"I know kung fu"

Some of you might know that I am a practitioner of Pai Lum Kung Fu. For those of you that didn't know that already.... Yes. Really.

The number one thing I hear after I tell someone that I practice kung fu is,"Oh, that's just like Karate/TaeKwanDo/RexKwanDo/WhateverDo isn't it?" or "Like Bruce Lee! HWHA!" .... Right after hearing that, I want to punch them in the face. Why? Cause the only thing that those statements have to do with kung fu is that they're martial arts. I cringe at the thought. But what's important to me is educating people that those things aren't at all related to what I do. There's a difference that can be seen easily be someone that's on the inside...

The photography industry is the same way.

Part of the reason that people still go to places that sell toilet paper three isles from their "photography studio" is because they don't know any better. They believe that all photographers are the same. Part of changing that attitude is educating people; educating the client. I feel strongly about trying to educate people that need photography in their lives, but I'm trying to reach one person at a time. I need to broaden my scope, so I'm posting some basic things that I feel everyone should know about photography. These points are by-no-means exhaustive or ...objective. In fact, it's terribly opinionated. (meh, whatev)

• Anyone with a SLR can take a photo. My youngest daughter is 5. She takes lovely photos on my Pentax K2. The photo of my son below was taken by her. She didn't know how to focus at the time, but it's something she's practicing now. I love this photo for one reason: It's of my kid, by my kid. They're flippin cute. It's by all standardized practices, a poorly composed shot, but I love it because it's my kids. Is the only reason you like the photos of your kids because your kids are in it? Or because it's a really good photo?

• The "photographer" in the big-box photo store is an understudy. Yup. They didn't have any experience taking photos, so they got a job under another photographer at the big-box place. That photographer that couldn't open their own studio because they weren't good enough themselves. "But they have the gear! They look so impressive!" Um... Ansel Adams would be sad to know that he isn't a good photographer since he didn't have a Nikon D3s. Indeed...gear is everything (puke). The "photographer" you just shelled out $100 for 15 minutes of their time learned how to use their camera last week, and someone probably taught them about how to set up the strobes that morning. #youbeenrobbed
  
• The path of Groupie -> Janitor -> Assistant -> Producer -> Photographer is gone. It doesn't exist anymore. The internet blew up the bridge to "Famous Photographer Land" so dreamers started to make new ways to get there. The best part is that no one is wrong in the path they're taking. Some people might take 4 years to get where they wanted to go (Jasmine Star). And others take 15 years to get where they wanted to go (Zack Arias). And others still are just starting out and are scared of what might happen next week if a client cancels because their car broke down and they can't pay for photos this month (Jeremy Corbin).

I care about the photos that you need me to make for you. I say need because that's exactly how I feel about it. As people, we need art in our lives. When you move into a new home, does it feel complete without art up on the walls? Don't you have style and art in your bathroom? Your BATHROOM of all places has art in it. Someone designed your toothbrush holder... right? We need to surround ourselves in art, so much so that we don't even realize it.

I totally lost my train of thought. I probably won't post this. (sigh) I had somewhere I was trying to go and I failed to get there...my life's journey isn't ending today, which is good cause this would be an awful last post.

On to the next.


*There are some awesome styles of martial arts out there, and total respect goes to those that decide to make a life of it, but your little brother doing it for 6 months doesn't make you an expert on the topic.