Zack Arias, you nailed it man. Way to lay it out there.
From all of us creatives who have sparked, flailed, and gotten back up, sparked, flailed again, dusted ourselves off, and flailed yet again: thank you. Wonderful piece.
(thx for the tip, Sarah.)
–
Nikon D4 Camera Is Here.
10 Things Every Creative Person (That’s YOU) Must Learn
The Hit List: 13 Things Crucial For Your Success [In Any Field]
Think You Don’t Need to Focus? Think Again.
No, But I Can Learn
I really want to watch this, but whichever site I go to, it’s really choppy and unwatchable. Is there anywhere I can download it as a quicktime or windows media file?
Holy cr@p that was great! Thanks for pointing this one out. Having my head down in work I might have missed it.
Ha! “I went to Ikea and bought sticks.”
“Hi, I’m Zach Aries. I’m going 100 miles per hour down a dead end road.”
The first part of the video connected with me more than the second part did. I guess what I take from the video is the understanding that it takes time to find out exactly what you’re good at and also how to be creative in new ways.
Thanks for posting.
needed that.. thanks for sharing
that was so powerful…
G.
Great stuff, mandatory watch for anyone questioning what they’re capable of. Thanks Zack and thanks Chase for posting.
PS Jarvis sucked?
“Some of you are the REAL top ten photographers in the world, and the rest of us don’t even know you’re alive…”
Loved it…
=Matt=
Zack: you have powerfully summed up the photographers life, and given us hope so that we can all dream of one day being the best, and that all this hard work will one day pay off. Thank you.
Dale
Wow, just awesome!
Wonderful, inspiring and true.
Graceful. Poetic. True. The message? Perseverance. Thank-you, Arias. Thank-you.
Graceful. Poetic. True. The message? Perseverance. Thank-you, Arias. Thank-you.
Oh, wow. Good thing I’m working from home today. You made me cry till the snot flew… haven’t cried like that in years. Good stuff….
Yours, in awe
TC
That was very inspiring, even for artists that are not necessarily photographers. Thanks for posting this, chase!
Simply brilliant. Really sums up what it is to be a photographer. Thanks to Chase for sharing
emotional
This Blip video rips the hell out on my processor. Sure, my 1.6GHz, 2GB, 500GB HDD laptop isn’t exactly stunning, but it normally does fine with 720p video. Whatever is going on with this video, it’s enough to destroy it’s usability as I only see something like 2-3 frames per second.
Having to power up the editing machine to simply watch a short video isn’t really acceptable to me.
I’d say you should start providing lower quality video’s through a reliable streamer along with these high quality version. If you can’t or won’t, you will lose viewers.
Amazing stuff! Thanks for posting. Just what I needed this morning
in one word… brilliant
I must say that I found this VERY inspirational! Thanks a lot Zack and Chase…
That was wonderful. Thank you for pointing it out. A lot to think about.
Yeah, I saw this over on Scott Kelby’s blog on Wednesday (http://www.scottkelby.com/blog/2009/archives/3433). Definitely worth repeat viewing.
Doh. Forgot to make it a link…
http://www.scottkelby.com/blog/2009/archives/3433
Wow, great video! So much so that I’ve posted the link on my blog. Thanks again Chase for bringing this video to our attention and to Zack for telling it like it is.
Beautiful and powerful…
OMG. When Zack talked about the winter funk, I could seeing you talking about me. I pull out my camera to try something (anything), but the vision just does not seem to work.
This is truly talking from the heart. It was dark but the message was so good.
Ron
Well said Zack, Thanks Chase and team. Its a well know fact however you have put it together the best way.. Every one should watch this video who think they are going nowhere with their photography and they should stop at this point. I like everything said and done in this one….. Art is not something that would come to u over night…..
Now that was blaze, the first part was so true and the following rung home like you wouldn’t believe. Thanks Zack, and Thanks Chase for helping putting it out there as well.
Zack definitely nailed it! So very true how we all go through that. I shot a simple piece last week went back home for the weekend sat on the beach the one nice day we had in Huntington Beach, and thought about scrapping everything in my book except the last shoot… I remember in the beginning how great I thought everything that I shot looked and I look back on it now and it’s shit. But I guess something happened as a photographer, I learned how to see. This video reminded me of that road. Winter…
“Jarvis Sucked”.
Nice that he used past tense.
LOL
@Anon: My laptop has the same processor, half the memory and a 75 gig disk, and plays this vid with EASE, while doing a dozen other things in the background.
It’s probably your connectivity.
Once you hit play, pause it and let the whole thing load up before watching it.
Otherwise you’ve got other issues with your machine.
Wow… That really meant a lot to me… I watched it twice…
—Alex
MooreALX.com
Zach, You the man. Thanks for speaking to us all. As a newspaper photographer who dose not know if next week is the last week of a successful 18 year run, I have been doing a lot of searching. On many levels this video is inspiring and I thank you for that. Now on with the quest…
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! that was amazing. he hit a nail on the head with a sledge hammer. he busted a grape with a steam roller. GREAT GREAT job.
Powerful…. honest, real. It’s February, so timely. Thanks Chase for showing, thanks Zack for putting this together.
As the above posts prove. If you put yourself out there, you CAN touch people in a real way.
This was so real, unguarded and had a ring of truth that echoes with the posters above and this one too.
Thanks,
JoeH
Absolutely incredible…
I’ve known about Zack for about a year now following his progress, watching his DVD over and over… but that has to be one of the most motivational and inspiring videos I have ever watched.
I’m 19, nearly 20 aspiring to be a great photographer, thank god I have time on my side.
Mind blowing, I watched it twice!
Great Vid..
Chase, I am just really glad that you shared this. I think it is beautiful and ressonates with someplace deep within me and I’m sure every artist out there. It is comferting to know we are not alone when we feel some of these things. Arias is spot on and so are you sir Jarvis. Thank you for using the beautiful platform you have to spread so much good. I really respect you for that my friend.
Suck a beautiful piece. Great message, great format, great music. Thanks for posting it.
Learn from the best, share with your colleagues and help the rest. Thanks a lot for the inspiring and hope giving vid.
greetings from belgium
Word. I needed that.
If you have never a dark day, you would not be able to really enjoy the sunny day. Its normal.
Dark days are necessary.
Valeriy Veduta
After watching this video, I find myself engrossed in an instant of profound tranquility that lasts even at this moment and I sense that somehow things are better. I am no longer the same. Gracias…
Chase, Thanks for getting this out to another audience.I saw this yesterday on Scott Kelby’s site, it has drawn over 300 comments so far. Its powerful and speaks to all of us that have ever questioned what we do or who we are. Thanks again for sharing it.
Way moving.
There’s a part in one of George Carlin’s books that I wish I could find again so I could quote it more accurately, but it goes something like this:
“When you’re in your 20s, you don’t know, but you don’t know that you don’t know. When you’re in your 30s, you know you don’t know. When you’re in your 40s, you know, but you don’t know that you know. When you’re in your 50s, you know, and you know you know.
Time to have some fun.”
You have no idea how much I needed to see this right now. The last few weeks have been tough on me as an artist, especially since I decided to try to make my living with my camera. I bought a book called America from 500 feet last weekend and couldn’t stop looking through it.
Then Monday comes, and I discover that Bill Fortney not only lives in my small town, but is giving a locals-only 2 part seminar starting that night. I went, and I was blown away, it was as if the stars aligned and something “out there” gave me a road sign with a solid direction. When he spoke I KNEW what he was talking about and I realized that I had been overanalyzing my art. Trying to give deep meaning to something that has meaning simply by existing.
I have faith in my abilities, but this film makes me realize that even Pros have their off-times and their feelings of creative inadequacy. Thanks for being another directional sign telling that Im headed in the right direction.
Thanks for the link Chase…Zach’s movie was fantastic..
I hope it’s to link to it on my blog..
This is really inspiring. Great movie, I think this applies to anything in life, not only to photography and photographers. Thank you so much for sharing. Beautiful!
Thanks for helping to bring Zach’s piece to the fore.
He has brilliantly put into words the insecurities and frustrations that so many of us feel.
We can all learn from his example.
Cheers,
Nicholas
That was eye opening and heart wrenching. You sir, are awesome. Thanks for the tips.
Thank You.
Thanks Chase for having that on. Zack definitely hit that one out of the park. I’m glad I’m not the only one with those thoughts. The music really kicked ass too.
Wow. I’ve watched this twice here on a quiet Saturday morning and I’m full of inspiration.
I had never heard of Zach before this post. I can’t wait to hear, read and see more of him.
omg, that made tears pore out of my eyes..
so weird, so true.
– student of computer science and mathematics/wannabe photographer
Truly inspiring, wow did it hit home.
What an awesome video! Thanks so much for sharing, it came at a good time for me to see!
Thanks for posting this, great stuff, I’ll share it with my students.
I hope your father is doing better. His operation does not mean a loss of his voice even though he may not speak in the same way. My father-in-law is a photographer, former broadcaster and had a laryngectomy and definitely still has his “voice.” Thank you for sharing your journey.
Pick up jaw off floor.
What am I saying?
I’m saying that its all about the journey, the stories, the apparent coincidences that combine to form our every-day-once-in-a-lifetime-experiences – moments which we are privileged enough to create/record through the medium of photography.
Great, great post – there is no competition, there are only comrades, sweet!
Thank you. Thank you for posting this video. It means more than I can adequately express.
j*
I am game design student at VFS I cross paths with Digital Designer, Actors, Make Up Artists, Sound Designers and many other perusing their creative passions. Thanks so much for this as we grind to the close of another term its nice to know we are not alone on this road.
Thanks man, your clip is going around.
Regards,
Kevin Maloney GD12
Great Stuff!!!!! thanks….
This one stuck hard….depressing inspiration for sure. So well done.
Talk about a reality check.
Superb. Truly superb.
as much as i see quite a volume off people hit with what you said…
it seems there is something that you haven't experienced yet..
there is transformation and i could have not described it better…
but there is also what is referef to back in the day as being
( its from Arab culture ) they referred to it as a human of openings
your identity as a photographer is non important as ur identity as a human
your identity as a human is non important as your identity as a living being
if you are an artist
then you will understand this..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ibc8sD5sgw&feature;=PlayList&p;=4632E27F5BE6BF7B&index;=66
sometimes you need to push the envelope of patience to find something worth it
the lane i gave you is..
if u knocked on the door before and no answered..
all u do is knock on another one
This is a stretch, but this reminds me of Matthew McConaughey’s philosophy in life, “just keep living.”
Glad to hear that I’m not the only one who hits winter slumps.
Needed this. Thx for sharing.
that was so powerfull “i thought was just only me who think like that some times “the last 2mins so powerful thx for posting
I really enjoyed it. It’s good to know that we are not alone, feeling like crap about our photography.
Really beautiful!!! Good inspiration!!!
Congrats!!!!
Great point. A little clarity driven home with simplicity. Really liked it. Thanks.
First off thanks for the video!
Zack, you said what I’ve been thinking for years only you did it wonderfully and thoughfully (is that a word?)!
Has your father heard this? I would hope that you would get the opportunity to let him hear these words, I believe it would calm his heart to hear what a strong son he has raised. You have a gift and you put it all out there for us to see, well done young man!
Don’t stop…
Alex Menendez
I liked the sentence “Chill out.”
It’s just the way how it is, grey dark clouds are pretty much everywhere you look, and you feel like holy crap, what am I doing?
I started roughly two years ago photographing, and sometimes, I feel sick of it, but there are some other days, where I just don’t wanna stop shooting.
I guess, that’s life.
Sorry for the essay xD
thank you.
True, true…
thumbs up for the idea and the video…
WOW!! That was just what I needed on a morning where I am at a loss for inspiration.
Thanks for posting.
GRRR-YUM! I saw this on McNally’s blog as a guest post. Been following Zach for awhile now.. Spot on.
Well said Zack. The video enhances your words. You’re WELL on your way, my friend. I’ll say a prayer for your Dad. Peace.
Wow. Just wow. That one hit me right in the chest. As a young photographer trying to find himself as a photographer and as a teenager trying to find himself as a man all I can say is wow. That really hit home. Thanks a million for posting this Chase
Incredible piece and touching man, my best to your father.
Thank you so much for your insight, warnings, and motivation to never give up. Being new to this industry, your explanation of transformation was delivered beautifully!
Zach. I’m going to take a bath in your words later. And I am one of the top ten photographers in the world right now, and I SUCK.
http://www.johnladwig.com
ps killer shots
The second part of your video made me cry because I now know I’m not crazy and I’m not alone in the creative cycle/running a business. Thank you. Just when I was ready to quit you made me realize I’m okay.
Wow! I feel a lot like this and not only in winter. But I have no choice, I just have to take pictures. It’s my new found passion (since two years), the one thing that really keeps me going. I’ve been practising my lighting most of the time, thanks to strobist.com, this site and joemcnally’s, but sometimes it drives me crazy. Am I ever going to get good enough at this? Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is great! I will be going on … there is no other way.
So you’re the Jarvis in the video…
Very humbling. Creativity certainly waxes and wanes, but simply excepting and embracing that fact, can also be a valuable tool.
Great video. Very needed.
I needed to see that! Thanks Chase.
Simply amazing. I’ve met Zack once and he’s been in the back of my head since…. far more than any photography or art professor of mine. Thanks for posting, Chase.
Absolutely cracking piece, I can relate on so many levels!
Very moving,
Thanks Zack!!
thank you for this video – got to watch it again!
Michael from Germany!
http://www.pixelcatcher.de
Wow, this touched me so much, I cried. This is just what I needed to hear right now. Thank you, Zack, for sharing your soul like this and offering the encouragement so many of us need. Thanks for posting, Chase!
God Almighty…
I need to watch this about 50 more times…Without tearing up.
Good luck, Zach.
And Chase, Thanks for This.
Wow…what can I say more than, “WOW!” This clip actually gave me chill bumps! The music, the visuals, but most of all…the message.
I can’t tell you how many of my “personal favorite photographers” that I have reached out to only to get the “cold shoulder.” It’s a tough industry and I am one of the newcomers. Although I try to remain humble, patience is a virtue I have to continually rediscover.
So to my heroes, the ones I have written and blogs that I stalk – thanks for the motivation. I hope to connect with you soon.
Chase, thanks for this reminder. Zach, thanks for this message. Thanks for allowing me to see the myself at the other end of the lens in focus more than it was the day before.
Thanks for putting it all into perspective.
Guess I am going to be the only one that does not agree with the other posters.
While I think the video was very well executed and interesting shooting style…what bothered me was the "cry-baby" method of delivery.
Welcome to the real world of advertising photography. Every job I shoot is a challenge of problem solving a clients needs. I am my own toughest critique, but we need to understand our limitations and deal with it.
Anyway, I find this video, and the art directors I emailed it to, to be a poor reflection, if not insulting, of how to inspire creativity. The message is empty, criticize but offer an answer.
The video comes across as an excuse, not a solution. Sorry if I offended anyone, but considering handicapped folks that have much greater handicaps than a single shooter crying about his "winter blues"…please. You are so lucky to have a shooting career.
Great marketing tool Zack, but photographer excuses do not work in the real world. I am doing my best not to post something that will get this posting flagged. But you of all people should know that this profession is really tough and brutal critical. Please stop the sugar coating and complaining…Ad's have no time for it..period.
I still like the video style and the way you shot it, very nice…just not the message and I think you know what I mean.
Best regards…
Thanks for the video Zack, truly inspiring. I think you nailed what a lot artist feel during the rollercoaster of their careers.
right now i am 22 and at the beginning of my career and i think about this type of stuff everyday. i’m not concerned about my future but i’m concerned about me, not doing enough for it. although i work my ass off from 6 in the morning to 11 or 12 at night. i still feel like this is not enough. i went through a whole lotta trouble in my life up to now and i feel like: please don’t give me more of that trouble…but i think zack shows us all how to manage those hard times. yes, we all should appreciate the job we’re doing because it offers us so much freedom. yes, we are going through tuff times during what we do and yes, being positive about that is the key to not drowning in sorrows and bad feelings and concerns. that video is like a medicine. thank you.
Zack! my favorite motivator! He said so much in such little piece of art that it makes me listen to this piece of wonderful art, almost every other day. He is one hell of a battery charger! Respect!!!