Weight | Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina | Oct 2008
More unordered thoughts…
On the opportunities for wedding photographers
I use Twitter to track a lot of things, one of which are tweets with the words photography and business. Perhaps 90% of the tweets that pop up for that search are about wedding photography businesses. Are we at a severe oversupply of wedding photographers? Do couples understand the huge changes that are going on the photography business? Do clients understand their choices?
On Productivity
It’s a daily fight. Even after all these years I have yet to find the perfect way to schedule my day and my life to achieve true productivity. I read everything about the subject, I test different approaches, different perspectives, restrictions, planning, etc. My fundamental problem is my most productive times are 8 AM to noon and 11 PM to 3 AM. But it’s pretty difficult to lead a life like that…
On Reunions
Reunions are rites of passage. Unfortunately I’ve missed out on reunions: I feel a bit cheated on the opportunities to have lots of awkward conversations with people I didn’t know to start with and haven’t talked to in years. But are reunions really the same thing with the advent of Facebook? Perhaps we can have “virtual reunions” instead?
On music and concentration
Music can lubricate the mind; the key is to select the right music for the task, the mood, the person and the time. For me, any task involving deep thought requires music I have heard a billion times; music helps me close off the rest of the world and focus on the task at hand without focusing on the music itself.
Different tasks require different music: I invariably select different music for Excel financial modeling, writing, Photoshop editing, reading, web design, PowerPoint drafting, InDesign design, HTML, CSS and PHP coding and “web curating”.
Specific examples?
- Excel financial modeling: Anything upbeat, more lyrical; hip-hop, electronic, house, hardcore. Beastie Boys (circa 1992-1995) and DJ Shadow are longtime favorites.
- HTML, CSS and PHP coding: Similar to Excel, but I’m not as good at web development as Excel so it takes a bit more focus. Usually electronic, downtempo, house, trance.
- Photoshop editing, photo curating, any design work: More willing to explore music I don’t know by heart, and can be more lyrical, pensive, thoughtful music. Usually indie pop, with a frequent turn to British electronic and Britpop. Air, Coldplay, Massive Attack, Radiohead, Everything but the Girl, Death Cab, Postal Service, etc.
- Writing: the trickiest of all. Sometimes silence, but only after I’m already in a creative zone. Usually jazz, electronic or downtempo. MMW (Medeski, Martin and Wood), Miles Davis, Sigur Ros, Kruder and Dorfmiester, Thievery Corporation, etc…
- Photography: only the music of the moment and the environment. To see with my eyes and my mind, I need to be immersed, aware and engaged – consciously and subconsciously. Perhaps I would use music for studio shoots: the choice of music wold vary depending on the shoot.
