Being Nimble in San Francisco

I have a great workday lined up.

My first stop will be at Joby HQ in San Francisco (yes, the makers of the wildly cool Gorillapod). I'm in meetings there for a couple hours. They're a terrific group to hang out with... very creative and passionate about photography.

Then I have a couple hours free for street shooting in the city. I'm on foot all day or using public transportation, so I'm sure I'll see plenty of stuff to photograph. I'll be testing the new Olympus OM-D E-M10 micro four thirds camera with the very fun 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ zoom and auto lens cap.

I posted a short video of this tandem in operation on The Digital Story. It's definitely worth a look!

After that, I'm attending a Samsung Press Event down on the Embarcadero. There's a NDA meeting and reception, so I'm sure it will be enjoyable. (I'll probably keep my Olympus out of sight then.)

I'll leave the press event around 7pm and take BART over to Oracle Arena and catch the Warriors playing the Bucks tonight. Great way to finish off the day.

I'll have my camera and a couple lenses, plus the iPad mini and some accessories, in my Walking Man Shoulder bag. Such a nimble combination. I'll have everything I need with me, yet I'll be light on my feet and won't be attracting any attention.

At least not with my bag.

-Derrick

The Double Edge of Depending on Others

I remember a performance review I had 20 years ago.

I was the Communications Manager and lead photographer for a health care company. My director said to me, "You have to lower your expectations a bit when it comes to the performance of your staff." (She was a great boss, BTW.) "If someone on your team doesn't meet your standards, you can be a bit hard on them."

I've since kept her advice in mind and tried to be more patient. Sometimes that's worked better than others. But I'm much better today than I was 20 years ago.

That said, it's a double edge, isn't it?

One one side, we never know the things that people are dealing with in their lives. Many of these situations affect their work.

On the other side, I've learned that some folks just aren't very dedicated or disciplined. It's not their environment that keeps them from performing well. It's them.

I'm no longer a communications manger. I work for myself. I think my discipline has helped me survive all of the changes I've seen.

And when I work with others, I try to keep my former director's advice in mind. 

To a point...

In the end, we have to be able to depend on each other.

Otherwise, more change is going to come, one way or another.

-Derrick

The Balancing Act

The hardest part of my job is paying for content -- the stuff I create.

The Web has always been tricky this way. At its core, the Internet is a free information sharing service. That, along with its ubiquitous presence, is what separates it from many other types of media.

And like other information sources, the Web is wildly competitive. It's this wonderful mix of professionals and amateurs alike, with every topic conceivable fair game for discussion.

I began my move from print to electronic in 1997 when I built storyphoto.com in the wee hours of the morning. It's still online, now as a historical document. I was a hobbyist then. I paid the rent with my day job.

In all of those years since, I've never had a hard time thinking of things to write about. The balancing act has been generating enough revenue while I create that content.

With The Digital Story Podcast for example, I've resisted putting commercials at the top of the show. My reasoning is that people want to hear the news or a feature when they first tune in, not an advertising spot. 

Sponsors hate that. They want to be up front -- at the beginning of the show and at  the top of the website, like a toll booth you must pass through.

Instead, my approach is advertorial. I look for products and services that I think have real value, and I tell their story, hoping to educate along the way. Even if you don't buy the product, you learn something new.

Even so, I have to add this ingredient in measured amounts. A little too much, and the scale tips the wrong way.

Not enough, well, then I'm back in 1997.

-Derrick

An Online Only World?

I've been reading about the closing of Calumet Camera stores here in the US.

On one level, I'm not surprised. On another, I'm worried. I'm concerned that speciality stores, whether they feature cameras or candles, are struggling to adapt to our changing economy. Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with online - just not online only.

That's one of the reasons that my workshops are so important to me. They're my brick-and-mortar store where people can interact with one other, face to face. Physical experiences are important.

This approach is harder. It's more expensive and requires more energy. We all put a lot into each workshop, both facilitators and attendees. And at the same time, there's nothing in the world like it. 

Part of Calumet's problem appeared to have been keeping stock on hand. A photographer who walks into a store wants to hold the gear. Placing a "special order" isn't going to cut it. He can do that himself. It's called B&H or Amazon.

For the same reason, I don't show movies at workshops. People don't want a video on how to photograph a model. They want to take her picture.

If we're going to preserve the physical retail world, then we need to offer an experience that you can't get online. If you come to my workshop, I'm going to take you to lunch and discuss photography. Web site training can't give you that.

I feel bad for the retailers who are fading away. But I'm also disappointed in many of them. Put some energy and creativity into the experience. Make it real. 

Believe me, I'm not the only who doesn't want an online-only world.

-Derrick

Old Tech

Yesterday, I published an article about dusting off my original iPad and putting it to work as a digital picture frame.

It's positioned at the bottom of the studio stairwell, on the wall next to my iHome speaker system. Since publishing the article, I've also used the iPad as an attractive weather station and music server for the iHome.

Why didn't I think of this before?

I'm laughing at myself. This device has been in my home closet, doing nothing, for two years. Every now and then, I'd have to move it out of the way to get to something else. Finally, about a week ago, I said to myself:

"This is enough."

Either I find a use for the iPad, or I sell it to someone who can.

That sums up my general feeling about old tech, and that includes cameras. The thing is, I hate waste. I don't want to be remembered as the generation that fed landfills to over capacity leaving the problem for my children.

As a result, I sell a lot of gear. And it usually goes to someone on a tight budget for a good price. What I keep, I want to use.

And when I figure out a clever approach for an aging piece of gear, I get that same elated feeling as I do when I strike a great deal of find a bargain.

In the last month, I've pushed in to service an old slide projector and first generation iPad. My iPhone 3G is now a portable music and podcast player for the car. What will April bring?

I need to go dig around in the closet.

-Derrick