Big Brother to the Family and a Story of Annoyance

After much blood, sweat and tears….oh wait, no that wasn’t it…..

After nine months of much anticipation….

I introduced a new baby into the family. That’s right. He’s beautiful, big and healthy and we couldn’t be happier. His name is Damien and he’s my brand new Canon 5DmarkIII. He even has a new pet already- the 100mm Macro IS lens. It’s beautiful. They’re beautiful. I am beaming with joy.

But before my little bundle of joy, there were the pain, the heartbreak and the requisite screaming. All because of a jackass camera salesman.

I don’t why I sometimes encounter this sort of arrogance whenever I enter a camera store. All I want to do is buy my camera (or to look at them, fondle them, drool over them) and in any case, whatever happened to making the customer happy?

So I walk into the store, asked if they had the 5dmIII in stock, met with a yes, and then asked if I could see it and have a bit of a play before I purchased it. I was told instantly and insistently no. Urm, no? He wouldn’t even let me see the model, instead handing me the 5dmII still in its full plastic covering and saying ‘it’s the same thing’.

No, it’s not the same thing. If I wanted the older model, I would’ve asked for it. I wanted to see the new model. I wanted to touch it, hold it and give the controls a whirl. Instead I get looked up and down and told I can’t do that, and was given some bullshit spiel about shutter counts. I get told that the ‘lovely’ salesman is a photographer and that the camera is for professionals. Gee. I guess I’m just a shutter clicker.

If so I’m darn proud of it. I’m happy with the work I’ve done with my trusty little 1000D. I’ve shot my own personal projects, I’ve shot published editorials, I’ve even shot at fashion week. I’d be quite content to continue doing so if my current camera would click as much as it whirrs. After four years it’s breaking down on me and it’s time to let it rest as a spare. I don’t need to be made to feel inferior, or to be disregarded, or to be told I’m not good enough for a ‘pro’ camera. Way to get a returning customer…not.

So imagine I was quite annoyed walking out of there. I’d like to say it was a one off experience, but unfortunately I’ve come across similar attitudes at other camera stores.

Moving on to better things, here are some images =D

Isn’t that the most delicious sight ever?! Utter love.

I’ll be back in Melbourne soon, ready to test these babies out! Call me Maybe!

Commercial Jobs for Trade

This is something I’ve seen time and time again and usually I let it wash off me because let’s face it, people can and will do whatever they want. What am I talking about? People asking to do commercial jobs for free.

Doing trade or TF has exploded with the advent of the internet. It is so easy now to find people to collaborate with, to work with, to shoot with, and I love it. Without this I wouldn’t have found my joy for photography or be able to do what I do now. And trade has a legitimate place in the industry- often times called testing- it’s the way to build your portfolio, to create art and to express your creativity.

What gets really aggravating however, is coming across people who think they can and should get commercial jobs done for free. Let’s break it down now- doing trade is not doing it for free- I’m exchanging my time, effort and skills in return for someone else’s time, effort and skills so I can build my book and they can build theirs. A commercial job however is a paid one, I’m giving my time, effort, and skills to do the advertising campaigns, the look books, the promo materials, the hundred and one other things that people will be using to MAKE MONEY for their business. Therefore I think, legitimately, I should be PAID for MY business. All these offers for experience and exposure, is something that should be relegated straight into the trash bin and not even be worth the time to read them, because frankly no one is going to care two hoots about the photographer who shot that commercial job for free. There is no exposure. And experience is something you’re going to be getting anyway, because you’re always growing and always learning.

Funnily enough, this sort of attitude is perpetrating beyond the internet into the real world of commerce. Big multimillion dollar companies think it is perfectly alright to hire photographers with the promise of ‘exposure’ and without pay, to shoot their events for them. How do I know this? I’ve encountered it first hand, and I know the very people who’ve just undercut my fellow photographers.

It shows a genuine lack of RESPECT to expect people to pay you for what you do, but in return feel no need to reward the people who are working for you. And photographers, respect YOURSELF and your time and energy and skills, because you are worth something.

Trade is trade, business is business.

Succulent

Succulent is such a great word.

Nice company

There’s something to be said about being innocently genuinely nice. It’s so fresh to see someone bright and smiling and who says hello to strangers. I met Wayne today on the tram. He was cheerful, a little too loud, a little bit strange and people avoided meeting his eye or responding to his hellos. We had a lovely little chat about cats and parted ways feeling brighter about the world. Perhaps if there were more people like him, we can all have a conversation and be less grumpy faced about the day.

2012

2011 had been a really difficult year. It marked the end of a very long and arduous 6 year law/arts degree, a year filled with thoughts of the future, about careers and goals and the purpose of life. It marked the recovery of my health after being physically ill and the return to medication with the realization that it is alright to get help. I finished my four year position as publicity director at the go club, having made many firm and some very close friends. My love for photography grew notwithstanding the setbacks and disappointments and aggravating situations, I learned to be more confident, more self assured and happier with myself. I now appreciate food, looking forward to dinner dates and cook outs at my apartment. The relationship with my family has grown slightly less fraught, I learned to negotiate and speak my mind and be less quick to anger. I decorated the apartment, it now feels more like home. I went to Laos, climbing into little boats, accidentally biting into a voracious chili and did not get kidnapped. i joined the gym and sort of enjoy going. There is no more fast food in the diet, no kfc or burgers and a drastic cut down on soda. I went up on a helicopter. Sang my heart out at karaoke. Still getting scratched by the cat.

So what awaits in 2012? Traveling to exciting new lands. Meeting wonderful people. Creating more photographic work. Starting legal training. Finding work. Growing up. Teaching Sammy to be nicer. Seeing foreign films. Dreaming about bigger and better things and achieving them. Learning to be at peace.

There is so much out there to be discovered and explored and yearned for. I can’t wait =)

Thank you to all the very lovely people who have supported me on my journey thus far. You have been invaluable, irreplaceable and I am so lucky to know you, and continue to do so. Here’s to 2012.