From Seth Godin: Why Jazz is More Interesting than Bowling

Why jazz is more interesting than bowling

"Bowling is all about one number: the final score. And great bowlers come whisker-close to hitting the perfect score regularly. Not enough dimensions for me to be fascinated by, and few people pay money to attend bowling matches.

Jazz is practiced over a thousand or perhaps a million dimensions. It's non-linear and non-predictable, and most of all, it's never perfect.

And yet...
when we get to work, most of us choose to bowl."  Seth Godin
 ------------
 So how are you my creative friends going to create some "jazz" today? 

Inspirations...

You must have long term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short term failures. - Unknown

Shots Magazine Call for Work

Shots Magazine Spring 2011 issue
Theme:  The Body
Submission Deadline:  2/1/2011
Check it out!

Young Photographers Under 28

Zoom Magazine Emerging Photographers issue deadline is January 2011.  Send your portfolio to info@zoom-net.com

The Future of Advertising

Great article in Fast Company on the Future of Advertising... and equally insightful info in Forbes Magazine Blog in response to the Fast Company article.

And another great article on the Future of Advertising:  Three Agencies Vision. 

F Stop Magazine

 Call for Submission - Issue #45:  ABSTRACTION - February/March 2011

Deadline:  1/15/2011

Check it out

New York Photo Festival - HUMANKIND

Deadline:  11/28
Now our turn has come: We are looking for images that encompass the experiences of being human in a social, cultural, and personal context. Images that tell the story of what it means to be part of HumanKind - the bad, the good, the beautiful, the ugly, the exotic, the mundane, and everything in between.

Drawn from online submissions, 120 images will be selected and exhibited at The powerHouse Arena in Dumbo, Brooklyn.
HumanKind - presented by the New York Photo Festival - will be on show from December 17 to January 20.

Check it Out!

The Center for Fine Art Photography

Calls for Entry - Portraits
Juror:  Rodney Smith
Deadline:  12/1
Check it Out!

5th Annual Photography Masters Cup

Special Entry Packs deadline is Wednesday 11/24 for the PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERS CUP - The International Award Honoring Color Photography.  Check it out and enter!

San Francisco Based Artists

The SFMOMA Artists Gallery features a dynamic exhibition program and represents Bay Area artists at all stages of their careers. As a nonprofit gallery, we make sure that the majority of our proceeds from rentals and sales go directly to our artists. The remainder supports exhibitions and educational programming at the museum.

Inspirations...

Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.
-Erich Fromm

New Orleans - Call for Volunteer Photographers

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Deadline:  11/30
The Jazz & Heritage Foundation Archive is accepting applications from photographers who wish to document Jazz Fest as part of the Volunteer Photography Program.
Check it Out!

Earth Through a Lens

Earth Through a Lens (ETAL) is a national juried photographic display held annually in Palm Springs and the Desert Cities to commemorate Earth Day. The work of 30-50 finalists are displayed in outstanding public gallery space for the month of April. The images chosen will focus on beauty in the natural environment, the degradation of the environment by human activity, and attempts to reclaim or restore spoiled habitats. In sum, the photographs will highlight the importance of developing a sustainable environment.

Deadline:  1/7/11
Check it out!

Inspirations...

Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.
-Franklin D Roosevelt

Seth Godin - No knight, no shining armor

Another great post from Seth Godin about marketing and his choice to release his new book thru non-traditional channels... Marketing to his "tribe"... This opportunity exists for creative content providers as well... It's a quick and great read... Check it out.

World Photography Gala Award - The Dominant Color

Leland Bobbe has won a Silver Honorable Mention for his image Snow Bench in the World Photography Awards

And it was previously acknowledged by American Photography 26 and won an honorable mention in the ASMPNY Image 10 national competition.

Neo-Burlesque

Albert Cadabra in Chains

Leland Bobbe will have two large scale prints at the Greene Naftali Gallery at 508 West 26th St in West Chelsea in a show

MORE UNSUNG HEROES OF BURLESQUE.

Show opens 11/18 and runs thru 12/18.

Dottie Lux

Studio Manager Responsibilities

Studio Manager Responsibilities
DAILY

• AM meeting for 10 minutes and PM meeting for 20-30mins to recap and structure the next day.
• Update To Do list
• Update Calendar – Post to Wall
• Answer Phones – log all calls
• Supervise Projects
• Maintain and keep client area supplie
• \Receive portfolio requests, prep portfolios, arrange/deliver & track portfolio(s)

SHOOT PREP

• Schedule and Produce Shoots
• Book Freelancers
• Organize Castings
• Liaison to clients and vendors via phone, e-mail, fax
• Prepare Invoices and Estimates
• Package final art for delivery to client
• Lightly prep images in photoshop and send jpegs via e-mail – clean up minor dust.

WEEKLY

• Maintain office and record keeping
• Organize Archive
• Data Entry Contacts and Quicken

MONTHLY

• Update Client List
• Research potential clients

QUARTERLY

• Research Competitors
• Organize tear sheets, libraries, archives

BI-YEARLY

• Fact check contact/client database

MARKETING/SALES

• Sales Calls: Never on a Monday or Friday, this also includes promo pieces, which should be scheduled to be rec’d on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Mondays in-boxes are full from the weekend and Fridays no one will remember the info the next week.
• Calls should be made T-Th starting at 10am – 11:30a – you stand the most chance of catching someone in the office before the day gets too into motion.
• Marketing Plan should be followed and scheduled accordingly. Allow time for preparation of data, design, contact update, printing, postage, etc.

AGENDA ORGANIZATION

• Keep a running list of items to be completed along with an “accomplish by” date. I prefer the term accomplish by as it has a positive connotation.
• List must be prioritized in conjunction with photographer/producer.
• Prioritize via color: Red – Hot
• Yellow – due in 24 hrs
• Blue – due by weeks end
• Green – due by next month
• No Color – accomplish in the quarter/keep on radar

• As tasks are completed – strike thru or check off.
• List must be updated at the end of every day.

CALL LOG

• Must be kept, all calls – incoming and outgoing combined, with date, time, conversation notes.
• When on a project deadline or shooting – calls should only be returned “rolled” from 3pm – 4pm, or when completed.

E-MAIL

• Personal e-mail may be checked in the morning, at lunch and end of day.
• Company e-mail
• Checked on the following schedule:
• First thing in the AM
• 11am – to catch people before lunch
• 3pm – to catch people before they leave for the day
• 5pm – end of the day

Inspirations...

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.
-Edward De Bono