The Words & Wisdom of a Woman (Minus the Wisdom)

And on another note....

2010-03-14T23:17:00.000-07:00

And on another note, did I mention that I now photograph weddings? A good friend of mine, Sarah mentioned that we should combine our photographic talent and become one entity. An amazing entity that not only photographs amazing things, but wait for it.....gets paid for it. 'Get out' was my answer, 'I'm in.'
And after sitting at a cafe on Lygon St, going through endless names for our wedding photography business (which was so long I had to refill my parking meter twice) we ended on 'Love Katie & Sarah'. Simple and most importantly, not cheesy. If you think there isn't that much of a cheese factor out there, simply Google 'Wedding Photographers' and you can have yourself a good old chuckle.
We also decided that we needed a niche. And since so many photographers love to do that soft focus Starshots type of deal, we both came together over our hatred of that style and found a lot of inspiration from Swedish born Australian, Jonas Peterson who did everything vintage, simple and candid and all about the love.
Here's what we came up with.....

So the Girl Who Took Photos For Free is now the Girl Who Charges Occasionally.

2010-03-14T22:46:00.000-07:00

So the Girl Who Took Photos For Free is now the Girl Who Charges Occasionally. It's been an interesting transition as most of the time I have absolutely no idea what to charge so I am making it up as I go along. The jobs have ranged from modelling folios for 6 foot beauties to Rowing shots for local boys' schools (and their adoring mothers with huge SUV's). Either way it's been an interesting last few months. I invested rather hastily in a 24 - 70mm lens over Ebay and boy was I sweating bullets until that baby arrived safely in the mail. My dad invested in a camera that is better than my own so I am considering doing a swap one day when they are least suspecting.

And now, a selection of the weird and wonderful jobs I've had in the last few months....

Well Theatre's production of One Eye The Sun One Eye The Moon Indian shoot featuring Krithi
'6 foot beauty' Charlotte Cairns's new folio

Indian Rama God Shoot featuring 'Make Me A Supermodel' contestant, Lucas Williams

Dexter Shoot featuring 'Make Me A Supermodel' contestant, Lucas Williams

Baby Steps, Baby

2009-11-05T21:08:00.000-08:00

Model: Sarah Collins

Well it's all happening. It's all happening at a snail pace, but it's happening all the while.

I had not one but TWO paid photography jobs last week. I know, "get out!" all of you are yelling. The girl who takes photos for free is getting paid? What on earth will she write about now?

Never fear my hoards of readers (cough cough). I feel it was like a rain shower in the desert. Rare, but much needed.

So during the rainstorm of a week I took production stills for Monash University Academy of Performing Arts' performance of Blood Wedding and Sarah Collins' modelling folio.

Tell me what you think.

Till next time
~Katieo

Sarah's model shots
Blood Wedding - Monash University Academy of Performing Arts

Pfft...

2009-10-27T05:22:00.000-07:00

Scratch that last blog. Shouldn't have even bothered burning those 10 calories typing it.

The interview was a disaster. The guy who was the founder and owner of this Australia wide photography studio (who I won't name coz I'm such a nice gal) interviewed me and 15 minutes later I walked out. I may have wanted to cry a little in the car but hey, I'm a lady. I'll wait till I get home thank you very much, haha.

The funny thing was, he made me feel quite small by questioning my passion for the photography business. I kinda said 'excuse me?' and he repeated himself (while rolling his eyes). Ah if only he knew. But the funny part was that he was the most dispassionate man on the planet. And a big part of his business was photographing children. Note to self: If I ever have children, don't let them anywhere near this man.

Back to the metaphorical drawing board.

On a lighter note, guess who got paid to take some production stills today? Oh yeah.

Until next time....

It's not raining on my parade (today at least...)

2009-10-24T21:30:00.001-07:00

I have a job interview tomorrow for a job in a studio. Yes a studio where they take photographs. I have an interview there. Did I mention that someone actually read my resume, called me and are actually interested in possible employing me?

A year or so ago, this wouldn't have excited me as much since it was easier finding jobs in general. But the fact that I got called to be pre-interviewed on the phone (p.s what is that about?) before being invited to be interviewed in person for a job that revolves around photography (i.e there is a chance that I will no longer be the girl that takes photos for free) is god damn epic.

Epic. Like of gladiator proportions.

Wish me luck.

List the Pro's in Pro Bono

2009-10-18T01:47:00.000-07:00

So my dad and step mum went overseas for 5 weeks. My dad kinda laid down the law a little and inferred that by the time he came home, I would have a job. That was his fatherly way of letting me know that I was being lazy and maybe should stop being what Rudd termed a 'job snob'. And when dad lays down the law, he really lays down the law.

Ok. So I had 5 weeks to get the ultimate photography job which was enough to please daddy dearest as well as fulfilling me both artistically and financially.

My dad returned late last week. In that time do you know how many jobs I applied for? About 50. Now I'll tell you how many calls/emails/interview offers I had.

One.

That's right.

So Dad's back and I'm still technically unemployed but if anyone ever asks or I'm at a bar and some guy asks me what I do, I just say "freelance photographer". It's so much sexier than the actual truth.

We are sitting in his kitchen and after the epic slide show they had prepared of their trip (which included shots of each restaurant they ate at), Dad slips in "so what have you been up to?" (code for - have you got a job yet?)

So I tell him what I have done in the past 5 weeks.
This is what I did.....

So I spent a few weeks shooting for the Melbourne Fringe Festival. I was originally supposed to shoot just one dance piece in Bendigo and then my phone number got passed around the Fringe office quicker than Chuck Norris on crack when they found out I used the word 'volunteer' in one of my emails. I really should be more careful in future. So I was out an about shooting all types of shows. The one above and below were from Take Off Your Skin (TOYS) which saw the city overrun with Japanese Kuronoz clones for an afternoon. It was whack and the people reacted in one of two ways. Either they freaked out and were really vocal ("what the fuck is going on?!") or they simple whipped out their iPhones, snapped a few shots and went on their way without cracking a single expression.

After that it was my friend Sarah's Fringe show, Donna and Damo An Asexual Love Story, that I shot for next. (P.S 4 stars in the Herald Sun people!)

Then another phone call, so off to the Last Tuesday Society..

And one interesting trip to Bendigo for dance piece, Reverb.....

And still the bank balance remained unchanged. But hey, that old folio is getting a little fatter.

So in between these shoots I do believe I spent the remaining of those 5 weeks in front of my computer, trawling through job site after job site, praying that the word photographer/photographer's assistant would pop up. And they did. And I applied. And not a raspberry.

Bless this recession.

The good thing is that after showing my dad some of my folio, he did not bust my metaphorical balls. I'm hoping that he thinks I have enough talent to make up for the fact that I'm still unemployed.

Or maybe he was still jet lagged....

Katieo is still alive and well. And yet to be paid. Until next time......

A job in pictures

2009-09-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

Here lies evidence that I did indeed once got paid to take photos. Yes it's true, I got paid. It's as rare an occasion as when I got paid work back in my acting days.

These images were taken on that once in a lifetime (but I'm really hoping not) job. If you like them, the rest of the folio can be seen here . Get on board and sneak a peek.

The picture above was taken in northern India, near the Himalayas where there is a large population of Tibetans who have come across the border. These two boys were playing hackysack when I walked past them. After an initial shyness, they soon became just as bad as those chicks who purely take photos of themselves just so they can post them on MySpace. They loved the camera. Or more correctly, seeing pictures of themselves on my screen.

This boy was a shoe shiner in Rishikesh. When he saw the film crew and all the cameras, he pulled an old comb out of his pocket and combed his hair.

Spice Seller near the Ganges River.

If you look close enough, you will notice a guy in the middle of this Ferris Wheel. If this was a mouse wheel, he was the mouse. It was purely moved by human power. Amazing stuff. Who needs the Gravatron? Or the Lethal Weapon? This is extreme ferris style.

Alright, now that the dream job is over, time to get serious. Time to get paid. Seriously. No kidding, it would be nice.

So as I said before, I've been shooting for theatre shows, TV shows, Fringe shows, music videos and dance shows. I'm building up my folio so one day I will receive a paycheck. Ooh, wouldn't that be nice. But the question is, how the hell will I know when my folio is built? I keep saying "no worries about not paying me, I'm just building up my folio" so many times that I have absolutely no idea when it will become a complete structure. Dammit. There's another thing I've got to figure out for myself.

So join me next time on the ongoing quest of Katieo, the part struggling, part talented photographer who continues to shoot for free...

The Goal

2009-09-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

So as I said in the beginning, I began with my dream job first and then got flung back down to the bottom of the career Ladder of Greatness to start all over again. That dream job was travel photography.

So I spent 7 months last year lugging my huge backpack (which, when I wore it, I called myself Myrtle The Turtle) around a few continents. Originally the plan was Europe (just like thousands of other Australians who seem to flock there like it's Mecca). But after about a month in western Europe I was nagged with a persistent annoyance. It may have been the nasty hostels, the snorers, the farters, the loud talkers, but I was just so....bored. I sound like a mole for being bored in Europe but my days were filled with city after city filled with Starbucks, McDonald's, KFC and then a really really old church. And a museum.

I wanted adventure. All I got was a soy latte and a really really old church. Where was the passion? The danger? I was thousands of miles from home and I still wasn't out of my comfort zone. Even the language barrier didn't seem too hard. With my acting background I just threw my arms around and used charades and/or pictionary to get through any communication breakdown.

Opened the Lonely Planet on a Shoestring (Shoestring my ass). Morocco. (How it got into a book about Europe is beyond me.) But amongst all the warnings to women travellers and the 'danger' and 'annoyances' headings, I felt excited. So I went. And BAM the passion, the danger and the adventure started the second we arrived. And BAM my passion for travel photography began. Here's a couple of Morocco - the rest can be found here

I couldn't have felt further from home in the best possible way.

BAM. I found it. The goal. My goal.

Until next time...

Chapter 1 - There's no business like small business

2009-09-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

So upon returning from India - and thus marking the end of my short lived dream job - I had to acquire an ABN in order to invoice said billion dollar company. It gave me an idea. To throw caution to the wind and start my own photography business. It was genius. I thought it would be so simple.

So after acquiring this ABN which took a total of 6 minutes online guess where my next port of call was? Straight to Dymocks Bookstore to buy "The Dummies Guide to Small Businesses". Why not head on down to the bank and ask for a platinum VISA while I was at it.

So, Optimism 1, Reality Check 0.

I also spent $900 on a new computer with all this whiz bang technology (that I had no idea how to use) to edit my photos and play solitaire.

I bought a printer slash scanner slash fax machine.

I designed a business card. I got a new email address.

Once that was all set up and I had made it half way through the Dummies Guide (which was actually quite hard to get through truth be told. I don't remember the title being The Semi-Educated with a lot of Technical Terms Guide to Small Businesses) I had no freakin idea what I was supposed to do now.

Over a peach vodka, my wonderful friend Sarah finally gave me the niche photography market I could attack with brute force. And it was so obvious. Theatre and film stills. After all I had spent 5 years doing countless theatre productions, short films, long films and bad films - a lot of which have ended up on YouTube much to my embarrassment.

So my next step was email bomb everyone I knew in the theatre slash film world asking if they needed a photographer for their shows. That was about three weeks ago and I have been a pretty busy bee since then.

And the bank balance remains at $0.

Until next time, join me in the quest of the girl who takes photos for free....

Genesis - As told by Katieo

2009-09-16T06:33:00.001-07:00

A month ago, I got my dream job. The kind that takes you years to work towards. All those countless nights networking over cheese and stale crackers just so you could get one rung higher on the ole career Ladder of Greatness. Oh yes. The Ladder of Greatness. Well, you're going to hate me but I got that dream job while I was resting my lil' old arm on that dirty, bottom, well worn rung...

(Insert bad rewind sound effect) So, seven months ago I crossed over careers. Ha, who I am kidding, I wasn't making any money from the first career, so let's say I 'changed life paths'. There's less talk of finances. I was an actor for 5(ish) years. Come to think of it, I lost more money than I ever made in acting. But hey, for a while it was fun and jeez, you could get away with almost any type of behaviour if you inserted the line "don't mind us, we're drama students". But it took me those whole 5 years to realise that I goddamn hated acting. Go figure. I just thought I was nervous. No. It was just me not wanting to put on a costume and say someone else's lines while pretending I was in some sort of emotional state. And to be honest, I wasn't that good anyway. 7 months overseas made me into a new woman. It wasn't until I was in Morocco in all of the bizarre and slightly smelly places in the world when SMACK BANG/blow me down, I realise that I don't like acting. Well there's 5 good years of my youth I'll never get back. But hey, guess what? That passion for photography that my father (sorry dad) made me stifle just came back with a vengeance.

(Fast Forward) I'm sitting at home (well that's a lie, I was going to the Bruno Premiere) and my brother calls me - "hey, I'm pitching for a directing job and I've put your name down as Stills Photographer".

(Fast Forward a little more) So I'm in India. INDIA. Staying in the most amazing palacial hotels, being paid to take travel documentary stills for a billion dollar company. And here we arrive at my dream job. Being paid to travel to amazing countries to take photos of its people and landscapes.

Now that I had my dream job, and have come back home I'm thinking, 'what the hell do I do now?' I'll tell you. I'm taking photos for free. Back on the bottom rung, thinking "shit."

Welcome to the words & wisdom of Katieo. A woman who started at the top. And is now kickin' it at the bottom. Do join me.....

2009-09-16T06:33:00.000-07:00