6.5 million dollar photo

[Speed]

Yeah, I think I've found a good balance. I get to shoot all the technical stuff for my job, which is challenging and interesting. But it's different enough that it doesn't kill off the excitement and fun of shooting landscapes and travel etc. And you're right, it's about finding that niche.

I think that you are in a pretty good situation where what you do for work is probably 9:00 - 5:00 and once your day is done you are free to do what you like.
For self employed photographers the hours are all over the place, often nights or weekends and can be hard to plan shoots in case you have bookings come up.....I use that as my excuse anyway, because I'm pretty lazy.

[J.D.]

Right now I need inspiration.

I'm trying to get the pictures I want but I'm fighting it. The trouble is that inspiration and conflict cannot cohabit the same space! Some, like Ansell Adams, find it working alone in a vast landscape. Others, like David Bailey, find it working with a particular model (Jean Shrimpton). A lot of it for me is being able to articulate a concept. If you can't write it down, you haven't got it.

[Speed]

Right now I need inspiration.

I'm trying to get the pictures I want but I'm fighting it. The trouble is that inspiration and conflict cannot cohabit the same space! Some, like Ansell Adams, find it working alone in a vast landscape. Others, like David Bailey, find it working with a particular model (Jean Shrimpton). A lot of it for me is being able to articulate a concept. If you can't write it down, you haven't got it.

Inspiration is the hardest thing to find. I read somewhere that while you haven't got it you just need to keep shooting and it will come back...easier said than done.
I have dozens of concepts that I've written in a notebook but I'm still struggling to get off my arse to shoot them.

[DexterPunk]

Yeah, I think I've found a good balance. I get to shoot all the technical stuff for my job, which is challenging and interesting. But it's different enough that it doesn't kill off the excitement and fun of shooting landscapes and travel etc. And you're right, it's about finding that niche.

I think that you are in a pretty good situation where what you do for work is probably 9:00 - 5:00 and once your day is done you are free to do what you like.
For self employed photographers the hours are all over the place, often nights or weekends and can be hard to plan shoots in case you have bookings come up.....I use that as my excuse anyway, because I'm pretty lazy.

Yep, I think I was always too lazy to really chase after a freelance career. I'm absolutely positive I have the skill to do it, but it's a hell of a hard slog. A mix of being great at time management, accounting, and a good salesman. The photography, in a sense, is less important. It's a real credit to anyone who's been able to accomplish it. My personal business is still there, I get the odd shoot, and I'm happy enough with that.

It's certainly nice to work 9-5 and get your weekend off to use however you like. It's not easy finding a photography gig like that these days. Digital imaging has made it more and more difficult, and people are more concerned with getting things done quick, and less concerned with image quality. Part of me wishes I'd have lived through the 60's and 70's where you have to have the skill and knowledge to take great photos. But I also wonder if I'd have ever become a photographer without digital cameras. Shooting onto a sensor is cheaper than rolls of film, and it's what allowed me to experiment and get hooked.

[Swain OHaw]

Right now I need inspiration.

I'm trying to get the pictures I want but I'm fighting it. The trouble is that inspiration and conflict cannot cohabit the same space! Some, like Ansell Adams, find it working alone in a vast landscape. Others, like David Bailey, find it working with a particular model (Jean Shrimpton). A lot of it for me is being able to articulate a concept. If you can't write it down, you haven't got it.

Likewise. And you're dead right. Inspiration is something you can't really look for, something has to inspire you because it does, not because you want it to. Which is annoying when you're lacking inspiration. Been like this for a couple of months now.

Am still shooting, but in some ways this makes things more difficult because the shots aren't what I'm looking for and that kind of saps at your motivation further the more you shoot without accomplishing what you're looking for, even if you don't really know what that is ...

Same as Speed said, have some vague ideas for things written down somewhere but not sure what it is I actually want to do with those ideas and/or how to go about it. Should probably just start shooting something and see where it goes.

[J.D.]

When I get like this I usually find myself trying to think of themes. How would I photograph "silly" or "angry" or "daydream"? I try not to be literal. I try to avoid cliches. At the moment though it's not quite working which is a shame because I'm loving the A7R and all the old glass. I actually feel really connected to it. All that's missing is in my own mind. Or not.

[DexterPunk]

You need to get away from your own environment JD. A different city, or landscape to explore. Even if you go for a day trip out of Melbourne somewhere.

[J.D.]

Well, that would help the landscape component but probably not the conceptual part.

Still, a change of scenery can be liberating.

[norbs]

Roadtrip!

[DexterPunk]

Roadtrip!

Exactly norbs!

The change of scenery for me is inspiring. Perhaps that's different for everyone. But at the same time im not wired arty enough to map out concepts... I try to just make photos I like. Looking for them is more important to me than the end result.

[norbs]

Roadtrip!

Exactly norbs!

The change of scenery for me is inspiring. Perhaps that's different for everyone. But at the same time im not wired arty enough to map out concepts... I try to just make photos I like. Looking for them is more important to me than the end result.

It was the best thing for me, to get the fuck out of town and go exploring.

Walking 15kms along the Darling river between Louth and Tilpa was great fun. Meeting different people in the outback was excellent. Watching a guy load a sheep truck was an education.

[Swain OHaw]

Well, that would help the landscape component but probably not the conceptual part.

Still, a change of scenery can be liberating.

I think the change of scenery can help with all of it, but it might not necessarily - depends what inspires you and what it is you're looking for. But seeing new things or the same things done in different ways can help. As Norbs said, meething interesting and different people and seeing how they experience life, and what they do in their life can show you a lot. That and it's normally quite fun.

Easily the best photos I've taken this year were in Portugal, which is the neighbouring country with a road border; a visibly similar language (sounds like Russian but I can read it at least) and a broadly similar socio-political climate (a fuck off gert recession) ... there I was able to get some street images that said something, here I've never really come close.

[J.D.]

Point and counter-point:

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign ... #gsc.tab=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign ... than-jones" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Swain OHaw]

The Jonathan Jones one was utter arse gravy.

[J.D.]

Written for effect.

There is some measure of art in that too.

[Swain OHaw]

Oh indeed, written as click bait ... and very effective at it.

[J.D.]

Shit stirring at it best. There's a parallel here:

One argument about the Lik pic is that it's got a lot of people talking. That boosts his profile and boosts his claim as "a leader in the field of fine art photography", as his website puts it.

Click bait is not a new idea. Any publicity is good publicity as long as they spell your name right (sic), as someone once said.

I have to declare an interest here: I knew Peter Lik when he was a student primary teacher 35 years ago (you won't find that in his bio). I have not seen him since. It makes no difference to my assessment of him as an artist or otherwise. I liked him but I don't think his photo is worth anything like US $6.5m.

[DexterPunk]

Also not sure I'd call that fine art photography. 'bloody nice landscapes' would be more accurate.

[Speed]

I went to his gallery in Vegas earlier this year. It was really nice.

I still don't think that any photo is worth 6.5 mil.

[DexterPunk]

It is if someone wants to pay that much. It's as simple as that.

[J.D.]

Also not sure I'd call that fine art photography. 'bloody nice landscapes' would be more accurate.

Bloody nice and very stylised landscapes would be my description.

[Swain OHaw]

Shit stirring at it best. There's a parallel here:

One argument about the Lik pic is that it's got a lot of people talking. That boosts his profile and boosts his claim as "a leader in the field of fine art photography", as his website puts it.

Click bait is not a new idea. Any publicity is good publicity as long as they spell your name right (sic), as someone once said.

I have to declare an interest here: I knew Peter Lik when he was a student primary teacher 35 years ago (you won't find that in his bio). I have not seen him since. It makes no difference to my assessment of him as an artist or otherwise. I liked him but I don't think his photo is worth anything like US $6.5m.

This is actually really encouraging as I currently work in a secondary school, so there's still hope that I'll make gazillions from Photography yet ...