Archive for the 'Artist's Buisness' Category

Full Steam Ahead!

Published at May 23, 2009 in Art, Artist's Buisness, Artist's Process, Photos, fashion and studioDK Feature. 2 Comments

I made a decision at the beginning of this year that I was going to put my energies to pursuing the process I love most. And shooting is what it is. My critique of photography is as great as my love for it. “What kind of photography am I going to do,” I’m often asked.

I choose to stay away from classifying it cause I just love to shoot. When I first started to take my interest seriously and build my book, it was half fashion and the other reportage. I would show it around to people and the funny thing was that the fashion people really loved my reportage and not my fashion. And the photo-journalists thought my fashion was good and my reportage work, not so good. This lead me to the conclution that they are all full of shit! This absurdity pushed me to taking a break from trying to produce more fashion shoots, which for me fashion just seems for me the most natuaral and only conceavable route to pursue, I just do not have the acedemic nature that I find in most photo-journalist.

During my break I made an effort to improve my illustration skills which I have achieved a moderate success in making a career out of it. My conclusion is that the only way to succeed in a creative field that boarders art is to have deep passion for it. Your love for it is the only well you can draw upon to keep you motivated in doing it through the failures and rejections. And you better love it’s process because it will shape how you live. My love for the process of photography is so powerful that it’s greater than my interest in it’s results. For me the results will always have room for improvement but not a reason to stop. My success are a treat and more importantly the process mobilizes me to change how I live by engaging the world around me.

So after a two year break from producing and shooting a fashion shoot the results are a click on the picture above. And although I took a break, doesn’t mean that I stopped shooting. I always shoot and will continue to.

The Equation for the Law of the Craftsman

Published at January 21, 2008 in Artist's Buisness, Philosophy and Working Freelancer. 0 Comments

Here is a little equation that I learned from a fellow artist for hire. It’s an equation that I may express to a clients and even prospective clients if I feel they begin to express unrealistic expectations. Although it can be applied to any profession in the service industry, I call it “The Equation for the Law of the Craftsman” because I feel that it particularly pertains to professions of unique and particular skills in that one is given an idea and is hired to render the idea into a real or material object.

As with many equations this one is based on three variables. These variables are Quality, Time, and Cost. And as with most clients, they will desire the best of all three. Good, Fast and Cheap! However, although they may perceive to think they can find a better craftsman that will be able to perform for them at the highest level in all three variables, they will soon find that they will run right smack into “The Equation for the Law of the Craftsman” and this “Law of the Craftsman” only allows them to have have the best in two of these three variables. And so it goes like this:

“The Equation for the Law of the Craftsman”:

You can have “good” and “fast.” But it will not be “cheap!”

You can have “fast” and “cheap.” But it will not be “good!”

You can have “cheap” and “good.” But it will not be “fast!”

I am not a photographer!

Published at December 15, 2007 in Art, Artist's Buisness, Film, Words and fashion. 0 Comments

I am not a photographer!

My recent pursuit and attempt to enter the world of professional photography has come to an end. This does not mean that I will put down the camera. It only means that I refuse to continue to endeavor to find a niche in an industry that is over saturated and far too competitive. But even further, I do not have much respect for the medium as an art form. I’ve always thought that photography is for those that can’t draw or don’t want to spend the time to learn.

The only kind of photography that I truly believe is great is journalistic photography. This is because the one thing that photographs do best is capture a moment of a real time and event. The photographers that I’ve had the greatest respect for are the war photographers. And of the war photographers, my favorite is Larry Burrows. When Larry took a picture in the middle of a firefight, he did it with a fully manual, manual focus, range finder Leica.

These days taking a good picture is at it’s easiest. This maybe why there are about 60,000 professional photographers in NYC. My attempt to make it a profession is derivative in my endeavor to become a director. I’ve tried many different things in this pursuit and you can see the results in the galleries of studioDK.org. However, I have never been offered the opportunity. But, many photographers have.

From what I’ve been told, is that I’m a good editor, I’m a good motion graphics artist, I’m a good storyboard artist and even shooter, but no one wants to make the jump and suggest that I’d be a good director. I’ve also been told that I’m a good photographer. The funny thing is, is that with my photography, the fashion people say my reportage is good and the journalists say my fashion is good. This is very frustrating cause, I seem to get all this positive feedback which I believe is genuine, However, no one ever wants to fully acknowledge my skills. It is out of my control.

With all my skills, I have to focus on what is in my control. And because of this I’ve decided that I’ve achieved creating a portfolio of photography that shows that not only do I have an eye for the highest caliber of aesthetic, but also I can carry a story. However, for me to continue to shoot a commercial style of work, I feel I need some financial maneuverability that the industry does not want to give me. And I just don’t have the energy to pursue it, by trying to convince someone who is blind to see all the skills I bring to the table. Given the opportunity I could easily work at the level of todays top photographers. Given the opportunity I’m sure others could as well.

Working as a photographer has more to do with politics than skill. In fact I believe it now takes no skill to shoot a nice picture. Just an aesthetic for it. Point, shoot, look at the screen and if it’s not right, adjust and push the button again.

I am much greater than a photographer….

Dream or nightmare?

Published at November 28, 2007 in Artist's Buisness and Philosophy. 0 Comments

Woke up this morning from a bad dream. The dream had to do with my self doubt, brought on by the event of absurd decisions made by other people. Their decisions were out of my control and their reasonings suggest that I’m not only to blame but that there is some thing fundamentally wrong with me. What makes this dream particularly bad is that it was nothing more than dream created in my own mind. It was delusional and self inflicted and obviously not by conscious intension. However, the lasting emotional effect incurred by this dream did not recede upon my awakening once I became cognizant that it was only a dream. These are the dreams (better to use the word nightmares) that can have devastating effect on my self morale and have a eroding effect on my awaking life. However, now that I’m awake I have to reconcile with feelings about myself and the truth beyond the dream.

Feelings brought on by a dream are real even though the dream is not.

My dream took place in a barn. After having drawn up storyboards for a director I was informed by the producer that I had been fired from the job. When I asked why, the producer told me it was because I didn’t draw chickens in the storyboard that was about a barn. When I suggested that I could easily revise them. The producer told me that the director didn’t want to work with me because he can’t work with anyone that would conceive of drawing a barn without chickens. In the dream, the barn I was in, there where no chickens.

Now isn’t this silly?

The 400 Blows

Published at June 16, 2007 in Artist's Buisness, Blogging, Culture, From the Archives, New York, Philosophy and Words. 0 Comments

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Click to enlarge

This is my midyear report card of my sophomore year in high school. I cherish this relic of my past.

When recently asked why I would want to keep it? My answer was,” I’d like to show it to my kid when he is having trouble with school in his adolescents. I want to show him the proof and know that his father had trouble with school. I want him to know that his report card and experience in high school does not determine the worth of his identity and cap the value of what he will achieve in his lifetime.”

This report card for me is proof of a miracle. If you look closely at it, you will see that the common reason given for my failure is excessive absence. And this was true. I didn’t show up for school most of that whole quarter. But I didn’t fail every class. I passed one. And as the others I did not show and should of failed. Although science can rationalize it as a simple coincidence, I see it as a personal message to me by God or what ever you want to call that thing that is responsible for the cosmic order. Of all the report cards that I’ve had in my education, this one was the truest representation of me, my hope and the faith in my life, at a time when if asked, I would of denied and replied, ” If I had a button that could destroy the world, I would press it!”

On the report card the class is abriviated.

Tattoo Gun Rumba

Published at April 28, 2007 in Art, Artist's Buisness, Culture, New York and Video. 1 Comment

Tattoo Gun Rumba screenshot

Last Sunday my latest tattoo was finished. Bee of Tattoo Edge, a friend of mine since I was 3, has been tattooing in NYC long before it was leagalized. It was a 3 stage process. So on the last session I deceided that I would film it and make a little movie. Yes, it’s me holding the camera. I also decided that I would compose a soundtrack to cut it to. Taking a base loop from the late great Tito Puente, I added a little guitar riff to compliment it and recorded a bongo solo over it. Bee provided the buzzing sound of the tattoo gun. And also was an influence in my education of latin music when I learned to play the bongos.

Click Below for movie:
Tattoo Gun Rumba

Durration: 00:01:50

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