Swimmer makes perfect triangle with arm and lane line. ©2010 kirk tuck
Open Invitation: Book Signing Event: On Saturday, June 19th, my friends at Precision Camera have invited me to do a two hour book signing event, at the store, from noon til 2pm. I'm presuming that we'll have all four books available. It will be very informal and I'll be happy to talk about photography with anyone who drops by. I'd love to see some familiar faces even if you have no interest in getting a book...
Precision Camera in Austin is located at 3810 North Lamar Boulevard Austin, TX 78756. If you've got questions, call them at: (512) 467-7676. I won't be competing with UT football this time.....
I'm working on a book about portraits and I need some help from people in and around Austin: The book is about alternatives to traditional portraits. I'll be exploring a more modern portrait ethos, new, minimalist lighting for portraits and more of a lifestyle approach to posing and venue. I'll mostly be using non-tranditional light sources and small battery units. This is where you come in. I need lots and lots of cooperative models. I'm looking for all kinds of people with interesting faces who could join me for an hour at a time in coffee shops, on the street in down town and around town and for short stints in the studio. Anyone who participates will get a 12 by 18 inch original C print (signed on the back) of one of the photos we make together. I'll be shooting in Austin mostly but would also welcome the chance to shoot people in San Antonio. If you are interested you can e-mail me at kirktuck@kirktuck.com. If you know someone with a beautiful or intriguing face will you pass my offer along? If you send me someone who is very, very photogenic I may offer to use them for step by step photos. In that case I'll be able to pay them for the time we do that together. Thanks for the help.
Surveying: Is there anyone out there who would like me to be doing video blogs on lighting topics or techniques having to do with portraits? A few of my friends think this would be cool. For me it would scary as they want me on the other side of the camera doing the explaining and stuff. Just thought I'd ask around and see if anyone is interested in this kind of stuff. If you have an opinion one way or another would you toss it into the comments?
That's it for the announcements and stuff. Catch you on the next read.
Personally I don't like watching video tutorials. I'd rather read tutorials with good illustrations. But video tutorials seem to be very popular these days, so I imagine that doing a few would be a useful bit of self-promotion for you at the very least. (Nothing at all wrong with self-promotion, of course; we all need to pay the bills.)
ReplyDeleteNice! I look forward to seeing it!
ReplyDeleteHey Kurk!
ReplyDeleteI would like to see some video blogs on how you use grids, gobos and other modifiers with battery operated flashes in studio...say on products, and creative portraits. Instructing models on how to pose is a great topic as I wish that I had more experience with this area.
Can I bring a book that I already purchased for you to sign?
I live in San Antonio and my brother is pretty good looking, he helps me with some of the corporate shoots and I have photographed him a few times. Let me know if you want a sample image or if you are coming to San Antonio for a some shoots.
On a side note...are you doing the World Wide Photowalk this year?
Yes. PLEASE. I've read your books and I really enjoy your writing style. You explain concepts in an easy -to -understand manner, and a video tutorial would take it to the next level. Cheers, Les
ReplyDeleteI've long wished for the new book you're writing. I'd be happy to support it with a donation, proofreading, or whatever.
ReplyDeleteOn the videos, it would be neat just to see you walk into a situation in each one, size it up, and shoot a look or two or three. Maybe voice over the video with your thought process. Minimal or no background on the equipment. All the emphasis on composing it and working with the subject and location. But all that's probably what you'll put in the book, so maybe you'll want a different angle on things for the videos.
Great sunlit portrait a few posts ago. The kids on the internet always want to overpower the sun. Then you get out there, everyone's hot, and the fans on the strobes come on instantly.
I've actually paid for membership to Shutters Inc to get access to numerous video tutorials, so the answer is absolutely. You might also consider approaching Lynda.com about hosting video lessons. I LOVE that site. But I'll scoop up anything you publish. Side track. I'm nearly done with The Commercial Photography Handbook. You always make me think... which is a good thing :)
ReplyDeletePersonally I prefer hearing about your philosophical approach much more than your technical approach. but I'm sure I would watch a video if you made one.
ReplyDeleteYes please.
ReplyDeleteWhile videos are the trademark of our era (with the associated 15-seconds attention span), I'd gladly *pay* to have access to the scripts and relevant stills, even if the videos were free.
ReplyDeleteSorry, but video is mainly for people looking to pass some time while passively watching an „actor” doing stuff on screen.
Meanwhile, to have your advice in writting... Not only it sets me on the path to learning, but I can experiment during that time.
So please, do those videos (or audioblogs/podcasts) if you must; but never without writting exactly what's in them, with a few acompanying pics.
It boils down to this: you can try your hand with some posts from the past, and try to show in a video what's the fuss about. This way the couch-sitting watchers can get their fix, while the intent reader can actually go for the substance. And do remember, each and every one that leaves a reply here is an involved person! ...including the ones that have different views than me.