Brad, Chris, and I met up with Jeremy, from A-Team Productions to head down to Nashville Tennessee to attend a fantastic photography conference, Imaging USA. For those of you that don't know what Imaging USA is... it's run each year by Professional Photographers of America and was created to serve as a place for photographers to learn, network, and explore new technologies in the industry. We got a chance to meet some of the best and brightest photographers in the industry.
Some of our favorite lectures were delivered by Joe Buissink, Denis Reggie, Dane Sanders, Allison Rodgers, Jeff and Julia Woods, and Clay Blackmore. There lectures spanned a wide variety of topics such as studio management, marketing, creative identity, inspiration and style.
Joe Buissink and Steve
If you haven't seen Joe's work, you've got to check out his web site. Click here.
I heard many photographers give excellent presentations, but Joe's really stood out to me. The reason why I like listening to Joe is because when he talks about photography, he talks about it as a passion, not a job, and that's exactly how photography should be. Of course, it's a means to pay the bills, but there is so much more to it than that.
In his lecture, he said, "Every time I snap the shutter, I leave a part of myself in that image." He also went on to say, "I grab the moment between moments...the amazing instances..." Wow. It's funny to think about how many photographers call themselves photojournalists these days, and I think it's obvious when photography is overly posed. If I see an opportunity to put my subject in good light, I'll step in and make it happen, but what I've found over the last few years is that my most popular prints are the ones where my subject wasn't even aware that I was there. Joe's got it right. Capture the moment between moments...
"Put your passion first, and your business second." - I seem to remember a college professor telling me that once...
-Steve