Whenever, I am traveling by air the weight of bags and type of equipment I carry is a major factor in my photography.  Most of my pro bodies are big and heavy, especially 2 in one bag, so generally I will carry the smaller D200 (use mostly for street shooting, no battery extenders), D300, or a D700 if the environment free of some the negative elements.

Since I shoot on the streets in the early morning and late hours of the day there is always a concern for losing high dollar equipment so as a general rule I work with the bare minimum and only a few lenses.

Sidebar: 

My Project 1-2212 is about capturing the beauty of the cities I visit but its also about capturing and experiencing the local feeling of the area.

My wife has family here in Puerto Rico, Ponce, so they gave me some insight on what areas are great and not so great. I am staying at hostel for a night, yes a hostel, about 1.5 miles from the beach and about 3 blocks south of one the toughest parts of San Juan, the cab driver didn’t want to leave me, after we couldn’t find the address. When you have traveled through jungles in South America this is a breeze. Then tonight I am heading down to a beach front property for the rest of my stay. Promised the wife that I would get another room.

For the most part I haven’t ventured out at night much in this area, it’s dangerous, but  on a good note I have been able to experience the locals and meet some interesting and friendly people from all over the world. My stay here at the hostel has been uneventful and comfortable. And I have noticed that there are police patrols about 15 mins but the cops don’t speak much english in this area.

So, I am keeping a low camera profile. Here’s what’s in my bag now for trip 3 Puerto Rico

Camera Bag:

Think Tank Shape Shifter Backpack

Think Tank Urban Disguise 60 V2.0

Cameras:

Nikon D300 (Favorite Camera)

Nikon D200

Camera Accessories:

8 EN-EL3e Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries
10 Compact Flash Cards (2-8 MB in size)

Pixel Pocket Rocket™ ThinkTank

Hot Shoe Level

Nikon MC-30 Remote Trigger Release

Filters (ND, ND Grad, UV Haze, Polarizing

Hard Drives:

Seagate Go Flex 500MB drive w/ firewire cable

Seagate Go Flex 1TB drive w/ firewire cable

Belkin Universal Media Reader (Black)

Computer:

Mac Book Pro 13” 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5

IPad

Software:

Lightroom 3xx

Lenses:

Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro-NIKKOR

Nikon AF Nikkor 12-24 f/2.8-4D

AF NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8

Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8 DX Fisheye

Tripod:

Calumet 7300 Tripod w/ Manfotto Mirco Ball Head

7 years ago when I started out, no one was willing to help me. I made a lot of mistakes, developed some bad habits and styles. Along the way I lost some good clients and that hurt.

No one wants to admit to what they don’t know, ego’s run deep in this game, but in photography you can not hide your flaws from trained professionals or a savvy consumer, trust me on that! If you are going to survive in this trade then you are going have to create a strong foundation and fresh path for yourself often and that’s why I believe in what I do so much.

When times are tough and money is tight, more and more photographers are less likely to train, or believe that they don’t need to update their skills. Failure to learn is the “Kiss of Death.” As artist, we have to continually train, network, study, and mentor to keep growing.

I am not alone in this flight to support photographer education, I am just on the frontline. There are a number of other professional photographers, business partners, and vendors who have been supporting me and my efforts to bring photography training to the forefront.

These photographers, partners, and vendors, have offered their space, mentored me, and have taught me this trade openly and without any expectations other than me passing along their beliefs and what I have learned.

I have made a commitment to become the best person I can be. With that comes a responsibility to help, support, mentor, and guide my peers. This is about progress!

Giving is the best gift believe me!

I am excited to have this opportunity to appear as a guest writer on Keith’s blog this week. We recently attended a 5 days, 4 night stay in Las Vegas during the WPPI Wedding and Portrait Photography Convention and Trade Show. The purpose of this blog is to tell you about this trip and how muchI learned about photography and working with Keith.

What is the value in attending WPPI?

If you are an aspiring photographer, you shouldconsider attending this international event. WPPI (or Wedding and Portrait Professional Photographers International), is the world’s largest photographers convention that is held on the East, West Coast- Las Vegas, and Mexico.

If your goal is to learn more about photography in a mass educational environment, WPPI may  interest you.  WPPI is also an opportunity to network with other photographers, attend presentations and classes, and get introduced to the latest products and services available in our industry.

What did we do there?

I have been training as a photographer’s assistant with Keith for the last year.  It has been a challenge to say the least.  Even though I have a full-time job, he still demands a lot from his support staff.  As part of my training, I travel and assist Keith with his workshops and projects. Currently, Keith isworking on a Project called “2212” with Las Vegas being the first of his 12 city trek across the country.

Since I manage the majority of his admin and research needs, I was asked to plan the first leg of our trip.  The requirement was to find affordable alternatives for hotel accommodations, travel arrangements, and ground transportation. We did considered driving (as Keith does most of the time to Vegas), but found it more cost and time effective to fly.

The majority of our time in Las Vegas, we were out shooting for Keith’s project thus did notattend any WPPI classes.  Nonetheless, we shopped at the vendor booths and  saw many of the exhibitor’s presentations. This was valuable because it allowed me to ask questions about products that I was interested in and get answers directly from the vendors. Visiting the trade show exhibitions was a little overwhelming, because there was so much to see and do and in a limited amount of time.  It did not take me long to get into the grove of things and really see the benefits of coming to such a well-known event.

As we know, tpeople have many choices when it comes to spend money in Las Vegas.  To say the least, we definitely did not want to spend it all on hotel rooms or out gambling on “lady luck”.  Having worked with Keith over the last year he always echoes: “Let’s be cost-effective on our projects and travel.”  Therefore, he had me research the most affordable option available to attend WPPI and photograph North Las Vegas. I located the Stratosphere Hotel.  The hotel is centrally located and newly remodeled off the main strip and close in proximity to both old and new Las Vegas.

About the cost

Rooms at the MGM Grand Hotel (where the convention was held) would have cost us $149 per night plus tax (and a possible resort fee). This could have resulted in an $800-1000 expense per room.  Nonetheless, some people will opt to share rooms in order to reduce the overall cost. For us, that was still too costly.  Instead, the Stratosphere Hotel  was $40 per night (including tax) per room on the average.

Cost break down
RT Airfare SCK to LAS
$100
Stratosphere Hotel 4-night stay
$200
Shuttle To/From Airport
$16
WPPI Trade Show Registration
$35
Monorail To/From Convention
$50
Total
$401

Since we were centrally located between the main strip (North Las Vegas and South Las Vegas) we were able to travel by the Las Vegas Monorail each day to get to the convention at a cost of $10 per person RT each day.

Why did we stay off the strip?

One element of Keith’s project was to capture images that reflect the idea of “comparison and contrast”.  I was amazed to see how he created images that captured some of the most recognizable landscapes while incorporating some of the worst. I’ve come to realize that photography is really about your thought processes; his is pretty interesting to see in action.

What are the drawbacks?

One of the drawbacks of staying at the Stratosphere was the $11.99 per day Internet use fee.  Our solution? We found free WiFi at establishments such as McDonald’s and  Starbuck’s.

The other drawback was the quality of food choices. The hotel’s food court consisted mainly of fast food.  One local recommended we try a  nearby Indian restaurant.  We slurped with the bill running us about $50.  Did you know curry is sauce made up of several spices?  So, if someone says they are allergic to curry, be wary!  Lol

Our food choices were totally motivated by price (and free WiFi!) Thus, anyone on tight budget or who loves fast food will do quite well.  Unfortunately, affordable meant fast food such as Subway, Mc Donald’s, Starbucks, and local eateries in the area such as Mexican and India restaurants.  We certainly would have considered alternatives had our hotel rooms had mini refrigerators, kitchens or had the neighborhood offered healthier options.

What did I learn on my trip?

An impromptu meet with photographer George DeLoache (Best Portrait Photographer for North America Kodak 2010) ranks extremely high on my list.  Mr. DeLoache spent time with Keith and I (read about it here) and spoke about his passion for photography, the world of negotiating contracts, and making it to the fourth quarter with the goal of having left a legacy behind. Wow!

Also, there was Mike Stango of R.T.S. Inc.  Mike represented his products like a true professional.  Not only did he patiently show me the practical applications of how to use the tripod, he did so when the show was close to closing.  Mike spent the time to tell me about every feature of the Cullmann Magnesit 525M tripod and how it would be valuable as a tool in my work.  Needless to say, I bought it.

Over the 4 nights we were there, Keith and I shot about 8 hours per day around Central Las Vegas(walking).  I got a chance to see how Keith approached his images and it was eye opener. On several occasions, he never took out his camera.  Rather he had this look as if a mathematician solving an equation in this head. Then, we’d come back and shoot it.  Ah, that’s what he was doing!

It is one thing to hear someone talk about a technique or an application, but it was something totally different to see him execute it (and execute it fast in an un-rehearsed). I definitely felt as if I was slowing him down at times during the trip. I learned a valuable lesson about creating images…thought process, thought process, thought process.

Bottom line: traveling can break your bank but it is more affordable than most people often think.  My total expense for four days in Las Vegas was about $400 (not including the equipment I purchased at the trade show).  I believe the point Keith is attempting to prove you can see the world and cost is really only a small fraction in the equation. Would I do it again?  Absolutely!  It was the best money I have spent on my photography career.

Following is an interesting blog Wells wrote titled “Art and commerce of selecting a workshop teacher.” If you attend all the rock star event and follow the mainstreams you might want to read his blog.

I read a recent article in February 2012 edition of Range Finder on Photographer Dina Douglas and she mentioned: “I spent a year working for free, second shooting and studying. Wedding photography is a complicated business and all I wanted to do was get all my ducks in a row before I accepted money for a job.”

If you have been around longer than 5 years full-time then you know working as a photographer shooting anything is a day-to-day grind. The longer you stay in photography the more it gets complicated and time-consuming. The industry would have you believe that if you do everything right, especially marketing, you will be successful in photography. First, there are no magic bullets in this business. Second, no one is going to give you a master plan. And last, the rock star presentation you may have attended on how to make millions shooting portraits is an outlier, in other words, there are only a chosen few who will achieve that level of success in photography. Your success depends on how you develop your images into something special.

You have to invest time into building your technical and creative foundations. Building a technical foundation that you can create stunning images from is what’s going to attract your clients and peers. The more techniques you know, the more you are going to create great work consistently. No marketing on the planet is going to help you if cannot deliver a product that is technically correct and creative. This might sound preachy but it is a fact.

5 Points You Should you Know that will Influence your Work?
If you are going to survive in photography you are going to have to dig in and get clear on these 5 points:

Technical abilities:
What are your photography strengths and weaknesses and what are you doing about them to enhance your work?

Knowing your path:
Are you a serious amateur looking for a way to recoup your camera cost? Do you want to go pro? Are you a beginner wanting to learn how to shoot?

Direction:
What is the direction of your photography, commercial or consumer, portrait or landscape? Can you earn a living producing images in these areas?

Style:
Have you thought about your style? What influences your work is history, emotion, or art?

Your Business:
Who are your clients, how do you reach them, and do they have the resources to afford you.

My kind of photographer is a person who is always going to remind you of the importance of building a good foundation just as Douglas did.

Also I am out the early mornings and late hours of the day there is always a concern for losing high dollar equipment. So my goal is to look as normal a possible.  In some cases I will use kit lens, this could be a little frustrating because they lack quality and are slow. But on the plus side people tend to ignore me more when I have smaller lenses on my camera.

Here what’s in my bag now for the Honolulu Trip 2

Camera Bag:
Think Tank Shape Shifter Backpack
Think Tank Urban Disguise 60 V2.0

Cameras:
Nikon D300 (Favorite Camera)
Nikon D200

Camera Accessories:
8 EN-EL3e Rechargeable Lithium-Ion BaBatteries
10 Compact Flash Cards (2-8 MB in size)
Pixel Pocket Rocket™ ThinkTank
Hot Shoe Level
Nikon MC-30 Remote Trigger Release
Filters (ND, ND Grad, UV Haze, Polarizing

Hard Drives:
Seagate Go Flex 500MB drive w/ firewire cable
Seagate Go Flex 1TB drive w/ firewire cable
Belkin Universal Media Reader (Black)

Computer:
Mac Book Pro 13” 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5
IPad

Software:
Lightroom 3xx

Lenses:
Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8 DX Fisheye
12-24mm 3.5D
28-85 mm 3.5
105mm f/2.8 VR Micro-NIKKOR
24-120mm 4.5-5.6D

Tripod:
Calumet 7300 Tripod w/ Manfotto Mirco Ball Head

Why am I doing the project: ?To photograph iconic landscapes for a new book I am publishing called “Vantage Point.”

What kind of images can you expect to see in the book?
Images that capture the obvious and not so obvious of an Iconic scene.

How will “Vantage Point” help me??
Vantage Point will help you develop a voice in your landscape or environmental photography through the use of story telling and shooting techniques. The book will offer tips and insights on day and night shooting, the importance of a good vantage point, and how you can excel in poor shooting conditions such as rain and snow. And last, how you can travel to locations around the US inexpensively. It’s like the all in one photographers travel guide.

How can you follow me in realtime? ?
Follow me on Twitter @keithbdixon
Friend me at: www.facebook.com/keith.b.dixon

What’s in my camera bag?
Every trip I will post “What’s in my camera bag. For the most part I will use a wide range if lens from pro to consumer. The bodies am going to use will the D200, D300, and D700. And, depending on the location maybe a D3. ??Here is a link to my last posting on “What’s in my Camera Bag- Las Vegas.”

I really admire DeLoache because of what he has overcome in his life and because he has freely advised me in the past on business, portraiture, and mostly importantly being an artist.  After speaking with him over the last two days he re-enforced three things to me: great influences are important, passion rules your outcomes, and you have to put yourself out there to be criticized by your peers.

DeLoache is well versed in the Rococo and Baroque eras, which are 18th-century artistic movements that emphasized lighting and drama. Those eras are driving forces in his work. Historical influences are one of the most important elements in an artist work because it creates definition and understanding of where an artist is drawing inspiration from.

No shortage on passion. DeLoache told me something that I will never forget, he said, “If I had to choose between taking one last breath or clicking the button, I would choose to click the button.” This might sound extreme but his statement speaks to his commitment to himself, his craft, and his passion for art.

Then he mentioned “Keith you haven’t even reached half-time yet, I am in the 4th quarter now. I want to leave a legacy behind like the greats have done in the past.” His statement brought tears to my eyes because I could feel the passion he felt for the art he creates. Then he asked, what organizations do you belong to? He went on to add you have to put yourself out there so that your work can stand up the rigors and standards of the industry. It is like a seal of approval and is one step closer to creating a legacy. Most artist I meet will alway say “Keith, put yourself out there.” DeLoache echoed that same tone.

Our meeting was inspiring to say the least.

Visit George De Loache’s Site

I have traveled to Las Vegas over the last 10 years more than any other place in the world, sometimes 5 times a year. Like the policemen, I have also become immune to the bright lights in the city. Las Vegas has proven, for me, one of the most challenging cities to shoot from a creative perspective especially since I have seen or photographed a lot of the prospectives.

My plan dig deep and explore downtown Vegas an area over shadowed by all the new mega hotels on the strip. I must admit walking through Central Las Vegas was like stepping into a time machine and going back to the past, I am a modern type of guy, but the past became my inspiration.

More to come………….

Whenever, I am traveling by air the weight of bags and type of equipment I carry is a major factor in my landscape photography. Most of my pro bodies are big and heavy, especially 2 in one bag, so generally I will carry the smaller D200, D300, or a D700 if the environment free of some the negative elements.

Since I shoot on the streets in the early morning and late hours of the day there is always a concern for losing high dollar equipment so as a general rule I work with the bare minimum and only a few lenses.

Sidebar:

Funny thing, I thought last night I was going to have an altercation with a person walking by. While wrapping up my setup on the Stratosphere on N. Las Vegas Blvd., this drunk guy insisted I take His photo and I politely walk away with Lyda.  He became more aggressive as I thought about how I was going to bust him in the head with my tripod. The guy walked away after I became a little aggressive with my no’s. Always be aware of how people approach you and be alert.

Here what’s in my bag now for the Vegas Trip 1

Camera Bag
Think Tank Urban Disguise 60 V2.0 Shoulder Bag – Holds DSLR Gear + 17inch Laptop

Cameras:
Nikon D300s 12MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
Nikon D200 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Camera Accessories:
Nikon EN-EL3e Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery
10 SanDisk SDCFH-004G-A11 4GB 30MB/s ULTRA CF Card

• Pixel Pocket Rocket™ ThinkTank
• Hot Shoe Level
• Nikon MC-30 Remote Trigger Release
• Filters (ND, ND Grad, UV Haze, Polarizing

Hard Drives:

• Seagate Go Flex 500MB drive w/ firewire cable- for admin files
• Seagate Go Flex 1TB drive w/ firewire cable- for images
• Belkin Universal Media Reader (Black)

Computer:

• Mac Book Pro 13” 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5
• IPad

Software:

• Lightroom 3xx

Lenses:

• 100mm Nikon AF-S 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro-NIKKOR
• Nikon AF Nikkor 24-85mm f/2.8-4D IF
• AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8
• Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8 DX Fisheye

Tripod:

• Calumet 7300 Tripod w/ Manfotto Mirco Ball Head