PixelatedImage Blog

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This evening I leave for El Salvador and will be there shooting for World Vision until Friday the 30th. I then fly to Malawi, shoot for a week, then fly to Uganda and shoot there for a week before coming home. Gone from November 24 to Dec.16th. Click here to see the insane flight schedule I’m on.

It’s unusual for me not to get internet access at least once every couple days, so feel free to stay in touch with me by email, or by leaving a comment - I’ll be checking in here as frequently as I can.

Today was one of “those” days. I’m in the final stages of preparing to leave on assignment and in the middle of doing some routine stuff this morning (backing-up my laptop, ironically) my laptop harddrive died. I’m sick and was hoping for a day of lying around recovering. Instead I spent it freaking out and running around. In the end I took my laptop and my most recent back-up drive to my friend Rick at the Mac Market in Vancouver. He dropped a new drive in and restored it from the back-up. I lost a few emails and odds and ends from the last day or two, nothing more. This, class, is why we practice paranoia, and hone it to a razor-sharp edge.

I also bought a second digital data-bank and dropped a 120gb drive into it - because now I’m scared as hell that my laptop is going to die again and I want more than redundant systems, I want to be able to back-up my images even if the four horsemen of the technological apocalypse ride in and open the seven seals on me.

Then I got home and the internal battery that keeps date/time stuff current in my 5D died. So another errand to find a couple of those and dig out one of those little tiny screwdrivers for unscrewing little smurf-sized screws.

Lessons learned - shit happens and usually all at the same time.

*If you emailed me today and I didn’t reply - try again, it might be one of the unread emails now sitting at the bottom of the sea of lost harddrives.

** Turns out the MacBook drives are notorious for overheating and dying. So I also got one of these: KoolSink

I’ve spent more time than usual on the blogs and the forums these days, watching a number of youTube video presentations of photographers in action, studio set-ups, and multi-media presentations. As always the quality goes from good to mediocre - but what the majority of these presentations share is an unabashed willingness to use the music of VanHalen, Peter Gabriel, U2, and a host of others.

Folks, if we want our copyrights protected and defended, it starts with us. No ifs, no ands, no buts. I’m the first to admit to being an idealist, so I’m ok with the reality that what I am about to say will be dismissed by many of the readers here. But if you willingly violate another artist’s copyright, you have no business asking for protection of those self-same rights. Strong language, I know. I’m not trying to be a downer here - but if the photographic industry persists in this hypocrisy we’ve already lost.

The thinking that no one will notice, that it doesn’t hurt anyone, that it’s just cheaper this way - that’s the same thinking that will be going on in the mind of the person who “borrows” your images, photoshops out the watermark, and posts it online or uses it in lieu of spending a buck at CheapStockPhoto.com.

Copyright guarantees us the right to say who uses our art and who doesn’t, who pays for it, and who doesn’t. And it guarantees that right to the musicians we keep ripping off. It’s time for a little integrity here, folks. There’s plenty of royalty-free stuff out there, and everyone knows a struggling band or musician who’d be happy to get some airtime - do the right thing and we’ll all win.

I will now climb off my soapbox.

A quick tip for the paranoid travelling photographer.

Your Gmail Safety Deposit Box
Worried about losing stuff while you travel? Send an email to yourself at an internet-based email service, like Gmail before you travel. I copy a list of my important serial numbers, copies of my passports, and a list of “Oh Shit!” numbers - insurance, medical, client numbers, consulates, etc.- if my passports get stolen I have a good scan of both of them in my gmail inbox. If my credit card goes missing - same thing - I have emergency numbers accessible from anywhere in the world with an internet connect - and I have yet to be where there isn’t one.

Take a moment and make some lists, email them to yourself, and they’ll always be there for you.

Customs Concerns? Keep Your Receipts
If you’ve ever worried about being held up in customs with your gear, you can either get a customs carnet which is an increasing hassle. Or you can keep a copy of the receipts for your gear. I keep an envelope in my bag -it contains copies of receipts for my laptop, cameras, and lenses. Weighs next to nothing and is an easy proof that your gear came from where you said it did. If you’re scanning these and printing them, take an extra minute and email them to the same account you sent the other stuff to.

Remember, a little paranoia goes along way.

Welcome to Photoshop TV viewers. The original Top Ten list for Travelling Photographers is HERE

Looking for more ideas? Here’s a few that didn’t make the original list.

1. Hoodman HoodLoupe. I know Scott Kelby plugs this alot, but it’s amazing and travelling photographers are shooters who spend time outside, where this really shines. Link HERE

2. Jobo Giga Vu Pro Evolution - The Epson P3000/P5000 gets all the press, but my experience with them was less than stellar. The Jobo unit however seems to not only function as well, or better, but is built for life on the road. It’s armoured and built like a tank. And it comes in capacities up to 120GB. Link HERE

3. Solar Charger from Bulldog PowerPak - No power, no batteries, no shooting. If you’re on the Mongolian Steppes or in the Sahara and you got there by horse or camel, you’re going to need power. These units come in a smallish Pelican case and can power all your gear. Link HERE

4. Water Filter from Seychelle Filters - I use tablets for short-term use, but if you’re gone for a while and off the beaten track, a water filter will prevent all kinds of badness. Focussing while vomitting is tough work, harder still with diahrea. Link HERE

5. Universal Plug Adaptor - Road Warrior - These are adaptors, not convertors, but as most gear is dual-voltage these days, this may be all you need. Link HERE

6. Arctic Butterfly Sensor Brush Bundle - The spotty sensor is the curse of the digital age. For most of us it’s a reality that we just learn to deal with. Carrying a sensor-cleaning kit isn’t even optional for most of us. This one has it all - brushes, sensor loupe, swabs. Link HERE

7. Membership with NAPP - For all the resources NAPP provides for the cost of membership it practically pays for itself - Link HERE

8. A language course from Rosetta Stone - Learn a little french, spanish, or Hindi and you’ll be that much closer to connecting with the cultures you want to photograph, or asking for a ride to the ruins, or ordering water bufallo momos. Mmmmmmm…Momos. Link HERE

9. A camera strap from UpStrap. Truly amazing straps. Most of the gifts I’ve suggested are over $100 - these straps aren’t. And your favourite photographer will love (no - LOOOOOOVE) it. Link HERE

10. Still can’t decide on something? A gift certificate from B&H photo comes nicely packaged with a catalog and puts that painful task of deciding back into the hands of your favourite photographer. Link HERE.

Got a favourite, or an item you’d like to see under the tree? We’d love to hear about it.

I’m back from meetings in LA, and now on the final days of packing, laundry, cleaning gear, and spending last few precious moments at home before I head out. This marks the beginning of my season of Chaos - in the next three months I’ll shoot El Salvador, Malawi, Uganda, Tunisia, and a yet-undecided country in S.E.Asia. I’ll let you know when I do.

Chase Jarvis said something in his talk in NY recently - that the secret to wowing a client is to under-promise and over-deliver. I’ve thought alot about that proposition in the last week, specifically the over-deliver part. At my client meetings last week I was told I’d saved the client $25,000 in post-production costs, that’s why I’m thinking about this. Because great photography - to the client - is more than just great images - it’s a package. I’m learning just how important this is to my clients with every assignment.

My recent Self-Promotion series talked about marketing yourself in terms of benefits to the client - clearly part of that is your unique style and your ability to bring home better images than the client - or you - thought you might. That’s key. But if you can offer them other benefits - better images, better files, better workflow, better relationships - you’ll become increasingly valuable to them.

So over-deliver, but be careful with the degree to which you under-promise. It’s important to you to be able to sell the full package that is Brand You to your prospective clients. I’m not disagreeing with Chase, lord knows his experience is greater than my own - I’m just offering a different perspective on the same principle. Don’t sell yourself short, but give the client more than you promise.
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If you aren’t already reading FreelanceSwitch, you should be. They recently ran a great piece called Differentiate or Die: Marketing’s Magic Bullet

Once you’ve read that, there’s a two piece article on writing the copy for your website. Links: Part One, Part Two.

I’m flying to LA today for a series of meetings, so this blog is entering Silent Bob mode. Curiously, last time I flew to LA, Silent Bob himself (aka screenwriter/actor/director Kevin Smith) sat beside me in the executive lounge at YVR. Cool, eh? All that to say I’ll be out of touch for a couple days. Which is probably ok - it’ll give all you slackers the time to do your homework and reply to the READER POLL.

I love the serendipity that the universe throws around. A couple years ago I saw Matt Brandon’s photography and was immediately drawn to it. Matt shoots intimate environmental portraits and is excellent at capturing the spark of God’s image that we all carry.

Soon afterwards we connected on TPN. Now together we run LUMEN DEI - a photo tour and workshop unlike any other. This year, like last year, the Lumen Dei tour is in Kashmir, one of my favourite parts of the world, filled with some of my favourite people. (for more information on the Lumen Dei Kashmir 2008 tour, click HERE.)

Today Matt posted a slideshow of his Kashmir work - only a sample of it, he lived there for a dozen years - and it’s worth taking some time to look at. See it on YouTube HERE.

Matt’s website is HERE, his blog is HERE.

I spent twelve years in comedy doing an interactive stage act, so believe me when I say I know the dread that fills yer wee heart when I tell you I need some volunteers for this next trick.

I’m all about spreading the love and sharing the knowledge. And you folks have plenty of both. So, time for a reader’s poll.

You’re travelling, and apart from camera, lenses, cards/card reader, batteries, laptop - what are the 5 accessories/pieces of gear you dread travelling and/or shooting without.

This is your chance to give a shout-out to that favoured piece of gear, or the new thing-with-which-your-photographic -life-is-not-worth-living.

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On a related note, Scott Kelby’s Gonzo Gear Guide is now out and available for your free viewing pleasure. Follow the links HERE

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While we’re talking about gear - I’ve had a bit of a fixation lately on bomb-proof travel gear. Perhaps you’ve picked up on that. Mostly it’s due to me being at the immediate threshold of my busy time and heading back out on assignment. I hate spending money on junk; I can’t afford it. I’d rather spend $100 once than $50 three times. My search for truly mighty travel clothes has led me to FILSON (link HERE) and while much of their stuff is a little too "great white hunter" for me, they have some great clothes that photographers would love - strong fabrics, pockets to lose yourself in, and a catalogue with some great photographs. Check out the Antique Cloth Ranier Pants. I could live in these. I bought two pairs in Seattle this weekend and I’m in love with them already.

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Reminder - reader poll: 5 pieces of gear. Comments are open.

Once in a while I post the flight itinerary for an upcoming assignment. For some it will give an idea of the kind of travel and routing involved in international assignment work, for others it’ll just give you a reason to laugh at me.

So for my coming assignments in El Salvador, Malawi, and Uganda, behold:

Vancouver to Los Angeles to San Salvador
One week shooting in El Salvador
El Salvador Washington DC to Johannesburg. Overnight in Jo’burg, Jo’burg to to Lilongwe, Malawi
One week shooting in Malawi
Malawi to Nairobi, Kenya to Entebbe, Uganda
One week shooting in Uganda
Entebbe to Addis Ababa to Frankfurt via Khartoum to Vancouver

According to WebFlyer.com’s mileage calculator (link HERE) - that’s close to 25,000 miles from pillar to post.

These ones were a little tough to schedule. In part that’s because of the time-frame and the need for me to get where I am going quickly to be there for shooting. In part it’s because I’ve learned a few things and have begun making my preferences strongly known.

1. Never Fly Through Heathrow
If it can be avoided, I don’t fly through Heathrow. Their cary-on restrictions are unbending at the moment, and I carry much of my gear onto the plane. The last thing I need is trouble with this, and I’m already pushing it a little. Heathrow, until things settle down (is that even likely?), is one airport I avoid.

2. Fly Your Alliance.
Your elite status gets you a number of benefits that work to ensure that you get where you need to be, your gear gets there, and you do so in the greatest comfort possible. The best way to get your elite/gold status is to keep travelling with one alliance wherever possible. My Elite/Gold status is so important to me I’d buy a discount flight at year end to make up the difference I needed to qualify. I’ve never had to, not by a long shot, but I would. Flying one carrier alliance, and getting your gold status, is the single best way to ensure you get there with the least amount of trouble. If my clients pay for me to get to Malawi, and my gear and I don’t show up, it’s a very big deal. Taking the time to get routing that avoids trouble is more than worth it, it’s necessary.

3. Take a Layover at Night
If possible, schedule your layovers so they occur overnight. Then get to a nearby hotel and get a decent night’s sleep. It beats spending 14 hours in Frankfurt staring at the concrete and then boarding a red-eye that gets you on location just in time to shoot.

Your clients will appreciate you looking out for them, and one of the best ways you can do that is taking all possible steps to be there, with your gear, on time and as rested as possible. Now if only I could convince them to book me in the big seats.