So unfocused today, that I put this in my coffee, just to see what it would taste like.
And it was good.
However, the likelihood of getting anything done today that pushes my existence on this planet forward is dwindling with every sip.
Photo cred: ME
TJ Mizell - A$AP scratch
NY DJ’s puttin in work.
I was already devouring literature and I was the ripe old age of 15 when I decided to be an actor. I just thought plays were the most fantastic way of expressing life. I thought I’d discovered Shakespeare - ‘hey, there’s a new guy in town, don’t know if anyone’s read him.’ I was just excited about the whole thing, from day one.
The Future of Nightlife
Julian Race
niche work, black and white Lingerie stuff. blog-exclusive content
More black and white from the pacific coast.
part 3: Santa Barbara.
“An expensive camera and a masters degree aren’t required to become a rockstar in this field. If you’re an artist with a camera, you’ll get noticed; if you’re a technician with a camera, you’ll blend in with the masses.”
-Joel Grimes
At the risk of sounding elitist and super-bougie, this is why the term “visual artist” is a more appropriate designation for me than “photographer” is.
I am more of an artist than a technician simply because of the way I see and do things. To me art is the umbrella and a camera, paintbrush, or whatever instrument I have in hand is simply the tool I use to communicate something.
I tend to operate more based on the way things look and feel. I move on a more sub conscience level that’s hard to explain because it’s so abstract. You may refer to it as “random”. I tend to find myself less concerned with the technical details like camera settings, strobe placement, or proper Photoshop technique. I need to work on that. Or do I? I mean does referring to myself as an “artist” rather than a “photographer” give me a pass to what the hell I want whether it’s technically good or a fat pile of suck? Yes. Yes it does.
Fundamentals are important, but some value that way more than the creative content/subject matter, and their work suffers as a result. Cameras and computers can’t make creative decisions. That is the operator’s job. Talent and artistry comes naturally for that that are truly gifted. Of course the talent must be nurtured, practiced and developed for it to matter.
None of this means that I am illiterate when it comes to the technical side of image making. I am a fundamentally sound photographer, but I’ll be the first to admit I’m not the most “technical” person out there. “Just take the damn picture” is my battle cry at times. So far, it works out well more often than it does not, but it has come to bite me in the ass before. And that is the risk I take…
I can be found on sets doing things “wrong” because I’m a minimalist when it comes to gear and because I’m impatient at times as well. Those are more aspects of my personality than they are anything else. But perhaps it’s because in all of my creative endeavors, I have gone out of my way to avoid formal training. Maybe it’s because the thought of being in school for more years than I already have doesn’t appeal to me at this age. Or maybe I just think I know it all and what I don’t know, I either don’t need to know or can learn it on my own fairly easily. Do I try to just rely on talent and ignore proper technique cause I’m an arrogant and disillusioned artist type? Am I too stubborn to follow?
In terms of technique, I’m given even more lattitude because of what the digital culture has given us. Visual art has all been brought to a consistent scale in terms of size. That size is determined by Apple, because you’re consuming visual art on a computer screen, iPhone, or iPad. And that’s it. You’re getting your photography from Pinterest and your Facebook feed, which is a standard size across the board. I could make a wall size painting, but unless you actually come to a gallery or my house, it’s size and scale is consistent with that picture of your friend’s dog taking a shit on the carpet.
Additionally, due to the ephemeral nature of the internet and it’s fast moving streams of content, the question of “how” an image was created matters less than it ever has. I find the pursuit of perfection less important to me in the grand scheme. Trying to be the “best” (a technician) is an exercise in futility. Being different (an artist), however, is worth the time, energy, and effort and that is where my focus lies.
black and white beach-scapes. part 2.
the cove / the pacific ocean.
Halo Essentials-{the exposure} #4 from Julian Race on Vimeo.
Featuring Chef Evelyn’s Urbane Foodie
Food is courtesy of the good folks at Bolsa, in Dallas @ the Bishop Arts District.
Feature: Chef Evelyn - http://chefevelyn.com/
Event host: @haloEssentials - Twitter
Location & Food: Bolsa - http://bolsadallas.com/
Video by Julian Race, http://julianrace.com
Love aficionado
the infamous motorcycle shoot, just about the whole thing.
I think at the time I really only used 2 or 3 photos from this shoot, with the first one being the main one, so here are some more from that day.
enjoy.
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