Atlanta - Zack Arias Workshop
Holy crap, it’s been a long time since I’ve blogged! I’ve been doing much better with posting on Instagram and doing better at keeping up my Twitter account, but I’ve let my blog down. The jury’s still out on Facebook. I have my personal account but due to Facebook’s algorithm that hides my business page posts from about 90% of my followers, I see no value in having it; I may keep it around just as an aggregate of my Instagram and Twitter.
So many things have happened over the past couple of months. One major change was that I decided to ditch all my Nikon gear and switch to Fuji; that will be the topic of another blog post.
In October I had the opportunity to fly to Atlanta to attend a portraiture workshop held by none other than the amazing Zack Arias; he is one of my biggest photographic inspirations and it was great to meet him and learn from the best. Just like most photographers I suffer from G.A.S (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and in order to combat that I’m trying to spend more money on education instead of gear (within reason).
At the Brick Store bar in Decatur, GA
What is one thing I learned from the workshop with Zack? It’s not about the gear.
Zack Arias
Yes, Zack shoots with a PhaseOne that costs more than some cars, and the images it produces make me drool. But he also shoots with a Fuji, the exact same camera I have. But even though I have some of the same gear as he does and I’d like to think of myself as a decent photographer, he can beat the crap out of me with a 56mm 1.2 any day of the week.
Sometimes, good photography is nothing than smoke and mirrors
While gear is still important, and I still have plenty of pieces of gear that I will end up needing or wanting to buy, from here on out I’m placing a greater emphasis on education, experience, and travel. There’s so much out there to see.
I’m not going to use this for my portfolio, but at least I now know exactly how to work with smoke.
I love meeting new people and experiencing new things; experiencing different places and making new friends always beats the joy of a shiny new lens. The world is massive and I want to see as much of it as I can. Hopefully for your sake I’ll also get better at writing…
Stay tuned for more blog posts, updates, and photos. In less than 2 months I will be off to Dubai for Gulf Photo Plus and I’m super stoked about the opportunities waiting for me there. Here’s to an amazing 2015!
