July 13, 2012
You may or may not know that I still work full time….. and you may or may not know I work for a nonprofit called the Grange. I am truly passionate about this organization because it really shaped me as an adult. I grew up attending the annual summer camp the Grange hosts, and eventually took on leadership positions as a high-schooler. Now I work for them as the Membership Director, Event Coordinator and Community Service Director. Each summer we still put on that same camp that I started attending 19 years ago, but now my 2 nieces come as campers, and I’m delighted to share the experience with them and watch this experience shape them too. There are so many opportunities for the kids through our Youth & Junior programs…. as well as programs & opportunities for adults. We have chapters all across NC, as well as a brand new one in Charlotte, the Queen City Grange- to which I serve as the President. To find out more, just email me at jlhorton@ncgrange.com or info@jjhortonphotography.com I’ll be glad to help get you involved! Just a taste of this weeks fun….
June 25, 2012
I wasn’t ready for yesterday to arrive. 4.5 years was just not long enough. We had a fabulous last day together…. brunch in uptown, Crate & Barrel browsing, Lilly Pulitzer shopping, Pinkberry treating, and Cotswold Marshalls bargain hunting. To be honest, looking at the photos makes me think…. that doesn’t look too bad! What you don’t see is that tire is completely busted, the axle is in 2 pieces, bottom rear & front bumper are gone, rear taillights are popped out and trunk bed is pushed up into the car. I got sandwiched between the Honda Accord you see to the left, and a minivan in front of me. I stopped short of hitting the van, but got plowed into by the Honda and pushed into the van. That little car was a TANK! I’m so thankful it took care of me so well. If I’m a little slow responding back to any emails it’s because I’m furiously searching for something new. I’ve got a bruised knee, a chipped tooth, and a bad seat belt bruise, and generally sore all over….. but I’m ok!!!
June 21, 2012
Over the last month or so, we’ve run a few more rolls through the Bronica 🙂 I can’t explain how much fun this camera is…. it’s kinda like having a silly disposable camera, that takes great photos, and you can reuse it over and over. The time between mailing off the film and waiting is kinda like the weeks before Christmas, you know something fun is coming but you aren’t quite sure what. Side Note 1: I think everyone who is or wants to be a photographer should shoot a little film every now and then, even if it’s not something you regularly use with clients…. I truly think it forces you to be more precise with your shots, which carrys over to the digital world. I can safely say that before I started shooting film (again) I could easily shoot 2 entire 8 GB cards, sometimes more at a wedding. Now, if I am the primary photographer, I’ll shoot 1 8 GB and maybe 1/3 of another. Saves me card space and culling time later!! WIN. Side Note 2: I think every pro photographer should listen to this guys’s podcasts. He puts them out once a week, and he focuses on making money. Which can sound really crass, but trust me…. he’s smart, successful and knows his stuff. He did a podcast with Kat Braman last week to chat about film, its place in the photography market, and the profitability of it…. It was really interesting to hear them agree & disagree on lots of topics. Since I don’t shoot much film at this point, and rarely turn it over to clients, I don’t really think about the cost of it. ( 1 roll of 120 film costs roughly $5 to buy, and then it’s $18 to have developed and scanned by RPL …. and that’s just for 15 shots). Can you imagine spending $1k or more on every wedding you shoot? Think about that and multiply it by the number of weddings you shoot. Wowza. Talk about a serious profitability killer. But… I get it. Film is pretty 🙂 It’s that feeling of Christmas when I get an email letting me know my scans are ready for download. If you’re in the market for medium format camera, this one ROCKSMYSOCKS. I was really unsure about it, since it was a brand name I was familiar with, but with reassurance from Jon & Seth, I dove in. The little 75mm lens is so sharp!!! I was really hesitant to use a 100% manual focus camera, but the split-focus screen is like magic, making it very easy to get your shot in focus. I paid $250 for my entire kit (camera body, lens, grip, magazine back) at Biggs Camera in Charlotte. On to the fun stuff 🙂 *All are Fuji 400H
