200

A thought that's been on my mind the past week or so has been the change in myself since I started seriously taking pictures again in the fall of 2005. Prior to that time, outside the day job, I was primarily a consumer and appreciator of music, movies, TV, magazines, websites, books, and even dabbling in video games. I was doing some photography and cheesy video, mainly concerts and some skateboarding things, but wasn't really too involved in it. I was primarily a consumer (and collector) of stuff. My days of playing in a band were basically just a memory, but that too didn't really consume me, even to the point of bothering to practice on my own outside of rehearsals. As a bass player of modest ability, I found solo practice to be a pretty dismal way to spend time. I was also entirely wrapped up in politics, still stinging from the results of the 2004 election where, through hours of volunteer work, I gained a truer appreciation for what Will Rogers meant when he said "I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat."

Today, I feel like I've shifted from being mainly someone who consumes to being someone who produces. In addition to loads of time spent shooting and editing pictures, most waking hours are spent figuring out how, when, where and with whom I can set up shoots, considering new ideas and techniques, searching for props and wardrobe, considering and sourcing equipment, and from time to time, actually finishing pieces to offer for sale. I hesitate to equate "art" with "product" but there is a great deal of satisfaction that arises from producing images that receive positive attention, and making prints that actually sell. Now, there is a lot of "consuming" that goes on to produce the work... everything adds up: camera equipment, studio fees, props, wardrobe, travel expenses, prints, mats, frames, books, magazines, website fees, not to mention fees or expenses paid to models from time to time. But in a business sense, those are capital and production costs -- an investment in the final product.

Not sure if talking about all this fits in with the romanticized vision of the artist, but it's the reality, and I feel that while it hasn't been cheap, it's been money well spent. Particularly because of the sense of purpose and direction that this pursuit has given me. In a lot of ways, I'm a very different person than I was two years ago... happier with a greater confidence and a fulfillment of feeling productive. I still have my days, like anybody, and I've increased my stress level somewhat, but I feel there's the positive stress of trying to come up with good ideas or juggle model schedules, compared to the negative stress of trying to deal with the phone company or having my office turned upside down for "maintenance improvements." I do need to find a more effective way of editing images in a timely manner, and maybe I'll have that sorted by the time this blog hits 300.

So, again, I invite you to leave comments... congratulate me on sticking with this blog for 200 posts, tell me I've reached new levels of self-indulgence, let me know what sorts of changes you've seen in my work (or the blog or whatever), or just that you're out there reading and would like to see this thing reach 300. Thanks to everyone for tuning in, especially those who've made the effort to leave a comment. And special thanks to the models, such as Marsha here, for making it all possible.