The process of becoming a photographer takes many forms. Some begin in school and some are self-taught, while others are able to turn a hobby into a thriving photography business. As varied as our modes of becoming a photographer are our expectations for the future.
My journey began in college, carried me into the newspaper business and eventually to my current place in the butt-clenching world of freelance. Am I happy? Yes. Was this the path I envisioned during my intro to photography class way back in college? No.
Did I ever think that one day I would be shooting weddings? Hell no, I’m a “damn photojournalist.” How about baby or maternity photos? Not even close. And the epitome of mockery among myself and my classmates … the Santa photos. Ha, not in the furthest reaches of my mind could I have pictured myself wrangling screaming kids into the lap of a fake Santa, dangling candy canes and wishes in front of hopeful children. Read more…
I recently watched a profile of National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore called “At Close Range,” which had been sitting in my Netflix queue for months. I’m always interested in watching stories about how other photographers operate, and this one was pretty good (I think I gave it a 3-star ‘Kevin Liked It’ rating).
This was a PBS Home Video release, and pretty heavy on the National-Geographic-is-awesome theme (which I totally subscribe to), but I really enjoyed it. It’s not often that you get to connect a photographer’s face to the images that he/she makes, but I think that connection gives the images more meaning. Or maybe just a bit more humanity. Read more…
Holy self examination, Batman! It’s been the better part of a year since I’ve posted on my blog and I’m feeling like I’ve let … ummm … NO ONE DOWN. No one aside from myself.
I have officially been a freelance photographer for a year now, and I’m realizing that I’ve done things all backwards. You know… just a little ‘Kenneth Parcell.’ Now, maybe I didn’t live every week like it’s shark week, but I went to college, sure, then went to work for a newspaper full time without realizing the wonderfully frustrating world of freelance photography. I am a freelancer now and I love it, but I should have done this a long time ago. I’ll explain …
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The annual running of the Kentucky Derby happened last weekend and I was there photographing all the action. It’s a wonderful event and the biggest annual event to hit Louisville.
This was the first year I’ve been to Churchill Downs for the race since 2008, and it was great to get down to the track again. This was the sixth time I’ve photographed the event, but the first time as a freelancer and I found the experience surprisingly relaxing. Read more…
Thunder Over Louisville, the annual kickoff for the Kentucky Derby Festival, was tonight and this year I decided to take a different approach to photographing the fireworks.
For the past several years I have gone close, close, close to get a good shot of the fireworks, which has always produced great results. This year, however, I decided to take a different approach. Thunder Over Louisville typically brings in an average attendance of around 650,000 people, which makes leaving downtown Louisville or downtown Jeffersonville extremely frustrating. The crowds are mad, I tell ya. Read more…
I was recently hired by a political consulting firm to photograph Jennifer Webb, currently running for Madison County Circuit Court Clerk. The photos will be used to update her website, fill up mailers and for general publicity/press releases.
The shoot would take place in Richmond, Ky., about two hours south of Louisville. It was an early start, with photos beginning at 9 a.m., so I left the house around 6:30 to give myself plenty of time. Read more…
I was recently asked by a photo enthusiast friend of mine a question that comes up about as often as “what kind of camera should I buy?” My buddy asked, and I’m paraphrasing, “ What kind of photo book can you recommend that will help me understand what the hell I’m doing wrong with my camera?” Read more…
I have been reading a stack of books these days about the business of photography, and Dane Sanders’ “The Fast Track Photography Business Plan” made an insightful plea for a new way of looking at the business of photography. This might sound like a boring prospect and an even boring-er read, but the explosion of new ‘professional photographers’ working these days makes it more important than ever to look creatively at how we approach the business aspect of the photography we create. Read more…
It is a difficult prospect to most photographers, especially the unestablished and uninitiated, to place a bid for a photography assignment. All types of things may run through your head, most of them unimportant, but the root of the problem in my experience is … well, experience.
Attending college, studying your craft and hitting the streets with your camera is an excellent use of your time. I mean lets face it … if you suck at creating photos, learning how to talk to prospective clients is the least of your worries. But let us say that we have put in our time for study and our confidence in our ability is assured. Now how do we talk to folks and convince them to give us their money? Read more…
There was a time when journalism was romantic. Jet setting, sophisticated, cosmopolitan … the days of Robert Capa, W. Eugene Smith, Ernie Pyle and Edward R. Murrow. I picture myself wearing a somewhat Indiana Jones-ish style outfit, sipping rum in a bar in Havana while reporting on the rise of Fidel Castro. Or maybe standing on a rooftop, a cigarette sticking out of my mouth as I photograph the first wave of the German Luftwaffe.
This is one of the reasons that journalism so enthralled me in college. Studying these old badasses made journalism seem like a most exciting undertaking. Add the fact that my images could end up in history books and you can see the appeal. Read more…