-by Geo

This past weekend, an event called “Art al Fresco” happened in Columbus, Ohio. Artists made spontaneous art in public places, starting conversations and evoking responses from people passing by. I was proud to be a small part of this, when 3 B&W photos from my “About Face: The Art of Being Human” series were chosen for display.

Additionally, these photos are “teasers” for another upcoming community building art effort, the “Columbus: Inside Out Project.”  It will be a group endeavor as part of the worldwide initiative known as “Inside Out.”  Inspired by the artist/photographer JR, winner of the 2011 TED prize, who said “I wish for you to stand up for what you care about by participating in a global art project, and together we’ll turn the world…INSIDE OUT.” Six other Columbus-based photographers and I will be capturing portraits of local volunteers from all walks of life this Saturday 9/17/2011 at COSI from 10am until 12pm.  The resulting prints will be posted around town in public places. The hope is to create a feeling of community through the display of these portraits in areas accessible to all.

More info about the Columbus:  Inside Out Project at http://tedxcolumbus.com/2011/09/inside-out/

More info about JR’s global Inside Out Project at http://www.tedprize.org/jr-2011-ted-prize-winner/

-by Jules

Summer is a great time to capture evocative images. Everyone can relate to the sweet simplicity summertime brings to mind.  School’s out, days are long, temperatures are pleasant.  The livin’ is easy!

It doesn’t get much simpler than fun times in the sprinkler.  Just ask this boy.  Hopefully you won’t have to, maybe the picture tells it all.

-by Jules

©2011 Julie Schirmer

A recent article in the New York Times advertising section reports a new nomenclature in the ad agency and PR firm setting.  Of course, reorganization and renaming are nothing new to our industry. But some of the monickers that we’ve come to know, love and understand are being replaced with more current, relevant titles. Here’s a primer so we might recognize who we’re working with.

Out with the Old, In with the New!

Out: Account Executive, In: Strategist
Out: Account Supervisor, In: Catalyst
Out: Designer and/or Writer, In: Creator
Out: Vice President, In: Executive Director

GolinHarris, a PR firm with 700 employees and owned by Interpublic Group of Companies, is formalizing this shift as of this week. They say it is in response to changing consumer behaviors “most notably the public’s fast and fierce embrace of digital and social media.” Apparently, new hires had the skills to be useful, productive team members, but the old job title system just didn’t seem to fit the bill anymore.

No mention of a new title for Photographer. Any ideas?

We’ve all heard the phrase “Thinking Outside the Box” so much that it’s become a cliché. I was surprised to find the college students in my photo class didn’t know the brain teasing puzzle that started this concept. Follow this link to learn more about the puzzle. But I want to go a bit further.

A very astute and engaged designer friend, Crit Warren, has spoken about producing work that fits an audience’s “Circle of Understanding”.

The Circle of Understanding

The dot inside the circle represents a common group knowledge; everyone in the group “gets” what’s in the dot. The circle represents the outer limit of understanding of that particular group. Our messages need to fit the group and their knowledge.

For instance, if we need to show how to operate a fire extinguisher, our message and visuals had better be in the dot for everyone. When I talk to my photo students about photo styles and techniques, I will assume they have a larger circle of understanding.

Crit had said, and I agree, that good advertising should be right along the edges of the circle for your given audience. Make your viewers think a bit, and they will be engaged. No one likes boring.

Each audience is unique. We all have our own levels of vocabulary, and our visual vocabulary is no different. The internet and smart devices have enabled anyone with the resources to access a huge volume of imagery and data, expanding our limits of understanding. We can be edgy and still engage our audiences. As our viewers become more visually sophisticated, our opportunities as photographers just get more exciting.

For photographers, making something appear to be simple can actually be pretty involved.  Here’s a 2.5 minute video from the above shoot where the object was to photograph some community members with the wind turbines they helped engineer and facilitate…caution, there is a soundtrack so you might want to adjust your volume settings!

Behind the Scenes with George C. Anderson Photography from George C. Anderson on Vimeo.

-by Jules

I saw a piece on the Today show recently which featured an author of a book I did not know. Apparently everyone else on the planet has heard of this writer’s book, which stems from his blog, but in case not, I wanted to share here. It holds some basic truths that I think can be helpful to creatives who own their own small businesses and sometimes suffer not only the economic challenges shared by all small businesses, but also the extra difficulties of staying positive and producing creative ideas when forces in life may seem to be conspiring against you.

The author was Neil Pasricha and his new book is called “The Book of (Even More) Awesome.” The way he tells it, he had started a blog just chronicling little everyday events that brought some kind of simple joy to his life. He didn’t think anyone would read it. His first fan was his mom and then his dad, then his dad’s friends and so on. ‘Til the blog had a ginormous following and now, he’s a bestselling author.

Why go on and on about this fellow and his story?

When we make our income by parlaying our creative gifts into tangible, communicative messages, it’s not always an easy path.  Yes, it’s all hunky-dory when you’re booked solid and budgets are ample.  But when the calendar is lacking and every budget feels parsimonious, we have to find ways to appreciate the small things in life.  The bigger stuff will work out.  It always does.  And in the meantime, it’s important to buoy yourself up, because the best creative comes from a well within each artist.  And feeling satisfied helps feed that wellspring.

For example, this morning,  I realized I was wailing away to a song I was listening to in my car.  I like to sing, and I don’t always even realize I’m humming along to something on the radio…but today, I actually took note of how much pleasure I was experiencing in the moment.  Plus I’m pretty sure the guy in the car next to me at the stoplight got a big chuckle from my antics, although he was probably thankful it’s not warm enough for open windows just yet here in Ohio…

In the fast-paced world we all live in, and the occasionally ego-crushing creative business we’ve chosen to work in, try to remember to stop once in a while and revel in something simple and fulfilling.  Maybe it will inspire your next photo?  Maybe that something little can be the start of your next big thing?

by Jules

There is no denying that texting can be efficient, emailing unobtrusive and smoke signals…well, uh…pretty?

But as visual collaborators, there is nothing to beat a good phone call or personal meeting to hash out the how-to’s in a shared creative endeavor. As photographers, it is typically our role to execute others’ vision, research and layouts. A good conversation can go a long way to making this whole experience more satisfying and successful overall.

When interpreting others’ aesthetics, can we really get the full description as quickly and thoroughly via text rather than talk? Let’s admit it, most creatives got into this business because they are image people, not necessarily word people (our friends, the Copywriters, aside of course). Many times, they are also hunt-and-peck keyboardists who struggle to scratch out a few lines of text. How dreary it must feel to attempt tapping out all the subtleties they could better describe in even a brief chat!

So, when you are working with someone and are going to be the photographer who ultimately stands with your trusty camera at that critical moment in time and “makes it all happen,” I hope you’ve been able to have a previous conversation with your client. There will be things you’ll discover that simply can’t be communicated and discussed any other way. And you’ll do a better job for having a better understanding of your client’s wishes.

I know we’re all pressed for time and the natural inclination now for so many entering the working world of the communication arts may be to reach for their inter-planetary mobile device and send a message, even if the recipient is just across the hallway.

I encourage us to seek conversation. Audio, visual, person-to-person. We can keep it short, to the point, and in the process, perhaps we may remember that in fact, the spoken word can be more efficient than we ever realized.

by Geo

I’m currently teaching at Columbus College of Art and Design as an adjunct. The class is Fashion/Portrait Studio. The students are wonderfully engaged, and I enjoy the opportunity to bring some real world experience to the classroom. So I was pleased when Amy Morgan, Make-Up/Wardrobe Stylist, offered to come in and do a demo. I called up Carol Mosic at CAM Talent to see if she could spare someone, and she was able to provide Myrishka H. for us.

The demo progressed perfectly, and many of the students were pushing for dramatic colors. Amy did the basics, then went on to a more “colorful” approach. Each eye was done in a different color and style, as an experiment. Of course I took some photos.

It was only after I was looking at the photos that I decided to see what Myrishka might have looked like with symmetrical make-up.

In Photoshop, I copied the image to another layer, flopped that layer horizontally, and then masked out half of the face. The results, as you can see below, are surprising!

A big THANKS! goes out to Amy Morgan and CAM Talent. I couldn’t have done it without you!

-by Julie

Our interns often look surprised when they read our list of “dos and don’ts” and just what activities are appropriate when nothing directly billable is at hand.  Item #21 is “Have fun and laugh.”  Many of them have never considered a work environment where seeking fun, laughing and sanctioned play time is not only accepted but encouraged.  Seriously  kids, lighten up!

Because what we’ve learned in our business is that being creative is fundamentally what it’s all about.  And having a wellspring of personal energy to dedicate to maintaining an at-the-ready-creative stance is worth cultivating.

And that toys help.

Fortunately, our friends and family understand this too.  Just this past Christmas, Geo received these totally nifty ExecuHelis. RC, with dual blades…pretty sophisticated engineering for $25 a pop.  Thanks, brother Don Anderson (and Best Buy).

The flight path in our hulking studio’s free space is ideal for unencumbered helicopter action.  (And boomerangs, and Red Ryder BB targets…not to mention the indoor swing hanging from our rafters on 12′chains …)

So- play is good.  We’ve got the toys, and when time allows, you bet we get serious about having fun.  It makes us happy, it inspires us to lofty ideas.  OK, well not always lofty per se.  But a playful mind is a resourceful mind and that’s what it seems our clients want time after time..brains in gear with good ideas to offer.

Pardon me, I want to get back to messing around with the ‘copters.  Just trying to properly get this New Year off the ground (excuse the pun)…

by Julie

If I’d ever been a Boy Scout (mighty difficult since I’m a girl), I’d have been the poster child for their motto, “Be Prepared.”

I was the school kid with the burgeoning backpack loaded with nearly every classes’ book just “in case” I wanted to reference one once I got home, even if there was no imminent homework assignment.  Yeah, the spinal scoliosis was worth it.

I am also the international traveler who carries dry laundry detergent in a baggie (so liquid won’t leak and so much lighter), an index card with exchange rates and equivalents for USD $1, $10, $50, $100 for at-a-glance market negotiations, and pre-addressed labels to expedite the postcard writing process. All packed in my carefully researched mini pack with just the right pockets (and style quotient).

Some might call this OCD. Little did I know I was simply in training for my career.

As a producer, prop and wardrobe stylist, my job is to have anything anyone could need on a shoot, even if they have not requested it. Anticipating needs. And, it is also my job to have packed this stuff in a way that any of us can find “it” once we do realize we need “it.”  Because when the need arises, it will be immediate!

The same goes for my photographer. Forgetting a critical piece of gear can be a major drag.

When I get ready for a big trip, I make lists weeks in advance. When I wake up in the middle of the night with another idea for something I want to be sure to take, I simply grab my tablet on the bedside table, jot down the note, and return to peaceful slumber- with a clear conscience and trusty list.

So, when we are prepping for a big shoot, particularly when it’s a location shoot away from the studio, we keep lists too. Depending on how anal retentive you are by nature, you may want to prep some lists with the basics, have categories pre-designed, maybe even include an inventory list of sorts to jog your memory. You may be less likely to forget that extension cable if you have a box next to it on your list to check off?

Be prepared. Be ready. Be a good Scout. Once your ducks are in a row, your mind can be free to do your best work.

And have a great trip!

Here’s a few pix to illustrate just some of the “stuff” required on a recent shoot….what you don’t see is the photo van loaded with gear plus more “stuff” like you see in these shots!

Packed Up Day Before Shoot

Just a sampling of some of the props/wardrobe (photo gear unpacked elsewhere) that got hauled to a recent "fishing buddies/lifestyle" shoot.

Looking across just some of our production items to where the shoot was actually occurring at the lake.