Snow Day Snapshots

Creativity: A Family Tradition

Both of my parents are extremely creative. Really, my brother and I had no choice. My Pops would've loved for us to have followed in his military footsteps, his contributions to the fields of aviation and leadership being quite enviable. But what I remember best is how many creative endeavors my Pops tackled in his off-time. He is a carpenter, a water-color painter, a sand-blast artist, a civil war re-enacter, an expert shooter, an amazing cook, a historian... The list goes on.

When I was home for Christmas, I photographed some of his handmade and hand-painted ornaments (made from clothespins), in an effort to record a small part of his creative talent.

This is me, my Pops, and my brother Teej, circa 1990.

NYC, How I Miss Thee...

It's been a while since I've had a chance to visit New York, and I'm thinking it's about time I head back east. Fall seems like a good time to see some old friends, set up some portfolio showings, and swing by my favorite optical shop, MOSCOT, for a pair of these:

Moscot's 'Nebb' frames in tortoise.

Las Meninas, After Velazquez

When we were in Barcelona, we visited the Museu Picasso. There's an entire room dedicated to his series 'Las Meninas, after Velazquez' and I found it extremely inspiring. I guess I never fully grasped how absolutely devoted Picasso was to his craft. In the span of only four months, he painted fifty eight interpretations of Velazquez' work.

Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez

The museum describes his series as an "exhaustive study of form, rhythm, colour and movement." It was incredible to see these in person, imagining Picasso at work, studiously examining his own technique and approach. That examination, and the discipline with which he made it is what really impressed me.

The Edit

I'm in the middle of editing my website again, a part of the job that never ends. It's always a slightly maddening task, but a necessary one nonetheless. It's good practice figuring out which of your shots are getting the axe and which ones can now join the team.

One of the things I appreciate most about editing is going back through shoots and finding something surprising. Neither of the shots above were selected by the magazines they were shot for, and neither one initially made it onto my website. But there's something I like about them now - the direct eye contact in the first, the stolen moment in the second - two things (amongst others) I'm trying to get more often when I shoot now.

It's one of the many things that makes working in a creative field rewarding: Whether it's a photograph, a book, a song or a film - even if you've seen or read or heard it before - there are always new layers to discover.

Alleys

I was walking around this afternoon, shooting locations for some personal work. These alleys kept catching my eye. There are dozens of them in this neighborhood, and each is beautiful to me in its own way. I really love the way the light filters through the trees, the full spectrum from highlight to shadow. I also really like the way the paths are uniquely carved into each one.

In a way, the fact that they're unoccupied is also part of their appeal. Perhaps they're not meant to be strictly backgrounds after all...

Respect.

I stumbled upon the first issue of Respect a few months back, and was absolutely blown away by the concept. Calling itself a "photo-journal of hip-hop," Respect is a celebration of the symbiotic relationship/collaboration between hip hop artists and photographers. The magazine puts it like this: "With the print game changing and the ever-growing amount of free urban content on the Web, there is a need for a publication that raises the quality standard, delivering world-class editorial and images by some of the most celebrated photographers in pop culture."

In fewer words, it's bad-ass.

One of the other cool things the magazine has created is a series of ads, sponsored by K-SWISS, called the self-portrait series. Here is an example, featuring photographer Jonathan Mannion:

What I like best about the series isn't so much the portrait, but the mini-documentaries they post on their website about the featured photographer. Here's part one of Mannion's:

If you're a fan of hip hop, photography, or (like me) both - pick yourself up a copy of Respect.

Objectivity

My buddy and fellow shooter Trevor was downloading some pictures from my G11, and accidentally grabbed this one. He sent me an e mail today, encouraging me to put it on my website or my blog. I never thought much of it, other than as a snapshot of a friend. It's funny, and it's one of the things I love most about photography - sometimes people see things in your work that you don't. Having others critique your work is a discipline I haven't really practiced since school, but I really ought to. It kinda begs the question, "What else have I been overlooking?"

Painter Billy Hassell

I love shooting portraits of artists. It doesn't matter what medium they work in, it's always exciting to get the chance to pick an artist's brain: to talk shop, to see how they do what they do, and where they find inspiration. Obviously, when I got the call to shoot painter Billy Hassell in his studio, I was thrilled.

Painters and sculptors keep the most fascinating work spaces - usually a little cluttered, dusty, and disorganized. Tools of their crafts, reference materials, castoffs, piles of paperwork everywhere... I don't know why I love these messy studios so much - In truth, I prefer to keep my own work space as spartan as possible - but I find other creatives' unkempt workshops oddly compelling.

Some detail shots of Billy's studio:

It turns out that Billy's studio is about eight blocks from my place. We knew a lot of the same people, had been going to the same neighborhood bars and restaurants for years, liked a lot of the same music... In fact, although neither of us knew it until after our shoot, his daughter is my next door neighbor (In my defense, I'm not home a lot).

A couple of out takes:

Billy was kind enough to let me hang out and shoot for a couple of hours. We discussed painting and photography, the future of art, our appreciation for our shared hometown, listened to music and generally enjoyed meeting a new friend. As I was loading out my gear, he was even kind enough to offer his guest a very tasty Guinness. Thanks, Billy. The next one's on me...

Guru R.I.P.

It is a sad day for fans of classic hip hop, as the incredible MC half of the group Gang Starr has passed away after a long battle with cancer. Guru, born Keith Elam, fell into a coma last month after suffering cardiac arrest. It was rumored he was recovering, however, so his passing comes as an especially shocking and sad development.

Gang Starr's record 'Hard To Earn' will always hold a special place in my heart. It was a huge part of the soundtrack to my teenage years when I was just discovering hip hop, spent every minute I could skateboarding and had just begun to learn photography. All three of those discoveries helped shape my sensibilities and develop my taste in art and culture.

Thanks for the amazing music, Guru. Rest In Peace.

photo © Michael Benabib

Spring Sky

It's that time of year in Texas - right between the grey cold of winter and the oppressive heat of summer - and the weather could not be more beautiful.

Spent the afternoon yesterday retouching an assignment on my balcony, listening to music and sipping a cold Sierra Nevada. Wish that I could spend every day like this: relaxed, working and enjoying the sunshine. Just perfect...

Patience

Had a long and interesting conversation with some friends tonight about progress. It's a strange thing to feel like you're in limbo between two levels of your career, and it whips your emotions into an odd mix of pride, defensiveness, art-vs.-commerce theory and impudence. It's at once inspiring and troubling.

The worst part is - No one has the answer.

Having spent a few hours mulling over the conversation, the only certainty I came away with is one that I've had since I was a kid: Patience is a virtue.

The trick is to remember that patience extends beyond the 'with others' scenario that your parents instilled in you. You also have to be patient with yourself.

Promo Afternoon #2

Spent another afternoon in the magazine section, hunting down photo editors, art directors and creative directors whose work I love and admire. It's a painstaking process, and I hope at least some of the recipients understand how much work went into getting my postcard to their desks.

After a lot of consideration and conversations with others of my ilk, I've decided to target only publications that I really think would be a great fit for my work. I don't have an AdBase account, so I end up having to do a lot of homework to find names and addresses. I'm also hand-writing the recipients info on each card. My intention is to add a little personal touch to the whole process, and I'm praying it doesn't backfire and simply look unprofessional.

It's funny. There's no way to track the success or failure of a mail campaign. I won't know who looked at it for two seconds, who threw it away immediately, or who put it up on the wall of their office or cubicle. You put all this work and time into these things, then you send 'em out into the ether.

Then you wait for the phone to ring. And - as always - you keep shooting.

Ambling Alp

As the photography and video industries seem inevitably headed toward codependence, I have been viewing a ton of video content.

There is a lot of really interesting and creative work in music videos right now. I wanted to share this excellent (but NSFW) video by directing team Radical Friend for the band Yeasayer.

Art, Fear, and Friends

My job as a photographer has changed a lot in the last year. It changed a lot in the year before that, and before that... If you go back ten years, the industry would be unrecognizable. Film to digital. Digital to recession. Recession to video. Every change costs the photographer money, and with every change (at least for the foreseeable future) comes less money.

It's tough...

and it's going to keep changing...

and it's going to keep costing more money...

and there will be more fish in the pond.

But in a way, what else is new?

When I was in college, the Mamiya 67 kit was financially out of reach. But the kids slightly older than me got a credit card, bought it and started shooting.

When I started assisting, the digital backs my employers had seemed impossible to afford, plus there was the software. But the kids slightly older than me bought DSLRs and started shooting.

Now that I'm starting to shoot, the industry is leaning toward a video/photo mix. It's a new way of seeing things, a tool so new that most clients know they want it, but don't know if they want to invest the money to pay for it.

Unlike last time, however, I'm adopting a decidedly optimistic outlook. I know video. I think in narrative story lines and in moving pictures. It's new for us as photographers, but it's certainly not new for us as consumers, critics, historians, or fans of cinema.

I was talking with some very good friends in the business, friends facing the same changes/obstacles/opportunities that I am. And it's through talking with them that I've decided to adopt this positive outlook.

I didn't choose photography because it was going to be easy. I didn't choose it to get rich fast or to become famous. Come to think of it, I didn't really choose photography at all. As cheesy as it may sound, I do believe photography chose me.

I'm willing and excited to go along for the ride.

Account Deactivated

Well, after less than a year of Facebook, I decided to deactivate my account. I started out thinking it would be good for business. I would keep only the contacts that I'd met through work and link to my site and blog from time to time. But that's not really how it works. Mostly, I ended up typing messages to real friends who I'd rather be talking to in real life. In person. And I should mention that I was terrible at keeping up with the thing. Looked at it maybe twice a week? So - If people want to read my thoughts on a computer (and most don't) this is the only place to do so.

This may well be my most truly awkward blathering of all posts yet. But at least I'm doing it on my own site...

It's Mailer Time.

Just ordered a fresh batch of postcards for the new year's first mailer campaign. The shot should look familiar to anyone who reads this blog, but my fervent hope is that this'll reach the photo editors, creative directors and art directors who've yet to have heard my name. A good friend in the business keeps telling me to stay realistic: most of these things will end up in the trash.

I'll stay optimistic: maybe they'll at least end up in the recycling bin.

Passport Stamps

I'm finally getting my passport updated, and in doing so, I had to turn in my old one. It's a strange feeling - more bittersweet than I expected - to lose those old stamps. They're proof of where your life has taken you, and it sure seems like you ought to be able to keep them forever.

These stamps, for instance, are proof of the year my family moved to Japan. I was in high school, and it was a scary proposition leaving behind the small band of art and music dorks I had been part of for the previous two or three years. We were moving to a foreign country, where not only did I have to find the new friends and places that would create my new community, but I would have to do so without knowing how to read or speak the language. I had done it before, but (considering how socially awkward I was) this seemed an especially unkind test of my assets in the charm department.

Bittersweet memories aside, I must say that I am happy to see this portrait gone forever...

I had better (and admittedly more) hair then, but I'm happy to have finally grown into that nose...

Have Fun

The great thing about working in a creative field is that, in one way or another, most of us are right brainers who are happy to have found ourselves on a team with others of our ilk. Don't get me wrong - You will occasionally find yourself on a set with someone (or several someones) who work better in under duress, and so that's the environment they nurture.

Our work can definitley get stressful - it is business, after all - but I think individuals in our field who create stress for themselves and those around them are:

1) shooting themselves in the foot, because the crew (and the client) will remember it...

2) forgetting that a crew is a team. Everyone wants the shoot to turn out well. Nurture the team, and the end product will always be better...

Here's the deal: Creative jobs are, in the end, fun. I don't envy lawyers and doctors: individuals for whom the result of their work could mean the difference between freedom and imprisonment, or life and death. We're just making good pictures. Pictures that tell stories. Sometimes, they're important stories that need to be told, and other times we're just helping advertise something or someone. Either way, we're damn lucky to be doing it.

So, when you can - and as often as you can - remember to have fun. The approach will reflect in your work, and - as an added bonus - you'll probably live longer.

Bored To Death

As a photographer and filmmaker, I sometimes stumble across a work that is so good, so thoroughly pitch-perfect that I get a little jealous I wasn't somehow part of it. It sounds silly - juvenile, even - but it's true.

Alright: confession time. I've only seen one episode of HBO's new series Bored To Death. Perhaps it's premature to be espousing the greatness of something upon a single viewing, but if the purpose of a blog isn't to indulge oneself, then what is the purpose? The quick rundown: Bored To Death is about a writer who, after having been dumped by his girlfriend for drinking too much white wine and smoking too much pot, posts an ad on Craig's List as an "unlicensed" private eye. Clients come knocking, the writer is thrown headlong into situations he is ill-equipped to handle, hijinx ensue. In the wrong hands, this could've been a terrible premise. Luckily for us, creator Jonathan Ames blends an amazing cast and hilarious writing into a show that I have not stopped thinking about and quoting since I saw it. Do yourself a favor and at least check out the trailer.

You're welcome.