Crave Photography - Free Workshop/Lens Contest

To Photographer friends:


I just entered a contest to win an all expense paid 2 day in person workshop + a free 50mm 1.4 lens from Crave Photography.  Check out her blog for details on how to enter.


http://cravemyphotography.com/blog/world-wide-giveaway-2012/


There are 5 different ways to enter so check it out, and good luck!

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To my Friends and... Fans(?)



Everyone:

Building a business is a mixture of many emotions: excitement, nervousness, frustration and passion.  There is paperwork, contracts, money issues, apointments, meetings (you get the picture).  When you own your own business you work as your own boss.  If you keep yourself in the public eye, you become more recognized for your talents and you climb that hill towards Nirvana.  But... if you slack, you end up having a nervous breakdown in your bathtub, shaving your head at a local barbershop and attacking the paparazzi with an umbrella.  (Sorry Brit... it was just a good example).

Starting is the hardest part because you really don't know what to do.  Over the past year I have painted and photographed volunteers, dancers, animals, the world around me & coworkers (which just so happen to be two of my best friends).  It's like being a singer - it doesn't matter if YOU know you can sing, you have to show everyone else that you can sing.  I had to show, and still have to show, everyone that I'm striving to be something better than an amatuer.  God bless the amateurs because yin & yang.  There has to be a balance.

I want to thank everyone who has been a part of this journey so far.  The last year has definitely had ups and downs, twists and turns, but if I'm creating, I'm happy.

To my friends & family:

Bless your hearts.  You have given me the opportunity to turn you into living canvasses.  Some of you enjoy it more than others but what matters to me is that you were willing to let me embark on something new.  No matter where I go, how big or small my business becomes, you are the ones who were there from the beginning and allowed me to create and grow.  You're dear to me and I'll repay you someday - I promise.

To my fans/"like"-ers on Facebook:

I don't expect everybody to love my work.  Some things I do are conventional but I love the non-conventional.  My makeup and art is a far cry from Olan Mills and some of my more conservative friends might find it outside their realm of "like".  That's ok!  But thank you to everyone who has liked my work because your "like" is an advertisement for me.  I have people all over the US who have taken the time to tell me they appreciate what I've done so far and that's pretty incredible.  I'd tell them personally but some of them don't speak English.  At least art and math are universal, right?  (And thank God for art being in that category because I still add on my fingers.  I grew up in a trailer, I'm doing my best here.)

So thank you all.  Here's to the future - yours and mine.  May we all find our way, our destination, and enjoy the journey towards it. 

<3  Ricky Barnes

Ricky Barnes Designs

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Painting with Light ft. Catatonix

Have you ever seen a photo like this:

These are extended shutter shots.  Your shutter opens and allows light into the camera lens where it is "recorded" as your picture.  On non-point-and-shoot cameras you can adjust the shutter speed to achieve different results.  A longer shutter speed allows more light to enter the camera but if the camera moves, anything stationary will blur.
If you put your camera on a tripod and set your shutter speed at, say, 10 seconds, you can achieve a photo similar to the one above.  The tripod keeps the camera steady so the objects that are stationary (street lights, and city scape) remain in focus while the moving cars head/tail lights blur into lines of light; Hence the term, "Painting with Light".

A friend of a friend produces tracks.  I recently found out the style of music is called Dubstep.  I don't really know what that means but his name is Thomas Moore or, Catatonix on SoundCloud.  We took advantage of an evening at home, listening to his new track-in-progress, as an opportunity to paint with light.  Here are some of my favorites from the night:

 

This technique works with anything that makes light; sparklers, lazer pointers, flashlights, glowsticks (as above), etc.  I think the most amazing part about the pictures we were able to create is that they show paths.  Everywhere the light is, Thomas hands were and you can follow the paths.

Here a few of my other favorite Painting With Light photos done by other photographers:

davidyuweb on Flickr

leaves.on.the.wind on Flickr

pixquik on Flickr

davidyuweb on Flickr

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Cheer-ing Up

This past Sunday I helped my friend and fellow makeup artist & photographer, Meg Valentine.  (Hers are the photos I took recently for her website).  I was her second shooter for a group of teenage cheerleaders who needed their photos taken - in uniform and in street clothes.  Here's what I learned from the experience:

1 - People complain a lot, especially if they are uncomfortable.  When it's windy and 50 degrees, it's not easy to keep 20, 16-year olds happy.  It was cold.  If you can reschedule for a warmer day, it might be worth the effort to do so.

2 - Parents can be a pain.  Some were there the whole time, some held up the show by bringing a check after the photos were taken.  One even basically triple-shot the girls.  Photog friends - put it in your contract that there are to be no other photographers taking pictures while you are trying to.  It's rude & it's  extremely distracting.

3 - Meg is in the process of getting her website live so we used order forms.  Don't EVER...use...order forms.  If you're a serious photographer set up an account online so you can upload the images and let the girls and their parents go to town and order what they want.  You have enough to do with processing all the images, let someone else worry about the orders.

4 - Take everything as an experience.  This was something new for me and it is one of those things that you just don't know what to expect until you are right in the middle of it.

That being said it's always fun to work with Meg.  She has given me permission to use the images I edited in this blog.  While her website isn't up YET, you can contact her through email.

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Beautiful Day - Golden Hour

A few photos I took after working today.  It was a beautiful day - not a cloud in the sky.  So, after a long day at the ol' office, I snatched my camera and drove around a bit.  Sometimes it's nice to just sit and photoshop with some Chicago pizza and draft beer.  But since I don't live in Chicago nor do I have a tap, reheated thin-crust Hawaiian and a bud light made for a pretty good place holder.

I have no idea what this thing is...  I think it's some kind of goose or duck.
Regardless, I'm pretty sure he/she liked having his/her picture taken.

Two lovers hanging by a pond full of ducks.
Had to be sly without looking like a total creep.

My little man, Boston Baked Bean, hanging out in a field full of those dandelion
blow-apart flowers.

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Wedding Season: Get to Work

Spring is here!!!

Spring and Summer are very busy seasons for makeup artists and photographers.  The weather is nice, prom is around the corner, outdoor weddings and parties start filling up your calendar.   Ahhh, I can speak for myself and the majority of Ohioians when I say it's great to see the sun and I definitely don't miss the winter's grey.

Being wedding (and event) season it's important to book appointments with your artists early.  When I was at the counter we started booking for prom at least a month in advance and I know that every counter was a madhouse on those weekends.  Whether you have a personal artist that comes to your house or you trust someone at Clinique to slap on a little blush that probably wont stay put, reserve your spot before someone else does. 

NOT what you're going for...

Women want to look great for all types of occasions so let me put it this way - your friend's wedding is on June 19th.  An artist is going to do the bride and bridesmaids.  But the mother of the bride, mother of the groom, any of the guests, the wedding band, photographer, jealous sister of the groom who's older and still not married (you get the point)...  EVERYONE can come up with an excuse to have someone else make them look incredible and, before you know it, 2pm-6pm is booked at every makeup counter from Dayton to Columbus.  So now your left at Elder Beerman hoping to God that Miss Erma can draw your brows on better than her own.

Not ok.

POINT - book early.  Make it as non-stressful as you can.  If you know an artist that is willing to travel or have a favorite at a good counter definitely go that route.  And I say good counter because remember this - when you work at Estee Lauder, you can only use Lauder products.  Ask any freelance artist and they will tell you that a great kit includes pieces and parts from allllll different lines.

So happy wedding season.  Happy prom season.  Good luck, stay pretty, and keep it classy.

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A Day at Dior

When you're a freelancer, you have the option to work when you want to work.  But...  keep in mind, that is the biggest doubled-edged sword in the world of business.  YOU are your boss and nobody is around to keep you on track or make sure you're being as productive as possible.  It is a lot like studying online - it seems easier at first but, in the end, draws a lot upon your own abilities to stay on task and follow a schedule.

Last week I worked a day for Dior at Macy's Dayton Mall.  As a former counter manager I can tell you one thing - freelancing is a whole different ball game.  You want to be able to help the counter manager meet their goals but at the same time you get to enjoy being an artist.  The bottom line isn't as important as creativity or the interactions with women (and sometimes men) of different social and economic calibers. 

My day started at 11 and ran until 715.  It was a Friday during one of Dior's Workshops and, if I remember correctly, not a single booked appointment showed.  Nature of the beast...  at least 40% of your appointment will never show, even if they confirmed.  So our day consisted of walking through the store, offering our services to random shoppers, and painting faces for 8 hours.

I was able to meet 5 interesting ladies, chat with old coworkers, and run into old friends.  In a nutshell I got paid to chat, laugh, teach some of my favorite tricks, play with some of my old favorite products, try out some new ones, and help women feel beautiful.

I want to thank all my customers who sat in my chair and were willing to submit a photo.  It was a great day for me, and a much needed artistic release opportunity.  Hopefully next week when I'm at the Dior in Tuttle (Columbus, OH) I will have similiar success and and equally great time.

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