Making It To The Olympics As A Photographer…

Making it to the olympics as a photographer is more difficult than making it as an athlete. Photographing the winter Olympics has always been one of my professional goals from the first time I ever picked up a camera. This professional “dream” as it has become is an extremely difficult thing to accomplish. As A skier the task of achieving olympic attendance is easier (if you have the talent.) than attending the olympics as a photographer. Before anyone takes an angry defensive approach to my previous statement, I will explain. Winter athletes have a clear cut set of rules they must follow to qualify, as well as competitions and tryouts they can attend, the path is clear cut. Athletes have to follow rules, go to tryouts, qualify for standard competitions in which they KNOW olympic team scouts will be in attendance they simply have to work their ass off, have the right character, and be of extraordinary talent. The road to the olympics for an athlete is paved with hard work, determination, and obstacles. This worldwide contest is one of men and women, not politicians and as a human being I hold it in the highest regard, and respect its purity. There is no victory more pure than those accomplished at the olympic level.

As a photographer desiring olympic greatness there are no clear cut competitions, there are no qualifying shoots and there is no “talented enough”.  Some of the worlds best shooters will be working the olympic events, but there are some that just don’t belong there. The sad truth about photography is that the business is almost entirely who you know, and has nothing to do with how good you are. Audi USA has done an amazing job at illustrating what it takes to achieve olympic greatness as an athlete with their film “Truth In Motion”, A documentary about the US Ski Team’s journey to Vancouver.

On the off chance that anyone is looking to hire a photographer for Vancouver on very short notice, clearly I am available. (And will donate half of my earning to a deforestation charity.) As it stands there are no films about my lifelong struggle to be a legend in our industry, and I doubt there ever will be. Most of us do not sacrifice our lives and our selves the way I have, and no one will likely notice how close my struggle has been, to the struggle of every olympian that has ever lived. It has been a tragic story of lost love, emotional and psychological battles, determination and perseverance. One day I will achieve what I desire, I just wish it was now, as the struggle has taken its toll on me. Hopefully I will be at the next worldwide winer games, even though it would be nice to attend on my own continent.

My heart and wishes of luck go out to all olympians, especially the US ski and snowboard teams.

12.17.2009 Diary Post

Some interesting new things going on in the world of James Pickett. An acquaintance of mine has started writing an e-book that is a guide to not getting pulled over and harassed by the man which will include my original writing “11 Ways To Avoid Being Pulled Over” and a host of other tips to help you avoid the law. In fact from what I have seen it is a compilation of almost everything you could possibly do to travel long distances without ever being looked at.

I myself have started writing my own e-book about photography which should be completed by the end of January 2010 the subject of which will be released with the book. It will be a great read for photographers everywhere, and should sell for $20 or less.

There are currently three t-shirts in production to be sold on America The Lost in the Merch section. One of these shirts is the long awaited “Rescue Humanity” tee.

To all of my associates that hide in the manufacturing sector of the photography industry, I will be selling some advertising space that is amazing very soon, just working out the fine details at this point.

11.9.09 Diary Post With An Explanation About My Harley @macgroup Tweet

So this is some information will be useful to anyone going to pursue a career in photography. I have been working myself to death for nearly a decade, and it doesn’t matter how good you are, how professional you are, or what your portfolio looks like. There are only two things that matter for a professional photographer that want to seek more work than weddings. Side note, I in no way look down on wedding photographers in fact I respect them greatly. Some of my best friends are wedding photographers and they have a very difficult job. The basis of my statement remains in the fact that brides and grooms are not magazine editors. Brides and grooms hire a photographer based on what style they like and are far less critical than magazine editors and advertising professionals, in laymen’s terms the people that hire you for a wedding are not imaging professionals, and don’t look at things like media dexterity and color consistency.

Scott Kelby himself once told me on the phone “You are better than 95% of the photographers out there, you just don’t have the right friends”. So, one of the things you need to be successful is connections. Bottom Line, if you want to be serious about going into high end photography, you need to be in a major market like New York City, Los Angeles, or Miami by the time you are ready to attack this level of work. Our market has become one in which every time you say your a photographer, a potential client will more than likely assume you are someone who went out and bought a camera, taught yourself a little (enough to be dangerous to the client) and called yourself a photographer.

If you plan on working as a staff photographer at a magazine or a corporation you will more than likely not even get an interview if you do not have a degree. With the world having rolled over to a full out internet screening process for new applicants, chances are your portfolio will never even be considered for viewing if ten people before you have a degree, even if they have no vision and you only have three credits left to finish yours.

Not that I desperately want to be a staff photographer anywhere, but I have decided I don’t want to struggle with bills any longer so I will be seeking out any grants and scholarships I can find to go back and finish a BFA just before moving on to a MFA in photography. I will basically do anything short of selling my soul to make this happen, all while continuing to work and seek out new work as I always do. My portfolio will continue to grow as new work comes along and I progress through the degrees.

As far as the Mac Group tweet is concerned, I have to apologize to them. The tweet read “@macgroup literally just cost me a harley because my meter isn’t back yet.” The information is true, I did in fact lose a Harley Davidson because I did not have my meter back yet however it is not the fault of the Mac Group themselves. I do not have my meter back yet due to a miscommunication between myself and an employee of the Mac Group where I misunderstood what I was being told so many months ago. It was my understanding that this individual was going to call and approve the repair for me, but I seem to have misunderstood. My apologies for the hasty, and public remark.

Diary Post 10.12.2009

“An idea is a fleeting moment of inspiration, if it isnt acted on it may fly away. The world is full of intelligent people, to think your idea was unique is ignorance, act on your inspiration before someone else acts on theirs.” ~J

10.9.2009 Diary Post #ART #TOGS

UNGH!!! Banks piss me off.

I hate the GWC’s Have trashed our market place as photographers, and artists.

Pulling teeth to get some real work the last few weeks

Haven’t really seen any new clients from the 13YTV press shoot, kind of thought with national press and Senatorial endorsements I would at lease see one new client.

Putting together a plan for something big coming up, all hush hush.

I have found alot of peace by painting again, working with Acrylic alot… Tomorrow at 8pm EST a post will go live that has a for sale announcement as well as previews of 13 new works, all for sale as origional and limited edition prints. The revival of my art has forced me to dig into the archives and have some old illustrations copied for print purposes. Almost all of my work is with Kim at Visual Winds being copied and prepped for print production.

Jared Funari’s EP album art and design is almost finished, cant wait to actually have a printed copy in my hands. This Saturday I will be doing press photos for his new Project with Jamel King entitled “Jezibeles Enchore” and I must say, they are amazing on stage… If you have an opportunity to see them perform, you must attend.

I have discovered, and fallen in love with Leica thanks to a loaner M6 from a friend (which I have to give back at the end of the month… tear.) There will never be another 35mm film camera in my hands of it isnt a Leica. It is mandatory, amazing and has revived my love for film. I don’t even want to shoot with my Hasselblad or Bronica any longer. A Leica MP will be necessary for my upcoming project, now I just have to sell some paintings to afford it. Some of my images from my newfound Leica Love will be posted as soon as they are back from scanning. From this point forward, I will shoot all of my portraits of people on a Leica, even when I am there for a commercial shoot, besides… it only takes a second to rip off a few frames of film.

~J

9.13.09 Getting Ready For 13 Yards To Victory Album Release Party, Boston.

Lucky has been dropped off at the babysitter, things have been tweeted, I am finishing off my coffee, its noon and I have yet to get in the shower with a 1PM departure for boston.

Excited, neurotic, and curious. I’m not one for big parties where I dont know anyone other than the subjects of the party and their management, who will be very busy all night. If you know nothing of the project feel free to read the press release. Part of me want s to stay here and paint, or just go out to the lake and lay on the boat in the sun… Or do what my broke ass should be doing and work on new contacts and proposals. Maybe even shoot some personal work with the recently borrowed Leica M6.

None of the above will happen, because I have an obligation to be in Boston at the Hard Rock Cafe as part of the project, and I actually believe in what 13 Yards To Victory is doing. They are good people, excellent musicians and besides… I’m bringing the Leica and some Delta 3200. Maybe I’ll Even network a little.

~J

9.9.09

Felling accomplished, and stonewalled at the same time. I made a few new contacts today but my schedule didn’t allow me the freedom of making all the calls I wanted to.

Dropped off The acrylic painting I recently composed for Jared Funari’s EP cover to Kim at Visual Winds to be copied. Spent about three or four hours on the phone with Sprint and Palm to resolve some issues with my mobile device. The experience is growing to be something you can believe in. For all of the nation I have traveled in, Sprint is the best service and coverage, hands down.

Contemplated life a little, I think I am going to keep my apt for another year, and I am definitely committed to a project that has been rolling around in my head for quite some time, the ball has started rolling, now I just need to get the sponsors necessary to make it all happen.

Keeping a diary isn’t a regular thing for me, so be patient as I get used to it.

Tuesday September 8, 2009 New Diary Category.

As the summer comes to a close I find myself in a place I have been so many times in the past, racing to keep up with the sunlight. Putting together an image for Jared Funari’s upcoming EP release there were a few crazy ideas rolling around in my head so why not put them into an image. Randomly driving around upstate New York brought me to the Hewitt Farm, and the land owner graciously allowed me to take photographs on his property. There was a good cornfield facing east and made for exactly the positioning I wanted.

After spending a little time on the phone with the land owners of another location I have been dying to shoot, relief washes over me at their willingness to allow myself, make-up artist Genn Shaughnessy and a model or two do a set in their highly unique **** ****.

Aside from creating silly images, the path of my future and what to do tomorrow rolls around in my head constantly. Calls to a handful of magazines are necessary, magazines I was referred to by a new acquaintance that is a Pulitzer Prize winning author.

Who would have thought my name would end up on Forbes.com? What the hell is going on here? It is just another copy of the Thirteen Yards To Victory press release, but still… this is crazy, its Forbes.

Till tomorrow, Goodnight.