New Website Coming Soon many thanks to "The WhiteSpace"

Comrades,

Gearing up for a new website is more work than I ever could have dreamed. I find that spending time in front of the computer editing the text and placing the pictures grows old in a hurry! Are you tired of hearing me complain enough? Well the good news is that Justis Photo as you know it on the web is changing for the better in the near future. Easier navigation, simple design, etc. will be the rule not the exception. I am really excited about the portfolio galleries that are so in your face it is almost impossible to miss them. In the past you had to click a link to get them to open whereas in some cases, clients may have missed them altogether. No more I say!
Attended the local wedding shows and met some really great people and potential future clients. I really love meeting and speaking with the masses especially when we are talking pictures and what goes into making them. The wedding season can’t get here fast enough and this year looks to be a vagabond year of sorts. With gigs that require some travel I am going to earn my miles while lugging tons of gear in the process.
When I hear people say that this country is doomed and that people will never spend money again I cringe not with fear but with disgust. Why must we think so negative? Thinking and knowing are two different things and I am here to tell ya that I know we will ALL make it one person at a time. Training ourselves to choose not to think all is lost is only the first step but a vital one. Yes change is inevitable for all industries but from that change we find our own innovations and create new paths. I know this from my own personal story (I won’t bore you with it) but KNOWING from firsthand experience we will all still smile, still laugh, and still cry regardless of our financial dispositions. So if you want to jump into the reality boat I say come aboard you are all welcome. Money is material and to be human is life lifting. Now tell me which one of those inspires you more?
Been taking some pics on random occasions and like every winter, the weird just keep getting weirder in terms of pics. I will admit, I am running out of places to get pics and I need to stretch my boundaries a tad. Until then, keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel……..
The New Orleans Saints should be Super Bowl bound the next time I write or at least they better be. Hail the city of New Orleans and the fortitude of a tragic yet entertaining franchise woven in the fabric of the population it depends on.
Fleur De Lis For All My Friends,
Lance

P.S.
I learned this week that photographers are in fact better picture takers than writers. Lordy some of the blogs I read were laced in scribble that a 2 year old could make sound more eloquent. Did we forget to teach people that “i” is capitalized when refereeing to one’s self in a sentence?

Picking Fights with Santa

Comrades,

TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!! I come before you tonight to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy/Safe New Year. Drink some for me as I will most likely drink some for you. I cannot even begin to say just how much fun I had with each and every one of you this year and I felt as though I absolutely made some things happen that I had not tried before. I could sit here and list all of the cool things that we did but it would take a writing longer than the bible! My gratitude extends to you, the person on the other side of the lens and your families for the support and flexibility. Before I fade off into what is left of 2009 I figured it would be appropriate to give you some holiday tips. Read with a grain of salt, a grain of Tony C’s, or a grain of sand the choice is yours. Just remember, I love what I do and love the music we have all collectively made together in 2009. May 2010 see another eclipse of ideas and visions with new faces and new found friends.

Your 2009 Holiday Tips

1. Cats like trees and XMAS trees are no exception. When all else fails, pull out the BB gun.
2. Open each present like it is the first one you ever received even if underwear two sizes two big lies beneath the wrapping.
3. Tell a cop Merry XMAS if you see em working on the 25th. This doesn’t work if you are being pulled over for I have tried and failed.
4. Enjoy a movie
5. Burnt cookies make great hockey pucks.
6. Avoid planes for this is the time of year when they fly in circles making you think you are getting closer to your destination only to realize you have barely left Boise’s airspace.
7. If you do fly, ask the TSA where they got the trucker shirts.
8. Fill a stocking up with mustard and let one of the kids dig off in it. The look you’ll get is priceless!
9. Pray for my Saints
10. Lastly, remember that even if 2009 was tough for you know that no matter how cold the winter, there is always a spring time ahead. I relate and know some of the same challenges many of you have faced of late. Find a passion I say and you will notice that life begins to leave you alone more often. Regardless, if you can’t smile I will gladly do it for you and once the sun shines back at me I will ensure that warmth finds its way to you. Caring is not a sign of weakness, it is what makes us fight through the bad while taking measure in the good.


Free Photos for Whoever Laces Santa’s Sleigh with Paintball Pellets,

Lance

Happy Thanksgiving

Pilgrims,

So I come to you hoping that all enjoyed their Thanksgiving activities. It is that one time of year where we are allowed to give in and accept an over indulgence of sorts. Aside from football, beer, and accidentally cooking the cat instead of the turkey (kidding), I proceeded to do what I do best, take a few shots. What I have always found is that on Thanksgiving you are surrounded by more people and animals than even the chaos of Christmas! Having said that, the six shootin Nikon was in full effect! I hope that all of you broke out the camera on T-Day and blasted a few flash blinding shots of your annoying siblings or Mom and Dad smooching in the kitchen for those are the ones you are most likely to reflect on some many years down the road. If you are on my Facebook page, post some of these images because like you I enjoy viewing them almost as much as I love taking them. Happy holidays my friends the fun has only just begun. Now we get to listen to a month of super saver deals on XMAS buying but I guess that beats the doldrums of silence.

Thinner Waistlines for All My Friends,

Lance

Time for some R&R

Comrades,

As I sit here in bed enjoying a little downtime I have just finally begun to realize I have completed perhaps the longest jaunt of photo edits in my history of taking pictures. Wow 2009 came on like a flood and has left me battle tested and ready for more. Equipment issues are dancing in my head and though I love the products Nikon offers, I have come to realize that anything less than a full frame sensor just won’t cut it anymore. For those of you who understand photography you know exactly what I mean when I say that full frame is the only frame thus, looking into my crystal ball I see D700’s in my future. Besides, it is thought that at some point digital full frame sensors will be the only option so why not start now?

I read an interesting article today about the trend of recent folks who have been laid off picking up the camera and calling themselves a “Professional” photographer and how it is hurting the industry. I have harped on this topic before and will again offer two thirds of my two cents.

It is a free country
At least their not getting stoned
Natural talent is what it is, NATURAL so if you lack it, you and the client will know soon enough.
Flaws in technique will be exposed early and often. (I am not above having days like this yet I still blame my equipment)
We all started somewhere though we sometimes act like we were born with a client list that rivals Mike Colon.
The “Smalls” vs. the “Bigs” is just another way of placing elitist labels on something that is here for all to enjoy.
Negative energy used excessively will ultimately end up fueling your own tank if you spend too much time staying angry at these newbie’s so lighten up already.
Somebody has to take the blame for failing studios across the country right?
If you aren’t careful, you may miss out on a free bottle of Sky Vodka from cool clients like Curtis and Amanda so relax and have some fun. (Cheers to my Colozzi crew)
I am laughing as I write this cause tomorrow I may go hypocrite on ya and join the fray of hecklers against those who dare try to discover what a million others already have. Look in the mirror already, owning a D3 doesn’t make you unique just spoiled with a larger bank account. (BIG SMILE).

Many warm and special thanks to Curtis & Amanda for an awesome go even though the weather just about killed us.
Never before have I received a tie from one of my grooms.

To my bud Nathan and his new wife Megan for the forgiveness offered after I had them trek thorough a mound of mud and disgusting filth just to get a shot near an otherwise boring pond.

To my grand finale of Tyler and Jamie who were the recipients of some extended coverage because I just wasn’t ready to accept the 2009 season as a done deal.

Lastly, I want to thank all of you I worked with to include vendors and families alike it is super cool to make new friends in the name of fun and work!

Sky Vodka for all my friends,

Lance

Words on the Fly

Comrades,

Seems like it has been forever since I posted a blog so it is now safe to say forever is no longer. It has been busy in my world and I am ready to wrap up a successful 2009 campaign. While I could sit and write about thankfulness to the brides I have worked with, I will choose instead to bask in the comfort of knowing that while 2009 turned out to be quite the project, it also turned out to be a year that defined my recognition of my own style. Many people who take pictures for a living can go on for years calling themselves “photojournalistic” or “traditional” in style but I bet if you really cornered them on the subject their answers would all sound the same and not very deep in content. So, since it has become some sort of industry standard to define your own style I spent 2009 giving that concept its due from time to time. What brought it to the forefront was an article I read in this month’s Professional Photographer magazine that brought me back to the very question I have yet to answer. No I am not looking for insight or pity to help me discover the “new me” or ask for you to rate every picture I post so that I can define my style based on biased opinions rather, I will do what the industry says I should do and place the magic label right on my own forehead using my own insight and collective thought (You can insert your own if you really want to). Have I dragged this out long enough? In case you really cared here is the long awaited punch line.
I am one who works and in doing so, one who loves his work. The true style that best serves not only myself but the clients of both past and present is nothing short of DRIVEN. That is right I said the word DRIVEN. My style is one that drives itself on the hunger for knowledge, attained perfection, the desire to please, and competency through time tested experience. You know why this means more in a word than “photojournalistic” or “Traditional”? Because it came from me and only me without the coating of a buzzword developed by God knows who. It also means that nothing is off limits and that no matter what; adaption to any situation both good and bad is all I have ever cared about when it comes to photography (Just ask people how bitchy I get when my lights won’t do what I want). So before you ask me what style I employ take note that being driven means having everything you want in a person who is perfecting anything they hope to succeed at in life. Once you quit learning and trying new things is the day you have met your professional end. Give it a day, the novelty of “Driven” is sure to make its way to the industry seminars and lackluster blogs of others too lazy to work in the very field they tell others they are passionate about.

From My Yard to Yours,

Lance

Catching Up

Friends of Fall,

It has been one wedding after another and yet still, I find myself hungry for more. From covering my pal’s Shane and Stacy’s wedding on the first weekend of September to getting up the next day to cover Will & Laeitia’s event I would say life is moving fast. I love it when I get into a groove while finding myself dealing with schedules that are behind and the dreaded faulty equipment. Yes, even the best equipment fails from time to time but somehow I keep beating Murphy to a pulp and it has me more than fired up! The consequence of this madness is the eternal time spent in front of a computer doing edits and designing books. That my friends are what you are really paying for when you hire a photographer. Enjoy the pics from the various parades of couples who make my camera eye light up! It is in the moments of completion when I know I have gotten exactly what I set out to get that I feel the satisfaction of the portfolio. Nobody has any idea how hard photographers are on their work (At least they should be if they care) and when we are happy it equates to the client being happy. Thank you Brian, Megan. Shane, Stacy, Will, Laeitia, Jessie, and Stephanie for the fun and the time well spent. With all the debate over healthcare I will not waste your time with my two cents, five cents, or fifty cents. Instead, I will simply draw an imaginary space for you the reader to place what you think is the right course for the country. Seems everyone has a solution so I just wanted to give that “Think Tank” it’s due.

Place your ideas here__________________________________________________

Good Health To All My Friends,

Lance

Jim & Danielle

Comrades of Fall,

Wow what a roller coaster ride it has been of late. Lots of shooting and trying like crazy to keep up in life has made me weary yet excited. Somewhere in all of this madness I have been working with some new vendors who I anticipate, will provide me with some super cool products for 2010. My feeling is, why keep everything the same? So on that note, next years packages will contain something new and different but where I find a balance of cost versus viability is where I am lost in debate. Oh well, guess I have some more time to figure that one out but stay tuned and check the “Wedding Prices” page soon for updates.

Spent the better part of my day on August 29th working with Danielle and Jim and really felt good about the portfolio we put together. If you haven’t spent any time inside of the Modern Hotel I highly advise you to check it out. Strange place for sure but in the same sense, very cool. I felt like I was trapped in this Post-Modernistic world thus the name Modern Hotel huh? Many thanks to Jim & Danielle I enjoyed the time and creating your pictures. Anyways, sorry I have been a tad absent but my focus has been on the design on wedding books and shooting the images that make up those books. More stuff coming soon.

Cool Weather & Football For All My Friends,

Lance