Nov 01

True Story – Courage and the Art of Giving Back

Friends. Please take the time to read a touching story by Jill Waterman entitled "Off the Map" about a fantastic student I met while speaking at the Brooks Institute of Photography. Her name is Michelle Nolan. When I speak publicly, I often refer to the importance of giving back to your community. Michelle's story and how she affected the life of a young boy undergoing cancer treatment, Rusty Cwiklis, is truly inspiring. If you're looking... read more ›
Oct 15

Don’t Worry, Just Focus. Please.

Argh. It seems that so many in our profession are worried about the future of the industry. I'm shocked really. First, it was paranoia by many that the digital age was somehow "harming" photography. That was true only if 1)you were a stuffy codger unwilling to embrace change and the opportunities that the digital age could bring, and 2)you were overly pretentious and in the dark about the intersection of art and commerce that is... read more ›
Oct 03

Puma Turns the Tide and So Can You

In true Seth Godin style (perhaps long before Seth was really cranking) Puma turned the tables on the sneaker industry. Now listen up people this is universally viable: if you're trying to make big steps in whatever you're doing, don't chase people around trying to be them! Innovate. It's the key to survival and growth, especially when the going gets tough. Fast company has a great piece online right now about turning the tides and... read more ›
Sep 27

Knights of Cydonia – Part II

So my good friend Ben Winters, VP at Uppercut Images sent me this response to my Aesthetics: Knights of Cydonia post at 2am after we missed connections at the DJ Krush show at Neumo's in Seattle. He wasn't down with using the 'comments' unfortunately, and wanted this off-list. I have subsequently negotiated his letting me post his sleepy 2am rant-but-on-point note here:Chase,As I sit awake now reading my email at 1 am after sleeping through... read more ›
Sep 26

Aesthetics and The Knights of Cydonia (And A Reminder)

Holy crap. I was reminded today in a strange way that good art is about vision and intention. It's less about the components and, ultimately, more about the process of DOING--the putting together of concepts. My good buddy Ben Winters from Uppercut Images turned me onto this brilliant video for the track 'Knights of Cydonia' by the band Muse. What I loved about it is that until I'd reflected on it properly, I didn't know... read more ›
Sep 23

Fresh Documentary Film Resource

I'm a huge fan of documentary films. Sometimes I like really weird obscure ones, but I'm also greatly satisfied by commercially successful (relatively speaking) and well done documentaries like Fast, Cheap and Out of Control, Scratch, and Winged Migration to name a few.Anyway, if you dig documentaries, you might want to check out this great link for 100 favorite documentaries I nabbed from BoingBoing and buy Kevin Kelly's PDF book featured therein.
Sep 23

Apple Is Toast!

News from 1995: Apple is going to be lucky to make it to the end of the year. Lot's of web traffic today on NY Times columnist David Pogue's brilliant and hilarious reminder here that know-it-all's are regularly known to be very wrong. Congrats to Apple for, well, giving them the finger. And all of us, take a lesson: critics are often angry, tired, cynical people living in dark apartments. Don't pay them the attention.
Sep 22

New and Old ‘Business of Photography’ Books You Should Read

Current Managing Director and lead legal counsel for the ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers - www.asmp.org), Victor Perlman, and former (retired) Executive Director of the ASMP, Richard Weisgrau, have recently co-authored an interesting book called Licensing Photography. You can review and buy "Licensing Photography" here It's one of the better titles that deals with the unique challenges facing photographers who are licensing their imagery in the new millennium. It’s noteworthy to realize that the... read more ›
Sep 21

Accidental Creative

Ever feel like your creative gas tank is struggling to stay full? When I bounce from project to project, shooting for one brand this week and another brand the next, I have to work hard at staying creatively disciplined so that I’m as fresh as possible.If you at all identify with this challenge, and you’re into podcasts, I’d recommend checking out Todd Henry’s Accidental Creative podcast (link should take you to iTunes podcast) and related... read more ›