Anti-patriotism In Los Angeles

I was at a 5k in Pasadena kicking off the New Year. Moments before the race started, the Star Spangled Banner sounded off. I immediately raised my hand to my heart as I’ve done since I was a young kid in school and later at sporting events and the military. I used to feel silly that the song made me feel proud. I looked around at the hundreds of people surrounding me and saw very few people paying their respects to this country. I think it’s a product of our current societal indoctrination that being proud of your country is racist or affiliated with the right wing. Whatever the reasoning, I don’t like it. We are out here with so much free time that we are paying money to run around other people. If that isn’t reason enough to love the country, I don’t know what is.

A New Approach To This Blog

Reading back through a few of my blog postings, I’m not loving my tone. Type tone if that’s a thing. When I’m offering advice on my workflow, I’m too pushy with my thoughts. Instead of saying “do this,” I’m going to say “this is how I do it.” I think it’s a less demanding approach to offering my perspective. My process is what works best for me (right now). It might not work for anyone else. I’m coming to this conclusion after reading my own blog and others and watching some YouTube content. The people saying “do this” are annoying. Be more like me! Narcissism disguised as altruism. 

3319 Keepers Since July 1st, 2023

My new workflow has yielded an insane amount of keepers. Small high contrast b/w JPEGs only. Minimal post processing and quick editing. I haven’t shot a raw photo in six months.

Go beyond “the moment” and photograph whatever inspires you. If it’s a piece of trash, take a photo. 

Get off Instagram. It has too much influence on us. Seeking validation from strangers is unhealthy.

Shoot at least 100 photos per hour and expect a 3% keeper rate. Take as many photos as possible. This method paired with the fast workflow of editing JPEGs makes your life in post quick and easy.

Use a small camera. A Ricoh, Olympus or Panasonic is probably best. Something you can fit in your pocket.