Happy November 2020!  We're still here!!

Since my last post there has been a wedding or two, taught a COMPTIA Sec+ course, and life just happens.  While falling asleep and thinking about all the stuff I could blog about, a thought struck.  Many times when talking to other photogs, I'll express that I literally own a Barnes & Noble library on the subject.  I've studied and read Kelby, Hurley, Orwig, Doorhorf, Freeman, and of course Mr. McNally.  And if you want to gain technical chops and inspiration, those are well worth it...and there's many many more.  I have them.

But this stack in this photo is special (and it's missing one, a very important one).

When I was in high school one of my study halls was in the library.  I loved the big picture books from Sports Illustrated or any large picture book.  I forgot all about that for many years.  After getting paid regularly for work and having all those tech books, one day I stumbled across Heisler's 50 portraits.  It was like going back 35 years sitting at that round wood table.  Not just big photos, but some of the most remarkable and with stories to go with each one.  And it made me so excited.  And there was something else...the accompanying stories about the people in the photos.  Wow, what great stories!  I liked this book so much I gifted one to a really great friend.

And that brings me to Annie's books.  A) Annie tells some amazing history about PEOPLE! and B) all while transferring a thought process and approach, often unique to every single photo. I'd so like to take her Master's Class, but I just don't have time.  I enjoy listening to her, but I am immensely thankful she took the time to produce these books.  Her imagery speaks for itself, and again, I can just study and contemplate her work for hours.

And Sally Mann did the same thing for me.  Her book caught my attention because there was some controversy about some of her imagery.  After reading her book, I thought, "People!  Mind your business.  See it, read it, think about it.  If you don't like an image, turn the page."  What a great book and again, great stories.  Just wonderful history, places, and people with awesome imagery to go along.

Lyndsay's book meant something to me because I also spent time in East Asia.  So I can see, smell and hear some of what she writes.  Again great stories about what happens in the line of photojournalism for those out there in faraway places recording history for all of us to see.  And it's alarming, exciting, and concerning to learn what goes on behind the scenes to make it happen.  Her imagery...superb.

That brings me to two more.  Nikki Sixx.  Who would have thought?  I liked the Crue but wasn't what you'd call a fan.  But once a metalhead...So I picked this up and dove in.  Man Nikki!  Thanks again for the personal stories about you and the band, but how you see and how you TREAT People, just blew me away.  I so thank you for a whole different perspective and genre that so few even think about diving into.  

Lastly, I think I lent my copy of Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher about Edward Curtis to my Dad.  For all us digital photogs out there all I have to say is:  "Don't ever tell me how hard it is."  When you put it all on the field as Curtis did, you put it all on the field.  It's unimaginable what his average day or night must have been like.  Whenever I think man, this shoot is rough, not working as it should.  I remind myself, I could have been in Curtis' shoes.

So that's it for a mild November evening.  Lots of shooting in the next few days.  But if I ever need a pick me up, a refresher, a way to forget all the garbage going on around us, I have these resources.  It just takes one chapter of any of them and the candle lights, the worries go away, and I get focused and excited about the next project.

Happy Shooting!