All posts by Tom Dills

Photography

Persistence, Perseverance & Professionalism

Brimstone Hill Fortress on St Kitts

It’s interesting how things work out.  I don’t conspicuously market my photography, preferring to rely on referrals and word of mouth from people who know and appreciate my work.

Marketing my photography – or what passes as marketing for me – takes me along three primary paths.  I sell my work as prints or stock, I teach classes and make presentations on Lightroom, digital workflow and other presentation topics, and I write on my blog.  I do all of that because I enjoy it, and if I get paid it’s a bonus.

I don’t do photography to make the mortgage payment, but I do treat it as a professional business and operate as though it was my full time job.  I’ve always wanted to feel like I did everything that a full-time photographer would do, and I do a number of things that even some of the full-time photographers I know don’t do.  The biggest compliment someone can pay me is when they say something like, “you mean this isn’t your full-time job?  Your work is great!”

I’m a big fan of Tommy Tomlinson, a columnist for the Charlotte Observer and in my opinion one of the best newspaper writers since Lewis Grizzard.  He recently wrote a blog post titled “What it means to be a pro” about singer/songwriter Edwin McCain.  You should just go read the article, but my favorite comment is when he says:

“So many people wake up every day wanting to be professional musicians, or professional writers, or professional athletes, or professional anything. Here’s the secret: Talent is part of it, but it’s not nearly all. What makes a professional, more than anything, is the will to do your best and the guts to keep showing up.”

So what does this have to do with anything?  Over the last several years I’ve sold photos to three magazines on a regular basis.  The economy took its toll on the assignment work I had been doing for one of them, and between heavy competition and budget worries the well has been pretty dry, but I’ve kept in touch, submitted my work in a prompt and professional manner and knew that eventually they would see something they liked.  And in the last month I have sold photos to all three magazines.  Two of them are running as double-page spreads in two consecutive issues.  When I prepared the invoice for one of the other magazines I realized that it had been two years since the last invoice.  I’ve submitted something to just about every request they’ve made along the way.

A couple of months ago I agreed to take pictures at a first birthday party for a friend who has triplets.  I did it for free because she’s a friend, I had shot her wedding and she has cute babies.  They liked my work so much that they paid me anyway!  And one of the other Moms asked me to shoot the first birthday party of her twins and paid my going rate.

I do one-on-one tutoring in Lightroom and digital workflow, and that has been a hard sell.  People have their own workflow and good or bad they like to stick with what they’re comfortable with.  Lately I’ve been getting calls right and left from people wanting to learn how to use Lightroom.  They are amazed at how much they can learn in a 2-hour session.  Good stuff.

This doesn’t mean that the recession is over or that I’m suddenly famous and it certainly doesn’t mean that I’m going to be able to give up my Day Job any time soon, but it is hugely gratifying to me when people appreciate what I do and am willing to pay for my work.  I have to think that a professional approach, keeping in touch, replying in a timely manner and being reliable will pay off in the long run.  Plus it’s the way I am and the way I like to work.

Whatever you decide to do, take the time to do it well, keep at it even when you think you want to give up, and eventually preparation and opportunity will cross paths and all that hard work will pay off.

Photography

Learning by Doing

Carriage House on the Cone Manor, Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock North Carolina

 

I recently traded e-mails with a student from one of my Lightroom classes who told me that she liked my teaching style because I showed her how to do things then gave her time to try them out while being available to give feedback or answer questions.  I appreciated that feedback because that’s always my goal.

As someone who is mostly self-taught – after a great introduction from a photo class taught by my now good friend Emilie Knight and a few other valuable mentors – I am a firm believer that while it is good to get inspiration, knowledge and information from workshops, websites, videos and the classroom, it is absolutely critical to “complete the circle” by taking the time to do the work.  Sit down at your computer and figure out how to use whatever software you choose to create the images you envisioned.  Watching me doing it and taking notes isn’t going to help you.

People like to tell me about how hard they think Lightroom is.  It’s not hard – in fact it’s remarkably simple – provided you take the time to learn how to use it.  If you’re looking for that big “Easy Button” you won’t find it.  But if you take the time to learn how to use it you won’t need the Easy Button.  For me the goal of software is to not have to think about it.  Learn what the capabilities are, just like you learn the capabilities of your camera.  Before you know it you’ll be taking photographs and visualizing the results because you will know exactly what the capabilities of the software are.

Get out and photograph.  Apply the inspiration you get from others and get to work making your own photographs.  You need to get out and take pictures – YOUR pictures.  Not your version of my pictures or someone else’s pictures.

When I do my classes or presentations I show people my photography, show people how Lightroom works, talk about what inspires me or how I see, but I don’t want to do it for them.  Enjoy my work, hopefully be inspired by some of it (hey, inspiration can inspire to do or to not do, you know!), see what the possibilities are then go do your thing.  That’s one of the problems with sharing technical data.  When I show a photo and someone asks me what lens I used, or what the shutter speed was, they’re not thinking about the photograph.  They’re distracted by the how and not paying attention to the why.  I encourage people to think about it instead of asking the question.  That’s how we learn.

If someone asks me for the technical information and I say “Canon 5D with the 70-200 2.8L IS USM at 190mm, f16 @ 1/30, ISO 100” and they write it all down what does that do?  It’s just a bunch of gobbledygook.  But if they look at my photo and think to themselves “looks like a longish lens because he got in close, shutter speed is pretty short because he froze the movement and there’s pretty good depth of field so he probably used a small aperture” guess what?  They get it!  It doesn’t matter whether you get the exact numbers but as long as you get the idea that’s close enough.  Then take that and apply it to your own situations.

Don’t get me wrong.  Going to the classroom or attending a workshop is great.  It’s fuel for the fire.  Another tool for the toolbox.  But take that fuel or that tool and go out there and make something with it.  Something that’s special.  Something that’s yours.

Uncategorized

A Craftsman Leaves No Mark

Morning on the beach at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

 

Last weekend, in addition to a great time shooting on the Blue Ridge Parkway and in the Great Smoky Mountains, Kathy & I had occasion to visit a few art galleries and the new Oconaluftee Visitor Center.  We looked at a bunch of photographs, postcards, books and calendars in the various shops we visited.  While most of the work was well done, there were several examples that I would call “over the top” to the point where it was obvious that the colors, contrast, sharpening, etc. were simply pushed too far.  I’ve never subscribed to the “Some is Good, More is Better and Too Much is Just Enough” school of thought, at least for my photography.  A subtle approach is best, and it’s very difficult to be subtle and effective.  That’s the one big danger of some of the tools we use to process our images.

I had the unexpected good fortune to meet up with my friends Les Saucier and John Schornak, and Kathy & I were able to have dinner with them in Brevard.  During the evening Les and I had a short conversation about a particular group of photos we had seen.  Among other things, these examples were heavily vignetted, to the point that it was quite obvious and overdone.  Les’ comment was that “a craftsman leaves no marks.”  That struck a chord with me but also sums up my opinion pretty well.

This is a term I had heard before, but I was interested in the origins so I Googled the words and found a reference to the Tao word wu-wei that seems to describe this concept.  This is way oversimplified, but from the Encyclopedia Brittanica comes this reference from a book titled Taoism: The Parting of the Way by Holmes Welch, “Wu-wei is an action so well in accordance with things that its author leaves no trace of himself in his work.  Perfect activity leaves no track behind it; perfect speech is like a jade worker whose tool leaves no mark.”

Not everyone agrees with this approach, which is probably a good thing for the software companies, but I don’t want the results of my work to reflect the tools I used to create it.

Uncategorized

May Wallpaper

Cascades on Boone Fork from the Tanawha Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway near Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina

My grandmother always used to say that it was bad luck to turn the calendar page ahead of time, but then I always forget to turn it on the first of the month!

It’s hard to believe that yet another month has flown by!  I’ve got several more posts in the works but wanted to get this one out, because I know I have a few people looking for it!

This is a photograph of some cascades on Boone Fork, along the Tanawha Trail, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina.

I hope your May is an excellent one!

Random Thoughts

Random Thoughts 4/30/11

Spring colors along North Lakeshore Drive in Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Bryson City, North Carolina

 

– I was reading an article about new cameras, and it mentioned that newer LCD screens are viewable from a “maximum angle of 170 degrees.”  That would be quite a feat.  Yes, I realize that they were referring to 85 degrees either side of perpendicular.

– I was reading another article titled something like “Essential Gear to Make Your Landscape Photography Look Sharper, More Creative and Dramatic.”  It listed a bunch of gear, but the only things they listed that would actually do that were a tripod and a polarizing filter.  How does a bigger hard drive, a new memory card or being able to stream images wirelessly to my iPad make my pictures look better?

– I’m amused by all the ads for these sling/holster devices that show happy photographers running around with multiple cameras hanging from their shoulders and waists.  They look a little like Pancho Villa except with cameras  What are we supposed to do with all those backpacks the gear companies were selling us last year, and where do I hang my laptop and 2TB external hard drive?

– Kathy & recently spent a little time in Cades Cove, a real photography destination.  While we were driving the loop road we saw a tree and said, “hey look, there’s so-and-so’s tree.”  I’m not sure what it says when you can recognize a tree.

– A woman I work with has a photo of her kids as her computer wallpaper.  Right across the front of the image is the Sears Portrait Studio watermark.  I suggested that if she paid for the photos they would probably give her copies without the watermark.  She wasn’t amused.

– Creativity is hard work.  It’s no wonder so many photographers don’t bother.

– I love a quote that I read on a blog last week.  It said something like “If you use only one lens you’ll always have the right one with you.  If you carry more than one lens, chances are good you’ll always have the wrong one on your camera.”

– Kathy has been trying to take a few pictures to see how she likes it.  Eventually she’ll want her own gear but I’ve got plenty of stuff and am happy to share.  Two photographers can share camera bodies, lenses and even filters with no problem.  It’s kinda hard to share a tripod, though.

Photography

Outside the Comfort Zone

A couple of weekends ago I did something entirely different.  A good friend and former co-worker asked me to photograph her triplets’ first birthday party.  Yes, triplets!  Like I said, she’s a friend.  With more than a little concern and hesitation I said Yes.

It was fun!

More than anything I was surprised by how much crawling around, getting up and down and generally doing things my body doesn’t usually have to do is required to do this kind of work.  It’s tough!  But I was also interested in figuring out how to apply things I know and regularly practice to taking photographs of subjects that move.  And eat.  And get messy.

It was great!

I even had one of the other kid’s moms ask me if I would photograph a party for her twins in May.  I thought about it just in case she called me and she did call me.  I said Yes.

I think it’s a good idea to step outside one’s comfort zone once in a while.  It’s good for the creativity to apply our vision to new things, to think about interpreting different subjects in our personal way.

As with a lot of photographers I often get asked if I do things I don’t do – weddings, portraits, birthday parties, etc.  Usually I say “no” and refer people to photographers I know who specialize in those things.  I figure I don’t want to be bothered doing something I don’t do, and I justify it by telling the potential customer that they would be better served by someone who specializes in their work.  What I fail to realize is that they asked me because they want me.  They don’t want to go with someone they don’t know, even if that person might “specialize” in what they are doing.  So what usually happens is that they don’t follow through on my recommendation or they just don’t hire anyone.  People take comfort in knowing that someone they know trusted me, and that if they hire me I’ll do the job.

That doesn’t mean I’m going to do it for free, or that I’ll even do it for cheap.  I know enough about the business to know to charge a fair rate for doing this kind of work.  If I quote my price and the people decide to hire me I’ll do the work.  If they don’t hire me or if they hire someone else it won’t be personal.  If I get the work I’ll do my best and be paid fairly for it, and if I don’t get it I’ll still have plenty of my own work to do!

Uncategorized

April Flowers?

 

The traditional adage is “April showers bring May flowers.”  Here in the Southeast flowers don’t wait until May.  Some of you still have snow on the ground but down here we’ve had our air conditioners tuned up and are ready for Spring.  The Dogwood is the Official Flower of North Carolina, although these particular Dogwood were found in Georgia.  Hope you enjoy!

Photography

How Far is Far Enough?

Back in January, when we were sure that winter was never going to end, some good friends from Belhaven, NC decided to head south to Wilmington, NC to find some warmer weather.  They got to Wilmington and it wasn’t warm enough, so they decided to drive south until they found warm weather.  They ended up in Key West.

I’m currently working on a photography presentation that focuses on exploring a scene, seeing the details and getting down to the gist of what makes something photographically interesting.  It’s the way I often work, getting to a location and staying there until I’m done.  Sometimes it means skipping other locations I had planned on, but I’m a believer that if I get somewhere, I like what I see and it works, stick with it until I’ve worn it out.  I much prefer trying to find something that works where I am and not go running around chasing something that might or might not be somewhere else.

This approach sometimes runs counter to group outings and workshops, since in order to provide a variety of subject matter and conditions for all of the participants it is often necessary to “move along.”  This is tough, because I prefer to not work with an agenda per se, as “watching my watch” makes it tough to be creative.  On the other hand it’s hard to know when I’m finished, or when I have gone far enough.  Conditions change, I get tired, eventually I get hungry or have to sleep!

I feel like my best work tends to come either right at the beginning of a session or right at the end.  Sometimes I connect right away but often I start off wandering around, working on ideas but not really seeing or feeling it.  I gradually build up to the point where I get it.  But then what?  Do I just stop, or do I keep going to see what else there is?

If you are shooting something specific like a sunrise or sunset, you pretty much know when it’s over.  If you are making a portrait you might be looking for a certain pose or expression, and when you get it you might be done.  If you are shooting something abstract like clouds or ocean waves, how much is enough?  Random is random, and once you’ve taken 500 shots or filled a card I sort of feel like you either got it or you didn’t get it, and taking more shots won’t necessarily change that.  It really depends on what it is you are trying to say.  What is it that is pulling you toward a scene and how do you express that?

Sometimes it is good to have an idea in mind but to be open to changing your mind.  If you are photographing a scene and come across something interesting and unexpected, be free to pursue that.  Unless you are on an assignment you are able to choose and go after whatever catches your eye.  Sometimes you can do both.  Sometimes when you get to your personal “Wilmington” you’ll find it is just what you were looking for.  And sometimes you have to go all the way to the end of the road and end up in Key West.

Random Thoughts

Hard Times Coming?

 

Caution, sarcasm may follows:

A photography forum I follow recently had a thread titled “Hard Times Coming?” with a few posters lamenting the possibility of product shortages because of the multiple disasters in Japan.  The “OP” stated that “if y’all have your sights set on any camera stuff, you may want to act more quickly than planned. I can envision photo equipment getting scarce and more costly very soon.”

Well, gee whiz, isn’t that inconvenient?  People are dead or missing, homeless and without power and in danger of radiation poisoning and we might actually be forced to use the equipment we currently own and go out and make some photographs?  Oh, the humanity.

End of sarcasm.

If you’ve got some spare money burning a hole in your equipment pocket you might want to think about sending some of it to one of the many relief agencies trying to help.  The American Red Cross might be a good one.  Then dust off that camera and get out and use it!

Photography

It’s a Commitment

 

I spent some time the other day helping a good friend try to diagnose some problems he was having with Lightroom.  His computer was doing some strange stuff with multiple catalogs and he couldn’t figure it out.  It’s going to take some more work because he’s made a bit of a mess of things, but I’m going to help him out because it’s a good way for me to learn, he’s a good friend and it’s something I want to do.

Sometimes it takes working with someone else’s digital file management system to appreciate how truly difficult it can be to manage our photographs.  I’m very fortunate to have realized from the start – even before Lightroom – that good organization was going to be essential if I had any hope of keeping track of what I was certain to be a lot of files.  And boy was I right – I had no idea!

The biggest realization for me is that using a program like Lightroom is a commitment.  Lightroom is designed to be your sole system for image organization.  It doesn’t do you any good if you put just some of your images in Lightroom, or if you work with Lightroom sometimes and other programs other times.  Once you decide to use it you need to learn how it works, figure out what works best for you and embrace it 100%.  It won’t do you any good any other way.

I’ve told this story to groups before so it’s nothing new to a lot of my readers, but the first time I used Lightroom it was to organize, edit and process images from a magazine assignment.  I decided that I was going to use Lightroom from start to finish to complete this assignment, and that I would use what I learned to develop my workflow around it.  I “got it” from the very beginning, understood how it worked and what it would do, and soon I imported my entire photo collection, which was much smaller than it is today, into my Lightroom catalog.

Today I use Lightroom for everything – from editing to processing to printing.  I rarely use Photoshop for anything – going there for the occasional cloning job, a panorama or the rare – for me – HDR image.  And I don’t own and haven’t tried any of the third-party software.  Not that I have a problem with it, I just don’t feel like I need it.

When I teach and work with other people dealing with their digital workflow, I try to help them develop a system that they understand and that works for them.  They could copy everything I do exactly, but unless they understand what I’m doing and why, they’ll never get comfortable with it, probably won’t use it and soon they’ll have a mess.

A lot of people enjoy the computer side of digital photography.  I enjoy it to the extent that I love figuring things out and solving problems, but once I get to a point where I have a system that works I want it to get out of my way and let me do my thing.  I don’t want to have to worry about hardware and software and plug-ins and actions.  I want the computer stuff to be a tool that I use to achieve the desired result, and I want it to come as natural to me as changing the aperture on my camera.

I’ve worked hard to get to the point I am at with my workflow.  I enjoy helping other people too, but it takes a certain level of commitment to get to the point where you have something you can use.  Getting there might take some valuable time away from our photography, but ultimately that time investment will pay off more than buying a new piece of software or even a new lens if it helps us spend our time being creative instead of trying to figure out the computer stuff.