Danny and I just had a great chat with Pete, who runs Order Processing at the Lab. According to Pete, this year OP was able to clear the “Christmas Rush” almost completely in a single day. That’s amazing.

It means the automation we put in place in Photojunction this year (fondly known as PJ Nana) definitely works.

Pete really wanted to talk about the handful of orders where his team had to go back and sort out problems with their clients (things like missing files or flattened JPG layouts received for full colour service).

As a result we came up with a few ways to make Nana even better, but most of the problems would have been avoided simply by:

1. Using the latest version of Photojunction.

2. Using PJ’s Export Layouts window to interface with your exported PSD files.

3. Using the automated Send Order function to upload your orders and files.

Danny was no sooner off the call than he was in to bother the developers! With a cool message – we’ve done well but here’s how we can make it even better.

I like that.

Cheers, Ian

PS I think Danny prefers “PJ On Rails” to PJ Nana. To each his own metaphor.

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That is the big question.

Andy Warhol said, “It is art as long as it’s signed.”

John Cage said, “It is anything you can get away with.”

Why is it so important (to some) to be seen/considered as an artist?

Are we as photographers overselling what we do when we call it art?

Are we selling our vision as artists or our ability to use a filter or two to create art for the masses?

Doc Ross once said that, ”If it comes with a statement then it is art … otherwise it is just decoration.”

So Art has a signature, intent, and a certain freedom.

Most importantly, ‘Who cares?’

Maybe we care because it adds value to what we do. This value is something that cannot be measured in inches or centimeters, but is quoted in dollars and cents.

Part of the ‘Art story’ is respect for the work … and part of showing respect is how you present it.

Enough said!

Johannes

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What is a Dumbo Feather?

It is the thing that somebody believes in that allows them to achieve their dreams, or maybe overcome their fears.

Dumbo (think the elephant with big ears) believed that it was a very special feather that gave him the ability to fly, and when he lost the feather he became a flightless elephant. With extensive counselling and a few kind words he realised that it was in fact his large ears that were responsible for his ‘winged’ prowess.

We are often the Dumbo Feather to our clients. They believe that we are responsible for making them photogenic … sure we have our friend, The Beautify Filter from Adobe, but in reality if we can get them to believe in themselves we are much of the way towards creating photogenicity for them.

Being the Dumbo Feather has its benefits … it nurtures loyalty beyond reason … but there are other ways to do that.

Speaking of Dumbo Feather there is a fabulous magazine called ‘Dumbo feather, pass it on‘, which is a very honest look at real people.  Read it and become richer for it.

All the best, Johannes

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Being photographed for your wedding (especially your first one) is worth remembering.

Well it should be!        Actually, no!

The thing you shouldn’t remember is being photographed.

You should remember having a great time. You should remember laughing, feeling in love, being nervous, being energised, being with the one you love, being happy, but not “being photographed”.  Your photographs should remind you of the feelings and emotions of the day, and not of somebody pointing a camera at you.

This is an interesting concept … The photographer as the facilitator for imagery that uses great light, is well composed, and is emotionally charged.

The photographic experience, where the skill of the photographer is in their invisibility.

If I was to draw parallels I could say it’s like an album being almost invisible in the telling of the story, even though it is the vehicle by which the story is able to be told.

Cheers, Johannes

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There’s a man on the side of the road selling dreams … a guy comes up to him and says, “How much for a dream?”

The Dream salesman says, “That depends, do you want a good dream, or a bad dream?”

“I want the best dream I can get.”

“Did you know that your dreams are drawn from your own experiences?” asks the salesman.

“Now I do. Maybe I could have somebody else’s dream then,” says the guy, hoping for a happy experience, and realising that his lacklustre life was not the material of amazing dreams.

“Funny you should ask – I have a brother who sells books and lottery tickets, maybe he can help you.”

Last week about three million $35,000,000 dreams were bought in New Zealand. Four of them came true. For the rest of the dreamers many of them had made an unlikely investment based on an incredibly remote chance.

The retelling of a dream, any dream, shifts and changes with time. If we are party to the telling of a dream – if in fact we are to be the author of somebody else’s dream – it is important that we tell a good story.

A photographer could record the moments of a dream (let’s call it a wedding for argument’s sake) as photographs. The photographer could put them in a box to remind people of the dream that once was. If the photographs become mixed up, and maybe some get lost or damaged, the story will be changed – confused, dimmed or even lost. That’s why Queensberry invented albums, so the story doesn’t become fuddled by time and carelessness. They invented albums to retell the dream in the best way possible for a long time to come.

Good night everyone, sleep well

Johannes

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