You Have to Do The Work

This is a tough love post.

Rapper SL Jones once said, “Ain’t no way around the grind, to shine, it takes work. Oh you in it for the perks, so you quit it when it hurts…”

I agree with the sentiment.

Oh is a gangster rapper too low brow for you?

Proverbs 13:4 says: “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” (ESV)

The artist’s path is hard and I question the motivation and intentions of many who pursue it. It looks glamorous from the outside. A lifestyle full of travel, freedom, fame (no matter how small), and millions of dollars. lol, I wish. It’s anything but.

Not every actor becomes Tom Cruise.
Not every photographer becomes Avedon.
Not every singer becomes Beyonce.
Not every athlete becomes Lebron James.
Not every tech bro becomes Elon Musk.
Not every writer becomes J.K. Rowling.

And yet there are countless professional actors, photographers, singers, athletes, tech bros, and writers earning a great living while not being world-renown, well known, multi-millionaires.

So if you’re not one of those, 1%, rare air types, would you still pursue your passion? Do you genuinely love your art? Or are you just in it for something else?

With some people, you can just tell they don’t have a love for the art. Their motivation is fueled by something far less noble. Probably something egotistical like validation from their peers or family, an outlet to pick up girls, to be famous, etc. If they did have a love for it, they’ll endure the grind. It would take up so much of their free time. They’ll put the work in day in, day out. They’ll study their craft, constantly seek inspiration, think of new ideas, and comes up with new approaches to their business/career goals. You’ll see their growth and, year over year, they’ll be much better than before.

I think many get into this field expecting a cake walk. It’s anything but. It’s schlepping gear around, being paid less than what you’re worth, messing up on a big job, dropping the ball on a great opportunity, colleagues being flaky, creating something amazing yet no one cares, and feeling like you’re in this seesaw battle of winning and losing week after week. One week you’re up and the next you’re down. This especially applies to those just starting out.

It won’t always be this way, mind you. But in order to get there, you can’t avoid the work.

Unless you’re a nepo baby, there’s no inheriting success.You have to work for it and you should WANT to work for it. The work you put in will make you appreciate the successes you obtain, no matter how small. But if the grind is too hard for you, you don’t feel validated, financially secure, admired by your adoring fans, then get a job. No one cares to hear you whine incessantly, act bitter or jealous, or just be downright insufferable to be around because you’re not where you want to be.

Don’t make friends with self-pity.

Put your head down, nose to the grind stone and do the work. Once you look up again, you’ll be amazed at what you’ve created.

And before I go…

But you have to do the work.

Hope you enjoyed this post!

Walking The Tightrope of Multiple Disciplines

Like the start athlete with loads of potential, the artist often finds themselves battling indecisiveness. Athlete Bo Jackson comes to mind. That guy could do it all. But football ultimately won out. How does one decide on just ONE discipline?

One only has to look at the creative output of Leonardo Da Vinci to see how one person can have interests in numerous disciplines. In Da Vinci’s case his output was matched with a masterful hand as if he had focused solely on each of his disciplines for decades. That’s rare indeed.

Surely you’ve heard the statement, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” That’s often the case for the artist who dares branch out into something else. I get it, we’re only given an finite amount of time so it must be used wisely and skills require practice. Practice demands time. So it’s understandable how one can attempt futilely to juggle multiple disciplines only to come out average at others and perhaps exceptional at only one.

As I ruminate over my own work, I often feel myself walking along a tightrope of multiple disciplines. Or perhaps I’m walking on a singular tightrope and juggling, but the more interests I have the more objects I’m given to juggle. If I juggle too many, I’ll undoubtedly fall.

*Me

It can be hard balancing it all and I used to find it very frustrating. Paralyzing even. To the point I wouldn’t put any work out. How would my beauty work feature alongside my nude work? Or my nude work alongside my swimwear work? On my website it’s very easy to categorize, but I find it awkward when trying to do the same thing on social media, especially Instagram.

However, because something is difficult, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done. Like the photographers I look up to, your Richard Avedons, your Irving Penns, they too worked in different disciplines. Especially Penn. He was known for fashion and portraits and still-life and nudes. Being considered one of the greatest and most successful photographers of all time, I don’t think he did too bad for himself.

So like Mr. Penn and many other artists with a similar short attention span and numerous interests, I will continue to juggle as I walk along the tightrope. If I were bad at any of the other interests I have, I would drop that object and no longer juggle it. I tried my hand at still-life years ago and the images were fine, but I wouldn’t consider myself good at it. I dropped it. I tried real estate photography and was just okay. Plus, I didn’t enjoy it. Dropped it.

But photographing people? I am good Rooster. I’m very good.

And I thoroughly enjoy it.

So I’ll continue to shoot portraits, nudes, swimwear, beauty, and street photography. I’m sure my audience of clients, models, photography enthusiasts, and art lovers can find the specific thing they like somewhere in that collage of creativity.

There’s something for everyone.

Life’s too short to place limits on ourselves based on degree of difficulty or plain ol’ fear. Yet it’s also too short to do everything. Like the person in my tightrope analogy, it’s all about balance.

It’s okay to juggle multiple disciplines. It can breath new life into you as an artist. It can keep things interesting. And maybe you’re good at more than one thing. Critics be damned.

But remember, you’re human, not an octopus.

Show off.

Hope you enjoyed this post!

Physical Media and The Film That Made Me A Photographer

War Photographer. A brilliant film from beginning to end. Highly recommended.

In 2006, I was exposed to a brilliant documentary entitled War Photographer. The film covered the work, life, and career of famed war photographer James Nachtwey. Having little to no knowledge about the masters of photography at that point, Nachtwey was completely foreign to me. But from the opening sequence of the documentary, I found myself having immense respect and appreciation for both the man and his work. Check out the trailer below.

The level of dedication Nachtwey has to his work, the people depicted in these war torn scenes, and the sensitivity in which he approached it all left a deep impression on me. It was then, I chose to be a photographer. I’ve always admired those with a zen like self-discipline to their craft or an endeavor they deem important. David Goggins comes to mind. Being laser focused in a pursuit or dedicating your life to some admirable goal is a quality I’ve always respected. Nachtwey’s documentary lit a fire under me that still burns to this day.

Recently I wanted to revisit the documentary; with my last viewing being in the early 2010’s. It would be nice to see it again with a more educated eye gained from years of experience as a photographer and just growth as a human being. But alas, it’s no where to be found on streaming websites. And that’s the challenge with streaming. While it offers us vast convenience and an incredible amount of new and old entertainment to consume, a lot of older and obscure films run the risk of being lost to time. Our culture has gotten away from physical media for a variety of reasons, but recently I’ve started to see the value physical media still holds.

After viewing the brilliant Oppenheimer in theaters, I considered what it would be like viewing at home. As a photographer, it’s often about image quality. We don’t want to obscure our precious images with low quality optics such as bad lenses or even UV filters. The quality of the image matters. With streaming, due to bandwidth limitations, you undoubtedly lose a lot from the original high quality footage. The shadows aren’t as deep, the colors aren’t as vivid, and the image isn’t as pristine as the original. So a film like Oppenheimer won’t look as good while streaming as it would on the 4K Blu-Ray that will release alongside it. The Blu-Ray can hold more data and isn’t limited by an internet connection. Most people won’t care, but for the enthusiast, or the image maker, it matters.

While I couldn’t find War Photographer on streaming, I could still purchase the DVD on Amazon, which I did. Buying a DVD in 2023 seems rather odd. Almost like buying a cassette tape in 2010. Admittedly, I haven’t bought an actual DVD since prior to 2010. I was one of those people who saw where the industry was going and jumped on the streaming bandwagon. How short-sighted and naive I was.

This DVD will become the first in a growing collection of films, documentaries, and tv shows I wish to have as a sort of personal archive. I want to experience these works in their highest quality and also have access to view them when they’re not available on streaming services. The industry pushes us to streaming and touts the benefits of convenience and abundance of options, but what about works that aren’t available? What about old movies or tv shows? Or even modern films known for their visual or audio fidelity? What’s being done to ensure older media stays accessible to a new generation of viewers?

Disney recently announced that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be its last physical media release. I expect much of the industry to follow suit with declining physical media sales yet manufacturing costs remain largely the same. Why sell physical media when no ones buying it? I get it. But it’s still sad and somewhat worrisome. Hopefully the industry is able to course correct and offer some sort of premium streaming option that delivers content in the best possible quality for those who meet the bandwidth requirements and/or willing to pay for the service. Or maybe an enterprising company will make an effort to archive a lot of older media to make available via streaming. I’m just brainstorming as I know the process will be complicated and mired in litigation over copyright, residuals, etc.

But in an age where we have access to near “sci-fi film” level technology, there’s no reason for us to lose so many wonderful films, tv shows, and documentaries due to laziness and bureaucracy.

A Fork Is Not A Knife

I’ve spoken about the importance of acquiring gear for a specific purpose and I think it’s often something we overlook during the purchasing phase. Blown away by specs or trying to get the most bang for our buck, it’s easy to expect one item to do it all. A swiss army knife if you will.

We only have to look to our common dining utensils, the fork and the knife, to understand the principle of specificity. The fork is for picking, lifting, and holding food. The knife is for cutting. It can be used in other ways, but its primary and best use is cutting. The fork is perhaps the more versatile of the two as if you were eating a piece of meat or vegetable, such as asparagus, you can pick it up and bite it like the caveman you are. But when you really need to cut something, the knife is the best choice.

Much discussion has occurred around camera formats in the digital age, namely due to sensor size. Medium format, Full frame, APSC, Micro four thirds, etc. Mirrorless. Mirrored. Or even the cameras within each of those formats. From full frame to smaller sensor formats there are a plethora of options available. Cameras for speed, cameras for image quality, cameras for video, cameras for fun. Some with interchangeable lenses. Some with fixed lenses. Some that are small and nimble. Some that are large and slow.

Budget is often a concern, so I do understand the importance of value. You want to squeeze as much use out of a single camera as possible. You want it to be able to handle any particular job you throw at it. But alas, this is often met by hitting the proverbial brick wall. In some way, it’s not quite suited for the task you’ve set for it. Like the fork, it may be versatile, but it isn’t a knife.

My advice? From the onset, think of your task. Can the fork work? Or do you need a knife? Maybe get the fork for now then add a knife later.

Food for thought. Terrible pun.

Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer is a tour de force of filmmaking. A three-hour epic that captivates from beginning to end. It should be required viewing in film schools. No obtuse, pretentious camera angles or overwrought, hideous color grading or fast cuts all over the place. It’s wonderfully nuanced with lots of attention paid to the pace of the film. Sometimes you experience art whether it be a film, an album, a drawing, etc. and you feel that what you’re experiencing was created with love and care. You can tell that Christopher Nolan loved every minute of the making this film. It shows on the screen. It’s like his own personal little love letter to cinema. Perhaps even a thank you note, lavishing cinema with his appreciation for making him the person he is.

The credits appeared and I sat in my seat in silence. I slowly got up and exited the theater in awe, pondering what I had just saw. I found myself struggling to find the words to critique it. I couldn’t find a single negative thing to say about the film. I daresay it’s perfect (to me).

It checks every conceivable box for greatness:

• Captivating, nuanced, and emotionally stirring performances from the star-studded cast? Check.

• A well written and an utterly fascinating story? Check.

• Cinematography that’s breathtakingly beautiful yet purposeful? Check.

• Sound design that gives weight, tension, and realism to the action and emotions onscreen? Check.

• Editing that pushes the pace of the film without feeling like whiplash or a slog? Check.

• Living up to the hype? Check. And check.

I really can’t fault the film. Bravo Nolan. Bravo. This is your masterpiece.

Oppenheimer is why I love films. Why I went to film school. Why I love going to the theater even if it’s waned in popularity in the past decade. It’s Best Picture and it’s not even close. My guess is Killers of the Flower Moon will win(for…reasons), but Oppenheimer deserves it most.

I’ll be seeing it a few more times during it’s theatrical window. Partly to study the film from a filmmaking perspective and also to enjoy the story again as a member of the audience.

I can’t recommend it enough.

Bravo.