Dan Francis Photography

April.27.2010

I just got back from Watertown, SD for the Northern Lights Convention which is a regional PPA (Professional Photographers Association) And I’m on cloud 9 right now. I knew I was coming home with a few awards as I did have the top scoring print in ND, but was unaware how many times I would be going up to the stage to receive awards. This is around 6 years in the making. I’ve been to these conventions since 2004 in Sioux Falls, SD as a +1 studio member. I’ve attended 5 judging since then, and I give those credit for me learning what I needed to learn to better present my images, to make sure I had picked the right ones and to work my photography lens off to make sure that I placed high. If you read a years back blog I had mentioned that I was going to finally enter this competition after so many years taking the back seat to some other photographers that I helped get merits. Now that that part of my life is over, I can focus on my work. I was able to enter my four prints.

Sitting back in the seats watching the judges score my Photographs was interesting. I had to take a deep breath when my first image scored a 77, that’s OK, three points off from a merit, it was the first, and it was probably my weakest print. that’s OK… next up… a 90. NICE!, but wait, it was challenged… for good, it went up to a 92, CHALLENGED that score… if we’re bring it up to a 92, why not bring it up to a 95 said one judge. So they did.. a 95. The top honor a print can get! The third image rotated around and I received an 85, not bad for the Vietnam wall memorial. Within two hours of judging my last print rolled around… it scored…an 88! Three of my four prints received merits!

Tonight was the actual ceremony. ND was first up, and they called my name for Top Illustrative print: Abandoned Dreams. They also called my name for Top Portrait Category: Here’s the Problem. But wait, there’s more. I was also called up for: 1st Merit Award, First Time Entry award, ND Photographer of the Year and Presidents Award. After everybody knew my name from those awards, They went through SD and Minnesota awards. Then the big ones… the Northern Light Awards, this would be all three states of ND, SD, and MN together. I received Best Illustrative for “Abandoned Dreams” and I also received my print case fee back with having the best score as a first time entry.  They then gave out the KODAK awards, which I received Three gallery awards for each of my merit prints. I couldn’t believe it. I walked the stage and got my picture taken with the president of the Northern Lights and the president of the NDPPA 12 different times. unheard of. My hardwork paid off.

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Thursday.4.15.2010

The next 7 days big things are going to be going on that will change my life. This weekend is a photography competition through my state’s PPA (professional Photographers Association) I’ll compete with my Tri-State Peers (ND,SD,MN) I will sit with Tylenol for the headaches I’m sure to have, a brown paper bag to control my breathing when my image turns and faces the judge and a paper towel to dry the sweat of my forehead. I love judging, I’ve been to 5 different judging events in past events when I worked for another photography company. They were in a small way, my images as well, since a picture in the high 60’s/low 70’s was brought to me, and I had to bring it up to a low 80/high 90 with using my artistic talent. But this is the first that my children get told if they are good enough or not. I know you’re not suppose to get close to your subject for this reason. But I have to believe they are all worthy of a merit. Nobody has told me different. Either way, it’s going to be a great time with other photographers and I hope to interact with them as I’m usually a fly on the wall at group events. (I’ll just take a few energy drinks with me.)

Also in the next 7 days, I’ll find out if I received a Grant for my photography through the Bush Foundation. Words can’t say how much I’m hoping to receive that.  I believe they are deciding this week, so I should know early next week. I’ll be gone until Tuesday, so I hope they don’t send me a letter, I don’t want my wife to read it to me over the phone. but, I’m guessing that’s what they’ll do.

One last thing in the next 7 days, my wife and I go to the hospital to see our baby, and find out if we’ll be having a boy or a girl! We both are not ones to wait, as you can tell above. So, expect some news next Thursday about the grant and baby news.

Have a great weekend, I hope warm weather reaches all of you.

Question of the Moment: If you could photograph any living person, who would it be?

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Tuesday.April 13th.2010

Do you know who took these pictures?

No idea? How about these?

Hopefully you know these B/W to be Ansel Adams. However did you know that the top three are also owned by Mr. Ansel Adams? Did you even know he photographed in color?

Adams struggled against the “technical” limitations of the color photograph of his day, but he remained optimistic that one day, “astonishing developments await us in…the electronic image.”

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Tuesday April.6.2010

.:Weekend:.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Some might have had a three day or four day weekend, so hopefully all are rested and ready to work the “work week.” I know I wasn’t yesterday. I pretty much took a mental holiday, I went for a walk around the park that is located across the street from my office and ate a longer lunch, only to head home early. Some times you need to do this so you don’t get burned out so much for the week, usually this happens on a Thursday or Friday, but yesterday was the exception. Today, I met with a senior mom, printed pictures for 3 other clients, met with one of them for a retouching project and listened to some good music by Jonsi and worked on some more B/W landscape from Oregon. I’m going to be creating a side webpage just for my BW landscape so look out for that coming in the next month or so. I’m excited to start advertising and getting my new name out there.

.:Creative Music:.

The music that I’ve been listening too today has been the lead singer from Sigur Ros. (click here to hear some songs from the CD: http://www.facebook.com/sigurros?ref=nf I recommend all, but if you only have a few minutes: “Tornado”, “Grow till Tall”, and “boy lilikoi” Great Stuff, and it always inspires me. I first heard his voice at the end of Vanilla Sky in 2001, and have been following his work since. I’ve used a few of the songs in my video section as well. I highly suggest it)

.:iPad:.

How many out there have received an iPad? Currently I’m going to wait. I’m usually someone who would be in line for that, but right now, I just have high hopes for version 2. I hear that almost 700,000 units were sold already. Crazy. If I wasn’t in the industry of photography/design I don’t think it would be very appealing, but I can think of so many ways it would help my work being seen. Here is a link to the top 10 Must have Apps for the iPad: http://www.bestappsite.com/2010/04/05/10-must-have-ipad-apps/

.:Ansel and the Negative:.

I’m still reading “The Negative” By Ansel Adams. I didn’t pick it up this last weekend, but I plan to be reading it this week and trying to finish it by the weekend.  If anybody is interested in creating great B/W images, I highly suggest to pick this up and read it before starting. Your mind will open up and receive a lot of information, even though he talks about film, the process and the passion is still there.

Product that you should buy right now:http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=WishList.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=608413&is=REG

Quote of the moment: “Have Fun and work like you’ve never worked before.”

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.:Thursday April.1.2010:.

Just to let you know right away,

.:For the Month of April:. Receive 25% of your total order by using Coupon Code: Photo25 in the checkout cart  http://danfrancis.zenfolio.com/

This will expire April 30th so be sure to stock up!

I received a call today, stating that I won a 4 day stay at the Luxor Hotel and Casino. It was from a drawing that I put my name in to win a Mini Cooper. So, even though I didn’t win a car, I guess I won some hotel comps. I’m sure it’s all legit as I did in fact put my name in the drawing, and they had my name and number, but it did come from a Florida number… He was going to call back tomorrow for more information, so here’s hoping he doesn’t ask for a credit card number, if that’s the case, might have to question the legitness of it.

Also, for your April Fools joke of the day, go here for some funny SENIOR picture, and by senior I mean… old people.

http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/2010/04/hottest-trends-in-senior-portrait.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed:%20Iheartfaces%20%28iHeartFaces%29

Well, we are beginning the 4th month of the year, Spring has arrived, yesterday I believe it got up to 70 degrees. Such a nice feeling. Once I get this certain project done I’m going to take the next nice day off and just walk and bring my camera with me.

Enjoy Friday and the weekend! I’ll see you back here on Tuesday!

Quote of the Moment: “A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.”– William Shedd <!– @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } –>

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Tuesday.March 30.2010

Recently I’ve put up a map of the USA on the wall of my office at my home. I’ve been meaning to do this for the past few years. Just put up a map, and put little tacks on where I’ve been and where I would like to go in the next few years. So far, I’ve put up 5 tacks on where I want to go (mostly to just photograph, and of course take my son/daughter to see the beauty.

Here is my map:

So far, to make my to do list a little bit reachable, I’ve placed 5 markers, they are in no order: Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, The Badlands and Philadelphia only for the sole reason to run the stairs the same way Rocky did. (that and maybe all the history I’m sure the city has to share with me.)

I know Yosemite and Yellowstone are the most photographed parks in the U.S.A. and I know I’d take 80% of the same pictures people have of Half dome and Old Faithful, but that can be the point too. To get the shot that you’ve seen so many times, to be able to stand where some great photographers have stood before, and I know I’d be able to take a shot that nobody has before of Yosemite and Yellowstone. Yellowstone will definitely be seen by my family, as I remember going there as a kid. It was there where I told my parents I could take a photograph of them and my brothers. My first experience holding/using/and the photograph turning out. I will next put a red pin where I’ve been. I’ve been very fortunate to have traveled all over this great country. I’ll will blog later in the next months about where I’ve been.

I encourage you all to make your own map, whether it’s an online one or up on a wall in your bedroom. Take 5 tacks and put them where you would like to see yourself go in the next 10 years. Save some money and try to go to one of those places once every two years, or save up a lot and go all at once. Just be sure to remember your camera.

Quote of the Moment: 36 satisfactory exposures on a roll means a photographer is not trying anything new” - Freeman Patterson

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Tuesday 3.23.10

Today I’m going to share with you a few photographs that I’ve taken in the last couple of weeks. From some Landscape to Asian Elephants walking down our cities street, to some engagement pictures to some good quotes. Let’s take off.

.:Landscape:.

First up, I want to share with you some of my redone B/W photographs. I’m currently putting together some of my best Landscape/Fine Art B/W to redo a custom book of my work. Here are a few I plan on displaying.

I’ve been really enjoying doing this, since this is the type of photography that got me into this great field, I always feel like I’m at home when working on these images. It calms me and it makes me realize how great my job is. I’m also currently reading Ansel Adam’s second book titled: The Negative, here he talks about the right exposure and the zone system; it’s been a good book, I’ve looked through it before, but now I’m actually taking time and reading and taking notes.

.:Elephants walking down the street:.

Last Thursday we had a Circus Parade down our Broadway here in Fargo, My main goal was to get some up close shots of the elephant, and the fact that the elephant was about 2 feet in front of me, I believe I got some up close shots. Here are a few examples:

.:Engagement photographs:.

Last Last Saturday I held a photoshoot for Joe and Tonya, they were engaged in San Francisco and they will be married in Mott, ND August 28, 2010. Fun Fact for Mott, ND: They are listed on all globes. why would cartographers include Mott (current population is about 850) on the globe and not the much larger cities of Grand Forks or Minot?  It’s because there was a largish, empty space right there on the globe when Cartographers at Replogle first laid out the surface plan for the globe.  They were looking for a nice, short name that would fit well in the space.

They were my first engaged couple in the brand new studio. It’s going to be a very fun wedding, here are a few images from the day:

Sorry about not having a post on Tuesday, it was a busy day that involved a lot of driving around and a stalled car.

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Quote of the Moment:

“A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it.”

-Irving Penn

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Thursday 3.18.10

Fargo Flood

Thursday! The sun has now been out for over 24 hours here in Fargo! Good news for all the hard workers building our dikes to hold in the rising river water. I don’t believe it will be as bad as 2009, but I’m sure we’ll have multiple crests this Spring.

Huge Fellowship

This week I had to turn in my 2 letter of recommendations and my Addendum to the Bush Foundation, I will find out at the end of April on whether or not I have received the Fellowship. I cannot tell you how much I’m hoping to be in the top 15. I could really use it to bring more work my way and get my name out there. Here’s hoping! Here’s the link to see it written up: http://www.bushfellows.org/articles/show/72-Bush-Artist-Program-Chooses-38-Fellowship-Finalists

Circus pictures, no clowns allowed:

The circus is in town this weekend, and to celebrate, they are throwing a parade down our downtown city. I believe an asian Elephant will be walking, so I’m hoping for a pretty good picture of it. Here is one I took last year. 

It’s sad to see the animals kept in cages, and I hate seeing elephants chained up. which is the reason for photographing up close and showing their eyes to the world.

Photographs from last Saturday’s Wedding:

Quote of the Moment: Don’t censor yourself with creativity. Don’t doubt your vision.

Take care and have a great weekend! On Tuesday I’ll pose some of the parade photographs and some from an engagement shoot from last Saturday.

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Tuesday 3/16/2010

This week is a busy week, and of course the next two weeks after will be quiet.

Starting fresh from a long Saturday, I photographed an engagement couple Joe and Tonya, They live in Minneapolis and will be married in Mott, ND in September. I got to use some new photography toys in the studio and I know they’ll turn out great!

Soon after, I gathered up all my video tools to go and video a kurdish wedding that was going down at the Hilton. (pictures and a video to come) The celebration started at 4 and the dancing didn’t end until 11:30 at night. It was a different experience but was very enjoyable to document the celebration.

Sunday was my day off, Amanda and I went over to a friends house to play “Axis vs. Allies” and also “Last night on Earth” It was very relaxing.  Monday arrived and as every third Monday appears, so do the many photog’s in the area. We had out 3rd meeting for the Northwest Professional Photographers with the theme being outside studio. The speaker showed us his acres’s of land around his house that he uses for an outdoor studio. The many things included on his land were a 16,000 pond, a VW bus, bridges, hundreds of different flowers, doors, and old abandoned sheds. It was very impressive.

This week in Fargo, The great Flood has arrived. It is suppose to Crest this Saturday at 38 feet, so it will be right up to the top of the dike that holds all that water in so it doesn’t flood our city. People are sandbagging, the trucks are building up land and once again the fight begins.

As per our Tuesday post, I have included a short story I wrote way back in the day of 2004. The story is called: “As I sit outside Heavens Gate” And it comes with a pretty picture I took back in 2008.

Enjoy! as-i-sit-outside-heavens-gate-dan-fran

Quote of the Moment:

“A Person’s doubts and fears are their worst enemies”

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Thursday 3.11.2010

Today for my Thursday Post I’m going to talk about a few of my favorite pages that I go to get inspired.

I feel this is very important…to keep myself motivated, by learning something and just sticking with it for months and for 20 of the same shoots. I love looking around and seeing what people are doing and then put my spin on it and change it up. Most of all, I love the technology behind my job. This past month I was asked to be apart of the Beta testing for the new Photoshop. How cool is that? I get to know about the up and coming tools of our trade before most. The iPad, the newest features in cameras, the talks between what makes a great photograph. This is Fun for me! I know this is the greatest job outside of saving people’s lives everyday. Photographs mean so much to people, (should be the number one thing you save if there’s a fire, again outside of human or pet lives.) Course now, I’m wondering if people would save their computers before their pictures, since that’s where most of them are stored now; no longer in a photobook. hmmm.

Anyways… I love photography and so do these people: Check them out!

I usually start my day with a laugh: http://whattheduck.net/

Then I head over to Photoshop Insider by Scott Kelby, every day he has some new news and photography/Photoshop happenings. On Wednesday, he has a Special Blogger. http://www.scottkelby.com/

From those two sites, it depends. One really good site is my Twitter Account really. I follow a lot of good photographers that share information: I suggest you sign up for twitter and follow some of these accounts:

syl_arena, PhotogNews , CameraDojo , NAPP_news, jasminestar TreyRatcliff, ScottBourne, photographytips

and of Course: danfrancisphoto

They usually link the most updated Photography news than any other website, and also updates to their own blog (such as mine)

If you’re a fan of outdoor Photography, the best site I can send you is: http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/

Here they have interviews, contests, Win Items by entering your name / info, and a community section. <– great website.

For those that want to see some great portraits, try this guy: http://www.platonphoto.com/portraits/index.html

For Canon Off Camera Flash: *NEW: http://speedliting.com/forum/forum.php

For Nikon Off Camera Flash: http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/

Oh! Almost forgot, here is a great Wedding Photographer: http://digitalprotalk.blogspot.com/

The man is David Ziser, and he’ll blog once or twice a day about business, about weddings, portraits, new technology. He’s a very good teacher and just came out with a wedding Book called: “Captured by the light”

Alright, so that’s about 10% of websites that I have bookmarked on my browser. The information and inspiration out there is limitless. So go forth and seek it!

This Saturday I have an Engagement session, which will be my first in the new Studio! Can’t wait! I’ll post some of the pictures on my Tuesday post!

Have a great weekend!

Dan Francis .: www.DanFrancisPhotography.com

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