To be a successful photographer...

To be a successful photographer, you must possess both vision & focus neither of which have anything to do with your eyes.

- Kevin Russo

Jeff Harris: 4,748 Self-Portraits and Counting

Photographer Jeff Harris takes us on a journey through his life with his self portraits. This is beautiful. Watch this in full-screen.

Beauty Product from 'Fotoshop'

Great spoof commercial with subtle strong social commentary:

"Pro-pixel intensifying fauxtanical hydro-jargon microbead extract feature nutritive volumizing technology."

Nice.

What's a Good Year (Photographically)?

Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.

- Ansel Adams

Happy New Year! Go get your camera... get started...

Limitations in Your Photography

There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are.

- Ernst Haas

Art Is Like Masturbation

Art is like masturbation. It is selfish and introverted and done for you and you alone. Design is like sex. There is someone else involved, their needs are just as important as your own, and if everything goes right, both parties are happy in the end.

- Colin Wright

It's an interesting take... Yes? No? Overly simplified?

Art Sale THIS WEEKEND

It's late Thursday evening, and I just got done helping set up work for the CVA Holiday Sale.

Here are a few "in progress" photos from tonight of the work going up:

Work in the main gallery


The "nook" as I was nearly finished hanging work


Some work for the silent auction


More silent auction work


Jewelry and knick-knacks


Lots of work to still be hung / sorted


I seriously need to purchase some of these


Some of "the crew" discussing the game-plan at the end of the night


I was given a hilariously small tool-belt-apron-thing
(it was made for a toddler - I could barely fit my head through it...)

There's SERIOUSLY a lot of work that I'd like to purchase! There's a lot of great and INEXPENSIVE art to buy!

Location:
CVA Gallery
173 Western Avenue North
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102

Holiday Art Sale Preview Party:
Friday, December 2, 5 - 8 p.m.
General Admission: $30.00 at the door (online registration closed)

Holiday Art Sale:
Saturday, December 3, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sunday, December 4, 12 – 4 p.m.
Free

Click here for more info

My family will be at the sale sometime Friday evening, so stop by and say "hi" and purchase some great art!

10 Lessons for Young Photographers and Designers

To my students: take note of these lessons from Wieden+Kennedy’s Executive Creative Director, John C Jay:

1. Be authentic. The most powerful asset you have is your individuality, what makes you unique. It’s time to stop listening to others on what you should do.

2. Work harder than anyone else and you will always benefit from the effort.

3. Get off the computer and connect with real people and culture. Life is visceral.

4. Constantly improve your craft. Make things with your hands. Innovation in thinking is not enough.

5. Travel as much as you can. It is a humbling and inspiring experience to learn just how much you don’t know.

6. Being original is still king, especially in this tech-driven, group-grope world.

7. Try not to work for stupid people or you’ll soon become one of them.

8. Instinct and intuition are all-powerful. Learn to trust them.

9. The Golden Rule actually works. Do good.

10. If all else fails, No. 2 is the greatest competitive advantage of any career.

Listen. To. This.