So much time has passed since I last blogged I hardly know where to start.  I imagine the most obvious point and the one most of you already know is Jensen Walker Photography and family successfully moved to Tokyo, Japan.  We now live in a home with tatami matts and sliding doors and are starting to explore the country we will call home for the next three years.  It is hard to believe we have finished four months already.  In that time we’ve had our first Japanese Christmas, attended a Grand Sumo match, toured Nikko, Ginza, Fuji-san, Harajuku, and the Ome plum blossoms.  I finished my first Japanese 111 class with a 4.0 and start 112 on Monday.  My goal is to not have to talk to models in English by the end of the year.  Good luck right?  The temperature is rising and cherry blossoms are tempting eruption across the country and I will admit, so far we love it here.

On the professional front, work arrived pleasantly and unsuspectingly early this year with jobs for Apple (the vid on the right side), and The London Times.  Last week we wrapped up a fun piece for Ogilvy and the new Barclay’s Bank offices in Roppongi Hills.

Me on a pre-pro scout and trading futures with my G11. Photo by: Bryan van der Beek

Next month now looks like a trip and project in Okinawa, so let the adventures continue.  I am blessed with the people I worked with on these jobs and owe them all a debt of gratitude for making my transition to Tokyo so graceful and for their continued support.  Seriously, I got very lucky and made truly quality connections in a short period of time.

Today is one of those days where upon completion my initial response is to pat myself on the back for juggling so many projects and responsibilities.  Bills paid (some not), invoices processed, expense reports detailed and post production begun along with a litany of other marketing, accounting and organization concerns which constitute running a business, but I find myself missing the pictures.

After two weeks on the road shooting and spending time with family I returned to start right up with long time client Cook Children’s Medical Center on a full day job and off to Houston tomorrow for HealthLeaders Magazine and yet on down/office days like these I miss my subjects and the raw energy of shooting.

From the New York Studio to the rocky mountain altitude all the way to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Medical Center I find myself experiencing great gratitude for the people who support my career.

New York was a powerfully productive trip both in the shooting and the visits. I can’t wait to share the images we produced for the Mac Group, both the crew and the models were sublime and made for an amazing shooting experience.  Once our shooting wrapped I made it to see my NY support crew at the Getty Images and Spike TV offices.  With both the new faces and familiar faces I left feeling recharged by what they are creating and where we are pushing my presence.  The year is half over and so much to achieve.

The return to the mountains in Colorado was such a needed escape. I took my 13 month old on her first altitude hike and with her on my back and the crisp air blowing our hair it was amazing how clear my mind was above tree line.  Like the mist and rain crawling across the Rocky Mountain National Forest the doom and gloom over our industry is palpable on a daily basis as we advertise for new clients and diversify our outlets in search of creative and monetary solace. Yet underneath all the rain there is so much stunning beauty filled with trails just waiting for us to walk down. Thinking of the amazing stories and lives I am blessed to visit and the endless creative outlets at my fingertips supported by the most consummate professionals left me buzzing with ideas.   Hiking down the mountain with my baby girl asleep on my back I found myself charging down the trail ready to erupt over the edge.

At the half way point of 2009, and stopping to take a breath I can’t say I have created the body of work I want to remember 2009 by.  Charged and challenged I step forward into the rest of this year hungry and lustful for more adventures, for more evocative imagery.  I will get to the bills eventually but for now I really want to keep pushing the development of the vision up that steep climbing trail.

]]> http://jensenwalker.com/blog/archives/427/feed 1 http://jensenwalker.com/blog/archives/400 http://jensenwalker.com/blog/archives/400#comments Thu, 14 May 2009 18:54:53 +0000 jwalker http://jensenwalker.com/blog/?p=400

This is not generally the style of photography I shoot and yet for a test/favor I thought it would be a fun experiment.  During the shoot while changing backgrounds and lights, looking for a shot, this very 60’s reminiscent image developed.  Barbarella Lives On!  This was another project created with students from the University of North Texas program and as always I truly enjoyed the experience.  In fact there is an Senior Show at the Lakewood Theater this Saturday where all the graduating UNT seniors will have their portfolio work on display for alum and networking opportunities.   I am excited to see how Juan, Carol, Becca, and Curtis are doing moments before they march out into their professions.  Every collaboration with these students was a pleasure and I’m looking forward to the event and working with them in the future.

Play aside, things are busy around the studio.  I recently joined the collective Wonderful Machine and already experiencing great feedback and momentum from their staff.  I am also stepping out and joining the collection of photographers at Atedge and looking forward to seeing where both outlets will take me.  It is time for new adventures and change is on the horizon.  Tonight I am off to shoot the final party for Michael Irvin’s ”4th and Long” reality show and Sunday I fly to New York for a Mac Group project  (more on this opportunity when I am allowed to talk about it).  With two more Cook Children’s Medical Center shoots on the horizon and several tests on the calender I am enthusiastic about the next few months.

If your in New York and can get together for a beer shoot an email at me and lets make it happen!  Looking forward to crashing the Getty assignment offices for a visit and catching up with the Eddie Adams Workshop crew for at least a couple epic nights.  To the graduating seniors, Congrats!  To the New York posse, see you soon.

For concepts and assignments feel free to call – 469.438.2711 or email – jensen@jensenwaker.com - jensenwalker.com

I worked most of the weekend as spring winds whipped across Dallas under crystal blue skies and glorious rays of sunshine.  Cyclist rode the tour of Dallas, there was a Deep Ellum arts festival, a marathon, and Nascar was in town while I shot TCU football for Nike and started a branding project for friend and news anchor Kim Fischer.  As the winds of change rolled through it was admittedly hard to focus as we prepared for our first open house, I scouted locations, went looking for smoke grenades and knew there was so much in town I would not get to photograph.

With so many balls in the air right now including three jobs this week, taxes and the ever-present stress over what is going to happen with the wife’s Air Force package it was just nice to eventually get out on Sunday and play.  While it was technically work, it was one of those days where I openly proclaimed how much I love my job, “pop smoke Gavin.  Harl, gasoline now… more… good!  Kim, Go!”  This image will eventually be part of marketing materials and a web site for Kim as she prepares to move markets and take her face national. I want to say thank you to my assistants (who needs hair on their hands anyway?) and to Kim, I love the fact that she is willing to push the concept and create more than a standard head shot.

As we head into the week make sure at some point you create art for yourself.

To concept and shoot feel free to call – 469.438.2711 or email – jensen@jensenwaker.com

]]> http://jensenwalker.com/blog/archives/377/feed 2 http://jensenwalker.com/blog/archives/337 http://jensenwalker.com/blog/archives/337#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:01:59 +0000 jwalker http://jensenwalker.com/blog/?p=337

The number one national track recruit Marquise Goodwin preparing for a long jump. The Texas recruit won gold at state last year in the long jump, triple jump, 4x100 relay and garnering national attention during last summer's IAAF World Junior Championships when he was the only prep to win individual gold in the long jump. (Jensen Walker / Getty Images for ESPN RISE)

Life’s synergy of late has taken me by surprise.  The sheer momentum created by putting an idea into the universe or choosing to step forward regardless of the fears or misgivings continues to give me pause and encouragement.  March was a whirlwind of movement, changes and preparation I still don’t fully grasp as I stepped up my testing schedule, watched my wife prepare her package for the Air force and recommitted to my social networking.

After mentioning an ongoing project with friend and Profoto stud Cliff Hausner he shocked me by stepping up and shipping loaner gear to the steps of my studio all so that I can complete the vision I concepted almost 6 months ago.  The mere act of showing up on Model Mayhem, Twitter, and other social media outlets has yielded feed back and support from such a wide pool of people it is hard to take it all in.  Offering suggestions and inspiration from business solutions to “ur work is simply breath taking if you are ever in need of a model let me know…” these people offer their own type of stimulus package as they push you to stay focused and creating. At one point this month I even had a model accuse me of being quiet, calling into question where the new work was or why I had not shared a new adventure.  Honestly, it is a strange sense of accountability and maybe a surrogate for a freelancer to the newsroom or creative team.

By saying yes to the act of creation amazing people have always shown up in my life wether in life altering or small critical ways.  As people continue to bemoan the state of our economy or the glut of content, shooters, or other countless woes I find myself very gratefull for the people who support me and my career.  Family, mentors, models, editors, art directors, make-up artists, proffessional support, stylists, editors, booking agents, web designers, and the list that could go on for pages, Thank you.  I could not and would not want to do it without you.

The alarm went off yesterday at 5:00 a.m. to a day of cold, wind and pouring rain.  While getting ready I kept hoping for the call of a shoot postponement, it never came.  Layered down, we loaded the gear in the rain and headed to the Cotton Bowl in preparation for our shoot for SPIKE TV’s new reality show “4th and Long.”  The shoot was actually a fairly quick one and we produced some nice images of the contestants and Hall of Fame honoree Michael Irvin.  The film crew will be here in Dallas for the next 5 weeks and the contestants will be living in the locker rooms of the stadium as they compete for a spot on the Dallas Cowboy spring training roster.  The contestants were a really nice group of guys from around the country and seemed pumped up if not a little deer in the headlights at the opportunity laid at their feet.  I am looking forward to working with the team again this Sunday as they start shooting their episodic,  should be fun and lets hope the weather clears up a bit.

This shot is from my good friend Tom Pennington whom I first met at the Eddie Adams Workshop when we were students back in 1998.  Thank you again Tom, it was great to see you.

I admit this image has no bearing on my career.  It does not pertain to jobs or clients not even a developing technology but in mentioning her in previous posts I received requests for an updated image.  I present my daughter Genevieve to open my week and to remind myself who I am blessed to work for.  She is a really cute boss.

Tuesday and Wendsday I am working in the Rose Bowl with SPIKE TV as they prepare to cast and film a new reality show here in Dallas.  Right now I have very little information on what we will be working on but I will keep you posted.  To all of you, have a great week and remember who your working for.

…is the ability to take the time to shoot test work, to refocus your marketing, to reevaluate your business plan, to take a breath in your career, to remember what it is you started out looking for and to determine at this juncture if your still in the game.  I fully admit, as my daughter turns a year old in a month, I stopped consciously refining my vision and left the development of my eye to chance and accident.  When you believe no one is watching or the client is happy and I payed the rent so its all good then complacency in your vision becomes easy.  Yet as life is oft to do, I was offered both subtle and sledgehammer opportunities over the last week to wake up.

Monday it was my honor to speak to the Hallmark Institute of Photography’s class of 2009.  While it was a growth edge for me to step to that stage I imagine I garnered more from the experience then the audience.  The students were gracious and welcoming and it ended up being a blast.  Several students approached me thanking me for my time and images and to them I simply must offer, it was my pleasure.  However, when I spoke about being true to themselves and to their vision, figuring out what they wanted and creating the measurable strategy to stay focused upon it that I realized I lost mine.  I have long known that one of my biggest failures as a viable professional photographer is my inability to relinquish my title as a generalist.   This is not to say the ability is not a valuable one or even one which will always serve me, but I have yet to make a claim to the niche or style of work which will allow me to stand out.  Rather than hiding behind the generalist title, I think it is time to lay claim.  Now the only problem is going to be what it is I want to lay claim to.  A good friend of mine once said ” you don’t have to do one thing forever but do one thing amazingly and make your name, make your mark” then take the freedom and change. It is time to find that thing.

In this spirit of growth I also received a reminder this morning to keep my vision sharp and my craft evolving.  This time, fittingly,  it was from my college professor, Steve Raymer, who recently published an article in the NPPA magazine about the ‘framing’ of suffering in the photographic world.  His article is a wonderful examination of the rhythms and cliches we are prone to falling into as photographers. The article challenges our ability to take our craft in whatever form and hold it to a higher standard in the midst of the blurring lines of photographic responsibility.  After reading the article I came to realization.  At the end of my career, my days or hell at the bar after work when I am asked what legacy I created, I want to be proud of the answer. In less than 24 hours both by an emerging class of new shooters and by a trusted guardian of the craft i find myself charged with reexamining how I create.  So for today I leave you searching and will let you know what I find when I find it.

I highly recommend Steve’s Article and would be interested in hearing how or if it the thesis challenges your perceptions.

jensenwalker.com

I had an open casting call at the studio yesterday. While it was a surprisingly low attendance, especially In this economy ©, it was great to see my friend Jerome Bethea, whom I just recently worked with in January.  In this image Jerome is demonstrating his high-end Japanese style advertising skill.  The prompt for this expert showmanship was, “show me your best Japanese potato chip pitch.”

The art of casting is such an interesting study in human interactions, from the manner in which people enter a new room to the manner in which they make their presence known.  In most scenarios models are in front of the casting camera for less than a minute or two max and it’s fascinating observing their attempts to make or not make an impression in such a minuscule time frame.  Some arrive on set with full tilt smiles, laughing, and joking and I have had others deliver full on bitch diva mode.  Some people you both respect and simultaneously wonder how they are even there due to debilitating shyness.  In the brief moment we share that room we both try to make a connection, some link either to help us understand the others potential or simply to move through the moment.  There is such a marriage of social nicety and sincere inquiry in a casting.   Watching a photographer and model who both truly understand the art is what I would imagine a samurai duel embodied.  A challenge dyed in a code of respect and yet rife with the calculating predatory motions of finely tuned professionals.  At the conclusion of the encounter there is either the bonded respect and friendship or the bled out corpse of a ill prepared adversary lying on the ground.

Those whom you take with you are often intriguing and passionate individuals you keep with you.  I met my wife on a casting call and I proudly claim friends from some of those one minute encounters.  Jerome is one of those and one who shows up with such an infectious excitement that you know his leaping thumbs up grin is from the heart. To all of those whom I have encountered and to all those I can’t wait to explore I must offer you my thanks and I look forward to our next duel/casting.

I decided it would be a fantastic copyright to own “In this economy,”  upon which every usage would pay a licensing fee of a dollar.  Think about it, it’s perfect.  Your in the subway and some guy bumps into you …”In this economy you should be more careful.”  Dollar paid.  Your negotiating with a client and they want to slash the budget and do the shoot in the studio and buy background plates to create their vision and with the most heartfelt retort you offer “In this economy the masses want to see authenticity not visual slight of hand.” Dollar paid.  I can’t tell you the amount of time I have heard this expression in passing over the last few weeks, oh lord if there were only a way to harness its power.

From the photography stand point the only way I could think to harnass the power of “In this economy”  was to start to diversify the outlets in which my photography was currently residing.  The direct result has been a series of stock shoots over the last few weeks with more to come.  In this incarnation I offer you a tasty sample of some of the work born from this commitment.

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