Lately, I’ve been noticing a disturbing trend. I spend my fair share of time on Twitter, and I think some of these Johnny-come-lately Social Media “Experts” and “Gurus” are missing the point.

Guaranteeing people hundreds of new followers in just a few days without having to look for them via the use of an automated program is useless. This doesn’t show you to be an expert at anything. It shows you have completely missed the point.

The idea of social networking is not automation. You don’t send a computer to real live networking functions in your place. Nor should you use one to generate a following through fake conversation on the internet. Home Depot recently learned this the hard way. It makes you look foolish.

I’m not saying you can’t use tools to automate the timing of pre-set posts for some things. If you need to link to something at a specific time and are going to be asleep, at the movies with your kids, etc. Fine. But to fully automate how you find friends and respond to key words shines a spotlight on you that says “here’s someone who missed the point”

Social media is no different than traditional marketing, just with new technology and terms (sorry “crowdsourcing” product feedback is just informal focus grouping wrapped in a different bow). The same tenets apply. Know your target, engage them in conversation about what you do, and gain respect. Period

Two weeks ago, I ended up in the middle of Indiana for the Kinsey institute art exhibit. At first, I felt vindicated that I do truly do some decent work. Yay for me.

However, the trip ended up being very profound for me.

One of the things I like to do is go driving with my camera. I was immediately struck by some things.

First off, this area of the country, while beautiful, is experiencing an very interesting divide of wealth. I always welcome making wrong turns when on these trips, as I get some great photos.

I experienced a wide variety of things. MANY churches in the middle of nowhere, HUGE houses on lakes, rundown farms with abandoned houses that had been reclaimed by nature, dilapidated barns, abandoned factories. Right across from Eli Lilly’s main national headquarters in Indianapolis is a neighborhood, mostly white, so poor the houses are falling apart, roofs are patched with whatever they can find, and the neighborhood residents were gathered at another small, rundown church for a Sunday cookout.

There is a story there.

On the plane ride home, I picked up a magazine and in it was an article about a Newsweek Photographer who was went to Africa on assignment. While there, completely unrelated to the purpose of his trip, he met a woman who has had ann incredibly difficult life. In the mid nineties during tribal uprising, she watched as a rival tribe killed her entire family. She was taken captive, at 13, and raped continuously for days by multiple opposing tribesmen, and left for dead. She survived, and quickly learned she was pregnant. Then she was outcast by her own tribe. She wanted to commit suicide, but decided to have and raise the child. They were both outcasts.

This photographer decided to return and arrange to meet and photograph more of these women. He was able to get a grant and sell some of his photos to help cover his costs and return a couple more times. Through his photography, he was able to start a foundation and raise money to help these women and their children pay for education (in Africa, it costs money to go to middle school and beyond).

So, you see, I keep being driven in the direction that I need to do something profound with my work. My art took me on a trip where I had several profound epiphanies. I need to follow this somehow.

Summer was a good sport and met me in down town Santa Ana and looked as ugly as possible. Some of this is in the method of processing though.

I decided, however, to focus on lights, as I have an upcoming show titled “painting with light” I am participating in, and I’m working out some ideas

Here’s what I liked best of the night’s work.

In the mean time, here are some images from years past that caused friends and family to wonder what the hell is wrong with me and what exactly does go through my head?

All were shot with available, natural light either on a rainy day or at sunset.

This first one was shot on a rainy day. We actually had something a little different planned, but, it poured all day. So, the model decided she was game for some of my darker work, and she got down in the mud and rolled around and had a blast. The Makeup artist stood over me with an umbrella, and viola!

This is one we did for fun to show what my make-up artist friend was capable of. She planned all the make-up and wardrobe.

These last 3 were shot at a local mission. Make-up was a combination of the model’s doing and my additional touches (she tried to make it too pretty )

All of this gave me the renewed desire to work with available lighting at night. As tricky as this seems, once you start to experiment, especially with the convenience of digital, it is a blast to play with. Just remember your monopod and a lens with a wide aperture.

Below are just a few of the shots I took with a small description.

A local bar doorman through the window of one of the neighboring galleries:

A local bartender at work:

Interesting lighting of the dance floor at a local bar:

The light in the window of a local establishment:

If anyone else has links to some of their own night time work, please share!

Politics has always been a 3-ring Circus. Anyone who tells you “it’s becoming worse” knows nothing of the politics of the early days of our country. From the start of the revolutionary war, to every election since, the media has had the power to effect opinion. That’s the way it has always been and it will likely never change.

Life is not fair. And, any candidate running for an office as high as the president ought to understand that before they throw their hat into the arena. I don’t care anymore if the media is too tough on Palin, or Hillary, or Obama, or McCain. They better be able to handle tough and unfair. Or they better not become president.

Hell, I see less talented people rise higher in life than many more talented people all the time. It stinks. But, it’s life.

We can all sit around complaining about how unfair CBS or NBC treated our candidate. We can claim FOX to be easier on Republicans. It’s all opinion.

However, you would think that the media, in the 21st century, would at least have the courage to finally ask tough questions and get us past the standard “What is their stance on abortion and Gay Marriage” type crap.

First off, I am going to outright say that, given all of the issues we face in today’s post-cold-war climate (I’m so tired of “post 9-11″, it started as soon as the USSR fell, it’s just that NONE OF US was paying attention), I could really care less if 2 gay people want to commit to nagging each other and fighting over the toilet seat until they can’t take it any more and add to the divorce rate.

And, frankly, no matter a person’s stance on abortion, we aren’t very likely to go back in time and reverse legislation. Christians need to get over it. Stop pushing your values on others. As a person raised Christian, I am ashamed that we have become more judgmental to other people’s circumstances than what Christ taught us to be. Let God do the judging.

Besides, when is the last time we really had any serious advances in overturning abortion rights? Religion and Legislation have no business together in a world where there are so many variations on what each of us believes. If your God really does think gay people and people who get abortions are going to hell, then be glad you aren’t the one having to worry about it and move on.

What I want to hear is, how is a candidate going to handle the tougher issues that they are supposed to handle? The Economy? Russia/Georgia? Terrorism? Israel/Palestine?

I read a blog recently that touched on this and that got me thinking on this issue. I wish we could just get past the same old bickering and get something done.

It’s still relatively new, but, I decided to give it a try. I’m interested to see what happens.

The idea is, you can upload photographs, and others can browse them and buy them as prints, onn promotional items, or license them for use on web sites.

It can’t hurt to at least have a portfolio there. Hust one more way to get your name out on the internet.

Now, we just have to hope they promote it well!

I rarely brag, but I have to put this out there.

I have a photo that was voted as “hot” on JPG

It’s a photo that I shot sort of on a spur of the moment. And I want to share the story. Because, I thought the day was ruined, and it has become one of the photos I get the most comments on.

I had a model driving an hour just to work with me. And we had planned a certain type of shoot, and even had a makeup artist set to go. We were going to do something fashion related, outdoors.

And, it decided to pour rain. It never rains in Southern California, as the song goes. And it was indeed pouring. Ridiculously!

So, the model drove the trip anyway, in case it cleared late in the afternoon.

Nope!

So, the model says “well, you shoot some dark stuff sometimes, let’s play with it”.

She proceeded to tear her dress, smear mud all over herself, and crawl around in the pussles in the local park we were using. All while the MUA smeared her makeup and added to the effect, AND held an umbrella over me and the camera.

The natural lighting was perfect, and, the result is one of my favorite photos. And one of my most commented on photos on every site I post it on.

Well, help is here!

I just found this awesome site with many links to articles regarding photo techniques, digital cameras of all types, and even how to work with various forms of lighting.

Have at it! Happy reading!