COME OUT AND PLAY (23.10.07)

in the photo: JeusFriends rok-praying around covered billiard table ©ralbertalli

I spend most of my hours photoshopping a wedding, I want it to be done by after tomorrow... because then I will leave to Geneva.
There I will stay at Julien's place. Finally I'll get the chance to see the exhibition of his wonderful work on ambulances (Julien Gregorio " CARDIO! " site Cluse-Roseraie, rue-du-Crest 24, 1205 Genève). So as Christian Lutz's " Protokoll " (infos HERE).
On saturday we'll have a huge one-day-reunion at Strates agency in Lausanne and I guess a party in the evening. On sunday I'll see my buddies Thierry and Jenny after almost one year! Elia? Will be great... Then... I decided to dedicate one complete week in Ticino for starting a project wich is on my mind since years now. I'm really trying to work on my mental those days. I have to change some habits wich are really blocking me... I am a positive person, I believe in myself... but I suffer of a total lack of autodiscipline! I have to find a way to get things done NOW. I always think I have to wait for a cosmic inspiration... I find excuses and get myself occupied with bootless stuff (on the computer most of time)...
So I try to work a bit on that... the ten days of masterclass somehow inspired me. If somebody sends me out I will do whatever necessary to bring good work home. But that doesn't happen in life normally. Not in my job. If somebody asks you to do something it will mostly be somethng you dislike. You guys will probably laugh but I came to the point of downloading an umbelievable amount of crappy self-aid audiobooks with exhilarant titles as "ways to succes" "believe and achive" or "I can sell snow to eskimos" (GOSH!!!)... It's really terrible and it gets you an insight view of how the well dressed SUV driving superior race thinks and acts! It's about the american way and big egos. But I let them play while photoshopping. I guess I need advices, really, and I stand alone... in the worst case it will have been exercice for my english. I sometimes tell my girfriend about and we laugh loudly, but now and then a good trick seems to appeal to my brain and I write down a note. I don't know but today I finally brought the bottle of whine from Piemonte to the editor of this huge international magazine wich helped me soooo much with my portfolio editing, I walked along the traces of the wall for thoughts, I shot some pics, I bought myself folders and paper stuff, a new agenda and finally went to the fitness club for infos about prices. Now I take time writing on the blog because I really believe it's important... I think that it's important writig about doubts and not only success. I take the time doing it and then: BASTA... I will NOT come back on it fifty times for checking the visits... until maybe next week. That's the way it has to be. I don't want my life to be changed (no need of becoming idiot) . I just want to be more efficient. That's it. I don't think audiobooks will help any of us doing betther... But to modern life problems (sitting whole day long in front of a screen) I think I must admit to need modern life solutions such as f**king fitness clubs or internet coaches... It's a bit sad probably. So I now really want to spend more time on the outside. Walking and shooting. Bring my fat ass on the outside and just have fun with my camera.

If somebody is interestes in the audiobook thing I should probably recommend Russell Simmon's "Do You!" (google it), he's a kind of guru in the hip hop industry, he struggled up from nothing to the top, and it's not just the banking manager's positive thinking while driving in his mercedes... Not all he says makes sense to me... but some advices stimulate creativity in my brain. So...

some short news (here)

DO OR DIE (12.10.07)

Siddharth (images HERE), the indian participant of the masterclass in Piemonte (images HERE and HERE), just left Berlin after a couple of days of drinks and discussions about what we learned during the last days. Same discussions I had also with Igor in Lugano and then again with Giovanni here yesterday. It's about passion, dreams and goals... it's often about getting serious, now. We can have thoughts about going to crisis zones, about sacrifices to do for doing photojournalism or photoreportage on a high level... Well in the end it all comes down to the same conclusion: start doing something and step by step you'll soon be somewhere without knowing how you got there. In my case it's really about DOING. I see now clearly that it's not enough having the talent of looking through your rectangle. Images might look great but it's about storytelling. It's a lot about editing (choosing pictures among your contact sheets). And it's about personal vision.
But unless you are not outside walking through rain or sand or cold with your camera it's no use having great theories. So again in my case it's about getting outside and getting things simply done. Done the way I feel it, the way I want it... so probably black and white even if no magazine is gonna publish, probably blured the way I like it even if no magazine is gonna publish... and probably I should really do more weddings and less magazines because it get's me confused... And in the end the big magazines will probably publish my work and money will flow in as well, if I keep it sincere. Now I am in Berlin, and I have a couple of ideas of subjects and I just should go for it, in my way. I know myself... I'm lazy. But if I don't do things now, I never will and then I really will have to deal with frustration.
I'm a bit confused after this masterclass... I know now that I have to focus on what I really want to do.

My work on nightlife in Monferrato (HERE)