Donald Ross Comes to Dinner

On Monday I had the pleasure of covering Rod Harter as Donald Ross at the 112th Women's Amateur Championship players' dinner. It started out as an insanely hot day. I can't believe that Donald didn't melt away in that wool suit. It was such a pleasure to watch him perform and entertain. I had no idea that the Donald was as popular as he is. People from all over the world were attending the dinner and many wanted portraits with Donald. Just goes to show how much I don't know about golf.


Here's a wee preview of some samples from the day. Just a couple candids. I love the personality here. I'll post more images once I'm done.

If you're interested in finding out about Rod Harter as Donald Ross, you can visit his website here.

CHECK OUT THIS KILLER SPEED RETOUCH BY MARINA DEAN-FRANCIS

Retouching is an art and I always enjoy watching time-lapse retouching videos. We get the ability to see something come together in just a matter of moments. Better yet, there's always something to learn from them too.

Check out the time-lapse retouching video below by photographer and retoucher Marina Dean-Francis. You can check out more of Marina's retouching work here and her photography here.

PHOTOGRAPHY PURISTS BEWARE!

It seems every field has its purists and the photography world is not without them. It's funny how we tend to argue the tech more than the art itself, it seems. Film is better than digital and vice versa. I'm a gear-head and love the tech, but I love it for the tech and what new kinds of tools it allows you use to create. I couldn't care less which one is better and which one makes me a "real photographer" or a real artist. The fact that I create and challenge myself to express makes me an artist. The mere tools don't make it so. Let me explain.

©Austin James Photo

In this digital world we care constantly bombarded with new ways to capture images, better ways to capture images, better resolution, insane lowlight capabilities and so on and so on ad infinitum. It's so easy to get caught up in that and make that the focus. I do it all the time. But more and more I'm discovering people that have pushed beyond those restricting ways of thinking and really creating some incredible work with what they have at hand. They have no care as to whether or not they are shooting with a $3,000 Nikon or Canon or the iPhone they just upgraded to for $99. What's important are the stories they are telling. And that's the name of the game. The story. Whatever medium you decide to use to create, just tell a friggin' compelling story.

Ian Ruhter's work

Ian Ruhter creates amazingly haunting work on gigantic plates of metal that run him somewhere around $500 a pop. You can see his work here www.ianruhter.com. He happens to be one of my favorite artists. Then on the other hand I stumbled up Lu Gen's work while reading an article on FStoppers this morning. The link to brief article is here [Fstoppers]. I was captivated and inspired when looking at his work. You can see it here VSCO Grid. And it's costing him nothing to create. Just the cost of the phone and whatever apps he uses.

Lu Gen's work taken with an iPhone

It's not the tools or the cost of those tools that makes the artist. Don't rely on some object to define or validate you as an artist. Let your work make it so. Screw the tech, but love it at the same time. I strive to achieve this level of artistry shown by both artists mentioned here. 

BE INSPIRED!

As artists, we struggle with inspiration. I know I do every day. What to write? What to shoot? What to edit? Where to START?


I look at the work of others and ponder where they get their inspiration. I long for that moment when the bells ring and that clear image materializes in my mind. Sometimes the bells go off. It just doesn't happen as often as I'd like. It leads me to wonder, do some of these artist that I look up to struggle as much as I do with this problem? I'm beginning to think that they do.

Joel Grimes

Joel Grimes is a photographer with immense talent, but he claims that he his hard work out-weighs talent every day. He says that he's had to work harder than many people he knows with more talent. Looking at his work and career, I think he's molded his talent into something incredible. His work is inspiring to me.

Benjamin Von Wong

Benjamin Von Wong shouts "BE INSPIRED". He's a conceptual and commercial photographer and artist. His work is epic, dramatic, and cinematic. I can't help but feel motivated when looking at his work. I want to grab my camera and run out the door.


The problem is, most of the time I don't know what to shoot. I have this feeling that these great artists just pull ideas out of nothing. That they are just endowed with some magic ability to create incredible things. That they shit creative ideas. Most of the time, I don't. And this is a struggle for me. I think this notion limits me and I think this notion affects others in the same way too.

Enter Joel Grimes and his words of wisdom. Hard work and work hard. I'm beginning to think that the inspiration just doesn't come to you. You have to work hard to create it and that comes from seeing others work. Creating works based off their work and eventually we'll find our own voice.

The shot below is a frame I snapped awhile back. I feel it speaks to my developing thoughts on inspiration. We sit in a dark room hunting for what we can't see. Step out into the light to see what's there waiting to be discovered.

©Austin James Photo www.austinjamesphoto.com

And that's just my two cents.

NEED A MAKEUP ARTIST OR STYLIST ON CALL? YEP, THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT!

I was out for my early morning web surf and stumbled upon this little gem, or rather, it appears to be a little gem. I've yet to try it out, but it looks promising. I'm developing a shoot over the next few weeks and I just might have to give this little diddy a try.

Like many people in my position, it seems I'm in a constant search for solid reliable people to collaborate. Many times that can be a daunting task in and of itself. Let's face it, no one wants to take a risk on someone they don't know, only to be left high and dry. How many times has that happened to you? And then, where do you begin the search in the first place?

GLAMSQUAD sells itself on being "the premier on-demand beauty service app that sends professionally trained and vetted stylists straight to your doorstep". How groovy is that? Sure, they're initially marketing to the masses, but think what this could do for us photographers? Could help in a pinch with those last minute cancelations, huh? Yep, this could be a handy dandy tool. Now we don't have to spend years sifting through the flakes and the flim-flams, because, now there is an app for that. Hell, you could have an affordable stylist at your doorstep within an hour that's ready to work magic based on the look you want and design from the menu within the app. Pretty nifty.

GLAMSQUAD is geared for the lady-folk, but plans to extend it's reach to fellas soon. Currently, it looks like it's only available for iPhone and iPad. Check it out here at the iTunes store. It's free!

Philip Bloom Will Blow Your Mind With This Sony a7S Video

It's easy for me to get carried away when it comes to gear. If I had the money, I know I would fill every available inch of space in my home with gear. Why? I love new technological advances. I love progress. And it's exciting to see what man can accomplish. Do I dislike the tools of the past? Oh hell no! I'm a gear-head. I can't help it.

That being said, when Sony announced the a7 and a7R, I was ready to jump out of my skin. Finally, mirrorless full frame with solid image quality! And Sony is a great company. I got my hands on the camera and loved it. Felt great in my hands. Sure, the shutter button wasn't in the right place for me. Or rather, it wasn't in the spot that I had grown accustomed to after shooting a dSLR for so long. No big deal. Adaption is a huge part of man's survival.

Can a camera look any more sexy?

Then Sony released the a7S. Being a photo and film guy, my head exploded to say the least. I don't really need to say much other than the low light capabilities are unbelievable. It literally turns night to day. 'Nough said.

Maleficent The Magnificent...Not So Much

Movie night. Popcorn, soda, and the hope of a magnificent adventure. Two hours of magic that pulls us away from our every day normal lives and pitches us into a world where anything and everything is possible. We gather like moths to a flame. Huddled in the dark with our favorite movie snacks waiting in anticipation for what's to come. This gets my motor going for sure. I love the movies, the theater, the whole experience! I'm a movie goer with very few prejudices. There's not much that I won't watch. I just love a good story. I go into every film with a sense of excitement and try to have no expectations. Just hope. Tonight, was like any other night. I had high hopes for tonight's choice, Maleficent.

Maleficent didn't quite live up to my hopes. The adventurous beginning got me excited. Disney did just what they do well. They set the scene in an exciting way that started to pull me in. I was ready for something cool. But then it didn't happen. Instead, it began to collapse in on itself like a flan in a cupboard. I'm not totally sure why, but the whole thing just felt suddenly rushed. There were minor consistency issues, which really aren't that bad. But they were there nonetheless. Character development just seemed poor and the overall feel of the film was moreover a bird's eye view of the story. I never felt like I was immersed in the storyline. Usually, Disney can nail that, when they nail it. 

So, I know this review is coming late. Maleficent is yesterday's news with so many other exciting films in and hitting the theaters. But this is just my two cents.