there was no internet…at least not for me that is….i thought i would be able to report to you from perpignan,…..however, i secured a nice little apartment on a charming street and in a perfect location, but no internet connection…
probably like most of you, if i go "off" the net even for a few days, when i come "back" i get hammered from every angle…..so, your patience is appreciated while i just must must catch up with my e-mail etc…plus, i must edit my recent assignments from both the korea youth story and the french fast train story….so, i am just a bit overwhelmed as i reconnect after the disconnect….
i do have new stories for you…and new workshop plans….and, most importantly, details for you regarding uploading your pictures….but, i am in london and i am waiting for friends in new york to wake up to give me the details i need to give to you!!! i will also today check and respond to whatever new "comments" i may have received in these last few days from you….
by wednesday, at the latest, i will have new stories and pictures up on all four sections of this site (perhaps one today under "family/friends")…thanks for your patience….i am just a "one man band", so i cannot have anyone else do this for me….i would if i could!!!
good to hear from you david…you are like the energizer bunny: never stopping!!
my photo project is ready, but I am afraid it is well below acceptable standards…well we will see…will it be possible to provide a background paragraph on our projects (i think this can help to put them in a context).
arie
yup, unfortunately internet connection only in the Palais des Congrès… maybe if we all photographers make next year a request to Jean-François Leroy to put some hot spots thru the center of Perpignan, that would be nice.
i didn’t apresent me to you in Perpignan, but it was nice to see you there in the flow :)
yup, unfortunately internet connection only in the Palais des Congrès… maybe if we all photographers make next year a request to Jean-François Leroy to put some hot spots thru the center of Perpignan, that would be nice.
i didn’t apresent me to you in Perpignan, but it was nice to see you there in the flow :)
yup, unfortunately internet connection only in the Palais des Congrès… maybe if we all photographers make next year a request to Jean-François Leroy to put some hot spots thru the center of Perpignan, that would be nice.
i didn’t apresent me to you in Perpignan, but it was nice to see you there in the flow :)
yup, unfortunately internet connection only in the Palais des Congrès… maybe if we all photographers make next year a request to Jean-François Leroy to put some hot spots thru the center of Perpignan, that would be nice.
i didn’t apresent me to you in Perpignan, but it was nice to see you there in the flow :)
yup, unfortunately internet connection only in the Palais des Congrès… maybe if we all photographers make next year a request to Jean-François Leroy to put some hot spots thru the center of Perpignan, that would be nice.
i didn’t apresent me to you in Perpignan, but it was nice to see you there in the flow :)
I am absolutely amazed at how much you are able to accomplish. Perhaps you should be teaching a workshop on time management? :)
Continuing to shoot for the assignment…I now have some nice work to show you but don’t know how I’m going to put it all together into one essay…there’s probably the start of three different projects here. Perhaps you can give some editing tips along with the info for submitting?
Thanks again.
Sounds like you need a monkey as a middleman so you can keep the music going…..
Or is that going too far along the one-man-band line?
sod the emails David, go and enjoy the rare moment of London sunshine.
arie…
yes, some text is important probably for everyone….
nelson…
you should have introduced yourself…i truly enjoy meeting my readers here….i mean, it gets you a free beer if nothing else!!!
cathy…
well, it is pretty hard to give too many editing tips in this format…all i can say is edit tight, edit good, edit from the heart…i am going to have a 20 picture limit, so you are just going to be forced to make it “work”…forget overly “explanatory” pictures…just go for strong visuals….
neil….
well, listening to good music leads to playing good music i suppose….enjoying the work is the only way to make it last….
amy….
i instinctively followed your advice…my oh my, this is the first time i have EVER seen a whole day in london filled with sunshine….amazing!!!
David you are so efficient that you responded to our posts before I could add a p.s. to mine. Sequencing? Is that something we need to be concerned with as far as the assignment?
David,
no more beer for this table! :)
(well, at least i get a little bit recovered and have worked to earn few ones again)
that’s ok, that’s ok. in a next time for sure. this world roads in a fast speed.
David,
no more beer for this table! :)
(well, at least i get a little bit recovered and have worked to earn few ones again)
that’s ok, that’s ok. in a next time for sure. this world roads in a fast speed.
David,
no more beer for this table! :)
(well, at least i get a little bit recovered and have worked to earn few ones again)
that’s ok, that’s ok. in a next time for sure. this world roads in a fast speed.
David,
no more beer for this table! :)
(well, at least i get a little bit recovered and have worked to earn few ones again)
that’s ok, that’s ok. in a next time for sure. this world roads in a fast speed.
David,
no more beer for this table! :)
(well, at least i get a little bit recovered and have worked to earn few ones again)
that’s ok, that’s ok. in a next time for sure. this world roads in a fast speed.
Same as nelson i also was there and didn’t introduce myself, if i had known about the beer i’ll do it for sure: 5 euros for a beer¡¡¡ more than the plane ticket,the rent car…, Café la poste made this week a hole in my pocket.
next time i’ll be looking for you for sure. ;)
David,
Will you be in London for much longer? I am here for a bit and would love to meet up with you for a short chat over coffee or something. I sent you a PM on lightstalkers just a moment ago. Maybe we can get something tomorrow?
Hope all is well and I know how busy you are! Maybe you could use some help?
Matt
PS. Wasnt the sunshine amazing? The weather has been outstanding for a week now, it cannot last! We must hope!
Matt
Rest (just) a little! Though you are probably smart in keeping your activity level high; I completely believe that ‘an object in motion remains in motion / an object at rest remains at rest’ applies quite well to human habits.
Hi, David,
Saw pictures of Perpignan over at Nick Yoon’s Flickr. The vibe seemed electric.
I, too, am ready with my “homework.” I’m quite happy with it, but as Arie put it, “we will see.”
Enjoy London!
Jeryc
Hi David;
Hope Perpignon was a blast and you enjoyed the ‘time off’ and some TLC…
a question; above you mention a 20 image limit..how fixed is this as I’ve worked on my project since you sent us out in early July and managed to put the essay together in 35 images from an initial 211 selects..(I know what a tight edit is…;=]and would have loved to include the final 73, but alas’ some just did not make the cut or tell the story)…
Would it be possible to submit it as such please (please, again), otherwise I would have to reorganise the complete flow and non-linear narrative that I am trying to accomplish…
have a safe journey back to NYC..
blessin’s
jakob
We are very happy and proud to announce the birth of our daughter, Anne-Camille Haziza, who was born in Bermuda’s King Edward Memorial Hospital on Tuesday, September 11, 2007, at 4:01 AM (Bermuda time).
Anne-Camille weighed in at 2.9 kg and was approx. 31 cm long.
Both Mother and Baby are doing very well!
Arie
David..
btw, how in heaven’s name do you edit 3 weeks of shootin’ in 2 days…;=]..
jakob
blessin’s to you, the mom and Anne-Camille, Arie..
have been visiting this site daily and enjoying it. looking forward to submitting and learning from others.
20 image limit? Good to know, I was thinking what it would be. One more weekend to get something more…
Congratulations, Arie! Mabuhay ka!
Congrats Arie, great day for life to spring up! I wonder if your project had anything to do with the last month of the pregnancy, or maybe too private?
David and all, I was coming up with something, but the comp’ carshed, HD fried, and since I had not backed up (bravo Herve!!!) for a while, I lost files for a good 6 weeks of shooting. the good thing, there are billions of things more important, the bad thing….You can guess.
Incidentally, David, the idea had been shooting over many sessions at ultra touristy PIER 39, in San Francisco, your birthplace, and my home for a few decades now.
Life goes on…
Arie,
Congratulations for all your family!!
2.9kg reasons to be happy!
good luck!!
Martin
It’s certainly not my decision to make but I feel the need to mention to those who are asking to show previous work rather than new work or more images than are being asked for…don’t you think we all would like to be able to do it if you can?
Thanks for review my portfolio at Perpignan. Your advices were very helpfull. I’ve tried to catch you at La Poste for a beer, but never manage to see you. Maybe next time. :)
Looks like you could use an assistant! :)
Anyway what happened to the Bangkok Workshop? No more?
Arie…
how exciting…your own bundle of joy, congratulations mate!!!
we’re expecting a bundle of joy in two months time ourselves…dont know the sex yet…but, it will be a surpries!!
cheers,
ozzy al
Cathy,
To those of us that specifically have shot for the assignment a story, with it being digital, don’t you think it is in our and David’s best interest (for what he intends to to do with the submissions) if we can show the work as intended and not just a “best of…”
We must remember the intent of the assignment; it is not just to show David our work; their are other avenues for doing just that…I believe it was to show what we were capable to do on an assignment in a short period of time…
jakob
I think the intent was simpler than that. It was basically to shoot a story. David will provide an avenue for some of us to have a story we have worked on to be published.
Rafal, exactly, all I’m sayin’ is that it would be nice to show the couple of months work as I visualised it; especially as David made it quite clear under his Timing entry on July 18, where I took this from…..
“please start your thinking process from the heart…..give yourself the “assignment” that you would dream of receiving from a “mythical” editor …your best work will be something so so obvious…
i want to see how you see….i want to feel how you feel….i want to know how you think…i want to “read” you as “visual authors”….
“so, please start thinking…..and start working…..you may want to begin a new project or continue with an existing one…..i may publish single pictures from some of you or essays from others…..
i simply want to provide you with a new venue…..a sophisticated photographic venue for others to see what you are able to do in a specific time frame….please trust me in on this one…the magazine editors i know value this more than anything you can ever show them in your portfolio of “greatest hits”….”
that we should take this serious and do it from the heart, so I did..not askin’ for anything special…some members might only have 5 or 10 pics to show and no-one should feel obligated to make 20; at the same time I would limit the maximum a bit higher…that’s all..don’t wanna ruffle anyone’s feathers if I came across wrong earlier…sorry…
chiao..
jakob
hello all…
first of all my heartfelt congratulations to arie and his bride on the birth of their daughter anne-camille…arie, you have just now started the most important “assignment” of your life!!!
ASSIGNMENT NOTES:
i do not see any way around the 20 picture limit….that is approximately how many pictures i would show any editor after that amount of work..in some cases, i might show a bit more to “round out the coverage” to meet the needs of the magazine, but in this case i only want to see the strongest work…as an essay…as a purely personal essay….i cannot imagine anyone having more than 20 powerful pictures in that time frame….the greatest essays of all time do not have 20 pictures in them…..
but, so that i am totally fair and i do not want to miss anything, if you submit 20 and i can see that perhaps you might have more, then i will ask for them…if i see 20 great pictures and am curious to see more, then i will write and ask…fair enough?
i think we should stick to our time frame which started back in mid-july…give or take just a little….if we go too far back we will get in a situation where everyone will just want to submit their whole portfolio and then there will be no end to it…
some of you may just be adding to a project you already started…in this case, let me just see the new work…again, if i can see there might be more, then i will ask for it….
the whole purpose of this “exercise” is to show our potential funders exactly who we have as an audience here so that the next time around some of you will be funded…
already we have an amazing audience on this site which includes not only all of you emerging photographers, but many influential editors as well…this is an opportunity for you to show what you can do to a serious audience of peers….
interestingly , and importantly, even before i have posted the requirements for submission, and since my last post two days ago, i have received a corporate contribution to the non-profit fund for this forum , which will go right back to the most talented of you….this is very good and amazing news because it means we have already started before we have started!!!
i am trying to decide right now what to do with this funding…albeit this is a relatively small token funding, i must decide whether to let it build and wait for major assignment funding for several of you or whether to financially award now one of you based on the work submitted…
if i decide to make a financial award now, then i must extend the deadline for work by at least two weeks i think…now, again, i ask for your patience…this whole process is new to me…i have never done anything like this before…those of you who have been readers of this blog from the beginning have totally watched this whole thing evolve…it continues….
if i give the award now, it would have to have the name of the corporate sponsor attached to it…no problem with that at all…but , perhaps in very short order i could have two other non-competing sponsors with perhaps three or four names attached and then be in a position to award stipends for several photographers…
your patience is needed for obvious reasons….i just need to get the whole legal thing done ….while any of my photog friends would laugh at the idea of me dealing with lawyers etc., i am lucky in having some good friends who are lawyers by profession, but photographers by passion…”getting by with a little help from my friends”..
stay tuned, stay patient….
tech details for submission will be posted later today ….i am still in london and waiting for new york to wake up!!!
cheers, david
Ahh interesting, so you are interested only in work that was started from the time you announced the assignment? some of my essay started about that time, though maybe a week or two before, is that ok David?
David,
Pretty much ready to roll here. Would be thrilled to have a few more days, of course, but for the most part think I’ve got what I need. (I guess that really remains to be seen, right? Heh-heh!)
And speaking of waiting for NY to wake up–the last few spots that were available in your workshop, are they still to be determined? Are they filled? Will this “assignment” have any bearing on that? Just curious…trying to plan out my Fall.
Thanks for being so generous with your time, energy and enthusiasm! We’re a lucky crowd in here.
rafal…
yes, there is a little flexibility…this is on the honor system anyway…please be honorable…
michael….
no, the assignment here has no bearing on the workshop classes…although i think that perhaps i will create a scholarship based on the work here for my next “at home” workshop…
pls. check with marie (mariearago@mac.com)
she too has been busy shooting in africa and we have had limited communication until this week, but we are meeting this weekend to wrap up the new york loft workshop details and choose our final student list….i know the first week (end of sept) is locked down…and we are doing final decision making for the second one in october…
what we do not do is “just fill up a class”…we try to have an interesting mix of people…so, this does take some time…
please also check my new bangkok entry under “workshops”…this is one that just became finalized today… and a good one too!!
Help, need help! :-)
Hello David…Hello everybody…
i just came back from Istanbul… where i was also “disconected” and when i saw today your blog it make me scared :-) … i don’t know from which place i should start to read… so many new posts…
firsth of all i have to find an answer how to send pictures to you…
Hugs, Aga
Aga,
I was traveled not many times, and I can say nothing about many beautiful places around the world, but I must say… I have fallen in love in Istanbul!! It is amazing place! And I’m sure I will return and working there someday!!!
i’m sure you have excellent pictures from there.
Martin
Aga,
He hasn’t told us yet where or how to upload pictures. No worries. It is all coming soon, though. Keep checking in.
MK
I will, I will not submit any of the photos I took in 2006, of which there are 6 I believe. The ones I will submit were the ones I started shooting in June with your visit in mind. I believe it was a bit before the announcement in July though I think the idea was floating around before. I could be wrong. However the shots were all in essence taken to show you.
I wonder though, with a 20 image limit, are we allowed to submit 2 essays where the total number is 20 images? Say 10 images each essay? There might be something I will be able to shoot near the end of September that might turn out to be ok. Has the deadline been set already, David?
david> i chose to do diptychs for this assignment as one image.
What is the consensus in regards to this process ?
hey, Rafal, if end of September is OK, I might be in again.
I think I will send something anyway, I am no quitter and no whiner, it does not matter if it does not make the mark, it is just great to be part of this group of striving people in love with photography.
I have to agree with David, 20 is a lot of pictures, we have to remember he will have to decipher all this good work from so many. Let’s help him and be ultra selective with our choices. 6 shots can often tell a story better than 12 or more.
hello all….
everybody relax….i will post upfront all details needed….
i was going to do that yesterday, but then i found out about this corporate funding for production for the photographers of this forum…..i am trying to decide what to do …still thinking…this came as a surprise….a very pleasant and rewarding surprise for me…and for YOU!!
regarding what we have already set up,l i think i will open the “submission window” on the 15th and then close it on say the 25th …in other words, everyone would have 10 days to submit…some people might be finished, some might want just a bit extra time….and this would also give me an idea of how things were coming in and could literally see if people were doing it correctly or not and head off mistakes…
this may all seems a little “rough around the edges” but that is just the nature of the creative process i think… we are building something new here and we have the luxury of designing this however we want…i am guiding, but i am also listening…
ok, a couple of quick details…
a dyptych would count as just one picture…
the 20 pictures could be 20 single unrelated images or any combo of stories or essays adding up to 20….20 could easily be 2 or 3 essasys for example….they would just have to be clearly separated and identified…
just to make things perhaps a bit more clear in everyone’s head…..when i look at any story i have ever done, i can pretty much bring it down to 10-15 pictures as the final final edit….there is the initial 100 of course…then a cut to 50….then then then, this final cut down to 20 or less…this hurts at first but then feels good when you are looking at say 15 powerful pictures and you start forgetting the ones you cut out the day before!!!
the one thing i cannot do in this forum is to edit for you….i tried to imagine some way that i could do that because i do know that so many of you are literally starving for editing help…but that is something that i can only really do well for any of you in person…..and everybody voting on everyone else really is a bad idea because that really ends up confusing everyone….then it becomes a “contest” rather than inspired authorship…besides, there are already several forums for that method…
David, what wonderful news about the grant money and your conceptions of how to use it! Truly exciting and good.
I didn’t know Marie was in Africa, welcome home and hope she found many extraordinary moments..
I have a question about how to show the story, that emerged from these thoughts of yours..
“the whole purpose of this “exercise” is to show our potential funders exactly who we have as an audience here so that the next time around some of you will be funded…”
“i simply want to provide you with a new venue…..a sophisticated photographic venue for others to see what you are able to do in a specific time frame.”
“in some cases, i might show a bit more to “round out the coverage” to meet the needs of the magazine, but in this case i only want to see the strongest work…as an essay…as a purely personal essay..”
“forget overly “explanatory” pictures…just go for strong visuals….”
My question: If the images are to be shown to potential funders, how much should we concern ourselves (in the editing process) with making a story that would be cohesive to their eyes?
Should it edited as if it were to run in a publication that would show the whole story as we have shown it, or should we just go for the strongest visuals even if there are what might be ordinarily considered redundant images?
thanks thanks thanks
erica….
good question….
basically, think as if you were shooting for the “perfect magazine” or the “perfect exhibit”….we have no advertisers to please….we can do what we want…..or,more correctly, you can do what you want….just be somehow “cohesive”…..either with storytelling or with pure artistic aplomb..
this is a pure presentation of you and your work within a time frame…subjective yes….but, no two editors are going to be thinking about it the same way anyway, so trying to please anyone specifically or collectively will only make you crazy!!!
you have nothing to lose…..do it exactly the way you want….
Hi David, Cathy, Rafal…my apologies for gettin’, well, a bit ‘pitbullish’..sorry guys, but as a girlfriend once commented on me and my photography, mono-dimensional and too intense…needless to say…..
David, you’re right, it feels like pullin’ teeth; the whiskey seems to help a bit though (also seems to make it easier…), but 20 it has become…
good shootin’ everyone
jakob
Martin… yes, istanbul is incredible city.. but my love to istanbul is not so easy… maybe love never is easy ;-)
When i am in Istanbul is to noisy and to crowded and time to time i feel tired there… and everytime when i go back to Poland i miss this city… i miss this crowd i miss the atmosphere… i miss colors and food and water and smell of fish bazar :-)
love is always hard :-) hehe
Michael… thank you for info, i was worring i miss something… good news that we still have time :-)
David.. i see you are making something really special for us… thank you a lot!
Hey Dave.
Good on you mate for being true to your word! Good on you for being big enough to share yourself on such a public forum and be game enough to back up your words with action!
Pictures awaiting instruction!!!
David,
It’s all great. A wonderful thing you are doing for all of us and I think groundbreaking…who knows what will evolve from this.
Editing help…aren’t they going to include that in software soon? Just kidding, I know it’s a personal decision but what’s tough for me is having several images that are almost exactly the same but with different expressions in each…which create a different mood for each image. How to pick one over another? A somewhat similar situation to your Seoul Girls…Seeing how there was such a difference of opinion on our editing of your work shows me there is not necessarily a “right image” But determining which is stronger??? Not easy for me.
also…Jacob, thanks for your comment.