not the latest sci fi novel nor a comment on the state of the industry but rather the agency i have signed with. wonderful machine is based near philly, pa and spans the continent as we speak and is growing. check it out.

and large shout out to rachel hulin at shoot! the blog over at photoshelter. she’s doing a bang up job of covering photography with a timely, personal appeal in general and recently was kind enough to mention me by name on a post gushing about wonderful machine.

for even more thought provoking reading try her post on image metrics. and while you’re perusing photoshelter take in the work they’ve done on behalf the industry with their school of stock section covering who, what, why and how.

it comes from everywhere and anywhere. the beauty (usually) is not knowing when it’s going to hit. having been on the road for the past two weeks i’ve really noticed it. maybe it’s stepping outside any schedule you have, or simply being in a new place or a combination of the two.

whatever it is, make it happen and replicate the catalyst it as often as possible.

having beers in pdx a 10 days ago with a friend from w+k he pulled out his pre iphone smarttool – it was refreshing to take in the blurbs, sketches and conceptuals all penciled out in the pocket moleskine notebook – love those things. since then i’ve been lucky to catch a few other inspirations and am excited about the ideas they have brought about.

one of the best was a chance encounter with mark van s. a talented brooklyn photographer himself he has recently become known as the brains behind digital photobooth. he’s put together an amazing idea and one of only a few i’ve seen that truly capitalize on the best parts of digital photography. for anyone that’s familiar with japanese purikura and the ‘photo booth’ craze that’s been there for years, this takes it to a whole new level. it’s a portable photo system that can be transported anywhere, doesn’t have a hard booth and not only spits out a perfectly lit print in less than 10 seconds but also projects a version onto as many screens as you’d like. i’ve always wondered about ways to shoot individual portraits for large events and this is phenomenal.

and people not only get it, they absolutely love it – they relax, have fun and don’t stop. mark even told me he’s turned down celebrity offers to purchase one of his units (there are seven right now). the inspiring thing was not only the ingenuity that he’s put into this work he obvious loves but from the very subjects themselves. the scope and variety of portrait ideas that people come up with is astounding. here’s my first of many attempts:

so whether it’s the farmer’s market, the latest stuff the dj’s spinning or the next place you’re heading keep the mind open and a camera ready. you can bet i’ll be doing that today at jfk.