Air Space

I'm not one of those people who can sleep on a plane.

It might be because I'm tall and can't really find a comfortable spot. Maybe it's the sound of rushing wind - or even the sporadic activity down the aisle - that keeps me awake.

And awake I am.

To be honest, I like this time. The dimly-lit cabin seems like a good place to think about things, listen to music, catch up on podcasts, watch movies, and yes, write journal entries. Unlike my normal waking hours, there are no expectations on a plane. There are no "I should be doing this right now" thoughts running through my head. Air travel is a free pass when it comes to work.

So far, flying from San Francisco to London, my biggest accomplishment has been pecking at a chicken lunch with my arms pinned to my sides. They gave me ice cream afterwards.

This freedom to play does have a price, however. We land in London at 7am with a full day ahead. The sun will be bright. The streets will be busy. And unfortunately...

I'll finally be ready to sleep.

-Derrick

Bon Voyage

On Wednesday morning, we fly out of SFO and won't touch ground again until London.

From there, we travel to Harwich to board our ship. Over the next 10 days, the Celebrity Infinity will be both my home and my office. I'm teaching on the MacMania 17 Conference that explores the British Isles.

Stops include, Paris, Cork, Waterford, Dublin, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Holyhead. I have an unlocked iPhone 4S with a UK Sim card. I'll be posting Instagram reports my site, DerrickStory, and on ctDigiPhoto. If you enjoy Instagram, I would add both to your feed right now.

Beyond that, who knows what's going to happen. I have Twitter and Facebook apps on the iPhone, plus I have access to the thenimblephotographer.com and thedigitalstory.com. So you're sure to see field reports there too. Because the journal format of The Nimble Photographer suits travel well,  I anticipate plenty of good stuff will appear there.

As for camera gear, I'll be using the iPhone, Canon S110, and Olympus OM-D E-M10. All three cameras have built-in WiFi, so moving pictures online will be relatively simple.

By the way, if this type of trip sounds appealing to you, I'll be traveling to Cuba in January. You're welcome to join me on this field trip. 

But for the moment, my focus is the British Isles. So Bon Voyage.

I'll be sure to write.

-Derrick

A Second Set of Hands

I first met Leah in a Peet's coffee shop in Santa Rosa.

She was a college student who wanted to supplement her income with freelance modeling. We were meeting to discuss an upcoming workshop where I needed a fresh face for a couple portrait sessions. 

I ordered an Americano. Leah didn't want anything to drink. I think she was nervous. But the meeting went well and she got the gig. That was March 28, 2012.

Today, Leah is an important part of Story Photography. She is my second set of hands. Because of her efforts, I was able to pull off the San Francisco Street Shooting Workshop in May. She worked five months on that event.

I just landed a big corporate assignment because I could demonstrate the ability to handle the business side of the project. Having Leah on staff is what cinched the job.

When I'm on the road, she takes care of the Nimble Store, feeds Dibs the studio cat (who loves her BTW), and answers emails about ongoing jobs. When we're out scouting locations, Leah makes sure she's dressed for photography. She's my stand-in model, ready at a moment's notice.

Leah is popular with workshop participants. Watching those interactions is what gave me confidence to hire her as my photographer's assistant. She now shoots with an Olympus PEN and was responsible for the "behind the scenes" photos at the SF workshop.

It's amazing the difference a part-time helper can make for a small business. I'm sure someday Leah will run her own gig. But until then,

I'm going to keep her as busy as possible.

-Derrick

Packing and repacking

My first attempt for a carry-on bag weighed 21 pounds.

Nimble indeed.

I figured that the bag was just too big, allowing me too much space to put stuff. Yes, it's going to be a long flight–from San Francisco to London–but I'm going to have to trust some items to my checked luggage. So I unpacked the bag, dug around in the closet for something smaller, and tried again.

My second attempt went much better. I paired down my camera kit, stashed the hard drives and extra batteries in my checked suitcase, and decided that some items just weren't required for this trip. This time the scale landed on 13 pounds. I could live with that.

For me, every trip is a trip of a lifetime. Wonderful things happen just as easily in San Antonio Texas as they do in Dublin Ireland. And regardless of where I am, I want to be able to capture any memorable moments that come my way.

But I have to keep in mind that I have a dislocated shoulder on the mend, many miles of exploring ahead, and I don't want to be so tired that I get lazy when it's time to be an artist.

So I'm going to limit myself to two Micro 4/3 camera bodies, four light lenses, a flash, and a handful of accessories. If I can't do it with this kit, then I'm not the photographer that I think I am.

Because I am working, I do have to bring my laptop. Otherwise, I could go with just the iPad mini. But I'll tell you one thing, when I hit the streets of Glascow Scotland, there won't be the MacBook Pro in my bag.

I'll take what I need to get the job done. I am a professional. But when I'm on my time...

I'm the nimble photographer.

-Derrick

Do Talk to Strangers

I know it's not what our mamas taught us.

But they probably wouldn't want us out on the streets anyway.

The thing I've learned about urban photography is that if you interact, you get more action. Wallflowers are for junior high dances. Shyness is for landscape work. If you want to shoot in the city, you better pack your personality too.

Say you're both waiting to cross the street. "That's a good looking building over there, wouldn't you say?" If you get anything more than a grunt, you can add, "And I like your jacket too. Do you mind if I get a quick portrait?"

It's not that hard. But it takes energy. Some days I have it, others I just hang out.

My biggest ally is curiosity. "What are you taking a picture of?

"I'm photographing that building. But now I'm thinking that a portrait of you would be great too. Got a minute?"

About 1 out of 5 will say no. The other 4 will be interesting shots.

When I ask, I look them in the eyes and smile. And I hold my camera tightly.

Just in case my mama was right.

-Derrick