Life of a Project

While everyone is getting their books together for the epic 2014 Photo Exchange I thought I would remind you of this post from earlier this year "Two Steps Back..."

No matter what your project is, no matter how big or small it is, you will move along a very familiar path. From your very first eureka moment, to the emergence of those first doubts nibbling away at your confidence, to the very depths of despair when you don't think it will ever get done... we have all been there.

I am currently somewhere between "It will be good to finish because I'll learn something for the next time" and "Its done and it sucks, but not as bad as I thought." Personally I am grateful for even this.

As you work on your "best of" book or your next big artistic project, know that the life of a project is a nasty little roller coaster ride that every artist chooses to take. You are not alone, we have all been there.

And no matter how bad that roller coaster ride is, its better than the alternative...doing nothing.

~ xxsjc

Have you experienced this emotional artistic roller coaster before?
How do you handle those inevitable artistic self doubts?
Have you read Steal Like an Artist? 

Run Away!

Moving Beyond the Instagram Toy Community

I love the fact that the toy photography community on Instagram is so incredibly supportive. Most people are generous with their "likes" and comments and it's a wonderful place to play. But occasionally it feels a little insular and it's nice to branch out into other communities. It's always fun to make new friends and expand peoples understanding of toy photography along the way.

When I joined the photo sharing site Streamzoo (RIP), I was introduced to the wonderful world of macro photographers. Now that Streamzoo has ceased to exist, many of those same photographers have migrated to Instagram and I have continued my relationship with them. Sure this community has a penchant for bugs, flowers and water droplets, but they also recognize and support toy photography.

If you are interested in branching out beyond the regular toy community tags, here is a list of the macro communities on Instagram that I am aware of. Feel free to check them out and see if there might be a good fit for your own work. 

@BNWMacros

@Colors_Hub

@Flair_Macro *

@Flawless_Macros

@Global_Nature _Macro

@HDMacros *

@IG_4every1

@IG_Closeups *

@JJ_JustMacros

@Macro_Champ

@Macro_Perfection

@Macro_Premier

@Macro_Secrets

@Macroclique * 

@MacroStalking

@MD_Macro

@MyDailyMacro

@Nature_Obsessions

@TGIF_Macro

@Visual_World

The communities marked with an asterisk have been the most receptive to my work, especially @HDMacros. If you are looking for exposure beyond the toy community this is a great place to start. 

~ xxsjc

Are you involved in any communities on Instagram other than toys?

If so, what are they and why?

Bunnies and flowers! What is there not to like??

The Dark Room

Yesterday I went on a smaller rant and shared my view on what a photo does to me.
Regardless if it is a newspaper headshot, a selfie with an iphone or an artistic fine print.

The picture should tell me a story.
The story of the Misty Mountains or the sexy bathroom in that six star dining place you wanted to share with us.

One picture tells me more as the standard thousand six hundred words in an optimized blog.

So we should get it right, yet not the dentist way (no pun intended as I do have some great dentists in my circle of friends) as I want to feel the emotion in the picture and not just a histogram perfect image.

An image with guts.
An image with a story.
An image with scratches.
An image with pain (and laughter).

Your story.

Emotion, regardless if its is right the photographic way.

And that is what we want to address in the dark room on G+.
Get the emotion right across with the audience.
Does it touches us.
Does it make us smile.
Does it do what you want it to do when you are Stuck In Plastic.



Footnotes to self:
Day 3 in my personal challenge (a milestone).
Picture above shot with a DSLR and minimal edits made in post processing.
Picture above was trying to share the emotion of the last day of the Spring Equinox ...

Stay tuned and leave your view in the comments below ...

The Spring Equinox

With the Spring Equinox in full force and the Bunny Crew™ out and about in the garden to hunt for eggs and candy it is time to sit back.

Sit back, and reflect at some of the postings Shelly made earlier this week here on Stuck In Plastic and the discussions we had in The Foyer and The Dark Room over at G+.

The use of DSLR, the search for the inner self, or the challenge of becoming a better photographer, artist or even brick. 

All very valid questions and challenges and part of the dialogue we want to create with our work here at Stuck In Plastic.

And this is where the problem starts. 

I am not always part of that dialogue and push Shelly in a monologue by being stuck in board rooms on the Death Star and other crazy adventures my NDA does not allow me to talk (let alone blog) about it.

So, let me take this equinox and birthday celebration of Ēostre and Freya and accept the challenge Shelly so clearly lays forward in her latest post.
 
One post a day here at Stuck In Plastic, not for 30 days but until the next summer solstice is upon us ...

Wish me luck !
Me2