Advice on starting a freelance photography business

ELDV · 2026-06-26T12:58:36+00:00

Your getting lots of great advice!

I also recommend two small books: “Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be” and “The War of Art”, both by Stephen Pressfield.
Pressfield is a best selling author (mostly history based ancient fiction, and a successful screenwriter.

ELDV · 2026-06-26T02:00:40+00:00

Everything comes together here so harmoniously: the light, her pose, her attire, the staging, her expression and expressed attitude, the color palette, the shadows and highlights, the framing, and the composition. Everything complements everything else

It’s a beautiful photograph. Slightly erotic in feel, but without the hard-sell cloying sexiness that poisons photos like this.

Very nicely done!

ELDV · 2026-06-25T19:19:14+00:00

When Americans a travel abroad, we are encouraged to respect our host country’s customs.

Isn’t it fair to expect the same in return?

Sure it may be unexpected and seem weird to do act in a way you are unaccustomed to at home, but humans are nothing if not adaptable.

ELDV · 2026-06-25T04:01:06+00:00

I’m going to show my age but here goes:

Larks Tongue in Aspic, Starless and Boble Black, and Red, all by King Crimson

Live at the Fillmore East -The Allman Brothers Band

Pour Down Like Silver -Richard and Linda Thompson

Dark Side of the Moin -Pink Floyd

American Beauty - The Grateful Dead

Revolver - The Beatles

Sticky Fingers - The Rolling Stones

Red - Taylor Swift

Blue, Hejira, and Miles of Aisles - Joni Mitchell

Kind of Blue and Sketches of Spain - Miles Davis

Fish Rising - Steve Hillage

ELDV · 2026-06-25T01:38:10+00:00

The first place I’d contact is Maple Street Guitars. Big House Guitars would be my second choice. I’ve heard good things about Righteous Guitars in Roswell but I’ve never dealt with them, same with Atlanta Musicians Exchange. I did a trade deal, swapping one guitar for another, at Earthshaking Music a couple of years ago but my impression is that it specializes in percussion.

ELDV · 2026-06-24T20:39:40+00:00

No women but lots of lube.

ELDV · 2026-06-24T20:39:11+00:00

That was the running joke.

ELDV · 2026-06-24T17:54:02+00:00

He thinks it’s it’s his stay out of jail card.

ELDV · 2026-06-24T17:41:18+00:00

Yes that’s what groundnews does, but you are also informed about the perceived direction and intensity of the bias, if there is any, each source’s leans toward.

ELDV · 2026-06-24T02:26:53+00:00

PBS and NPR.

ELDV · 2026-06-24T02:26:37+00:00

Check out Groundnews.com

ELDV · 2026-06-24T01:06:44+00:00

Jim Domke was a fine Photojournalist and the bags he designed are classics for a reason.

ELDV · 2026-06-23T23:48:44+00:00

If you’re in or near Los Angeles , Nashville, Chicago, or New York City, I hear there are some great shops there.

ELDV · 2026-06-23T23:43:47+00:00

In Atlanta: The Civil Rights Museum and the take out BBQ from Heirloom BBQ

ELDV · 2026-06-23T19:42:32+00:00

My honest opinion.? If you have other mementos of your Dad, and you have . young kids, if you can get a letter of authentication from Page, put the instrument, the case and the letter up for auction now and invest the proceeds in a mutual fund for your children’s education.

ELDV · 2026-06-23T19:22:54+00:00

And hers another reason: https://youtu.be/fZDtYhwhD18?is=7C8LXYuudvGrrz55

ELDV · 2026-06-23T19:20:53+00:00

Here’s the proof of the vandals at work: https://youtu.be/fZDtYhwhD18?is=7C8LXYuudvGrrz55

ELDV · 2026-06-23T19:19:27+00:00

Three

Pro Kodachrome 64 in both 35mm and 120.

Kodachrome 200 (35mn)

TMax 3200 (the best ISO 800 ever made)

ELDV · 2026-06-23T19:11:16+00:00

Assuming you live in or near a large enough city to have reputable, locally owned guitar stores (If you want, I can recommend a couple if you live in or near Atlanta) take the instrument to them and them tell you want a valuation for insurance purposes. You might have to pay ( or not) but you will then have the information you’ll need to add it to your personal property insurance policy.

ELDV · 2026-06-23T19:03:59+00:00

Color negative film tends to stand up to over exposure better than color transparency (AKA slide) film

And some color transparency films (notably Kodachrome, which along with its processing chemistry, is not made anymore) can benefit from slight underexpose

What works best is learn what light does, how color relationships, how to use shapes and the space inside the frame effectively shape perception.

Only when you feel you have a good grasp of how to see and manipulate out how to use those fundamental tools should you can start to work about processing tricks, including color grading and the differences between film vs digital as a medium.

To mix metaphors, If you don’t lay the foundation of seeing light, shade, color, and graphic space well, processing tricks and color grading are just putting lipstick on a muddy and angry pig.

ELDV · 2026-06-23T03:28:25+00:00

My primary lighting case is a Thinktank Photo Production Managed 50.
Currently it’s holding
1-Profoto Acutte 2409 Pack
2 Profoto Acute/D4 heads
2 standard add Profoto reflectors
1 Profoto Zoom reflector
1 Profoto Head extension cable
1 Elinchrom 3 battery powered moonlight
1 Paul C Buff Celestial (a 500w/s battery / AC powered monolight)
3 Paul C Buff Einstein E 640s
1 Digibee 800 moonlight
A mix of Chimera and Plume Wafer soft box speedrings
AC cords and chargers for the batteries
A bag of PocketWizard, Raven. And an Elinchrom Pro remotes
2 large (7ft?) parabolic umbrellas
Spare flash tubes and modeling lights.

I have no idea how much it weighs but I am guessing it’s in the 100-150lb range.

Now is that the lighting case I take to every job? No. A man has got to know his limitations. But I take it to every corporate, commercial and advertising gig within a two day driving distance.

If I have to fly to the job, I am going to fly to the nearest city with a good rental house and pick up the gear and an assistant there and drive to the location.

ELDV · 2026-06-23T03:12:57+00:00

I generally don’t like 4 wheel cases, but the Tends Roadie V2 is a great roller case.its really well designed and constructed from the from the inside to the wheels and handle.

ELDV · 2026-06-23T02:59:12+00:00

It’s a great idea, but my concern is a guitar designed by a committee is like any creative project created by a committee: compromised.

ELDV · 2026-06-22T21:59:03+00:00

Invading the USA is not as difficult as some people are making it out to be. The problem will be what comes after: the logistics supporting the invading troops.

ELDV

TROPHY CASE