A Nano Second Between Expressions

In just the blink of an eye...........

New Things to Break and Old Axes to Grind

Comrades,

Good evening from the glorious confines of my microfiber couch. I have concluded that when Facebook has left me blind, deaf and dumb serenity can be found right here in the blog. Like a bar with no drinks you can assume that whatever it is you say may: 1. Never comes back to bite you in the ass 2. And you are allowed to exhaust your inner communist in that you dictate what is said and who gets to respond. So for just a few minutes of your life my dictatorship will defy any pluralist ideals you may have been holding onto.

D.H. Lawrence once wrote that men are obsessed with the conceited furniture of their minds. Had he written his great works during the "Digital Age" I am certain that he would have replaced furniture with Nikon & (Cough) Canon cameras. Guys like me never really get excited anymore about XMAS because we anxiously await the moment when our cash flows jump out and punch us in the teeth so as to encourage a capital asset or two. So just after complimentary ass whooping laid down by the likes of Jefferson, Franklin, & Lincoln I find myself in search of new technological playgrounds. With a conservative yet flexible search underway, a new toy gets dropped from the heavens lined with enough power to revive my soul after eating one of your mother's artistically designed casseroles. While I have often fallen victim to the scuttlebutt of owning the latest and greatest, I opted for a different approach when I decided to add this workhorse to the arsenal. Nikon has in fact released the D4 ($6000) and because I don't want to fall victim to a graham crackers and milk Thanksgiving, I opted for the former (D3). Even so, this camera is a supreme upgrade to my D700's and with the D700's being relegated to the backup QB position, I am already finding that results and handling justify the D3 price tag of $3000. Now the real test begins when wedding season gives way to madness and the only sound piercing my tree stump ears are the clicks of a shutter coated in Kevlar.

Now for some business advice and this is actually serious so listen up. If you are a small business owner you should:

1. Buy the Ipad for you will find an ocean of efficiency and convenience like you have never known. To me, this slice of technology represents a means to reach more customers while giving you the mobility to run your operation like you were "P-Diddy".  As a bonus, your ridiculous apps get to tag along for the ride so as to ensure you remain ADD forever.

2. Take a moment to learn business! So many of you have only 1/2 the equation in your pockets and that is very much like having NOTHING! Since you own the Ipad, check out ITunes U! No this isn't some college radio thing but a collection of universities all over the country who allow you to listen to real lectures. Some notables include the likes of Yale, Harvard, Cal, etc. It is in these places you can fill your cereal bowl with said business knowledge. If nothing else, the Small Business Administration has more than you could ever want and 99% of it is FREE! Words like marketing, accounting, and management should be your watchwords.

3. Call me up to say thanks for the tips and for providing the competition the tools needed to defeat you, the one who is good at something yet has no idea how to manage it. Small businesses are not fighting back enough in a time when banking as a whole seems barely lucid and your so-called leadership thinks the bills can be paid with empty promises. Take control and die smarter with an understanding that would make Mr. Buffett proud.

As a closing hymn to the lovely sermon provided, I will go on record to diss those who have used social  mediums as a means to audition for a spot on Oprah. I have news for you, she is no longer on the air. Know that you sound stupid and look like a fledgling hen who so desperately wants to be the rooster while you air your divorces, lost friends, etc. All of this is fine (in the proper venue)  but to mix it with your brand screams of someone using pseudo smoke to hide their technical deficiencies.That's right, I said your smoke isn't even real! Suggested reading includes "20 Do's and Dont's For Better Social Media Marketing". 

Ahh, that felt great!  

Cheers to Piss & Vinegar,

Lancer

Kicking the Living Euphoria Right Out of You

Comrades,

I am actually writing you this time with more than something that says “Writer’s Block”. Since I am righting a wrong (Get it?) allow me to bring a punch to your inner soul with some news. This year’s Justis calendar is done and ready to hit the press and if you care or just want a good laugh at my creative expense I say bring it! Yes I admit, the last two years had a few creations that I look back at and wonder what in the hell I was thinking but life is a series of progressions you build upon. Nonetheless, I have managed to compile a series of images that I worked on when I was one of the following: 1. Bored       2. Needing to practice CS5  3. Dressing up like Greg Sims for Halloween. And since I am doing what everyone else does (blogging) I figured that I would bellow a few noble words and share the goods. Impressed? Hardly you say? That is OK, I am used to my words hitting the dirt faster than a bull rider with no arms.  So without further delay, the entries please.....

Jan

Feb

March

April

May

June

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Special thanks to those who voluntarily or involuntarily found themselves in the entries I thank all of you for simply being you. Now go warn your neighbors about me! Happy Thanksgiving my friends from all over the globe! 

Fall is Random Time

Comrades,

No words just ACTION! Some of the various pictures/concepts since the sun went away.

Purple with TCU

Comrades,

Hope you are enjoying the onset of fall and that with XMAS just around the corner, that you are thinking of sending me a bottle of the "Goose". In the meantime, enjoy some shots from a former TCU baseball player & his college sweetheart. What a day it was despite the fact I busted a $500 flash because I failed to take my head out of my %ss. Life will go on and life is good for one Paul & Allison Gerrish. Great people with amazing families.

Leaves For All My Friends,

Lance

30 Plus Days of Motion

Comrades,

As much as I Facebook, it seems blogging is but only a secondary way for me to alert the world to the  motions that move both with an against me.  I wonder if the person who came up with the term “Information Age” factored how that term would alter our abilities to stay focused on one thing? Haven't heard from someone in 45 days? No problem, read their blog while you pay your bills!  In the beginning, I honestly thought social media, smart phones, etc. would enable relationships to grow while helping us stay in touch with long lost friends. Truth is, it has done just that but it has complicated things even more. Seems as though we have a millions of signals streaming down upon us and it can make life tough to slow down as I have found.  How ironic that convenience can sometimes become a task in itself…..It stands to reason that my lust for blogging has lost some of it’s luster for reasons associated with other social media obligations that I now carry in my front pocket. So with that said, I give to you my monthly update.

July 29^th saw me out in Homedale shooting Matt & Donnae’s wedding on a property that enjoys a view of the Snake River. With Matt fresh out of one of those walking boots, (Torn Achilles) timing could not have been better. This wedding also marked the first time my son (Devon Justis) attended and assisted me at a gig. Never have I been so proud of his work ethic and flexibility but even more telling was his recognition of the energy one uses to complete the job on any given weekend during the summer. With enough heat to melt the Devil, we plugged away at 8 hours of work only to find ourselves soaking in a hot tub for an extended period once we got home. Matt & Donnae are now enshrined into the “Justis League” and for that I thank them.

With no rest for the weary (literally) I did a rare turn-around the following day shooting Dan & Carman’s wedding at good ole’ C.W. Moore Plaza. Unlike any couple before them, these two flew in from their home in Hong Kong so that Dan’s family could seem them marry. What could not have been better was that this gig was went at a pace that gave new meaning to the term easy come, easy go. It  just goes to show that the reach of a photographer’s work can and will make impressions across the ponds of the earth.  Does it get any better?

With 2 down and 2 more to go, I was off to Garden Valley to meet up with Scott & Kirsten. With my son making a second appearance, we were handed the keys to a golf cart that my son made clear he would be driving. The event was short and sweet but the fun lasted for hours. “Ice Blocking, Golf Cart Racing, and Guitar Bashing were a few of the oddball things we found ourselves consumed with while making pictures for the masses. If you stick with wedding photography long enough, you will discover that sometimes you get a ticket to ride as well. Having fun on "The Day" is what it is all about!

Last but not least, I landed right in the heart of downtown Boise shooting a gig at the “Aldeman” for Vachel & Andrea. I must say that for a newer wedding venue, the place is sure to give the competition a run for their money! It is a photographers dream complete with rustic décor sure to make any creative professional smile. Even better, my two confederates we nothing short of a blast to work with while a perfect fit for the urban influenced pictures I had planned. I always have to remind myself to avoid being too greedy when it comes to shooting downtown. I mean seriously, downtown Boise is one of the best places on earth during the summer and a pure joy to shoot wedding clients. I could give you the long and short of my love for downtown but I think the pictures demonstrate what I am getting at. Damn, there are days I wish I had a million miles of wall space to hang some of the images I nail down each summer. Sorta like a “Bridal Hall of Fame”.  For what it’s worth, I keep a gallery of my favorites deep within my soul. Having that ensures I remain connected to the blending of  light, angles, and available resources into what ultimately becomes something timeless. Now that I have verified that “writer’s block” isn’t an issue, let me give you ten things I think.

10 Things I Think

• The hardest part of being a photographer is cultivating a new creative edge for each and every gig. 
• I am noticing fewer and fewer people jumping into the photographer profession. Not but 2 years ago, I couldn’t walk through downtown without seeing 50 “People with a Camera”. 
• Best line I have heard in sometime is “When I look into your eyes, I see the back of your head”.  
• The vendors at the state fair look similar to the faces you see on the Ada County jail roster. 
• Small businesses are by far, the most important asset to the U.S. economy. Anyone who tells you otherwise, needs to have their head examined.  The next time you drive somewhere, pay close attention to the number of establishments you see. My guess is that 97% of them will be establishments with only one maybe two locations thus, small. Appreciate them but more importantly, BUY FROM THEM! 
• Speaking of the U.S., more than a “rebound”, this country needs leadership with no strings attached.  Would be great if a person who didn’t come from millions could rise up and relate to the working class. 
• The Oregon Coast is a must see for all!
• The color pink is really the color red without a tan. 
• “Unbroken” is the read of a lifetime
• Randomly do something nice for a complete stranger when the opportunity arises. People more than ever, need a reminder of how giving their fellow Life Bots can be. 

Iced Tea For All My Friends, 

Lance

My Soul Turned to Clay

Dustin & Michelle

Comrades,

There is just something about the drive home from a gig after you have poured every ounce of your soul into a shoot. The body is drained but even more so, the realm that makes up that soul has not a thing left to offer. I find this to be one of the most satisfying feelings to have at the conclusion of a gig. Like the gauges in your car that give you the status of each critical component, these things I describe are telling me that: 1. I gave my all 2. Money earned is better than money given 3. My chest bore a vest of fortitude that refused even the slightest urge to let the elements get the better of me.

Chelcy & "The Man" Jed

The Amazing & Kind Chelcy Cordova

Desirae Bronson

In St. Louis

Matt & Ashleigh 

While none of these things race through my head in any particular order, they no less serve as the catalyst of impulsive satisfaction during the last light of the day. There is no music playing, there are no words spoken, just the serene sound of uniformed air that runs along my arm at 80 MPH. Each moment gets replayed as I chuckle at the moments that lead up to the very last words I say to a family as I depart. That my friends, is connecting with your passions perhaps even, your purpose in life.

My Bro Kory & I Hanging at the Fiddle Festival

With that, I present to you the end result of my three thousand calorie burning days which includes Dustin/Michelle, Matt/Ashleigh, and Jed/Chelcy and a few up and coming musical artists, etc. All of these had their own unique spin but also reminded me of why the art of shooting is best served by a mind and body in shape! Thank you for the flexibility, the ability to laugh, your originality, and most importantly the trust we exchange in our new found fellowship. The summer is here and the grill is making it's mark. The beer and flip flops are the in-between until that next moment, in the sun.

Vacation for all My Friends,

Lance