New Beginnings
"Corner Gas" on WGN is the single greatest show ever to air on television. It's my happy place.
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Shutterbug: Yeah, that last post was a first impression reaction. Plus, it's a television show. I got suckered into the act and riled myself up, just like I catch myself doing to Rush Limbaugh. "It's just an act" I occasionally have to remind myself. Hell, for all I know they probably have outtakes where everybody busts up laughing. So, yeah, shame on me there for being gullible... and yes, fairly ignorant. Your rant is mostly justified.
I've been through boot camp. I've had some guy with breath like rancid bleu cheese bellowing his diaphragm out an inch from my nose which left my ears ringing and olfactory nerves scalded. Hell, early on as a greenhorn at Tim Hortons my supervisor barked at me many times "Get it together or get out!" during rushes.
I understand the parallel... it's all about over-the-top whigging out at the trainees to induce sensory overload, and to teach continued functioning within stressful conditions. Chef Ramsay is being a drill sergeant, but there is a form and discipline missing from what I saw of his technique. I just wish he could have handled himself in a less verbally sloppy, more professional manner, that's all.
You ask:
I'd venture to say that in a high end portrait studio, the pressure is nearly equal. Most days last far longer than 8 hours. You have a steady stream of 30 to 60 minute appointments in which you must nab at least twenty to forty "keepers" to perfection or else risk demands for a refund. If you stagnate, you lose your elite customer base and die. Seniors (especially) demand cutting edge photographic style to match what they see in their fashion magazines. Adaptation is constant.
So, yeah. For the kneejerk reaction, mea culpa. It was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but just came out pig headed. Maybe if I actually watched a few episodes, I'd gain a little insight into the method behind the madness. I was just so turned off by my first impression, I really don't want to.
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My friend Heather invited me to a Memorial Day picnic at her place to hang out and meet her fiance. He's the most amazing guy, and everything that she deserves. To make a long story short, after having the most amazing hamburger that was damn near 3/4 inch thick, cooked all the way through, and yet juicy and not burnt one little bit on the outside, I went over to give him my compliments. He took me aside and said "Actually, I have you to thank."
"Me? Why?"
"I met Heather because of the pictures you took of her last year."
He went on to tell me that she posted them on her MySpace page (which I knew), and that he saw the photo under the "Cool New People" window. He thought she was cute so he clicked on it to see her profile, but expected (as is all too often the case) that she would be from California or a foreign country or something. He said he was shocked when she was nearby! They got to emailing back and forth, and the rest is history. Now they're getting married.
---
Heard back from the guy I interviewed with last week. He said that one of the applicants had a death in their family, so he wasn't done with the interviews as he'd hoped to be, but he wanted to let me know that I was in the front running for the position. He said they were very impressed by the quality of the portraiture in my portfolio, and that everybody in the office simply liked me. You run into a lot of the ol' black-turtlenecked "I'm an ahhh-tist..." egos. We photographers can be a prickly bunch at times, so it's a real leg-up to be not only good what what you do, but also just plain personable and quick to laugh.
Anyway, I asked about Cleveland since they mentioned it in the ad, but I interviewed in Toledo. He seemed surprised at my enthusiasm about living in Cleveland, and I mentioned that my dad used to live there and I absolutely loved visiting. He said that looked very good for me. He then (hypothetically, of course) started describing their hiring process, what kind of relocation help they have, and told me that I may want to start saving up for a move.
I may get to keep my New Year's resolution after all. I may just get a job where I make a decent living... a real living. Right now isn't living, I'm in a suspended adolescence. Folks, it looks like I may have just landed myself a career.
...and I'll try not to get riled up at the bad days.
---
Shutterbug: Yeah, that last post was a first impression reaction. Plus, it's a television show. I got suckered into the act and riled myself up, just like I catch myself doing to Rush Limbaugh. "It's just an act" I occasionally have to remind myself. Hell, for all I know they probably have outtakes where everybody busts up laughing. So, yeah, shame on me there for being gullible... and yes, fairly ignorant. Your rant is mostly justified.
I've been through boot camp. I've had some guy with breath like rancid bleu cheese bellowing his diaphragm out an inch from my nose which left my ears ringing and olfactory nerves scalded. Hell, early on as a greenhorn at Tim Hortons my supervisor barked at me many times "Get it together or get out!" during rushes.
I understand the parallel... it's all about over-the-top whigging out at the trainees to induce sensory overload, and to teach continued functioning within stressful conditions. Chef Ramsay is being a drill sergeant, but there is a form and discipline missing from what I saw of his technique. I just wish he could have handled himself in a less verbally sloppy, more professional manner, that's all.
You ask:
What the fuck pressure do you face with nabbing the perfect shot that even comes close to cooking orders to perfection every 20 minutes non-stop on your feet for 8+ hours? On top of that, you must create new ideas constantly to keep up with food trends and stay in the game or you're fucked.
I'd venture to say that in a high end portrait studio, the pressure is nearly equal. Most days last far longer than 8 hours. You have a steady stream of 30 to 60 minute appointments in which you must nab at least twenty to forty "keepers" to perfection or else risk demands for a refund. If you stagnate, you lose your elite customer base and die. Seniors (especially) demand cutting edge photographic style to match what they see in their fashion magazines. Adaptation is constant.
So, yeah. For the kneejerk reaction, mea culpa. It was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but just came out pig headed. Maybe if I actually watched a few episodes, I'd gain a little insight into the method behind the madness. I was just so turned off by my first impression, I really don't want to.
---
My friend Heather invited me to a Memorial Day picnic at her place to hang out and meet her fiance. He's the most amazing guy, and everything that she deserves. To make a long story short, after having the most amazing hamburger that was damn near 3/4 inch thick, cooked all the way through, and yet juicy and not burnt one little bit on the outside, I went over to give him my compliments. He took me aside and said "Actually, I have you to thank."
"Me? Why?"
"I met Heather because of the pictures you took of her last year."
He went on to tell me that she posted them on her MySpace page (which I knew), and that he saw the photo under the "Cool New People" window. He thought she was cute so he clicked on it to see her profile, but expected (as is all too often the case) that she would be from California or a foreign country or something. He said he was shocked when she was nearby! They got to emailing back and forth, and the rest is history. Now they're getting married.
---
Heard back from the guy I interviewed with last week. He said that one of the applicants had a death in their family, so he wasn't done with the interviews as he'd hoped to be, but he wanted to let me know that I was in the front running for the position. He said they were very impressed by the quality of the portraiture in my portfolio, and that everybody in the office simply liked me. You run into a lot of the ol' black-turtlenecked "I'm an ahhh-tist..." egos. We photographers can be a prickly bunch at times, so it's a real leg-up to be not only good what what you do, but also just plain personable and quick to laugh.
Anyway, I asked about Cleveland since they mentioned it in the ad, but I interviewed in Toledo. He seemed surprised at my enthusiasm about living in Cleveland, and I mentioned that my dad used to live there and I absolutely loved visiting. He said that looked very good for me. He then (hypothetically, of course) started describing their hiring process, what kind of relocation help they have, and told me that I may want to start saving up for a move.
I may get to keep my New Year's resolution after all. I may just get a job where I make a decent living... a real living. Right now isn't living, I'm in a suspended adolescence. Folks, it looks like I may have just landed myself a career.
...and I'll try not to get riled up at the bad days.
posted by Grover at 5/31/2008 01:54:00 PM
1 Comments:
All I was saying was have your opinions and dislike someone for a reason, but do it without sounding like such a snob. I busted your balls about that before with your looking down at the department store photographer. It's my purpose in your life: ball busting.
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