Issue #2: Being "The Only" (Can Be Awkward, Quizzical & Uncomfortable)
Nobody’s Stereotype: Irksome Issues of a Photographer Who also Happens to be a Black Man (#1)
Issue #1: My Identity (Is Not an Issue (to Me))
The Photography of Fraudulence
TIA kicked off the new year with a fake client who tried to defraud my small business of 13 years. Here's the entire story.
TIAA #46: “Suspended in ‘The Twilight Zone’ Ad Infinitum”
This is a tale about the laws of probability and possibility against all odds.
TIAA #16: “Minneapolis: My City of Many Mixed Emotions”
This is a tale about inadvertently confronting one's own past because fate intervened with your life...again.
TIAA #14: “Reality is Relative”
This is a tale about the week I've had interacting with different people (mostly in person, this time) and what I learned.
TIAA #6: “Get Here”
This is a tale about my worrisome penchant to worry about matters of which I have absolutely no control.
TIAA #5: “Acknowledge”
This is a tale about making a conscious effort to avoid stereotyping white people in the objective to eliminate systemic racism.
Reflecting on 12 Years of TIA
A brief introspection of TIA's journey in photography on its 12th anniversary.
DIVORCING The King & Queen of Social Media: FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM
If your photography business is not reaping any benefits from social media, then perhaps it's time to move on.
Signage of the Times
"Black Lives Matter" signage is appearing all over the City of Seattle. Question: "Why is the movement suddenly resonating with everybody *this time*?"
The Pandemic, The Pandemonium & The Protests
When America and the world look back at the Year 2020 a year from now, or a decade from now, we may collectively wonder how we persevered. In the first five months of this year, we have all suffered from a pandemic that is still very much on the forefront of our daily realities, regardless... Continue Reading →
Keeping Up with Ronald, Mikhail & Me
Some people drink. Some do drugs. Some overeat. We often need *something* to compensate for bad news or situations. Can photography be viewed as a vice?
Keep a Keen Photographic Eye for Overcast & Stormy Skies
Why are people adverse to capturing images when the weather is not ideal or agreeable? This is the precise time to engage in photography!
The Ups and Downs of Being My Own Boss as a Professional Photographer
One of the most inspirational, challenging, momentous and, occasionally, disappointing years in my life occurred between May 2014 and May 2015. Even though I was a sole proprietor and had owned my own small photography business for four and a half years, I was still working full-time for an employer in Seattle. It was the... Continue Reading →
Digital Photography in the Age of Social Media Idiocy
Social Media can be Socially Tedious. I call it "Social Tedia". As much as I love the art and science of photography, a part of my psyche cannot help but wonder in which direction photography – specifically, digital photography – is going in the age of social media. My experience with sharing my photography via... Continue Reading →
No Facebook Needed (a.k.a. Life without Facebook)
Here are the reasons why TIA left Facebook and never looked back with any regrets.
Hooray for Hollywood?
As a professional photographer headquartered in Seattle, I always enjoy learning the locations from where new customers and potential clients contact TIA, and which images they are interested in licensing. For example, I am currently dealing with (or patiently waiting for, rather) an architecture firm in London for its final decision on which TIA aerial... Continue Reading →
“If You’re Good at Doing Something. . .”
"Riddle Me This. Riddle Me That. Which Photographer Gets Paid All That?" Recently, PhotoShelter.com presented an intriguing blog topic entitled “Would You Work for Free?” The subject has generated plenty of discussion among photographers who are approached to perform services or contribute their images for little to no compensation at all. Responses included very reproachful... Continue Reading →
Codes, Creeds & Disrespectful Deeds
Is there such a thing as a photographer's code? One topic that has frequently been on my mind is the ethics code among photographers. Does a code actually exist, or is it a figment of a photographer’s imagination? Or perhaps, is it my imagination solely? As human beings, we each have our own codes and... Continue Reading →
Hope & Irresponsibility
Hope Street, Downtown Los Angeles I think it happened somewhere on Hope Street between W. 2nd & W. 3rd Streets, possibly a little after 8pm. It was the fourth day of November in 2011, a Friday night. I was enjoying the urban grid of the streets of LA on what turned out to be a very clear night. ... Continue Reading →
In the Beginning. . .
Hi everyone. I am still learning the tricks and trades of WordPress. So far, it has been a lot of fun. One of the best advantages of this blog is that I now have the capacity to be as creative as my imagination will take me, which is fantastic as my imagination often takes me on extended, fascinating... Continue Reading →