Dead Mobsters Remind Us: Success in Your Work is in Your Quirk.
Photos of dead mobsters lying prone, surrounded by articles of clothing and police chalk markings. The crime scene, the murder as art. Equal parts photographer and old-school sleuth Arthur “Weegee” Fellig had a otherworldly guidance that lead him straight to fresh crime scenes, like the plastic thing on a Ouija board. Working the streets of...
Talent Imitates, Genius Steals: chasejarvisLIVE REMIX episode with MIKE RELM [coming Tues Feb 7]
There’s a saying that you should understand. It’s “TALENT IMITATES. GENIUS STEALS.” Now before your undies get in a wad, I’m not saying steal work and pretend it’s you’re own. More deeply, I’m asking a question. Do you want to understand and set free your most creative work? Then pay attention here. And mark my...
The Freshman Yearbook of Power Nerds, Washington DC Style
Funny segue from yesterday’s political post… Got to thinking about politics and photography…. Though it seems otherwise at time, politicians aren’t actually celebs. Sure, they get their picture taken at press conferences, but–especially early on in their career–they’re not really used to having a photographer take a portrait of them like a rock star. They’re...
Horn Toot! Study Reveals that Creativity & Culture Drive Economy
The goals of creative expression are to make statements, to generate awareness, initiate reflection, feeling or action. We want the art to do work. Such was the case with my Seattle 100 book & gallery exhibition. But, in truth, I had little understanding when I published the project how much or what kind of ‘work’...
No, But I Can Learn
Do you know how to load a roll of film? Work a light meter? Edit slides on a light table? Scan film? Color correct scans? Track a photo inventory? Submit photos to clients? Work with a stock agency? Make prints? Pack a camera bag? Ship equipment? Set up lights? Scout a location? Drive on the...
Buying Mics & Hacking Audio for Your DSLR Video Setup
HDSLR video is a great way to get high quality footage on a micro budget; and a great way to keep that budget micro is to be picky about what accessories are right for your setup. I recently received an email question focused on this and–in particular–if I had to choose between the Rode Stereo...
Remembering Sarah Burke
Sarah Burke would light up a room when she walked into it. Actually more than that, she lit up an entire sport, and was bound to light up the world in the forthcoming Olympics, before she succumbed to spine injuries sustained while training in Park City on January 10. She passed away yesterday. The world...
“Mind Prints” ?! What The Hell Are Those? [A Fresh Book From Frank Meo]
Picture Monica Lewinsky w a cigar, Hitler in a bunker, the Beatles w their lawyers. It’s all here. Or rather it’s all in your mind… So what does a book look like that is targeted at visual artists and creatives, yet has exactly ZERO pictures and isn’t a how-to? Well, it looks like well-known photo...
The Un-Moment: Why Gritty Beats Glossy & the Deceit of Perfection
When I was a less experienced artist, I thought that less gloss meant less talent. For, after all, it seemed to me to be commonly assumed in our culture that talent resided only in the gloss, the perfection, and the polish. If your art didn’t have polish it was only because you we’re able to...
The Next Time You Have A Great Idea…
The next time you have a great idea, don’t write it down. Just do your great idea. [Btw, the irony of this note is not lost on me...] —- [I'm starting to more regularly post these little notes I scribble out--little journal notes to myself that I'm making public. If you like them, please let...
Nikon D4 Camera Is Here.
Alright photo geeks. Indeed, Nikon just announced the much-anticipated D4. I’ve known about its imminent arrival for some time. So let’s get into it… Here’s some highlighted specs: _16.2 effective megapixel, full-frame sensor (16.6MP total) _10fps shooting with AF and AE, 11fps with focus and exposure locked, 24fps 2.5MP grabs _1080p30 HD video at up...

