[LATE NIGHT BLOG] A Little Self Reflection…

The hustle NEVER stops. Especially in this career…The moment you stop, you disappear. I HAVE TO KEEP IT POSITIVE, MEANINGFUL, AND MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

Sometimes, I wonder if choosing to become a photographer/artist was the right choice. But each day that I hustle, try to make things happen, and shoot just for the sake of shooting…my heart tells me that THIS IS MY CALLING.

The road to greatness isn’t easy and it doesn’t END at all actually. Just when you think you’re on top of the world and you think you got it made, another journey/challenge presents itself that you and you alone must triumph over. Your family, friends, mentors, teachers, the other artist(s) that inspire and influence you and your style, and even your haters and enemies are all there to support and challenge you to achieve that higher level of success that you desire. Ultimately, it’s on your shoulders.

The last few months have been a crazy, stressful, but at the same time REWARDING time for me as a photographer. I’ve learned so much about myself, what I can and can’t do, what I WANT and LOVE to shoot, and so much more. I’ve had the opportunity to shoot with a TON of different people/clients, each presenting a different challenge for me to take on. I’ve spent countless hours and sleepless nights in front of my computer working on photos, trying new processes out, failing, trying another way, failing, trying something totally different, still failing, and after about what seems like eternity, I finally nail what I was trying to go for. I read and studied articles and images that I love while the sun rises at dawn. I’ve shot thousands of images on a shoot only to keep one or two for my portfolio. It’s a tough journey, and it’s only gonna get tougher.

Recently, I’ve also had the CRAZY opportunity (that I thought would NEVER happen in my life! Such a blessing.) to assist, shoot alongside, and LEARN from the photographer who I look up to the most and that’s had the most influence on MY style as a photographer/hustler. So, so GRATEFUL and BLESSED to have been given that opportunity to be learning and working amongst another fellow photographer, motivated hustler, and great friend of mine. He’s continuing to do his thing, constantly growing and evolving and doesn’t show signs of slowing down at all. Mad inspiring. (jatecson.com)

As I go into this month of August, I’ll take these little nuggets of knowledge and lessons from past experiences and embark on the next leg of my journey as a photographer and artist. I’m not gonna hope I’m ready, I KNOW I’M READY. As long as I keep it positive, keep it moving forward, and stay motivated, I’ll be where I want to be in this world. This isn’t just a hobby for me like it was two years ago when I first picked up the camera. It’s becoming a way of life. I fell in love with the art. My “job” is my lifestyle, and my lifestyle is my “job”.

Here I come, August 2012!

-earl

Beach bummin’ this summer…

“But nothing comes close to the golden coast...”

KEIANU x MINISHOCKLA

Just one out of the eight fierce and talented kids to make the new Mini Shock LA 2012-2013 team! So excited for what they’re all gonna bring this season.

Photo of the Day: Sunday Rehearsal w/ FSLA!

I’m definitely trying my hardest to push the boundaries of my work even further, without “over-killing” the image in post-processing. In this game, it isn’t just pushing the shutter button, uploading it to your Facebook album and calling it a day. Nope. If you’re really serious about your work, post-processing/editing is just as important as physically pushing the button on your camera.

People that aren’t artists or photographers don’t really understand the amount of hours and work WE put in to make our images (or the client who’s writing the check) as perfect as it can be. We may spend a couple of hours working on location, but the real work starts when you get home from the shoot and begin processing and developing your images, that’s where all the magic happens. This doesn’t mean a total over-kill in editing to the point where your images look fake. I mean adding little touches to increase contrast, sharpening, etc.

This is what we call the “darkroom equivalent” or “digital darkroom”. When photographers back in the day shot with film, they didn’t just leave the film in the camera after the shoot. They spent hours in the darkroom, developing and fine-tuning their images with different exposure times (with the enlarger), contrast filters, chemicals, etc.

Even though most photographers have switched to digital, we shouldn’t forget the roots and the origins of our craft. Embrace it. Although we don’t own enlargers, chemicals, or a room that’s sealed off from almost all light, we can still work just hard as our predecessors did to make our images the best they can be.

And again, every photographer, every artist has their own style. What may look good for one person, may not swing well with another. Everyone has their own way of doing things, this is how I run my work flow…kinda sorta (an ever evolving process) HAHA.

Stay up everyone! Keep inspiring, creating, and SHOOTING! =)

P.S: For all you hobbyist/photo-enthusiasts still shooting JPEG, try switching it up a bit and SHOOT RAW. JPEGs degrade in quality each time you save and re-save it. RAW is the only way to go, in my opinion.

Photo of the Day: DJ Ervin Arana

DJ Ervin Arana on the 1’s and 2’s spinning at CSLA’s H4 Battles! Thanks for coming out!