the Laying Down Game

It's official. The JustUs Team has setup www.LayingDownGame.net

Jed & Vicki Taufer introduced me to this crazy idea when we were out to dinner in NYC for the PPE convention. The concept is simple: lay down, face down, hands to the side, stiff as a board, in unusual places...well anywhere really. Then take a photo of yourself. It's hard to describe why this is so funny. It's just so out of context that it makes me cry laughing whenever we do this. This first image here was taken at a fancy pants restaurant called Tao in NYC and we were promptly asked to leave the restaurant after the photo was taken. Fortunately, we had finished our dinner! We laughed all the way to the front door and then knew we had to see where else we could get kicked out of...the Apple Store? Hotel lobbies? Ice Cream parlors? The middle of the busy street? A crowded night club? You'll have to look at the gallery to see what else we got in to.

From a photographers point of view, the photos may not immediately be seen as "artistic"...but they elicit emotion, some conflicted. It makes you think outside the box and once you start doing it, you begin to look at the world around you in a different way. I posed this challenge to one of my workshop groups (that I taught with Vicki & Jed in Vermont). The class loved it and turned in some crazy, and creative images! You'll see those in there too. It really emphasizes the importance of having a project, no matter how obscure, to stimulate your visual thinking and creativity.

Please be sure to leave your comments: why do you think this is so funny? Why is it so fun? Do you have a LDG photo to contribute? Send it to us at layingdowngame.net and we'll post it!

Click here to see the gallery of Laying Down Game images!

Laying Down Game in Tao, NYC

Pictage PartnerCon in New Orleans

It's here! The notes from my presentation on "Lightspeed Workflow for Lightroom" is available. Please remember to us your password, that I gave out at the seminar, to download and open the file. Enjoy! Oh, and thanks for coming :-)

Download here

Vermont Studio Success from K to V

Thanks everyone for a fantastic workshop! The hospitality was amazing and the location was beautiful. We hope you'll invite us back again soon :-) As promised, for those who attended the workshop, here are the workshop notes. Remember to use the password I gave you at the workshop to be able to download and open the files. Vicki, Jed, Clare, and I were all so honored that you came to see us and allowed us to share our world with you. Until next time! Some images from the workshop are below too. A big BIG Thank You to Daria Bishop, and Barrie Fisher, from Vermont - who both really should take the credit for making this workshop happen. They care so much about the local photographer's community and are shining examples of businesses with a purpose! I love you guys :-)

download here

I used "Lord of the Rings Everyday" action from Art V2 along with "Digital Fill Flash", "Smokeless burn" and a border from Production Tools

Getting ready for Vermont

I'm excited to be sharing the room to do a Photo workshop with Vicki & Jed Taufer over the next couple of days here in Burlington, Vermont. It's gorgeous up here and we had a wonderful dinner with local photographer friends tonight! Thank you for hosting the dinner Mike! And thank you for bringing us here and helping to make it happen Daria & Barrie! I'll be posting more info and notes from the workshop in a couple days.

PPE 2009 Presentation

39.9 Things that can change your life and business.

Thanks for all who came to my presentation at PPE in NYC! I had so much fun and some how those table dancing shots got on the internet way too fast :-)

Download the PDF file here, the links to the other downloads I mentioned too are in it. Please note you'll need the password that you wrote down at the beginning of the program.

I welcome your comments on the program! Thanks again.

Download here.