Personal work...

I've found that even photography can become "work" in the sense that its routine and once you start and get really good at shooting one type of picture someone else wants you to do the same thing for them and before you know it... you're shooting wedding cakes for the rest of your life, not that there's anything wrong with that. But not only does this scare the living daylights outta me but there's an easy way you can avoid being pigeonholed all together.

Enter... Personal work

Personal work must be a major part of your photographic life and development. If I only shot things that other people wanted me to I'm pretty sure I'd go insane. Even though commercial work pays the bills it can't always let you grow and try out new things. That's why for as long as I can remember I would come up with my own projects and ideas and execute them on my own time. Being an advocate of personal work has allowed me to develop my current style and given me a much needed creative outlet for my overloaded brain. Its also what I feel can define the kind of photographer you really are, not necessarily what other people think you are but rather what kind of photographer YOU think you are. And who am I?? I think I'm just another guy with a camera who wants to shoot it all.

- JD




Here's a triptych from personal shoot that I recently did in the studio with friend and model Michelle Zieky... Shot with my Canon Mark IIDs 24-70mm using a simple ring flash.

As always you guys can check out the WEBSITE here... www.JamesDouglasStudio.com

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The Funemployed...

So with this cutthroat world of photography there is a lot of competition for original ideas, especially those that can be translated to a large audience of viewers and readers. I had one such experience working with TIME magazine and a project that I had dubbed "The Funemployed." Spoke with a photo editor there about the idea and she seemed to really be into it. I also went as far as to conduct the shoot on my own for them and hopefully they would print it or at least allow me to consult. The shoot went off without a hitch and the art was exactly what I had envisioned. I was told to hold onto the photos for the next issue, but when the next issue came... I saw that it was the exact idea that I had presented to TIME earlier in the year. At least i know that I can think on the same levels as the big guys... perhaps next time they'll give a young gun a shot before just stealing his idea, maybe.

- JD

Here are a few from the shoot...

 

 

As always you guys can check out the WEBSITE here... www.JamesDouglasStudio.com

Follow me on TWITTER here... www.twitter.com/TheJamesDouglas

And LIKE something decent for once...  www.Facebook.com/TheJamesDouglasStudio