It’s been one week since our first attempt at the Dust Bowl Arts Market in Norman, Oklahoma. It was supposed to be the event of the year, or at least the first half of the year, and for Meg and I, it was definitely the learning event of the year.

Lesson #1: Don’t build your backdrop bigger than your truck bed… Yep we did it! I’m sitting here trained in architectural design and I did it. We made it fit, but I’m still amazed we got to Norman without a mishap. Everyone loved our booth and loved the backdrop of old doors, but none of them had to get it there and get it home!

Lesson #2: Sunscreen is not just nice to have; it is a survival necessity at outdoor craft fairs. Meg and I are still glowing with love and pride, and a Rudolf like complexion since last Sunday.

Lesson #3: Design is a must, and signage is a definite must. If someone can’t tell what you’re selling, chances are they are less likely to buy it. We love these new mixer covers Meg has put together. Screen printed with eco-friendly ink and made with durable canvas, they are wonderful and everyone else agreed. People thought they were just the cutest aprons, tea towels and even T-shirts. Signage, signage, signage, you’ve got to communicate to your audience.

Lesson #4: Weight is a requirement to keep your canopy from becoming a parachute. Oklahoma is windy, and large full height backdrops catch a lot of wind. They tend to want to move with the wind, taking your entire canopy, and inventory with them! I wound up spending the entire day holding our little canopy down and thus the backdrop up. In the future, we’ll make sure we bring necessary tools to handle the elements.

Lesson #5: If at first you don’t succeed try, try again. The Dust Bowl Arts Market may not have been the best fiscal success, but for Meg and I it was an educational extravaganza and a connection smorgasbord. Unlike our online shop, the presence of a physical shop allowed us to test and receive instant customer feedback. Just this week connections with Birdie, a shop located on campus corner in Norman, have led to new retail opportunities for our concrete bowls and mixer covers! We we’re also lucky enough to connect with Samantha Lamb, one of our favorite okiephotogs. It was a true joy shaking hands with many local crafters and vintage addicts and we loved every minute of it!

All in all it may not be much, but the day proved itself to be a success with lessons learned on simply jumping out there and going for it. The fun you’ll have and the education you’ll gain is worth a hundred sales…we’ll maybe not every time, but in these first initial stages, we’ll take it. Oh, and NEVER forget, hindsight’s 20/20, and Oklahoma is always windy, so bring some weights for your canopy!

From the Farm

Cale and Meg

Introducing Ramsey Walcher

Website: http://www.ramseywalcher.com/
Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ramseywalcher

1. Tell us how you found your way into photography.

When I was eight years old, I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wanted to be an artist like the great Vincent Van Gogh. I took art classes every year, and when I was 15 I took my first photography class and instantly fell in love. I started out using an old Kalimar Film Camera. Later that year I got the Canon Elan 7, which had the amazing eye-tracking system. I was so excited about that camera. But I did not begin to pursue photography as a career until my Freshman year of College at the University of Oklahoma. Photography is something I can not live without.

2. How do you classify yourself as a photographer?

For me, photography is an Art. It has been called an art of observation. Sometimes it is a depiction of reality, but mostly it is a way of expressing myself or an expression of reality in that moment. I am always taking pictures, whether in my head or with my camera; it is a way of finding myself.

I have always described myself as a diverse photographer. I mostly do portraits. I enjoy fashion and taking photos of bands and live shows. I have photographed weddings, and I have done commercial work as well as fine art. But my true passion lies in travel and photographing cultures, landscapes, cities, and people where they live. This is what makes me never want to put my camera down. This is my dream, to travel the world and capture life and its surroundings in its purest form.

3. Describe to us a typical week in your life.

My life is so unpredictable right now, which keeps it somewhat entertaining. Right now I am photographing just about anything and everything just to survive. My husband is a full time musician, and we live in my mothers basement, so we can work towards pursuing our dreams and saving money. Every week is different, but I always have a few photo shoots, I spend time editing and working in my home studio, and I always like to take time out for myself to be creative. I love to experiment with old film cameras that still work, pin hole photography, and using my “Toy Cameras” to create unique images.

4. What is your favorite subject matter?

My favorite subject matter is travel and different cultures.  To capture life, the people there, and their surroundings. While being in a foreign city, I love to capture people living their lives.  I want to look into their eyes, and I want to know them. I want to capture their way of life, I want to capture their stories, and the reality of their lives through my photographs.

5. How do you approach a photo shoot?

Approaching a photo shoot depends on the subject. If I am photographing children and families, I know I have to work fast and take as many photos as I can. If it is a live show, I do a little research on the venue and the band, and when the band starts playing, I really just rely on the music to bring out my creativity. With everything I photograph I look for inspiration, I see what I want and I do everything I can to reproduce what I see in my head.

6. Can you share with us a memorable experience from your career? A special moment, or favorite shoot?

I would have to say there have been a few experiences that have defined me as a photographer. The first being my trip to Paris when I was 17. I went with my family and fell in love with the city. I wanted to travel everywhere after that trip. The second was my trip to Italy when I was 20. I went for two weeks for a religious studies program. It was during a difficult time in my life, and being able to go and photograph things I had never seen was very therapeutic for me. I took so many photos and felt something awaken in me that I had not felt before. This past year, I had the opportunity to travel again. I went to Thailand to work with women who were living in Safe Houses. It was so very surreal to be there. God opened a door for me, and I chose to walk through it. I took thousands of photos, and every night I went to bed with visions of Thailand running through my head. My camera was with me from sun up until I went to bed. I wanted to capture anything and everything. All were memorable experiences.

7. Do you think being from (or working in) Oklahoma has influenced your artistic vision? If so, how?

Most definitely. I love Oklahoma. Sometimes I get the feeling there are so many people who do not like it here and want to move. But I have lived here the majority of my life, and I have always been inspired by how beautiful Oklahoma really is. When I first started out in photography, that is what I did. Whether it was in my own backyard or at an Oklahoma lake, I tried to capture the beauty of Oklahoma. There are plenty of times now, that I go for a drive, to take pictures of Oklahoma Scenery. It moves me, it inspires me, it gets my juices flowing.

8. How have you benefited from being part of a creative community (workplace, classroom, associations, etc.)

I love to be surrounded by other photographers. We learn from each other, we have discussions, we watch each other grow as photographers and artists. It is always fun to work with people who all have the same passion that I do.

9. What is your vision of the future of the industry?

I am an artist. I really do not spend time envisioning the future of the industry as much as I embrace the new technology that is being released at such a rapid rate. The advance of technology is mind boggling. What we have at our fingertips is truly amazing. This industry, coupled with computerization, is wide open.

10. What is the vision of your future?

One of my favorite quotes from Vincent Van Gogh is, “I am still far from being what I want to be, but with God’s help I shall succeed.” This is so true to me. Ultimately, I am not in control of my life, God is. For that reason, I have no doubt in my mind that my goals will become reality. I want to be pushed and driven to do things that I may have never seen myself doing. To me the possibilities are endless. Life is an adventure with excitement and uncertainty. I hope to live selflessly and compassionately, and to grow in excellence and intensity.

11. Can you lend some advice to young photographers?

My advice is to do anything and everything to make a name for yourself. Eventually you will find what you are truly passionate about. I’m still learning this, but do not let yourself be defined by anyone else. Do this for yourself. No one can assess your significance by looking at the work you do. People will love your work, some will dislike it, others will not care either way. Do not let that phase you. Take pride in yourself, and the work that you do; that is really all that matters.

When the Plaza District contacted midwestmedia & marketing to film, in just a few short weeks, something that would show how far the Plaza District has come we were honored and a completely aware of the extent of a project like this. We started shooting the very next day. We decided early on that what makes the Plaza District so amazing are the people who work and live down here, we wanted to make sure we showed that. We did interviews with many of the shop owners, the Plaza District Director Kristen Vails, and those in the community who had a vested interest in the district like Wayne Coyne, local rockstar and resident. We also made sure that we caught the vibe of the Plaza through events like Live on the Plaza and Plant the Plaza. Our film was unveiled at the 2010 Urban Pioneer Awards this week and turned out to be an instant success. I really hope that this video gives people a sense of why the Plaza District is so great and why midwestmedia & marketing decided to move down here two months ago.

For those camera geeks out there who want to know – the video was shot entirely on a Canon T2i / 550D at 24p with all Canon prime lenses and a Zoom H4n audio recorder. This is by far the largest DSLR project I’ve done so far and we learned a lot about that workflow to say the least. If anyone has any technical questions hit me up on Twitter at @VoteMikeJones.

Make sure to also check out @midwestmedia and @plazadistrict.
Hope to see you at Live on the Plaza on May 14.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Introducing Carl Zoch

Carl Zoch. 25 years old. I was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in Portland, Oregon. My wife and I currently live in Oklahoma City, OK where we run our photography business. I’m a self taught photographer whose modus operandi is to enjoy life.

http://www.carlzoch.com/

1. Tell us how you found your way into photography.

I feel like I crept into the world of photography non intentionally at first. I’ve always been the guy taking pictures of everything in hopes to recall and to reflect on my favorite times in life, mainly because I easily forget things. That’s the tragic tension I constantly deal with in my own life. I’ve always believed in the power of remembering yet I tend to forget many of the experiences that I’ve had. Over time I’ve discovered that my camera is the best tool that I can use to remember the stories from my life. Both the good and the bad.

2. How do you classify yourself as a photographer?

I’m a lifestyle photographer who believes in creating images that make you feel something. My photographs are an expression of what I see, experience and feel and I love sharing that with others.

3. Describe to us a typical week in your life.

I drop off the face of the earth on Mondays. I’m usually running around Oklahoma kayaking, longboarding and pretty much anything else that allows me to be outside. Monday evenings are date nights with my awesome wife.

The rest of the week I’m working from our downtown studio editing, dreaming, emailing, and everything in between that needs to be done to run a business of our nature. The rest of my time is spent shooting. This spring we’re taking interns so we plan on spending a good amount of time developing, teaching and investing in aspiring photographers.

4. What is your favorite subject matter?

People, hands down.

5. How do you approach a photo shoot?

My first priority is always to connect with the people I’m shooting. I want to figure out what makes them who they are. For me, when those dots are connected the photo shoot is nonstop awesome.

6. Can you share with us a memorable experience from your career? A special moment, or favorite shoot?

My personal m.o. has always been to enjoy life. Last October I met up with a close friend of mine for an impromptu kayak trip near the Hoover Dam. I went into this trip knowing that I wanted to document it in a way that I haven’t documented trips like this before. Naturally, this required me to irresponsibly have my camera around my neck while kayaking down the Colorado river. Smart, I know. There was a particular moment when I was floating down the river and all you could hear was the wind howling through the cliffs. The sun was peaking through the cliff walls and there wasn’t anyone around except for the two of us. That experience was so unbelievably shaping for me. In that moment I was reminded of the beauty in life and just how much I want to communicate that beauty to others through my work. That moment was the heartbeat behind me creating an ongoing side project called CARL//WAS//HERE, a website and book where I will continue to document the places I’ve been and the beauty I see around me. As trivial as it may sound, the memorable experience I had while sitting in my kayak on that trip was pretty shaping for my career and the direction I’m choosing to go from here.

Check out CARL//WAS//HERE at http://www.carlwashere.com to learn more about it.

7. Do you think being from (or working in) Oklahoma has influenced your artistic vision? If so, how?

Absolutely. My experience with the people in Oklahoma for the past seven years has been nothing short of awesome. I’m indebted to Oklahoma for the quality and life long friendships that I’ve created here. These people have all greatly influenced who I am, how I see the world and therefore how I document life around me.

8. How have you benefited from being part of a creative community (workplace, classroom, associations, etc.)

I’ve benefited tremendously from the creative community in Oklahoma. The best benefit of being a part of any community is not being alone. You constantly have people to bounce ideas off of, to refer work to and to share a passion with.

9. What is your vision of the future of the industry?

I hope for our industry to continue to be a friendly and welcoming one. That’s what I’ve experienced so far and I look forward to being an extension of that in the future. There are so many team players in our industry right now, I hope that it continues to grow in that direction. I also think that the need to find your own voice as a photographer will be more and more important as more photographers are starting to show up to the scene. Overall, I’m pretty stoked for the future!

10. What is the vision of your future?

Humanitarian work, traveling, and continually finding ways to tell the stories of people. I love documenting weddings right now but am completely open to wherever my camera might take me.  I’m also wrestling with what it looks like to develop other photographers. I love to teach and an exploring what that might look like in days to come.

11. Can you lend some advice to young photographers?

Shoot shoot shoot, and shoot some more. Invest in yourself, invest yourself in others. Most importantly, focus on finding your voice as a photographer. Figure out what it is that you want to say to the rest of the world through your photographs.

Introducing Nathan Harmon

http://www.nathanharmon.com/

I was basically born to do photography.  I can’t imagine my life without photography.

Photography has always been a passion of mine even before I had a camera.  As a small child, I saw beautiful images of environmental portraits in contemporary art museums. The images were provocative, but not demeaning to the subject, just views into peoples lives – Of course, visions and view points from the artist.  My passion continued to grow as I was fanatical about the images from Transworld Skateboarding Magazine. As a teenager, my room was covered with pictures of skateboarders catching big air.  My Dad gave me his (FULLY MANUAL) Olympus rangefinder and I made some interesting images.

When I was 18, I purchased my first SLR camera and from that point on, I was not only hooked but I was making beautiful images.  With my 50mm lens and no one telling me what I was doing, I was a fast learner.  I called up my uncle, David Muenker, who is a travel photographer and asked if I could come and visit with him.  He said of course so I drove with my Mom to Denver, Colorado, where he lived at the time to sort of interview him.  At this time, I had completed 1 year of college, just gen eds.  He took me on a travel assignment down to the Great Sanddunes National Park and then to Mesaverde. We had a blast.  We then returned to Denver where he introduced me to William Sallaz. Bill (a sport-olympics photographer) left a good impression on me.  From there I was hooked and decided to enroll in OSU-IT which was then OSU-Okmulgee (a fantastic school for learning).

1. Tell us how you found your way into photography.

I graduated from OSU-IT with honors and embarked on my journey into photography.  I started out with zero dollars and zero equipment other than my camera, a couple of lenses and a flash.  I had the opportunity move to Geneva, Switzerland  where I lived with my Aunt and Uncle and studied French.  This also gave me a chance to travel around Europe and shoot lots of travel photography.  I still have the images (slides pre-digital). I pull images from them for stock whenever possible.  Upon return to the US, I moved to Miami Beach, Florida to learn from fashion photographers.  I assisted some pretty famous photographers and learned huge lessons about the business.

2. How do you classify yourself as a photographer?

As for classifying myself and what I do I as a photographer, I guess I call myself a commercial photographer focused on editorial and advertising photography.  My main focus is photographing people and architecture.  I love doing magazine assignments and advertorials.

3. Describe to us a typical week in your life.

As for a typical week, I guess change is the word.  I start out on Monday writing out my to do list for the week and then my schedule changes at the blink of an eye, depending the week.  Shooting is my favorite part of the business.  I like the pre-visualizing, planning and team work in every job.  A week can consist of shooting products for adveristing, editorials, and portraits to helping models with their portfolios. The thing I can count on for a normal week is time behind the computer whether processing photographs, emailing clients, FTPing images, or uploading new images.   I also  spend a lot of phone time talking to clients or people related to a job.  Some weeks I’m shooting all week and others I’m processing all week – it just depends on which way the wind blows sometimes.

4. What is  your favorite subject matter?

My favorite thing to photograph is people doing things.  I like being the eye or vision looking into peoples lives and bringing it out to the world.  I also love showcasing homes and offices in glamorizing how we live (or how they live) as people.

5. How do you approach a photo shoot?

Approaching a photoshoot really depends on the subject.  Portraits and people photography has to be quick and to the point.  Architecture is slow and methodical.  Sort of a sprint vs a marathon.    I like to analyze the shoot in my head and consider the look and feel of the images, to really get down to what the images will be used for.  (What are we trying to accomplish, what are we selling?)  I like to always be over prepared.  Being prepared keeps things moving smoothly!

6. Can you share with us a memorable experience from your career? A special moment, or favorite shoot?

I have many fond memories of my photoshoots, but I guess making a nice business deal for a photoshoot at Starbucks for a huge photoshoot  in Miami and Ft. Myers, Florida, sticks out in my mind.  It was great.  We lined up all the models via the internet and FEDEX.  It was a very pivotal moment.  I flew down to Miami did the shoot, rocked the house, and since I used to live in Miami Beach, I took everyone out for a great time to the Miami Beach nightlife.  What I really loved about that shoot was the collaboration and the fact we had every aspect of the shoot worked out long distance.  Since then I’ve had many photoshoots around the country and applied my location tactics.  Oh, going back to the question of how do I classify my photography:  I’m a location photographer.  I have a studio but the world is my studio too.

7. Do you think being from (or working in) Oklahoma has influenced your artistic vision? If so, how?

I think living in Oklahoma has totally affected my photography.   Its effect is not always obvious, but in my imagery I like to have open simplistic backgrounds that sort of set the scene for my images.  I like to find glamour in people and celebrate what we (the common greats) do.  Also I find it inspirational to walk through Tulsa’s Art Deco buildings.  I think that Deco heritage has really influenced my Architectural photography.

8. How have you benefited from being part of a creative community (workplace, classroom, associations, etc.)

First off,  I recommend supporting any and all of you local creative communities. I think it’s great to see what other artists are doing and with what mediums, its sort of food for the soul. Creative people need other creative people to relate to – its an important thing.   I really like being with my friends and collaborating ideas.  Its fun meeting like-minded people through various groups or associations.  You never know who you’ll meet.

9. What is your vision of the future of the industry?

What is my vision of the future of the industry?  Wow the photo industry continues to evolve.  I think there will be a lot of crossover between stills and video.  Its already started and will continue.

10. What is the vision of your future?

The vision for my future, I will be part of the still/video crossover.  I’ll continue to make images with artistic flare.  More editorials, more locations, and continue my vision and use my images to make the world a better place.  I could see directing in the my future.

11. Can you lend some advice to young photographers?

Well, photography is a lifestyle.  Shoot a lot, shoot what you like, shoot what you know.  Photograph your world.  Start within one mile of where you live.  And have fun with it.

You may find it as a shock but we we’re a little surprised when asked to be featured in a mini blog series highlighting eco-friendly artists. I guess somewhere in our heads we had convinced ourselves that being “green” meant you had to live in a grass hut and eat organic granola all day. The whole situation made us think, what is green really? Is it something that has been defined for us by media and news, or something advertising just uses to sell more products? It really challenged us to look at what we love, and why we just might be a little more ‘green’ than we thought.

Bamboo found on the roadside and an old pair of jeans creates a perfect frame for our pole beans.

Meg and I love living in our old farmhouse and we love cultivating a simplicity of life that responds to a time when this farm house wasn’t so old. Being green back then was born out of necessity. As a farmer, in that time, money was not something you had a lot of. A tire swing was being green. You grew what you ate and being frugal (fixing things, being responsible with what you had) was a lifestyle. That was how you survived. For us, the desire to be green is not a fad, or because we love trees. It’s just plain smart. Being green is a lifestyle of responsibility that comes from the simple life we desire.

We used our old windows as cold frames for our garden. Look at that lettuce!

All of our items have been inspired by a personal challenge to reuse. What started as a response to a financial crunch has become something that has wandered into our design process. Concrete candle holders, created because we had leftover concrete and empty tea containers. Wood totes, created from collected carpet samples. The list goes on and on. Wall Pockets made from leftover wood and fabric, wine racks from old drop cloths and wood scraps. They have  all been developed from a desire to reuse, a need to create and the joy of a simpler life.

Cale's sister uses empty cat litter containers for storage. We stole her idea.

It’s the adventure I guess, the challenge of stretching ourselves beyond our everyday assumptions of what we cast aside and what we keep. We are trying to bring new light to our own process, to the why of the concrete necklaces and the tufa pots. It’s not something that consumes our life in the manner of striving to be green, it doesn’t have to be granola, and grass huts, no underwear and never driving anywhere. Green can be fun, green is sharing life, and it’s taking the time to create, instead of just taking life for granted.

From the Farm

Cale and Meg

p.s. If your near Oklahoma City this weekend join us for the Dustbowl Arts Market along with the Norman Music Festival. Hope to see you there!

Introducing Clinton Dean Bowman

http://www.clintondean.net/

I grew up in a small suburb of Oklahoma City. I wasn’t exposed to much art as a child, out side of film and photography. My mother used to take me with her to develop her film and print her photographs. At the time, I didn’t find it quite glamorous. The one thing I did enjoy was telling her which or imagery she should choose to print. She almost always printed my preference.

When I was six, I got my first camera. It was a novelty point and shoot, complete with Ninja Turtles in the viewfinder and on the prints. They weren’t my best photographs, but they were honest.

It wasn’t until I was a sophomore in college that I decided I wanted to pursue photography. I am fascinated with art and imagery, and the obvious creative outlet. Since graduating with my BFA in photography from Oklahoma City University, I have worked on array of different projects. I have shot fashion, jewelry, musicians, weddings and sports. Though I do love being a working photographer and lending my creative insight toward the development of projects, at the end of the day photography is my personal tool for expression.

In addition to photography, I also work with creating installations. This past year, I had an installation displayed in the Smithsonian, located in Washington D.C. Currently, I have photographs on display at the U.S. Volkswagen headquarters in  Herdon, Virginia and in an Idaho gallery,  and recently had one of photos featured in the American Apparel website.

1. Tell us how you found your way into photography.

I was first around photography at a young age. I was raised by a single mother, so I was often involved in any activity that  she did. When I was around six she started taking photography and darkroom lessons. I tagged along, and was given a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles camera when I was seven years old.

While in college, I decided to switch my major to pursue a fine art photography degree.

2. How do you classify yourself as a photographer?

Well, I would have to say I am a fine art photographer. I have done commercial work, and while I enjoy it, I find that work the best when I am shooting my own vision.

3. Describe to us a typical week in your life.

I have recently moved to D.C., so life has been rather hectic. I am working M – F for the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts and its affiliate program, VSA. So my life has been pretty work-heavy

Though I have gone out to shoot every weekend that I have been here in D.C.

4. What is  your favorite subject matter?

I don’t know that I have a specific subject matter that I like, I am drawn to post-industrial or post-commercial buildings to shoot in. I honestly just love being conceptual.

5. How do you approach a photo shoot?

It is different with every person that I shoot. It depends on their aesthetic.

6. Can you share with us a memorable experience from your career? A special moment, or favorite shoot?

Having my work exhibited in the Smithsonian was an incredible honor.

7. Do you think being from (or working in) Oklahoma has influenced your artistic vision? If so, how?

Absolutely. And being out of Oklahoma now it is really apparent. The wide open spaces and unarticulated landscapes just fed my creativity. There is also a wonderful little base of artists in the Oklahoma City area that made it great to be creative.

8. How have you benefited from being part of a creative community (workplace, classroom, associations, etc.)

I made a lot of wonderful connections in the art community in Oklahoma City. OVAC and IAO are super organizations that really work to create opportunities for artists. OVAC gave me my first start with showing art.

9. What is your vision of the future of the industry?

I think the industry is ever evolving. The inner-connectivity of blogs, flickr, photobucket and facebook seem to streamline photography. There is a double edged sword to it, because as we start to further embrace the “instant-gratification” world we move further from there being extremely remarkable and breathtaking images. It is both romantic and sad at the same time.

10. What is the vision of your future?

I wish I could tell you. I am going to continue to work in the arts. I see my work continuing to branch further out from photography, but not totally away from.

11. Can you lend some advice to young photographers?

Well, be true to who you are. You photographic voice is your visual representation. So learn who YOU are, and try to move closer to perfection.

That’s not say that you shouldn’t venture out…. Seek. Seek yourself out.

Shane Bevel is an editorial and commercial photographer based in Tulsa, Okla. Shane spent nearly a decade working for newspapers from The Dallas Morning News to the Shreveport (La) Times and lastly the Tulsa World. He has photographed five major hurricanes, two LSU National Championship seasons and countless daily assignments. After leaving the Tulsa World, Shane has continued to photograph editorial assignments for national news sources such as USA Today, the L.A. Times, Bloomberg Markets while adding commercial clients interested in editorial-style images to his client list. His work may be seen at www.shanebevel.com.

1. Tell us how you found your way into photography.

I started making photos when I was just a kid. My grandmother showed me how to use her Polaroid Instamatic and it was all uphill from there. I got my first “real” camera in junior high school and after taking some classes I shunned my well thought out career in computers and headed straight for journalism school at the University of North Texas.

2. How do you classify yourself as a photographer?

Simply put, I am a story-teller, and I use that talent as an editorial and commercial photographer. After a decade in the newspaper industry I can handle just about any photographic assignment from food to portraiture, but I really love shooting outdoors, faith in action, sports and heavy industry assignments. I also teach one class per semester at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.

3. Describe to us a typical week in your life.

Generally speaking I start my week on Monday night in Stillwater inspiring and being inspired by young photographers.
Then I usually shoot some editorial assignments somewhere in the region either for national or local media outlets. Then I work hard on building up a list of stellar commercial clients. I also handle all my own bookkeeping, marketing and of course spend lots of time with my two English Setters Belle and Brownie and my beautiful muse of a wife Frances.

4. What is  your favorite subject matter?

Currently my favorite subject matter is outdoors and hunting work. If I could make a living photographing upland hunting and pointing dogs I would be the happiest man in the world. Alas, we all have to pay the bills. The fact of the matter is that I love to make photographs of anything and I am truly blessed to be able to make a living doing so.

5. How do you approach a photo shoot?

I think it really depends on the shoot. With some editorial shoots there is little if anytime to prepare, so the best approach is to take a big breath, pack what you can carry on your back, and just jump right in.

However, over the last year it has been interesting to approach things from the commercial angle, talking with art directors, scouting locations and dealing with an assistant are all still fairly new to me but I am learning quickly.

From a creative stand point I like to select a lens or a technique to start the shoot with. Sometimes that’s the final image and sometimes it’s not, but it gives me a place to start. More times than not I start with my 50mm 1.4 and work from there.

6. Can you share with us a memorable experience from your career? A special moment, or favorite shoot?

Well, there have been a lot. Some really wonderful, some really horrible.

The one that always sticks out is standing on the porch of a beach house in Holly Beach, La. Hurricane Rita was bearing down on us and the family was packing their things. They kept talking about when they would get back and unshutter the house and get back to normal life. We had seen the results of Hurricane Katrina just weeks before and I knew that there would be nothing left of their home if the storm hit hard. In fact it did and all of Holly Beach was wiped off the map.

Weeks later I was standing in the first French Quarter catholic school to reopen when a nun announced that the bathroom had flooded due to an overflowing toilet. In a worry-filled voice a little girl asked: “Sister Mary Rose… how high will the water get this time?” My heart sank. Covering those two hurricanes for 2 months solid was one of the most taxing and rewarding experiences of my life.

On the positive side, traveling to El Salvador last year to document a Fuller Center for Housing project had so many wonderful moments it’s hard to pick one. Interviewing and photographing Don Antonio, a 90+ year old coffee farmer was among the best though.

7. Do you think being from (or working in) Oklahoma has influenced your artistic vision? If so, how?

I haven’t been here long, just about two years. But I love the creative community here in Tulsa and the ability to easily travel in a region that is not over-saturated with photographers. The wide open spaces of central and western Oklahoma remind me of west Texas where I was born. There is not much better in this world than watching the sun set when 90% of what you see in front of you is wide open sky. I try to capture that feeling in my work, the feeling of freedom and of endless possibilities.

8. How have you benefited from being part of a creative community (workplace, classroom, associations, etc.)

There are a lot of things I miss about the newspaper world (and plenty I don’t!) but one of those things is being a part of a team of photographers. Being a part of a staff for so long really taught me to pull inspiration from the work of my peers and apply it to my own vision. Although I still maintain a huge network of editorial peers, locally I have found some of that same advantage in groups like ADCT and of course my students at OSU.

9. What is your vision of the future of the industry?

Wow, who am I to say? I know that the future of the editorial industry is unsure to say the least, but I have faith in the work and respect for those who do it. I think that our toolbox will continue to expand every day, but I think that all in all we will continue to be effective in whatever medium we are presented with.

10. What is the vision of your future?

I don’t really know I suppose. In my dreams it’s all beautiful English Setters on point, antique gun barrels warm to the touch and world class glass to capture it all with. In reality it’s likely a life filled with great moments captured in a box and shared with the world.

11. Can you lend some advice to young photographers?

Meet everyone you can. Put your work in front of anyone who will look. Then shut up and listen like your life depended on it.

I start thinking about spring when my first seedlings break the surface, and I start getting really excited when my raspberries and grapes begin to put out their new runners, and it’s officially spring after our first good thunderstorm. Then for me it’s Katy bar the door I want to be outside!

Spring is that time of year when you start thinking about the realities of what you want to do, it’s almost like we should be making our new years resolutions in spring instead of Jan. 1^st, because now, in this moment when the flowers are just starting to turn their faces to the sun and when the grass is just starting to green up, now is when we want to change. Now is when we want to clean out the shed, or grow something new, and it’s also the time when I feel ready to embark on new creative endeavors and journeys! But something must come first, something we all have to do from time to time to clear the path for those new ideas, for the adventure of spring, we have to do the Spring Cleaning.

This whole post started with my little ‘milk barn’ it’s the 10’x20’ shed where they used to separate the milk when this was a real farm. I had filled it from stem to stern with every thing from a 16’ canoe to my spare nails there wasn’t even room for the spiders. It was BAD! But I started thinking, which you will do when trying to not have to work, my creative process needs cleaned as well, we have to get those old ideas out and make room for new one’s. I remember when I first conceived the wall pockets, it was this little idea this spark deep inside me that didn’t have a name, no form, or concept, just a spark. It was 2 years before I got that idea out on paper and began to play with it, but when I did, it was like a whole new wave of creativity washed over me. That wall pocket idea had been stopping up the works for 2 years and if I had only been diligent in my creative spring cleaning I wouldn’t have had to wait so long to make that dream a reality. One of our more recent successes are Meg’s new Mixer covers (coming this month!). Great item wonderful design, but it was something that she carried for a while and then suddenly it was time and she was ready to move that idea from the page to the computer and from the computer into production. It was an awesome experience.

The mental process of creative spring cleaning for Meg and I consists simply in sitting down and taking some time to unload all the old ideas, get them out on paper and clean out the corners, every little thought that says ‘oh, wait I think I know what to do with that old project’. Get those ideas out on paper so that they can be filed away for later use somewhere other than your brain. It’s time to talk with your fellow designers and share inspiration; it’s a time to mock up something…just for the hell of it! Take a moment aside from producing and say ok where is this coming from and what ideas do I have just sitting in me waiting to get out. Just take that legal pad and bust out the sketches and the random thoughts and the crazy ideas. ‘Yea we can hang the garage from the side of the house…sure’ those kinds of ideas, and then take that legal pad and write Spring Cleaning 2010 on it, and set aside. Your done, now you can focus on making 2010 the best year you’ve ever had, and if one of those pesky old ideas comes sneaking up on you at 3am one night build it and sell it on Etsy…we did.

From the Farm

Cale and Meg

Joshua Meier (website) is a fine art photographer originally from Weatherford, Oklahoma. He’s lived in a lot of places, from Texas to Montana, studied at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography, and learned by assisting for all types of commercial photographers. But all along, he knew he was an artist.  His images, shot in large format film, portray a sense of isolation and struggle. He often constructs sculptures and carefully selects models and locations for his conceptual artwork. In this audio slideshow edition of the Okie Photographers interview series,  Joshua tells us about his past, his passions, and artistic process.

Click here to view the embedded video.