stop selling me your shit

You know what I mean - you open a photography magazine and whats it filled with (other than ads)? Photographers selling you their fucking shit. Seminars. DVD'S. Online training. Actions. Presets. Web templates. Weekend Getaways. Light diffusers. Textures. Training. Plug-ins. Whale Tails and Ding Dongs. E-Books etc etc etc ad nauseam.

I get it, OK! You wanna make a buck. And I am equally guilty for giving in now and then. I have bought my share of STUFF - some of it cool, much of it not.

How does anyone have time to shoot anymore? REMEMBER that? The camera and that passion? Shooting cool stuff with no hidden agenda? Rather than: "I'll shoot this only because this blog likes that kind of work, and that blog is smokin' hot right now, and if I get in there i'll get published here or there - after which so-and-so will see it and ask me to give a talk with them, and i'll get invited to L.A. and then i'll get to work with this florist who fucks that planner who knows that MAGAZINE PUBLISHER!!!! - Genius! Then I can stoop shooting, charge $10,000 an appearance and talk for the rest of my life about my 10 winning photos I took 15 years ago, that I can show over and over and over and over and over which no one will call me out on because at this point: I'M ME!!! And ME is a virtual rockstar."

You think the famed photographers who paved the way for each and every one of us were busy dreaming up crap to sell the rest of their peers? Did Richard Avedon have his mug plastered on the side of a bus sponsored by Kodak. Think Ansel was siting on Half Dome concocting a week long seminar on how to reproduce images EXACTLY LIKE HIS?

Nope.

Listen - just cool it a little. Lets try to get back to basics and don't forget about The Work. I wonder if potential couples have any idea of the constant barrage of shit we're fed with each new magazine/blog/trade show? It's headache inducing. It's depressing. It's upsetting.

A gimmick can only last so long - and people are fickle. Solid work will with outlast all of the B.S. Do your thing the best you know how, and don't worry so much about being the Next Big Thing. If it's supposed to happen---then it'll happen.

The last thing I need is another DVD telling me how wrong i've been doing everything.

Incidentally this rant is available as an Mp3 download, DVD seminar or paperback for $19.95 each , plus shipping.