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Occupied For The Holidays
Notice the monogrammed port-a-potty. This should keep me occupied for a few days. At this time of year, writing about photography feels very unimportant, but planning goals for 2009 and putting the current year in perspective is a healthy mindset to offset the hectic holiday season. Here are some quick thoughts about the past year.
2008 was filled with some really fun shoots and new connections, but I feel it was a sad year for the photo industry. Although digital media and the internet are not new, they both took some heat from the photo industry this year. There was too much negative coverage on how the biz has been effected by inexpensive easily accessible images online, over saturation of photographers in the market, and from the decline in publication of magazines/newspapers. Not to mention the economy. It is good to stay informed, but if we continue to look at the world this way in 2009, photographers will be in soup lines. I saw many new tools develop in 2008 and several new opportunities. This blog and website (both new in 2008) are two examples. My friend Adam Wright embodies many good qualities about the new photographer. He is light on his feet, has low overhead, and is now self-publishing his own line of books. They are selling out!
This year, I stopped reading the bad press. It now either gets skimmed or ignored. I used to look at industry “leaders” in the photo biz to help guide my future, but 2008 has taught me the leader needs to come from within. Personal observations have showed me many of our so called gurus (who shall remain nameless here) don’t know what to do anymore themselves. The economy may have taken a downturn, yet the daily news is filled with new advancements in media and technology. The point being, you can’t stop progress. 2009 is right around the corner and certainly it will be filled with more change. Positive solutions are out there so we can’t let the negative dust cover up our opportunities. I see photographers in 2009 being content makers of video, animation, audio, interviews, and words not just stills. Photography was not invented overnight. If you saw the past 12 months as a time of transition, then look for new pieces of the puzzle to arise in the near future.
Thanks to everyone who checked out this blog and left a comment during the past year. Happy Holidays and best of luck in zero nine. Hope you get that Old Spice gift set you have been hoping for all year!
Jay,
You are speaking my mind… I’m on your boat… but I must say, I will try and avoid doing video and animation and stick with the still as long as I can. My wife and I haven’t even figured out how to run the video part of her 5D Mark II yet! And… I’m hoping for the English Leather gift set myself!
Keep on Bloggn’… Happy Holidays.
merry xmas jw! i’m glad we were able to reconnect over the past year or so. your words and your art really strike a chord. inspiring to say the least.
keep up the great work. here’s to an insane 2009. it can be nothing less 🙂
cheers from good ole baltimore.
I guess you meant it mostly ironically, but that’s a really good shot! My attempts at photos like this usually turn out drab (and limp and hard to manage). Was it, like, available light with a tripod and fast lens with a polarizing filter? Would you share the technical details? Thanks.