A Photo of Nothing

A photo of nothing?  Yup, that's right, a photo of nothing.  What makes this photo worthy of any attention.  It's a blank wall, no color, no meaning, not even fully in focus.  What is so interesting about it?  My personal opinion about this picture is that it is a starting point for many different topics.  First topic, the strip in focus.  Playing with depth of field and a quality lens allowed for this perspective.  Texture is apparent and so is the depth. This is similar to anyone starting off in business.  You can see the rough edges and they maybe out of focus, looking for the right direction to go.  The color is white, a color that allows for addition, a blank canvas that is looking for inspiration and ideas.  I was once a blank canvas, and over time I've added to my palette of colors (knowledge) and have learned to make my ideas become reality.  These two ideas lead to the discussion that we have all heard the term "blank canvas."  Welcome to my blank canvas, where do you see yourself and how do you make yourself stand out?  Don't be afraid of failure, keep doing what is important and make sure you stay focused.

Week 10: Financial Statement

What did I learn from this weeks assignment?  The goal for this weeks class was to work on our financial statement for our business plan.  Playing with Excel spreadsheets and plugging in numbers of what we hope to make in the near future.  It is an eye opener because it puts numbers on a page and helps me realize how close or far I am from my goals.  I know that the type of photography I want to do, weddings, can be very lucrative and it can also go up in smoke.  The key to my success is all in the pricing and in my efficiency of time so that I am able to do quick turnarounds.  Quick turnarounds lead to more business opportunities which can lead to more earnings.  It's a giant domino effect that can lead to some wonderful financial gains.  Being aware of my taxes, depreciation and reinvestment in equipment and myself is important to know.  Businesses fail when they don't prepare for all of the expenses involved.  Granted my business has very little overhead, I still need to pay on the "basics" and keep one my options open to other photo opportunities.  Weddings go in seasons and in the slow months I would have to adjust my forecast accordingly to show the changes in business.  A financial plan like this allows for strategy and awareness.  Having months and years of information can lead to spotting trends and knowing when to ramp up new promotions or prepare for events (senior portraits, Christmas cards, etc)
The financial statement is a flowing piece of information that can easily adapt to changes made and help me be more aware of my goals.  I know  can't have "cookie cutter" months and I will have to make changes. Knowing that will lead to my success.

Week 9: Food Photography

Food Photography is a delicate form of photography.  The image has to make the viewer desire and crave.  To imagine the flavor, smell and taste through a picture seems a bit impossible but the impossible is possible. Look at the image of fried ice cream. It's whipped topping with the the cereal crust already helps give you a sense of flavor and texture.   Does food photography have real food in it though? If this were done in a studio the whipped topping might be shaving cream, the cereal may still be real but the ice cream may have been some substitute that could mimic the texture without the melting.  This is the blending of two different art forms.  The culinary side of things with the photographic.  A cook considers himself an artist in the kitchen.  His or her palette creates works of art that are meant to be eaten.  The colors they decide may add a visual response that has the diner craving or salivating over the intense smell and sight.  Yes the ingredients add flavor and character but its the combination of them that makes the final piece of art.  The photographer sees texture and color and tries to bring that to the pages of the magazines so that the experience becomes visual.  For this reason I chose to make this picture above.  The texture is there.  Rough and smooth, colorful and pleasant.  This form of photography is a specialty and I'll be more than happy to let someone else make these wonderful picture.  I might eat the subject before it makes it to be my subject behind the lens.

40 under 40

A milestone in many peoples life is reaching the age of 40.  "Over the hill" is how some pessimists might view it but I think that 40 will be where I'm just out of the "blocks" and about to hit my full stride.  I'm 36 and in college and by the time I graduate I'll have three years to go before I can proclaim my 40 year milestone.  I already know where I want to be and what I want to do and its because of planning.  I know that I will be back in Southern California working for myself doing event photography full-time and working on the side for Southwest Airlines so I can keep my benefits and fly across the country for free.  Southern Cali has so many more opportunities and possibilities that I know success will come from my hard work and persistance.  The only reason I would fail would be because laziness.  My kids will be older and on the brink of adulthood and I will be the one they come to for advice, money and support.  I need to remain confident and motivated and just the thought of family alone is motivating enough.  I don't intend on having a studio but I hope to have formed some new partnerships that allow me to work in exclusive areas that most of my competition would not have access to.  Networking, pounding the pavement and just being active in the community will pay off.  My schedule will be filled with new activities.  Instead of school and projects I will have meetings, and photo shoots.  Free time will come and go but the only way to reach happiness for me is to complete my goals. 

Week 8: A newsworthy photo

Burning Man (Lady) in Las Vegas!!  The annual event held in the dessert came to downtown Las Vegas for First Friday this past week and the hype and mystery over the event garnished a lot of attention.  Normally First Friday is an event for local artists to display there talents and sell their work.  This most recent outing introduced the mystery and intrigue that follows burning man.  The sacrificial victim was Lucky Lady Lucy a wooden showgirl.  The event was long and drawn out but the final results lit up the night sky.
"Our event is about self-reinvention. Vegas is always reinventing itself and reinventing itself."("Thousands Cheer Burning of Wooden Showgirl at First Friday." Las Vegas Review-Journal. Web. 05 Mar. 2012. <http://www.lvrj.com/news/wooden-showgirl-lights-up-first-friday-in-las-vegas-141277483.html>.)
First Friday was on the verge of being shut down a few months ago but thanks to help from some private investors the event goes on.  Ray Garza says, "It is a blend of different worlds that meets in downtown Vegas and allows for exposure to fine art, culture, food and music" (Thousands Cheer Burning of Wooden Showgirl at First Friday." Las Vegas Review-Journal. Web. 05 Mar. 2012. <http://www.lvrj.com/news/wooden-showgirl-lights-up-first-friday-in-las-vegas-141277483.html>.)
 With warmer weather on the way and the buzz growing about this monthly event the only way this event can go is up!

Week 8: Is she fair game?

"Professionals, academics and students owe it to their readers to be sensitive to unethical practices that demean the profession and reduce the credibility of journalism." Lester, Paul. Photojournalism Ethics timeless Issue. 1995. Web. <http://commfaculty.fullerton.edu/lester/writings/photoethics.html>.
 The movie, Roman Holiday depicts a news reporter who befriends a Princess who is out and about in public as a normal person.  Princess Anne, played by Audrey Hepburn decides to escape her royal duties and wants to live life like any normal citizen.  She wants to experience life like never before and in her adventure she meets a reporter that decides to make it into an exclusive story without her knowing.  He brings a photographer friend to snap photos of her without her knowledge and hopefully benefit from the exclusivity of it.  The comment made was, "she's fair game" and that is where the argument lies.  Is it because she is in public that she's fair game? Is it because she's a public figure that entitles us to know more than we should?  Do individuals who carry a higher social status have a greater right to privacy than the "common" person?  This argument goes back to what Ron Galella and Jackie Kennedy went to the Supreme Court for.  Is someone who is oblivious to the fact that their personal behavior in public is being photographed a victim of society's need for pointless information?  Society is so impatient, so intrusive that it has been groomed to expect more and more from our "news" sources.  Web forums are full of arguments the defend both sides of the argument and no one can really decide which side is right or wrong, "celebrities privacy ." . N.p., 07/2. Web. 29 Feb 2012. <http://debates.juggle.com/should-celebrities-be-more-protected-from-the-media>. The end result of all this is that we as photographers have to draw our own moral compass and decide if we want to profit from intruding on someones personal life.  I choose to make my money a different way.

Week 7: How do you show the light reflection on eyes in an oil painting?

The reflection in someones eye, what is that really?  We can be technical about it and say that it is light coming back to the pupil and reflecting what the viewer sees.  The colors, the intensity of the light and the shapes that sit in the foreground.  The “dash” of white that appears either left or right shows up in oil paintings and it gives reference to light coming in, a sense of direction for the viewer.  As an artist we can manipulate where the “dash” goes.  We can also manipulate what the viewer sees.  How?  In the example I provided I show myself in the reflection of the eye.  My model, was told to look at the lens and I positioned myself so that my head was covered by the pupil but you could see the rest of me.  I could have easily told her to look away and I could have shifted myself and I would have been whole.  Photography is controlling light, controlling my environment and making the image my way.  Is there a story to be told in my picture?  Maybe not but there are ways to find a story in the details of all reflections. 

The biggest challenges to completing my business plan.

The biggest challenge to completing is making the time to sit down and carefully analyze my current situation.  Life is so fast paced that it seems that 8 hours of sleep is a myth.  I work full-time, go to school full time and I work part time for my sister.  If I don’t count sleep, which averages about 4-5 hours a nite I may have about 18 hours of free time a week.  Ok, 18 hours sounds like a lot, but per day that is approximately 2.5 hours a day.  Hmmm? 2.5 hours a day to research, write and come up with all the right answers.  Its sounds like enough, but it is not.  This is not a pity party of what I can’t do, but this is more of a statement of WHAT I already do.  I maintain a GPA above 3.5, work hard to be responsible adult and pay my debts and I take care of those I love. 
This business plan is wonderful tool, a stepping stone to success.  I know that I will eventually refer to it when the time comes to go “live.”  Not that I’m not already live but it feels that everything I’ve done to this point is a “beta” version.  I’m working out the kinks, refining the product and making sure that what I put out there represents my company accurately.  Photography is a passion of mine that has been burning for a while and I do not intend to make excuses up for why I can’t.  I need to push forward and refine everything I do so that efficiency is  tool that gets me to the top. 
This business plan does have a lot of parts to it but it requires the same dedication that I put forward into my photography.

Paparazzi Photo

Paparazzi, a so called celebrities worst nitemare or favorite photographer.  The "mosquito" that swarms around looking to take advantage of an exposed individual in public areas has slowly become a despised, hated but most desired person to the tabloids and its readers.  Ron Galella is a great example of an photographer that earned a very good living taking pictures of celebrities in open spaces.  Yes he may have been a little extreme but the person who picked up the paper or tabloid appreciated his effort.  They may have not expressed it directly to him, but how many times has an image been spoken about time after time and only to be reprinted again years later.  It is a very fine line of respect and privacy that a paparazzo walks on and most of the time it can be close to illegal.  A good example of being illegal is when the late Princess Diana was chased to her death by paparazzo many years ago.  Had they allowed her to leave peacefully and met her another day, another time she may still be around.  The problem with that is society wants to know everything about anyone who is someone.  Who decides it's enough?  Programs like TMZ, publications like, Star or the Enquirer or even People magazine put the spot light on certain stars and society feeds of it.  They engorge themselves in pointless news that makes no difference in their lives or in the lives of the stalked celebrity.  So is the paparazzi a favored clique in the photojournalist world?  Probably not, but they do make a good living of it and who can blame them when money is being thrown at them....

Week 6: EOC Ron Galella and the First Amendment

Ron Galella was and still is an important advocate for photographers and their ability to make pictures in a public place and profit from it.  He did go about it in a relentless way but he was entitled to.  The question of whether he intruded in on Jackie's privacy is subjective and only answered by the courts.  The first amendment does entitle us to free speech and the ability to write and present our interpretation of events.  Ron presented images of an iconic woman of the times and felt the public had a right to know.  Jackie always acted as if she was intimidated and feared for her well being but Ron never did anything to create that hysteria.  Ron was very public about his intentions and only presented images that were of Jackie in public places.  Ron's persistence,  paid off and iconic images were made and admired by millions.  Did he go overboard?  At times the argument can be made that he was extreme and wanted to be the only person with a one of a kind image.  A good example is of Liz Taylor on the boat putting up screens to create privacy from passers bye while Ron was in an adjacent building with a birds eye view of the happenings.  There you could argue he invaded privacy, but she was in an open air boat in a public area so the lines of legality are very thin and subjective.  Ron achievements only come from pushing the envelope and having good representation to defend his Constitutional rights.  A lesson that all photographers should learn from.

Week 6: BOC Painting with Light

 

Painting with light is exactly what photography is to me.  It is a way of making a long exposure show creativity with light.  To to become a proficient photographer you must master the light and control the amount of its glow.  Setting your camera on auto will not get you the desired effect.  In order to create a proper image you must follow the steps.  Keep in mind that everyone may have different needs and the amount of light that will be used can vary.
The proper tools needed for this are, a camera with a manual or bulb mode, a shutter release cable, a flashlight and a tripod.  You simple point and click camera may not have a manual mode and if you’re not able to adjust aperture, shutter speed or ISO you might as well stop.  While in manual mode set your ISO to 100, the shutter speed to 20 seconds and the aperture at f/11.  Place you camera on a tripod and set you focus and prepare to create.
Once you’ve lined up yourself or your model for the shot, have it all in focus and ready to begin, turn off the lights.  Release the shutter and begin to draw with your flashlight or light source.
This is where a being wild and free with your movements can create a beautiful and interesting image.  I’ve done quite a few portraits of light writing and it never gets boring.  Writing words or drawing symbols or outlining objects is just fun.  The best example of light writing I’ve ever seen comes from a very creative person, Freddie Wong and his youTube video, light warfare.  This stellar example of creativity is what inspires me to have fun with my shoots.  Never be the stiff uninteresting person and allow myself to be free and creative.

Week 5: Wedding Photo

The wedding invite tells your circle of family and friends that the time has come to share your life with another person.  Moments like this tend to be very special and important in a couples life.  From the moment the soon to be husband proposes to the day after the wedding all the attention is now placed on the bride to be.  The expensive, lavish wedding needs to be recorded in time and that's where a photographer comes in to play.
Weeding Photography can be a very lucrative business and with the right marketing and common  sense a person or team can be very successful. Las Vegas is the wedding capital of the world and here in town if you’re not marrying in a casino you will more than likely will receive the services from a local professional that can charge in the on the low end of $1500.  You get what you pay for so don’t be surprised to hear upwards of $7-10k for such a person(s) and their services.  Time spent to prepare for such a day and the preceding events can quickly add up.  There’s the engagement session, a possible boudoir session, a trash the dress session etc...  The list can include so many options that the costs to the couple can quickly add up.  The advantage of wedding photography is that creativity can determine how much money you make.  If a photographer just adds the basics they can expect a hustle a lot more and get paid just as much as a person who up sells and works half as much.  I’m not saying that its done on purpose but time is money and so is the cost of every little thing expected and wanted from a bride, yes I said bride because we all know she in charge.  Take a look at my post from last weeks blog and notice  the services offered, they’re not cheap and that's exactly why i plan to look at that side of the business very soon.

Week 5: EOC Racehorse not Unicorns

Executive Summary:

Elite Photography LV is a Vegas based company that is a partnership between two talented photographers, Mike Lapadu and Jennifer Camacho.  Both photographers have studied Photography at The Art Institute of Las Vegas and focus on event photography as well as editorial.  The business will focus primarily on wedding photography and other rights of passage events.  Photography will be provided in the Las Vegas area but travel to other cities and states will be considered if a client desires our services.

The primary service provided will be Wedding photography.  Prices will be based on what a client orders from an a la carte menu.  After sitting down with potential clients and determining what level of needs will be required the photographers of Elite will prepare.  Preparation for a wedding involves scouting the event location and determining what type of lighting and equipment will be needed.  Other required items such as engagement photos and boudoir photo sessions will be offered and scheduled accordingly.

Once an event has taken place the photographer(s) will then edit the photos using industry standard software such as Lightroom or Photoshop.  The only photos retouched will be the photos decided upon from the couple hiring the photographer.  The photographer will make suggestions but will allow the client to make a reasonable requests.  All images that have been selected will then be placed in a physical album and also put online for the couple to share with family and friends.  The virtual gallery will be hosted for 3 months after the wedding date and then removed. Any and all images can be purchased separately or all together if a client decides to.

Elite Photography is well aware that the Las Vegas market is saturated with a good amount of Wedding photographers and intends to provide a competitive product for the price.  The ability to have to educated photographers who understand light and composition is not easy to come bye and that will be used to the company’s advantage. 

The goal is to average 25-30 wedding a year with an average earnings of $2500.  Estimated amounts of revenue after expenditures is approximately $62500 - $75000.  Overhead is typically low for such a business and a large amount of extra revenue comes from up selling of products such as albums or additional photography photo shoots.  The Las Vegas market can allow for this type of growth with the proper marketing and business management support.  Accounting will be handled by a third party company as well as council from an attorney to protect all parties involved in any and all transactions.

In order to achieve these numbers an estimated loan of $60k would be required to cover lost income from current full time jobs that both photographers have.  This would allow for proper marketing and preparation for a successful “once in a life time event.”  Proper  marketing and creative images will allow for word of mouth referrals and long term clientele that will eventually have a growing family that will need photos.

BOC Week 5: Competitive Analysis

Competition is never easy, but doing your homework and figuring out the strengths and weakness of that competition helps prepare you for what to expect.  Photography in Las Vegas is very “dog eat dog.”  The market is small compared to the next “Mega-City” of Los Angeles.  Here in Vegas everyone who wants to be successful must be able to produce something that another photographer doesn’t do or know how to do.  The market is swapped with photographers who picked up a camera and never had formal training or have no idea what classic lighting is or how to even use elaborate lighting setups on a consistent basis.  If they do have the skill it is because they finally learned it over time. 
I recently attended the Bridal Spectacular here in Vegas about two weeks ago and interviewed about a dozen photographers.  Some of them admitted that they had no formal training and others  were proud to say they did.  The quality of work was the elephant in the room.  Walking bye a display for photographers I noticed that the quality of work was substandard for about 75% of the possible competition.  Whose standard did I use?  Mine of course.  I feel that the what I have learned over the past two years at the Art Institute of Las Vegas has been very helpful and has given me a discerning eye when it comes to quality of work.  I look at lighting, post production and style.  The examples that were presented to the public were scary.  I know students here in town that can produce a better image.  Am I being harsh?  I am, but is necessary for the reader to know that just because someone owns a camera and some fancy lenses it doesn’t mean they know how to make an image.
Below I’ve listed some wonderful examples of work that I was impressed by.  Not only were the images beautiful but the faces of each one of these companies were knowledgeable and had a good understanding of what it takes to be successful. 
Orange Soda: a fun company that makes handmade albums for their clients.  Beautiful work bound by a beautiful album.  A great example of going the extra mile for the client.  They mentioned that the covers can be made of practically any material and usually come from something sentimental from the couple.

Lorenz foto:  A small “mom and pop” company.   a Married couple that has been doing business in the city for over 15 years.  Very simple concept but consistent in the quality of work. Plenty of experience that shows.

Alt-f: The originators of “Trash the Dress.”  From what I gather from this successful local photographer he is the Donald Trump of Las Vegas.  He has had much success but failures that have helped him build an awesome company.  A real trend setter and great example of never giving up.

John Morris Photography:  The most conservative and most business like model from the four companies I have chosen.  The company provides an exterior “image” of success and quality.  Beautiful photography that is followed with great customer service.

Week 4, Scary Legal Issues

Scary legal issues will make any business owner run and hide.  The scary issues depend on the business and the services offered along with the size of the company and employees accountable to provide the services.  As a photographer the scary legal issues that would worry and bother me would be:
Error and Omissions:  I would be worried that a client felt that I wasn't able to capture a once in a lifetime moment, like their wedding, a baptism or any rights of passage ceremony.  The ability to capture these moments only happens once and to have equipment failure, illness or even an act of God interfere with the moment can ruin a families special day.
Bridezilla: Sounds vague, but the thought of having to deal with a Bridezilla can scare most photographers or anyone involved to just run for cover.   This type of client is never satisfied and will attempt to get everything for cheap and possibly file a law suit to make you pay for damages they believe occurred.  Each situation will be different but it is still one filled with headaches.
Copyright:  This is more than likely the scenario the one scenario that as an artist we will all face at least once in our career.  Someone always will claim to have some intellectual right to the idea or have a similar image or thought and take you to court for damages.  David LaChapelle recently dealt with a similar situation where he did a photo shoot for a famous musician and they turned around and used the same concept for their music video.  He sued them and won.  Copy written material is the one security blanket that ensures us some form of justice.
All these examples come to mind because they are always in the limelight some way somehow.  Picking the right client, pre planning and knowing our rights will protect us from these scenarios.

Week 3: Sports Photography

Sports photography requires passion and skill.  It is a game within a game.  You need to have the ability to anticipate a shot that expresses drama, passion and movement.  In order to capture a moment like that you need the valuable tools that can cost tens of thousands of dollars.  Look at any major sporting event and you’ll find an army of photographers on the sidelines waiting to make an image that can take them to the next level.  In the old days (talking about maybe 20 years ago) the goal was to be in Sports Illustrated, nowadays with the arrival of the internet anyone can be published they just need a voice loud enough to be heard. 
The image I’m providing this week is an image of a baseball game.  The pitcher on the mound is staring at his pitch as it’s flying towards home plate.  The batters’ hands seem to be tightening up and the umpire ready to make his call.  The drama is in the image, the motion is there too.  Watching the release and the motion of the pitcher along with the stare guiding the ball down to the catchers mitt.

Week 2 BOC: Crime Scene

 A bloody knife on a cold floor laying next to a cold lifeless body. What was the cause of this death?  A pair of dress shoes neatly placed next to the arm, why?  The person laying on the ground looks to be male.  There is blood on the forearm into the palm of his hands and onto the handle of the knife. Was this person standing where he currently lays? There are some blood drops splattered on the ground in front of the blade.  The shoes seem placed a little to neatly and have no dirt on them.   If they belong to the deceased it shows that he had clean habits.  The location of this mystery seems to be in a kitchen or dining area.  The angle of the image does not allow for much more interpretation.  The question no lays into “why?”  Why was this person murdered?  Is the knife for protection or was it used to assault and hurt someone?  No one will know for now, only him.
Crime scenes like this may happen more often than we imagine and it is the detail of the clues that helps investigators.  Crime scene photography can be crucial in helping fill in the blanks but also help preserve the details.  The important thing about a photo like this is that it can answer a few questions.  Can it answer the, Who, What, Why, Where and When for an investigator?  Look closely and it can answer at least three of the five.  The Why and When are the only two that cannot be determined just by looking at the photo.

Week 1: Photo Challenge

A look into who Mike Lapadu is.  There are so many things that one person can lay out that relate to their everyday lives but the items I placed out represent who I am today.  This image contains an image of my kids.  They are the reason for my desire to complete school.  I want to provide for them and give them opportunities that I may never get to experience.

I show my three forms of identification.  One is for school and the other two are for work.  Theses three id cards are the core of my daily grind.  I work full time for Southwest Airlines and go to school at the Art Institute of Las Vegas.  The watches represent the small luxuries in life that I like to collect.  They are not very expensive or flashy but they are simple and get the job done.  The car keys are my mode of transportation, and i like to travel in style.  Its my entry level to luxury and my way of treating myself to something nice after all the hard work.
My two must have items that represent who I am are the phone and camera.  The phone is another appendage to my body.  I usually have next to me and it is my way to stay in constant communication with those who matter most to me.  It is a tool that help me sell my services and find new clients and keep in contact with old ones too.  The camera is my tool.  It helps show my interpretation of the world as I see it.  My camera allows for freedom, creativity and my opinion to reach others.  I usually have at least one camera with me at all times just incase something or someone catches my eye. 
All theses items represent who I am today.  They represent where I do them, when and where but also why.  I’m sure that over time, these items will change but for now they do a good job of showing “Me.”

Week 1 EOC: Discuss Haute Couture vs Discovering Art as a Photographer

“Haute Couture is a French phrase for high fashion.  Couture means dressmaking, sewing, or needlework and haute means elegant or high, so the two combined imply excellent artistry with the fashioning of garments.” (http://fashion-era.com/haute_couture.htm)  This style is out there, completely different but appealing.  The designer, artist, model and photographer have to be in a different mind state than your typical photo shoot.  Finding the art in the clothes and not the model is the key to the success of Haute Couture.  The success is when you recognize a design pattern, a color pattern and look and feel that makes you not even recognize or remember the person that is wearing it.  The ability to discover the art behind this fashion style is not easy.  Thinking outside the box is just the beginning and it only gets better when you add even more oddities in to the mix.  Haute Couture is an art form in itself.  The most outrageous ideas are put together and worn and push the limits of extreme.  The art behind the art of Couture is putting the pieces together.  Each individual item can stand alone and evoke an emotion but when you put pieces together and allow for creativity to flow it snowballs into more fun and outlandish themes and ideas.  As a photographer the elements of organic and inorganic shapes, the ability to play with light patterns and to create a mood unlike anything else ever seen, that is the fun.  The moment of creation for a me as a photographer is when I look into my viewfinder and see what no one else has seen yet.  I look to put small details into perspective and allow my viewer to create their own story and interpretation.