Daunting Undertakings and Precious Time

Today is a glorous summer day, warm, sunny and filled with prospects. I have a to do list the size of Africa and I have no idea where I am going to start or finish. I am counting down the days until I quit working for wages and the plans are coming together for my new life on the farm. I am basically assured of being able to pay my basic bills and I have several ventures underway that should pick up the slack. Photographically I am still rebuilding and it is a slow process, but it is happening, which is exciting in and of itself. My curently, one and only student, has decided to quit taking lessons, which was not entirely unexpected, so I am without that venue to balance the budget, but will now have time to work on the workshop project, about which I will talk at another time.

My renovations are way behind schedule, so they will have to be raised on the priority list, especially, since the days are now about to start getting shorter and I will have a little less daylight before long.The bedroom, which was gutted, in the fire, is still not cleaned up, so that will be first and then the bathroom has to be totally redone and the new fixtures installed. I am actually about to have a flush toilet! There will still be a tremendous amount more to do, but that will happen in the winter months. Right now, I have to finish the bedroom and re-insulate the attic, where I will also have to evict a family of squirrels that have moved in.

Horse wise, things are off to a better start, but this summer will involve a lot of training and that will involve a lot of time also.Sandy, the youngest member of the herd has turned one and will be ready for a new home by fall. He was the colt of my late Belgian mare, Sassy and my Clydesdale stallion, Andy. He will be a big boy, but has the disposition of an angel and will make someone an excellent partner, for almost any endeavour or discipline. He is a handsome lad and loves to be the centre of attention. Hanna, the Quarter Horse mare is still not bred, but she is willing and able and I have my fingers crossed for her next heat. She will be the foundation of my breeding programme and hopefully, my number one riding partner.

Summer is short and the list is long, but I am finally comfortable with my life and it's directions and ready for the adventure to begin, in earnest. Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Life Goes On But with Changes!

It has now been an eternity since I have written anything in this blog, a lot has happened since last I did. To begin with, my favourite horse died of unknown causes, I  required further eye surgery, this time for glaucoma and I had a house fire, in which my cat, of 19 years, was killed. Add to this a just plain dismal year,a cancer scare and a totally horrendous winter and I think you have the makings of a tragic film script, with Oscar possibilities for best screen adaptation and best director. The latter because only a cinematic master could actually bring this thing to the screen. Despite all that, there has been some definite pluses to my life and mind set.

There is some old saw, about adversity and being the stronger for it, etc,etc, but in my case it has some validity. Now that I know my eyesight will, eventually, be lost, at least in one eye and that I am healthy and not facing my imminent demise, though that, too, is inevitable, I have a new determination, to return to my roots and quit wasting time spreading myself too thin, over too many projects, dead ends and poor prospects. I have begun my return to photojournalism, in earnest and have rethought my horse raising programme and streamlined and abbreviated it to allow me to actually make it happen, in my lifetime. I am about to cease working for wages, in order to supplement my meager pension and to be able to devote myself, totally, to my career rebuilding and my farm. As soon as I can and no later than the summer, nothing I do to pay bills and live, will have anything to do with anything, beyond the farm and photography. To that end, I now own a professional grade optical scanner and am beginning to digitize my files. I have fully entered the digital capture arena, with the purchase of more Nikon gear and my website is on the horizon. I also upgraded all my computer equipment to the latest Mac stuff and the software to go with it, including a subscription to Adobe's new cloud based material. The learning curve is incredibly steep, another reason why I need to concentrate my efforts from home, without extraneous distractions. Above all, I have come to the realization that life is too short to drink cheap beer, bad wine or to suffer fools and their frustrations any longer.

In all, I have no idea if I will be successful or not, or if this is the best path to take, but it is the right path, for my sanity and peace of mind and above all, my soul. To wit, Darla, the cats, the horses and I, are embarking on a new path,with new trials and tribulations to overcome and new adventures to challenge us. It will be a glorious journey and as it will be my last, a grand undertaking like none other!

Where it all Started

Recently, I was corresponding with a friend, who mentioned that they were considering a career change and perhaps going back to school, to The Vancouver Film School, actually. As the discussion progressed, they asked about my having an analogue darkroom, here, in my beyond rustic, existence, on the farm. I, currently, am living, a less than modern existence here, relying on a wood stove for heat and for cooking,while trying to renovate the farm, in general and the house, in particular. Although I have all, or most of the components and the room where I will put them, I do not, at the moment, have the darkroom set up. However, the question, brought me back to, my beginnings in photography and the deep role, that, black and white, has played in my career.

 My first exposure to the medium, was through my grandfather, who was a professional photographer and a raconteur of tall tales, in London and later Toronto. Pop, had a darkroom, where he mixed all his own chemicals, many from scratch, stored his photography gear and spent countless hours, making prints or developing film. He had deeply, walnut, stained fingers, both from the chemicals and from smoking and I can vividly remember those fingers processing prints through, the many chemical baths involved. As I grew older, I  went on assignments with him and later, worked, beside him, in the darkroom, producing the images, he had seen. From him,I acquired a love of photography, especially, black and white and a deeply rooted discipline, for the producing of images on film. He always used large format cameras, considering, until very late in life, that even 2 1/4 square cameras,were, strictly, for amateurs and 35mm, to be a toy. Although, the rest of his life, was less than regimented, his photography was very much, well ordered and precise. He always believed, that everything, was in the negative and that if, you did not have what you needed, in the camera, you simply had nothing. I often wonder what he would make of this nonsense, we call digital capture?

For Pop, the negative or the transparency was everything. Oh yes, he could manipulate them, at least the negatives, to try and save a mistake or an accident, but only as a last resort. When I was allowed to shoot something, it was always with the proviso, not to waste film. When I finally went out on my own, I carried that proviso with me, as a guiding and guardian angel. Although, I adopted the 35mm format as my format of choice, I strived, never to waste a frame. Everything I needed was in my negatives and most, were properly exposed and detailed, in both shadows and highlights. I simply carried the large format discipline forward, to the 35mm frame. The results, have never let me down. Where many photographers expected to get 10 or 20 good images on a 36 exposure roll of film, I routinely got 32 or 33, if not 36. I never approached the medium, with a shotgun approach, shoot a lot and capture a little. For me every image was important and wasting film was, a waste of time and of the moment. Over time, I came to realize that, all of my mentors and inspirations, shot the same way, from Bob Capa, to W.Eugene Smith, through Neil Newton, to Ansel Adams and Tim Page, they all counted every frame as being important. Of course, they had wasted frames and of course, so did I, but not intentionally. But, I digress, somewhat, from the thesis here, that of black and white photography and the analogue darkroom.

When ever possible, I shot black and white and I processed all my own film and made my own prints. Neil Newton, perhaps my greatest mentor, even beyond my grandfather, was the penultimate black and white printer and from him,I learned to make beautiful full range prints, even from my poorest negatives. I always considered myself to be, and excellent printer, but from Neil I learned to be better. He lives in BC now and apparently has embraced the digital world with a passion. We are no longer close, something I do not understand and deeply regret, but I can thank him, nevertheless, for teaching me the beauty, that is the darkroom.

During my career, I have spent more hours, in the dark, in more ways than one, than I care to remember and yet I regret none of those,in the darkroom. Watching prints evolve out of the developer,the smell of the chemicals, permeating the air and every pore in your body,somehow, brings the process full circle and serves to renew your faith in yourself. Certainly processing a large print order is a long and tedious process, that can often see you working for hours at a time. But,in the end, it all becomes a worthwhile experience, cathartic, perhaps, in providing a sense of completion, to a project. On the other hand, there are the sessions to produce personal images, that can and do, last much longer. I can remember going into my darkroom, many times, in an evening, with a bottle of scotch and a pile of negatives,only to emerge the following day, minus the scotch,or most of it, but with some of my most memorable prints,hanging, in the drying cabinet. The scotch, was easier than constantly, stopping for coffee, or soda,rather than for inspiration and fourteen or fifteen hours, accounted for it's reduction. The rest, was love and inspiration, diligence and technique and a joy at seeing beauty, come out of my efforts, both behind and after the camera. When he was a very little boy, my son would sometimes accompany me, into the darkroom and sitting on my hip, helping me process the prints, we would marvel, together, at their emergence, out of the developing tray. Memories like those, will forever tie me to a darkroom and far, far away from the world of computers and pixels and Photoshop.

The Loss of Courtesy

Sometime, somewhere, over the last few years, we, as a society, seem to have lost the concept of courtesy. When I was a kid, growing up in semi- rural Ontario, courtesy, towards others, was just the accepted norm. Even people for whom you held little, if any, regard were, nonetheless, treated with common courtesy,if you needed to interact with them,either privately, or in public. I miss that simple concept, which has, definitely, fallen into disuse. Certainly, if all gloves are off and the situation is ugly, courtesy may not be an option, but in simple day to day dealings, it should not be such a foreign concept. Take for example, answering communications. People who take the time to correspond with you, for whatever reason,deserve to receive a timely response and that does not mean, six weeks from now. Even if all you say, is that you are not interested in their proposal, attentions, or opportunity,common courtesy dictates that you reply, Now, if that reply is ignored, then you can become more forceful in your response, even to the point of never responding again. Having said that, I will admit, that the rules of courtesy, may be deemed irrelevant, when dealing with telemarketers and related, phone based, interruptions to life, but not when dealing with electronic or otherwise written communications. A lack of courtesy is a sign of ignorance and no one, really, deserves to be treated with ignorance. We are all just people, trying to get along,in our lives and we all deserve a modicum of respect,for the effort.

I can well remember, my mother, trying to instil this idea into my adolescent consciousness and my reluctance to see the necessity of being nice to people I disliked or did not want to know. Nevertheless, I learned to politely thank people for unwanted invitations and when, a suitable and honest reason for not going, was not readily forthcoming,accepting said invitation. More than once, I actually found myself having a good time and occasionally, friendships developed that never would have, otherwise, occurred. Likewise, I returned unwanted phone calls, thanked aunts and uncles for totally hideous gifts and generally respected my elders, respectable or not. It was not a wasted lesson and has not been wasted upon me to this day. Oh I am occasionally lax in my responsibility to be courteous, but I make a diligent effort to practice what mother, so relentlessly, preached. I can not say that it has ever done me one ounce of harm.

Early Winter,Horses and Harmony

It is Sunday morning on the farm,it is early and it is a bit cold, the wood stove is low and hasn't really begun to warm the house yet. Outside the weather is typical early winter and is proving the weatherman wrong, once again,as the sun is making a hesitant appearance, over the snow dusted landscape. There is a chill in the air,partially from the temperature and partially because it was wet yesterday and the, now frozen, dampness has permeated everything, with chilling effect. It is a  morning for warm blankets and soft kisses, coffee in a steaming mug and kittens in a bundle of furry, furious activity. The purpose,either to keep warm or to entertain themselves in the near empty barn. The warm blankets were long ago cast aside and the kisses were nuzzles from the waiting horses, but it is all part of the morning rituals, around here. Darla is off somewhere doing her usual best to get lost from view and will no doubt need calling, momentarily,but in the interim, I am drawn to the warmth and companionship of the horses. Most have finished their grain and are poking away at their morning hay ration, with one eye on it and the other on me,watching for the onslaught of the curry and comb, to remove the burrs and tangles, from their manes and tails. Sassy, the Belgian mare will need the most work and she is waiting by the gate, knowing that the sooner she starts, the sooner I will let her go back, to her hay and her roaming. Andy is still eating grain and cares not a wit for the impending brushing. Young Clydesdale stallions are not overly impressed with grooming, when there is hay to eat, or cats to watch,sauntering across their paddock,or any other time ,for that matter. He will not be a problem, but he won't come running. Hanna, likes the attention. She is the most laid back of my four and puts up with the most, as well. She is a Quarter Horse and a good one. She is, also, no stranger to the cold. As a foal, in Saskatchewan, she lost the tips of her ears to frostbite,all part and parcel of ranch life on the prairies. She will eat or follow me around until it is her turn and then she will stand quietly,for the most part,until we are done. The kid, on the block, is another story. That would be Joey,a Canadian and though technically not a kid at all, he thinks he is. He is fairly small, but well muscled and shiny black and very handsome,with no need of grooming, thank you all the same. He will succumb,begrudgingly,but not without trying to walk away about every five minutes and turning his head as if to remind you that he knows you are there,but he is hoping you have gone away. The truth is, that, he loves to be fussed over as much as any of them and especially, if you have a sugar cube or an apple to share.
Working over these four legged companions brings an inner calm and grace to the soul. Their gaze, through deeply glistening eyes,sees much deeper than the human, with a curry comb and it shows. Gazing into a horses eyes, one sees things that are often only felt, trust, understanding,affection,caring,healing. Horses take you at face value,if you are what you appear to be they are satisfied. They will welcome you, into their moment and trust you, to honour the bond. Horses are great listeners, they are not judgemental, about what they hear and they hear the soul and the heart of your words, without need to understand the language spoken. Horses will take you places you have never been and may never go again,simply because there will be no need. All a horse ever wants, from you, is to know they can trust you. Trust you to lead them,care for them,protect them and be what they believe you to be. In return, they will give you 110% of themselves,in every way and forever. There is not a lot in this world, that you can count on, to that, or to any degree, other than, perhaps, yourself.

The Tatters of a Once Proud Profession

For the last ever so many years,photographers have been debating, bemoaning and otherwise discussing the state and fate of the industry and one of the key points of discussion revolves around how one should sell/market one's images. The predominant model, of the past few decades, has been that of licensing one's work for specific purposes and specific time periods, while retaining ownership of the copyright. It is a valid, strong and controversial model. It is also one to which I subscribe and actually have done for my entire career. The other side of the coin is, to my way of thinking, a self defeating strategy, whereby, the photographer relinquishes all his/her rights,in perpetuity, for a set fee, that generally, is the least amount they are willing to accept and is dictated to them by the client. It is a sort of take it or leave it,or we will just find someone else who will,scenario.

Now I have been doing this for a long time and though that is only for historical context, this is not, photographers have no one to blame for the current mess/state of affairs,but themselves and that is my historical observation. For over 40 years, I have watched photographers consistently give away more and more and more, on the consistently weak excuse, that if they don't, someone else will. As a group, we have never stood together and said enough,we are the creators of this industry and without us you have nothing,so here is how it is going to be! We own the images, you pay to use them and you pay, based upon how you use them not,how you think you may use them,or want to use them, at some point, in the future. Throughout those years,only small handfuls of us have ever stood our ground and said enough and every time we have done so, we have won the day. We have won the day and then squandered the victory by allowing the industry and our colleagues to circumvent that victory,usually by dilution.Now at this point, many will say that the solution is to educate those colleagues to the error of their ways. Education about the issues,has to be backed up by the weight of the community. Everyone has to toe the line and those that do not, need to see that there is a price to pay for undermining the collective strength of that community. That price, should be/have been, sanctions. The offenders should not have been ostracized, which is totally counter productive, but rather excluded, or limited, from receiving the support of the community. Few if any of us would, ever, have made it, in this field, without the support and mentorship of our peers.

I own the copyright to all but a tiny few, of my images, in those collective files, are images for General Motors Corporation, Torstar, B.F.Gooderich, Ford Motor Company, The New York Times, National Geographic Society, Goodwill Industries,The Robert McLaughlin Art Gallery and a plethora of small businesses, individuals and charities. To my knowledge, I am the only photographer to own the rights to their images of/for General Motors Corporation. Every single one of these clients understood nothing about image rights and usage fees, before I sat down with them and we discussed the issues. I am sure, that the corporate attorneys understood the issues very well, but the rank and file people did not. Once they did, they were understanding, cooperative and supportive. The bean counters and the lawyers were won over by the simple logistics of economics,don't pay for what you don't need and will never use. Did they have to trust me, that I would honour my end, especially, if it included sensitive material and exclusivity? Yes, of course, they did, just as I had to trust them to return my originals or my scans and honour our contract,knowing full well, that I, probably, could never afford to enforce it, in a court of law. My point is, I am no super photographer, based in NYC, or LA and a world renowned name. I am and always have been, a small time,hard working, shooter, with as many nickel and dime clients as large corporate interests. I am not a contract lawyer,a suave, silver tongued, negotiator,or a gifted scion of the wealthy and politically connected. I am just a regular working guy, from a middle class background who owns my image rights. I had a mortgage and a family and an expensive divorce and the best way I could see to support all that was to keep control of my images, my only income stream.


Things today are no different than yesterday,if you place a high value on your skills and abilities and you are fair minded, flexible and actually care about your client's welfare, they will return the favour. Good clients, educated clients,understand the importance of maintaining a good relationship with their suppliers,industry partners and customers, they want you to be successful, because they do not want to deal with failures either. Once you get past the bravado and the legal department smoke screens, it all comes down to helping them be the most successful company they can be and in return you stay, equally, as successful. If someone understands a process, they will be comfortable with the process.
The other side brings up a lot of valid points, that we all face daily, but I still contend that, ultimately, all the client really wants are great images, that achieve their goals, for a fair price and that holds true for Mary Jane, from down the lane, corporate America and politically correct, corporate Canada. It isn't that they do not care about ownership issues, it is that they really, do not understand them and therefore do not want to, have to, deal with them. We can either help them understand and ultimately prosper, or we can give in and ultimately fail.

Of Mistresses, Muses and other Diversions.

The other evening, as I was sitting here contemplating this blog's contents, when it came to me that, in my life, photography has held many roles.It has been mistress, muse and a variety of other diversions.. No matter what condition my personal life was in, photography has always held sway over my inner being,an unrelenting, unrepentant seductress, forever drawing me deeper and deeper into her charms. the mistress of my soul, the one true driving force in my life. To be sure, I have forced her to share me with other ladies of my acquaintance but always she has been there,alluring, demanding of my attention and ever beckoning me beyond the now, into the tomorrows. She taunts,with the anticipation of images yet formed and visions yet set to memory. A siren on a rocky coast,calling to the restless sea to bring her a dreamer,a creator of illusions, one who captures times moments and holds them forever.

Ah, but  then, there is the muse,the inspiration for things to come and stories to be. The source of satisfaction and of discontent. Like any true muse, she drives you to try new things,inspires you to greatness and holds precious moments for you to savour,grasp and reveal for all time. A muse by any other name is still a muse and photography is a muse beyond description. Photographers and artists of all ilks, will claim to have a muse or muses, that inspire their art, but in truth, their art is their muse. Without the art form, the rest is irrelevant.

But photography has been much more than a mistress or a muse. It has been the passion that defines my life. It is the one constant that never betrays my trust. It is work and play and space and time and it is endless days and lengthy nights. Photography can free the inner child and it can soothe the tired mind. It can relive the past and recapture the moment and it can create anew. Pondering it's limits can occupy an eternity and send the mind on endless journeys of possibility. No matter where you turn, there are images to capture and moments to steal. Moments that others have created and you have captured, some with intent and some by chance. Nothing else compares, because nothing else can. Only photography can capture a moment,exactly as it was,without interpretation. Not that that moment, may not be interpreted, it certainly can, but it was frozen,without interpretation, exactly as it occurred. The painter presents an interpretation, the writer, the sculptor,the poet and the composer,all interpret what only the photographer freezes in time. No other method is as exacting,as truthful to the original. Of course, the photograph can be changed, it can reflect a different reality,but first it was exact.

Perhaps it is this exacting nature that has fascinated me all these years, or perhaps it was the siren's call. Whatever it is or was, it holds me still and will no doubt,until all time has run out. Nothing will ever replace it and perhaps nothing will ever compare, but one thing is certain, in my mind, mistress, muse or diversion, photography has shaped my life beyond explanation and continues to, today.

Pet Peeves and Sundry Ramblings

Over the years, I have come to realize that there are a number of things that irk me in this world and a few others that are offshoots of the first. People who insist on using acronyms for every other word are one and the acronyms themselves are another,in some cases. Personally,although I do use common acronyms, I find it basically a lazy practice and possibly a cover up for not knowing how to spell or use a dictionary! No one is in such a hurry that they can not use correct grammar, another peeve, or spell out full words. Frankly, no one's time is so important that they can not stop to spell properly and fully. When did we find it necessary to invent short forms such as, LOL, BFF, or BLTN? I understand certain military acronyms, such as FUBAR, or SNAFU, since the actual wording can not or perhaps should not, be used in certain company, or in public, but what is wrong with "laughing out loud"? FUBAR,for those who don't know, means "fucked up beyond all recognition and SNAFU, is "situation normal, all fucked up" both are frequently used to describe situations in the military and elsewhere for that matter.

The grammar thing is one that drives me crazy. Now my grammar is not always perfect and I tend to over punctuate narratives, but the penchant today to not even attempt to use proper grammar, is overtly stupid! It shows a lack of intelligence and a total disregard for the nuances of the English language. It may be one of the most complicated languages on the planet, but when well written, it is also one of the most beautiful and descriptive. True, the language of Shakespeare is not the English of today, but it is still delightful and inspiring prose. The English of today, is equally as fine,if people choose to give it the courtesy it is due. Nowhere does the lack of understanding of the language show itself more dramatically, than in the writing,if you can call it that, of today's youth. These are the leaders of tomorrow and most can not put two sentences together with any degree of accuracy in spelling and grammar. What have we done with our education system, to promote this rubbish?

I often find myself  pondering the, ever growing, lack of understanding, of good photography amongst buyers today. It is bad enough that every Tom Dick and Harry with a point and shoot thinks they are a professional photographer, but to have photo buyers willing to support this idiocy, baffles me. I have spend most of my adult life perfecting my craft and yet, with the advent of digital capture, that has all been reduced to whoever will sell for the lowest price and give away the copyright as well. For someone to believe that no skill is required to produce a great image is odd enough, but to then think that the photographer should relinquish all claim to their creation, for little or no compensation, just plain doesn't make sense. Try telling Ford or General Motors that you will only pay this much, for their product and then you own the rights to that product/design and can do whatever you like with it,including prevent others from buying it. Somehow, I doubt that they would agree. That, however, is exactly what buyers are expecting of photographers. Of course, if photographers said no, in their entirety, it would be a mute point, but they don't! For every one of us that insists on fair compensation and the retention of the copyright, there are ten who could care less and will sell everything at bargain basement prices. You do the math, who wins in the end?

I could go on and on and on with things that provoke my ire, in today's world, but I won't. Suffice it to say that there are many more avenues of discord that I could venture down, most related to the ones I have already touched upon. Things like the proliferance of "social media" and worse, "social media gurus", or the lack of personal responsibility for one's actions, to name a couple. The point is, that none of these things need to be and would not, if we just took the time to think about consequences once in a while. There is a consequence to every action you take, be it good or bad. If the people who decided not to teach our youth about the proper use of English, for instance,had taken a moment to reflect on the consequences, perhaps that same youth, would now know how to write intelligently.

New Beginnings

There have been recent changes to my life and with them new beginnings . I have reconnected with my only son,after many, many years. The results have been bittersweet, but rewarding nevertheless. Naturally, after so much time, both of us have been very cautious in our re- acquaintancing, but, for me, it has been a welcome confirmation that no matter what may, eventually, unfold, he is alive and healthy and happy in his life. Such matters are never easy, but they can only be positive in the final analysis, no matter how they play out. To know something for certain, is better than to surmise and never confirm that thing. Jason and I will follow whatever path our destinies have prescribed, to whatever end that may lead. The journey may be short, or, lifelong, but  it will ultimately take us to a destination probably not of our choosing.
Regardless, it will be the right destination and the path now lies before us. New beginnings, do that, they change our direction, in ways we did not anticipate and send us headlong down unknown roads. Life is always an adventure and adventures are predicated on facing the unknown.

The second new beginning is somewhat less dramatic, but a beginning nonetheless. After the recent deaths of my two dogs, I have a new canine in my life. She is a very pretty, blue merle coloured Border Collie named Darla. Yes, as in the Little Rascals Darla. She is a champion and has titles in Agility, Fly ball and Frisbee competition and being a suck. She is retired now and at nine years of age is content to show off as opposed to compete. Strangely, she absolutely loves cats, which is a good thing, since I have several on the farm as well as Mr. Snooks, who is the only house cat and an intimidating thirty pounds. She follows me around like a shadow and thinks nothing of occupying every square inch of leg room under my desk. She has also been/is a certified therapy dog, next to cats, people are her favourite thing to love. For a border collie, she is very laid back and that's a good thing too, as horses and hyper-active dogs do not always do well together.

These beginnings bring me to a third, which ties in with previous discussions in my blog. I have finally begun to explore digital capture. It has been a long time coming and is not without many reservations, but this new beginning is a huge step for me, much like Jason's contacting me was for him, I am sure and definitely like Darla's re-homing has been for her. I have not done much, at the moment and I do not have all the technology sorted out either, but it is certainly a new adventure and certainly a mixture of intimidation and expectation.
When he was a very small child, I used to bring Jason on motor sport assignments with me and gave him a point and shoot camera to play with. He took to it immediately and with no formal coaching, began creating some very impressive images. To some small degree, minus the impressive part, I am finding that same occurrence with digital capture, as I begin to explore it. I am still not rushing out to shoot assignments, any time soon, but I am intrigued with the prospect, I must say. I still prefer film over electronics and I think I always will, but that is the past and electronics seem, for the moment, to be the future. At any rate, now that cameras are not obsolete the moment you buy them , I can justify moving to the new medium. Who knows, perhaps I will embrace dog photography as my new beginning in this new,to me, field. After all, I have a new muse to inspire me.

Memories from the Life

Some things seem to prompt reflections more easily than others and some things simply bring them on with a rush. Today, for some strange reason, I am inundated, for no apparent cause, with recollections from my life in this strange occupation of photojournalism. A few of these are bittersweet, but the majority are welcome reminders of the things and people that I've encountered along the twisted path that we call life. The bittersweet remains, perhaps, the most vivid, but the remainder are, nevertheless, as clear as the day they occurred, though perhaps textured by the passage of time and the desire to hold on to the essence of their impact. I think that we all have that in common. We want to remember, exactly, how things were, but tend, instead, to subtly filter the extraneous details and hold on to core of the experience. Still, memory is a marvelous and amazing thing. It is said that the mind will selectively filter out horrendous experiences in our lives and bury them deep within the subconscious, things such as severe and intense pain great emotional anguish or truly painful memories, while saving, in the forefront, the best of ourselves. There are, however, a few souls for whom this may not be the case, or at least not entirely so. Perhaps, as a group, photojournalists are such souls, but definitely there are those, myself included, for whom this is certainly so. There is very little, if any, of my life that I can not recall. Not always at will, I must add, but when the mind chooses to wander the pathways of my past, nothing much is left untouched. I can remember,with great clarity, events from my very early childhood, events that are verified by others and likewise, people and events from there onwards, throughout my life. Eerily, at times, I even recall words spoken and reactions resulting. I also have an uncanny ability to remember almost every photograph I have ever taken, Not, as a photographic memory would, but rather,upon seeing the image again,all the details about it return to me. Sometimes, to haunt me,as in "What was I thinking!? " and other times as refreshing little insights into why I chose to act as I did, or say what I said,or shoot what I shot. I hardly think that I am, in any way, unique in this ability, but I do believe that it is a part of being a photojournalist, or at the least a part of my being a photojournalist. To me, a chronicler of one's time, should remember it well,if they hope to present it for others. It also is an invaluable tool in one's search for the meaning(s) to their life choices and the results.

A Time For Reflection, A Time For Rebirth

There comes to every photographer, I think, a time when they reflect upon all things photographic and particularly those that best relate to their present circumstances or situation. It may be at a certain juncture in their lives or simply at a point of change,either in the industry or their own connection to it. One such time, for me, was when the world turned digital and another, is now, as I am approaching an age when many people choose to retire. Next birthday, I will be 64, an age when retirement is a chronological option and it has caused me to pause and reflect. Reflect, not on retirement, but on where I will choose to go from here. Perhaps, after resisting it all these years, I will invest in,at least some, digital capture equipment and definitely, I will change the direction of my work. Although I seriously prefer film to digital and still maintain the capability of a large darkroom, the availability of films has certainly diminished and with Kodak's recent restructuring, may do so even more. In addition, I have added certain limitations to my ability to travel constantly, namely my horses and this will require that I adjust my photographic endeavours, to a large degree.Rather than pursue the avenues I previously used to earn from, I will focus my work closer to home and plan well in advance, any travel requirements. Although I had previously begun to explore more documentary focused work, I will now do so with a renewed effort and a more structured approach. Granted, if the opportunity arises to jump into a news worthy story I would not hesitate,not for a New York minute,but my focus can not stay in that arena. Not because it is a younger man's game, because it really is not a matter of age, but because I want to spend time with the horses and I enjoy the changes they represent. Beyond that, is the fact that my simplified life has also come with diminished financial capacity and so, less grandiose projects than travelling the globe in search of the perfect moment or event are better suited to me now.
One area that will exhibit change, is this blog. It has never been an all encompassing passion for me to write this tome, but rather, a place to put some thoughts to paper, so to speak and see if anyone is interested. I am not a social networking stalwart, nor will I ever become one. I find the whole idea to be a waste of precious time and I have never seen a wit of personal benefit come from it. Nevertheless, having said that, this blog is somewhat different,at least for me. This is more akin to a diary, that I have chosen to make public, than to a frantic search for people to like me. I actually do not care if the huddled masses like me or not,follow me or not,link to me or not. I write because I have something to say, if only to myself and if and when others choose to read it, is of little consequence to my continuing to write. Having said that, I have decided that I need to do so more often. Not to accumulate more followers/readers/aficionados, but because I find the entire process to be, somehow, cathartic and also illuminating. When one writes down ones thoughts, they tend to become clarified. Beyond that, if I am to hold true to the profile description of this blog, I need to write a lot more, if this is to present any kind of an accurate depiction of me and how I got where I am.
Over the last four or five years, I have gotten a fair way away from much of photography and my former involvement in the medium. I have not left it behind, but I have distanced myself from the day to day grind of being a photographer/photojournalist/artist, of no repute. Now it is time to be born again and not in any sort of Judeo Christian sense of the phrase, but as myself. Photography has always defined who I was and it is time for it to do so again.

The World Outside My Life

Today is a clear sunny winters day and I am preparing to venture out to split wood, feed horses, treat a sick barn cat and otherwise tend to the none photographic things in my life. My dogs are waiting patiently in the kitchen, next to the wood stove, as usual and for a moment, I am left to contemplate the world beyond my life's doorstep. It could prove a daunting process, were I to let it. I recently parted company with a lady I had been close to, let a possible assignment to New Mexico slip by, without a second glance and spent two days in bed with either the flu, or food poisoning, I am not certain of which and so my life suddenly slowed down and became a tad introspective. Today, it has resumed it's normal patterns, but with a nudge to see beyond myself and my day to day existence. It is not something I find myself indulging in of late and that is troublesome.

At one time, I spent a lot of time thinking outside my life. It kept me focused and a bit sane and very grounded. Today, I find that not to be the case and not to my benefit either. When one works in the lives and events, of others, as so many photojournalists do, one realizes, all to clearly, just how basically well off one actually is. For the moment,or the hour, one may live in a world of discomfort,or upheaval,or even life and death struggle, but at the end of it all, one can and does return to a more comfortable place. Even if the particular assignment is not in war torn dishevelment, but rather, simply some distant tourist trap, the problems are still not really yours and will all, physically, go away once one returns home. One may dwell on them from afar and resolve to try and better the situation, but one no longer has to live them,day to day. Nevertheless, the act of dealing with them and the people whose lives, they are a daily part of,brings one to better appreciate their own life,no matter how troubled it seems from the inside. It allows you to see the forest for the trees,for a time.

Many things drive the photojournalist to venture outside their comfort zone and into the worlds of others,both less fortunate and very, much more fortunate than they. The list of reasons is endless and as varied as the individual photographers, but it is these motivators which separate the photojournalist from many of the rest of society. This is not to say that photojournalists ,somehow, have some special insight into the world that no one else can,or does. But rather, serves to highlight the simple fact that,as a group, we are different, from most of our brethren, in the way that we approach that world. Whether it is a better way or a lesser way, is not really the point. What is the point is that it is a way that enables us to function, in our potentially chaotic field, without becoming mired in the lives and events we document, while helping us to remain grounded in our own lives. Assuming that we allow it to happen, this approach, if you will,gives us the detachment we need to be able to do what we do, while at the same time allowing us to better see our own lives with a clearer perspective. Seeing your own existence through the lives of others illuminates the benefits and the blessings of that existence all the more clearly.And speaking of clearly, I clearly need to get out there and tend to my chores.

Approaching the End

As one approaches the end of one's life,though, I hope, not any time soon, one tends to both look back and look ahead, with equal intensity. What one has accomplished,has been and where one has gone, all combine to make you who you are today and to prepare you for who you will become tomorrow. Essentially, you will be the same person, but with subtle changes, assuming that you are not contemplating an early departure from this mortal coil. But since life is an evolution and not a script, you will continue to grow as both a person and an artist. Looking back on your life gives one a great perspective on where to take the remainder of it.Things you have yet to experience and images you have yet to capture/create are undoubtedly a part of the process, but what of things and images you have already accomplished?

What prompted this entry, was a piece in the Guardian newspaper about a favourite photographer of mine, Bruce Davidson, who wishes to discover whatever happened to a young girl that he photographed some 50 years ago, in England. At the time, she was on her way to a concert, on an island,most probably the Isle of Wight or the Isle of Man and carrying a kitten. The shot is one most fans of the photographer will remember. Seeing it again and reading the article, I began to wonder if such an image,existed for me?I realised that there were, in fact, several. Some were of people and others of buildings or landscapes, places or things. Could I return to them to find them today? In some cases, I am certain, not, but in others perhaps they could be revisited and re-explored. Likewise, were the things I have not yet gotten to. Would I still be able to capture those, as yet unseen, pieces of my "bucket list"? Certainly some of them, I would want to think, but perhaps not all.

I am far from staring at my imminent demise, but I can see the light in the clearing, at the end of the path and although it does not frighten me, in any way, it is starting to lend an urgency to my outlook on the future. There are a host of images that I have not yet taken, many, many places that I have not visited and I realise, more than a few that I would like to re-visit. Then there are the many non photographic adventures that I still wish to embark upon and a few personal goals that are left to be satisfied. Time marches on and I, like most others, am only a few steps ahead of the old gentleman! So, the question is, will I persevere and press on with my life and my dreams, or let him catch up and try to be satisfied with what I have? At my age, 62, many people would simply rest on their laurels and wait. I will not. I will not, mostly because my laurels are not that impressive and I know I can do better, but also because life is a grand adventure and should not be squandered, nor short changed. When one embarks upon an endeavour, one has an obligation to see it through. My chosen endeavour was to live a full life and to chronicle as much of it as I could manage. Neither goal has been accomplished, as yet and I owe it to myself to see them through. I wouldn't be the person I think I am if I did not.

Pick up and Run

I was talking with a good friend the other night and he was marvelling over a photograph, from Libya, that had been taken by a French photojournalist. During the conversation he mentioned several times, that he would love to be in Libya, at the moment, as he had worked there,in another life, before photography and he knew the country and the people well. Subsequently, he felt that he would be able to get some exceptional images. What came next, was very interesting, he commented, that he did not think, that he would have gotten the image, that we had just been looking at, despite his belief that he should be there. His reasons for the statement are really not important, nor in my mind even relevant, but the statement itself was revealing. Here was a photographer, a very good one and one for whom photojournalism was a passion and yet he felt that he would not have been ready to capture this iconic, once in a lifetime( and it was ) image. I was actually quite surprised and it started me thinking. Having worked as a photojournalist and to an extent still doing so, I began to ponder the role of the photojournalist as documentarian, rather than news gatherer. Was my friends belief that he could capture unique images of the turmoil,false, or was his definition of his presence, that of a photojournalist,gathering news,inaccurate? Larry Towell, a renowned Canadian photojournalist and member of Magnum, does not gather breaking news, but rather documents the depth and the affects of a struggle on the people involved. Larry is a documentary photojournalist, rather than a hard news gatherer.Was this what my friend was trying to describe when he referred to his desire to be in Libya? Could he, subconsciously, have felt that he would not have gotten the aforementioned shot, because he would have been prepared not for hard news,but for life stories?

The traditional vision of a photojournalist, in the vein of a Burrows, or a Capa, was an individual whose bags were always packed and who could be expected, at a moments notice, to pick up and run, to whatever conflict or event, wherever in the world it happened.To the extent that that, is possible, in today's highly complex and profit oriented world, that may still be the case, but more and more, it is not. Today, such ventures must be intricately planned and authorized. Winging off to Vietnam, with a borrowed camera and a lust for adventure, as Tim Page did in the sixties, is not that realistic today. The glory days of photojournalism, are mostly, behind us now, replaced by the corporate dictates of profit and loss, versus, acceptable risk and exposure. Yes they want the stories, but not at great cost in relation to responsibility for photojournalist's remains or health care. Hence, you will see many more images from highly experienced shooters, from VII, or Magnum, or a news agency such as AP, or Reuters, than you will from some adventuresome individual with a camera and a dream. Such is not the case however, with the photo-ducumentarian. Here lies the path of the photojournalist of old and here lies the true recording for posterity, of world events. The risks, financially, are high. There are no guarantees of a front cover and an inside spread, after the initial public impact subsides, but here are where the real stories get told. Here are the people, left behind, to pick up the pieces of their broken lives and their broken countries. Here in the aftermath of the trouble and strife, are the images of the real cost of conflict and disaster. Here is where the photojournalist's eye is most challenged and most needed and all too often, absent.

Evening of the Day

I've been sitting, listening to an old Rolling Stones album and one song in particular is ringing in my mind. Though written by the Stones, it was given to Marianne Faithful to record first and, as it turned out, was a hit for both,eventually."As Tears Go By" begins with the line,"It is the evening of the day" and as I sit writing this entry, that is exactly what is unfolding, outside my window. As the day, slowly, draws to a close, I find myself thinking about other such evenings and other places and events.Some, have a definite photographic reference, while others, not so much. This day, I did nothing photographic, save, perhaps write this blog entry. Today, was the first really warm day of the spring and brightly sunny to boot. It was a day for outdoor activity and spring cleaning, of which I did very little and none at all.Nevertheless, it was a productive day, in other ways and ultimately, a day to think about some of those "other" evenings.One, in particular, comes to mind and re-minds me that some of our greatest moments,as chroniclers of the world around us,can frequently happen when we are contemplating other things. I captured one of the best sunset images/cityscapes, of my career while standing out on a tiny, apartment, balcony with a glass of wine, watching the evening pass into night. It suddenly dawned on me, that I was watching a rather spectacular image unfold and my cameras were nowhere in sight! I suppose, that I could have simply stayed and watched the evening sky,lord knows, I had a million sunsets, in my files, but something, in my soul, just would not let me. So, in a blind fury, I rushed about gathering camera and tripod and set up, half in the doorway and half on the tiny concrete pad.I metered the sky, adjusted for the sun, framed and re-framed the shot but,eventually,I waited. Somewhere amidst all the fuss, I had come to the realization, that my shot, was not yet complete and that when it was,I would see it. I did and the image was truly worth all the turmoil and upheaval, in an otherwise perfectly beautiful,calm, evening. Of course, as it turned out, I could have taken all the time I needed to set up and the calm of the evening would have been more ,or less, unruffled, but such is not often the way of photographers. We tend to always react as if our very lives depended on our next few seconds of life and although at times, it might,generally, we needn't rush about madly. One may miss more of life and it's images than one captures when always in a hurry. Sometimes, the evening is meant to be lingered over,as well; maybe the day preceding it. Often, in our rush to accomplish, we fail to see and beyond all else, that is what garners us our greatest accomplishments, accolades, images and pleasures. By definition, a photographer must be one who sees, sees light ,sees life, sees the world around them and captures moments,from that,for us all to contemplate. Whether those moments, change the world,or simply change your perception of it, it is the photographer's eye that presents them to you. Perhaps, were we to take more of our time to see more of our world, there would be more of those moments, to make more of those changes.

Events of the Day

Sitting here reading about Egypt and watching events unfold via the net I am reminded of another time,seemingly eons ago, when access was not so instantaneous and world news took a bit longer to reach the mainstream. Then was a time, when the roll of the photojournalist appeared somewhat more pivotal than it is today, with it's instant everything and it's citizen journalists. Then was a time, when photos told a concise and often cryptic story of events unfolding in some distant,or even local,corner of the world. Often times, the photographer had as much difficulty getting his or her images to the world, as they did capturing them and sometimes with as great a risk to life and limb. The wire services were a reasonably direct route, provided they were there, but still one had to get to the wire service offices, be they permanent, or temporarily set up in some hotel room or newspaper's offices. Unfortunately, in many cases, the photojournalist was faced with no existing services and the need to avoid getting caught trying to get film out of the area, while in others, the need was to get the film back to the nearest news centre, be that continents away of merely many miles to a major city.

Today, the need is only to find an internet connection and a moments peace and quiet with your laptop,but even that is not easily found at times. Beyond that however, is another problem,one of potentially greater risk and inconvenience. Today, mostly unlike before, the journalists are often finding themselves targeted by the very events they are trying to cover. More and more often they are finding themselves cast as the adversary,rather than the chronicler of events. Unlike an earlier time, when, for the most part, journalists were looked upon as non-combatants and left alone by the factions they were documenting, today they find themselves being singled out for potentially deadly attention. The digital age has brought with it, not only instant news, but instant recognition of who is saying, or documenting,what. Less and less often can one be in support of "A" at this checkpoint and "B" at another, as they work their way around a conflict zone. While further exacerbating issues, is the sometimes aggressive response to any and all journalists, regardless of their apparent published leanings towards any one side of a conflict. Witness, for example, the growing number of journalists being injured and in some cases, killed in the political struggle now unfolding in Egypt! The attitudes towards the press, are changing, both at home and abroad and the sanctity,if that is what it is, of that press is not only being questioned, but is often ignored by the participants in the events of the day,worldwide.

All the Little Pieces.

The creation of images is more about pieces than the image as a whole. It is all the little pieces that come together to create an image that determine how good, or bad,or even if,that image will be and those pieces are copious. From the very first grain of an idea, to the final exposure calculation,it is all about pieces. Whether the image is a formal portrait or whether it is a seemingly spontaneous event in the course of one's day, there are pieces to be collected,assembled and considered. The photographer's frame of mind,health,emotions,schedule or anticipated plans can all influence the day's creative output. There are, of course, a myriad of things that influence the actual exposing of the image and an even greater phalanx of influencing pieces governing the final output. However, beyond the technical and the technological lies the heart of the matter,the photographer him,or her self.For after all, it is the indelible style and the determination of the individual photographer that ordains the impact and the legacy of any image.

For example, take some of the circumstances surrounding Moonrise Hernandez. Adams was probably not in a spectacularly good frame of mind, he had had a disappointing shooting day. He had only a few minutes to capture the image,so few, in fact, that only one negative was exposed, yet Adams was certain that he was seeing a unique photographic moment even before, he exposed his negative. Still later , in the darkroom, many manipulations were preformed to achieve the image we all know so well. Now look further at some of the completely random pieces that played a part. Had he driven slower, the shot would have been gone. Had he taken a different route,gone. Had he found his exposure meter, perhaps a different result and had he not remembered the moon's luminance,possibly another result or none at all.Had he been alone, could he have set up the camera in time? Pieces,all the little pieces. As it turned out, everything did come together and Ansel Adams, being who he was,perhaps his single most iconic image was created and is with us today, as tribute to the talent of a great photographer. The shot, incidentally, is gone forever, as many pieces of the whole no longer exist, including, the location of the road from which it was taken.

And so, you can see, that no image is simply a creation of a single shutter release. In every image be it good ,bad,or spectacular, are many, many pieces. To be a truly good photographer you must be alert to the pieces in your life that if fitted together, may well yield the images that will define your talent.

{ For further insights into Moonrise Hernandez, see www.hcc.commnet.edu/artmuseum
/anseladams/details/moonrise.html#B }

Digital Capture Options and Opinions

Lately, I had the opportunity to spend a few hours with two, sometimes local, photographers, who teach workshops near my farm. They are sometimes local, because one owns a get away home, just up the road and they use it as a base for their workshops. Most recently, they asked to use some of my horses, as subject matter, for one of their sessions and from that came the aforementioned sharing of time.Naturally, both of them are digital shooters, as are their students and both are much younger than I,but the chance to exchange ideas and war stories was good fun nevertheless.One, is a commercial photographer and a chess player,a game for which I hold a particular fondness, while the other, although shooting commercial and business subjects,has an affinity for and perhaps even a desire to entertain entering, photojournalism.Both of them derive a good portion of their income from teaching,something I did for several years, many years ago. Naturally enough, we had many areas of common interest to converse about and more than a few differences on a variety of subjects.

During the course of one such discussion, the subject of going digital entered the conversation and I found myself being strongly encouraged to re-enter the realm of photography full time once again. I must admit I was more than mildly interested, but sceptical about the probability,due in part to the costs and the learning curves. Learning the new technology would be no problem,but the time it would take to master them was and remains, a quite different matter,to my mind. My new found advocate however, felt differently. His take was that with my existing photography knowledge and expertise, I would have little,if any, problem and that the medium,digital capture, had evolved so greatly that even the expense would be minimal,compared to even a few years ago. He felt that anything over 12 MP was unnecessary for good quality results and that this would allow me to purchase less than top of the line camera bodies with which to begin shooting once more. Add to that my existing lenses and he could see no reason not to be able to proceed with minimal expenditures. Keeping in mind, that minimal is a relative term when talking about photo gear, it still sounded intriguing. I was far from sold and further still from deciding to do it, but it was food for thought.

What I found equally as interesting though, was the dialogue concerning what peripherals were really needed. By his evaluation, PhotoShop was preempted by Lightroom and computer time would be minimal to none except if one screwed up in the camera. He advocated use of an Ipad and we actually agreed on a laptop,because of the type of work I would do. In his opinion, 98% of my images should not require post production in PhotoShop,a statement that was strongly at odds with everything I had previously read or discussed. It was,without question, an interesting if not downright seductive premise, since one of my greatest arguments against digital capture was,in fact, the exorbitant amount of computer time required to finish the images, in post. I understand PhotoShop, but I am far from enamoured with using it. Although I still have many reservations, not to mention a colossal lack of investment capital, I feel that more discussion is warranted.

The Everyday and the Searching Eye

Photography for me has always been about the imagery and never really about the business of being a photographer. That I tended to leave to professionals, like my lawyer, accountant and business manager. All I really ever wanted to do was shoot. I knew how the rest worked and how to do it, but I chose not to involve myself in the day to day grind of running a business,except for the need to interrelate with people. That I enjoyed doing. As I look back now on 40 some years as a photographer, I realize that the people I met were equally as important to my career as the images I captured. They added a rich depth to my images and rewarded my efforts with lasting glimpses into another's perspective on life,living and humanity. Now, as I move from assignment work towards more rewarding efforts in documentary and fine art photography, I find I am looking forward as much to the interaction with potential subjects as to the imagery it will produce. I also am beginning to realize that great imagery and stories are no further away than your own front door! Not, that I would turn down any opportunity to go to the far ends of the earth for an image or story, but rather that great stories and images are right here at home in the meantime.

I think that many of us, tend to ignore the obvious, in favour of the exotic, when often the obvious is just as rewarding. Some of the greatest social historians amongst us realized that and accomplished some of their most memorable work right here at home. Bruce Davidson comes to mind ahead of most others, with his bodies of work shot throughout the United States. Works such as East 100th Street are magnificent examples of great works and stories found at home as opposed to halfway across the world. Now an octogenarian, Davidson is still shooting and publishing as well as being shown in the art world worldwide. Of course, photographers such as Elliot Erwitt, Diane Arbus , Eugene Smith and Robert Frank all fall into this same category and have produced some equally compelling work. I can not place myself in that company, by any means, but I do feel compelled to try and see the world around me from my kitchen window,rather than than the window of an airplane.

Rushing to every latest thing.

As the title suggests,this is an effort to probe why,as photographers, we seem to always be rushing after every new thing that comes along,rather than concentrating on what we know is successful. Not, that I am against having an open mind and trying new things, far from it, but lately it seems that a large number of us appear to have lost our focus and are drifting,so to speak, on an ocean of unproven and often unlikely ideas and business approaches. Take for example, the posting of images on such sites as Flicker, or Facebook. These sites are totally unsecure and they are notorious for image theft and other forms of plagiarism and abuse. Most recently, a family in the United States found that their family Christmas photo was being used in Europe as an in-store advertisement! When contacted about it, the shop owner did agree to remove it and apologized,but claimed that as it was on the internet,it was free to use. It is hard enough to protect one's images, on a secure web site,let alone on a public one. How any sane photographer could consider placing valuable images in the public domain, simply baffles me. In their defence, of doing so, most of them claim that it drives business to their own sites and so is worth the risk and even the loss of some images,which to me is bizarre. These same photographers will rant on about copyright infringement and yet will turn a blind eye to leaving the door wide open to just that, why? Even watermarking or applying copyright notices to your photos is of no avail really, as these things mean little to the thieves and even less to most people who,quite often, have seldom if ever, heard of either one. In fact, most people look at them as seriously annoying obstructions to their viewing of the photos. Even worse, some believe that they have a right to use anything they like,however they like, as shown by a recent article I read about someone who stole several images from a photographer's site and was using them to advertise their business,on the web. When the photographer discovered this and blocked the use of the images,prior, I hope, to suing the idiot, the business owner threatened to sue the photographer if they did not immediately return access to the images! Clearly, the entire internet thing is getting out of hand.

But apart from things of this sort, there are now, amongst us, those who are jumping on another new trend, video imaging. Now as the printed newspaper fades into the internet version, more and more photojournalists are being asked to shoot digital video instead of stills,so that the web version of the paper can be animated while the print version will use a frame grab instead of a still image. This may make some sense for this application,although the result will not have the same quality,it will be good enough for a newspaper. A term, by the way,that drives me crazy. Nothing should ever be just,"good enough"! But getting back to my point,professional video is a field unto itself and justifiable so. It takes years to become an accomplished videographer and it is a field that has little in common with stills. Several camera manufacturers, have started to bring out models that have a video capability. A video capability is not a video camera. Professional video equipment is far more sophisticated than still cameras and hugely expensive,just ask any true videographer. The editing equipment and all the subsequent support equipment is also pricey and the learning curve is steep.

So,why, would a still photographer ever need to venture into another professionals realm? Well, if you are a wedding photographer, video is very important these days. However, in most cases, it is not the video quality of television and Hollywood we are seeing here,but rather something between that and uncle Joe's home video camera. But more importantly, the still images sold to the happy couple are not frame grabs as far as I understand, but regular DSLR or even FSLR prints. As mentioned, if you are a newspaper shooter, they want video images, but otherwise, I see no reason to deal in video.

I still believe that there is a very strong market for and a very prominent role, for the still photograph in todays world. I even believe that there is a strong role still to be played by film today. There is an old adage, "Jack of all trades master of none", it is as true today as when it was first coined. Do what you do, to the very best of your ability and remain focused. By all means stay abreast of your changing world,but you can only wear one hat at a time and still be taken seriously. There is a place for innovation and diversification and there is a place for solid expertise and acknowledged excellence. Don't confuse the two.