I recently got a flood of questions via Twitter asking about developing a personal photographic style, which made me think about a million conversations I've had with my photographer buddies over the years... And I was wishing I had recorded those. And then I remembered that I DID have one that I recorded from an old chasejarvis LIVE with my pal Zack Arias. He's a fun guy, great shooter and very talented photography instructor. Here's... read more ›
Sep
27
Sep
23
Few people that I know who have ever encountered photographer Chris Jordan's work can dismiss or forget it, let alone NOT be inspired to action. Here's a re-watch of this TRULY inspiring chasejarvisLIVE episode with the eye-opening Mr. Chris Jordan. Wondering about how to leave your safe job and become a photographer? Want to get out from under that blanket of creative & professional fear? Want a cause-based vision for your photography? Want... read more ›
Sep
16
Hey friends. Erik the video guy here. We’ve had a bunch of YOUR questions come in about what gear/process/technique we used to make the Dasein docu-short we posted a couple days ago so I thought I’d chime in with a quick gear- and technique-specific follow up on how this film was made. First, Chase was the director on the project but wanted to remain focused simply on the overall look and feel. Plus, since he... read more ›
Sep
14
You have certainly heard this from me before, but the more I think about it, study it, and live it, the more I can say definitively that the photographic snapshot has quietly emerged as one of our culture's--if not the world's--most unsung creative heroes. (Here's some deeper explanation.) This little film is an exploration and summary of some thoughts and personal experiences, having just recently carved out a month to live with the... read more ›
Sep
07
Want to know about commitment to your art? Think you have what it takes? Listen up. For the last 40 years, Sam Abell has worked as a documentary photographer, primarily for National Geographic. In this video interview for the Atlantic (created by Alex Hoyt & Ross McDermott), Sam recounts his year-long quest to find the perfect image for a story. No excuses about modern timelines, budgets, or any of that. When was the last time... read more ›
Sep
06
Lots of people would have called Chris Jordan crazy to leave a career as a well-paid attorney to pursue a career as a fine art photographer with a cause-based mission to document the human impact on the world. That is, they would have called him crazy, until they saw his work and the impact that work is having. Gallery shows, museums, speaking gigs, documentary films, and moving the world to action. That's why you must... read more ›
Sep
02
Damn if the weather this summer hasn't alternated between drought conditions and torrential storms. One week the plants are wilting, the next, they're looking for a snorkel, trying their damnedest not to drown. Sorta the same with people. For us USA'ers, this weekend is a holiday weekend, but regardless where you are, this weekend largely marks the beginning of a seasonal shift. As such, I've found 9 reasons that you should get off your arse,... read more ›
Sep
01
The following is a transcription excerpt from a conversation a while back on #cjLIVE between yours truly and my dear friend, Pulitzer Prize winning photographer and filmmaker Vincent Laforet where we discuss gear, professional career, creative vision and more. We've got it on video (link at end of this post), but I think the transcript is nice because you can skim the conversation in just a couple minutes. And there are some nuggets in there... read more ›
Aug
29
Inspiration can come from anywhere, and books have always been a great source for me. But so many of the books that are recommended in creative circles are solely how-to. How to be more creative, how to be less afraid, how to make the business or career of your dreams, etc. If put in balance with other reading this can be great, important stuff. But it's not a magic bullet and their normally not prescribed... read more ›
Aug
24
Animated gifs have become an internet favorite. And for good reason; a little bit of movement can go a long way in making an image come alive. But let's take a geek peek at the history and evolution of these suckers. Me thinks you'll likey. In the early days, photogs made use of the stereoview. A stereoview is two photographs of the same scene taken from two slightly different perspectives, mounted side by side on... read more ›