Working on a budget

When your into photography or video, you know equipment is expensive.  My suggestion is to put your money into a good camera, lenses, tripod, computer, and software.  The rest can be done on a budget and made yourself, which works out great if you don't have a lot of money up front - which is the case in this economy.

For example, here is a video I found on making a wheeled dolly for your tripod (I have not made this one myself yet - but is in my plan).  All you need are caster wheels and PVC piping material.  Now I will modify the setup a little to meet my specific needs.

Or you might want to try this one (again I have not made this one yet):

Do it yourself PVC Light Stands (I have made these using clamp lights from a hardware store, works great for multi-positional / multi-light continuous lighting).  In my setup I can have up to 14 lights at all different levels - note mine cost a little more as I modified the setup to meet my needs).  The great thing about working with PVC is that is it light-weight making it portable.

Another area of photography I am into is macro photography.  When conditions are not right for outside work (rainy, windy, backlighting not where I need, etc); you can work inside using a light box / table to provide backlighting to shine through an object.  Again, I modified the idea to meet my need and budget.  Mine, I used 1 2X4, 2 plug-in florescent lights, acrylic sheets (more durable than glass), and cotton fabric as a diffuser between the glass.  Of course mine is much smaller to fit on a smaller table (12" X 24").

As I shoot green screen and insert the background digitally, I picket up a software digital background program that came with a 5' X 7' machine washable green screen.  Next on my list is to build a PVC backdrop stand.  Again, I will modify for my specific needs:

So there you have it.  No excuses with not getting out there and shooting!!!

Until Next Time,

Scott.

Small Town, Hard Times

Welcome to Staley, North Carolina located in Randolph county.  Staley is just one of the many small, (1.2 sq miles) rural towns that dot the landscape of North Carolina; and was founded in 1889 being named for Col. John Staley a Confederate officer in the Civil War. Like the many small towns, Staley is no stranger to hard times and the loss of rural main street.  This small community once housed many small businesses and larger factories.  Drive south down old 421 toward Siler City or north toward Liberty and you will come across many vacant / abandoned businesses, and rural decay.

When I moved near this area in 1997, many of the buildings were being used, however times have changed.  Most of the small businesses are gone due to the rise of smaller cities nearby, the decline of the tobacco industry (which many of these businesses supported the local tobacco farmers), and also the state of the economy.   All that remains are the residents who are now retired, or work in nearby cities; and the churches they congregate in. Not shown behind me, are several steel buildings that once served as warehouses for larger businesses.

Pictured below is main street.  Many if not all of the buildings now vacant.

To the left is an old tire shop.  As you can see by the lettering on the building, not one but two tire shops have come and gone.  In between then, a local merchant used the building to try to sell various items.  Now, the building is filled with junk.

Staley's population remains small at only 384, being made up of those who grew up here or those who would rather commute than live in a near by city.  Like many rural, small, or poor towns the future of Staley remains uncertain.  Will it become like many others in the state, that no longer exist and are now part of the county or nearby city?  Or will it remain unchanged as many small town do for decades?  For now much of the land is unused leaving an area for those who love to hunt or wish to buy larger parcels to build a home on.

Jobs And The Will to Survive

As you guessed by the title, this post is going to veer a little off course from my usual photography related postings.  Today I went to my weekly jobseekers meeting; a group of those out-of-work who meet once a week to gain job search skills, hear about job opportunities, and fellowship.  They announced that I had landed a part time opportunity, and what the job entailed.  To my surprise some one asked why I took the position after I found out it was not what the person who referred me to the opening said it was; nor was it in my background.  Then I had someone else ask me, “So you are thinking of starting a business that does what?  In this economy? (referring to my photography business)”

Ok, time to put things into perspective here…..

1.     Most of those who know me, or have been following my blog; know I have a number of years in healthcare information technology.  In North Carolina we lost just about 10,000 tech (computer related) jobs.  That number is not going to comeback anytime soon.

2.     I have had sporatic employment opportunities in the last two years.  Meaning, I have been collecting more than I have actually been working.  And only able to pickup short-term employment here or there.  There is a stigma with employers that if you’re out-of–work; you must be lazy and you are losing your skills.  There is also a stigma down here within certain companies that your skills cannot be of use cross-industry.  Ie if you worked in healthcare, you computer skills are not usable in manufacturing or other environments.

3.     The cost of schooling to keep up with the ever-changing IT industry far outweighs the benefit.  For example.  I had a school contact me about updating / getting certified through them at the cost of $30,000 for two years of classes.  $30,000 is a lot to invest in an area that is only going to last 2-5 years before I would have to do it all over again; and especially with no guarantee I would get a job when I finished the courses.  Not to mention, I highly questioned their accreditation.

4.     Unemployment benefits only go so far (they pay far less than if you were working), and you can collect for only so long.

So, you ask why I am looking into other positions and also looking to venture into starting my own business?  For me, that is easy.  I need to feed my family and pay my bills.  I also need to start showing I have other skills that can be marketable in other areas.  Also, it shows perspective employers that I am willing to work, work hard, and also learn new things.  It also shows that I am willing to do a job that “may be below me – background wise” and therefore do not have a superiodity complex that I will only do certain types of work.  Yes, I have the will to survive and put priorities in place.

Now, as to starting my own business in photography...  Some asked me why it is taking so long for me to officially launch.  First of all, I do not want to take out any loans.  Yes I could probably take out a $7,000 loan for all the equipment I need – but that is $7,000 plus interest I would have to pay back.  Thus limiting my quicker profitability.  Also, what if the business does not pan out in my area (I live in a rural area).  Then that is $7,000 out of my pocket I need to pay back.  Thus why I am doing it a little slower and paying cash up front for my needs.

At this juncture in my life, it is all about…  Do I want to wait to see if the economy and the job I lost comes back? Or do I want to work in other areas and maybe find a satisfying job and/or make a long time dream come true in the process.

In the end, it is all about survival financially, emotionally, and spiritually.  I could live better with my self; knowing I tried than wondering “What if?” or “Someday”  I played the “What if/someday” game far too long.  Time to stop saying “What if/someday?” and say “Why not.. and today is the day to start”….

So if you’re one of those unfortunate ones who is unemployed, underemployed, or stuck in a job you do not like…  Why not take the free time you have and explore your passions and dreams.  Start with a hobby, start by volunteering, start by doing something.  After all, this is YOUR life and you have to live with your choice,  I am not saying throw away your job, if it is paying the bills – but remember to not lose the drive in you and where you eventually see yourself.  It is all about the little steps.  You had to crawl, before walking.  You had to walk before running.  But eventually over time you got to where you were going by taking the first step.

Until next time,

Scott 

Quick Weekly Update

I have been trying to do my best with posting at least one entry every week.  This week will be a quick news update.  For those who have been following my facebook updates and tweets on twitter; know that I am in the process of launching the services end of my photography business; which will allow for portraits, product, and other photography needs - not just the nature and scenery stock images I have been taking.  The process has occupied a lot of my time.  So what is new:

1. I combined two websites down to one for easier manageability.  This means most everything that was on http://hervieuxconsulting.com has been removed and moved over to http://shervieuxphotography.com

2. I moved most of my photography videos from youtube to the new website, these videos primarily feature my upcoming services; and they look a lot better on the website.  Due to licensing changes with youtube, I am mulling over whether or not to keep my youtube channel and if it will serve the purpose for the new business.

3. Equipment and software needs are coming along and I am near the end of the list of what I need.

4. This weekend or early next week I am filing for my business licenses to allow me to expand into providing photography as a service.  I held back a little on this end, as I needed to ensure everything that would support the initial launch of this phase of my business would be in place - so as to hit the ground running.

It looks like 2012 is starting off as a promising year.  so please visit http://shervieuxphotography.com periodically because I am always uploading new images in which you can purchase.

Live Band Photography – a lot of work, a whole lot of fun

Continuing on with a thought from a post I did back in October called “The Pole” ; I wanted to bring up how to save some rather poor shots.  

When you are in a band, or doing band photography; you do not always have a choice of the venue you play or shoot in.  Since my early 20’s I have seen and promoted bands in small dive bars and larger clubs.  This can mean anywhere from setting up on a small stage (only a little bigger than a walk-in closet), the hazard of being close to the dance floor, or on a large stage.

This shot from that previous post is just one of those awkward setups when it comes to trying to do photography.  

As you recall from that post, I could not use a tripod due to a crowded dance floor, 4 badly positioned support poles, and packed-in tables surrounding the dance floor.  To top it off, the place had very low ceilings and the lights were hot /wide open cans pointed right in the bands face.  Ok, what to do:

First, I could not use flash; as most bands (especially if they are older) do not like flashes going off while playing.  So I had to boost my ISO to 3200 (the place was very dark). 

Second; most bands move around a lot on stage – so forget about trying to frame the perfect shot every time. And also I needed a quick shutter speed.

Third, I do not have expensive video equipment where I could’ve shot video all night and then extract the frames into photos.

Making the best of the situation, I used a wide-angle lens  - most of the time shooting anywhere from 18mm to 45mm (occasionally I switched to a 55-300 lens for some real close ups – or if I was on the other side of the room).  Still with the lighting, I did end up with some shots like this:

The problems with this photo:

1. Bad composition - guitarist cut off at the knees.
2. Lighting – This made the two musicians look like the “Blue Man Group” gone pink.
3. Exposed wiring and badly placed air conditioning unit. This created for a very busy background.  Not to mention the drum set that got in the way.
4. Another guitarist positioned himself directly behind the first.

There are probably more, but I will stop there for now.  Most people would have deleted this shot as a throw away not worth keeping.  Me, on the other and – I am a glutton for punishment.  Time to fire up Lightroom and Photoshop…  Most of my color correcting work will be done in light room.  Since there are so many tutorials out there, I am not going to show every thing I did so save this photo.  But here are the end results:

Just correcting color in Lightroom:

 

Advanced correcting in Photoshop:

In all, this took about 2 hrs including writing this blog.  The longest part of the process was in photoshop removing all the unwanted items from the photo.  So, just because the original shot did not come out as you wanted (no one takes a bad shot right?); it may not be entirely lost.

Until next time,

Scott

The off season, a time to prepare for warmer weather.

Over the last few weeks, photography has been a little slow.  This is the off season when it comes to nature / wildlife.  We are in a period of no snow (so no winter shots), every other day being 70 or 20; a lot of wind and some rain.  Since it is the middle of winter, most of the animals are still in hiding and nothing is in bloom. 

So, what have I been doing?

Well for one, looking for work as my contract position came to an end.  But I have been putting my bucket lists together.  I made a list of all the places I want to go out and do photography this year.  I been adding to my amazon.com wish list of all the equipment I want/need.  I been making changes to my facebook page, including adding a landing page.  I have been going through all the remaining unprocessed photos from over the summer.  And lastly, I have been going through and getting ready to expand my photography offerings.

Speaking of wish lists...  I also have been reviewing what I already currently have and this brings me to a good point to speak on equipment.  

First, if you are going to do anything outdoors you need to be prepared.  Here are a few things anyone planning any outdoor activity should have:

1. Day Pack.  I cannot speak enough of the need for a day pack to have water, snacks, etc. in it.  Water is a must as we need to stay hydrated, even more so as the days get warmer and warmer and we spend longer and longer outside.  Thankfully the days of carrying water bottles is over.  There are now hydro-packs on the market.  Below is the style (not necessarily the color) I use.  It has a 3 liter bladder (which is enough for all day), a good sized pocket for a change of clothes or other needs, and smaller pockets (to put extra lenses, etc in).  Since the bladder has a long hose that hangs off the shoulder strap, I no longer need to stop what I am doing to grab a water bottle to take a drink.  No more crinkling of a bottle coming out of my pack or pocket to scare off wildlife either.   I can even sip "hands free" allowing me to take that shot while drinking.

Hydro-packs even come in what is known as "camel packs" where they do not have pockets, only a bladder.  Which is great for kayaking, bike riding, jogging / walking, etc.

Hydro-packs some in a variety of sizes, with or without pockets.  You can get them at most any outdoor store including Wal-Mart's sporting good section.

2. First Aid Kit.  This is also essential.  I carry in mine, a few band-aids, alcohol wipes, etc.  If you ever get a tick on you, stumble and scrape yourself, etc.  you are prepared.  Remember we are not immune to accidents.  I got the small travel-sized one for only $3.00

4. Multi-purpose pocket knife (we used to call them swiss-army knives).  Mine has a variety of different blades, scissors, tweezers, screwdrivers, nail file, ruler, nail clippers, washable plastic toothpicks, and even a cork-screw (Did you bring the bubbly?).

More than once I had to use the tweezers to remove a tick (ticks were bad this past year).

5. Role of toilet paper or lots of soft tissues / napkins.  Ok, I know what your thinking.  But it has other uses than that (running nose, nose bleed, cleaning sweat off your glasses, applying pressure to a cut, etc).  But yes even I had a few days where I was 2+ miles in the deep woods and no port-a-potties around.

6. Snacks.  You burn a lot of calories doing activity, and for diabetics this is essential to control your blood sugar levels.

7. And last but not least, a bandana or clean towel.  This can be used to wear hanging down over your neck under your cap (to shield you against the sun), used to apply pressure to deep cuts, also to wet in a stream (or using your water) and tied around your neck to keep you cool.  This past year I was doing disaster relief following the EF3 tornado that hit Sanford (about 1/2 hr south of me).  One of the workers had a limb kick back on him as he was cutting it and caused a rather nasty cut.  I was the only one with a towel, for him to apply pressure and act as a temporary bandage.

Being prepared will make your outdoor activity that much more enjoyable.

Until next time,

Scott

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone.  As you know, I took an extended time off from the blog to be with family that came down for Thanksgiving, working a lot of hours with this contract position, helping people, and getting things focussed for 2012.

First I want to say a big thank you to all those who liked my photography facebook page and are also now following me on twitter.  Things are looking up for my photography adventures.  More and more people are noticing my work and I am looking into joining the Burlington Artists League this coming year and hosting some of my work in their gallery. I am also beginning production work for getting prints and other merchandise together for selling at local fairs, farmers markets, and other festivals. In 2012 I am planning to start offering portraits as well.

As for Hervieux Consulting (my computer business), I have decided to sunset that business.  I am still available if anyone has a need, but due to computers being pretty much throw-away now that prices are so low; computer repair is not a viable business in this area.  That coupled with a few repair shops that opened up and the lower demand to learn computer basics; the calls have slowed to the point that the few orders can't support the advertising costs.   All the equipment I purchased for that will not go to waste, as I can use it for my photography work.

The good news for my family is that we are all employed this year; so while things are still tight - it has been merrier with out having to worry where the next check or meal will come from.  Some of my friends who have been unemployed for extended periods are finding employment or picking up work here and there.

We still have not sold our home, as the housing market is still a tough one.  We are praying heavily that come spring we will hear from someone who wants it.   I am looking forward to putting the entire past behind me and rebuild my life; focussing more on where I need to be and putting my desires into action.

Through this tough year, God has been extremely faithful with keeping us a float and I even manage to pay off a few long time bills.

I pray that you all have a glorious holiday season and that 2012 brings you success, joy, and have your needs met.

Thank you for your support during 2011 and I look forward to serving you in 2012.

Scott

A Busy Past Couple of Weeks..

I see by now, a lot of you have already starting following my facebook and twitter posts for my quick updates.  I want to thank you for that.  It has been a very busy past couple of weeks for me.

1. First, my 8-week photography class came to an end.  We had a lot of fun, took some interesting pictures, and learned some pointers of what not to do, what to do, how to force our cameras, and a few photoshop tricks.  The class finished up with a tour of NC Tricolor, a professional imaging lab in Garner (near Raleigh, NC).  I will make them my local lab for merchandise and prints I will be selling locally.  I will still have my online site http://shervieuxphotography.com for my online orders. My online orders go through Bay Photo.  Both of these labs are superb.
2. As many of you also know, we have been trying to pack up, cleanup, and get ready; as we put our home up for sale.  It is still a tough economy to try to sell a home in; but it is a necessary move for us to do.  Home ownership is no longer in our best interest with my having to take contract positions for employment, and also the time to upkeep a home with working 50+hours a week; and doing my photography on the side (plus other community type events I get involved with).  For us an apartment/town home, without a long term commitment,  makes more sense. This way if need be, we can move to another area after a year. Or maybe even stay longer - depending on employment situations.
3. Every weekend for the past 2 months, I have been trying to go out (weather permitting) to photograph as much of North Carolina as possible.  I have been hitting some of the lesser known places; as well as the well known ones.  I still have over 1000 photos (maybe closer to 2000 as I just took another 300 shots at the coast) that need to be reviewed and processed.  Of course not all of them are worthy of selling, as some are just memory shots.  However, with the switch back to Eastern Standard time (as opposed to Daylight Savings time).  I miss seeing the sunrise/sets as I drive over Jordan Lake.
4. New Equipment.  This past month, I splurged and bought the 35mm prime lens for my camera.  It is a good little lens and had manual assist, autofocus.  This way I can slightly blur an entire image or adjust focus quickly on the fly.  I have decided not to buy a wide angle lens that is able to capture more than an 18mm would.  It seems for my shots it would be a waste and I can always photomerge to create panoramas in photoshop.  My next lens purchase will be an 18-200 (so I don't have to change my lens often in the field) or if I come across a good deal on a 400mm.  I think I am starting to come to the end of my gear needs; and need to also get some accessories like rain gear.

In my next post, I will be posting more pictures from the late summer to early winter.  In the mean time, you can always catch them on my facebook or website as well.

Enjoy, while you can....

Today, I took a little walk around the pond at "Bass Lake Park and Retreat Center", in Holly Springs NC.  As I was coming out of woods, I spotted a young boy fishing with his father.  It seems like forever, but also seems like yesterday since I was doing this with my dad at 10 years of age.  Life just seems to move so quickly.  Now I am in my 40's and my dad passed away 18 years ago.

Today was a beautiful day with temps in the upper 60's to low 70's and a light breeze.  It felt good to be out in the sun enjoying nature after a stressful week.  Hard to believe in just 6 short weeks we will be thinking about Christmas an complaining about the cold and snow.  Well, in North Carolina we do not see much snow; just enough to make it pretty and then it is gone in a day or two.  But we still complain when it comes.  So I say, get out and enjoy this nice fall weather while you can.  And that is just what I did.  This little park was nice for the wife and I.  She is not much of an out-doorsy type; but I was able to leave her sitting on the oversized rockers on the porch overlooking the lake; while I went in search of doing some photography.  I only snapped a few pictures of some turtles, ducks, and a few late blooming flowers.  But any day doing photography is a good day.

Last week we took a venture to Hanging Rock State Park, to the north in Danbury, NC.  My wife is not much of a trail walker; but she enjoyed the day as much as I did.  The weather was gorgeous again, and the fall colors were just starting to peak. Again, there is something about fishing that brings back memories for me.  Here is a picture I took of a couple of boaters enjoying the lake at Hanging Rock.  The day was beautiful and the colors were bright.

The Pole

OK, I really struggled with a title for this entry.  Everything I thought of, I would have had to put a disclaimer for some of my readers to reach down and pick up their minds to put it back in their skull.

Anyway, last week I went to a grand opening of a new family oriented nightclub (All ages, no smoking, no alcohol, live band) called Yesterdayz Dance. A good friend of mine plays guitar, sings backup, and lead.  It had been a long time since I did anything in the line of band photography.  Most of my shootings of bands was about 20 years ago and with tape video cameras.  Well, this particular club did not allow for use of a tripod, due to the crowded dance floor, and placement of the tables.  They also have 4 rather badly placed poles that get in the way.  However, they are load bearing support poles; so they had to remain.  While rather awkward for the dance floor, the poles made for perfect photography setup.  I became a pole hugger that night.  I got a few strange looks; but being plastered against a pole allowed me to get close to the band, stay out of  the way of the dancers; and the carpet padding made for an excellent brace for my camera.  The only problem was the club was so dark, I had to force my camera up to 3200 ISO.  There was no using a flash at this venue, and I needed for a quick shutter due to all the movement.

Below is a shot to show you how crowded it was, the placement of two of the poles, and to give you an idea of how dark it was.  This shot was taken with my camera held high above my head and using liveview through the LCD screen (something we should not do very often).