Hey guys,
This EAW Rust blog has been pretty quiet lately so I figured I would take the reins while busy Melissa prepares for 2009 Geekfest in St. Pete, FL this weekend. I don't know if any of you APADers are going but you should. There is a great line up of heavy hitter, Pulitzer-prize winning speakers that will be attending. I unfortunately cannot attend due to being poor and being located out in California. But it looks like it will be a good warm up for Eddie Adams and it promises to be a stellar time.
We have finally reached the one-month-to-go marker for the start of Eddie Adams Workshop! I can't wait. Is anybody else having difficulty editing down portfolios to show? I feel like my photography has many different sides to it and choosing to edit for one leaves out the other. Choices, choices, choices. I am thinking the better route for portfolio presentation for me will be prints in a binder instead of ...say a blurb.com book. In the end, it is the ability to rearrange the order of the photos that might come in handy. What are all you guys planning?
Also, I am sure that you have all found out that Lauren Greenfield unfortunately will not be able to make it this year. A bummer for sure but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Yunghi Kim has stepped in to the post. If you guys haven't already seen her work it is pretty incredible. Check it out Yunghi Kim Photography. Welcome to the Rust Team Yunghi!
October approaches. Good luck getting portfolios together everybody. Really looking forward to meeting you all. Here is a Ed Abby quote I stumbled upon the other day and thought you all might want to see it. It made me think of my journey as a photographer. Peace, -Greener
“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.” -Edward Abbey
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Daily Dose of Inspiration
Another one of my best friends is Josh Ritchie. Josh was a student at the workshop in 2001, came back a few years later as a black team member, and last year became a producer. This year, the Forest Green team will get to work with him -- and I hope they know how hard he's working for them.
After graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Josh went from small paper to small paper until taking that fateful leap 5 years ago and diving into the unknown world of freelance. Since then, his work has grown exponentially. He's taken risks and challenged himself to start personal projects like Fluidity, a neat look at life under the ocean's surface, and really honed his lighting and portraiture skills, since that's what pays the bills.
After graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Josh went from small paper to small paper until taking that fateful leap 5 years ago and diving into the unknown world of freelance. Since then, his work has grown exponentially. He's taken risks and challenged himself to start personal projects like Fluidity, a neat look at life under the ocean's surface, and really honed his lighting and portraiture skills, since that's what pays the bills.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
Another one of my best friends is Josh Ritchie. Josh was a student at the workshop in 2001, came back a few years later as a black team member, and last year became a producer. This year, the Forest Green team will get to work with him -- and I hope they know how hard he's working for them.
After graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Josh went from small paper to small paper until taking that fateful leap 5 years ago and diving into the unknown world of freelance. Since then, his work has grown exponentially. He's taken risks and challenged himself to start personal projects like Fluidity, a neat look at life under the ocean's surface, and really honed his lighting and portraiture skills, since that's what pays the bills.
After graduating from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Josh went from small paper to small paper until taking that fateful leap 5 years ago and diving into the unknown world of freelance. Since then, his work has grown exponentially. He's taken risks and challenged himself to start personal projects like Fluidity, a neat look at life under the ocean's surface, and really honed his lighting and portraiture skills, since that's what pays the bills.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Daily Dose of Inspiration
I want to introduce you guys to some amazing photographers that were once in the same exact spot you are in now. Young, hungry, talented, and preparing for the workshop. So I'm going to offer up a daily dose of inspiration from some of my favorite EAW alums.
So I'll kick it off with one of my best friends (and a fellow workshop producer). Lisa Krantz is an amazing human being and it shows in her work. She's passionately drawn to issues that matter and she captures them with a compassionate eye. She's a community journalist (and one of the best newspaper photographers in the country, in my opinion) whose use of light is painterly and who's compositions are often flawless.
So I'll kick it off with one of my best friends (and a fellow workshop producer). Lisa Krantz is an amazing human being and it shows in her work. She's passionately drawn to issues that matter and she captures them with a compassionate eye. She's a community journalist (and one of the best newspaper photographers in the country, in my opinion) whose use of light is painterly and who's compositions are often flawless.
EAW Advice
Rust Team member Mike Greener posted a question to the APAD listserv recently, asking what to expect and how to prepare for the upcoming Eddie Adams Workshop. My answer to him was this:
Portfolios: print or laptop... either works fine. A book is a little
more accessible though, and a little less formal, plus it makes it
easier to grab someone out in the hallway or lobby. Ultimately
though, your pictures are all that matter, not the format they're in.
(George Pfoertner -- we're the officially the old timers... HAHAHA
all the kids on the list are googling "slides!".... hey kids, not only
were our portfolios shown on slides then, but *gasp* that's actually
what we had to shoot all weekend, too... and if I remember correctly,
we were only given 10 rolls for the weekend).
The weather is either really good or really bad during the workshop.
No in between. Check the weather in Jeffersonville, NY before you
leave your house. Some years I've needed rain boots and ponchos to
wade through knee deep mud at the barn. Others I've needed 18 layers
to ward off the cold. Last year was glorious and perfect. 60s and
sunny during the day, 40s at night. Also check with your producer to
see what kind of assignment you might have. I usually try to warn my
students if they're going to be standing in shit, blood or mud. I
also try to let them know if there's something special they need for
their assignment. Last year, I sent someone out hunting, and the
state required them to have their own orange reflective vest. The
prison I send students to won't allow certain colors (gang) colors, so
I try to warn that student ahead of time. Try to learn as much as you
can before hand, so you're prepared for anything and everything...
You will not sleep. You may miss meals while on assignment. Be
prepared for both. An aside: (I won't mention any names) but someone
on the list, who was my roommate when we were students in 2001 (and
who's now on staff there), overslept. Had to be up at 4 am for a
Frakes racetrack early ass shoot, and he overslept. Around 7, just
before my alarm went off, I awoke to this bloodcurdling scream
followed by "FUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!" He got ripped a new asshole, had his life made a living hell for a few hours and
Frakes didn't talk to him for years. He's since redeemed himself. And
if you do get to sleep for a few hours, make sure you have an alarm
clock that will wake your tired ass up. No excuses!
Now for a little more:
It's true. You probably won't get to give your selects to your
editor. On my team, you turn your cards in (and you're not allowed to
delete images or you'll get yelled at... no self-editing when you've
got some of the best editors in the biz at your disposal) and if
you're lucky and have time you'll get to sit in on the edit and talk
about the story's direction (at least the first day, so you can
improve upon those images and go back out the second day and do
better). But you'll get your cards back, unformatted, with the images
still on them. It's up to you what to do with them after that. Most
people like to copy them over to their own laptops before reusing
them. The workshop isn't going to baby you though and burn you CDs of
your images. That's up to you.
Come with a good attitude. The students I always fight for to win
awards in the end are the ones that stayed positive, took criticism to
heart, busted their ass for the team leaders and didn't make our lives
any harder. Realize that you're being tested the entire weekend. If
you're given what you think is a lame assignment, it's up to you to
make it work and to come back with images better than anyone would
have expected. If you're given an assignment to shoot portraits, and
you're not a portrait shooter... well, that's probably why you got
it. Things are done at the workshop to push you out of your comfort
zone, to make you a better photojournalist to make you think and
grow. If not, what's the point?!
On that note... Understand it's not a shooting workshop. The
assignment is a big part of the weekend, but it's not the only thing.
The speakers you'll see are amazing. The experiences had will stay
with you for years to come. I see so many students get worked up each
year because they psyched themselves out. Put too much pressure on
themselves. Fucked up. Shot poorly. Again it goes back to
attitude. Relax. Take a deep breath, and do better on day 2.
Realize that thousands apply, one hundred get in. The other students
there are just as good, if not better. Don't come in on a high
horse. Realize you have just as much to learn from your fellow
students as you do from the heavies that are there. Take some time to
look at other students work, to see where you're really at.
To that point, there are also a lot of students that show up at the
11:30 club each night (portfolio reviews) to schmooze. If that's why
you're there, great. More power to you. But realize there's more to
life and photography than kissing some editor's ass.
Take a good look at the list of people doing reviews, try to
figure out who's doing stuff that you want to be doing... who you'd
like as a mentor. You want to be a great documentary photographer, go
see Michael Williamson or Lisa Krantz. You want to shoot portraits,
awesome... Platon is right over there. You want to sharpen your
multimedia skills, show off some of your pieces to Jim Seida or Pam
Chen.
---
Everyone that answered Mike on the listserv said to be prepared for the lack of sleep. That's a biggie. Between listening to all the speakers, shooting your story, getting portfolio reviews, hanging out with your old friends and new teammates, and partying with Gerd Ludwig and Maggie Steber... sleep is the last thing you're going to want to do. Know your limits though. Better to cut the beers short one night, so you don't sleep through some amazing speakers the next day. But that's just me... It's important to remember why you're there.
some other good pieces of advice were:
I suggest you bring portable food such as Power Bars or Cliff Bars and carry a bottle for water. -- George Pfoertner
Soak it all in, it's a great opportunity to network sure but it's an even better
opportunity to listen to some of the most influential people in our
business so open up those ears. Don't stress about the story your
given or complain about it, just make something happen. Your work will
shine if it's time for it to shine so in my opinion it doesn't matter
if you show it on your laptop or a book, go with your gut feeling
about it. Get as much feedback as you can from a variety of different
editors and from your peers. Share, share, share and the sharing works
both ways. The last thing I would say is come prepared and know what
you like about your pictures and what you don't like. These editors
are intelligent people and they will ask you intelligent questions. Be
versed in your work and be ready to talk about it. -- Justin Mott
SLEEP the week before the workshop. Do not stay up all night
the three nights before re-editing and printing your portfolio (and
yes everyone does it). Don't show up already trashed from no sleep. As
far as print vs. laptop, a print book is easy and practical to show
anywhere. Often during the 11:30 club there are no open outlets. That
said, don't kill yourself to make a book. I'm happy to look at
anything, even little laser jet prints of a recent project you want
feedback on or help editing.
Yes, I know you want to show your book and awe someone like Michele
McNally but I feel some of the best feedback and growth comes from
just a general discussion about your work and what you want to do with
photography. Portfolio reviews in my opinion aren't all about getting
noticed and potentially hired, its about the insight the reviewer can
give you about your work, what you can improve on, how to move
forward, how to start a project, etc. I can tell you three portfolio
reviews I've had in my career where one sentence/observation they said
has helped me to this day. Not everyone offers that kind of feedback.
You've got to find the people you think have the insight you need and
can actually verbalize it if you want that kind of help. -- Lisa Krantz
Portfolios: print or laptop... either works fine. A book is a little
more accessible though, and a little less formal, plus it makes it
easier to grab someone out in the hallway or lobby. Ultimately
though, your pictures are all that matter, not the format they're in.
(George Pfoertner -- we're the officially the old timers... HAHAHA
all the kids on the list are googling "slides!".... hey kids, not only
were our portfolios shown on slides then, but *gasp* that's actually
what we had to shoot all weekend, too... and if I remember correctly,
we were only given 10 rolls for the weekend).
The weather is either really good or really bad during the workshop.
No in between. Check the weather in Jeffersonville, NY before you
leave your house. Some years I've needed rain boots and ponchos to
wade through knee deep mud at the barn. Others I've needed 18 layers
to ward off the cold. Last year was glorious and perfect. 60s and
sunny during the day, 40s at night. Also check with your producer to
see what kind of assignment you might have. I usually try to warn my
students if they're going to be standing in shit, blood or mud. I
also try to let them know if there's something special they need for
their assignment. Last year, I sent someone out hunting, and the
state required them to have their own orange reflective vest. The
prison I send students to won't allow certain colors (gang) colors, so
I try to warn that student ahead of time. Try to learn as much as you
can before hand, so you're prepared for anything and everything...
You will not sleep. You may miss meals while on assignment. Be
prepared for both. An aside: (I won't mention any names) but someone
on the list, who was my roommate when we were students in 2001 (and
who's now on staff there), overslept. Had to be up at 4 am for a
Frakes racetrack early ass shoot, and he overslept. Around 7, just
before my alarm went off, I awoke to this bloodcurdling scream
followed by "FUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!" He got ripped a new asshole, had his life made a living hell for a few hours and
Frakes didn't talk to him for years. He's since redeemed himself. And
if you do get to sleep for a few hours, make sure you have an alarm
clock that will wake your tired ass up. No excuses!
Now for a little more:
It's true. You probably won't get to give your selects to your
editor. On my team, you turn your cards in (and you're not allowed to
delete images or you'll get yelled at... no self-editing when you've
got some of the best editors in the biz at your disposal) and if
you're lucky and have time you'll get to sit in on the edit and talk
about the story's direction (at least the first day, so you can
improve upon those images and go back out the second day and do
better). But you'll get your cards back, unformatted, with the images
still on them. It's up to you what to do with them after that. Most
people like to copy them over to their own laptops before reusing
them. The workshop isn't going to baby you though and burn you CDs of
your images. That's up to you.
Come with a good attitude. The students I always fight for to win
awards in the end are the ones that stayed positive, took criticism to
heart, busted their ass for the team leaders and didn't make our lives
any harder. Realize that you're being tested the entire weekend. If
you're given what you think is a lame assignment, it's up to you to
make it work and to come back with images better than anyone would
have expected. If you're given an assignment to shoot portraits, and
you're not a portrait shooter... well, that's probably why you got
it. Things are done at the workshop to push you out of your comfort
zone, to make you a better photojournalist to make you think and
grow. If not, what's the point?!
On that note... Understand it's not a shooting workshop. The
assignment is a big part of the weekend, but it's not the only thing.
The speakers you'll see are amazing. The experiences had will stay
with you for years to come. I see so many students get worked up each
year because they psyched themselves out. Put too much pressure on
themselves. Fucked up. Shot poorly. Again it goes back to
attitude. Relax. Take a deep breath, and do better on day 2.
Realize that thousands apply, one hundred get in. The other students
there are just as good, if not better. Don't come in on a high
horse. Realize you have just as much to learn from your fellow
students as you do from the heavies that are there. Take some time to
look at other students work, to see where you're really at.
To that point, there are also a lot of students that show up at the
11:30 club each night (portfolio reviews) to schmooze. If that's why
you're there, great. More power to you. But realize there's more to
life and photography than kissing some editor's ass.
Take a good look at the list of people doing reviews, try to
figure out who's doing stuff that you want to be doing... who you'd
like as a mentor. You want to be a great documentary photographer, go
see Michael Williamson or Lisa Krantz. You want to shoot portraits,
awesome... Platon is right over there. You want to sharpen your
multimedia skills, show off some of your pieces to Jim Seida or Pam
Chen.
---
Everyone that answered Mike on the listserv said to be prepared for the lack of sleep. That's a biggie. Between listening to all the speakers, shooting your story, getting portfolio reviews, hanging out with your old friends and new teammates, and partying with Gerd Ludwig and Maggie Steber... sleep is the last thing you're going to want to do. Know your limits though. Better to cut the beers short one night, so you don't sleep through some amazing speakers the next day. But that's just me... It's important to remember why you're there.
some other good pieces of advice were:
I suggest you bring portable food such as Power Bars or Cliff Bars and carry a bottle for water. -- George Pfoertner
Soak it all in, it's a great opportunity to network sure but it's an even better
opportunity to listen to some of the most influential people in our
business so open up those ears. Don't stress about the story your
given or complain about it, just make something happen. Your work will
shine if it's time for it to shine so in my opinion it doesn't matter
if you show it on your laptop or a book, go with your gut feeling
about it. Get as much feedback as you can from a variety of different
editors and from your peers. Share, share, share and the sharing works
both ways. The last thing I would say is come prepared and know what
you like about your pictures and what you don't like. These editors
are intelligent people and they will ask you intelligent questions. Be
versed in your work and be ready to talk about it. -- Justin Mott
SLEEP the week before the workshop. Do not stay up all night
the three nights before re-editing and printing your portfolio (and
yes everyone does it). Don't show up already trashed from no sleep. As
far as print vs. laptop, a print book is easy and practical to show
anywhere. Often during the 11:30 club there are no open outlets. That
said, don't kill yourself to make a book. I'm happy to look at
anything, even little laser jet prints of a recent project you want
feedback on or help editing.
Yes, I know you want to show your book and awe someone like Michele
McNally but I feel some of the best feedback and growth comes from
just a general discussion about your work and what you want to do with
photography. Portfolio reviews in my opinion aren't all about getting
noticed and potentially hired, its about the insight the reviewer can
give you about your work, what you can improve on, how to move
forward, how to start a project, etc. I can tell you three portfolio
reviews I've had in my career where one sentence/observation they said
has helped me to this day. Not everyone offers that kind of feedback.
You've got to find the people you think have the insight you need and
can actually verbalize it if you want that kind of help. -- Lisa Krantz
Friday, August 14, 2009
Workshop Wheels
I'd love to know if anyone is planning on driving to the workshop. I've got some great assignments that are a little further out of town, and logistically speaking it'd be awesome to give those to someone with their own wheels. Can you please leave a comment or shoot me an email and let me know. Thanks.
Go Rust!
Go Rust!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Howdy Team Rusty
This is a great idea Melissa. How's it going everybody? I figured I would start things off with one of my favorite assignments from the month of July. This is a photo illustration I did for a story about our local Athletes of the Year for track hurdlers. I came away from the assignment with a checklist of hard lessons learned but overall I was pleased with the results. I have really been trying to develop my skills with shooting lit portraits over this past year with the goal of trying to be a more well rounded shooter. What do you guys think?
I am currently a staff photographer at the Daily Republic newspaper in Fairfield, CA. Right on the outskirts of the Bay Area. I am really looking forward to meeting all of you in October. I am starting to brainstorm how I will present my portfolio at the Workshop. Thinking a quick book by blurb.com may be a good route. What are you guys all planning? Best, -Mike Greener
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)