Concepts

Sometimes you find a concept and sometimes the concept finds you.

Desert Bunnie

As much as I like going out with a concept in mind there's something to be said for planning nothing, just use what you find, or, rely on the moment. There are probably as many ways to plan a photo shoot as there are photographers, from those who account for every detail to the free spirit without a clue. I'm somewhere in the middle but leaning heavily toward 'without a clue' when it comes to concepts, it's rewarding when a plan comes together and just as much so when an opportunity simply presents itself. There are things you just cannot plan.

Chili Fries (at the Bagdad Cafe)

It's great when that two watt light bulb lights up in my head and I get an idea, of course on the flip side it also happens to light up at times when the shoot is over and it's too late. Early on in working with models I was quick to realize that no idea should go unexplored, the photo below was a concept sent to me by someone in DeviantArt, he wrote the verse and sent it to me in a note. The next weekend with a marking pen in hand Pearl & I brought Torr's idea to life.  

The Carpenter's Sigh

I've got more plans for shoots than time to do them all, which is a big part of doing this blog and making notes to myself. Part of me wants to do huge projects that take weeks to complete and involve multiple photo shoots and careful planning to knit it all together, I just don't have the time or capitol to do that. It was tough enough getting a tub, 60 gallons of water and a model out to a remote area of Johnson Valley.

Desert Bath

On Friday I happened upon one of those gift from above type stories I dream would happen to me, a photographer/model from New York was contacted to do a gig out west and by chance someone who was to come with her at the last minute couldn't make it. So she contacted a photographer she knew from an agency she has worked for and they flew out together, the job wrapped up early and they decided to do some shooting for fun. Long story short they blew the money from the job shooting each other nude on an odyssey road adventure back to the east coast. The resulting photos were included in a gallery show, the concept wins a monetary award enough to finance another adventure! Which is now opening in a gallery, I should be so lucky, then again nude photos of me would just scare people. 

Pretzel Logic

Always open minded to ideas is the way to be, you just never know when life will hand you a treasure.