READ THIS: Got paid one of the best indirect, maybe even somewhat backhanded, compliments of my career today in a text. So our firm needs another round of pics after, uh, I dont know... say five other attempts at it by different photographers. Anyway, we want you back... Im not saying I forgive them for attempting 5 times to replace me ;) (side note: I do), but I am happy to hear sanity finally set in after (I assume) they spent 3 times as much overall trying to hire people with with none of the skill but half the price (alternately, they may have had family friends come in and waste their time... dont actually know). Ive been seeing so many disheartening things in the realm of creative professionals and specifically professional photography lately, and Im really sick of it. If you live in KC, STL, COMO, or anywhere nearby, I could rattle off 30 people from memory that I would recommend before I let you go to some bullshit fauxtographer with a Great Deal. I love Justin M Photo, obviously. Its my company and my passion and heart is in it completely. I would love for you to come to me if you had photography needs, but I would gladly (and often do) send people to someone else I trust in the industry before I let them get on Craigslist and find someone with a Special. Creative Photo, Lollipop Photography, Love Tree Studios, SilverBox Photographers, Anastasia Pottinger Photography, Ashley Turner Photography, Rebecca Allen Photography, Catherine Rhodes Photography, et al, just in Columbia alone (sorry for any of my immediate friends I missed!)... and the list goes on and on and on. Some people think that competitors have beef with one another in towns. When it comes to hardware stores or movie theaters, maybe thats so... but when it comes to artists, were all driven, ultimately, by our love for the craft. It sure as hell aint for the money! If you dont care about quality, then Im not talking to you... but if you understand what we do as an art form and as a record of time and an experience, rather than a cheap commodity, you will recognize the difference between a professional, and someone with a nice camera. Maybe this post is purely masturbatory, or maybe its more a nod to my fellow creators than anything else... Not sure. Theres this understood tacit nature amongst us artists that we should take everything in stride, and just let people eventually come to us when they realize theyve been had by 2-bit hacks, but Im kind of fed up, honestly. I work too hard, and I dedicate my life, time, money, efforts, and soul into being an artist through photography, design, and music (with Mary and the Giant and Enso) too much to be quiet all the time. Those of you that know me know Im an outspoken person anyway, so why should I remain silent about the bizarre treatment of people in the creative industry? Dont get me wrong, when things are going well, the pay is awesome, but if we broke it down to hourly pay, factored in the equipment weve purchased, the educations weve paid for and undergone, the hours we put into the experience, its years before we break even, and even longer before we start turning a liveable profit. So, some of you will see this and be like TL;DR. Some wont even see it. Some will see it and read through and disagree. Some will see it, read the whole thing, and become equally incensed by the treatment of creative professionals these days. I try not to rant on Facebook ever, because it isnt worth my time... but today was a good day, and I feel like taking pride in what I do. With all the nonsense that everyone has seen in the News and on their Newsfeeds today because of April Fools, I wanted to put some real talk out there. I go to my musician friends concerts when I can (Dont Mind Dying, The Flood Brothers, MoonRunner, Decadent Nation, The HipNecks, Stingrays, Jenny Teator & The Fevers, Clockwork, We Live In Public, Driving Wheel, The Many Colored Death, The Fractures, Uptown Downers, Moon jr, Not A Planet, The VCRs, et al), I shop local when I can. I buy things that people made in their homes and their forges and with their hands. I outsource projects to people I know and trust when someone comes to Kitchen Table Promotion with a particularly bizarre request. I pay the extra money for quality, not because Im snooty and not because Im made of cash, but because there is no point in wasting $250 on something that is completely worthless, if for $1000 I can have something that lasts a lifetime. So when it comes to genuine quality products, ask people who have spent that extra buck how it worked out for them before you make a decision. When it comes to staying in and listening to the new Top 40 Playlist, or going out to a concert, talk to some people that attend local shows regularly... or as we like to call them, our inspiration/motivation. When youre faced with a decision to do the same old thing day in and day out versus going out and taking a chance on a local artisan/artist/professional/musician/etc... take the chance... You are the future of art. You are the instigator of creativity. You are the foundation upon which your favorite band/movie/artist/author/etc. will build his/her career. Dont settle. Demand brilliance... but be willing to back it up with your time, your encouragement, and your wallet. Rant over. Love you all! -jm
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 03:08:09 +0000