Propaganda Camera

The Blog Has Moved...

2012-01-11T22:07:00.001-05:00

Due to the increase in traffic the blog has outgrown the blogger platform. I've created a new Wordpress version of the blog - it can be found here:

http://www.blog.clintweldon.com

Come check it out and thanks for all the support!

-C

Sporadic Blogging, Wordpress Redux & Planet Youtube

2011-12-21T06:18:00.000-05:00

SPORADIC BLOGGING:
As you may have noticed, my posts aren't always as consistent as I'd like. There are a few reasons for that. Chief among them is that in addition to blogging and photography, I have a life that requires me to devote a large portion of my time to other things. Even as I write this I am fending off repeated assaults on my typing by my two gremlin roommates.

GREMLIN #1

GREMLIN #2

Having said that, the obvious thing to do is to double my workload in the coming weeks. Here's how I intend to do just that...

WORDPRESS REDUX:
Thanks to a less than stellar experience with my previous Wordpress host I decided to ditch wordpress altogether and stick with blogger. Now that traffic has increased (thanks guys) I have larger plans for the blog and it's direction. I am going to attempt a second go-round with Wordpress. The new host is set up and I'm working on formatting as time permits. I'd like to have everything imported and running by the first of the year. Hopefully the holidays will afford me the extra time necessary to make that a reality.

PLANET YOUTUBE:
As I've posted more frequently in the past few weeks it's become clear that blogging alone doesn't give me the reach that I'm looking for. For that reason I've decided to develop more of a Youtube presence and incorporate that into the blog. I don't know how often I'll be posting videos but the goal is once or twice a week.

SO - all this post really means is that for the next two weeks the blog may not get updated every day. I'll do my best but the priority now is to evolve the blog into a new form with fantastical magical abilities like flight, super speed and laser vision.

Shoot first,
-C

How To Make A Kickass Portfolio

2011-12-19T08:03:00.000-05:00

As anyone who follows me should know by now, I'm a huge fan of Chase Jarvis. If you haven't started following Chase, please do yourself a favor and remedy that as soon as possible. For years this self-taught photography and media Jedi has been innovating across the creative landscape, especially in the realm of internet. One of my favorite resources is his internet talk show, CHASE JARVIS: LIVE where he sits down with celebrities, photographers, creative directors and innovators from across the spectrum to discuss the state of contemporary photography and speculate on the future of the craft.

The Dec. 6th episode struck me as especially important because he sits down with Allegra Wilde and covers one of my favorite topics; "How To Make a Kickass Portfolio." Allegra Wilde (for those of you not in the know) is the visual strategist and co-founder of portfolio review service, eyeist.com.

"Allegra is a recognized Photography industry authority on the Agent/Artist relationship, marketing for artists, agency and talent branding, picture strategy and editing. She is a frequent speaker, panelist and reviewer at Photo Plus, APA, ASMP, and the Palm Springs Photo Festival. Her seminars have included: "Creating Original Portfolio Images", "How to Edit Your Own Work" as well as workshops including open critiques for emergent and established photographers."

During the interview, Chase picks her brain about strategies for developing a portfolio that will get you noticed and help you stand out from the crowd. Give it a watch and then start following Chase. You can thank me later.

Shoot First
-C

How To Prepare For Tough Mudder

2011-12-15T05:45:00.001-05:00

Last week I finally defeated Tough Mudder, a grueling 12-mile challenge peppered with 22 military obstacles designed by British Special Forces.

Why would I do this you ask?

1.) Because I like challenging myself.

2.) I'm slightly insane.

It had been on my calendar for about 3 months and I'd pumped myself up for it so much that I practically couldn't sleep at all the night before the event.

The weeks preceding Tough Mudder were split between working a full time day job, training heavily for the demanding physical aspects of the event and researching the gear that would best suit the challenging obstacles that lied ahead. During that time I consumed massive quantities of information and scoured countless websites for any scrap of feedback that would aid my quest to conquer "the toughest event on the planet." I've compiled the most useful of that information and my own experience as a first time mudder into this post which will hopefully save you a lot of time.

I'll break this into two sections, one on training and the second on gear.

TRAINING

Training for Tough Mudder doesn't have to be as demanding as you might think. That's NOT to say that it's easy - it isn't. No matter how prepared you are, there will be portions of the event that you will not be prepared to tackle. It's designed that way on purpose. That said, here are some core areas you need to focus on.

1.) GET YOUR LEGS USED TO RUNNING
The Tough Mudder course is between 10 and 12 miles in length - ALL of it over uneven terrain and much of it THROUGH water. I don't care if you can leg press 800lbs - when was the last time you ran 12 miles? Your legs need to be prepared to take a massive amount of pounding and there's no better way to get in shape for that than, you guessed it - RUNNING. Run at least 5 miles at a stretch if you can and get used to doing it on actual dirt. I found that my schedule allowed me to run about 3 miles a day, three days a week. This was BARELY enough. If I could do it again I'd get that up to 5 miles per session. Two members of my team experienced crippling leg cramps that nearly took them out of the fight. The cramps set in about halfway and only got worse from there. The only way to get better at running is to do it and do it often.

2.) INCREASE YOUR UPPER BODY STRENGTH
Many obstacles in Tough Mudder will require you to lift your body weight up and over things. There are multiple instances where I encountered walls 8 ft and 12 ft high. What's worse is that they are covered in wet, slippery mud which increases the difficulty by about 50%. Even if you can grip the top of the wall and have someone else pulling you up, you will still need to expend a fair amount of 'brute strength' to haul your center of gravity to the top. More importantly, when it's time to come down on the other side, you'll need to lower yourself down or you WILL fall. Pull-ups are handy for building the specific strength you'll need to complete this movement. Don't skimp on pull-ups. You will be especially thankful for this tip when you reach the monkey bars which are deliberately placed near the end of the course so you'll be nice and tired when you reach them.

3.) GET USED TO BEING COLD AND WET
You will be cold and wet. A LOT. Get used to it. My team spent about 75 percent of the event covered in water and mud. At least a quarter of Tough Mudder consists of water challenges that will have you neck deep in black, ice cold swamp water. This may vary depending on where your event takes place but at least in the Florida event we found ourselves wading through ponds, swamps, lakes and streams constantly. The initial shock of jumping into an ice bath (second obstacle for us) will eventually give way to the throbbing numbness that comes with freezing your ass off and then heating up your core as you power on to the next challenge. To get used to this, spend time in cold water. Jump into a cold swimming pool and then go for a run. When you get back, jump into the cold pool again. Then go take a cold shower.

4.) MOVE LIKE A HUMAN WAS MEANT TO MOVE
In caveman times, humans spent a lot of time running, climbing and jumping over things. That's what our bodies are designed to do. The ability to bench-press 250 pounds will be far less helpful to you than being able to vault your body over a park bench or run up a flight of stairs 10 times in a row. Get used to those kinds of movements. In our event, the very first obstacle was a series of hurdles about 3 feet high. What we COULDN'T see was that on the OTHER SIDE of said hurdles was a trench about 2 feet deep. This effectively made the drop on the other side 5 feet deep. Many ankles were twisted and this one small challenge wiped out about 10 people right off the bat. Get used to jumping over things and landing properly. It's important.

NOTE: Personally, I trained using the Beach Body INSANITY program. I HIGHLY recommend it or its big brother, P90X. The workouts are short (about 45 minutes each) and VERY intense. They will condition you to move in ways your body typically doesn't move and the explosive plyometric nature of the training will give your heart and lungs the endurance they need to devour much of what Tough Mudder throws at you.

TRAINING SUMMARY
You need functional fitness. Don't just go to the gym and lift weights. Glamour muscles will NOT help you in Tough Mudder. Focus 60% of your time on endurance training and 40% of your time on strength training. I'm sure there's plenty I missed here but, again, this advice is based on MY personal experience.

EQUIPMENT

You don't need to spend a LOT of money in this department but a small investment in the proper gear will make a world of difference. Don't worry about top of the line brand name stuff. Go cheap - it really won't help you to spend a fortune.

1.) FOOTWEAR
I chose my trusty Vibram KSO's for this one. I'd already fallen in love with them months earlier and the majority of my training was done in them so switching foot gear before the event made little sense.
I can honestly say that the Vibrams were a lifesaver for me. They never came loose, they allowed me to have functional feedback as to the nature of the terrain under my feet and they were lightweight even when wet. Additionally, they dry out quickly and don't hold any mud. Most people who chose traditional footwear were constantly scooping mud out of their shoes and a few lost them altogether on some of the mud obstacles. Everyone I saw wearing Vibrams just kept on trucking. My only complaint was that the KSO's didn't have as much tread as I would have liked. If you choose barefoot running shoes, get something with a little extra traction. It's not vital but it's the ONLY area where my KSO's fell short.

That's me smiling. My Vibrams cut through Tough Mudder like a Machete through sour cream.

NOTE: You must TRAIN in your Vibrams BEFORE the event. DO NOT just pick some up the week before. Training in the barefoot running style will require at least a month and during that time your ankles and calves will develop an entirely new level of strength and movement. It's VITAL that you do this BEFORE Tough Mudder or you risk major injury in the foot department.

2.) GLOVES
You don't need them but they are very nice to have. We encountered lots of sharp rocks, sticks, pebbles and just plain rough surfaces. Gloves will protect your hands from getting cut up when you're climbing through a drain pipe over rocks on your belly in the dark or lifting a log over your head as you wade through a lake. Go fingerless so they drain water well. Don't spend a fortune - check Harbor Freight or Wal-Mart for these. Don't get leather. Don't get rubber. BMX or work gloves are fine.

Picked these up at Harbor Freight for 12 bucks. They were more than adequate.

3.) UNDER ARMOUR
You don't need it. Well, you don't need UNDER ARMOUR brand stuff. It's all polyester anyway so don't spend more money than necessary. Wal-Mart or Target will have plenty of sports apparel. Here's what I recommend:

-LONG SLEEVE COMPRESSION SHIRT (it will protect your elbows from getting jacked when you belly crawl over gravel) I got mine at Target for 15$.

-SHORT SLEEVE LOOSE SPORTS SHIRT (optional) Wear this over the compression shirt. It will act as an insulator and regulate your core temperature. Comes in handy when you go in and out of the water. I also picked this up at Target in the clearance section - 5$.

-SHORTS - We ran TM in Florida. Shorts made sense. If you're in New Jersey in January, use common sense. Again, Target saves the day - $10 on clearance.

4.) A SMALL BACKPACK (optional) Very handy to carry energy gel or bottles of water. I wore a Camelbak. Worked great. Water stations were plentiful but being able to stuff my gloves into a bag and grab an energy gel if needed was nice. I lucked out here and found this at my local Goodwill for 5$.


This little Camelbak served me well. Didn't get in the way and held everything I needed.

FINAL THOUGHTS...

Focus your training on lower body endurance and upper body strength. Don't spend a fortune on gear - cheap is just as good as the expensive stuff. Get the right equipment (gloves, elbow protection, energy gels). On game day GO SLOW. Examine each obstacle carefully before you attack. A twisted ankle in the first 15 minutes can make months of preparation worthless.

HAVE FUN!

Shoot first,
-C

A Polaroid A Day For 6570 Days

2011-12-14T06:33:00.008-05:00

This one is a hell of a find...

These days most people can't imagine not having a camera on their person at all times but in days of yore if you wanted to document what you saw you actually had to carry a REAL camera around with you. At that time the cutting edge of instant photography was the rock solid and always reliable Polaroid.

Before documenting the day to day experiences of life was chic, NYC photographer Jamie Livingston was shooting a Polaroid every single day. Why is this so cool? Because he did it for 18 YEARS STRAIGHT. That's right, Jamie lugged around a bulky (by modern standards) Polaroid and shot at least one photo per day for over 6500 consecutive days. Pretty impressive. What's more impressive is that these images are scanned and digitized for modern folks like you and me, preserving their historical significance for as long as internet survives.

His first photograph was taken on March 13, 1979 and it was (you guessed it) of his girlfriend at the time.

The last photo in his series was of Jamie on his deathbed as he was dying of cancer on October 25, 1997.

It's a truly remarkable feat of discipline.

You can see most of the images in their digital form HERE.

Shoot first,
-C

Modern Propaganda and Media Manipulion

2011-12-13T06:30:00.006-05:00

SFist.com recently ran a great post by Leanne Maxwell regarding the way TIME MAGAZINE routinely censors or 'dumbs down' the covers of it's magazine for American audiences. If you don't think the media manipulates the way you think, check out this comparison of the covers from Europe, Asia, the South Pacific and the U.S.

It's safe to assume that this is at least somewhat related to the simmering turmoil among the American underclasses. When you consider that GOOGLE recently adopted new algorithm adjustments to lower the profile of so-called 'low quality' websites you can't help but get a queasy feeling in the area of your gut that specializes in detecting bullsh*t...

Shoot First,
-C

ADDRESS IS APPROXIMATE.

2011-12-10T07:03:00.001-05:00

Amazing.

Stunning.

Beautiful.

Flawless.

These are just a few of the words that come to my mind when trying to describe this wonderful work by UK filmmaker Tom Jenkins.

DESCRIPTION:

Google Street View stop motion animation short made as a personal project by director Tom Jenkins.

Story: A lonely desk toy longs for escape from the dark confines of the office, so he takes a cross country road trip to the Pacific Coast in the only way he can – using a toy car and Google Maps Street View.
Music by the wonderful Cinematic Orchestra (cinematicorchestra.com) and the track is Arrival of the Birds – please buy the fantastic album: itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-crimson-wing-mystery-flamingos/id297787201
All screen imagery was animated – there are no screen replacements.
Produced, animated, filmed, lit, edited & graded by Tom Jenkins (theoryfilms.co.uk / facebook.com/theoryfilms – !NEW MAKING OF PICS ON FB PAGE! / @thetheoryUK / twitter.com/#!/thetheoryUK).
Shot using Canon 5d MkII, Dragonframe Stop Motion software and customised slider.

It actually made me a little teary-eyed.

Watch and be amazed.

-C

2 Year Olds Smoking.

2011-12-07T17:30:00.001-05:00

I love this. Chase Jarvis just posted this on his blog and I had to pass it on to you guys.

This just speaks to my belief that there is an ocean of difference between TAKING a photo and MAKING a photo. This is clearly an example of the latter.

“The Beauty of an Ugly Addiction” is Photographer Frieke Janssens’ photographic response to nicotine addiction and new smoking laws. In her stark and impossible to ignore series, she asks “does this ban treat adults like children who can’t willfully decide whether or not to partake in this horribly harmful habit?"

Regardless of where you stand on the issue, these photos remind us of how much power and information an image can communicate.

Check it out.

Shoot first,
-C

Another Iconic Image of the Occupy Movement

2011-11-21T08:22:00.001-05:00

There's a fantastic Chinese proverb that reads, "It's better to be a dog in a peaceful time than be a man in a chaotic period." Not the smoothest of translations but one thing is certain, we are smack in the middle of a chaotic period. In the last decade we've seen an increasingly dramatic series of powerful images come out of the photojournalistic and citizen journalist community.

It was only a few short years ago that victims of Saddam Hussein's brutal regime witnessed the fall of the dictator's iconic statue, captured brilliantly by AP Photographer Jerome Delay. This was followed soon after by the photo of the once powerful tyrant being dragged from a hole in the ground and the now infamous grainy cell phone footage of the formerly vertical dictator being dispatched via a hangman's noose.

Cut to 2011 and the graphic video of bloody and disoriented former dictator Muammar Gaddafi being literally pulled from a sewer pipe before being sodomized, beaten and subsequently 'aired out' Blade Runner style. In between we saw a laundry list of iconic photos - terrorists, natural disasters, the general craziness that has symbolized the first decade of this new century. No doubt, the most interesting images of all are the ones we weren't shown of Osama Bin Laden's perforated corpse. I'm certain that those will surface too, sooner or later.

This endless barrage of world-changing events has kept photographers and citizen journalists around the world busy with the most recent result being the stunning image above by Oregonian photographer Randy L. Rasmussen. Shot at the Occupy Portland protest, it demonstrates the increasingly oppressive tone of the Occupy movement in perfect detail. As with many such photos, the seemingly perfect timing was accidental, with Rasmussen only discovering the photo later as he reviewed the shots of the day. He tells the story of this shot in an interview with The Oregonian.

The remaining chapters of the Occupy Movement are being written as we live them. Though no one can say how it's all going to end, repeated images of stormtrooper-esque Police in riot gear facing down an army of disenfranchised Americans makes me wonder just how much worse things are going to get as we go along. One thing is certain; the revolution will be televised.

Shoot First,

-C

The Sexiest Photos of all Time...

2011-11-16T12:16:00.001-05:00

There are pictures and then there are photographs. The magazine that has always known the difference is LIFE. In honor of it's 75th year, LIFE Magazine has published what it considers to be the sexiest LIFE photos of all time. I always love sifting through lists like this because I'm curious as to what the editors consider "sexy." Of course, there are some classics in here - Marylin Monroe, a toned and flirtatious Jane Fonda and a scantily clad Raquel Welch - all obvious picks. What surprised me was the number of candid shots that, at first glance, don't seem like they belong. A bruised and battered Clint Eastwood and an exhausted Faye Dunaway jump to mind. One thing that they all share is an inherent sense of honesty. Posed shots always look posed. Candids give us a glimpse into an unscripted moment. There's a sense of realism that puts us in touch with the subject in a much more personal way.

What do you think? Take a look for yourself at this very diverse and enjoyable collection of great photography.

Shoot first,
-C

C300, Meet the Redrock Micro ultraCage | blue

2011-11-14T14:30:00.000-05:00

Mitch runs a pretty tight ship over at Planet5D So you can be sure that he doesn't miss much. That's why he's always my go to for the latest and most up to speed intel coming out of the DSLR world. He really caught my attention this morning with his post on Red Rock Micro's latest rig, the Redrock Micro ultraCage | blue.

Anyone with a heartbeat has been drooling over the metal beast that is the new Canon C300 for months now. That beast is going to need a cage and if history is any guide, that cage won't come cheap. But hey, what's a few grand more to pimp out your shiny new $20,000 camera? Besides, you didn't need that new car anyway. Head over to Planet5D for more info.

Shoot first,
-C

Freelance and the Future of Media

2011-11-13T09:26:00.116-05:00

One of the most iconic photos of our time was shot by a freelance photographer, Richard Lam.

Report: CNN Lays Off Roughly 50 Editors, Photographers And Other Staffers

I got turned on to this story early today when Russia Today anchorwoman Kristine Frazao tweeted a link to a story detailing CNN's plans to lay off 50 editors, photographers and other staffers.

This got me thinking, what IS happening over at CNN? Come to think of it, what's happening across the media space in general?

The article quotes a CNN representative as saying,

"Consumer and pro-sumer technologies are simpler and more accessible. Small cameras are now high broadcast quality. More of this technology is in the hands of more people. After completing this analysis, CNN determined that some photojournalists will be departing the company."

Translation; "We figured out that Saddam's execution, much of the video from 9/11, 90% of what you saw out of Katrina, the Egyptian AND Libyan revolution and Gaddaffi's last moments were shot on cellphones or small personal cameras. So what exactly are we paying so many professional shooters and editors for?"

THAT, my friends, is what it looks like when a major media outlet realizes what the rest of the internet figured out a decade ago. The paradigm has shifted and content creation has become decentralized. We are living in a world where the end user actually creates much of the media they consume.

CNN has been incorporating this user created content into its daily feed for a few years now via it's iReport feature, which allows citizen journalists to get airtime on the network. It was a brilliant move and has given the network an edge by sourcing a nearly limitless supply of cameras everywhere on the planet and allowing them to pull content directly into their news feed faster than ever before. CNN realized that whenever something interesting happens, the average person's first instinct is to pull out their camera phone. This instantaneous content creation yields much more interesting points of view than the old method of dispatching a local news affiliate to the scene and waiting for them to get their shit together. What's more - it's cheaper, hence the downsizing.

The masses are realizing that the future of media is now in the hands of the creators, an astounding shift in power away from centralized outlets. This is most recently evidenced by the blogosphere's embrace of the Occupy movement, which the mainstream media largely ignored until recently. This begs the question: who's really getting hurt by this paradigm shift aside from staff photographers and videographers and who stands to benefit? According to a 2006 PBS report, the percentage of Americans that reported watching the CBS, ABC or NBC evening news had plummeted from 60 percent in 1993 to a mere 28 percent in 2006. By 2011, mashable.com reported that 41 percent of people sampled got their news online. That's nothing compared with the astounding 65 percent of 18-29 year olds who reported getting all of their news online. That's bad news for most major outlets who now find themselves competing with the entire blogosphere.

News outlets aren't the only ones facing the harsh realities of a complete paradigm shift. "America is facing an information war ... and we are losing that war." That quote came from Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State as she spoke before the Senate foreign relations committee. She was addressing the fact in just the past few years sites like Wikileaks and groups like Anonymous began routinely throwing the dirty laundry of governments and corporations out into the echo chamber of a hypercharged blogosphere for all to see. Dirty laundry, I might add, that you WERE NOT getting from the crack teams of reporters at the major networks. Ominously, once Wikileaks started lifting up everyone's skirts, it took less than 12 months before we started hearing chatter about an 'internet kill switch' and renewed discussions about the 'perils' of net neutrality. Once governments and corporations wake up to the true uncontrollable power of user propagated news they start to get nervous. I only mention this to illustrate the fact that what we've witnessed is a true paradigm shift and not simply a business decision by the brass at a major news outlet.

What does all of this mean for the average photographer? I'm still not entirely sure. I don't think anyone is just yet. While anyone CAN create content, it still must be crafted into something useful or entertaining and THAT part still takes considerable talent and experience. In just the past few years some amazing opportunities have emerged here, just check out the amazing work that media badass Shane Smith is doing over at VICE or what happened with The Young Turks after youtube sensation Cenk Uygur refused to sell out for a golden wonka ticket at MSNBC. I think we are witnessing the birth of a new generation of media outlets, built entirely for a post TV culture. It's official: the internet has swallowed everything.

Commercial photographers should do well in this new environment. The rapid inflation of the internet has lead to more numerous and highly demographic-specific advertising than ever before, so those who know how to position themselves properly stand to benefit from increasing opportunities. A perfect example is the trajectory of Terry Richardson's career. Just what other opportunities are out there remain to be seen but one thing is certain; the days of getting a gig as Rolling Stone's staff photographer (Annie Leibovitz) are long gone. From here on out if you want to make a name for yourself the name of the game is freelance. Develop your audience, serve them well and become as visible as you can in this ever more populated media space. However it all shakes out it's going to be one hell of a ride.

Shoot first,
-C

Inspiration and You.

2011-11-10T17:30:00.000-05:00

I've been getting a lot of questions from people about where my ideas come from. The answer is simple; I subscribe to a service called IdeaGenerator and for $4.99 a month I get 2 ideas delivered to my inbox every 30 days. It's awesome.

Ok that was a lie.

It's been my experience that inspiration can be a cruel mistress. She can tease you for weeks on end with the sexy sillhouette of an idea that just won't solidify. Other times she'll kick down your bedroom door in a leather thong with a bullwhip and a bottle of gin. What you want is option #2. Usually we're stuck with option #1. That's why you have to be crafty. If you're crafty, you can sweet talk inspiration into going out for pizza and beer. Then, when she's hammered on Stella Artois she's much easier to deal with.

The good news is anyone can learn to be crafty. It's a muscle group that we all are born with - it just takes a little discipline to really make it work for you. If you can master it, it will supply you with an endless stream of ideas into which you can simply dip your 'mind ladle' at will. Here are my thoughts on being inspiration and how being crafty can get you some....

YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY INSPIRATION, YOU JUST CAN'T SEE IT

Face it, your life is probably pretty mundane. It's that way for most of us. When you're exposed to the same thing over and over you eventually become desensitized to it. The numb reality of a 9-5 monday through friday existence fades into the background noise of the universe and leaves you with very little to get excited about. Each day for the vast majority of people (artists too) is pretty much a carbon copy of the day before and this is an unfortunate scenario because it limits your exposure to new information. Most of us wake up, eat, get in the car (or on the train) go to a place of work, sit there for 8 hours and then get back on the train (or in the car) go home, eat, then go to bed. Somewhere in there you might hang out with some friends. For the most part, however, you spend 90% of your time in one of three places; your car, your office, your home. Where in there are you supposed to find inspiration? Answer: nowhere. The first trick you must master is:

BREAK YOUR ROUTINE
You have to get into the habit of simply breaking your routine. Make a checklist of what you do each day and eventually you'll start to see that much of it is repetitive. It sounds cheesy but it's true; you need to get out more. Go to a museum, go hiking, check out that new indian resturaunt downtown, try gambling on illegal underground homeless russian roulette matches in a different basement. Pick one thing each week and adjust it slightly. This will alter the signal to noise ratio of your day to day and crack the surface of a whole new world for you.

RECORD NEW INFORMATION
I've got a friend who's a professor at a world class, top tier art school that rhymes with 'Jingling.' He tells his illustration students that they should always have a sketch pad with them wherever they go. These young artists understand that at any time an idea can present itself and they are prepared to sketch it or jot it down immediately. Just because we work with cameras doesn't exclude us from this awesome and fantastically useful habit. Realize that your smartphone is your notebook. I use mine all the time to snap quick photos of things I think are cool, ads in magazines that give me a new direction to go in or displays in store windows that catch my eye. If I feel the need to make a note I'll jot it down on a napkin and snap a picture of that. Once every few days I go through my photostream and mine it for new stuff. This is a habit you need to cultivate. It will help you immensely.

NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION
Call up some friends. Tell them you want to put together a photo shoot and then set a day and a time. Do this even if you have no idea what you're going to shoot. You have just created a scenario. You've committed yourself to a group activity that will put you into a pressurized environment and you'll put some stress on that lump of grey matter you carry around in your skull. Not only will this allow you a great opportunity to practice your craft, it will fire up the circuits that you'll need on your 'official' shoots when you need to get creative on the spot.

DON'T GET MAD, GET BETTER
Devour the work of other artists, regardless of their medium. Don't let yourself get down just because you're not feeling inspired and don't limit yourself to the world of photography. Use the inspiration of others to give you a jumping off point. Whatever you do, don't get annoyed just because it seems like everyone but you is cranking out new work. When you begin to feel that way stop whatever it is you're doing and slap yourself as hard as you can. Then, transmute that feeling of annoyance into a motivation to GET BETTER. Every creative in the world sucked at one point. They only got better by working at it more. Keep putting in the time and you'll get better too.

IT GETS BETTER
If you begin to break up your routine, force yourself to shoot more, record new ideas when they make an appearance and expose yourself.... to the work of other creatives you will begin to feel the cobwebs melt away from the creative center of your noodle. Trust me, this stuff sounds vague but it works. Try it and before you know it the angry drunk one-eyed dominatrix of inspiration will be cracking her whip in your room before you know it.

Shoot first,
-C

P.S. If you don't fee like doing anything I suggested I'd be happy to give you some ideas, for a small fee. Let's talk. Beer money. You know....

P.P.S. Make sure you follow me on Twitter! (@clintweldon)

Villanova Junction

2011-11-09T13:14:00.000-05:00

I love working with performers. It's their business to look good. They make fantastic subjects and they're never camera shy. Recently I've been trying to shoot more musicians and I struck gold when I was contacted by a representative of the SW Florida based outfit, VILLANOVA JUNCTION. They explained that they were looking for some promo material for an upcoming album and had some ideas that they wanted to try. A week later we were on location at lead singer Ryan O'Neill's house working through our first setup.

The room was a converted meditation studio standing in as a makeshift photography set. Unfortunately for me it it was... small. I like high ceilings because they let me get my light source as far away from talent as I want for whatever I'm trying to do. In this case I had standard ceilings and an 8x10 room stacked with furniture to work with. This presented a series of challenges that I had to overcome.

Firstly, I was unable to get the entire band into the same shot. I decided to break them into smaller pairings and work with each of them in turn. The low (for my taste) ceilings limited my lighting options so I chose to work with a single speedlight and a 60" Westcott umbrella. This saved me the frustration of dealing with cords and a bulky monolight housing. The mood of the shoot was already dark so I decided to collapse down the umbrella 50% which narrowed the spread of light falling onto my subject. That let me work WITH the cramped atmosphere of the room and give the shot a sense of tension.

I jammed the light stand into the corner of the room and began working with my subjects, moving my light rig only slightly to adjust for placement of talent. In a few shots a bit of the rig could be seen in frame so I later had to crop those out for the final edit.

I'll do a post on my editing process at some point in the future. In the meantime, feel free to contact me with questions or hit me up in the comments section.

As always, you can find me on Twitter as @clintweldon and at my website, at wwww.clintweldon.com

Shoot first,
-C

Tips on Planning Your Next Shoot

2011-11-08T20:31:00.002-05:00

Many of those in our profession are attracted by the instant gratification of shooting something cool, the (seemingly) flexible schedules and the ability to (I hate this phrase) "be your own boss." The common thread here is the sense of independence that photography offers. You're a lone wolf. Have camera, will travel. Sometimes. I'm here to tell you that, more often than not, that's not the case - especially if you're making a living with your camera. You can’t half-ass this stuff. This is important. This means something. So, when you’re putting together a shoot, you’d better have a plan. Here are a few tips on how to plan your next shoot.

YOU MUST PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS
I don't care if you shoot weddings, events, commercial photography, apparel or even porn - in this business you're going to be working with other people and often. With that in mind, it's important that you start thinking about your reputation. To help you, here's a nice little formula that you should always keep in mind: REPUTATION = (your creativity & skill) + (efforts and talents of others) x (the number of people you work with.) In short, photography is a collaborative effort and thus the quality of the people you collaborate with matters. The better your reputation, the better the people will be who are attracted to working with you. Since you're going to be part of a group you need to remember a few things.

1.) You're in charge - act like it. This means knowing what you're trying to accomplish and making sure you're not asking people to wait around on you while you come up with a plan on the spot.

2.) Be clear. When you ask someone to do something, do it politely but with authority.

3.) Don't have an ego. You're collaborating with a group of creatives. You'll produce better work if you can lead them. Leading is different than telling people what to do.

BEGIN WITH A SOLID FOUNDATION
When I'm putting together a shoot, I prefer to begin with a well-defined concept. This can be something that just popped into my head one day or something I've been noodling with for weeks. Either way, what's important to me is that it's clear and achievable. I recently shot an apparel line for a client that I really enjoyed working with. They design and print apparel based on the work of up and coming artists. Pretty cool, right? My concept was simple: "Shirts so cool you don't need pants." I decided that the best approach was to have a series of sexy models showing off the T-shirt designs (you guessed it) sans pants. There - that's a concept.

GATHERING YOUR TEAM
The next thing I'll do is make a realistic assessment of what it will take to pull off the shoot. This shoot required a group of attractive girls, a hair and makeup artist, an assistant and a location. The location was easy - we used the client's showroom. I already had an assistant. All the assistant is there to do is make sure I can focus on what I'm doing. That means everything from moving things out of frame to rustling up models when they're needed. Good assistants are hard to find. Any photography student should jump at the chance to assist on a quality shoot. Try to find someone who really wants to gain experience and stick with that person.

Hair and makeup is a little more specific. Many models will offer to do their own but I usually try to steer away from that. The downside here is that they will often do it a certain WAY and they have a hard time working outside of their comfort zone. My philosophy is that models are there to look good. That's ALL I want them to do. I don't want them distracted by the hassle of having to doll themselves up for the sake of my vision, so I called up my friend Joannie. Joannie is a total profesional with years of experience doing makeup and hair for television and film. We met years ago on another shoot and have continued to work together ever since. I knew what she was capable of and that she'd be able to deliver the 'look' that I wanted (remember that CONCEPT we talked about?) If you don't know any hair and makeup people, check around. Ask other photographers. Word of mouth will lead you to the good ones.

Next stop was modelville. I needed a group of attractive girls who wanted to be on camera. Sounds easy enough, right?. It's not. This is the part where most people run into problems. I've used sites like Model Mayhem in the past but nowadays I only go that route as a last resort. I've found that working from personal references has yielded the best results. If you have established a decent reputation already, you should be able to find willing and talented models via Facebook, Google +, or through word of mouth. Find the best models you can and then make their phone ring. When contacting new models, I typically like to do it by phone rather than email. A phone call is a refreshing, personal way to stand out and look professional. I called a model that I'd worked with previously and explained my concept. I told her I was looking for a group of 4-6 models and asked if she could throw the idea out to some friends. I wrote a proposal and emailed it to her detailing the day, time and duration of the shoot along with the concept so that everyone could clearly see what I was trying to accomplish. Within 48 hours she had 12 models ready to go. The concept worked for their portfolios and my friend was able to vouch for me personally as I'd maintained a solid reputation from our past collaborations. I made sure to get everyone's contact info for future reference, then I picked the ones with the look most appropriate for my client's target audience.

How you find your models will depend on your network, comfort level and style. However you find them, you'll need to convince them that it's worth their time so give that part some thought in advance. This becomes easier if you've got a really great concept (there's that C word again) and you're willing to help them grow their portfolio by giving them use of the photos.

A WORD ON COMPENSATION:
It doesn't matter if you're working with professionals who have years of experience or amateurs who are just starting out, offer them whatever you can in return for their services and ALWAYS deliver. If you can only afford to feed your models and crew pizza, tell them. If you are trading photos for time, that works too. Whatever you can do, explain EXACTLY how you intend to compensate your team for their time and skill and then FOLLOW THROUGH. They will respect you for it and you will enhance your reputation.

I LOVE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER
Shoot day is where the rubber meets the road so I ALWAYS make sure I'm the first one on set and I'm always the last to leave. This sets the tone for my crew and talent. I'm letting them know that I'm a professional and that I value everyone's time. I also am letting them know that I expect everyone else to deliver as well. I typically take this opportunity to walk the space, identify areas that I want to shoot in and try to spot backgrounds or textures that might work for my concept. Once everyone else is on deck, I'll have a brief chat with them to lay out the plan for the day so everyone knows what to expect. Then I assign my assistant the task of getting everyone to sign a release form detailing the terms of our working agreement. I will do another post on release forms later as they merit a little more explanation. Once releases are signed and filed away, I get hair and makeup working with the model(s) I want to shoot first while I set up my first lighting scenario. From there I just work the plan. Sometimes things don't fall into place and in those instances I do my best to roll with the situation. Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. Just don't allow yourself to get frustrated and you'll be fine. Remember, you're making pictures - not mining coal in the Appalachian mountains. Have fun with it. Work your concept and stay open to opportunities as the present themselves. Just don't get too far off track.

THAT'S A WRAP!
There's a reason the phrase "That's a wrap!" is used on every film set in the world. It's the way that the person in charge lets everyone know it's ok to relax and that they are now "off the clock." NEVER wrap the shoot until you're absolutely SURE you're done for the day - nothing sucks more than looking befuddled and unsure of yourself while people stick around waiting for you to unf*ck your sh*t. Check through your shots one last time and, once you’re confident, say "That's a wrap!" Everyone will know what you mean. Make sure you have everyone's contact information and cut them loose. It's time to clean up your gear and split. I always make sure I leave the space cleaner than I found it and I thank the client for the opportunity to work with them. That's it! Now go edit your work!

As always, if there's something I've left out, feel free to ask me about it in the comments and don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@Clintweldon).

Shoot first,
-C

How to Build a Solid Portfolio

2011-10-10T07:32:00.000-04:00

If you're like me you spend a great deal of time analyzing other people's work and comparing it to yours. Here's a piece of advice - stop doing that. It's very easy to get lodged in a pattern of comparing yourself to others and freaking out when your work isn't up to par. There's a good reason for that uneasy feeling of dissatisfaction you get from time to time; you're not as good as you can be - yet. The thing to remember is that building a portfolio of work isn't a task with a beginning, middle and end - or a deadline. It's a continual process of shooting, tweaking, re-shooting and editing that you have to force yourself to stay on top of. Just like getting six-pack abs or learning to shoot lasers out of your eyes takes work, so does crafting a great portfolio.

Lately I've been working on building up the fashion/apparel side of my own portfolio. For me, the goal is always to look at what's selling and try to work some of that into my book. The good news is that finding out what corporate clients want at any given time is as easy as taking a stroll through the mall. A quick glance at the window displays of GAP, American Apparel, Abercrombie & Fitch or any of a laundry list of other stores will tell you everything you need to know, so take notes. My iPhone is to me what a moleskin notebook is to a writer or an illustrator. I routinely snap photos of things that work, compositions that catch my eye or lighting scenarios that look fresh. From there, I'll backtrack what the photographer has done, dissecting the image and internalizing those stylistic decisions. Later, when it comes time to plan my own shoots I'll scan through my 'notebook' and look for inspiration. In a world where each of us is bombarded by a thousand images before most of us leave the house, it's easy to overlook the stylistic influences all around us. I'm not advising anyone to copy the work of others but I am saying that if you want to know what people are paying for, this is where to find it.

Once you've got a good handle on what works, the next step is to create some work. Face it, this book isn't going to make itself. That means getting on top of things, locking down models, stylists and makeup artists and putting a date on the calendar. Often I will schedule a shoot without any idea of what I'm actually going to be shooting. Putting a date on the calendar makes it real - it forces you to schedule your model(s) and it gives you someone to answer to. If you bail on the shoot at this point, you've become THAT guy. When it comes to working with others, I always go with the best people I can find. Sometimes that means you have to pay for their time. If that's the case, DO IT. Fifty-percent of being a 'great' photographer is having something amazing to shoot. To get there, you will need the talents of others. A great makeup artist or an amazing model will save you time on set and give you something amazing to shoot. What's more, they take their craft as seriously as you do and so they're likely to have valuable input that can help give you new ideas.

Remember - a portfolio should be more than just stuff you cobble together out of photos you took months ago. It needs to be a living, breathing reflection of your best abilities. If you're always improving (and you should be) your portfolio shouldn't remain static. I recommend printing a physical copy of your book through a reputable print on demand company. I've used (CreateSpace) but do your own research and use what's best for you. Having a physical copy of your portfolio sets you apart from the millions of other photographers who rely solely on their websites to get by. It shows people you're serious about your craft and it subconsciously sends the message that your work is already being put in print.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me via Twitter at @clintweldon.

Shoot first.
-C

CLOTHESLINE

2011-10-01T12:17:00.004-04:00

I love this shot. I did this recently while shooting with Austin Kowal, CEO of Clothesline Tees and model Rachel Withers. When I'm working with commercial clients the challenge is always to create a relaxed environment where their personality can come through. In this case I was really lucky that Austin was totally on board for whatever I decided to do. My approach was to give everyone some time on the white seamless to act up and have fun. I usually take that time to get them used to the flash going off and the sound of the camera firing. After a few minutes, they forget all about the shoot and that's when you really get down to business. This was one of those perfect moments where everything just came together. You can't force those moments, all you can do is set up an environment where the subject is having fun. After that it's all about composition and timing.

Post was done in Lightroom and then a light pass in Photoshop to clear up some wrinkles in the shirt.

You never forget your first... HATE MAIL.

2011-09-24T11:38:00.003-04:00

I received my first piece hate mail the other day and I was so honored that I couldn't wait to blog about it.

I used to get worked up about stuff like this but over the years I've come to understand that when someone is trash talking you or your work, it's usually out of jealousy or some degree of insecurity, possibly both. This business is all about dealing with rejection and moving forward so, with that in mind, I just considered this a bit of much-needed practice. What heartens me is that someone was so annoyed with whatever it is I'm doing that they took the time to sit down and pen this little gem in the first place. That just tells me I'm on the radar, at least for this knucklehead. Here's the best part - they didn't even send it directly to me, it was sent to a third party.

Now I'm the first to admit that I'm not the greatest photographer out there. I have a LONG way to go and I'm always working on improving my craft. Having said that, EVERYONE sucked at one point in their careers. It's not as if Richard Avedon just nailed it on the first try, after all.

Anyway, here you go:

Hey thought you might like to see these shitty photos taken by a guy i over heard talking shit about you -
I shall remain unknown only for the reasons that i am rather close to the egghead.
Found these beauties online and they quickly spread around town via email as HOLY SHIT THESE SUCK....
Sometimes i wonder what happen to the old days here in town when people worked hard and made a name for themselves -
am i the last of a dying breed - does everyone think they're George Lucas in this town - dazed and confused at Sarasota Amateur Photo Shoot.

Avid ~ Fan

There you have it. A scorching blast of criticism from someone who thinks George Lucas is a photographer and can't tell the difference between him and Richard Linklater.

Stay thirsty my friends.
-C

P.S. Who shares photos via email these days anyway? I put everything up on Facebook...

The blog (might be) back!

2011-08-17T10:16:00.000-04:00

Thanks to an uniterrupted string of ridiculous issues with my wordpress host I've decided that it's time to re-classify, re-simplify and reset. Since I never really had any intention of trying to monetize my blog to begin with I think the Wordpress angle was overkill. It's simple enough to learn but clunky to implement and dealing with the host as well as the internal machinations of the blog itself was a major pain in the ass. As a result, I'm back here - for the moment - to decide if switching back to Blogger makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

The best way to blog is the one you'll stick to so, with that in mind, I'm researching some other possibilities and I may be coming back here for the foreseeable future.

C

The Blog Has Moved!

2011-02-06T21:47:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, it's time to bring you up to speed. After the laborious process of getting to know the joys of Wordpress, I've decided to morph my blog into a new and improved format. From now on, I will be posting to the new "official" blog, which you will find here:

http://www.propagandacamera.com

Please drop me a message or leave a comment to let me know your thoughts on the new look and layout. More changes are sure to come but for now I think this is miles beyond what Blogger can offer.

Enjoy,
- C

SCAR WARS

2011-01-12T10:11:00.000-05:00

Ok, I haven't had a chance to post any of the stuff I've been working on lately because I've been super slammed. For this, I apologize. New stuff is on the way.

In the meantime, to keep you all entertained, allow me to share with you my new favorite mash-up. SCAR WARS.

-Clint

Leading a Visual Life

2011-01-10T14:28:00.000-05:00

A simple, beautifully shot process piece on photographer and blogger, Scott Schumann.

"I didn’t grow up dreaming to be a photographer. I didn’t assist for anybody. I just started doing it… The way I do it is just the way I do it."

Inspiring. Take 3 minutes out of your day and have a look.

-Clint

TRANSFORM.

2011-01-09T09:31:00.001-05:00

These days everyone is a spin expert, always trying to polish their public image so you only see the positive. If you were to pay attention only to someone's twitter feed or Facebook page, you might think that they never have bad days. I know this feeling well. Sometimes it seems that everyone has it together but you. Everyone else has a focus. Everyone else knows precisely what they're doing. Occasionally, a day comes along that I feel completely unproductive. I feel like while I sat around playing Call of Duty or cleaning out my car, Chase Jarvis was shooting Katy Perry in New York or Richard Kern was flying around Europe on someone else's dime or Vincent Laforet was in a chopper in London putting the finishing touches on some new technique he's developed. It can make you feel small. That's when I break out this video and watch it again.

It's amazing how getting a frank appraisal from someone you admire about the state of their own life and body of work can snap you out of a funk. Zack Arias's "Transform" is a personal look inside the life of a successful artist. If you thought that life was all excitement and hundred dollar bills, you were wrong. Often, the life of an artist is rife with uncertainty, inadequacy, and feelings of regret. This video is an intense look into those emotions.

Shot on a Flip HD camera in and around the city of Atlanta, it shows that the best camera is the one that's with you. The shots are stark and beautiful. The music is haunting and dramatic and the message is clear. RELAX. You're not the only one who feels this way.

It's important to realize that everyone's always struggling. They're just doing so at different points along the path. The guy that seems like he's got it all figured out is just a few steps ahead of you, looking at the guy in front of him - wondering how HE does it.

Anyway, watch this. You'll really be glad you did.

-Clint

Tata Gala New York!

2011-01-08T09:23:00.001-05:00

Erik Jones just posted the promo art for the Tata Gala "Beast of the Breasts" New York show and it... looks... AWESOME. I can't wait to get up there myself next month.

It looks like I might be shooting some stuff with Dr. Jones while I'm up there. More on that later. In the meantime, head over to Erik's site and see what he's got going on.

-Clint

My new favorite Music Video

2011-01-07T20:00:00.002-05:00

A friend sent me this the other day and I LOVE it! I would LOVE to shoot a video like this for someone. Any musicians out there who can make music like this, hit me up, lol. It's jammed with amazing shots by Cinematographer Marc Gomez De Moral. Kind of like a Richard Kern video if he didn't make all that industrial porno shit. Also reminds me of a Terry Richardson kind of shoot too, if he wasn't so boring.

I haven't been able to get the tune out of my head for days.

EL GUINCHO | Bombay from MGdM | Marc Gómez del Moral on Vimeo.

Enjoy,
-Clint