March Marches Out

Today the inbox contained a note from Agency Access with a link to today's wisdom: 

6 Unspoken Rules of Successful Blogging. 

Rule# 1: Post Frequently But Don't Overdo It

Little chance of overdoing things here despite  best intentions.

Some of the stuff we've been up to during the past month:

• Celebrated another lap around the sun
• Drank tequila for breakfast with an attorney
• Got rejected from two consecutive juried exhibitions
• Sold a print that had been entered in one of said exhibitions
• Received a phone flogging from a local arts org ed
• Met some goats and worked on another farm to table story
• Cut sampled the cheese
• Photographed a state politician and exploited his family
• Attended the grand opening of a great new restaurant
• Drank more tequila but not for breakfast this time
• Met a really cool dog
• Worked with new & talented make-up stylist
• Worked with a really talented chef & shot some more food
• Shot some products
• Watched it rain. A lot.
• Started the application process for a new nonprofit corp
• Hosted my weekly radio show
• Surrendered any attempts to manage the unmanageable
• Compiled the annual packet of lies accounting and handed them off to the cpa
• Schemed an east coast getaway in May
• Schemed a s.e. asia getaway to follow
• Watched it rain some more
• Attended a couple of swanky dinner parties
• Overran my mobile phone texting limit
• Downloaded (legally) some great new & old music

And in pictures... (click for larger view)

The Day the Stock Photography Industry Died

Getty contributors take it in the sorts again. Why do they stay?

For an excellent analysis of Getty's latest move and a bit of speculation on the motives behind the move, read here:

http://thedambook.com/getty-did-what/

Quiet Storm

A late season winter storm has settled in over this tiny island, bringing with it buckets of rain, cool temperatures and a threat of snow to volcanic mountain peaks. Massive surf pounds the northern coastlines, leading to a capsized 24' boat & crew during early morning hours. Rescue efforts managed to rescue all involved, boat included. No casualties reported. Seemingly moments later, reports of a 6.6 earthquake off the coast of Japan began filtering in. Twenty minutes later an all-clear came in and another potential for a massive Pacific tsunami has been averted.

Weather aside, most of the previous week has been spent scouting, preparing for and executing a two day assignment in food porn. All went well and the weather has provided the opportunity to dodge outdoor domestic duties to hunker down and move towards finishing up the post-processing & edit. The best of the new work will be up on display as soon as the commissioning party begins making use of it.

It's also exhibition season in these parts with two juried shows rapidly approaching. Intended submissions for Art Maui have been picked up from the framers and are even more stunning, if I am allowed to say so, when viewed behind glass. Five other works submitted last week to the upcoming show in H'lulu. Word on jury results should arrive on thursday.

And... as mentioned in a previous post, I will be conducting a one-day workshop on portraiture at the University of Hawaii New Pacific Media Center in Honolulu. The date now set in stone just a short time ago for the class Portraiture: From Street to Studio, an all day event with lecture, discussion and hands-on demos/opportunities for all participants. Mark you calendars for August 9.

Ferry Passenger, Java, Indonesia

Correction... word has just come in that due to scheduling conflicts, the workshop Portraiture: From Street to Studio has been moved to June 28.

Standing Room Only

For the second year, I have been invited to speak at the University of Hawaii, Maui Campus' Culinary Arts class on the subject of alternative careers in the culinary arts. My topic... food photography & food styling.

Equipped with A/V materials on the subject matter and a handful of videos courtesy of YouTube, I managed to blather on for well over 90 minutes. The students, all fresh-faced and inquisitive, remained rapt (much to my surprise) throughout the presentation. A long & interesting Q&A session ended the presentation... great, thoughtful questions from the standing room only crowd. I will be back to do it again next year.

More news on the Photographic education front, I will be teaching a one day workshop at the UofH's H'lulu Outreach Campus' Pacific New Media Center this summer. Portraiture will be the subject matter covered. Dates not yet determined so stay tuned.

Happy Valentine's Day

It's the day for our expressing love, fondness and appreciation to our romantic interests. Cards, flowers, candies... another retailers jackpot and something we should do on a daily basis anyway.

OK... do I sound crabby? It might have been that trip down the mountain to the place where the traffic was completely insane. Or the trip to the shopping center & big box store, crowded and busy with crowds completely unaware of those around them and shuffling slowly down the aisles in a four-abreast formation or blocking entrance as they leisurely lunched at every food sample station in the place. Maybe it was the early morning dog-walking encounter with a fellow walker proclaiming that the public park was his/her private domain, and the fang-bearing response it prompted from me.

Forgive me. It's time to turn this ship around before I head over the edge in terminal funk. It's the day for love, after all...

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Indecision

Cafe J

Spent much of the morning paying monthly business taxes and other essential accounting drudgery after a very early morning round of creative briefing with a new client in Pittsburg.

Several hours wasted spent reviewing work made in the past two years in search of suitable entries for the Contemporary Photography in Hawaii 2014 juried exhibition in Honolulu. Submissions are due by month's end, five submissions per photographer allowed. I think I've narrowed it down to 15 or so images but that now has to be edited down to five... a seemingly impossible task. Indecision sets in... I thought a look at the work of the two jurors might provide some insight. I was wrong.

I need an editor. 

Updates and a Call For Entries/ Contemporary Photography In Hawaii 2014

Last friday spent converting the studio into a makeshift gallery for this past weekend's two-day Maui Open Studio event. 48 artists in the Upcountry area of the island threw open the doors to their studios, galleries & workspaces to the public. Curious art seekers were given booklets & maps to the various participating artist locations, then got in their cars and checked out what was cooking on the Maui art scene. Most locations served refreshments and it was a chance to, in a relaxed setting, show & talk with guests about our work. Rains helped on Saturday to bring out the crowds. I had roughly 50-60 visitors. Sunday's weather changed for the better... the first sunny, tropical day in quite some time. Visitor count was lower as I am guessing that many island visitors decided to spend the day enjoying the sunshine instead. Still had around 30 visitors on Sunday even though the day was so beautiful. A group of late stragglers turned up just before closing up shop and voted me as having the best banana bread in Haiku (freshly baked that morning)!

One visitor I was particularly happy to see was noted sports/action photographer Darrel Wong. Over the years, Darrel has sent me several clients and I have reciprocated. We have talked on the phone but had never met in person. Great guy and I was very happy to finally meet face to face.

Met a lot of other lovely folks during the weekend event and if any of them check in to read this entry, thanks for dropping by! It was very nice to meet and have a chance to talk with all of you!

Today, I received an email from David Ulrich, Director of The University of Hawaii's Pacific New Media Center, alerting me to a Call For Entries for the upcoming Contemporary Photography In Hawaii 2014: The Sixth Annual Survey juried exhibition. The exhibition will be held in The Andrew Rose Gallery on Bishop St. in downtown Honolulu April 11-May 2. Entries must be submitted by email no later than February 28, 6pm, no exceptions. Hoping that this year will see more submissions from Maui photographers. Read the prospectus below for submission guidelines and more information: