Guest Post | Chase Jarvis

Feb 15

10 Tips to Help Photographers & Creatives [that’s YOU] with Contracts

Are you a photographer, filmmaker or creative type and find yourself bogged down by contracts and legal documents? No where to turn? Do contracts make you want to scream? Well hello friends. It's me Kate, Executive Producer over here at Chase Jarvis Inc. One of my roles as EP is to deal with all of the legal schmegal that comes through our shop and --while I have an excellent lawyer... read more ›

Jan 25

No, But I Can Learn

Do you know how to load a roll of film? Work a light meter? Edit slides on a light table? Scan film? Color correct scans? Track a photo inventory? Submit photos to clients? Work with a stock agency? Make prints? Pack a camera bag? Ship equipment? Set up lights? Scout a location? Drive on the left side of the road? Order food in French? Clean a digital sensor? Work in Photoshop? Create a workflow? Edit... read more ›

Jul 15

5 Crucial Tips To Get Your Photo Busine$$ Books in Order

I learned over time that as photographers, filmmakers and independent artists, we're also entrepreneurs running our own small businesses. Since I'm not all that business minded I've had learn as much as I can while surrounding myself with smart biz-oriented people who can help. Enter stage left Mara, our on-staff accountant. Going forward, I've got a goal that she will be able to shed a lot of light on the $$ and business side of... read more ›

May 04

Zen & the Art of Production: 12 Tips for a Smooth Photoshoot

Hi friends. Kate here again. I've been reading your questions lately, I've noticed that many are about production. It's no doubt that shooting days can be stressful: you have a set of objectives that need to be accomplished, time is limited, the client is present, weather, travel, lodging and permits may be a factor, you're coordinating people and there are always little surprises that crop up. Plain and simple, there are just lots of moving parts... read more ›

Apr 22

10 Things You Want To Know From an Art Director

Want a better chance of getting hired? Read this: There are raging debates online all over the place about how to approach Art Directors and Creative Directors to show work. Email them, or don't. Do backflips for them, send them a carrier pigeon, only send a book, etc. Frankly, it's all over the damned map. As it turns out, some of those folks are my friends and they want to help us help them. And... read more ›

Apr 19

That DAM Travel Gear for Photo & Video

Howdy Y'all, Dartanyon again responding to an important gear question we get asked all the time. We spend a great deal of time out on location, and as Chase's last series of blog posts clearly shows that it's not all hotel rooms and poolside locations. Sometimes we’re at 12,000 feet above sea level snowshoeing to location, and carrying "extra" stuff is not practical. Over the last 4 years I have refined my traveling gear considerably,... read more ›

Apr 14

Tax Prep for Photographers & Filmmakers

Kate stepping in here to give you a bit of info from the business side of photography & filmmaking, this time about taxes. Yes, it is that time of year again. If you're in the ol' USA and didn't already know it, the due date for 2010 US Federal taxes has been extended to April 18, 2011. That may be really great news to anyone scurrying around to finish up taxes at the last minute. ... read more ›

Feb 17

How to Scout Locations for Photo & Video: Part 3 – Gear & Planning

[Howdy, Scott here again. This is the third of a three part series on the steps I take when location scouting as Chase's lead assistant. In the first two posts we discussed virtual scouting and weather. Now we've done everything that we can do from a desk and it's time to put the rubber to the road. Good old fashioned Location Scouting.] Let's assume we have decided on a region we think will have the... read more ›

Feb 11

The Photo/Video Travel Drive: Dartanyon’s Essential Gear

Hey there y'all, Dartanyon here making a guest post appearance... In this installment of [my] Essential Gear, I'd like to talk about something I don't leave home without: my travel drive. A travel drive is an external hard drive filled to the brim with the software, tools, and settings, that are so often overlooked as part of location computer setups. There are several scenarios where you may need to carry one of these, perhaps you're traveling without... read more ›

Feb 03

Location Scouting for Photo & Video: Part 1 – Virtual Scouting

----- [Want to know how we choose where to shoot our most important photo and video projects? Tune in! I'm Scott - Chase's right hand man - and this guest blog post is the first in a series of three where I'll be covering the steps I take in the role of Chase's lead assistant that pertain to scouting shoot locations. This first post will go over the process of selecting locations from the comfort... read more ›