Attitude | jm images | photographer

Getting ready to roll….04.05.12

So much has been happening in the lives of the Maher’s and JM Images the past few months. Many months actually. Not to dwell on the past to much as it is just that, my mother has been in and out of the hospital the past four months. There was a span of nine weeks she spent at UPMC in Pittsburgh. She will be returning home(again) tomorrow after another two day stay on the 7th floor. Shewwww……..

During more of my time away from the studio I had what I thought was going to be a quick and simple meniscus surgery. Out patient surgery. Well, seems my meniscus was torn in three areas and my cartilage was “old” and I had a rather large issue with arthritis that was not part of the plan. All this means is that I am six weeks non weight bearing on my knee. (as opposed to four days of rehab for a minor procedure)

During this time there have been a few mishaps with the studio space. If you are local you may have noticed an excavator to the side of the studio. If not local, well, there was a HUGE mess. Seems the sewer backed up and flooded my studio basement. This too has been repaired. There have also been a few orders that had taken a little longer than normal (for those of you that have been effected I do apologize and have apologized) and have either been ordered or will be ordered this week or have been delivered and you will be called.

During this time though I have had some great things happen that may not have happened otherwise. I have worked on a new website (same basic look but a little cleaner), have reworked my site as it had been hacked into a few months back. (ALMOST finished with the reworked site. Wedding images are to be uploaded this week.) I have also made a few new friendships (locally and nationally ) in the business that I may not have had I not been overwhelmed these past few months. I know it is hard for some to believe, but a lot of us photographers are friends and do go out for lunch and talk business and non business. There is an old saying that your best photo friends live out of state. That said, I have many out of state photographer friends but I also have a few here in Grove City and Slippery Rock, Butler, Pittsburgh. (Not to mention a really cool cat name Mr. Fawkes from Australia who helped me out with a lot of good ideas to rework my images and gave me some positive feedback about what I was already doing)I also got to reconnect with Skip Cohen over the phone (met him a few hers back in Vegas during WPPI and again during his inaugural Skip’s Summer School) and he gave me some great advice and also critiqued part of my site/blog/work and have me some personal advise that I have taken to heart. I would suggest checking out Skip’s blog even if you are not a photographer. If nothing else read his Sunday Morning Reflections posts. (check out one here) He is just a great writer and can bring a smile to your day.

Sometimes you need to embrace the bad times to make work of the good times.

Lastly, I want to make you that you stay tuned to my site and studio . I am so excited to share a few of my new ideas and another side of my photography in the next few months. If you liked JM Images before I know you will LOVE the new things coming up!

Thanks for reading!

Joe

1 COMMENT|POSTED IN Attitude, Personal, Photography

New Stuff (images from a notebook)06.08.11

So I was wandering around an antique Store and I came across a couch. really nice couch. Figured I needed it and really wanted it for a few sessions I had coming up. Plus, every photographer needs a couch. As I was waiting for a price on the couch I looked over and noticed a really cool, really beautiful vintage wedding dress. I normally don’t check out dresses but being a wedding photographer I notice wedding dresses. I looked at the dress and thought of a girl I photographed a few years ago and hoped she would fit in the gown. While I was deciding to buy or not buy the dress I remembered my notebook I keep in the event ideas pop into my head. I write them down and put them away until I have time to work on new things. Figured it was a good time to freshen up the portfolio. So, I picked up the dress and the couch and made arrangements with Marissa and here is a sampling of what we came up with.

Enjoy!

ADD A COMMENT|POSTED IN Attitude, Personal, Photography, Portraits, Wedding

So a funny thing happened a few weeks ago…..03.02.11

I saw a photo of myself a friend took during my last wedding I shot. Jerry, my second hand man during weddings, took the picture. I skipped right by it and about two minutes later it dawned on me that the image was of me. So I scrolled back a few hundred images and opened it up in Lightroom. Yup….. it was me. (ugh) Really? “You gotta do something about that joe” I murmured to myself. The photo was a not so flattering photo of me from the side. “Really Jerry? Thanks buddy”, I was thinking. Then I noticed the image was properly exposed and was a pretty good shot. It just turned out that the image was pretty true to life. After looking and studying the images for a bit I turned off my PC and went to bed. “Really Jerry!?” , I thought to myself….again…..

The next morning I was checking out Facebook and noticed a friend of mine had joined a group that was filled with photographers…………. working on a lifestyle change. Seems I was not the only photographer that had noticed himself in an image that was less than flattering. So I “liked” the page and found five other photo friends that had joined this group.I read through a few posts and clicked on a link that explained a little about this diet/change of habits. This link sounded good to me and I had friends who were already committed to this and were having great results. So, I looked at Jerry’s images he took of me again and decided it was time.

Four weeks later (maybe five now as I did not circle my start date) I am down twenty-five pounds and feeling pretty darned good about it. A good friend of mine (not a photographer) started his own journey with this plan and has been going to workouts as well with me the past four weeks and has lost fifteen pounds. (He has much less to lose mind you and is almost to his goal) I am not at my target weight yet, but I am a lot closer than I was last month.

ADD A COMMENT|POSTED IN Attitude, Personal, Uncategorized

Information Thursday05.05.10

Well, it has been a very long week. Very busy week. It has been a long and busy week. Therefor there is no information this Thursday.

I will ask that you all go out and shoot. Shoot what you like. And when you are done working it, go and shoot it a few more ways. Maybe move up a little and use a wide angle lens instead of that safe 135mm. Maybe turn the subject away from the light, or maybe shoot into the light. Change it up. If you feel “safe” and know you can nail the image then move.

Challenge yourself. That flash that is in the bag? Take it out. Use it on manual, NOT on program. Try that out. Fail. Then learn from that failure. Do not be afraid to fail.

Lastly, maybe shoot something you are not familiar with. If you like people shoot landscapes. If you like nature photograph a child. Get out of your comfort zone.

Most of all, get out and shoot!

Now go!

Go shoot images will ya?

ADD A COMMENT|POSTED IN Attitude, Information Thursday

Greatest Compliment04.12.10

ME: 11:00PM <winding down from the day>

ME: receive a text from a bride and groom I photographed a year ago

TEXT: “We just watched the wedding video & are so so thankful that you were there with us! Watching the video tonight made us remember how special the day was. We can’t thank you enough for being there & for being so good at what you do. Thanks again! “

FOLLOWED BE ANOTHER TEXT: “Thank u again for what an amazing job u did. We r so fortunate ti have had such a wonderfully talented photographer as u to capture our most special day! I can’t believe it has actually been a year………

ME: <thinking to myself> I LOVE my job!

A day later I have had a little time to think about the text. Here is what I think.

I am one of the luckiest guys I know. I love my job, I love my work, I don’t wake up in the morning and wonder what other job I could be doing if I quit my current job. I am doing what a lot of others only dream of doing. Maybe not photography, but waking up and loving the job! It may not just be the job, I think it is the end result of the job. I read the text again before I went to sleep and I woke up this morning with more energy to do even a better job down the road.

What I get to do is I get to create memories for people. I get to create photographs that will be viewed for decades by that family and their children and their children’s children. I get to be the guy that creates the pictures that I remember viewing of my parents and my grandparents. I have some of those photos in my collection right now. Really, how cool is that? When I am long gone, there will be people looking at those same wedding pictures saying how beautiful Grandma Stacey was on her wedding day.

Not only that, I have since photographer her children and those pictures will be handed down from generation to generation.

What an awesome feeling!

Here is a “proof ” version of the video the couple were viewing last night.

1 COMMENT|POSTED IN Attitude, Personal, Wedding

How Crystal Bowersox made me love music again03.24.10

I am no longer embarrassed to admit I watch American Idol. Not that I ever denied it, but I never shouted out the fact that I would turn American Idol on. The biggest reason it was a closet watcher was the fact that i am not a pop music fan. I loath it actually. The majority of the music these days will not be around when my son is my age. (no haters please, just saying…) That was until I was flipping the channels on the night this girl was auditioning for American Idol. (season 9, are you kidding me?) Whoa……. Okay, I had to watch.

I watched her sing for that 30 seconds and I knew right then that she was the winner of season 9. (9 seasons of this show? whoa…..) But anyway, she is it. I even told my wife Janet this one girl would win, and she said, “you are watching American Idol?” Yea….. she knows how much I watched the show in the past.

Anyway……..

Crystal Bowersox made me a convert. Main reason being, she is so not pop. She is so far away from pop, and that is why I dig her. Anyone that can sing Janis Joplin, Rolling Stones, and CCR. John Fogerty? On American Idol? Fantastic! You listen to her sing these covers and then you have her original work. Listen to Farmer’s Daughter and see for yourself.

Anyway, I have not voted for her. I am not even sure exactly how to vote. But, I just may vote in the next few weeks. (whoa…… )

ADD A COMMENT|POSTED IN Attitude, Music, Personal, Uncategorized

First Class03.21.10

A funny thing happened on my way from WPPI.

Seems United Airlines take the Red Carpet treatment of their First Class passengers extremely serious. Not saying it is right or wrong the way United treats its First Class, Platinum, Executive or Frequent Fliers. Notice I said, the way they treat the high flying patrons. Not lil’ ol’ me. As I was getting off my knees from praying for a safe flight ready for my return flight I noticed a little intense conversation happening at the ticketing podium. Seems a “First Class” patron was a little rushed and was trying to make his way to the podium so he could follow the instructions of the woman. “Last call for all First class, Executive (….. etc.) passengers for pre-boarding flight number…. 2631 for Pittsburgh”. Well this gentleman was getting there and apparently took the “wrong line” to go to the Jetway. Seems he was taking the “coach passenger” line. The woman from United Airlines insisted that he take the Red carpet line for all First class……. (you get the idea) passengers. He glanced back at us “coach passengers” as he was holding up the boarding process by mistakenly trying to hurry along and get on board the aircraft by taking the quicker route. He just lowered his head, backed up and took the Red Carpet walk. Five seconds later the Ticketing agent called for Zone 1 and we all started to walk the “coach” isle to board the plane. As I was the last one to board I had to stop and take a pic of the area where the Red Carpet line vs. Coach passenger line episode took place.

For the record, the gentleman that was arguing about his choice to walk the “coach” line was stunned how big a deal it was that United make him walk the red carpet.

He said something to the effect that he hoped his wife had the red carpet out when he got home. If not he would call United and demand that she roll it out for him.

All said and done, this little episode in the airport made my flight a little less stressful.

ADD A COMMENT|POSTED IN Attitude, Personal, Uncategorized

Las Vegas Baby03.05.10

I really do not enjoy flying. Maybe it is the idea of being shot down 2 miles of concrete at 170 miles an hour in a metal tube with fuel strapped to my behind then taking that same idea and being 30 thousand feet in the air. Maybe it is the thought of being able to read the lettering on the tail of the other planes as we fly over the Rocky Mountains or the ever exciting air turbulence as I finally fall asleep. It may even be the thought of a full flight, and getting stuck in the center seat and having to wait that extra hour on the tarmac. No matter I suppose. As much as I abuse my wife and child the day leading up to a flight (hovering, rambling on about nothing, talking about flying, talking about full flights, airline customer service, packing the same suitcase 10 times and watching disaster movies up to the day of my flight) I enjoy the destination enough to suffer a flight. (and have others suffer with me) The days leading up to a flight are rough enough for my family. The day of is also “fun” for all! The number one habit my wife LOVES about my traveling is the trip to the airport. Sure, I am a backseat driver, but I also have this thing about being two hours early to the airport. Not arriving at the airport two hours early. No, being at the gate two hours early. I like to be early. That way I can enjoy my coffee. I can walk around. You know, walk off that nervous energy I had been storing up the past 36 hours or so.

All of this is leading up to the title of the post. Because I love photography and love to make my clients happy and because I love to learn new things and meet new people, I am off to Las Vegas Saturday morning! (flight leaves at 8:30am, so I plan on being at the gate 5:30am. I digress) Not going to gamble, although I did win $12 on my only play at the quarter slots in August. I am going to Vegas for WPPI! HUGE event for photographers. Photo seminars, meet and greets, Trade show and a few planned and unplanned photo shoots with other photographers. Kind of a way to de-stress for a few days and recharge the batteries. I am even going to head out to see the store on Pawn Stars. That should be interesting.

At any rate, I am off to fret for a few more hours while I get a few more things accomplished and I hope to share a few images from my time in Vegas!

Cheers!

2 COMMENTS|POSTED IN Attitude, Personal, Photography

Maybe I asked for to much02.26.10

I don’t live way up in Northern Canada, or The Dakotas, or Alaska. I live in Western Pennsylvania. Snow is part of Western Pa. but not a way of life! (seems like it though this month) Anyway, I thought we were a bit lax in snow earlier in the winter season and I was saying little prayers day after day for a little more snow. Either I stuttered on the term “more” snow or God is playing a joke on me. Either way I really think enough is enough now.

Sure, the snow melts and adds water to the creeks so I can enjoy Spring trout fishing and that is all good. But today’s snow is just a little more than I can handle. Ugh. So, to help nudge Spring along I am posting a video I did last year while at Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, PA. I sure hope this helps! (I know I misspelled “kennywood” with an extra “e” before the “y”) I was just to tired to redo the video and then promply deleted the footage from my Flip video cam.

1 COMMENT|POSTED IN Attitude, Personal

A virus in our business01.27.10

For the record I love when new people come into the business of portrait and wedding photography. I think it opens new doors and new relationships. I never look at someone as the "enemy" in the business. We all have different styles and looks to our work. Some I love, some I find boring. But my work does not relate to everyone either so I am in the mix as well.

I say this because of a blog post I read a few days ago. The post , And you call yourself a professional, was written by one of the many blogs I read from time to time. (I am a secret blog stalker) Everything Scott mentions is right on the mark. His post has nothing to do with some shooters being afraid of competition, but rather major undercutting and what that does to the industry and what "photography" is worth.

Now back to stalking……

ADD A COMMENT|POSTED IN Attitude, Personal, Photography, Weblogs