Good news, and bad news...

Well folks, I got some good news and some bad news. I guess how you want to take the news. Many of you know that I was accepted to Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara CA last winter. Since then I was working my ass off to find finical aid. I was able to get government loans but I still needed more $$$$ for school, so therefore I had to find the rest through the private sector. The private sector is nearly impossible for a 25 year old male trying to find student loans to go back to school. Few banks offer me some money with high interest rates, but it was still not enough to cover $25-30k/year for school, not including living expenses in CA.

The plan was to leave for CA some time in the next 3-4 weeks. Since late June, I started thinking about what I'm going to do about Brooks. I really want to go the school, and really want to go to CA for the next 3 years of my life. I started taking a look at the cost of school and wonder "is it worth the $$$$?" Photography is one of those careers that a college degree is not necessary. Its about your portfolio, who you know, and about your passion. A college degree might help and jump starting a career in photography. I'm starting to think if a college degree is necessary for any profession. We have free public libraries and with this generation the internet, that anybody can educate themselves. After all, colleges and universities are a place of business they're there to make money. I could go on with this rant but I might continue this in another post.

So I decided that I will not put myself $80,000 MORE in DEBT that I already am and not go to Brooks. I'm not too upset about this decision. I'm happy that I'm able to spend the fall here in Kansas City, and I get to enjoy the wonderful cyclocross scene here in KCMO! Not to mention get to be with great people! Sad that I wont be able to spend the winter in beautiful CA.

This is part of the reason why I created my website a couple of weeks ago. I'm going to start my career in photography through weddings, freelance, and portraits. So, if you know anybody thats getting married send them my way. My photo email is phil@pwilkersonphoto.com.

Video pick of the day:
Tonight, Tonight by the Smashing Pumkins (anybody else going to the show next month?)

Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight, Tonight
Uploaded by popefucker. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

GOT A WEBSITE!!!

If you haven't heard already, I got a website set up! Designed and built by yours truly. It was a little frustrating how to get everything working but now I think I got it. I used wordpress.org (not .com) blog format, then I downloaded the GraphPaperPress template (thank you Marcus for showing me the site). I'm also using Bluehost as a host/server for under $100! Go to pwilkersonphoto.com and explore the site for a bit. Please let me know what you think of the site and give me some constructive feedback. Take a look at the Tour of Missouri and the Smith Engagement post and let me know what you think of those galleries I made in Lightroom. Which gallery do you like better?

Don't worry! The new site will not replace this blog, I know that all of you need your Phil for the day. My website will mostly be for my business, a place to show my portfolio. This blog will be mostly be about behind the scenes (BTS) journal blog of my photography / cycling related news.

HERE'S THE SITE AGAIN

www.pwilkersonphoto.com

Video pick of the day:

Go Do by Jónsi (Jónsi Þór Birgisson from Sigur Ros)

Check out the official music video here its a great music video! I just cant get an embed code from YouTube.

Also check Animal Arithmetic from Jónsi

It's not about the camera

Many people had told me after seeing a photo of mine that I "must have a really nice camera." In reality, I only have a "decent" DSLR camera, a Nikon D200. The D200 is now outdated and has been replaced by nicer and better cameras from Nikon for about 3 years now. The D200 is a 10 mega pixel camera (which is the avg size of the current point and shoot camera) and newer DSLR cameras are about 12+ mega pixel. Some (more advance) DSLR cameras can be over 20 mega pixel, and this guy shoots 50 mega pixel!

Photography in definition means to write with light. One can even create photographs without a camera. Cameras are only tools in the photographing trade, they do not tell the model where to stand or create light out of thin air. Did people tell Brunelleschi or Frank Lloyd Wright that they must of had a really nice T-square? I think not. I hear about photography professors at art schools make their students trade in their nice cameras for a $8 disposable camera (for a week) to shoot their assignments.

However; cameras can do a lot, and help make the job easier for the photographer. In the end, its about the photographer; how he sets the subject, composition, and lights or use of available lights.

So if you ever want to take nice photographs, you don't need a $5000 camera. Heck, you can even use your camera phone or a $8 disposable camera.

Many photographers share this belief. In this video below, photographer Lee Morris shows (proves) that any camera can be used for a great photo. So he decided to do a fashion shoot with his iPhone! Morris got some amazing photos from the shoot by getting the most out of his studio lighting, without sync cords!!!

by the way...Morris ONLY has the older iPhone 3GS
"This doesn't even shoot RAW!!!"

ENJOY!!!