Tinted Windows

Tinted Windows

Hey John, I feel like communicating with someone as silence hangs over our house. Maybe just expressing a few thoughts with a like minded friend. I went for a walk this morning and as I crossed the boulevard a bearded guy in a black truck passed with a big ole trump flag on his back bumper. I could have sworn…
Warm and Fuzzy Feel

Warm and Fuzzy Feel

I have those shipping cases. That’s how I transported my portfolio to you all those years ago. They are covered with stickers from various airports. Crazy how that all worked and how expensive it was to send stuff all around the country. But that is how it worked. My portfolios only included a few printed samples and tear sheets. Often…
If I Had Only Wore a Mask…

If I Had Only Wore a Mask…

Your plan for hiring scouts in Scotland sounds wise. I have only done that for assignment shoots, though one time in Yorkshire I hired a driver to tour us around the Dales looking for monastery ruins. I mostly did it because I didn’t want to drive a stick shift car on the left side of road. Plus, I knew he…
Box Seats

Box Seats

Yes turning 70 brought on a lot of thought for me too. It truly felt like the time to quit working, unless you’re running for president or some other political office. But it brought on more reflection than turning 50 or 60. And yes, a big look back at the journey I have been on. And while I don’t have…
How do I Want to Spend my Time?

How do I Want to Spend my Time?

Wow, you retired young. 911 actually gave my business a boost. Art buyers saw smaller budgets for photo services and turned to stock photography as a cheaper alternative to commissioned work. That’s where I was positioned at the time. What killed my industry, or at least changed it, was the rise of digital. Suddenly everyone with a camera and a…
Life’s Journey

Life’s Journey

We don’t do much for Christmas and New Year’s. Sometimes we have friends for Christmas dinner, but this year I am thinking dinner for two. Often on New Year’s Eve we would have a little gathering by the fire, and I make something special like gumbo or if I am lazy, chili. Something you can eat by the fire. I…
Your Work is Boring

Your Work is Boring

When I taught, loosening up a student was taking away their controls that they were so comfortable with. One assignment I recall was shooting from the hip. They weren’t allowed to look through the view finder. They had to point and shoot, preferably from an unusual angle. There was this element of surprise. In film it could be quite wasteful…