The Same-Old-Shit Blues

Recently, on the most excellent Fluffytek Photographic Art blog, the very articulate Lin wrote about whoring one's photographic art for (gasp!) money. I commented thusly: "There's no rule that says artists need to be "starving artists." Yeah, I know you guys aren't starving. But just because you get paid for your artistic endeavors, it doesn't mean you're whoring your art. It simply means others appreciate it and are willing to pay for it."

In response, Lin posed a few questions to me and I thought I'd take a stab at them.

Lin: Do you ever get bored, especially on the days where you do the same thing over and over? Does the passion for your art still wake you up at 5 a.m. and grab you by the balls with the idea for a new style of image?

Jimmy: Truthfully, I have to say no. (To that part about my balls and new ideas.) Curiously, though, I have this constant, nagging feeling that something new, stylistically new, is slowly brewing in my head and will eventually take shape and percolate to the surface. I know there's an idea that's about to burst into my consciousness, leastwise it feels that way. Unfortunately, the sensation is very frustrating. Almost sickeningly frustrating. It's like having photographic blue balls. This thing, this feeling, always seems just out of reach-- invisible, intangible, and almost phantasmagorical. It's like a word or a name or something that's on the tip of my tongue and I can't quite think what it is. It is a sensation that truly sucks. And yes, I'm often bored out of my gourd... young, beautiful, naked models notwithstanding. But it's what I do. And I'll keep doing it as long as someone pays me to do it or until that new, exciting, incredible, fantastic idea finally reveals itself.

Lin: No doubt you shoot some more um... edgy stuff...which really fires your imagination. I'm talking about the photographs you take which really "move" you. We'd love to see them, but I suspect you don't post them on your blog...or if you do, you don't say you had an emotional response to the Art. My question is, do you ever post your more "edgy stuff", and if not why, not ? And do you ever show the new experimental art (which rocks your world) to prospective clients? Or put it on your web site?

Jimmy: Here's where my answer gets even more depressing, at least for me, then what I've already said. I don't shoot much "edgy" stuff these days. The edginess has been beaten out of me. (Leastwise, for now.) When I did try to shoot "edgy," my clients would say things like, "What's with this artsy stuff? What am I supposed to do with this artsy shit?" I would answer with things like, "Did I shoot everything you needed?" And they would say, "Yes, you did." Then I'd sometimes add semi-colorful comments like, "So throw that other stuff in the trash and shut the f__k up! I gave you what you needed." Eventually, I quit shooting that other stuff. I'm generally shooting on someone else's dime and, since I want them to keep writing me checks for my work, I've decided to simply give them what they want and little more. But when that thing I talked about in my first answer finally becomes evident to me, then I'll start shooting it... and posting it. I hope this wasn't too depressing an answer. I know there's a lot of shooters who would love to get paid to shoot what I shoot--the grass is always greener and all that crap--but until I start waking up in the morning feeling like my balls are getting grabbed by what I'm going to shoot, I'll keep doing what I'm doing. I guess I am a whore and I have sold out. (Personal Note: I think I just did something of an about-face on my original comment to your blog update, Lin. Sorry about that.)

The pretty girl at the top is Marie. MUA was Dehlia. I shot Marie the other day. I used the Channel Mixer for the conversion to B&W and then added a bit of sepia with the Photo Filter tool. Whoop-dee-doo! How's that for an exciting, new style? (Not!)