I do not do a lot of studio photography, I’m not sure why. It’s a part of  GRT2 Studios‘s business mix but we seem to get pulled in on live evenst or location photography/video projects.

Saturday night at Gangplank, I booked a session to shot the fellas from ASH (Arizona Stronghold) Music. Ten guys – individual photos and group shots.

I tested everything. Made sure the lights were positioned approximately where they needed to be. White balance set. Flash Set. The shoot was all systems go from the photographer’s point of view. (Remember that sentence.)

I photographed the first three guys as a group and then let them get comfortable and “mug” for some individual photos. Repeat two or three times and everyone is photographed including many group shots. (I got the shots I need to deliver a great product to the client.) I sent for the next group of guys when I knew I had the photos needed.

As a photographer, I know when I capture an image that works. I see the shot on my camera’s LED display or on  a monitor when I shoot tethered and know when I have the photo.

I get a call the next day saying that some of the guys felt rushed through the shoot and didn’t feel like they got their money’s worth. I listen to the client, I understand his point of view, I recognize where I went wrong and I agree to re-shoot anything if they are not happy with the photographs delivered – all I want is a happy client.

This is where I went wrong. Sometimes people want to get the photo shoot over with and just want great usable photos delivered. Other times, clients want the experience of getting their photo taken. I FAILED to recognize who I was working with and that’s entirely my fault.

I knew however incredible the images were I deliver the client still wouldn’t be happy. In their mind I cheated them of the experience. They were paying me for the experience as well as the delivered photos.

This week I’ll schedule time and re-shoot any one who is unhappy because I want everyone I work with to have a great photo experience from GRT2 Studios.

If you take anything away from this post take this with you: Recognize who you are working with. Are they there solely for the images or are they there for photographs and the experience. We are the professionals and it’s our responsibility to meet the client’s needs and expectations whatever it may be.

Any other photographers ever experience this? Leave a comment and let me know how you handled it or what  you think of this situation.

Let me clarify…how do you get your photos viewed? Do you care about it?

I take photographs because I like capturing an image or moments. I’ve never been concerned about art for commercial sake but I do like people viewing my work. I’ve never had an exhibit (though I do have one planned) and I’ve never been in any photography shows but I have had my photos seen by the public. How? Through the use of Social Media.

I am a bit of a Social Media nerd…there I said it. Through various Social Media efforts I have had people whom I admire and respect view, critique, hate and/or compliment my work. I post photos to Flickr, tweet about them and I have my Flickr stream automatically update my personal Facebook page. To me as someone who is making a name for myself these are very powerful tools.

I guess I could have taken a more conventional route – I could have called a curator for photo exhibits and submitted my work. But why? The power of social media allows me to interact with people who in many cases I don’t even know their real name – but  value their feedback. Social Media has allowed me to “push” out my photographs to people in my virtual network and have them tell their circles about my work. Real people and many times to people I haven’t even met. The power of Social Media is amazing when put to proper use...

My Question To You…

Is Social Media an important tool for you to get your work seen? Do you care if no one ever sees your work? Is this a topic worth exploring here – Social Media and The Photographer?

To view my complete photography portfolio please visit www.grtaylor2photo.com

I bet whatever skill level a photographer you consider yourself you probably didn’t start there. Right? How did you get to your level?

I am the first person to critique myself as a photographer and say that I am not the most technical. I studied marketing in college and not photography/fine art. My photo education has been one of taking pictures, asking for critique and trial and error. After that took me to an artistic plateau I needed something else – I wanted to get better. I wanted people to view my photos and consider them art rather than snapshots. (Every day I set out to take photos I keep that thought in mind – “Make ART!”)

The next level of growth happened when I started asking other photographers questions and started collaborating.

I learned to place high value on collaboration over competition in art and photography. It’s how I’ve been able to grow as a photographer and acquire new skills. Here are three ways I like to collaborate with other photographers:

PHOTO WALKS: Go out and make some photographs other people. Talk about what you see – discuss settings, technique, composition and anything else. Watch how the other photographers work and periodically view their images. (Just yesterday I went on a photo journey to Four Peaks with my brother. We talked about photography and whatever else came to mind.) Scott Kelby has initiated an annual photo walk which takes place in cities all ove the country – this is a great place to start.

DIGITAL PHOTO FORUMS: I subscribe to many photo blogs and photo newsletters. This is a great place to see what other photographers are doing and to hear about their photo adventures etc. My favorite website is Digital Photography School. DPS is broken into three sections – Tips & Tutorials, Cameras & Equipment and Post Production. I value this site as an important resource to interact with other photogs through comments and get critique of my work.

PHOTO PROPERTIES & EXIF SETTINGS: This is a great way to learn about making photographs. EXIF is a technical standard for storing information about each photo that you take with your digital camera. EXIF information is automatically captured in each photo file when you take each picture, and includes the date and time the photo was taken, the manufacturer and model name of the camera taking the picture, as well as a plethora of other useful information about your camera’s aperture setting, shutter speed, focal length, metering mode, and ISO speed. One of the brilliant things about FLICKR (and other photosharing sites) is that you can make your EXIF data public. (Click here to see the settings for the above photo.) Whenever I see a photo I really like I always see if the EXIF data is available. This level of transparency is a huge help to others and it’s why I share the data of every photo I post to Flickr.

This is just a short list of three ways to learn from other photographers. There are so many more ways but these three are the ones that helped me grow as a photographer and take things to the next level. When you help someone grow only good can come out of it.

How did you learn your photography skills? Do you have any favorite ways to collaborate with other photographers? How do you feel about transparency? Please leave a comment and let’s get a dialogue going. Thanks for reading.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here are links to some Photo365 projects from the photographers I spoke to about this post. Check out their work and let them know what you think.

Erin Taylor-Bell’s Project
Devon Adams’ Project
Stacy Ericson’s Project
Allan Saw’s Project

Here are links to where you can find other Photo365 projects – or create your own.

365 Project
Flickr’s 365 Days Photo Group

I want to know about your photo / art projects for 2010 – leave a comment and let us know. It’s all about collaboration! This blog places a high value on collaboration over competition!

My complete photography portfolio can be viewed at: www.grtaylor2photo.com

I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions unconsciously set you up for failure and who wants to fail. Not me.

Let’s face it 2009 was a rough year for everyone – but I can still count the many blessings that 2009 brought me.

2009 was the year I got my health in order and discovered what was really important. (Sidenote: I got fired – not layed off, straight up canned in November 2008 for some BS. Yep, I got fired from a job I freaking hated every minute of. I was bummed for maybe 20 minutes and then this amazing feeling came over me – FREEDOM. I traveled for four months off and on rediscovered my hapiness.) Money, material things and the like are cool – but in 2009 I set my priorities right. I’m no longer chasing pipe dreams and bar plans. That doesn’t mean I don’t have goals and aspirations but they are more aligned with the bigger picture.

That brings us to my Declarations for 2010. These are things that I focus on during the next year.

HEALTH: I will continue my pursuit of fitness. I will continue my pursuit of clean eating. I will continue my adopted vegetarian lifestyle. I will limit unnecessary late nights and make sure that I listen to what my body needs.

PHOTOGRAPHY: I will continue to make pictures at every opportunity. I will continue my pursuit to being the best photographer I can. I will have an exhibit in August for my 40th birthday. I will continue my informal study of the masters of photography. I will continue my pursuit of knowledge by asking questions, answering questions and discussing photography with others.

PERSONAL: I will continue to be a friend and a trusted confidant. I will continue my pursuit of being the best person I can. I will make sure that I tell the people in my life how grateful I am for their love, friendship and support. I will engage in off-line social activities in Tempe / Phoenix with the great people of Social Media in AZ (I will let myself be known to everyone in person rather than in 140 characters.)

PROFESSIONAL: I will continue to hone my craft and ward off complacency at every turn. My focus will be on achieving results that help my clients move toward their goals. I will continue to be a conduit of information, ideas and creativity.

There it is – posted to live forever. Here’s a question to anyone who reads this and to everyone: What are you going to do in 2010?

To view my complete photography portfolio please visit:www.grtaylor2photo.com

Yes it’s that time of year again…Everyone reflects about the previous twelve months and compiles a list. Some lists are made of resolutions – but not mine. This list isn’t just another Top 10 List – It’s my list. It’s my list of more things that I want more of in 2010!

Best Movie: The Hangover – one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen in a theater. No, I’ve never passed out and been face to face with Mike Tyson’s tiger. (Sorry if you were living under a rock and didn’t see the movie and I spoiled it for you.) I have however gone on a bender and woke up the next day and wondered what the hell happened and who do I need to apologize to?

Best Concert or Live Show: This was a close one but after really thinking about it – It’s Rusted Root and Crowfield at The Marquee Theater in Tempe.

It’s been years since I’ve seen Rusted Root and honestly if their PR Agency hadn’t given me photo access I wouldn’t have gone. It would have been my loss. The band sounds just as good as ever. Another thing about this show was the opening band Crowfield from Charleston, SC. Crowfield is band on the verge of getting popular. (Check them out on iTunes or wherever.) I bought their disc and it’s in constant rotation in my car.

Favorite Travel Spot of 2009: Boise, ID. We went to see friends in Boise on our way to Yellowstone National Park and The Grand Tetons in Jackson Hole, WY. I had never been to Boise before and didn’t know what to think. I was amazed. It’s a great small city that reminds me a lot of Denver only smaller and a little like Tempe but only larger.

Non Music Related Event: The Redneck Olympics on the Mogollon Rim. Buy me a beer sometime and I’ll tell you the stories. (Maybe.)

Favorite Restaurant: This category had to be broken into two – lunch and dinner.

Lunch: Green New American Vegetarian in Tempe - Awesome food, great prices, fantastic value. (Four Peak Brewery in Tempe is a very close second.)

Dinner: Mucho Gusto Mexican Bistro in Tempe – Our favorite place and some of the best Mexican in the Valley.

Favorite Bar: TT Roadhouse (68th St. & Thomas) Cold drinks reasonably priced and the best jukebox in Phoenix hands down. Some of the patrons may look a little rough around the edges but everyone there is good people. Grab a drink, drop some coins in the jukebox and settle in for a heated game of darts. (Note: TT stands for Tortoise Trophy – a motorcycle race in England.)

Best TV Show: I don’t watch much TV at all. My choice has been off the air for a while but it was something I found in 2009 and since this is my list here it is: The Wire. If you’ve never watched the wire. Get all six seasons on Netflix, lock yourself in a room and watch them all. Awesome.

Favorite Book: Tribes by Seth Godin. Stop fearing criticism and start leading.

Favorite Song: Again it’s my list so I’m going to pick a song I really liked in 2009 that is actually from 1997. Triburay Otis – Otis is track one from The Refreshments (now Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers) second album Bottle and Fresh Horses. Sometime older is a little better than the new and Otis always sounds great live.

So there it is – my list of 2009 stuff. I know there will be people who disagree with me and think I’m wrong. Let me know how wrong I am via comment but remember – this is my list…

Sometimes there are situations in photography that the moment is instant and spontaneous. Capturing that moment, that feeling and making a great photograph is the only thing that is on your agenda. There is no time to get familiar with the subject or the location. – click or it may be gone.

There are rules to photography. There are rules and there are suggestions. I try to know the rules and suggestions (I am not the most technical photographer I work on instinct with settings etc.) and when it comes time to make a picture – go with what feels right.

Central Ave Boxing Gym is a place I had never been before. I never really knew what a boxing gym looked liked or what it felt like to be in one. (I can tell you now that it’s very hot.) I didn’t know what the lighting conditions would be like or spacial restrictions. I went and spoke to some people and observed for a couple of moment before shooting anything. This photo was taken from a balcony above the training floor. It was the place that I could get the best exposure and the best composition.

Moments like this are great when you walk into a situation without knowing anything and leave with a photograph that you really like.

The more you know about something the better your end result will be but don’t let that limit you. The best way I’ve found to familiarize yourself with a subject is immersion. Go out and shoot something, then go photograph it again. Measure your progress – keep notes. What do you wish you did differently? Go and repeat. Great photographers are made by shooting photographs.

Concert photography is like gambling in a casino – the odds are mostly against you. However, there are those times that if you know the game well enough and see an opportunity to come up and have the nerve to follow through – the payoff is huge.

My favorite band to shoot is Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers. Local act gone national, great rock-n-roll and it’s always a good time. I’ve seen RCPM tons of time but I have just started photographing them seriously.

Although I’ve seem them a lot it wasn’t until I saw them as a photographer did I realize how hard this band was to photograph. With every shoot I started to realize how the stage presence and gestures were dictated by the song or tempo. Roger has a great stage presence and is very energetic (someone commented on a photo of mine and said it was trying to photograph a moth in a bright light.) After a while and after watching and after missing shots – it all clicks. Ok here comes the song (Mekong) ok he’s probably going to do this…ok here’s this song (Counterclockwise) I should be positioned over here a little.  Believe me it makes getting shots like this one (taken on 11/21 in Tempe, AZ) a little easier. Going back to the initial gambling analogy – you’re able to stack the deck in your favor a little.

I’ve never shot soccer before – let alone kids soccer (or kids for that matter.) I was bored one day and I wanted to take photos and I ended up in Snedigar Park in Chandler, AZ. It was hot that day and I decided on setting up in a corner under a tree with a telephoto lens. (Truth be told I never use my telephoto lense – I don’t know why.) After reviewing my action shots which were good – not great I saw this photo. A picture of a bunch of kids waiting for play to start. 7, 8 and 9 all in a row. That’s what makes the shot. If I was little more familiar with kids soccer or more specifically I may have shot a great action photo – but this is what I came away with. A numeric composition.

Next post will deal with something that I briefly familiarized myself with a left with making a great photograph.

Yesterday I commented on a “How to photograph skateboarding” article and it got me thinking – When is it important to be familiar with your subject? I’ll stay with skateboarding for a moment…

If you don’t know skateboarding the chances of you taking a great (not just good) skateboard photo in minimal. There are so many subtle nuances in skateboarding that make a great shot. With that being said these nuances that are predictable when you know the athlete and the sport. Here’s a photo of Neal Hendrix I shot at The Skatepark of Tampa / Tampa Pro.  Neal is a perfect example. As a skateboarder he is super consistent and since was a contest run he was doing the same tricks in the same parts of the ramp – which is typical of contest runs and in practice. But if you didn’t know Neal or the tricks he was doing – you would be at a severe disadvantage. (Thanks Neal for being a good example.)

I ask myself constantly – “Why am I shooting this?” Many times the answer is “because I want to” or simply “this looks cool.” I’m fine with any answer that makes someone pick up a camera but if you go back to the why – it’s something that interests you – right? Why else would you want to capture that moment in time?

With all that being said sometimes the subject is something that doesn’t take a long time to get familiar with. In the next posts of this series I’ll give examples of different subjects: subjects that I had to get to know well before I made a great picture and others that I familiarized myself quickly with before a great photo was made.

(Note: Thanks for reading my blog. Please post comments as you see fit or send me an email (grtaylor2@mac.com) with any questions etc.)

Thinking about myself as an artist is a daunting thought. I don’t know why but I am extremely uncomfortable with the label. However, I can distinctly remember photographs I have made that made me stop and say I’m on to something. Here they are:

The Vampire – This was taken during a winter trip home. We were walking through the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the opportunity just presented itself. I was actually unaware what was going on until Amy pointed it out. Her presence of mind and awareness made this happen – I just had all the right settings dialed it. This shot was altered in Photoshop to make the imagery more powerful.

Jackson Hole, WY – This photograph was the first time I pre-visualized the shot and went back to the spot and made a picture happen. I was driving to the skatepark in Jackson and saw this sight. Not having a camera with at the time made this experience what it was. I saw exactly what I wanted to capture and went back a couple of hours later and created it.

God and Basketball – (Gila River Indian Reservation) While driving around in Arizona I just sort of let the road take me. I ended up on the Gila River Indian Reservation about 25 miles south of Phoenix. After stopping to take a couple of photos I found this site. This was one of the most powerful places I have ever been. The spot was perfect. I had a basketball in the car which completed the picture.

Kristina Snake River Overlook - (Grand Teton National Park) I set out to recreate Ansel Adams’ famous photograph. I took about 25 or 30 pictures of this famous spot with my camera in Black and White mode. As I was putting my equipment away I called Kristina’s name and she turned to look and this is the resulting picture. This was a one shot moment that I couldn’t duplicate again (much like The Vampire) photo.

These are the four photos that make me consider myself a photographer and someone who make pictures. I don’t know what else to really say about it. When I look at these photos I am taken back to the exact time and place they were taken – I can’t describe it any better then that…