was pretty damn good.
Charleston is a wonderful place to visit. For New Years eve I wanted to take a trip, like we have done in the past, but due to some work related events, we couldn't take the time away. When I had suggested the idea, I suggested Charleston. When you find something someplace that inspires you to go back, you go back. My wife had said why go back when we could have gone some where else. Charleston I know, there was a great Thai restaurant that I would love to get back to again and for a holiday trip, a few days away, Charleston is the perfect destination.
Travel Photography: The Adirondacks
On the ride up Kris asked, "have you ever been this far west?" My response, no. I have traveled as far north as Quebec City, as far East as Paris and Italy, as far south as the Bahamas, but the west I am long over due to see. In February my wife and I will be visiting friends in the west and exploring parts of Oregon and Washington. I can not express how excited I am to see the pacific northwest.
The Adiorndacks are splendid, to say the least. Kris has been traveling up there for years and knew his way around, for the most part. Lake George is a feat of nature carved out of the earth. Our cabin was situated on the Sacandaga river, which empties out into the Sacandaga lake.
Sacandanga River, Northville NY
On the banks of the river we formed a stone circle that became our fire pit. The rushing sound of the fast moving water was the instrument to the vocals of the crackling fire that light up the night. Our laughs echoed into the night and traveled down stream. I imagine that the slow pace of life on the river is as much relaxing day in and day out as it was for our time there.
River front cabin
Being in the Adirondacks in the off season meant that there was far less people than the warmer months, which is fine by me. We were able to travel from Northville to the Lake George area with ease. The narrow winding roads paved a way through forests that were filled with empty trees, tall pines, and empty vacation properties. It is clear that the tourism is the major source of revenue for the Lake George area. We were let down that we could not cruise the lake aboard one of the steam ships. When I heard about those, I was all for it. Sadly, the season had just come to a close and they were not operating.
Lake George as seen from The Sagamore
The sun setting over Lake George, seen from The Sagamore
JT
Kris
After some research we found Augers Falls about 15 miles up the Sacandanga River. We traveled north following the river into the town of Wells NY. A small, almost discrete sign pointed to a dirt lot off of RT 30 where we parked. Exiting my car I grabbed my camera bag and my tripod. I couldn't image the hike was going to be to long. The river danced from our left to our right as we crossed over a bridge where the east and west branches of the Sacandanga meet. As we maneuvered up the road the river was never far from our field of view, this was a key clue in determining of the hike was going to be a few minutes of an annoying amount of time.
Kris sitting in a swath of fading sunlight.
JT and Kris acting like Lois and Clark
After about 5 minutes of walking through the trees, around some rocks, and twigs, a bag of dog crap someone was kind enough to toss off the trail, we could hear the water rushing over the rocks. It took us about another 5 before we came to head with a beautiful exhibition of rocks. The water was flowing heavily and I was in awe. There are some waterfalls in the world that you can not get next to, some large, some small, some are frighteningly big, while others are the right size. Augers Falls is approachable if you are an experience hiker and have the right pair of shoes.
While I was photographing the waterfall, the sun kept dancing through the clouds. Out of nowhere a light mist began to rise from the base of the waterfall.
iPhone 6 photograph
Mounted to my tripod, my camera recorded the falls in 2-4 second exposures. The f-stop was cranked up to a whopping 22-32. The water was splashing off the rocks and ricocheting up and bouncing off the front element of the lens. I was very close to the falls, at times, too close.
I made a very acute observation while standing at the very edge of the waterfall. There is a gigantic footprint carved out of the rock. It is in the shape of a large foot. If giants existed, this would be proof, or perhaps, this is an old world fossil print from a stone age sasquatch. I stood for a few minutes and watched the water pass over, swirl though, and exit the tip of the foot print.
Augers Foot
Life is short, have an adventure. Get out and see as much of this world as you can before it is either destroyed or before your time comes to an end. I am making travel a part of my lifestyle as well as a part of my career and photography. I am moving into 2016 with some new work on the horizon. I am gearing up for a big promo that is scheduled to launch in mid-December. Traveling is going to be a big part of the work that I am ushering my career into. Take my advice, travel, go to The Adirondacks, spend some time in the woods, get lost on the river, go to a waterfall or two, have a fire on the river, toss a few beers down, slow life down and relax, you will be happy that you did.
Travel Photography: Paris
To truly understand something is to see it for what it is worth in all its glory. I have never in my professional life been as busy as I have been in the last 7 weeks. The moment I returned from Europe I was inundated with a tremendous amount of new work and was able to pick up some new and exciting clients. But enough about the boring stuff. Lets talk travel.
I want to share with you an image that I made. This photograph captures the innocence and playfulness that is childhood.
A rainy evening in Paris.
There was a light mist falling. My camera dangled from my arms, tethered to a strap that tore at my shoulder. It had been a long day of studying Paris by foot. We were making our way to a famous set of stairs. I had a mission, to locate a specific vantage point to view the Eiffel Tower from. Unsure of how long we would be showered with a light mist I wanted to climb the stair case as quickly as we could. I had to have that photograph, just had to. I periodically turned to look at the view we were leaving, yet altering on our course to an even greater view. I spotted a child dancing with an umbrella. He was without worry, without caution, and without reservation, the same lack of convictions I had when I framed him up and pressed the shutter, forever freezing him in a statuesque pose.
Over the next nine days in 3 different European cities, this photograph would inspire me to look for the moments that people were occupied, yet unaware. Those were the moments that would become my photographs. The sights, the sounds, the lights, and smells, those will forever be memories that with the right circumstance will one day be reactivated when I walk the same Parisian streets. But the photographs, those will be the visual reminders of the tangibility of Paris. The streets, sidewalks, the damp marble stairs we climbed, those among other objects passed our hands and our feet, as we studied Paris. I would like to think of Paris as a city of rich in texture, texture that can be seen, photographed, and felt.
Avec amour , de Paris!
New England: Travel Photography
The backroads of New England will undoubtedly lead you to some beautiful places. Just the other day I heard someone make a comment, "wow I have been to like 6 different states in 1 day." Clearly this individual is not a true New Englander and hasn't traveled from Maine to Rhode Island in one day, passing through Vermont and New Hampshire with a detour to Connecticut, in one day like some of us do. They were, however, referencing having walked through the state buildings at the Big E. The Big E is a colossal festival of carnies, hungry people without a care in the world for their waistlines, and people looking to drink, buy the same crap thats been there for 25+ years, and do stupid things; such as heckle the hot tub sales people. In one spot you can consume enough food to get diabetes, rip a pair of jeans, and get gout, all while buying hot tubs, crap you see on TV at 1:30 in the morning, and slide down a giant piece of yellow plastic. Sounds fun, right? Well the Big E marks the end of the summer and is a tradition for many New Englanders. It is so well blogged about and photographed that you will not see anything of mine on here. Rather I will show something more scenic.
Greenhouse, Amherst Mass
The low lying light of the sun about to kiss the horizon is a sign that summer is ending. Late August and early September have incredible evenings with light and sunset shows. For those who know how to work a camera, it a spectacular time to get out and make photographs. I personally favor that romantic golden hour light. I can never seem to drag myself out of bed early enough to capture the crack of dawn, so I rely on the evening to make photos. Personally I feel that is the best time, not because I do not want to be up early, but because I feel the light has a different personality. When it illuminates the landscape or a person posing for a shoot, it is more magical than the early morning. Sounds super cliche, I know, but it is the truth.
I always get sad at the end of the summer. I never really admit this to anyone, but I do. Having grown up in New England I know what comes next, a few weeks of cool evenings, a few days of magnificent foliage, some rainy days, then nearly 5 months of misery. I have never been diagnosed with seasonal affect disorder, but I find that every year I creep closer and closer to needing to spending 4 hours under a heat lamp to keep from being depressed. I spend those cold months thinking of the summer, Cape Cod, and the light. Regardless of how beautiful a winter scene can be, during or after a snow storm, nothing replaces the beauty of a warm afternoon fading into the evening.
A farm off of 47, Amherst, Mass
New Englanders are spoiled with having 4 seasons. They really are. Some places and people are not as fortunate to have a rotating climate that brings seasonal changes that give meaning to the geographic location they call home. Amherst is located in the western part of Massachusetts. Famous for being a college town, having rolling pastures, farms, one of the first lumber mills in the country (semi truefactual, its very old), and one thing I think it should be famous for, Antonios, the greatest pizza in the world. Amherst, like many other town or cities is an artery that connects directly to the quintessential heart of New England. Anyone who has been to Amherst can tell you that around each corner there will be something worth seeing and enjoying.
When you exit the main routes, 116, Rt 9 and 47, you will find some incredible places. Hiding in plain sight are fields, barns, farms, people on bikes, paths, sun drenched roads that navigate the viewer further into the summer fast closing day. I have seen a lot of New England, spanning from the Coast of Maine to the state capitals of every New England State, to the smallest coastal nooks of Cape Cod, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. I have been in the backwoods of Vermont, hiked the Berkshires, and have had many reckless nights in Boston. When I think of New England, I think of all of these places, but a part of me always wanders to the pastural landscapes; primarily because life is slower, more relaxed, and the light glows much differently than when you're sitting at the open window of Dillion's on Boylston St in Boston seeing how many times you can compliment a girl before she stops to talk to you.
A tobacco barn, Amherst, Mass
As far as I know there is not a single farmer in my family. My grandmother always had a lush garden when I was growing up, but it wasn't anything to write a novel about. Though, she always had some kick ass cucumbers. Thanks for those memories, grandma. But I have found that when I drive through regions such as Amherst, I am compelled to enjoy them as much as I would any other place at the golden hour. Late in the day light will always be an element in my work, both with portraiture as well as with any travel work I make. Make time to see the world, it is shrinking, metaphorically speaking that is.
Travel Photography
The engine came to life as I turned the key forward in the ignition. I opened the sunroof and the driver and passenger window, looked in the mirror and put the car in reverse. I backed out of the driveway turning the wheel to pivot the car in direction of my route home. The heavily traveled dirt road conjured images of rally cars speeding up and down the winding curves. The gravel was lose in some spots, undoubtedly from someone taking the corner with enough speed to put their vehicle sideways long enough to crack a smile. The tires gripped the road with a crunching strength. Within moments I would be on the main road and heading up and down steep roads that cut through the quintessential New England landscape.
Prior to leaving I said to my wife, "there is going to be a nice sunset tonight." She looked outside as Zeus cleared his throat and let out a rumble of thunder that echoed through the mountains. Sure, there was pretty fierce thunderstorm outside in the distance, but the funny thing, the predicable thing about storms, they come to an end. Here in New England when a storm comes to an end, for the most part it is beautiful immediately following. I knew this would be true this evening.
I was leaving her behind to stay with her family on their vacation. I can make a few trips up through out the week, but nothing extended, as my work load is pretty heavy. On the way home I would stop and make photos, this I decided on the way up as I passed a few photogenic landscapes. Once I turned onto the main road I was greeted by a thick blanket of fog that was cuddling the tops of the trees. I was delightfully surprised. As I navigated the back road I occasionally stopped to make photos.
The house that the family is staying at borders a lake with a dock. I was surprised at the peacefulness that exists. It was so quiet, you could hear the tress growing. The lake is picturesque. I will be flying my drone around when I am back later in the week. The only down fall, the water is overgrown with lilypads and thick vegetation, rendering it impossible for such recreations as swimming, water polo, scuba diving, skinny dipping, jumping off the dock, or floating in a tube. While it was a warm day, I do not think I would have much interest in swimming regardless, so having a family sess of marco polo in the lake will not go missed.
I anticipate to be testing a new drone during the week, so hopefully I will have that with me up there. The new drone set up will allow a bit more creative flexibility, which will yield some more dynamic images.
I am very pleased with the above photo, however, if there was a human being posing within it, I would be over-the-moon excited. I will settle knowing it is a photograph I am happy with. Perhaps when I back up there I will remember and make a portrait with someone in the space. Keep an eye out for a future post with some more photos.