Portraiture, Photojournalism, Personal Work, Outtakes,
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Jay Lazar drinks a beer while watering his new sweet gum tree outside his Hampden home accompanied by his five-month-old, Mazen, Thursday, May 26, 2011. When Jay and his wife Tammy Beckman moved in their Hampden rowhome seven years ago, they agreed a tree in front of their home would be nice. So, Jay wrote Baltimore City’s head arborist and after arriving (weirdly in the off season), they soon realized it harbored a potentially contagious pest. So, being responsible citizens, they requested the city take away the blighted tree. In true municipal speed, the tree was removed two-years later. Still wanting a tree, they requested another. And without warning, written or otherwise, it showed up the day before this photo was made.
The thing I love about this image is that I was prepared! When I was a staffer, more often than not, I carried my camera with me all the time.
Y’know… Like Jay’s tree, great photos just show up. …without warning.
Now that I’m on my own, in the freelance world, I’m inside a lot more. My assignment count is way down. My professional opportunities to shoot are much rarer than the 2-3 assignment days I just left. I’m driving less, and, regrettably, my body’s getting softer. I’ve also stopped carrying my camera around as much as I used to. — like a lot less!
Sometimes I tell myself: ahhh, but I have my iphone. If something happens, I’ll be fine.”
But that’s not true! The act of digging out the iphone, clicking on the app, and waiting for it to get ready is slow enough for me to not only miss the moment, but to not even want to deal with the iphone’s camera (I have a 3Gs. ancient, right?).
But when I actively bring my “real” camera out — even with just my 35mm f/1.8 attached — I’m ready to go! That’s not to say I’m that obnoxious guy snapping away wherever I go (well… not anymore). I have it in case a photo presents itself to me.
This photo isn’t by any stretch a portfolio image, but for right now, it’s an important image for me. I need it to reaffirm my belief in being ready and staying sharp.
Freelancing is a weird life. It’s easy to be lazy. But that’s how you lose. Me? I don’t wanna lose. So, I gotta keep shooting.
Dear Matt. I happened to arrive late to photography. I studied music and work in that field. Right now I teach photography part-time and love it very much. What I noticed once I was inside the world of photography is how little pro-photographers liked what they do. It became for most of them “a job”. Most of them don´t see it with the same joy as amateur photographers. And I guess that happens in every field. We get bored from carrying our gear when hundreds would pay to carry it for us. M.