Secrets of the Pros Revisited

Back in 2006, when this blog was still in its infancy and in search of a few readers, I wrote an article I titled, "There Are No Secrets." In that update, I made a startling revelation! (Leastwise, it was startling to me.) The pros, that is those who principally make their livings as photographers, have no freakin' secrets.

When you see the words, Secrets of the Pros Revealed on the front of some photography rag, please note the only possible secret they might reveal is that there are no secrets. And I guarantee they won't be revealing *that* in the magazine. To be fair, there might be some good and useful information in a "Secrets of the Pros" article. It might even be information that's new to you and I. But secrets? Honest-to-God actual secrets? Sorry. That dog don't hunt.

There are no X Files in photography and the photographic community doesn't harbor Skull-n-Bones-like groups of shooters, pros or otherwise. If it does -- CIA & KGB surveillance aside -- it would be a well-guarded secret, probably not revealed, and certainly not in a photo rag. If it were, someone might have to kill someone.

You might wonder why I'm revisiting this subject? That's not a secret either cuz I'm gonna tell you why. (All the way back in kindergarten I learned keeping secrets wasn't nice.)

Just the other day, I discovered a new photography blog; not chronologically "new" but new to me. I discovered it by way of Scott Kelby's mucho informative PhotoshopInsider: A blog dedicated to sharing "Scoops, tips, and comments..." regarding all things Photoshop and, in the process, many subjects about photography as well. The "new" blog I'm writing about? Syl Arena's, PixSylated.

Syl, btw, is short for Sylvester. Pronunciation-wise, Syl rhymes with Bill and Phil. (Much like guitarist Steven Van Zandt's Sil, aka Silvio, on The Sopranos.) Thankfully, Arena doesn't go all Rocky Rambo on us and call himself Sly. I mean, how can you trust a guy named Sly?

You can't.

Syl is a California photographer. (I'm gonna go ahead and call him Syl because I like to appear like I know the people I'm writing about even when I don't.) He's one of those guys you'd call "a pro." But I'll bet ya dollars to doughnuts Syl doesn't believe he has mystical and magical photography secrets. He has what many "pros" have: mad skills and plenty of know-how born of experience.

Here's a snippet from Syl's latest update, focusing on a TED presentation by author, Elizabeth Gilbert.

All creatives dream. Photographers, writers, designers, musicians, dancers, chefs… dream of doing something so phenomenal that the whole world suddenly knows about it. We dream. We practice. We work. We think. When we’re lucky, we truly create.

Wow! Insightful stuff. And on the money! I read that and I felt better about myself.

Back to how I got turned on to Syl:

Syl was a recent guest blogger on Kelby's site. CLICK HERE to read his sage words. His contribution began with a picture of the PixSylator himself, peering through a DIY lighting contraption of, I'm assuming, his own design and fabrication. When I first saw the photo, I thought, "Puh-leez! That's just plain silly." Why so? Cuz there's perfectly good (and affordable) ring lights on the market that probably cost less than what it would take to build and operate that thing-- Ring lights that will deliver, pretty much, the same lighting effect.

Undaunted, cuz that's how I roll, I kept reading.

That's when I got hooked on Syl!

And that's how I found myself revisiting the subject of "secrets," i.e., that there are no secrets.

Syl wrote the following, his #8 amongst 12, equally-compelling, thought-provoking and insightful lessons:

“Coopetition” is a new business model that’s here to stay.

Competition + Cooperation = Coopetition. Old-school photographers (which has nothing to do with one’s age), keep their two or three secrets close to the vest. The rest of us understand the power of relationships and sharing. There are times when you have to compete. There are more times when it’s better to cooperate. Don’t hesitate to refer a prospect to a competitor if you are truly unable to accomplish the job. It’s quite probable that the next time your competitor can’t take a job because she’s already booked that your referral will be reciprocated. Share your knowledge freely and others will be glad to help you out when you ask.

What a simple concept! One I subscribe to myself. (Hence, this blog.) But I'd like to correct Syl on one point: Those "old school" photographers (of which I count myself amongst) do not possess two or three secrets they hold close to their vests. They don't even have one. They only *think* whatever it is their holding close is a secret. The not-so-secret secret is their egos have made them believe they know something about photography no one else does. Ahem. Sorry, guys. You doth delude yourselves.

I'll say it again: There are no secrets! All the so-called "secrets" are available and accessible to anyone willing to take the time to find them and learn from them. Some shooters might believe they have special, alchemy-ish-like secrets but truth and reality and their "secrets" aren't compatible. To use the same colloquialism I've already quoted in this article, that dog don't hunt either.

I'd strongly recommend reading all of the 12 lessons Syl shares on Kelby's blog. I'd also suggest bookmarking PixSylated and reading it regularly. I know I'm going to do just that.

And Syl? If you somehow end up reading this humble blogger's update, I also wanna mention I especially appreciated your #12: "Resist the temptation to become a pro photographer." It drove me to the dictionary where I discovered the etymology of the word, "amateur." It's French from the Latin, amator or lover. While I might make my living holding cameras in my hands, I now realize I remain an amateur, or lover of photography, as well as a professional shooter... and damn proud of it!

The mostly nude pretty girl at the top, shot for a Hustler project, is Kat from last year.

Innovatronix True to Their Word

The Innovatronix gear recently and generously offered to me arrived on Wednesday. I had been tracking it's journey on the UPS site. From Manila to Osaka to Anchorage to Ontario (CA) it flew half-way around the world. From Ontario, it was trucked to Sylmar, CA, and then put on a another truck for local delivery to my doorstep. Total shipping time? Somewhere between 36 and 48 hours!

Three of the four products offered to me were shipped and delivered: The Explorer XT, with an accompanying Auxiliary Battery, and the Air Blower. The fourth product they offered, the self-powered, remotely-controlled, smoke machine, will be shipped in a week or so. Glen, Innovatronix's marketing guy, advised me their engineers are making some additional mods to the unit's wireless controls and, as soon as these changes were complete, he would be shipping me a unit. The smoke machine, BTW, isn't as yet available for sale so I'll be receiving a beta unit.

I'm stoked!

Initial reactions, in addition to excitement and appreciation: This stuff looks and feels great! It appears ruggedly constructed and definitely falls into the category of professional photography gear. The Explorer XT comes with a cool carrying bag that is quite functional: It has flaps on the top and on each end for easy access to the controls and power inputs/ouputs as well as a shoulder strap and hand grip that allows for easy carrying or attachment to a light stand to stand-in for a sand or shot-bag. I also figure the bag goes a long towards protecting the unit from dust, dirt, sand, moisture, and other potentially unfriendly elements. Glen tells me the unit can remain in the bag at all times, during production or while its charging. So, I'm guessing the unit doesn't generate too much heat.

I'm a little curious why the Auxiliary Battery doesn't come with a similar bag? (It's a bit smaller than the XT altho it seems a little heavier.) A bag for the aux battery would complete the power-duo's pro appearance, protection from the elements, and overall ease-of-use and functionality. The XT's bag, BTW, is very pro cinema-gear-like.

The Air Blower. as stated, seems ruggedly-constructed. It's heavy-duty, painted red, and also has that pro gear look and feel. It only appears to operate with DC provided via the cable and connector to an XT or an aux battery and looks like it only has one speed. Ideally, I'd like to see this unit have a DC converter so it could be used where A/C is available, not requiring the XT or aux battery for power, and perhaps varying-speed controls. We'll see if these are true issues once I use it in production.

I'm excited to test drive this gear! I'm considering a couple of different photo-scenarios where I'll be taking this gear out for a maiden, production voyage.

I can't wait to put this stuff to the test!

The pretty girl at the top is Jennifer from a shoot last summer. We were on location in a car impound garage. I love shooting Jennifer and I've done so a number of times. Besides being a total sweetie, she can SOoo bust-out the moves and poses!

Photography Channel Coming to a TV Set Near You?

For those of you who can't figure out what Twitter is all about, that is, your response to it is, "I don't get it." One of Twitter's great uses, leastwise for me, is simply being put in touch with information I might not have been aware of but, once in touch with, discover it's info that interests or helps me. (Hint: It's all about who you follow and who follows you... or should that read "whom you follow?" Whatever.)

Case in point: This morning I awoke to a few more Twitter users who decided, for whatever reasons, to follow me. (A twitified Pied Piper is what I'm hoping to be. Should be no problem. I already have the "twit" part going on.) Anyway, one of them was the Photography Network or, as they're known on Twitter, PhotoNetTV.

"Hmm... These peeps might be interesting," I thought and clicked to follow them as well.

Following PhotoNetTV allowed me to see their Tweets.

"... looking for original and unorthodox photographers w/ passion to feature in upcoming shows on PhotographyNetwork.tv. Any leads??" Was one of their announcements. "...looking for comments & reactions to Pilot Show promo for upcoming launch season of the Network," was another.

"Okay. I'll bite," I thought as I clicked on the link to their promo.

I was moderately impressed as I watched their clip. Maybe you'll be too? CLICK HERE to have a look-see and decide if you agree. Also, HERE's the front door to their website, albeit (unless I'm missing something) only seems to be a Flash home page with an intro, a give-us-your-email sign-up, and another clip 'splayning what PhotoNetTV is all about. And HERE's their blog with one, kick-off update. (I'm thinking they're a Feb '09 start-up?)

In 140 characters or less (that's all Twitter allows) I sent PhotoNetTV my take on their promo: "Pro produced. Grt prod and post value. IMO, needs more edge: A bit less G-rated, wholesome, and vanilla. Maybe I'm too jaded?"

I thought their promo was well done but came off a little too Martha-Stewart-does-photography for my tastes.

A few minutes later, PhotoNetTV replied, "Thanks for taking a look. Content will be broad and diverse. Global PG-13 will be more like it. From Novice to Pro. Stay Tuned!"

I will.

Maybe some of you will too?

The straight-forward, low-impact, standard 3/4 glam-pic at the top is, of course, the Goddess of Glam, Playboy, Penthouse, FHM, and High Times cover girl, Ms. Tera Patrick. (Bet ya didn't know Tera was recently on the cover of High Times, did ya? Not that I know anything about that insidious counter-culture rag.) MUA and hair by Jennifer Corona.

The Tera-pic is one of many from a shoot in '08. Purpose was for photo-content pimping Tera's lingerie line, Mistress Couture. Besides the Mistress Couture content, various pics in the set later emerged as a full-page 944 tear, fashion pics for those folks who use a bunny's head with a bow-tie as their logo, and packaging for Clavine, Europe's #1 male-enhancement herbal supplement, now available in the US.

Personally, when I need some enhancing which, lately, I've needed less often (not the enhancing part but reasons for the enhancing... Dammit!) I generally prefer herbal supplements of the kind hawked in High Times. But maybe that's just me?

iGlam?

Clicked an iPhone snap of a young lady I was shooting yesterday. At the time, I was recording video for mobile content with a Sony HVR-Z1U hi-def video cam.

Mobile content, leastwise the stuff I sometimes shoot for clients, includes sexy photos and video that are made available for viewing on cell phones. This is R-rated stuff: No full-frontal or overt sexuality and quite popular in Europe and other parts of the world. What else would you do with a cell phone? Make phone calls?

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

A week or so ago, when I found out I was going to be putting my grubby hands on an Innovatronix Explorer XT (courtesy of Innovatronix) along with some other cool gear the company manufacturers, my cell phone was really messing up. It kept turning itself off at the most inopportune moments! My phone, an LG, was something of a dinosaur in the world of mobile phone technology, i.e., it was over a year old. In terms of cell phone evolution, "over a year old" is the Jurassic period for many phones. That's how quick the technology changes.

One would think a piece of advanced technology like a 2007 cell phone would last more than a year? Apparently, not so. Personally, I don't think there was anything truly wrong with my phone. My theory is this: When cell phone companies changed over to their 3g networks, a whole bunch of phones (those not designed or equipped to handle 3g) took it on the chin and started acting weird, especially in terms of power consumption and related issues. I ain't no engineer but that's my theory.

Anyway, a day or two after finding out I was getting all that Innovatronix gear, I was on a shoot and one of my clients was trying to get a hold of me. Every time he got through my phone would turn itself off within a few seconds of me answering. Finally, we managed to text each other back a forth a few times. Later that day, I saw the client and he was complaining mightily about my phone. I shrugged. "Wha'd'ya gonna do?" I said. "The phone is screwed. I'll get a new one soon."

Well, "soon" wasn't soon enough for my client and, to make a long story short, he decided to give me a slightly-used iPhone he had as he recently purchased one of the new, 3g, iPhone models. (My "new" iPhone is one of the originals, an 8G model with very little mileage on it.) So, last week, not only did I find out I was going to be the appreciative recipient of some free gear from Innovatronix, I also ended up with a free iPhone! Cool, huh? I love free stuff. It's so... free.

Fast forward to yesterday...

I was shooting the pretty girl on a white cyc (cyclorama) when my iPhone alerted me to a newly received text message. I looked at the phone while still hand-holding the vidcam, read the text and, with the girl gyrating in front of me like I was seated in the front row at a strip club's stage with her wearing the tinyest-teenyest micro-bikini I've ever seen and using a ladder as a set-piece prop, I decided to snap an iPhone pic. Being a multi-tasking sorta guy, I held the Sony Z1U with my left hand, all the while recording the model, and held up my iPhone with my right, touch-screening a snap with my stubby thumb. (In spite of having stubby fingers, opposing thumbs are quite convenient.)

The cyc and girl were lit with tungsten, specifically, a couple of 1k Mole Babies. Later on, when I took a look (on my computer) at the iPhone pic I snapped, I realized the iPhone's little 2mb camera didn't do a very good job of handling tungsten's color temp: Way too orange and yellow with splotchy tints of green and magenta. That's why I converted the pic (above) to B&W-- the color looked that crappy!

But that's okay. Since becoming a proud iPhone owner, I've discovered there's a near-cult-like following of iPhone snapping iPhonographers out there. Go figure, right?

I've noticed the iPhone takes much better quality snaps in daylight. (What a surprise, huh?) I haven't tried it indoors with practical incandescent lighting a room but I'm guessing the results might be worse, color wise, than with the pro tungsten lighting I was using yesterday.

There are no controls on the iPhone's camera. You can't adjust ISO, aperture, shutter, color temp. You can't zoom in or out. You can simply snap pics and let the iPhone make exposure decisions. It's sort of like a digital pin-hole camera. There might be some apps that allow an iPhonographer to make some camera adjustments but I haven't researched that as of yet.

Yesterday's pretty girl was Cassidy, a Greek-extracted cornhusker from Omaha. Remember the term, "hardbody?" That's Cassidy. A total hardbody. Here's another pic, this time snapped with my Canon 5D and lit with strobes.

Do You Tweet?

Twitter has become a daily part of my life. I only began Twittering about a month or so ago but it's now a big part of my daily e-diet. I even keep connected with my iPhone.

Twitter is unlike other social networking sites, e.g., MySpace and FaceBook. It asks one simple question: "What are you doing?" And it only allows you to elaborate in 140 characters or less.

Since many, make that nearly all, of the Twitter users I follow (or those who follow me) are related to photography, I've been able to network with many others who either share my love for photography and/or those who keep me informed about photo-related news and information. In real time!

For a while, I wondered why Twitter uses avian-related analogies and metaphors for it's name and user jargon. Then I realized they must have spoken with my Mom. How so? I'll tell ya how so.

Back in the day, when I was a little kid, whenever my mother seemed to know something that I couldn't figure out how she found out about, she'd simply say, "A little bird told me."

My Mom is now 82 and she continues saying that to this day!

That's how I think of Twitter: Whatever I learn via its users, I think to myself, "How do I know that? A little bird told me."

If you don't Twitter you might think about doing so. It's a great way to keep in touch with friends and acquaintances and, better still, those who you follow will keep you abreast of important news and info about those things you are most interested in...you know, like photography!

Here's my Twitter account: pgshooter. If you want to hatch your own Twitter presence, you can sign up for a free Twitter account from my Twitter page. (No, I don't get a kick-back for this.) After signing up, you can add me (to follow) and also have a look at the folks I'm following. I'm pretty sure some of those I follow will be of interest to you and you'll want to follow them as well.

The pretty girl at the top, from a shoot last year, is... uhh... Damn! I forget her name! I do remember that she's from Brazil. Oh well. She's drop-dead gorgeous with or without a name. I posted a B&W version of the shot, with the model wearing a dress, so it would seem a bit more "high-brow." You know, me being a high-brow sorta guy and all.

Ansel Adams, Digital Photography, Some Irish Guy, and Pretty Girl Shooting

Some title, huh? While it might seem too eclectic a mix of subjects to bridge, just watch me: I'm gonna bridge 'em!

For this update, we'll travel back in time, back forward in time, across the Continental U.S., over the pond to Dublin, back across the pond, back across the North American Continent to San Francisco and Los Angeles with a few side trips to other parts of the Great American West!

I read a post the other day on P. Salisbury's informative blog, Fotowired. Salisbury is an Irish, Dublin-based, photographer, writer and teacher. (Apparently, in that order since that's the order he lists his vocations on Twitter.) No additional info on Salisbury's drinking habits or possible affinity for spuds, the color green, and leprechauns, or whether he's a fan of Notre Dame football. (The dude is Irish, after all.) Anyway, Salisbury's post, which is excerpted from Ansel Adams' autobiography, is a good read as well as an instructive read. CLICK HERE to go directly to Salisbury's Ansel Adams post.

It seems, besides being an iconic photographer, Ansel Adams was also something of a prognosticator. (Whether he knew it or not.) In the excerpt, the master's words can be as easily applied to today's new generation of digital photographers as they could to film shooters back in the day. ( D'uh. Salisbury's update's instructive intent, no doubt.)

Here's an example--

Some guy, in 1984, speaking with Adams and questioning the modern relevancy of Adams' techniques: "I look around me and see hundreds of photographers relying on camera electronics or simply exposing with random repetition, bracketing exposures to cover mistakes. If this seems to be the modern approach, do you feel your system continues to be relevant?"

Adams responding to the guy: "Being trained in music, I was obliged to know my notes, to practice continuously so that the notes, phrase shapes, and dynamics would be securely established in my mind. My playing, therefore, was expressly intuitive, based on a thorough experience with the facts and structure of the scores."

My simple translation: Study and learn the old school basics. Integrate those rules and basics into your photography. Practice makes perfect. Then go shoot outside the box and declare yourself an artist.

Adams goes on to talk about the need to make the technical aspects of the photographer's craft "intuitive." (Something I've ranted on before.) Personally, I like to think of it as practicing the craft and technical stuff until it becomes automatic, much like the theme of that popular golf video of a number of years ago, "Automatic Golf."

In fact, when it comes to pretty girl shooting, until much of the tech and craft stuff becomes intuitive, or automatic, you'll be spending far too much time focused on those things rather than visualizing the shot, composing the shot and, perhaps most importantly, gaining rapport and interacting with the model. (Which, if truth be known, are the things you should be spending most of your time doing while shooting glamour photography. Especially that last part about rapport and interaction.)

Let's see if I covered all those things in my title: Ansel Adams? Check. Digital photography? Check. Some Irish guy? Salisbury... check. Pretty girl shooting? Me, this blog, the pic at the top, check!

As for the time travel, distance travel, and the various places I mentioned earlier on in this update? Well, you're all smart people. You can figure that out. Check!

The pretty girl at the top is Rebecca from a shoot last year. She's purdy, no? I wonder if Mr. Adams ever shot any pretty girl pics? You know, on the QT... near Half-Dome.