All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

I will not be able to post anything for a short time because I have to go back to Florida and fix a problem. It appears as though the caretakers at my condo have proven themselves unreliable. Not as unreliable as Jack Nicholson character from "The Shining" but as close as you can get to that without attempting to murder your entire family with an axe.

Digital Pinhole Photography

  Bet you didn't think it was possible.  The first image is made from a lens constructed of aluminum foil. That is why there is so much feedback in the form of a burst of colors. The second image is a macro wide angle lens pinhole configuration which shows a close-up of a sewer cap or manhole, and the third  image is the equivalent of a 50mm lens and shows a chair thrown in Lake Michigan. Whom ever it was that threw the chair in the lake, I have one thing to say, "you're a douchebag."

Photography is not a Profession

   Since nobody who will be offended follows this blog I am going to speak my mind about "professional photography." Photography does not exist as a profession. For the last ten years I have made a modest living taking pictures for various clients. My financial problems have always stemmed from frivolous spending. I squander just about every dime I make and would sometimes prefer to tell my clients I am busy, simply because I would rather watch Caddyshack for the 1000th time, than take a picture of old grandma McGillicutty with her freshly woven quilt. Not all my assignments were this ridiculous but beggars can't be choosers.


You are not a professional just because you get paid to do something. I used to get paid to mow the lawn and take out the trash. Does this mean I am a professional lawnmower and trash taker outer. Professionals almost always require at least a four year degree and some sort of accreditation by other field professionals. Any job that has to use the tag "professional" in front of it is nothing of the sort. You ever heard of a professional doctor or freelance gynecologist. Anyone can pick up a camera and say I am a professional. And believe me when I say "They Do." I can't count the number of times I went on assignment and the soccer mom next to me, who had a rich husband, had better equipment than I.

In the beginning It felt good to tell people I was a photographer. Now I just feel like a jack@$$. Most of the knowledge I acquired in college regarding photo is useless today. Many photographers today don't know the first thing about the law of inverse squares, reciprocity, or the zone system.

Photography is a trade. It does require training and years to master but it is still just a trade. Trades are jobs that produce tangible goods. Professionals are hired for what they know not what they produce. The architect designs the building and is paid for what he knows. The tradesman (carpenters and construction workers) are paid for what they produce. I did not go to college to be a laborer.

Furthermore it has become very clear to me that the trade of photography has become enveloped with billions of photographers. That is why so many clients are quick to haggle you down. If you don't budge they will find someone with a skill level they are comfortable with that will. I'm not saying there are not clients out there that will pay a pretty penny for what you can produce. I once got paid $4,200 for taking some product shots that I completed in half a day. However, at times when the economy is bad, everyone is looking to pinch pennies. If you are going to stay afloat as a tradesman you will have to adjust your business accordingly. Photography is a business for skilled tradesmen. I will have to say I am tired of playing the game. Sometimes I feel like I would rather dig ditches for peanuts than help million dollar corporations make another million off my images.

I always new I had a problem with my so-called profession. Now I have been able to verbalize it. I have come to terms with my mediocrity and lack of prowess and see that my only option is return to school. Of course first I must get my credit cleaned up enough that I can steal more money from the government. Just kidding, but not really.

This is a really cool street performance. You think the drummer for Iron Butterfly needed discipline to get through his inagaddadavida drum solo. Check this out. FYI, performers in the streets of chicago pay a fee of $100 per year to perform in the streets. These are not homeless, no talent, losers. They are artists.

Agora

I saw "Agora," for the first time. It is a permanent sculpture piece in Grant Park on the south end of Michigan Ave. The work was created by a Polish artist named Magdalena Abakanowicz. Agora was a place of public assembly for Greek city-states. People would gather in the Agora for military purposes and public assembly. This piece is very military in structure but at the same time displays a sense of choas. Each individual sculpture has similar qualities but the details that make up those qualities are very different. I will have to say I was feeling a little uneasy and somewhat agoraphobic walking through this piece.

Self Portrait

I feel like I have been through hell and back. I will be the agent of my own salvation. The war is over and now it is time to rebuild.

The EYE

I went to see the eye today. It is a public art piece created by Oak park artist Tony Tasset. There has been some public debate on whether it is "art or crap." A lot of Tasset's work has been tongue-in-cheek and the public in general seems to love it. They all loiter around it with their cameras and come from across town to see it. Art is in the eye of the beholder. One man's trash is another's treasure. I will say that it is hard not to admire. All 30 feet of it. And it took a lot of skill and planning to create and display it. It also makes me wonder what would posses someone to create something like this.

                        It is thought provoking and visual. I would say it is definately art.

Bizarre Foods in Chicago

Andrew Zimmern, of the travel Channel's Bizarre Foods, was at a restaurant in Chicago called Xoco this summer. The question on everyone's mind was what bizarre food was being featured. They have a Goat Barbacoa Torta which was suggested as a possibility. That torta (mexican sandwich) consists of oaxacan pasilla-tomato salsa, avocado, onions, cilantro and Goat of course. But I guess we will have to tune in to find out.

Cool Water Sailing

I'm going sailing on Lake Michigan on a Hobie Cat on Tuesday. I am praying that my sailing knowledge is still sound even though I have not sailed in years. I do not want to turn this boat over. The water in Lake Michigan is too cold for this Florida boy.  I keep trying to remind myself not to Jibe if the wind is too strong. Nothing wrong with a chicken jibe. Once I get used to the rigging I will feel more confident.

Ridin' that train

Chaos

I have been reading about chaos theory. There is both order and disorder in chaotic systems. Just the slightest disturbance can change the way a system behaves. This makes me question the significance of all my actions and the actions of people around me. For instance the butterfly effect. The simple flapping of a butterfly's wings in one part of the world can bring a disturbance that can grow so rapidly at an exponential rate causing storms on the other side of the earth weeks later. Wow!!!!! Is this possible? Not sure I am buying it but it is an interesting theory.

blogging about blogging

Thought I would try out the blogging thing. Maybe I can learn something about the world or myself.