Set backs and moving on.

My last post talked about getting sick and me not being able to video tape an event. True it has set me back, with my projects, but I’m not out, yet.

My imaging projects will always be a life time adventure, and I keep planning many more as time goes by. Who wants to set and just watch TV.

My next project, is as a featured artist during the month of June with other artist from the FairFax Art League. My girlfriend’s aunt, who is an multimedia painter, and a member of the Art League, has been asking me to join, so I finally did. She is the one that is driving me to show my work again, in the Art League’s gallery space. So, this coming June, I will be showing about twenty pieces of my photography.

This isn’t my first show, but it’s been a number of years, since I’ve shown any of my photography. My day job and several personal issues had to be resolved before I could resume my personal photography. That’s one of the problem when you work for the Federal Government as a photographer, it kind of takes over your life, but at least I have a steady paycheck.

So, what will I show. I been thinking about what kind of a show, and to be honest, most people haven’t seen my work in about twenty years. So, I plan to show a retrospect. I have images that I liked, from right after high school and college, to just recently. It will be some; street photography, landscapes, theater and architecture photography, and maybe some portraiture as well.

Most of my prints have been mounted already, I just need to make sure the prints, are still hanging nicely in the mounts. I also plan to show work that I haven’t shown to others in a long time. I will try and post some photographs from the event.

The importance of being well

When you lest expect it, it will happen. Getting sick to the point of not being able to complete your project. For the last several months, I’ve been planning a new direction with my work by adding video. I researched and purchased the equipment, started practicing with the gear. So what happen?

Some how I caught a cold so bad that I could not go to the Persian Spring party and video tape the event. My girlfriend decided that I was still to sick to come out and play. It goes to show you the need to be in good health. Even as I write this blog, I’m still felling under the weather and the outdoor event was over a week ago.

Now, I have to find another story, event to video tape, for me to learn about recording and editing video.

The importance of planning

I might not be retired from my day job, yet, but that hasn’t stopped me from planning my next photography adventure, and employment. When I decided to start my own business for when I retire, anything was possible. But, I want to make sure that I plan it properly, with forethought.

It’s a good idea to put down on paper the services that you plan to offer. Work your way back, and produce a roadmap to your destination. You start at point A, determine how to get past point B, so you can get to point C, your final destination.

One of those final destinations is providing aerial views of commercial buildings. One of my backers and supporters, want me to provided that service. I’m game, all for learning new techniques, expanding my toolbox, being more useful to my clients.

After my first look into the problem of purchasing a drone with a camera system. I found several that I can support, and afford, but, I also learned that you need a commercial license, approval by the FAA.

Section 107 is is the exam that you have to pass to get a license to fly a commercial drone. I am currently reading all the information found on the FAA website that covers, Section 107. The FAA wants the drone pilot to have a basic understanding of flight, also called ground school.

I’m glad that I always had an interest in flying. Never had the money to learn to fly, but, I figured this will make up for that un-achieved goal. So far the information is really interesting, maybe one day, I can also take the next step and learn to become a pilot, but till then, becoming a drone pilot will have to do.

I’ve accomplish standard aerial photography during my career, and always enjoyed doing it. So, this will be the next step in aerial photography as my next tool in my tool box.

Personal Projects

Everyone in the industry states, you have to do personal projects to advance your career. I happen to work full time, forty hours plus per week, fifty-two weeks out of the year, in a career that requires me to produce. Yes, I’m a professional photographer for the Federal Government, and I work hard at my job. Sometimes, it’s in video, graphic design, and even in photography. One day, I can do a portrait, another document a site with spherical images, another with just still images. My career is active, but my life feels empty if I’m not doing my own photography/artistic projects. For a long time, I thought I wasn’t doing projects, but looking back, I realized I was doing projects.

This year, I’m thinking about landscape photography and a video project that will take three days of filming, and I don’t know how long to edit the footage. The landscape will be around my state of Virginia, not sure yet of the subject matter. Something to get me out of the area with my dog Duke. Just to get away during the weekend.

The video project is coming up soon, I have the equipment and I’m practicing with the new gadgets. The subject is the upcoming Persian Spring Festive in Northern Virginia. My friends company puts in on each year. In the past, I produced a book of still images that they could use to show future clients, but now I’m moving into video. This will give them some marketing media and also show off my skills in video and editing. This is important, for when I make the transition to retirement photography, with the start of my own business.

The Color of Vermont Workshop by David Middleton and his crew.

Like most of the photography workshops that you attend, can be a mix bag of attendees with their level of expertise. You have to accept that when you go into your workshop. This one is no different, but the level of instruction given can make or break your enjoyment of your workshop. I will tell you up front that I liked this workshop. Granted this workshop was about landscape photography, and very different from what I normally take in a workshop, and completely different from my day job. David and his fellow workshop instructors, Jeff and Lisa, made this trip enjoyable for me. Just the right amount of joking, just the right amount of instruction, and their insight about my work was very useful.

The fellow students where not your typical group of want-a-be hobbyist, but a group of strong talent individuals, each with their own distinctive eye.

I wish I had the drive like some of them, photographing everything they see, but after all these years, I’m more selective in my choice of subject matter. Maybe it’s the subject matter, because when I’m working events and weddings, I can easily have a larger selection of images to choice from. Granted I get more enjoyment out of photographing people and I call my self more of a people photographer then an object photographer.

I will tell you again at this point, I had a good time, I learn a few new tricks and the critique about my work, helped me with my composition.

This is a iPhone shot for one location from the workshop.