Posts Tagged ‘ work ’
luv it along the coast. anywhere.
definitely have favs but new is always good.
as was the case here with a new client + fantastic art director.
one of the largest universities here in oregon.
up early (as in 3:30am) but well worth it.
three different cameras = 3 images.
this is behind the scenes.
great assignment in southern, or earlier this week. here’s the view from the iphone. haven’t been that way since i was yosemite big wall bound with little more then a haulbag + 100 lbs of gear so amazing to reconnect.
more assignments lined for the next few weeks so will roll out the work as it’s published. in the meantime, i’m speaking at the art institute of portland tonight. telling the kids everything they need to hear but probably haven’t.
after a complete rebuild i’m happy to announce that the new site is live. it’s at heathkorvola.com + features a full overhaul from anything i’ve done in the past. in fact, it’s substantially different from anything i’ve seen from photographers/filmmakers yet. it stems from an idea i’ve had for quite awhile + am excited to see living. not only does the site feature a bunch of new work + projects but even more fun is that it takes on a whole new shape. the reel idea is employed as a navigation tool so simply by arriving at the site the viewer is treated to brief window into the work. reel-nav.
it’s been strange to see photographers move into video + then begin putting reels up for websites. i’ve always felt that this is fun + perhaps slightly useful for the viewer but kind of betrays our roots. my vision was to not only be true to my still roots but also take the reel a step further. rather then a simply show piece, can it act as a navigation tool itself? why not.
once your on the site the reel auto starts. the kicker is that it’s not just random highlights stitched together but rather features clips of still, motion + new media from the galleries just below the video window. it moves through in a timeline fashion representing each gallery or project as indicated by the blue triangle. in other words, for a viewer simply to open the site they get a no click preview of the various work as it’s laid out on the site. of course, it is just a reel + the galleries feature more in depth material but it’s a step in creating a more fluid viewing experience.
granted this is the first iteration but it’s an exciting step + we’re already working on round two. i’m excited to see where this goes. give it a look, i think you’ll like it.
thanks to outside for the nod, cb for the cell phone pics + ptor for getting his mug in the shot.
mexico was good. here’s a few quickies.
+ while we’re abroad, here’s a spot of fine french filmmaking as well, la blogoteque. their off kilter style has produced an array of ‘take away’ shows with stark results. they’ve filmed Sufjan Stevens playing on top of a church, Arcade Fire in an elevator, Sigur Ros in a restaurant, Phoenix in front of the Eiffel Tower to mention a few.
1: the check is in the mail
2: your stuff is nice
3: you’ll get work from your website
4: do this one job cheap + there’ll be more at a better rate
5: i’m totally into your idea
6: that (sensor, processor, card) will be big enough
7: you can write that off
8: it’s ok, i dropped it on the grass not the pavement
9: when it dries out it’ll be fine
10: there’s enough light
i wrestled in high school. it wasn’t my life but it was a great thing for me in many ways.
one thing i vividly remember is a coach who was surprisingly experienced + shared this with us. his career had been cut short due to injury and he turned his focus to teaching the one thing he was passionate about. it came through loud + clear.
though a large guy with a ton of brute strength he wasn’t one to necessarily use it. he was as much about the head games as he was about the physicality of the sport.
in particular i remember his story about dedication + what it takes to succeed. he told us about a former opponent of his, russian i think, who later went on to train for the olympics. wanting to be an olympic champion he realized he had to think like a champion.
he would go to practice with the rest of the olympic team – twice a day for 3 hours each time. but, he reasoned, his opponents wanted to be champion’s as well so they probably put in another hour after their team practice on their own. so he did the same.
as he thought about this though, he realized that he as only one among many potential champions. if they all did an extra hour then they were all potentially equal. his solution was to practice yet another extra hour, alone on his own.
the key to success is hidden under the alarm clock – ben franklin
in my ongoing series TEN we’re highlighting steps that any location photographer can easily incorporate into their business to green things up a bit. specifically we’re looking at recycling – from batteries to the material laden computers we all spend too much time in front of. i’m a tech guy as much as the next customer but with the amount of equipment needed in this industry today we need to be responsible about what we’re doing with it when it’s time has come.
1: one of the first things i do after computer gear goes downhill is to incorporate it into shoots if possible. this image is one of a billion possibilities.
2: if you are done with the stuff think about turning it over to a local charity or school as oftentimes they’re in need of machines(check out freegeek). just because it doesn’t function up to our standards of heavy image lifting doesn’t make it useless by any means.
3: if that doesn’t do it for you then definitely recycle the machinery. companies like apple, epson + canon will make it easy on you. and you can always hit up third parties like flipswap as well.
4: don’t print so much. at least set up a b+w setting for all the paperwork.
5: if you do find yourself spitting out the pulp products, use services such as greenprint that allow you to drop pages or cut out what you don’t need prior to inking it.
6: this is a big one for me but carbon credits ( who doesn’t want to recycle our air!?!?). sure it’s not a perfect system but it’s in place and better than nothing. i’ve talked about this before here and am working it into my workflow for all clients (merrell, cosmo, 24 hour fitness…). see terrapass for more and if you’re a business then keep an eye out as i’ll have an in-depth update on this soon.
7: aside from computers, your cell phones can easily be processed via any number of companies including flipswap mentioned above.
8: ink cartridges can be sent in via prepaid shipping bags as well from places like best buy, etc.
9: work the old school water cooler rather than all the bottled stuff.
10: when was the last time you walked to your studio? rode a bike? skateboarded? busted out the roller skates or the stilts?
and not to let you off easy by thinking it’s all about after-the-fact feel good actions try thinking ahead maybe using refurbished machines, your locations + even grants available.
so if you’re learning a language by far the best way to do it is not in school. i can say this because i’ve done it. sitting in class in osaka i remember wondering if i wasn’t better off skipping my test and heading out to drink with my japanese compadres. there’s acquisition in both cases but one would definitely be more natural. the biggest problem with rote learning is that it’s the end goal. as obstacles pop up it’s intensely frustrating because they block your entire purpose.
on the other hand, if you are to take up language to reach a family member, or say a lover, well then you’ve just eliminated a fair chunk of the frustration involved with the language itself. at that point language is merely a hoop to work through to get to your end goal of personal communication.
this is how i feel with a majority of the work i do. it’s not the individual projects that attract me to photography as much as i do truly enjoy them. rather it’s the personal evolution involved with the ongoing process of visual creation. in fact, i think of photography as a language that i’m commissioned to use to translate a clients concept into a viable vision for public consumption.
why am i talking about this. for one, language and images have always fascinated me and are tied much closer than most people consider. secondly, after a challenging job, such as i had this week working on a cover for a magazine, you have to keep it all in perspective. out for a fall/spring shoot in glacier national park we encountered five different versions of whether or not the road was open or not before 9am. eventually it actually opened and we headed out to find up to a foot of snow in places and a howling wind. the scenery was spectacular but let’s just say the behind the scenes wasn’t.
keeping a long term vision of your work and path is as imperative as an email address and phone line in my mind. if you don’t have a vision to give vision to then you’re never going to hit any target consistently.
Have had a few conversations and emails lately regarding the negotiating process as it pertains to photography. Thought it worthwhile to put down a few basic guidelines for anyone that has little or no experience in the field but values their work and knows how to run a business.
This is not a hostile process : you’re working with clients you want to establish a long term relationship with.
It’s your job to make your clients job easier : don’t throw out a bunch of numbers without a conversation.
Talk : find out exactly what your clients are looking for and expecting & let them know what you bring to the table.
Stay consistent : don’t raise rates suddenly based on new expenses, account for these gradually with planning.
Have solid reasons : don’t change prices of your work without altering another part of the arrangement.
Provide service : from the initial phone conversation through to the thank you note after the job is over.
Know your industry and area : you don’t want to be getting work simply because you’re the lowballer.
Account for work you do : if you process digitally in-house or coordinate production then charge for it.
Use resources : talk to colleagues, ask questions, use organizations like ASMP (check the licensing guide).
Think green : if the budget and client allow it add a carbon offset line item or other sustainable practices.
Work with great people : photography is no more a one man job than running a circus is.