I just wanted to ask you if you had any advice for a young photographer attempting to head down your path.

It’s really hard to give advice because everyone’s path is so different.  But I’ll give it a try…The closest thing I can compare it to is being an entrepreneur. Because there are so few “jobs” out there in this line of work, each person has to create their own plan and model that works for them.  (I think it’s fair to say that I got really lucky, although I don’t technically believe in “luck”.)  With that said, the only way to really get started is to get out there & begin building a body of work.  That could take many different forms- like volunteering as a photographer with an aid or missions agency or finding a paid position doing other relief & development jobs in order to pursue photography in your spare time.  But in most cases you must have the work to show before anyone will pay you to do photography for them.  You can also start locally with non-profits in your community/region.

From everything I have seen in the photo world a degree does not necessarily help.  But it certainly can’t hurt- (unless you’d rather be living/shooting in Africa at the time).  But generally speaking I think it’s your business skills that will carry you- in addition to your photo skills.   If you want to teach or you want to be in management at an organization eventually, then a degree will be important- but as far as just getting started as a photographer I think your shooting experience and your portfolio is what it comes down to.  In other words- just jump in.

On the other hand, I’m 33 now- I’ve been doing this for nearly 10 years and I’m considering going back to school for a masters in photo or video- just becasue I eventually I want to have a different lifestyle then I currently have- particularly for the sake of my children.  I may want to teach in a university or find a job in photography management, and I think a higher degree will help me achieve that.  Of course I will always continue shooting….

I commend anyone who wants to do this- it’s a good thing to devote your life to- just know that it won’t be easy- especially if raising a family is also a priority.

peace

-Matt

Amazing Giraffe Facts

Giraffe saliva really is antiseptic. They eat acacia trees, which are covered in thorns, so their faces get cut a lot, so they’ve evolved antiseptic saliva to deal with it a little. Also some of the trees they eat have a symbiotic relationship with ants where the tree produces sugar for the ants and when the giraffe tries to eat the leaves, the ants run into the giraffe’s mouth and nose and sting it. One of the reasons giraffes have such long tongues is to lick the ants out of their noses.

• A new born giraffe measures about 6 feet.
• A giraffe is one of the animals who is born with a horn.
• Each giraffe has a unique coat pattern.
• The tongue of an adult giraffe measures 27″.
• Giraffes are vegetarians and live on the leaves of the baobab tree.
• Every step a giraffe takes is 15 feet in length.
• The giraffe is able to grasp objects such as leaves with the help of its tongue.
• Giraffes sleep for no more than 5 to 30 minutes in 24 hours.
• Luckily, giraffes have elastic blood vessels in their necks, this makes it possible for them to drink water from a stream, without fainting.
• Neck wrestling matches are often held to show authority in their herds.

Here’s my 10.Q interview.   Check it out and bring your comments/questions.  And check out Heber, better yet, add him to your blog roll.

I write this as my plane departs the land of Haiti. My time here was short but intense. During my week on the ground I documented the work of Samaritan’s Purse as official relief operations began- primarily emergency shelter, blankets and food distributions. I was struck by the extreme graphic poverty that so many people seem to be trapped in, and as usual I leave with more questions then when I arrived.

Since it was my 1st time in Haiti I’m uncertain how much of the poverty was here before the quake and how much of it exists as a result. But it’s enough just knowing that it was already one of the poorest countries on earth even before the damage had struck. It’s hard to imagine it getting much worse.

It’s with a bit of sadness that I leave knowing how much work there is to be done. But I am hopeful that with the outpouring of support from the international community that Haiti can build foundations for a new and fruitful beginning.

My experience reminds me how short and precious life is, and how important it is to use ours for the betterment of others.

While the main goal of my photography on this trip was to document the actual work being done, it’s the faces of the people; their hope, their strife, their struggle and their environment that will stand out in my mind forever.  And hopefully my favorite images will express this. I will post them as soon as I finish the edit. Onward…

]]> http://blog.mattpowellphoto.com/haiti/2010/haiti-a-debrief/ /feed http://blog.mattpowellphoto.com/africa-pictures/2010/cameroon-update/ http://blog.mattpowellphoto.com/africa-pictures/2010/cameroon-update/ #comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:23:50 +0000 admin http://blog.mattpowellphoto.com/?p=1213

Life Water Development + Thirst Relief

During December I visited Cameroon where I took a week off to document the work of a local grassroots NGO called Life Water Development.   LifeWater is headed by a man named Peter Njodzeka who is quite honestly one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met.  I won’t attempt to tell his story now- I want to save it for the video- but just believe me when I say that Peter is passionate about helping his own community, starting with providing clean water to schools in some very remote locations.  Peter’s work is supported by another great organization named Thirst Relief- you should definitely check them out here.  More pictures from Cameroon coming soon….

In other news- I’ve been asked to encourage my visitors to check out a humanitarian photography competition sponsored by Photocrati.  It is for Non-professionals and has been described to me as “a rare opportunity to get both funding and a platform for becoming known in the photography world. It provides $5000 grants to non-professional photographers working on important humanitarian and environmental projects. The grant is intended to identify great up-and-coming photography talent and give them a high profile platform for carrying out a worthwhile project”.

Sounds like a great way to get your name and work out there.  Go here to learn all about it .

Also, I’m heading to Hatii on Tuesday.  I’ll be looking for glimmers of hope.  Stay tuned for more on that…

The tumor was successfully removed from this little girl and she was discharged from the hospital.

This young boy had a severe liver malfunction but was successfully treated and is now doing well.

For professional purposes I use Twitter and I do some blogging. I use Vimeo to post & share my production work.  I’m also an avid RSS reader.  I only use Facebook for personal purposes.  (I’ve got to have fun somehow!)  However,  at one point I did use Facebook advertising for a local publication that I helped to start up-  in the short time that we used it, it drove more traffic to our website than any other source- it was a highly effective form of advertising our publication’s website.

I think Twitter can be a great way to stay connected to clients & keep your brand in front of them.  Of course that’s only if your “clients” are following you.  But regardless, whatever new work you are involved with- you can instantly broadcast that to your community of followers.  And I’ve found that good tweets spread virally- making it an effective way to extend your network & get your work viewed.   Most importantly for me it’s a great tool for building a social network of like-minded people and for staying involved in the life & work of other creatives who inspire me.

Humanitarian photography is my true passion - perhaps more a labor of love than a “business” at this point.  And I use my blog primarily to communicate to other photographers and individuals interested in humanitarian work- rather than for communicating with “clients”.   I expect this to change as my career & goals evolve, but as of now my blog is just as important as my portfolio, maybe more so.  Of course I want my portfolio to be seen, but perhaps more importantly I want to communicate my creative process and what I’m thinking and experiencing- as well as show my new work from each assignment.
My wedding photography blog is simply a way to post recent work- I personally like the blog format better than a portfolio gallery, so I tend to update it more often.  But weddings are very part-time for me, I’m far from an expert on that.

I’d have to say blogging, then I’d say Twitter.  For my video work- Vimeo is an absolute must.

Definitely.  It cannot replace local communities, but it means that I, living in a very small town, can at least have some communication with other like-minded creatives- as opposed to having almost none.  Basically everyone I’m connected to on Twitter are people whom I never would have connected with in any other way.  It’s a professional tool for me.

It’s just one more thing that ties us to our computers- or our iPhones- but it’s just a trade off from the traditional marketing techniques of the past.  It’s still marketing- it’s just happens more (& differently) now.

As for my humanitarian photography, my strategy is first to invest the proper time and money needed to develop a good quality website that will do adequate justice to my body of work. Then I also invest the time needed to maintain a blog at least semi-regularly.  I take the time to consider the goals and readership of my blog and try to generate appropriate content.  I’ve done some writing & public speaking too.   I think it helps to do something in addition to photography to set yourself apart- whether that’s design, filmmaking or writing.  It also helps that I am part of a relatively small niche of photographers to start with.  It’s a pretty small pond in other words, which should point to the importance of defining your style & your market.

8. What future do you see in social networking?

It is the future of communication.  I think all electronic communication is going this direction.

For further reading, here’s a few articles I’ve come across lately on the topic:

The Stockland Martel Blog

The Travel Photographer

Problogger.com

Last Letter Documentary from Last Letter on Vimeo.

As they say, “the best camera is the one that’s with you”, and this practice made me appreciate that truth more than ever….of course it also gave me a greater appreciation for a Canon 5D and a 50mm 1.2 …and that’s got to be worth something.  Here’s a few of my iPhone favorites followed by some of what I learned…

Some friendly people in the Market.

I had the chance to interface with people in a way that I often do not when carrying my SLR.  I got an overwhelming sense of awe at the 1-billion-plus unique personalities in China- let alone in the entire world.  Not a one of them the same- just amazing!

This practice forced me to focus on “seeing” a good picture.  Even if I couldn’t fully capture it with the camera in my hand, I actually “thought” about it, when normally I would just start shooting.

My friend Bill had his camera, so I was able to explain to him how I would shoot a scene.  How often do I attempt to articulate that?  Rarely.

With so little technical control, I was forced to consider what subjects I am drawn to photographing and why.

Walking through an Asian market at dusk with nothing but a cell phone camera made me strangely feel naked.  I kept looking around and thinking, “If I only had my camera!”  So what drives this compulsion to experience a foreign place through a camera lens?  I’m not sure, but it definitely feels healthy to do so without one occasionally.

Strictly Business... that's me.

A big thanks to my colleague Paul Sherar for doing the HDR work on this image.