Anonymous asked: photography book of images taken through toilet window
WTF?
Cheers,
Zack
Anonymous asked: Any thoughts on corporations like PPA insurance?
I hear it’s fine but business insurance is business insurance. Whether you are a landscaper or an accountant or a photographer. It’s easy to get business insurance. Find a local agent, pay your premium.
I’m with Zurich right now. I have a one million dollar liability policy with another million umbrella over that. Gear insurance. Data insurance (in case a drive goes down), fraud, theft, etc, etc. I pay about $1,000 a year for all of that. It’s a big policy that is well worth that amount.
Cheers,
Zack
Anonymous asked: If you were about to take a one month trip around the U.S. and could bring only one camera body and 2 lenses, what would you bring?
I’d bring a Fuji x100s and figure it out with that. Seriously. It’s my go to travel camera.
DSLR? Any ol’ decent one made in the last five years with a 35 f2 and an 85 1.8.
Cheers,
Zack
adamrasheed asked: Mr. arias (um, I didn't know my dad was also answering questions) Granted that someone's work is great, how do they go about finding a good ad agency to show their book to? And how would they get selected for a job?
I’ve talked about this in different ways here.
First… it’s about relationships. Relationships are key. It takes time to build those relationships. Nothing beats face to face meetings. You send out mailers, promos, emails, portfolios, etc… trying to get a meeting. All this stuff is just planting seeds. Those seeds have to be cultivated and watered and cared for. Advertising can take a long time to reap benefits from. It’s for the tenacious, dedicated, and patient kind of person.
Research the hell out of agencies. Find out whose work your photography is a good match for and start that seed planting as soon as possible. Be patient. Be persistent. Be consistent.
Cheers,
Zack
Anonymous asked: How do you graciously turn down work/clients that you know you don't want without wasting your time and sounding like a dick?
Hey! Thanks for your question. I appreciate you asking me. Right now I can’t commit to giving an answer to you and I know you’re probably on a deadline for getting this answer. I know a few folks who could answer this for you though and I think they’d do a great job for you. Would you like me to connect you with them? Really though. Thank you for taking the time to ask. I appreciate it. I’m so sorry I can’t answer right now but I’ll help you get someone who can answer it. Thanks!
:)
Cheers,
Zack
Anonymous asked: So, Zack, you've been around - you've done this, you've shot with that (compliment not sarcasm) - but have you shot with anything on a mountain? Cause I've been searching for the perfect camera to take mountaineering - so lightweight, pocketable and able to withstand howling wind and snow. I have the x10, which ain't that great. Now, I know you're championing the x100s, but if i'm on steep ice in crampons I don't have much option to zoom with my feet. Should I resign myself to a crappy compact?
“Now paging Chase Jarvis. Chase you’re needed at the customer service desk.”
:)
Ummm. Yeah. I’m not the guy on the side of an icy mountain so I can’t really tell you. I’d take an x100s up a mountain and just live within it’s reach. If you are just taking photos for yourself then you can get a decent point and miss camera with a bit of a zoom. Or use the x10 that you have but if that isn’t cutting it for you then I suppose image quality is key for you. Like portfolio building stuff?
At that point you climb for the photos and take the gear you need to get the shots you need. Pocketable and great image quality? You’re really reaching for something there that doesn’t give you many options.
Cheers,
Zack
Anonymous asked: Zack, please help. I'm shooting my third wedding on June 1st, and the bride just told me she and her fiancé both wear self-tinting glasses (you know, the kind that automatically darken when you go outside), and she's concerned about how the final photos will look. She identifies herself with her glasses, and she doesn't like the way she looks without them on. How would you handle this? I can't seriously be expected to Photoshop the darkened lenses out of every single shot, can I? Advice?
Well, first… asking time sensitive questions on this blog isn’t the best thing. Seeing it’s June 7th and all. How’d it go? :)
If we could go back in time I’d have told you…
I would have told them that they need to order new glasses without self-tinting lenses - or - only shoot photos indoors - or - have photos where they are outside but wearing sunglasses the whole time. If they want retouched photos then it will be $200 per hour for retouching and after about two hours of that… they could have probably bought new glasses just for the photos. At the very least they could have just ordered new lenses for their frames.
Cheers,
Zack
oh-its-shane asked: Zack, im shooting more and more film for personal work again cause it cheaper for me to make large res scans then using a digital back on a 645 - (besides the fact I want my personal work to travel with the times, so my daughter can produce 7000 megapixel images when she is my age, of the same shots) -Im not sure if you scan negatives these days , but if you do what do you recommend for me, a guy with a recently broken scanner- Cheers! brandon s. warren
On the rare occasions I scan film I use my Epson Pro V750.
A lot of times I use a lab like Richard Photo Lab and have them process and scan.
Lastly, look around and see if anyone is renting scanners in your town. Here in Atlanta there a place that rents Imacons pretty cheap. Shoot a bunch then rent a scanner every four to six weeks and do your scanning.
Cheers,
Zack
Anonymous asked: Zack, I'm sitting here depressed, stressed and unmotivated about photography but deep down I want to get motivated. I'm 37, divorced, have two boys, in a chapter 13 bankruptcy, don't like my day job and recently broke up with my girlfriend. I just sold D300 and bought a D700. I also bought a PCB Einstein, but with these assets I still find myself unmotivated. My question is how did you find inspiration to get motivated back with photography. I feel right now I am where you were in the past.
Here it is! I’ve been wanting to get back to you but have been busy and I had to go digging for this question again. Found it!
Ok. Sorry to hear where you are. Been there. Done that. Didn’t even get a t-shirt for it. No matter, it would have been taken from me anyway.
You can either write an awesome country song right now or dive into photography. I know where you are. Totally.
Love those two boys first and foremost. The rest of the dust in your life will eventually settle. Stay single for awhile. Work your day job. Don’t buy any more gear. You have enough.
I have learned that when things get dark the best thing I can do is go make something out of that. Don’t worry about it being portfolio stuff. If you’re in the dark then go make something dark. Just go make it for you. If no one sees it then fine. You aren’t making something for everyone else. Get honest with yourself and go make something honest.
Keep shooting through the dust storm. Get the shit in your head into your camera. You’ll probably shoot a bunch of crap at first. That’s fine. Push through that and get to something you can really focus on. Shoot a series called shitty jobs. Shoot something about bankruptcy. Shoot a series of girls throwing drinks in guys faces. Then flip it and have them throw it back. Shoot portraits of people screaming. Then laughing. Go dark then go light.
Also find a way to go help others. Get into your head for a bit then get the f*ck out of it and pour some of yourself into a project or organization that helps people. Make something positive out of all of this. It’s ok, and somewhat needed, to wallow in the mire for awhile but then you need an exit and I’ve found helping others is a great way to exit the shit you’re in.
Figure out a series and keep it simple. Simple simple simple. One lens. One light source. One framing. Stay focused. Don’t go over the top. Keep it simple stupid.
Best of luck friend. There’s life on the other side. I promise.
How did I find inspiration to get back to it? I had to do it. I had to get back to it. It was the only thing I knew to do or I’d be working retail the rest of my life. It stopped being a thing I wanted to do and turned into a thing I HAD to do.
Cheers,
Zack
twix52311 asked: I'm considering getting the Fuji EX-1. Thoughts?
I’m considering deleting this question. :) I don’t have a lot to work with here.
Thoughts?
It’s a camera. A fine one at that. It won’t focus like a Nikon so if you shoot sports it’s not a good idea to get one.
It’s great but I like the X-Pro1 much more. OVF FTW.
If video isn’t important to you then cool. If it is then not cool.
If you like synching with flash at high speeds… again… not the camera for you. The x100s is though.
Sony makes nice cameras. So does Canon. And Nikon. And Pentax. I really like Fuji’s though. x100s and X-Pro1 being the best for mirrorless cameras. IMHO.
There isn’t a great portrait lens for the system yet so if portraits are a big thing then get the M adapter and a Leica 90mm or something. That’s the direction I’m going.
Otherwise… How am I supposed to answer this? What are you wanting from this camera?
Cheers,
Zack