I Hate All of My Photos

That's not a typo. Even the shots I love, I hate. Let me explain, or at least try to.

In today's landscape of instant gratification, social media, likes & loves, it's too easy to get a false sense of security in your art.
Comments, Likes, Loves...these are all great things. They show folks are engaged enough with my photos to interact, and I love interacting with all of you.  I must be posting good stuff, right? 

This is how it goes from my side. By the time a photo makes its way to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or my website, I've already seen it at least four times (likely more). I have analyzed it, edited it, perhaps edited it a second or third time, placed a watermark on it, and made it into a web-friendly size. 
All I see by this point is what's wrong with it.  'Oh, I could have done this to make it better' or 'I wish I had done this' or 'I missed this opportunity' or 'If my shutter speed was X instead of Y this would have happened'.

Allow me to present one of my most popular photos: David R's Patina Oval.

                     The FIRST EVER Patina car to be featured in Hot VWs Magazine

This shot was a big deal. It was the FIRST EVER Patina car to get a feature in Hot VWs Magazine. The first, EVER.   

I spent over three hours editing this shot.  I've sold quite a few prints of this photo, I have it framed and hanging in my home, and it was a two-page spread in the magazine. 
All I see is the shadow across the old screen door to the left of the bug's hood. I could have killed that shadow with a fourth flash inside the barn, but I completely missed it at the time.  It's still an awesome shot, and I love it, but at the same time I hate it. 
Does that make sense? I don't know, but that's how it is in my head.

I'm like this with Every. Single. Photo. It's never good enough. I love it, and I hate it. 
Maybe it's a case of being a perfectionist, or my own worst critic, but that's a job somebody has to do. Right? 

I try to take it as an opportunity to learn, and plan for future photo shoots and events. Gathering up all that introspection and self criticism, and turning it into a positive during the next shoot, and the next shoot, and the next event, and the next event... Remember what I learned from this shot, and that shot, and apply it here. 

Always evaluating, always learning, always humble, always grateful for your attention.

Are you ready? I'm ready.
Eric

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How To Catch Up When You're Behind

Right now, I'm behind...by a lot, and I mean a LOT!
I have photos from weeks ago which I haven't had time to touch yet. They're saved, and they're backed up, but they're just sitting there, patiently waiting to be tended to.
To top it off, I'm headed directly into another three day event, and that's going to back me up even more. 

Still, hope is not lost. 

How do I work through a situation like this? Let me break it down.

1. Step back, take a breath. Meditate if that's your thing. At least take some deep breaths. Clear your head.
2. Make a list. When I'm behind, I HAVE to write down what needs to be done. Write it all down. It doesn't have to be in any particular order, just make sure you get it all. Every item, every step.
3. Put that list in an order that makes sense. Have a deadline on a project? That becomes number one. If chronological makes sense, there is your order. Will it be easier to do 'Project Y' before 'Project X'? Maybe that's your sequence. Figure out what will work best for your flow, and create your order of operations. 
4. Make time. Set aside the time you need to start working. Everything will get done eventually, but it go more quickly if you actively have blocks of time scheduled.
5. Work. To borrow a phrase: 'Just Do It'  It's not going to get done if you don't hunker down and get cranking. 

I had to go through these steps when I returned from the Blackstar Campout/El Prado VW Weekend.  
My list looks something like this:
1. Prado - Edit, upload to website & Facebook
2. Blackstar Campout - Edit, upload to website & Facebook
3. OCTO - Edit, upload to website & Facebook
4. Things West - Edit, upload to website & Facebook, deliver to Magazine
5. Thing photo shoot - Edit, deliver to car owner
6. Kenworth photo shoot - Edit, delver to Magazine
7. Wheel Jam Event - Edit, deliver to Magazine
8. Las Vegas Car Stars Event (all 3 days) - Shoot, Edit, deliver to Promoter

We are talking about THOUSANDS of photos here. 

Step 1 (Prado) is happening tonight (June 13). Step 2 I'm hoping will be completed Friday morning. 
Step by step, it will be completed.

The moral of this post is don't freak out, don't get discouraged. Get organized and get motivated. 

Are you ready? I'm ready.
Eric

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What's In My Bag?

So you want to know what's in my camera bag? Well, there's a camera body and some lenses, naturally, but what else do I take along on a shoot or to an event? 

Here's a quick run-down of those miscellaneous items I carry, because you just never know.

Memory Cards - The last thing you want to do while traveling, is run out of memory.
Circular Polarizing Filter - Helps get rid of unwanted reflections on shiny cars.
Camera rain cover - Hey, it rains. When it does, I'm ready.
Cleaning cloth - Dust on a lens is bad.
Spare Eyepiece - I seem to lose these a lot.
Notepad & Pen - Mostly for getting owner contact info at shows, also for quick notes.
Clif Bars - My go-to for on the go eating. Easy to carry and pretty filling. 
Business Cards & Photo Shoot Cards - Always ready with my most requested info.
Small Tripod - For those times my big tripod is too much.

I'm sure there is more inside the bag I'm forgetting, some loose change, maybe some Excedrin & Claritin, a couple stickers, and a few odd-ball things, but you get the gist! 

What I really know...it's HEAVY! 

Are you ready? I'm ready.
Eric

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May & June 2018 Travel Plans

Let's face it, summers in Las Vegas are HOT. Like, if the sun is out you stay inside hot. We had record breaking heat already this year...and it's only going to get hotter.  Due to the heat, there isn't much happening photo-wise, unless it's early in the morning or after the sun goes down. 

It's a good time to hit the road. 

I seem to be making the trek to Salt Lake City, Utah each May for the last couple years, and this year it's happening again. I head there Friday, May 25th, I shoot on Saturday the 26th, and drive right back home. Out and back.

Just four DAYS later, I hop on a plane for South Dakota. I'll be covering the Wheel Jam (Semi Truck) Event again this year for LargeCar Magazine. I hop off the plane, drive one hour to a local farm where I'm doing a truck feature shoot, then drive another couple hours to the event site. It's a three day event, with a TON going on. I had a lot of fun last year, and am happy to be returning. 

I fly home that Sunday (Jun 3rd), and start packing to do some VW Camping at Blackstar in Southern California. Thursday the 7th I'll be driving my 1977 VW camper to Prado Regional Park in Chino to spend four days photographing the largest gathering of VWs in the country. There are a lot of things happening during these four days (Blackstar Campout, OCTO, Things West, Prado and more), so it will be non-stop go go go! Back home late that Sunday night.

While I'll be back home in Las Vegas, the same week I go right into Las Vegas Car Stars; an annual gathering of movie & TV vehicles at the Fremont Street Experience (and some other locations too). Another three days of events! 

I expect things to slow down a bit after that, because like I mentioned, it's just too darn hot! Still, you never know who is going to call, or where I'll be headed next!

Are you ready? I'm ready.
Eric
 

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Why a Blog?

It's Wednesday, May 9, 2018, and this is my first blog post. 
You may ask "Why start a blog after so many YEARS in the photography business?"  I say...Why not?!  I have things to say which could be helpful to some, thought provoking to others, annoying to a few, or awesome for everyone.

My goal for this space is to elaborate on my photo business experiences, the Ups and the Downs, so you can get an eye into what life is like for a photographer in the world today.  Sure, parts of it is glamorous, but other parts of it are much less so.  Stay tuned, you will see both sides.

Another thing you will see is recaps of events and feature shoots. It's tough to go into a lot of detail on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, so that will live here.

Think of this blog as a stream of consciousness, with just a little bit of filtering. I'm going to write, and post, without too much content editing. I tend to obsess over what I write, and there's certainly a place for that (magazine articles, etc), but I don't want to overthink this. It will be more raw.

I hope you're ready. I'm ready.

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