My friend Dave Berger has been going to Ghana every summer for the past several years working on a project to bring electric lighting to rural villages there. The project was conducted through the Cooper Union and run by Professor Toby Cumberbatch. The project, SociaLite, seeks to bring light to rural villages in Ghana in an affordable and scalable way with the side benefit of doing so in a way that creates businesses and employment in these villages. It got some attention in the press today: The NYTimes has an op-ed piece about Innovations in Light. Dave gets a couple of quotes. The article highlights several similar projects as well–all finding innovative ways to give people light in order to improve their lives in basic ways. There are problems out there that can be solved in fairly simply if we’re willing to look and find creative ways to approach the problems.
For more information or to donate to the project go here.
This has nothing to do with photography but everything to do with making this world a better place through creative enterprise.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Ji and I have been redoing our kitchen. Actually, it would be fairest to say that my brother in law Seth is redoing the kitchen, I am providing unskilled labor and Ji is making executive decisions and overseeing the process. Our kitchen is currently non-existent to the extent that we can’t cook and the attached living room is covered in dust. The project is taking, as anyone who’s done a home improvement project could have told me, longer than expected. (Tonight I’ll be sanding and spackling.)
This relates to photography. Or my process anyway. I like get up, have a bowl of oatmeal and have a look around the web as the start to each day; I like to start the day leisurely until I get in the rhythm of the day. (Unless I’ve got a shoot; then I’m happy to be moving from the get go.)
An article in Time on how morning routines can destroy creativity caught my attention. The take away:
We’d set the alarm a few minutes early and lie awake in bed, following our thoughts where they lead (with a pen and paper nearby to jot down any evanescent inspirations). We’d stand a little longer under the warm water of the shower, dismissing task-oriented thoughts (“What will I say at that 9 a.m. meeting?”) in favor of a few more minutes of mental dilation. We’d take some deep breaths during our commute instead of succumbing to road rage. And once in the office — after we get that cup of coffee — we’d direct our computer browser not to the news of the day but to the funniest videos the Web has to offer.
This is a lot like my usual morning. Or, it used to be like my usual morning. Once the kitchen is back in order, I’m looking forward to once again warming up to each day with a bowl of oatmeal.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
One of the tasks that I’ve set for myself this year is to network more. I’ve been looking to reach out into the world in order to find new connections and, ultimately, new clients. Part of doing so has required that I examine how I present myself and talk about my business. Another aspect has me examining how I think about the process of looking for clients as a freelancer. How do I remain positive in the face of the reality of sales: frequent rejection? In the face of that, how do I maintain my happiness and the productivity that comes with it?
This post isn’t an answer to that question. This post is simply a TED talk by Shawn Achor, CEO of Good Think and a researcher and teacher of positive psychology, about shifting our expectations of happiness and success. Rather than look to success to result in happiness and further success, we need to look first to rewiring our brains to look for the positive in life, to look for happiness first. Rather than think of happiness coming from the external environment we should instead look for it internally. Everything else flows from there. Check it out.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
I’ve been tinkering with the website. While Ji would like to see a complete overhaul, I like the basic design and so the tinkering has been mostly taking out projects that aren’t directly related to finding new clients and adding more client projects onto the site. I’ve added galleries for work done for the Adams Street Foundation, The Bar Network and various healthcare clients. The portrait gallery and World Around have also been updated.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
I’m a sucker for bookstores. When I travel or even just walk down the streets in NYC, I am constantly popping into bookshops. My wife has grudgingly learned to accept that I cannot resist the siren call of bound paper for sale. Flavorpill had a slideshow today of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. I’ve been to only two of the bookstores on the list; but then again I haven’t been to most of the cities represented. I was a little disappointed that several wonderful bookstores I know and love (dotted around the world) didn’t make the list. Ah well.
Monday, December 12, 2011
It seems that lately every time I post it is to apologize for being away from the blog for so long because I’ve been too busy. Well, I’ve been busy again. Between the ZocDoc docs, my personal projects, residency applications and end of the year holiday parties I’ve been flat out.
A couple of updates:
• The World Around section of my site has been updated. I’m working on an artist’s book version of this work; more info after the New Year.
• I’ve made a couple of new Notebook: magazines over the course of the fall: Old Stones, Hiking Bukhansan and 14 Alleyways, Light Rain. All three are available as a free PDF download, so it costs nothing to take a look.
I think that about does it. I’ll leave you with a pretty picture:
Friday, November 18, 2011
A bit of a last minute announcement:
There is a closing reception tonight for a show of my work at the Tyler Art School Atrium Photo Gallery from 6 to 8. The show was curated by Cally Iden and Julia Staples. I’ll be down in Philadelphia for it. Stop by, say hello, have some wine. Hope to see you tonight!
The Details:
Atrium Photo Gallery
Tyler School of Art
Temple University
2001 N.13th St. Philadelphia, PA 19122
Questions: 917 570 9649 or michael@michaelmeyerphoto.com
It’s been busy. Too busy for posting. I’ve been working like crazy for ZocDoc.com. In the last month and a half I’ve been out straight photographing over thirty doctors for its website. I’ve been up to the Bronx, out to the hinterlands of Brooklyn and everywhere in between. Busy is good.
A few out takes:
My fall classes at the Educational Alliance Art School start in September. Why am I telling you this now? Because I am getting married this coming weekend and heading to Turkey on honeymoon for two weeks immediately following. Classes start shortly after I get back. Hence this early announcement.
I’ll be offering two classes: Portraiture Photography and the Urban Pastoral. The portraiture class will be a 6 week look at the technical and conceptual aspects of photographing people. We’ll begin with lighting and studio portraiture before moving on to environmental portraiture. The Urban Pastoral class is a bit of an experiment. The subject of the class is the traditional pastoral landscape as photographed within the city. The class will be broken up into shooting sessions in Central Park and Prospect Park and critique and technique sessions in the classroom.
Sound interesting? Stop by the open house in September (date will be posted soon on the Art School website) for more info! Classes start September 26th, registration is open now.
