Illustrating original ideas and concepts with visuals is the best part of life as a photographer. When ideas and concepts are fresh, “out of the box” originals, they are memorable. Viewers have a stronger tendency to talk about and remember those original thoughts and visuals.
This is in my series of visuals illustrating “You know you’re Trailer Trash when” jokes. Read more »
I am always up for some good humorous jokes, especially involving “Trailers”. Several years ago, I began to play off my last name and discovered a rich treasure trove of trailer enthusiasts, mostly of vintage trailers. Many of those folks are self-effacing trailer enthusiasts telling trailer trash jokes, true aficionados. Read more »
Cleaning out some things out back, not in my ’61 Shasta (trailer) which would not have surprised me, I ran across this alien looking growth. Wanting to combine some new and old technology in the studio, I shot these with a digital SLR camera on a 4×5 view camera, with all the swings and tilts available.
Now not being a gardener of significance, but having raised my share of vegetables and tomatoes every year and cared for basic shrubbery and lawns comparatively my find was definitely alien.
I decided to explore it with a camera and am sharing those discoveries along with a bit of prose. Read more »
This link is being past around so forgive me if you have seen it.
It hit me when I recalled a class in college that was centered around Marshall McLuhan.
The YouTube link below is about advertising professionals being influenced by there surroundings which emphasize the importance of everyday imagery.
Watch closely. While the video is 6+ mins., it is very much worth watching it all to make sense. It illustrates how images, photographs, signage, drawings everything influences our thinking.
This is another in my image series called “Slice of Life”. These are the results of polishing “seeing” skills for real work by experimenting on personal projects. The value of personal experimental shooting insures something special for customer assignments and seen in the results.
With my last name, my personal project for the past few years is vintage “trailers” naturally. While not the only genre, it has lead to many new branch off photographic opportunities.
Featured here is Ed Lum, resident of the Monterrey Trailer Park, Highland Park area, right next to Pasadena, California, in front of a vintage Gold Tone Airfloat trailer at the park. The Gold Tone is a rare option on the Airfloat trailer then and now if you can find one.
When working on personal projects, risks and growth are part of the projects that drive and translates to better work for you the client.
Livin’ the Life
Ed, livin' the life at the Monterrey Trailer Park, Highland Park. It is a
designated historical site and an original "Auto Camp' from the 1920's.
Also, but unconfirmed the park was a Pony Express stop way back.
Expressions of everyday life, drawing in the viewer with real people by a slice in time.
When you need to create and capture the best of a “slice of life”, give me a call.
Have a great day and better week.
See the entire web site at, MartinTrailer.com and do leave your comments, really!
I reading somewhere the importance about connecting with new clients. Here is a unique way of connecting and my own situation.
The story read goes like this; A guy was trying everything he could think of to get in front of a new promising prospect, but never succeeded. So, out of frustration he would mutilate the direct mail promotion piece before sending to this particular prospective client. After a few months and several promos sent mutilated, a follow-up call was made to the prospect. The prospective client said if the promos ever arrive in tact they would like to actually see the promos. So a set of clean, unbent promos were sent in an envelop and the prospect loved them inviting them to come on in and talk some business.
Mine unique situation went like this; On my web site I have “Trailer Trash” jokes page. You would be amazed at how many Google, Bing and Yahoo searches find them. I was recently contacted about a job from mid-west, but it did not work out and the buyer indicated she was having a bad day “off her rails”. So I responded with my joke page link thinking maybe that would cheer her up and make a connection for the future.
Here is was she responded back with after reading my “Trailer Trash” page ;
Subject: my first job in Southern Indiana (aka Kentucky, without the horses)
You know you’re delivering pizza to rednecks when ……….
- They say it’s the third one on the left with two Camaros on blocks
- The kids run out to pay cause Mommy and their new Uncle Rick are playing Euchre in the bedroom.
- The bird bath is now a dog bowl.
- Tips are those frosted white things on the hair of the lady of the house.
Recently, I have been organizing and editing images, personally driven and it became obvious for me that they represented a great series of “Slices of Life”, trailer style of course.
The image of the dogs in a Hot Rod/trailer combination will be the first used to promote a new web portfolio that includes, “Slice of Life”.
(to sign up for the promotional mailing, Sign-up Here )
As a photographer, some don’t think we read much, HA!.
Here is a novel, a graphic novel that is an interesting, compelling story . OK, it is sort of like an internet comic book, but much more intellectual and thought provoking.
It is still early, but I encourage you to take a look. Get in early.
