These days Leslie is a lawyer based out of California who [...]]]> My friend Leslie Burns is awesome. I should qualify that. She’s dedicated a significant amount of time to promoting the cause of commercial photographers and commercial photography. More than she would like me to reveal. In short, she knows the industry blind-folded and backwards.

These days Leslie is a lawyer based out of California who specializes in intellectual property law. One of the biggest problems facing creatives these days is a lack of lay-persons understanding of the likes of copyright law. Leslie has what I believe is a worthy goal of changing this. Please visit her Kickstarter project page linked below, watch her video, and pledge your support.

Plain English Legal Handbook for Photographers

Obviously with a headline like “Facebook is Making Us Miserable”, they are out for sensationalist journalism, and clearly the article was going to be biased, but I [...]]]> My good friend Leslie pointed out an article on the increasingly popular Harvard Business Review blog that states three reasons why Facebook is making us miserable.

Obviously with a headline like “Facebook is Making Us Miserable”, they are out for sensationalist journalism, and clearly the article was going to be biased, but I read it anyway.

I can’t help but pick apart it’s basic premises, because they are one dimensional and perhaps even fundamentally wrong.

Let’s look at the assertions, paraphrased for brevity.

1) “Facebook makes us enter a pissing contest, constantly comparing our lives to the seemingly better lives of our friends.”

I disagree. I guess this depends on how you use Facebook, and for what purpose, but as an expat living in a foreign land, I rely on Facebook to share everything with my family and friends. I put happy stuff on there. I put sad stuff on there. My newsfeed is filled in good proportion with news from people that is positive, like the promotion or new house or new baby, yet also from people that is sad, like the layoff or cancer diagnosis or just that they had a crappy weekend. If indeed there is a weighting of nice stuff, surely that’s just a reflection on real life or your particular peer group?

If something bad or embarrassing happened to you, you wouldn’t make it the first topic of conversation during in-person conversation, either. And if your circle of friends are so shallow that you all spend your time trying to one-up each other instead of being happy for each other, then maybe you need to get out of high school and find friends who can be happy for you and whom you can be happy for.

2) “Facebook fragments our time.”

Sure, I’ll buy that. As long as you agree that most any communication fragments our time. I’ve been online talking on chat networks on Christmas day, decades before Facebook was invented. I’ve had email interrupting my train of thought and work since the mid 1990s. I’ve fielded phone calls whilst out hiking in the countryside. Increased ease of communication comes at a price, and that price is the ability to be interrupted. I think it’s good that we’re waking up to this, and that we’re now starting to figure it out by turning off our cell phones and not checking our email every 4 minutes, Facebook is no different.

3) “Facebook contributes to the decline of close relationships.”

This is my biggest problem with the article. That statement is absolute bullshit. On the contrary, I have been participating in online ‘social networks’ for many years, long before they were recognized as such, and long before Facebook was invented. Thanks to the Internet I have formed genuine, close, and emotional relationships with people in many countries spanning the globe. Indeed, I have been exposed to viewpoints and cultures far beyond what is on my doorstep, and these experiences have shaped me to be a far more worldly person than I perhaps would have been.

Some of my closest friends I have never met, and despite well intentioned pledges, some I likely never will. But that doesn’t stop me sharing my ideas, feelings, and life with them. So we don’t meet in a bar or village square, but that doesn’t change the essence of our friendship, merely the implementation. Facebook makes this even easier in 2011.

“Facebook contributes to the decline of close relationships”? On the contrary, Facebook only helps in this regard.

Friendships, all relationships are about communication between people. Who cares if we don’t sit in a tavern to do it anymore?

Justyn and Nikkita [...]]]> Right now in Daegu the 2011 World Athletics Championships is ramping up.  Tomorrow, Saturday 27th of August, 2011, men and women from all over the planet will be competing on the world stage.  Among them, my friends Justyn Warner, the Canadian 100m sprint specialist, and Nikkita Holder, the Canadian 100m hurdle specialist.

Justyn and Nikkita have been training hard and focusing non-stop for this event, and are starting to revel in the media spotlight.  During Justyn’s recent interview with Fan590 radio, he quoted the legendary Vince Lombardi – “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.”

He’s right on.  This train of thought not only applies to sports, but to any endeavour in life.  We don’t come out of the womb with a gift, talent is a subjective attribute.  We reach excellence through dedication, hard work, and keeping a positive mental attitude.

Justyn is one of the most inspirational people I’ve met, and I’m honoured to know him.  Congratulations to Justyn and Nikkita on their recent signing to Team Canada, and all the best to them for Daegu 2011.

I’m rooting for you guys!  GO TEAM CANADA!

I read in the BBC yesterday, that the Advertising Standards Authority has deemed that airbrushing of ads produced by cosmetics company, L’Oreal has gone too far, and that there is some kind of moral issue with misleading the public for ‘body image’ reasons.

“Liberal [...]]]> My my.  Isn’t this the start of a slippery slope?

I read in the BBC yesterday, that the Advertising Standards Authority has deemed that airbrushing of ads produced by cosmetics company, L’Oreal has gone too far, and that there is some kind of moral issue with misleading the public for ‘body image’ reasons.

“Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson complained that the L’Oreal adverts were ‘not representative of the results the products could achieve’.”

Is that really the issue, or is this an example of a well intentioned, but misguided notion that we need to protect young girls from idolizing what they can never be?  I’m wandering dangerously into a highly contentious topic with regards to women’s rights, and feminism, so I’d like to point out that I am not a male chauvinist pig, but I’m pretty sure that people will always have self-esteem issues, and have had them long before advertising came along.  It’s in our DNA, as animals, to want to look nice.  It’s also in our DNA to be envious of those who look better.

Where do we draw the line?  Food photographers are pretty much dead in the water right off the bat; I have never eaten a Big Mac that looked like the photo above the head of the person I ordered it from.  Food photography is all about making things look good beyond reality.

Cars?  I haven’t seen mine anything like the photo in the brochure, even the day I bought it.

Let’s step away from advertising.  The house you bought?  Was it dirty or was it immaculately clean in order to appeal?  Let’s step away from any kind of commerce.  The interview you went to; did you shave first or put on lipstick?  Or did you just turn up as if you were going to hang on the couch all day?

My point is that it’s human nature to want to present things in their best light, and I believe that its ridiculous to suggest otherwise, especially for “think of the children” reasons.

And for the record, I do see people who look as gorgeous as those in advertising; they are a reality.  Try going to a big city.

http://go-dslr.com/apple-aperture/mac-os-x-lion-released-what-photography-software-works-list-included

It’s been a crazy time here for us; new clients coming in from various directions, our iOS app, Drimjas, is [...]]]> Yes, you heard me correctly, the Summer 2011 David J Peacock Photography print mailer is out the door, and on its way to buyers, directors, agents, and reps across Canada and the United States.

It’s been a crazy time here for us; new clients coming in from various directions, our iOS app, Drimjas, is making great progress and is on track for its summer launch, and we’re loving every minute.

A lot is changing in the commercial photography realm, and the bar is being raised ever higher each day.  I’d like to make a little shout out to some people who have really helped me out, without whom my business would not have gotten into the incredible position it is in today.

First up, there is the talented and awesome Leslie Burns, of Burns Auto Parts.  Leslie has been a tremendous source of advice, encouragement, and friendship this year.  Next up, we have Agency Access, who have the most spectacular customer service (their competitors should learn a thing or two through observation); thanks to Tim Ford and Charles Truelson in particular.  Finally, No Plastic Sleeves is the definitive resource for helping guide us togs on how to present our work.

We’re taking a little break next week, heading off on our respective vacations, but we’ll be back with even more energy and enthusiasm to pick up where we left off.  Of course, if you have any queries or would like to hire us, we’ll never be more than an email or phone call away.

Happy Summer!

David & crew.

I’m pretty sure this is going to go viral. At least, I really hope it does. The Camera Store in Calgary, Alberta have come up with this ridiculously funny little video.

I laughed so hard at this.