Category Archives: General Commentary

General Commentary

Your Book – Did You Know You Are Writing a Book?

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This morning, I ran across this joke by comedian Steven Wright:

“I’m writing a book. I have the page numbers done;
now I just have to fill in the rest.”

This is supposed to be a photography blog but you know, the thing I feel I need to share on here sometimes is about LIFE in general.  I mean, I love photography, but honestly I have found “photography” and “life” are so interconnected, I am not sure how to separate them. Ansel Adams once said “A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense, and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety.” So, you see, our perspective on life and the world around us totally shapes our photography.

Well now, I better get back to that Steven Wright quote that I shared…   I think, in a sense, we are ALL writing a book. It might just not be put down on paper. That book is the story of our lives, and we hopefully have many blank pages yet to fill in. As with any book, there usually is some grouping of pages that are interconnected by chapters, and that also is like life. We may find ourselves in different chapters in our life story, as time progresses.

So, how is it with you?  How is the story of your life progressing? Are you stuck on what to write for your next sentence? Are you ready to start a new chapter, or closing a previous chapter? Do you wish you could rip out some of the earlier pages?  (I think we all probably have a few pages we’d like to remove.)

Keep in mind that with each page you write, you can shift the story line in a different direction. As much as life sometimes gets into a “routine,” we have choices to make about what we do next. Even if we don’t make a choice, even that is a choice. So, I encourage you to do well in choosing how you write your life story.

The main character in your story is counting on YOU to write a great book. Be bold. Be strong. Be innovative. Be courageous. Be kind. Be loving. Be a friend. Be forgiving. Be willing to admit you’re wrong and start a chapter over again (you know you CAN do that… it’s your story).  But most of all, be you… Be true to who you are.  Be true to the values you hold most dear.

God willing, you have a bunch of blank pages ahead.  Now you just have to fill in the rest.  Make each page matter. A great book is not defined by the number of pages.  It’s what you write on each page that truly matters.

Kevin Gourley

P.S.  Remembering this IS a photography blog, I suppose I should emphasize this notion that photography is more than just a matter of f/stops and shutter speeds, and our life perspective is actually of central importance in our photographic creativity.  We emphasize this in my Explore YOUR Photographic Creativity Workshop coming up on October 20th. If you register by October 13th, you can SAVE $50. I sincerely encourage you to sign up for this class. I believe it can help all photographers.

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General Commentary

Adobe Quietly Pushing Us to THEIR Cloud

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Did Adobe just quietly increase their prices?  YES! Well, sort of.

It’s sort of like cheeseburgers…
(I’ll explain in the article)

First, I have to say Adobe makes great products.  Second, I have to acknowledge that more and more industry focus is on the transition of having all our data be pushed out to the various ubiquitous “cloud” storage services.

The convenience of cloud storage theoretically means we don’t have to worry about hard drive storage problems, backups, etc. and our data is accessible anywhere, from multiple devices. It all sounds so idealistic and attractive!

Adobe started their transition to this “cloud” model with the introduction of their Creative Cloud (CC) a few years ago.  Initially they said they were transitioning their software to be purchased via their Creative Cloud and you’d pay a monthly fee, but some software, such as Lightroom, would still be available for purchase using the traditional pricing model where you buy the software and buy upgrades when you want to upgrade.  But, ever so gradually, they made it harder to find that option on their website, and eventually then we found that was no longer an option.   Maybe they hoped we wouldn’t notice. 🙂

Lightroom’s name officially changed to Lightroom CC, simply to affiliate  it more closely with their Creative Cloud brand.  The program still worked with photos on your hard drive(s) as before, but it did begin to include a way you could share select images on Lightroom Mobile.  Other than that, there were no big changes to Lightroom.  It was mostly a name change.

Virtually everything was now to be purchased via their Creative Cloud options.    To help push people in that direction, they made the industry-leading photo editing program, Photoshop, only available via their Creative Cloud plan, which they made attractively priced to include Photoshop CC and Lightroom CC bundled together for only $9.99/month.  This was really a great option at a good price.

Then, last year, they introduced a brand new photo editor product built from the ground up as a totally “cloud based” product where you do NOT store your photos on your own computer or hard drives.  The name of this new product introduced a lot of confusion because they chose to name it Lightroom CC, and they changed the name of their previous Lightroom CC to be Lightroom Classic CC.

With the new Lightroom CC, your photos reside on their cloud servers, and you must pay for the privilege of storing the images on their cloud, and as you shoot more photos and take up more space on their cloud, you have to pay more… for the rest of your life.  Oh, and whenever you die, you’d better have someone designated to download all of your photos from their cloud or all of the photos you ever took will be removed. (No one will want all your photos, but honestly over time, our photographs can become some of our most cherished possessions.)

It’s obvious this strategy of moving to cloud solutions would be  attractive for any corporation because of the immense increase in revenue stream using their cloud storage.   It all makes sense why this transition is happening.  Follow the money.

There are some attractive features in the new Lightroom CC with the convenience of cloud storage and AI technology to identify object in photos, but it does not yet have as rich a set of editing features as is offered in Lightroom Classic CC.  And then the fact that it requires your images to be stored on their cloud, that means you have to use their storage, which you of course pay for… and the more storage you use, the more you pay.  With the amount of photographs I have, if I were to put them on their Creative Cloud, my monthly fee would be way too high.  But I don’t really need them on their cloud.  I don’t mind storing my images locally on my own hard drives (and backups), in which case I need Lightroom Classic.

And then there is the issue that the use of a cloud-based solution presumes you have access to high speed Internet, which I don’t always have because when I am staying at a lodge in the mountains, I may have very slow (or even no) Internet access.  So while I am in those places, I lose all benefits of a cloud based solution.  And then when on a cellular connection, of course I encounter bandwidth throttling which is annoying when I am forced to use a cloud-only solution.

For my particular needs, Lightroom Classic CC is still my preferred choice.  It was smart that Adobe chose to keep Lightroom Classic CC as an option. Lightroom Classic CC is really perfect for me.   In fact, if they eliminated Lightroom Classic CC and tried to force me over to Lightroom, I would probably abandon Adobe to go to some competing product.  I know plenty of other photographers who agree. But wait, they very cleverly made it where if you want Photoshop you basically have to get Lightroom also because they come bundled together.   So you are getting it whether you want it, or not.

So, why am I writing all this right now?  Well their has been a growing uneasiness that Adobe might just do the unthinkable and try to push us all to their cloud-only solution of Lightroom CC and maybe discontinue support of Lightroom Classic CC.  Actually it is not unthinkable, I believe it is probable.  There is too much money to be made with a cloud-only solution.

Just last night, we noticed their next sneaky step to push us to their cloud solution. I didn’t see any big announcements about this, but their product offerings have changed!

Not too long ago, these were their product offerings for Lightroom and Photoshop:

If you wanted Photoshop, you could go with their $9.99/mo “Photography Plan” and that included Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic CC and you were not forced to purchase more cloud storage if you had no interest in using their cloud.

Very recently, their product offering changed:

Note any big differences?

NOW, if you want to go with their “Photography plan” it is now $19.99/mo instead of $9.99/mo because they now forced the Photography Plan to include 1 TB of cloud storage whether you need it or not.  So, if you don’t need the 1TB of storage, you still have to pay twice as much if you want Photoshop and Lightroom Classic CC.  What a clever way to double the price while being able to say they didn’t increase the price at all.

It’s sort of like in “best practices” in the food industry where they can raise prices on hamburgers by simply switching to only offering cheeseburgers and if you don’t want the cheese, you still have to order a cheeseburger and pay for the cheese but then say “leave off the cheese”.  So you pay more, whether you want it or now.

And note what this does… it means now their lowest price offering is their Lightroom CC plan, because that is the plan they are trying to push us towards now.  Want to still use Lightroom Classic? Now you have to pay twice as much.

They quietly slipped in these changes, which is the Adobe way.

I don’t want a cheeseburger.  If they make that be the only thing on the menu, I might just go to a different restaurant.

For some of you, if you want a cheeseburger, enjoy it, because it appears that’s what’s on the menu now.  🙂

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It’s About Love

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I have recently been in a “reflective mood,” I guess because I have had far too many friends and family diagnosed with cancer lately, including my 2 year old grandson, plus I lost a dear friend recently.  The gift of life is so fragile and it seems like I am continually reminded how we should not take this precious gift for granted.

At the moment, I am sitting in a Starbucks, working on a few things, while watching the steady stream of customers coming through.  Then, one of my former photography students came in the door. We made eye contact, a warm smile on her face, she came over to me and we talked for a while.

After she left, I started thinking about all the wonderful people I have met through my photography and the countless workshops I have taught over the years.   Our common interest was photography, but each with different interests and talents, not to mention different life experiences and worldviews.  It has been such a privilege and blessing to have our lives connect through photography.

Especially over the past year, I have come to realize something about me.  I thought I loved photography. While that is true, I don’t think that really describes “me” all that well.  When I think about my experiences in teaching classes, maybe THAT is what I love, “teaching photography.”   But then, why do I love that?   Maybe I am on a journey to discover who I am.

I guess what I am realizing is what I really love is people.  Photography is just a way I connect with people, whether I am photographing them or teaching them.

So that’s it, I love people.  I guess that’s why I find such a connection to the Christian faith since, at its core, it is about love.  Unfortunately people get that all messed up and totally wrong, being distracted in so many ways, and that’s a bit heartbreaking.

Anyway, what I find most important in life is faith, hope, love, forgiveness, and our relationships with others.  Somewhere further down the list is photography.  🙂

I am not saying I have all the answers in life.  I am fairly confident we will never understand the full wonder of this thing we call “life” on this fragile blue orb miraculously hurtling through the universe while I sit on its surface, sipping on my cup of coffee in relative comfort.

This human experience, this world, this universe is pretty hard to fully comprehend. (I have enough difficulty understanding me.)  I don’t think ANY of us will really figure this all out, not fully.   The question then becomes, then how shall we live our lives in the midst of us just partially understanding it all. For me, it comes back to love.  I hope to love others, and do a better job at it.

I guess that means I need to love jerks also.  That’s where I have trouble.  I am not very good at loving jerks.   Oh well, I guess they need love too.  Otherwise, I could end up being one too.  Maybe I’ll give them a dog. Dogs are better than me at loving.

I really did not intend to write all this today.  I was working.  At least I thought I was. But then that former student came in the door, and then I started writing, and this is what came out.

So this is a photography blog.  I guess I’d better tie this back to photography somehow.

Your photography is telling the story of your life.  What you see and photograph is totally shaped by how you see the world around you.

Regardless of whether you have a fancy DSLR or mirrorless camera, or you just use your iPhone to take pictures, you are a photographer.

Take pictures to tell the story of your life.  Take pictures of all the things in your life you are grateful for. Take pictures of the people you love. Take pictures to honor the beauty of this world.

Most importantly, dare to be YOU.  Those of you who know me, know how important I think this is.

Get in touch with who you are, and let your photography be an expression of YOU, not simply copying some other photographer’s style because that’ll get you more “likes” on Facebook.

If you need technical help, I can help you with that. If you need help discerning how you might take your photography in a new direction and explore more creativity, take my Rekindle workshop.  Maybe I’ll see you in one of my classes.  Maybe one day we’ll be hiking on a trail in Colorado together in one of my Rocky Mountain workshops.

If you ever just want to get together and talk over a cup of coffee, I’m ready. (And you don’t have to buy my coffee.)

If you would ever like to join our wonderful little group that meets intermittently on Monday nights at my studio called LifeInsights, we’d love to have you. Our next book discussion starts in October.  (It’s free to attend.)

To all of you I have met over the years, as I reflect on our memories of time together, adventures experienced, I have to say I love you all.  I may not love “perfectly”, but I love you none-the-less.

Thank you for being a part of my life.

Kevin

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General Commentary

Join our LifeInsights Group to Watch ‘Finding Vivian Maier’ Film

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You are invited!

Join us to watch the fascinating film ‘Finding Vivian Maier‘ and discuss in our LifeInsights group.

Finding Vivian Maier is the critically acclaimed documentary about a mysterious nanny, who secretly took over 100,000 photographs that were hidden in storage lockers and, discovered decades later, is now among the 20th century’s greatest photographers. Directed by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel, Maier’s strange and riveting life and art are revealed through never before seen photographs, films, and interviews with dozens who thought they knew her.

Here’s the Trailer for the film – Click Here

Let us know if you plan on attending!  (It’s FREE)
SPACE IS LIMITED

Just send me an email () 

When: Monday August 27  7pm

Where:   11740 Jollyville Rd Suite 400, Austin, TX

Want more info about our LifeInsights group?
We do other activities and book studies!   Click Here to learn more.

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Reflections on “Gratitude”

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It is so easy to take life for granted. Even when we don’t intend to, we still do.

This life we are experiencing, with all it’s challenges, joys and sorrows is such an amazing gift. While this is a blog about photography, the truth is that photography is about LIFE and how we see the world around us. The more we appreciate this life, the more we’ll see the many blessings around us, the abundant blessings around us.

Even in the hardest of life’s experiences, there is something to be thankful for. Gratitude is a practice, a way of life, a way of seeing, a way of appreciating. Gratitude is intentional. Gratitude is a shift of focus away from an expectation of what we might think life is “supposed” to be, and instead embracing life for what it is.

Gratitude is feeling the rain hit your face, yet looking toward the rainbow.

One person who has influenced my life tremendously is Eva Cassidy. She was a phenomenal singer who never sought fame or fortune. She simply sang and performed to the best of her ability. Her music touched my heart and my soul.

Eva only used instruments she could afford, and she made wonderful music with her guitar. She never used a pick. Eva always used her fingers for everything. (That’s relevant to photographers, because we are tempted to think it’s the camera features that matter the most, but actually it is how we use it that matters more.)

Sadly, Eva’s life was cut short by cancer at age 33. The world lost a great artist.

I am grateful for the life of Eva Cassidy. I am grateful for the gift of her musical talent she shared with this world.

Her rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow is so powerful.  I just felt like sharing this at a time in my life where I am very much aware of how important it is to embrace this gift of life, each and every day, each moment.

Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.

I encourage you to watch Eva’s performance of Over the Rainbow AND I encourage you to spend a little time reflecting on all the things you are grateful for in your life.

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Lonely Camera Seeks Committed Relationship with Photographer

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So many people buy a “fancy camera” and then find themselves frustrated in not knowing how to best use it, or their lives get busy and their poor camera gets neglected, left all alone in their camera bag.

The camera sits there, in the darkness of the camera bag, longing to be held, yearning to be appreciated, hoping you’ll take it with you when you go on life’s adventures, wishing you would remember it loves to go on vacation with you.

Show your sad lonely camera a little tender loving care.  I offer a wide range of photography classes at both beginner and more advanced levels, and for ages of 13 and above.   Discover how you and your camera can make beautiful images together, if you just learn how to use it.

  • I am about to offer a June Photography 101 Class.  If you are interested, please click here and complete this survey NOW.  I am about to decide on the dates/times for this class, and your input will help me decide!
  • I also offer a Photographers Weekend Boot Camp coming up on June 5th and 6th!  Register by May 9th and SAVE $40!  This class is like taking Photography 101, but all done over one weekend.
  • Want to learn how to use your Electronic Flash / Speedlight?   I have a class for that on April 30th! Register by April 15th and SAVE $30!
  • Private Instruction might also be a good option for you if you have specific learning needs or a complicated schedule that just doesn’t allow you to take my group classes.

Also, beyond just camera learning, this might be of interest to you:

  • Adobe Photoshop CC for Photographers Workshop
    April 23-May 9, 2018 Learn this essential powerful tool for editing photographs.  Split into Basics and Advanced options! Total class time is a full 18 hours of very hands-on learning!
  • Adobe Lightroom Classic CC Workshop
    Tues/Thurs 10am-1pm May 8, 10, 15, 17 2018
    Learn Adobe Lightroom! This is an excellent tool for helping photographers organize and create outstanding photographs!
    Register by April 15th and SAVE $20!
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Start Where You ARE

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When exploring any new art or talent, we have to start somewhere.  We start where we are. Whether we are learning a musical instrument or learning how to operate a camera, the main point is to just start with what you know, and grow from there.   You might not have the instrument mastered for quite a while, but the key to getting better is:  practice, practice, practice.

My message to you, though, is this:  Enjoy the process.  Don’t worry about comparing yourself to others.  That can sometimes be so discouraging if you are just focused on how you are not “as good as” someone else.  They don’t matter.  Not really.

Just pursue your art and try to be a little better each day. Let your love of the art be your motivator, not that you want to be better than someone else, not that you want to get more “likes” on facebook or seeking fleeting affirmations on social media, and not just to win more photo contests.

Even if your art is far less than perfect, do it because you enjoy it.
It will be beautiful in its own way.

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Recent Photo Shoot for the United America Pageant

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I recently had the pleasure of photographing Nicole Dalrymple-Hall – Mrs. Heart of Texas United America! She is great!

I have been working with the United America Pageant for about a decade, having photographed many of their queens over the years. What a great group of people. Everyone I have worked with there has been truly wonderful. They have a very intentional focus on community service as a major objective of the group.

Since this is a photography blog, I should mention what gear I was using. I was shooting with two different cameras during the photo session, a Canon EOS 6D and the new Sony a7 RIII.   The Sony did an exceptional job, creating impressive fine-detailed 42.4MP images with excellent dynamic range.  The capability of automatically focusing on and tracking eyes is really great for portrait work.  In a few days, I will share more images shot with the Sony where I tested it a lot more.  For all of these shots in studio, I used Photogenic monolights.

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