Pass Interference

I got an email asking me to share the shoot I did in the slot canyons with Lauren Hurlbut. I have most of the pictures on Instagram but not specifically all in one link like it would be if I were still uploading things to tumblr. Oh well. The photographer wanted to reference my images for a shoot he'll be doing in a similar location. "My idea is to make my shoot along the lines of the ones you did with Lauren: poses, composition, etc. Since it is one of my first shots, I want to work along some established lines. After I will allow myself some more creativity" No. (Almost) All of the pictures are on my Instagram. So it's not that I don't want to share them. It's that I don't want you to get in the habit of referencing other peoples pictures when you're trying to create something for yourself. Pardon the rant LOL :) Nerdist with Jeremy Irons: http://nerdist.com/nerdist-podcast-jeremy-irons/ Ice House: http://lucima.com/laguna-beach-ice-house-studio-fashion-photography-workshop/ Unfinished Malibu House (Eric Lloyd Wright): https://www.flickr.com/photos/michael_locke/8097045647 Dave Hill: http://davehillphoto.com

A quick response to the podcast yesterday. To get better models you need a better portfolio. Right? Right. But is that what I said? I try and go more in depth to the response yesterday. Inappropriate photographers, variety (depth and specificity), Instagram image selection/layout, create and control your audience's attention, shooting for ArsenicTV, and more.

I kind of think that this was once a blog post or possibly even another podcast. Too bad. One of the most common questions in my workshops is "What does it take for any given photographer to do what I do?" Most often this question takes the form of, "How do I get to shoot beautiful fashion models naked like you?" Admittedly there isn't a simple answer. That said, much of what I do is managing perceptions, particularly in the form of my online presence. The podcast explores a few of the moving parts of the machine that I've created in order to do what I do.

This podcast is long. But it rewards you in spades if you listen all the way through. It's one of the few that I actually like. When was the last time you heard me say that! This podcast is the result of a conversation I had with a model earlier in the day. We talked about my style and the evolution of that style. She asked me who my favorite photographers (Avedon/Demarchelier) were and I attempted to feebly explain why I don't follow in their footsteps even though they were my role models. I continued to compare and contrast that style with the shock value style of (Juergen) Teller and (Terry) Richardson) and why I think people on Instagram do it wrong by being lazy in their execution. The podcast shifts to discuss how I shoot. What I think about when I shoot. What I need out of the "moving parts" during a shoot. And how all those considerations create the final product. And how at the end of the day the pictures define you (and not the other way around) because actions speak louder than words and historically my imagery create a consistent stylistic trend. This was supposed to be a short podcast based upon an earlier conversation today but turned out to be more much "revelating" (technically not a word) as I continued to explore the idea.

Did I just make a podcast talking about cycling pain? Jesus Christ. So why do I ride the Rose Bowl group ride Tuesdays/Thursdays? It's dangerous. Painful. And yet it gives me so much. Except what exactly does it give me? And what, if any, are the ties to photography? Listen and find out.

Disclaimer: This stuff is really technical. If you're not interested in color accuracy and listening to my thoughts about it, then this podcast is definitely not for you. This (probably too long of a) podcast is about my brief history with color accurate displays and my challenges and experiences with them. There's about 30 minutes of history as I run through what I bought and why. And then there's about 10 minutes of drawing real conclusions. That's where the real value is. If you want the Cliff Notes version of it here it is: Buy an Eizo ColorEdge with built-in calibration sensor. If you want to know why? You'll have to listen to the podcast. MONITOR HISTORY/REFERENCE 2005 Dell Ultrascan 2405FPW 24" PVA Panel (acquired ~$200) 2009 Eizo S2402W-H 24" TN Panel (acquired ~$500) 2010 Eizo ColorEdge CG241W 24" PVA Panel (acquired ~$1200 retail $2000 and returned) 2010 Eizo ColorEdge CG241W 24" PVA Panel (acquired ~$1200 retail $2000 and returned) 2010 Eizo ColorEdge CG243W 24" IPS Panel 2014 Eizo ColorEdge CG275W 27" IPS Panel (acquired ~$1500 retail $2400) 2016 BenQ SW2700PT 27" IPS Panel (acquired ~$700 and returned) 2016 Dell UP2716D 27" IPS Panel (acquired ~$700) 2016 Eizo ColorEdge CX271 (acquired ~$900 retail $1400) 2016 Eizo ColorEdge CG318-4K (the unicorn that I want retails ~$5000) CALIBRATION HARDWARE SpyderPro3 ColorMunki i1ProDisplay Eizo CG275W built-in colorimeter PRINTERS Canon Pixma Pro 9500II Canon Prixo Pro-1 http://lucimablog.blogspot.com/2009/09/sypder3-pro-unibody-macbook-dell.html http://lucimablog.blogspot.com/2009/11/eizo-s2402w-h.html http://lucimablog.blogspot.com/2009/12/whats-good-monitordisplay.html http://lucimablog.blogspot.com/2009/12/legend-nanao-eizo-cg241w-bk.html http://lucimablog.blogspot.com/2010/01/eizo-cg243w-ftw.html http://lucimablog.blogspot.com/2016/10/color-accuracy-needs-of.html

In a Facebook conversation with some photographers I wound up showing some of the shots from the last podcast. Yeah, the one where I said I was disappointed in the results because I wasn't getting proper variety and also that she was always on the ground. Well, I was wrong. Kind of. It turned out to be one of the best sets I've shot. So what gives? Did I just lie to you guys for entertainment value? Not exactly. What it boils down to is flow vs. design. You can plan all you want but when push comes to shove, you have to be in the moment. That's something a retoucher might not quite understand.

When the photographer make rookie mistakes during the shoot and the retoucher has to polish these turds. Homey don't play that! This is what happens when you think you're better than you really are. Unfortunately for me, I am both the photographer and the retoucher so basically I'm upset at myself. And yes, at some point in the past I actually thought there wasn't much left for me to learn in photography. Tisk tisk tisk.

Let's say hypothetically your model requests specific photos from the shoot? What do you do? And hypothetically, why does she even have any photos to reference? Oh you hypothetically let her take phone pics of the pictures on your camera? You hypothetical dumbass. This podcast is about process and how specific parts of the process are sacred (yes, all of it).

Sometimes we don't see the forest from the trees. Sometimes we polish turds. The point is that as photographers this is a tough lesson to learn. Also, being away gives you new perspective. Can we be more optimistic? Why should we be more optimistic? How does one cultivate creativity?