I think I’m on to something…

In the past year I’ve spent a lot energy concerning myself on how to fit my work into the world of photography.  Advertising… editorial… catalog… fine art… what can I do to convince these people to hire me?

I think I’m on to something…

We, as photographers, work so hard to promote and advertise our brand so that art buyers know who we are.  We want to be hired into their schemes.  It’s a disconcerting thing, though, to try to compete in this field.  You’ve got to be driven,  got to have commitment, got to work hard and smart and be more motivated and devoted then the next guy… and odds are that next guy is probably more driven, committed, and devoted than you are.

I think I’m on to something because I’ve decided to give up on all that (at least for the time being).  I”m done trying to convince these people that my work is what they need.  I want to make something of my own because I believe in my work and I think other people will believe in it too – even if those people aren’t art buyers at Saatchi, Goodby, Shine and Partners.  I’m bringing my work right to the people.  Regular people.

What I plan to do is this:  I am making my own book.  One story, beginning to end.  I have begun production on what will be an in depth fantasy narrative that follows the adventure of one young, bright and courageous boy who sets off on a purpose-seeking quest where he is swept up in a surprising and mysterious world filled with delightful, sinister and enigmatic characters found in beautifully bright and dreadfully dark locations.  It will be a book of images and text; a storybook.  A picture book.  A Photo Story Book.

The project will take some time to complete.  I will share the on going process on Black Harbor as well as on my own blog as it develops.  I will share the scenes, videos, images of background assets, sketches and layouts, fully realized images as they come together. After all the images and text are complete  I will look to get this book published as well as have a gallery show with all the work in sequential order- from the beginning of the adventure to the end.

After this photo storybook is done I will move straight to the next one (so far i think i’m thinking a jules verne inspired under water love story).  After that… we’ll see!

Because of the scope of this project I will be shooting all the locations on their own and I will be adding the characters (shot in studio) in post.  So as this develops it will require a bit of…. imagination.

The below images are the backgrounds for some scenes in our adventure where our hero must move through the forest into the snowy woods to face his enemy…

In these pages our hero leaves the mysterious woods…

past the mossy rock…

to where the snow begins…

past the snowy meadow…

to find the tree where he must confront his fears…

And in this, I face my own.

In going against all I’ve been told and taught, I’m creating my own path, and beginning my own adventure….and I invite you to join me!