kuophoto blog

So there’s always that phone call that you don’t want to get. I got it a couple of weeks ago. I got on a plane the following day. Things are “stable” and as I spent long hours in the hospital with my sisters, you end up spending a lot of time thinking about and assessing your life. Priorities. I’m the sort of person that does that anyway, but there are events in your life that will occur that will bring those thoughts front and center. It forever changes you and life becomes “don’t sweat the small stuff.” That is, for me anyway. People process life events in different ways. I’ve noticed that for me, I don’t sweat the small stuff anymore and what becomes classified as small stuff? For me it’s pretty much everything and anything that isn’t a full blown crisis. However, I have a friend who is also going through a challenging time and his way of coping is to sweat the most minute stuff there is. It’s all relative.

Soft breezes, sunlight, flowers. These experiences become magnified in my life. I was wondering how this experience would affect my work. I thought that I might not have the desire to pick up my camera, or do down dog on my mat. But the opposite happened. My observation of the world has been even more heightened and I want to be fully immersed in all of it. It’s astounding that you think you’ve reached your threshold to do, see, love and feel things but then you have this profound experience that life hands you, and you realize that your capability to experience all those emotions even more fully is immense, and that you’ve only experienced the tip of the iceberg. If you remain open, even in suffering there is purification and beauty to be found.

I’m always wondering just how much of myself to be all the time. I’m a pretty transparent and candid person and there are times where that is a good thing, and times where it’s not such a good thing. So when does it apply and when does it not? So many bios and profiles that I have read have run the gamut from the very intellectualized, to the very informal, to the very humorous. So when it comes to marketing, what should your approach be? I think that no matter which route you take, it has to be an honest representation of yourself. My subject matter is rather serious, but emotive. I feel that my words should match up with my photos. I’ve read too many statements, bios and manifestos, blogs what have you, that are so heavy with verbage that I can’t relate to what they are saying. Why can’t everyone just be themselves?

I’ve been in the market to collaborate with a writer. The two writers I had in mind, are “big names.” I sought the advice of a mentor of mine, who said “Don’t be daunted by the fact that these writers are well established. You are a human being, they are a human being, and through your work you share a common interest.” Why can’t it be this simple? I think it should be. In a perfect world I’d have relationships-working and otherwise, with people and organizations of not only like interest, but of like mind, heart and integrity. This is what I want to put out to the world, and what I hope to attract in return. I just think that people are afraid to be honest. Most importantly when you are honest with yourself, you automatically behave with integrity. You allow yourself to be open. There is nothing to hide, and that allows people to trust and respect you, and you will receive openness and honesty in return. This is why I found this article on submissions by Subvert Magazine , so refreshing. It’s not only clear and concise, it’s honest and real. And real is where it’s at.

Stand In Your Truth

I’m back. Ok I have dropped the ball with my posts. What happened, is that I switched registars for all my domain names, and my blog fell off radar.  “A records, MX records, zone mapping, C records etc etc.” I can point the domain but after that, I get lost. I need a GPS to navigate all the technical jargon that you are responsible for knowing in order to get out of bed these days. It’s all I can do to keep up with Trader Joe’s who for some reason (even unknown to the employees)  likes to shift the foods in the aisles around every now and then just to keep our brains fresh. The reason all this happened in the first place, is because I decided to leave my registar (godaddy.com) due to the fact that it’s CEO Bob Parsons, shot an elephant and blogged about it. Despite his attempts to explain himself, taking video footage and photos of yourself proudly standing over it, to me, suggests another agenda. (Just sayin’) I should have jumped ship when it happened a few months ago but life took over and I just now got to switching registars.  It took me 3 + days to get it all sorted out and get my emails and website up and running. Therefore, the lapse in posts. Certainly my $8.99 isn’t going to make a dent in godaddy’s bottom line, and I feel badly in the sense that the company’s technical staff  is just stellar and I have only received excellent customer support from them. However, one has to live in their truth and I could not contribute to something that I consciously knew was objectionable to me. When you don’t live in your truth, something happens. You lose part of yourself and that’s a compromising way to live.

I don’t separate my yoga life from my creative life. They are one and the same and they feed and inspire one another.  “One who shows a high degree of right communication will not fail in his actions.” (T.K.V. Desikachar’s translation of Yoga Sutra 11.36) I’m not talking about being self righteous. Satya, the sanskrit meaning “That which has no distortion”  Clarity of expression. I’m talking about one’s own personal evolution. If your intention in your art and your life is with sound theory and practice, then the benefits will automatically manifest in your life. A recent example comes to mind when embarking on my most recent project. I had 2 project ideas in mind. I wasn’t deeply connected to them, one in particular I tried to make work as I was about to enroll in a project class with production timelines and I needed to come up with an idea soon. I kept trying to find an angle on this one particular idea, but it just wasn’t coming together and I was trying to make it into something that would resonate with me. As it turned out, I was denied access. So I tried project #2. I had a deeper connection to this project, yet at the same time, something seemed off about it that I couldn’t put my finger on. I have to have a certain feeling about a project that I take on at that particular point in time. I need to be connected to it at the most organic level.  I kept telling myself I was excited about it but deep down inside the timing wasn’t right. I wasn’t truly invested.  Turns out that someone had the same idea, and is currently doing the project right now.  I was once again denied access. What to do?

Through my research I came across a link that peaked my interest. I investigated further and stumbled upon an idea that sits so well with me, aligns with the direction I’m going in with my projects right now – a perfect fit. What’s more is that I have complete access. The people I’m working with are warm, inviting, interesting and doing really wonderful work. Same views and philosophies. Accident? I personally don’t believe in accidents. I believe that circumstances, opportunities and lessons are all around us every single day and we are either open to them and tune in, or we’re unconscious to their cues. It’s an act of listening. There is a balance that comes with trying to make things happen which I absolutely believe in, but at the same time, not using force. It’s conscious sustained effort without force. Force is always met with resistance. When you stand in your truth, it just comes together.

These days there is so much talk about branding.  I came across an excellent book on the topic called “World Famous” by David Tyreman. Despite the Clorox looking website, I highly recommend this book. It’s an authentic and soulful approach to identifying what makes you unique from everyone else, and many of us aren’t even sure what that is. It goes beyond your work. Tyreman asks you to dig deep and find out the “why” behind what you do. Something I discussed in my last post here. Your true authentic brand is a reflection of your purpose. What you personally stand for. It’s what you project to the world. The reason this book resonated with me so much is because David himself writes of his own hard knock experiences that we can all identify with. His story is of his struggle to make it in the antique business when unbeknownst to him, he comes to the realization that he himself, is his own brand. This book is not about fancy and expensive promotional materials and how to get your wares out on the market. It goes way beyond that.

Tyreman challenges you to come up with 3 words in which you feel define not your work, but your purpose. And this becomes your personal authentic brand.  This may seem simple, but it’s not so easy. He walks you through several exercises to help you determine what those driving forces are. I read the book awhile ago, did all the exercises and came up with my 3 words. As in my usual form, I worked too hard at trying to find the right words, “thesaurusing” myself to death. I had settled upon 3, but there was something I couldn’t quite put my finger on that didn’t feel exactly right. I didn’t have an “aha” moment and I feel that with something as profound as choosing 3 words that best define you, the results should be somewhat dramatic. So I left it alone. I let it go. I even forgot about it. Again, it’s like waiting for that one person to call, or text or email and you are manic about checking. But it never comes. So you tell yourself you’re not expecting it but there it is, taking up space in the periphery of your brain. It’s still there and you haven’t truly surrendered.  It’s during the one time that you let your guard down, that it appears. And that’s how I replaced one word that wasn’t quite right, with another that just came to me when I wasn’t looking. And to me it’s the most defining of the three.

David jokes in his book that his clients are willing to pay him an extra few thousand dollars if he’d just let them have one more word. But he doesn’t comply. It’s not about accumulating adjectives. It’s about defining yourself in such a way that it becomes a systemic approach to your process. You embody those words and psychologically whether you know it or not, it becomes unconscious and circumstances that don’t align with those 3 brand words, shouldn’t take up space in your hard drive.

My 3 words are “AUTHENTIC, DISTINCT, SIMPLISTIC” These words don’t just describe my photography, they describe me. The are interchangeable with whoever I am at the moment. They apply to my yoga practice, and my personal style. It’s my life’s philosophy.  It’s a powerful exercise. It helps keep you on track when things become undefined. It’s a reference, a reminder of who you are, just in case you forget.

branded

will you stand out from the herd?

Tom and heat lamp - Linda Kuo

Since this is the time of year we all have to be dealing with relatives, I thought this post should be about it all being relative. Today my focus is on what is considered ugly? Turkeys are considered ugly. That’s the justification that most people give for eating them. They’re ugly, so off with their heads. I find them to be incredibly beautiful as I mentioned in an earlier post. They have a stature and elegance about them that isn’t widely known. I for one don’t see conventional forms of beauty but see things that are peculiar, quirky, and non-traditional. It’s just the way that I view the world. This comes from an inner most source of angst of course. The misfit awkward growing-up part of me that still exists and can be seen in my work. Nothing has ever come easy for me. My sisters were honor roll students, won trophies, ribbons and awards of all kinds. I had a hard slog and everything that I’ve ever accomplished in my life has come from running into walls, swimming upstream and trial by fire. (It’s how I learn best) It’s actually a blessing in disguise. I’m forever hungry because of it, and I’m grateful for my insatiable appetite to manifest a sense of worth.

Believe me I would much prefer if I could learn in a conventional setting, but unfortunately I’m just not hard wired that way. It’s frustrating. I do everything twice, once by making a mistake, and usually I’ll make that mistake over and over again until I have a “forest for the trees” moment and take another route. And a key component is that I’m fool hardy. For some reason I’ve gotten all my embarrassment out in my awkward adolescent years, and from being denied. Denied robust health, (I’m the canary in the coal mine kid) and easy A’s.  So my pluck and moxie comes from “Well what the hell? What have I got to lose?”. But my successes are hard won. I fought my photographic style for a long time, and was attracted to styles like Peggy Sirota and Nirrimi. Freeing, ethereal and dreamy. But it’s not who I am and it took me awhile to embrace that. It’s true that your soul is revealed through your art. It cannot be any other way. At least not for me. It’s a process of being obsessed with emotion. Thus I am attracted to things that are out of the ordinary, yet have a tightness to them at the same time.  A controlling uncomfortable aesthetic. I heard someone say once that the reason they like New York City is because they need to have a certain amount of dirt in their life. I understand completely. I’m never one to be comfortable with being too comfortable. And it’s not being subversive for subversive sake. It has to come from an authentic place.

I’ve been told my images are isolating and lonely, but have deep contemplative value. I don’t stop to consider my work. It’s odd to think that, but I just “do” the work and it manifests on it’s own, and sometimes out of my control.  So what is ugly? Many artists have become notorious for their work on things that we overlook, consider ugly, or don’t give consideration to. Irving Penn has photographed refuse in a way that makes them aesthetically beautiful. He has exposed the beauty in the ugly.  ” Once you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” – Wayne Dyer

Irving Penn

Brown Bananas Irving Penn

cigarette butts Irving Penn

chicken parts Irving Penn

They days are shorter, almost all the leaves have left their branches, and the temperature begins  to drop. Nature is in a stage of dormancy. During this time of quiet and contemplation, the groundwork is being laid for the burst of activity to come in the spring. The time is ripe for planting, and preparing for the next season. I have an empty spot that is in dire need of a plant in the front of my house. All the plants are on sale now, and I was wondering if it was too late in the season to take advantage of the sale and put something in that corner. I was told that now is the perfect time to plant because you don’t have to water, as plants are now in their dormant stage. All things are conserving their energy, even though seemingly still. Nothing is every completely still. Doing nothing is still doing something.

I’m really disappointed today. More so than I have been in a very long time. It’s about people behaving badly, and greed. Hoarding. Entitlement. Keeping all your marbles to yourself and not sharing.

Last night a friend of mine wrote to me about an acquaintance of ours that had recently graduated from a program where 2 of the graduates had secured work and contacts at a well known publication. She asked if they would provide her with the contact information of the editors, and neither of her colleagues would share their information.

When I was a yoga instructor at a studio in Manhattan, I had a unique style of teaching. I would have teachers come in, take my class, and copy down my class sequence, then turn around and teach it to their class, claiming ownership. I had a student ask me if that upset me. It did at first but then I realized that it will never be the same. It won’t delivered in the same way because they didn’t own it. They didn’t create it. They weren’t the source. It was a one off.

From what I know of all the people that I revere the most, who are at the top of their game, and the most successful, they give all of their knowledge away for free. From Paul Arden:

“DO NOT COVET YOUR IDEAS“

Give away everything you know, and more will come back to you.

You will remember from school other students preventing you from seeing their answers by placing their arm around their exercise book or exam paper. It is the same work, people are secretive with ideas. “don’t tell them that, they’ll take credit for it.” The problem with hoarding is you end up living off your reserves. Eventually you’ll become stale. If you give away everything you have, you are left with nothing. This forces you to look, to be aware, to replenish.

Somehow the more you give away the more comes back to you.

Ideas are open knowledge. “Don’t claim ownership” They’re not your ideas anyway.  They’re someone else’s. They are out there floating by on the ether.

You just have to put yourself in a frame of mind to pick them up.

Justin and Mary Marantz have “panckake sessions” on their blog where they reveal all their information, tips and advice. Zack Arias just gives and gives and gives.  Nick Onken is also one of those individuals who freely gives back to the community, photographic and otherwise. It’s these individuals who are the true creatives.  These are the true artists who realize that by sharing and giving authentically,  their creative well is constantly being replenished, and it only brings more inspiration back to the source.

THE COOKIE THIEF by Valerie Fox

I used to have a favorite season. Now I can’t decide. They are all so beautiful and rich, abundant in many ways. However, I think that there is no match for autumn light and its brilliant show of constantly changing colors. There is a flurry of excitement, a crescendo, and then calm. Autumn is nurturing. It’s cozy, warm and comforting.

In the words of  Nick Onken:  ”ABS-Always be shooting”  I have a wicked head cold, was getting mosquito bitten in the face, but kept on shooting… Get out there. Shooting helps you to get over your circumstances.

Autumn is here and the landscape is changing. Although the “big show” here in the East is the changing of the leaves this month, there are many subtle changes to be noticed that are equally profound.  I often find the transition period of the ordinary and overlooked to be quite beautiful. In a world that is non-stop, today I’m happy to find myself among things dormant.

fescue grass on golf course

This is a very informative and interesting article on the jurying process. For me the most excrutiating part of  a project is writing the statement. I know what I want to say, it’s in my head , but I can never seem to express it in the right words. I’ve read many statements. Some good, some not so good, and too many filled with “art-speak.” I agree with Ms. Henkin in that often times I’d find it refreshing to just read something like  ”I photographed it because I felt compelled to do so.”

Length is always something to consider and this just depends on the project. Some projects require a simple statement whereas others may require more of a lengthy explanation. I’ve found that I may begin a project with one idea in mind but through the process of doing the work, my idea and approach completely change and I may feel compelled to explain this in my statement.

Often times submissions require you keep a statement to a specific word count, say 200. I found this very helpful in forcing myself to make edits until the reason on why you did the project stands alone. Ms. Henkin’s suggestion on asking yourself a few pertinent questions is the method I begin with when writing a statement. I was surprised to find that often times I didn’t ask myself the most basic questions and upon doing so, sometimes had a difficult time answering them myself. It causes you to really examine your motives. This applies to editing your photos as well. It may be a great shot, but is it necessary? It’s like taking the word “like” out of your conversations. It’s filler. Unnecessary even though it feels comfortable.

You’ve often heard me say that less is more. This applies to food, wardrobe, photography, packing, it’s pretty much the philosophy  I have towards everything in my life. Keep it lean and mean.  I’ve noticed a trend towards multi-media. I feel that the image should speak for itself. If the photograph is strong enough, no words are necessary. Often times I’ve pondered on whether I should include captions with my photos, but for now it just never feels right. I feel as if I’m telling the viewer what to see before they get a chance to be alone with their own thoughts and impressions. Once a caption is read, then the viewer’s “seeing” stops.

process. http://photolucidapdx.blogspot.com/2011/08/thoughts-on-jurying-from-photographer.html

“Sometimes you have to kill your own babies” Serge Levy said as we were discussing how to edit a body of work. Harsh phrase but it’s clarifying. I had a few “first borns” that I couldn’t part with in a series. I needed to hire a “cleaner“. Two days ago I had the sad opportunity of photographing a fawn near my house. This was the fawn that was grazing peacefully in my front yard just a week ago. July is the highest fatality rate for fawns as this is the time of year they are born.

So which image to choose? I  asked a couple of peers for their opinion and it’s a tie. A toss up. A tough call. (They were no help whatsoever!) The first image I find to be more haunting, there’s a sense of loss, therefore I lean more towards it due to it’s impact and the message I’m trying to convey in my project. However, the second image I find aesthetically beautiful. You sense life and want to reach out and pet it. Each image has a different message and meaning behind it. So which to choose?

I find the close up image of the fawn fur to be more appealing aesthetically when placed within the series. However, I feel that the first image is more provocative, which is the whole idea behind my project.  In the end, the first shot won, but I’m still always considering, pondering, re-assessing not only this shot, but my work overall. Re-visiting past work with fresh eyes all the time. Because you are always evolving and changing so your point of view will be changing as well.

You go back and look at your previous work and you wonder to yourself. “Does anyone else see what I see?” What once seemed “cool” or like a great shot, no longer holds that status in your mind. It’s a combination of emotions from being happy that you have this newly developed way of seeing things for what they are, but also angst that the work you put out there previously, was not up to snuff. A commercial photographer friend of mine once  told me “Sure you’re always going to look back and think “How could I have put that out there? But it was good work, and your clients loved it, and that’s what counts. It’s all part of the work in progress.” I often go back and look at my website with fresh eyes. I do this frequently because I don’t want my work to become stagnant, and also because you’re always gaining new insights and perspectives on how you view the world which can only affect your work in the same way. I used to only want to shoot in black and white. Never interested in color whatsoever. I was convinced this would never change. Then I came across William Eggleston’s work. My whole world changed and I embraced color. I shoot color more than I shoot black and white. Who knew? Certainly not me. Don’t fight your inklings. Your tendencies. Your curious nature to explore that which you don’t think is “you” I used to fight it all the time. Embrace it. It’s more work, having to “go there”and try it out than staying within your comfort zone, but you might be surprised at what you find. I had shot so many different things but it was only by doing so that I found that my best work and voice was in photographing animals. It sussed itself out. It may change, it may not. But we have to stay open to one day that when you look back, those bellbottoms may not have been so cool after all. But they were the rage back in the day and that time was not wasted. It’s all about appreciating what you’re experiencing creatively at the moment. I used to like my photos on the “cool” side. Most people “warm up” their photos but I liked mine cool. That’s been changing for me depending on what the image is. When I learned new tools in LR3, I went back to my images and reworked them to see if I felt differently in how I “see” them. The end result has to speak to my soul, in how I feel about each and every one of them. I have to see how close I can get to the truth, with each one.  This takes commitment and investment of course but it’s never wasted time.  Am I attracted to the “coolness” color range of a photo because it’s what I tell myself I like? You can get too stuck in your own opinions and tastes which may be unfounded just because you think you like it that way, rather than exploring why. The image has to have ownership.

The jury is still out on which image I like best. I always try and achieve the image as I remembered it in my mind’s eye and at first I gravitated towards the cooler of the two because it was early in the morning when the light has a bluish cast. But then there is the romanticized version of how you see and feel about something that has to also be explored and has it’s own merit. What is helpful is that I’ll choose one version over the other and then just let it be. Then I’ll revisit it again and usually one will speak to me over the other and the choice becomes clear. The key is to know when to stop obsessing and lose the attachment. Often times the old has the ability to become new, and the new becomes old.

cool chick

warm chick

Just yesterday one of my closest friends sent me some photos of herself in a Bikram yoga class. She has become a recent devoted practitioner. She asked me to critique her poses. (I’m a rehab yoga instructor thus the forced philosophy in my blogs) She had great form but I noticed that there was too much effort in her poses. Too much “yang” as in yin and yang So I told her to sense the “yin” the passive part in her practice and to see if she can incorporate it into the pose without compromising working to her edge. This is the hardest thing to do. It takes constant awareness and  you have to allow yourself to release some of your control, or to dispense it. Are you exerting effort without creating tension in another part of your body? Your mind, your face, as an unconscious means of control? Or can you compartmentalize and exert effort in the pose where it needs it, but have passivity in other areas? Passivity doesn’t mean inert and without action. There is presence there but you aren’t over controlling and hardening in your efforts. So how this relates to photography?… In my spare time, which is none, I volunteer for animal rescue organizations. It’s a win win situation because you are not only giving back, but you are getting in shooting practice at the same time. I find myself in many situations that I can always improve in each and every time. If I’m doing portraits for a fundraiser, I get to work on my people skills. You always come away with a lesson or two. On how to organize, pose and relate to people. Lesson #1: At the most recent event I took a portrait of a couple and their Airedale. The man was wearing a cap and sunglasses. I asked him to remove both. He did so but I could tell he was uncomfortable. People don’t like their picture taken to begin with.  After a couple of shots he  soon put his cap and glasses back on and  in the end, it was the best shot. He felt more himself and you can feel it in his energy and in the photograph. Lesson #2:  When I showed up at the event, the coordinator foisted the administrative responsibility on me: sign in the folks, collect the money, even provide the envelope for the collection. Plus she wanted me to organize the shots and get them to the participants at the end of the event. I followed through because it was clear to me that she was not capable of doing so and I wanted the participants to receive their photos since they made a donation. (Of course this is my responsibility for a client, but for this type of event, I hand over the images to the organization for their use, and they are the contact from that point on) There wasn’t time for me to “educate” her on the fact that I don’t shoot the event, the portraits and manage the administrative end as well as she was off doing other things and there wasn’t anyone else to help. So I managed to do all of it and shoot. It was stressful because cadence is everything when you shoot, and are with live subjects and this juggling of balls causes a lot of hiccups. I had people and their pets waiting so many personalities and distractions going on. Lesson learned:  ”Be clear and state your business before you go.” Sure it’s obvious but I haven’t had this issue with my volunteer work in the past. Note: Mistakes are priceless.

Working in these varied situations is good training. You have to think and act on your feet and be prepared for the unexpected which is always expected to happen. This Sunday I’m working at another rescue event. There is a 60% chance of thunderstorms and there is no place for the event to happen but outside. There is no canceling the event. My over controlling virgo brain is thinking “Is it going to be overcast? Will I have to shoot in the rain? Bring my rain sleeve? Mixed lighting?” I can prepare as much as I want to but I always find that with as much forethought as I put into it, it’s never what I anticipate and that is kryptonite for me. Not being able to control!! I force myself into these situations so that I can sharpen the tool. I’ve been overwhelmed and overscheduled  lately but I continue to do it to myself. To keep adding to my calendar because it’s better to do less more often than more less often. It’s different than setting up your own shoots which I often do, because when you do your own shoots you are still in control. You set it up. You make the rules and usually you won’t make it too uncomfortable for yourself. That’s why the they have personal trainers!! Exposing yourself to the unknown forces you to incorporate the yin and yang. Having control over what you can, and letting go to the unexpected. My favorite shot from the Airedale rescue event was the shot of Archie after the winning dunk. I happened to see the event going on as I was shooting something else. I ran over and snapped it. One shot. Unexpected. I let go. You will find that once you put yourself in those situations, that your instincts, your trust will allow the most serendipitous things to happen. Good for your photography, good for your soul.

A friend of mine has 30 black sweaters. One not substantially different from the next. I have one thing to say “EDIT.” You could probably give a good argument for why you have multiples of anything. But what about images in your online gallery or portfolio? I often come across photo galleries that have a half dozen versions of the same image. Less is more. Simplify. See Spot run gets the point across more so than “See Spot move faster than walking” Get the point across in a clean straightforward way and you’ll leave your viewer with a stronger, longer lasting impression. This is pretty much my philosophy with everything. I rarely like duplicates. I have a japanese weeding knife. It does so much more than just taking a weed out. It’s where function meets form taking the place of ten other gardening tools. You appreciate things more when you don’t have excess.

Be a tough editor. It takes me longer to edit than it should and I’m forever scrutinizing my selection over and over again. But I figure that the better I get at editing, then I’ll become more proficient at it. To practice “seeing” takes a lot of energy. It’s exhausting. You have to leave it and then come back to it with fresh eyes. It’s the same process as those times where you take a great shot. You think it’s the best you’ve ever done, you come back to it weeks maybe months later and you think it’s garbage. How can it be? You’re forever upping your game so it’s natural to constantly upgrade your vision.

Sometimes it seems like you absolutely can’t choose between several versions of the same shot. This happens to me all the time. They’re all great, not exactly the same, with a totally different feel. David Tyreman, author of  the book “Word Famous” a book I highly recommended in a former post on branding (but the book delivers so much more), has you define your business with just 3 words. Not 4 or 5, but 3. David commands $5000 for a consultation and has had clients offer him more money, if they could add just one more word. His response is NO. 3 is concise. 4 is not.

I use lightroom as my editing tool. When I edit I try not to think too much when I have my first go at it. I go by my first instinct. I’ll take 2 images and put them in comparison mode if I like two shots that are similar. This helps me define a clear choice between the two. Then I’ll take the winner and do the same comparison with the next candidate and so on, until I’ve whittled it down to the final 2. Then if I still really can’t decide, I’ll load them into the administrator end of my website and view them in the photo gallery amongst the other images in the portfolio and usually that helps me make the final choice.

The tighter you edit, the stronger your presence will be and the greater your impact. Your portfolio is only as strong as your weakest shot.

This post is dedicated to Kim Kennedy. A photographer I knew back in the day when I was modeling for Filene’s in Boston, and he was one of the head photographers. He made going to work fun. An experience. He was an endless ray of sunshine and positive energy. I noticed today that the sun was so intense. A summer sun, not a spring sun. I came home to hear of the news that he had passed on after a battle with a brain tumor.  Although I had not worked with him that often, he had affected me in a way that’s profound. It’s something that has provoked deep thought, about what we are doing in life. What is our purpose. What effect do we have on the world and those around us. I am happy I had the chance to know him and grateful I had the chance to tell him.

Why do you go to the gym? Or hire a personal trainer? To get in shape, put yourself in an environment that’s motivating. To have someone push you past your boundaries and push you to your edge.

There are good things to be said about ultimatums and deadlines. You discover a lot about where you are. Having a finite time line pushes you to maximum efficiency. You’re at the 11th hour. It’s sink or swim and you’re forced to dig deep. Something happens and creative solutions present themselves.

I’ve become a fan of deadlines.

This month I had a few self-imposed deadlines and a couple of unforeseen ones to meet and had no idea how I was going to pull it off. I did, and with 2 days to spare. I hate to admit this, but past experience has shown me that I perform best under pressure. This is a fact that seems to baffle me mostly because I’m a double Virgo. What does this mean? I know nothing about astrology but I do know that both my earth and rising sign being Virgo means I have a double dose of fastidiousness (a nicer word for being anal). Complete paralysis by analysis.

Having a deadline forces me to compartmentalize and focus on one thing at a time. It’s like working out. It takes effort, discipline and concentration but it makes you stronger, better, and more efficient in the end. It’s exercising new muscles so that it’s easier and less daunting the next time around. The best thing about it is, that most of the time creative solutions appear under pressure. At least for me. I usually avoid putting myself in these kinds of situations at all costs because I’m such a control freak. I won’t put myself out there under any circumstance (not just photography) unless I own the craft. I don’t want surprises. I want to control it all. Know what to expect. This is unrealistic due to the fact that A. life is unpredictable and B. I chose photography which we all know is full of the unexpected no matter how much you plan and prepare.

But I want to emphasize that this only happens- creative solutions presenting themselves under pressure-by surrendering. Putting forth your best effort without the kung-fu grip. This takes time and patience to cultivate. It takes awareness so that when you realize you’re overworking the process- your grip is tightening, to let go and surrender.   It can be a frustrating task but it’s worth the investment because in the end, the break that you get is the one you give yourself. And I know that for me, that’s the biggest break I need.