Saturday, December 31, 2011

2012 Goal Setting

As 2011 comes to a close and 2012 opens its doors, I am planning my goals for the year. Yes, if you believe the doomday sayers, 2012 is the year the world is supposed to end, but that isn't any reason to think that 2012 isn't going to knock 2011 out of the water for awesomeness. I mean imagine the great, unique photo ops right around the 21st of December. Complete Epicocity.

So after giving it much though and deliberation I feel that this year I need to focus on three things this coming year, after tonight's spirited celebration which will include the following imbibements:

 My focus in 2012 is:

  • Educating
  • Giving
  • Execution

Educating: 

I have picked a person, who has agreed to participate, in a one year mentoring program I have been developing. In addition to the mentoring I will be focusing on teaching others through free and low cost workshops.

Giving:

Giving is one of the few things that allows us to contribute positively to others selflessly. In addition to the above mentoring I will be consistently giving throughout the year by:

  • Continue to volunteer to photograph animals at the humane society.
  • Participate in help portrait and help portrait like events.
  • Guide others, who ask, in becoming successful in thier goals.

 Execution:

I have had several ideas floating around in my mind for photography projects, but have completely failed to execute on them. This will be focused on executing four of my large scale projects. Why only four? I want to make sure I have the time, money and other resources to actually execute on the projects.

How do I measure the success of these goals, by defining the measures of success:

Education: 

  • Complete the mentoring program I have started.
  • Teach 8 workshops during the course of the year (before Dec 21 since that is the end of the world)
  • Hosting one shoot event for the photography group each month (at a minimum) and ensure that at least one person learns something from each of the events.
  • Teach at least one workshop at the State Fair.

Giving:

  • Photograph animals at the Humane Society twice a month, blog about the animals, and post the image to the Humane Society's website.
  • Participate in the annual help portrait.
  • Participate in Kevin Kubota' s Picture in the Park.
  • Participate in at least one other giving event

Execution

  • Pick and execute one of my photography projects each quarter. That is one project every three months.

That's my goals and how I am going to measure their success.

What are your photography goals for 2012? 

Sunday, December 25, 2011

2011 - A year of discovery: The Review

I can't believe that 2011 is coming to a close already.  It is crazy to think about all that has happened in the last twelve months. It has been a rollercoaster ride of epic proportions.

In January I worked with Nathan, Liz and Jonathan to form Studio 247. It was an experiment in trying to open and run an art studio. Our first and really only Studio event was the Extreme Makeup and Photography event.

In February I started the seven week long Artist Way for Photographers course. Man did that course help me grow artistically and in the end grow personally as well. As a result of being a part of that course, I along with seven others were shown in a downtown art gallery for the month of March.

In March I learned that my ride was over. My unemployment was going to be denied if I refused to accept a job offer I was given. Oddly enough, I was one of the honest people on unemployment. I actually applied for jobs, which is a requirement of being on unemployment. Oddly yet still, even though I tried my damnedest to not do well with my application and even the interview, I was offered a job, which if I refused,  my unemployment would be cancelled. I was on the brink of several things on the brink of breaking out into something huge when this happened, one of which was national.

In the end I did the safest thing for my family.

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In April depression set in big time as I pondered over all of the huge art related projects that were absolutely falling from my grasp; projects that could have made an income that could have sustained my family without the day job.

In May I starting learning who my real friends were and who were simply "The Good Times" friends. As a result, my real friends now have more value from me because now that I am in a better place, they are getting the benefits of me not being stretched so thin.

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In June I failed horribly in getting my shit together for a showing with the group from the artist way. I let all of them down and as a result I missed a great opportunity to lift myself out of the black hole of depression.

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In July I found something that I had been missing for nearly a year; passion for art. I had spent the last year darting into rabbit holes looking for where the money would come from and had actually lost the passion that drove my art in the first place. But over the fourth of July weekend, thanks to a close friend of ours (my wife and I) I found that passion again. I began the process of finding myself again and acceptance of the loss I experienced in the first six months of the year.

In August I dyed my hair red, well not all of it. It was my middle finger the greed of the world, well before the Occupy movement began. I also isolated myself this month, letting very few people close as I was dealing with my own painful past and working through finding myself again. August also brought me back to what I did best; teaching. August also brought confirmation that I did the right thing by taking that job. But I also discovered that I couldn't afford the studio any longer.

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In September I recovered my value and moved into planning my future. I relinquished control of something I hold very dear to my heart so that I could shift time resources to other things; like family and developing training syllabuses. 

In October I watched silently as something I and many others had spent years developing, was falling apart from the inside. October I executed on my teaching plans. .

In November I was called upon to pick up the pieces and I did. Things are back on track and everyone I have talked to happier for it. November also brought back the giving. I am now photographing the cats at the the Willamette Humane Society. Twice a month I go down and photograph the cats, up to 50 each visit, and then come home, process the images and post them on their site. 

In December I am back on track. I am making art. I am having fun. I am earning a living with my day job. I am helping others. I am teaching. I am happy again. Happiness is found making art, not in trying to profit from it all the time.

 

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

A day in the woods final take

So here are the final images from my day in the woods with Michael Conkey of nine22.com and Nathan Smith of smithfineart.com. Michael was kind enough to model for us and was willing to play along with some odd requests like swinging an axe at my head and communing with nature and dancing a jig.

Posing for the camera.

 

Swinging the Axe

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The above image was about as dangerous as it gets. This was shot at 19mm and I was about a foot from the axe. Both Michael and Nathan were gasping as I moved in for the shot. Yes, I admit it was dangerous, but it was also worth it to capture that explosive impact.

After the shoot in the woods, we decided to take the back roads back home and came across some amazing landscapes. We must have stopped a a dozen times, and here are some of the results.

And finally, we stopped at this church in the middle of nowhere.

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All-in-all... it was cold. It was foggy. It was cold. But it was a beautiful, albeit cold, morning to be out creating art with friends.

 

Sunday, December 18, 2011

A day in the woods

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What can a day in the woods do for you? Let me tell you something. It can bring a great deal of affirmation to recent choices and discoveries. Those will be covered in my next post title "2011 - A Year of Discovery"

For now, you can sit back in the comfort of your warm home and enjoy these few outtakes from my day in the woods with Michael and Nathan.