The Parallax View: All Work & No Play Makes My Brain a Dull Place

 

I've been in paradise. I traveled thousands of miles to play. But that's when my real work happens.

It's not surprising; my right brains kick into high gear when it's in "play mode." 

Brain scans reveal that when you think you’re not thinking, your unconscious mind is doing sprints searching for solutions.

Einstein’s theory of special relativity came as an epiphany after he daydreamed he was riding on a beam of light. 

Greg Swartz, director of innovation at golf giant PING, claims he creates the best tees and loftier drives by stargazing. After immersing himself in golf, he hangs out in his backyard at night and lets his mind settle into what he calls a “hyper state.”

As photographers, we are content creators. And content doesn't create itself; it's born from your brain.

So, give your brain a break. Disconnect from reality and connect your brain to its core creativity. You might have a eureka moment when you least expect it.

 

ShootQ Integrates with ProSelect

 

What's new with Q?

Experience the new integration between ShootQ & ProSelect, the revolutionary presentation, projection & sales software that transforms your client's cozy living room into your sales center!

ProSelect Integration learn more... 
 

• Create an experiential sales environment in your client's home or in your own studio.
• Boost your sales by using projection tools to sell photos.
• Crop and compare photos in real-time.
• Project actual size photos onto walls.
• Easily export client orders from ProSelect and import directly into ShootQ.
• Correspond Products in ProSelect with Products in ShootQ.
• Include those products in reports for a refined view of your business growth.
• Connect orders from ProSelect with existing clients and shoots in ShootQ.

• Impress your clients by displaying their orders and invoices in their private client portal!

• Photo thumbnails for ProSelect orders are imported into ShootQ and shown to clients.

• Benefit from ShootQ’s invoice tracking & reminder features with imported ProSelect orders!

  ProSelect sold separately.

Cooler Calendaring

• When you send appointment requests to clients, events from your external calendars will respect the “Busy/Free” setting on individual events.

Don't be Duped

• Importing contacts into ShootQ via vCard? Cool. We'll detect duplicates so you can update your records.

Other Cool Stuff

• The Quick Lead form now enables you to enter partial-day events on the fly.
• Toggle "on" or "off" the visibility of Lead and Booked events in your monthly, weekly, and daily calendar views.

The Parallax View: Making Your Mark

 

Humans love to create. 

We have an uncanny, universal desire to make our mark. 

It's why we photograph and paint. It's why we build towers and businesses.

One of my favorite shows, MadMen, dedicated a scene to the concept of human creativity. The scene lingered in my memory for weeks.

Two characters are discussing a Kodak marketing campaign about memory and legacy. 

Harry says to Don: 

"I've always been fascinated by the cave paintings at Lascaux. The bison get all the attention, but there are also these handprints, tiny by today's standards...It's like someone is reaching through the stone right to us, saying "I WAS HERE."

These cave paintings are among the earliest known works of art. They were discovered in 1940 near the village of Montignac in central France when four boys stumbled into a cave. Inside, they found paintings that were nearly 17,000 years old.

Secluded cave walls bear real imprints of humans who created the most beautiful Stone Age art. Something about these ancient human handprints is magical.

I remember when I first saw them. My Art History professor turned off the lights and projected an image of tiny handprints onto the classroom wall. The class was hushed, as if we were hearing a sacred secret.

Why does something so simple impact us so deeply?

I think it's because we're witnessing a tangible legacy left by fellow humans who responded to their desire to create. They made their mark. They reached through stone to tell us WE WERE HERE.

How will you make your mark?