The truth is, I don’t know where I’m headed. I don’t really have big goals or like somewhere I want to be in 5 years. I’m still awestruck at the fact people pay me to do what I do. Shoot photos, films, assist photographers. I haven’t really gotten over that yet. I’m just going to keep shooting and working as hard as I can in hopes that my phone keeps ringing with jobs. I live my life in a weird way maybe. Different from others probably. Many people say “I want to do this in two years, or I hope I’m here in 5 years.” When people ask me that I just respond “Well I just hope I’m not working at Pizza Hutt.” A director I was working for the other day asked me if I wanted to keep DPing projects and I said “I don’t really know. If my phone keeps ringing about gigs like that I’ll keep answering it. Until then that’s all I know.” Working hard and trying not to get lost in the heat of it all. Really I don’t think I’m lost, it’s just I don’t exactly know where I’m headed.
Matt Shouse
I think I first picked up a camera in the late 90’s or early 2000’s. I first got paid to use a camera in 2010 I think. So I’ve been shooting for a while, but recently I feel like I’m just getting started. Since I’ve moved to a city where I’m surrounded by creative talented people I’ve really had to up my game. I’ve been exposed to so much more and seen such great work all around me in Los Angeles that it’s totally changed me. I really only feel like I’ve been shooting for a few months. I’m starting to like my work more and more. I’ve been progressing a lot lately. Above are some photos of Allie (in the first two) and Carlie. I shot those yesterday in West Hollywood and I really dig these images. They are always really fun to work with and we always collaborate really well. That’s all for now. I’ve got some editing to catch up on.
Matt Shouse
So I went to see the movie “Life” on Sunday. It’s based around the friendship or partnership between photographer Dennis Stock and actor James Dean. The movie is worth seeing if you grew up in James Dean’s hometown, or if you are a fan of James Dean. For me something really stuck out in this film, a small detail, a short line. I don’t remember exactly how this all played out, so go see the film for yourself and look for this part. James Dean is talking with either Dennis Stock or a new reporter in the film and they ask him what he’s going to do next or what his plan is and Dean responds “Just keep ignoring my talent I guess, that’s worked so far.” Again, not a direct quote but that was the theme of it and that really hit home for me. I don’t know if I’m talented, and even if I am I’m going to keep ignoring that talent and working hard to achieve my goals. I think I know some people that are talented, but they embrace that talent to such an extent that it becomes an ego problem and they may not work as hard as they should. I also know some people that are talented as hell, yet totally ignore it and work really hard and stay humble. I tip my hat to those people, and I want to try to mimic that as much as possible.
Matt Shouse
