Here's a site with a new idea that was brought to my attention by my trusted assistant (and very good photographer, and friend) Nick. This site takes people's creative projects and creates a funding format to fulfill their dreams. I love the idea, although it is not just photographic in nature. Theatre, writing, technology as well as photography is produced here, and you can become a part of these projects and follow along as they are produced, and receive gifts for your involvement and donation to fund these projects. Check out kickstarter.com HERE.
II came upon this quotation from "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller. It made me think of advertising.
"He knew everything there was to know about literature, except how to enjoy it."
It seems that much of the problem in the world today is that we're too smart, too professional, too schooled and too scared.
Liking something--and responding with a gasp or a chortle or anger or a laugh is like a fart or a hiccup. Liking something is involuntary and a reaction. Such things are not meant to be controlled by our intellect. However, in the corporate world brains rule and hearts are something you use on the weekend when you're pushing your kids in a $500 stroller.
In short, how many people do you work with--including creative people--who know everything about advertising or marketing, except how to enjoy it.
Maybe the difference between good advertising and bad advertising is enjoyment. Good advertising should be enjoyable. You should feel enriched by it. It should elevate, educate or amuse. It shouldn't just lay there like a lox.
The state of the advertising business can be summed up pretty easily, more for less. Give me more services for less pay. It is happening across the board right now. What is it exactly that you want? Do you want to sell your products? Selling your products consist of one of the most important things, a visual advertisement... professional photographic imagery that sells the product... and that costs money. After all the time and money going into developing and producing a product, it's the image that grabs the attention of potential buyers and sells the product ... Just look at most of the photographs that catalogs offer on the internet, they are cheap looking and very badly executed, camera inputs are wrong or they're shooting with a cheap camera that does not support camera adjustments, and lighting usually sucks. I do see a trend happening with some of your bigger companies producing better photography online, and there are many print catalogs that have consistently produced beautiful photography. You get what you pay for. Some companies don't realize how many more sales they can execute had they put more thought, and better photography (this costs more $money$) into their layouts, print or internet, but eventually they will...to stay competitive and make money. Spend the money on a tenderloin, sales will benefit, and it tastes better.
I have been to the New York Photo trade show several times in the past and I always came back with a positive experience. There is nothing like it to see new equipment, to hold it in your hands and get the feel of it, see how it operates, listen to it. You come back enthused and inspired with new ideas and a renewed position of your creativity. But its not always possible to get away either, I havn't been to the trade show in a number of years. Now PDN is sponsoring a Photographer's virtual tradeshow. It is a free online tradeshow for professional and advanced amateur photographers. You will be able to hear and interact with industry experts on the latest technologies, techniques and trends. This online event will happen on two days, May 21 & June 11 and you must also register to attend. Check it out and see their program schedules HERE.
The Bigger Picture is a blog produced by the Smithsonian Institute representing an inside look at the Smithsonian's photography collections and invites audiences to engage in an online discussion about photography's impact on our world. The Smithsonian has more than 13 million images in some 700 collections. Through this blog you get a behind-the-scenes look at their photo collections from researchers, archivists, curators, and other Smithsonian staff, updates about ongoing research and discoveries, and discussions of the latest ideas and issues in visual culture. Check it out HERE.
With it's origins dating back to 1872 and out of business in 2000, the Montgomery Ward catalog is being resurrected. Monroe Wisconsin based Swiss Colony, who purchased the bulk of Montgomery Ward assets last August for $15.5 million plans to print the new 116 page catalog in February and have it in mailboxes by mid-March. In 1985 I was working at a Chicago photo studio shooting much of the montgomery wards catalog photography when it was announced that their big book catalog would not be produced any more, the work in our studio producing this catalog came to a sudden halt. Montgomery Wards which was one of the nations first large mail order catalog businesses built a 1.25 million square foot warehouse that is a Chicago visual landmark along the North Branch of the Chicago River.
Life magazine photo archive is online and hosted by Google. You can search or browse millions of historic photographs, many that were never published. You can download high resolution photos for non- commercial use. This sounds like it was a huge project and well worth it. Check it out HERE
Excellent 6 part series produced by the BBC is a must watch for anyone seriously interested in photography. This series has been conveniently posted on You Tube in 10 minute installments. Start with, ep1: Fixing the Shadows_ ep1 pt1 ep1 pt2 ep1 pt3 ep1 pt4 ep1 pt5 ep1 pt6
