Some old Cowboy wisdom… If you ain’t adding to,.. you’re taking away. If you’re not adding to another person, or a horse, you’re taking away. You’re either a liability to another person, or you’re an asset.
This ‘ol Cowboy wisdom can be applied to a lot of things in life, not just people, or horses. My blog is about vision, imagination, and creativity, especially when it comes to Photography. So lets apply this old cowboy wisdom to Photography.
If your Photography isn’t adding to your life, it’s taking away. If you are so concerned with settings, proper gear, the “right” location, the proper sky in your composition, etc.etc.etc… Then that entire experience is taking away from your image!
Ok… devils advocate! You actually enjoy all of those “technical aspects.” Everything technical absolutely has to be present, or you’re not happy! So it’s taking away…
Hmmm… so lets imagine our world is no longer populated with people. Replace everyone with a robot. That entity feeds on technical feldercarb… but where is the heart? Where is the passion? Where are the feelings? Are the robots an asset, or a liability? Do you wish to be a robot?
Another scenario… You are taking a portrait of another person. Everything has to be just right in your mind. The lighting, the pose, the background, your camera settings… you are really busting your butt to make it all correct, before you go click… After you go click, you immediately look at the back of your camera and check all the details.
Yet what about that person? What are they doing while you are taking care of all that technical feldercarb? Are you adding to their life? Or are you taking away? That person is the subject of your composition, but when you look at the back of your camera, it’s now about you, not about them… so you’re taking away from their life, and their experience with you…
In The Digital Darkroom…
When you are processing your images in the digital darkroom… is that experience adding to, or taking away? Are you concentrating just on that image? Or are you paying attention to all the notifications popping up on your computer? Are your pets, or your family distracting you?
Back in the days of film… That is the one thing I liked about the wet darkroom. The door was closed and locked. I was not bothered one bit by anyone. Yet those stinky chemicals and the lack of being outdoors with the wind in my hair sure took a lot away…
Are you all stressed out because you can’t remember all the steps necessary for the edit in PhotoShop? Or have you practiced your artistic procedures regularly and often so that PhotoShop simply becomes another tool in your arsenal of creativity?
When you are processing that image… concentrating solely on that… does the experience take you back to the time of capture? Is that memory adding to, or taking away? Are you remembering the experience of capture fondly? Or with remorse? Was it a fun time? Was it rewarding and does the memory fill your soul now? Or does it take away? (please from now on make sure the memory is a good one with zero regret)
Posting Your Images Online…
Did you spends thousands of dollars on camera gear, education, and your trips only to post your images online? Yes, the “likes” you obtain might be a nice pat on your back… but are you shooting for those people you might not have even met? Or are you practicing your art for you?
Not to mention someone else controls who, and how long your images are seen, and your image becomes digital dust in seconds.
If online is all you wish to do, and that is perfectly fine if it is… Why not simply shoot with your smart phone? Save that camera gear money for more trips! You always have that phone with you… and it takes pretty good images for online viewing.
Personally what feeds my soul, and is absolutely an asset, will be taking my images full circle, just like in the film days. I composed the image, developed it, massaged that image in the darkroom, then watched it come alive in the chemical tray, and then I was able to physically hold that result in my hands and place it upon my walls. Huge assets to my life! Zero liabilities.
My Younger Days
I was never “Joe popular” in school. I was ok with that. I am who I am. I enjoy time alone especially in the outdoors… In my youth, as I grew older I was handed a LOT of responsibility in the Gaming Industry, I needed to be more popular. I was still a full time Photographer, but I was being groomed by a genius of a man, for leadership roles.
Largely this came about because of my size and voice. It’s simply not possible for me to be in any kind of group of people and not get noticed. Well… I needed to be noticed as a leader according to my mentor, not an idiot. I needed to add to the equation, not take away.
Now I was working for a pretty famous ‘ol Cowboy. Yes, the word Cowboy deserves to be capitalized. If not for them? None of us would be here! At the time, I needed to be an asset to his operations not a liability, otherwise I’d be an asset to just me, down the road…
An asset in this case also meant I needed integrity, principles, and the ability to keep my mouth shut when necessary, while at the same time opening my mouth correctly when called upon. To be known for your truth, trust, and integrity, were far more important than being “Joe popular.”
When I left the gaming industry to concentrate more on my own operations, verses someone else’s, that honesty and integrity was still exceptionally important. I was very successful in my operations. I’m proud of that!
In the world of contracting, integrity is “top of the list’ important. Integrity is very important every where else too… but as a contractor? Exponentially important. My company was very well known for three things…
I did it right the first time at fair prices or I would not take on the contract. I treated my employees better than anyone else in town; and I sold very large designer prints embedded in tile or stone, while also using photography to replace entire home or office interiors back exactly as they were before the job was started. (right down to the interiors of drawers, or the counter full of perfume bottles for the lady of the house)
These three things made myself and my company very popular. I was always an asset to everyone, including my family and employees. However! The massive housing and construction depression of 2010 to 2012 took it’s toll. I closed my company and concentrated my efforts just on my Photography. Basically I “retired”…
“Retirement” in this case meant for the first time in my life I only held one job. I will never fully retire. I will work till the day I drop. Because when I no longer become an asset to myself? It will take ME away!
Enter The Internet…
In 1995 when Netscape became a public company, this started the dot com bubble. In 1997, I left the gaming industry, started a family and opened a new company, all at the same time! Looking back at this now? What was I thinking?! However I became a very good sized Flooring Contractor and also kept up with Photography at the same time.
All of a sudden the Yellow Pages were gone! Word of mouth advertising was also history. No one talked to anyone anymore! Everything was now online. Integrity no longer counted for anything. Why would I ever wish to try and find customers anywhere but in my own city?
All of a sudden you needed to write! People no longer talked anymore! Texting became more popular than a phone call. Why? Because the new cell phone companies charged over a dollar a minute for a phone call, but only five dollars a month for unlimited texts! Yes, I had that first brick of a Cell Phone that I carried in a bag…
We all know that we can talk faster than we can type. (especially me! It takes forever to hunt and peck those words!) Write? Me? Are you kidding me?! My very worst talent! Integrity, truth, and principles were no longer important. Being popular online was!
Geeeez… High School all over again?! Customer service excellence became non existent! Yes, in some ways the internet is an asset. However! In too many ways the internet is also a huge liability! Just who’s opinion are we to put faith in now?
The “most popular” person or post? Even if they have zero knowledge or truth behind them? Just because they drive the numbers with an algorithm?… Or the person or entity that might be more correct and honest, but you’ll never see, because they don’t drive the numbers? Asset or Liability? Adding to? Or taking away?
The younger population will say the internet is “adding to.” The older population will say both; adding to and taking away. I think in general the older population longs for the simpler days of the past, while enjoying some of the tendencies of the present. (my opinion and five bucks gets you a coffee now a days)
Personally? I wish a “less complicated life.” Which is why I do not wish to spend my entire life in front of a computer. I’m trying to create my own style of “hybrid.” A bit in front of a computer, but more time in the outdoors.
Writing This Blog…
Does it add to my life or take things away? Wow! Was that a tough question to answer! In the beginning writing the blog took a lot of things away… I have never been what I consider to be a great wordsmith.
At first my “open rates” were very high. Like 85 to 90%. Industry normals are a lot lower. This was a very nice pat on the back… Thank you! This kept me going. Asset over liability. Writing this blog has been one of the most difficult things I have ever tried to do.
It was physically draining to sit down once a week to hunt and peck out some sort of document. I can’t tell you how many times I have written something and then discarded it. Five or ten copies every week that I went through with a fine tooth comb. There are times it took me four or five days to write something.
As time went on human nature took over, my open rates went down. People are busy. Overall I might not be a very big asset. About seven or eight months ago I took on opening up a YouTube channel. I have hundreds of followers to my blog.
I did not think it would be difficult to obtain the simple one hundred followers I needed to certify my channel. I worked hard and put together what I consider to be the holy grail of free videos. “How to properly organize your LightRoom Catalog.”
Video number one has 142 views. Video number two has 160 views. But my channel has only 60 followers… Pretty depressing. So I have not placed any more effort there. Everyday I run into students with my private lessons that are paying me hard earned money to help them fix their catalogs.
Is time spent on my YouTube Chanel an asset or a liability? In this case a liability. Why spend time on that if very few are watching?… Now if enough people get the word out, to get me the followers I need to certify my channel? I’d be happy to place more effort there.
This blog? Is it still an asset? Yes it is. Now I no longer write for anyone else, I write for me. I quit making it a “job” when open rates went down. It became a chore that I dreaded. If fewer people are going to open it, why write it?
So I dropped back from writing once a week, to writing about things important to me, when the time was available. This winter I have run into a lot of people that have told me they get my emails, and enjoy reading my blog. I had a few readers send an email of appreciation… (about 3 or 4) but not much more than that.
My only large indication were my open rates, and those were going down. Asset or Liability? Thanks to a couple of free classes I gave at B&C Camera, I heard a lot more positive responses. My open rates are still not what they were, but I realized my blog was an asset to more people than I thought.
Now I type up my blog for both myself and those loyal followers. Even if open rates have gone down, those of you that take the time out of your busy lives to read anything I might have to offer, are very important to me. An asset for sure! My vibe is my tribe! Thank You!
A very large population of online content creators are currently backing off. A LOT! Think about it… large machine content creators can really put it out there. That “little guy or gal” is trying full time for many, many hours a day, to do the work that many elsewhere are doing in minutes.
They have no life… trying to keep up with the algorithm’s is sucking the life out of them. Consequently, now they are looking to Artificial Intelligence to ease the load. There are droves of adds on Instagram and Facebook offering courses on Ai content creation.
This I will never do! I might write like shit, but at least you’ll know it’s actually me and not computer generated Feldercarb. I don’t blame these people… they were generating income from their TicTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube feeds. However someone else is controlling their income while exponentially increasing the profits of their So-So Networking Sites! Once again… a whole ‘nuther subject.
The Summer Sojourn
In two weeks I’m leaving on my Summer Sojourn again. Staying holed up in the air conditioning all summer in Vegas has really taken it’s toll over the past 50 odd years. I detest the heat! There is zero pleasure in the outdoors of the Desert Southwest when it’s 120 degrees in the shade.
Personally I don’t enjoy temperatures above 75 and that’s pushing it! 60 degrees is “T” shirt and shorts weather for me. Cowboys never wear shorts outdoors. There are too many things that will tear you up. Plus? I don’t sweat like most people, so I have little opportunity to cool down, unless it’s to jump in the river.
This year, as I’ve become even more charmingly antique, I’ve made a pact with myself to look for even more “adding to”, and less “taking away.” What will you do?
Will you continue the path that you are on? Photographically will you slow down and concentrate more on what feeds your passion? Will you finally commit to spending a bit more time learning PhotoShop? Or do you wish to “do it quick, and get it over with?”
Will you endeavor to make your Photography good enough to print? Or will you do like a recent Photography Contest stated and “print your work small, so you don’t show the flaws”… this statement really threw me for a loop! That statement was put out there by some people I highly respect! They are friends of mine… But that’s a whole ‘nuther subject. (let’s teach people to endeavor to be better, not just “good enough”)
Largely I wish you… to do you! Do what ever adds to your life, and do less of what takes away from your life. If reading what I might have to say takes away from your life? No problem… go forth and prosper. If it adds to your life? Do us a favor and help build the tribe.
I will be spending the third week in April near my old stomping grounds of Lake Tahoe. From there I’m heading to the Coast of Oregon. From there to Southern Utah and Colorado until mid to late October, Yoda willing.
I hope you’ll follow along on my journey. I will be concentrating the most of my online efforts towards my CampFire group. Then a bit here, and lastly some on my personal FaceBook Page.
Soon I’ll be posting more PhotoSafaris starting in June. I’ll be doing many of these PhotoSafaris and Seminars in the Southern Utah Region. (much cooler, and beautiful country) This is only about two hours away from the Las Vegas Airport. Comparatively speaking… Flying into the Las Vegas Airport is damn cheap!
The Summer Season is Milky Way Season in the Northern Hemisphere. There are very cool outdoor locations to film the Milky Way in Southern Utah. Cool nights and dark skies! Also far less people where I go. You should join me!
Thanks For Being Here!
