Hi I've been a member of SG for a little while now, and a fan for much, much longer, so I figured that it was about time I attempted to post some sort of journal entry (Especially since I've been prompted by a couple of members that I know to do so).
I don't really enjoy talking about myself too much, but here's a little info about me and part of the reason why I finally joined SG after all of this time...
About me:
I was born and raised in WI, so I guess I'm an official cheese-head. I'm currently a published Freelance Photographer, who has a laid back, but professional work ethic. I shoot pretty much just about everything, but I try to avoid weddings as much as possible unless I'm getting paid more then I'm actually worth to do so.
(If you couldn't figure it out, I don't enjoy shooting weddings).
As a kid I was always into art and won a lot of awards for my art work, won some contests and even had some of my work displayed in the local art museum. At a young age I became seduced by photography and what at the time seemed almost magical in the way that I could just push a button, and capture a moment in time forever and have it appear out of darkness right in front of my eyes (Polaroid camera)...what can I say I was like 9 yrs old.
Anyway, jumping ahead when I first started going to college I decided that I didn't want to go to school for art or Photography since I didn't want to end up getting a job in either of those fields only to have someone take away the creative aspect out of it for me by telling me how and what to shoot, so I opted to go for something that I thought that I could still be somewhat creative doing while at the same time doing my art and photography on the side.
After getting within 6 classes of getting my degree in Architecture, I finally decided that I much rather do something that I was truly passionate about doing then just doing a job that I would get a paycheck for doing so I ended up changing majors and started taking photography classes.
I guess I was somewhat prompted to do this after I had sent in some images to a magazine and they ended up buying a lot of them from me and used my images in three of their publications (Published World wide) and in around eight different issues. Once I got the taste of shooting something that I enjoyed shooting and actually was making some money from it without having any formal training, it made me want to learn everything I could about the craft and try to make my living from it...but it took me almost a year to finally make that decision to go for it.
To pay my way through college I basically worked a full time job as a warehouse manager at the company I started working for in high school, and later earned, and was working as a licensed journeyman construction worker, along with working part time doing security work at a couple of local bars and a gentlemen's club while still managing to go to school at least half time or more per semester. Eventually after taking about twice as long as it should have actually taken me I finally earned my degree in photography.
Obviously having a degree in something doesn't necessarily make you good at it, but my portfolio did receive the highest grade in the history of the photography program at my school which was determined by an accumulative score by all of the photography professors (I'm honestly not sure how long that the program has been around for, but I know that it has been around for over 40 yrs). I'm definitely proud of that accomplishment, but at the same time I'm my own worst critic so at times I still wonder how that was possible.
Since I usually don't stay too happy with my work for long I'm constantly trying to improve my style and techniques that I use in my photography. I also figure if the day ever comes where I think my work is that "Great," and that I can't do any better, that will be the day that I need to hang up the gear, so hopefully that day is far away since it will either mean that I've gotten too cocky, or that I don't have anything left to offer, which I truly hope never happens.
So for about the past two years now, I've basically been working for myself, trying to always improve on my work, trying to make more great contacts in this crazy business, which I've actually made quite a few of already, while trying to keep things real as far as shooting what I like shooting or at least in the style that I like shooting things, even if it means not making as much money doing it as I might like to as of yet.
I prefer working on projects that are more on the edgier or artistic side, but those tend to end up being more of my personal projects since most of my paying gigs come in the form of the more basic, boring, typical agency type images, or commercial shoots.
I think that is probably enough about me for now, but I'm pretty much an open book so if anyone actually reads all of this and wants to know more, please feel free to ask me anything.
As for why I joined SG goes:
Well, I guess I finally joined SG for a few reasons. One, just to met other people that are interested in the same types of things as me...and I just have to say that so far everyone on SG seems as though they are for the most part very open, honest, creative people, who don't feel the need to pretend to be anything that they are not, which I totally respect and are the type of people that I'd personally like to get to know better.
Two, to possibly to do some more networking with people.
Three, to possibly get some paying gigs out of it, which will obviously put food on my table and pay for my membership to this site.
And finally, to possibly meet some models (Experienced or not) who are interested in modeling for me for my personal projects, for gallery exhibits, or for magazine submissions, etc.
As far as models go, I guess what I truly would like to find is a muse, someone to build a colaborative/comfortable/creative/working relationship with that is comfortable with working on just about anything, someone that shares my passion for art and creating images that are edgier, artistic, or just plain out of the ordinary, who understands art to a degree, and who will hopefully after a while understand my somewhat goofy ways of thinking and what I'm trying to present in our images that we create together.
Well, I think that just about does it for my first SG Journal entry. Hopefully if you made it all the way down to the end here, I didn't bore you too much.
Take care,
Dave
I don't really enjoy talking about myself too much, but here's a little info about me and part of the reason why I finally joined SG after all of this time...
About me:
I was born and raised in WI, so I guess I'm an official cheese-head. I'm currently a published Freelance Photographer, who has a laid back, but professional work ethic. I shoot pretty much just about everything, but I try to avoid weddings as much as possible unless I'm getting paid more then I'm actually worth to do so.
(If you couldn't figure it out, I don't enjoy shooting weddings).
As a kid I was always into art and won a lot of awards for my art work, won some contests and even had some of my work displayed in the local art museum. At a young age I became seduced by photography and what at the time seemed almost magical in the way that I could just push a button, and capture a moment in time forever and have it appear out of darkness right in front of my eyes (Polaroid camera)...what can I say I was like 9 yrs old.
Anyway, jumping ahead when I first started going to college I decided that I didn't want to go to school for art or Photography since I didn't want to end up getting a job in either of those fields only to have someone take away the creative aspect out of it for me by telling me how and what to shoot, so I opted to go for something that I thought that I could still be somewhat creative doing while at the same time doing my art and photography on the side.
After getting within 6 classes of getting my degree in Architecture, I finally decided that I much rather do something that I was truly passionate about doing then just doing a job that I would get a paycheck for doing so I ended up changing majors and started taking photography classes.
I guess I was somewhat prompted to do this after I had sent in some images to a magazine and they ended up buying a lot of them from me and used my images in three of their publications (Published World wide) and in around eight different issues. Once I got the taste of shooting something that I enjoyed shooting and actually was making some money from it without having any formal training, it made me want to learn everything I could about the craft and try to make my living from it...but it took me almost a year to finally make that decision to go for it.
To pay my way through college I basically worked a full time job as a warehouse manager at the company I started working for in high school, and later earned, and was working as a licensed journeyman construction worker, along with working part time doing security work at a couple of local bars and a gentlemen's club while still managing to go to school at least half time or more per semester. Eventually after taking about twice as long as it should have actually taken me I finally earned my degree in photography.
Obviously having a degree in something doesn't necessarily make you good at it, but my portfolio did receive the highest grade in the history of the photography program at my school which was determined by an accumulative score by all of the photography professors (I'm honestly not sure how long that the program has been around for, but I know that it has been around for over 40 yrs). I'm definitely proud of that accomplishment, but at the same time I'm my own worst critic so at times I still wonder how that was possible.
Since I usually don't stay too happy with my work for long I'm constantly trying to improve my style and techniques that I use in my photography. I also figure if the day ever comes where I think my work is that "Great," and that I can't do any better, that will be the day that I need to hang up the gear, so hopefully that day is far away since it will either mean that I've gotten too cocky, or that I don't have anything left to offer, which I truly hope never happens.
So for about the past two years now, I've basically been working for myself, trying to always improve on my work, trying to make more great contacts in this crazy business, which I've actually made quite a few of already, while trying to keep things real as far as shooting what I like shooting or at least in the style that I like shooting things, even if it means not making as much money doing it as I might like to as of yet.
I prefer working on projects that are more on the edgier or artistic side, but those tend to end up being more of my personal projects since most of my paying gigs come in the form of the more basic, boring, typical agency type images, or commercial shoots.
I think that is probably enough about me for now, but I'm pretty much an open book so if anyone actually reads all of this and wants to know more, please feel free to ask me anything.
As for why I joined SG goes:
Well, I guess I finally joined SG for a few reasons. One, just to met other people that are interested in the same types of things as me...and I just have to say that so far everyone on SG seems as though they are for the most part very open, honest, creative people, who don't feel the need to pretend to be anything that they are not, which I totally respect and are the type of people that I'd personally like to get to know better.
Two, to possibly to do some more networking with people.
Three, to possibly get some paying gigs out of it, which will obviously put food on my table and pay for my membership to this site.
And finally, to possibly meet some models (Experienced or not) who are interested in modeling for me for my personal projects, for gallery exhibits, or for magazine submissions, etc.
As far as models go, I guess what I truly would like to find is a muse, someone to build a colaborative/comfortable/creative/working relationship with that is comfortable with working on just about anything, someone that shares my passion for art and creating images that are edgier, artistic, or just plain out of the ordinary, who understands art to a degree, and who will hopefully after a while understand my somewhat goofy ways of thinking and what I'm trying to present in our images that we create together.
Well, I think that just about does it for my first SG Journal entry. Hopefully if you made it all the way down to the end here, I didn't bore you too much.
Take care,
Dave
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
nattytattat:
Where did you grow up in WI?
ayem:
hey i'm a photographer from the Mil too only I work for a daily newspaper. where did you go to school?