Murphy’s Law
Murphy’s Law states, “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” Nothing describes my trip from Washington State to Texas last December better…
Bill Chizek
59 yrs old / Married-3 Kids / USN Retired♦️Stock Photography; Editorial Pics Since 2017♦️Canon EOS R6 / iPhone 13 mini
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It’s been a while…
“I’ll be back blogging here so don’t write me off just yet. Just trying to get settled as a family, make new friends at 59 years old which is harder than it sounds, and find my place in life’s next chapter.”
New Wisconsin Collection!
Having a Wisconsin collection is something I’ve been meaning to do for a while…
New DC Area Collection!
All of my DC and Arlington National Cemetery photos now have a home in the Washington, DC Area collection, I hope you’ll take a minute to browse, maybe even purchase something if you find something that flips your trigger!
Kyoto Weekend
This weekend we took a last family trip to Kyoto, Japan. It’s me with my wife and two daughters, since there’s no hope for departing the room before 10am I decided to head out on my own this morning to check out the local area where we are staying with AirBnB. On Billy’s personal agenda was the To-ji Temple and its 180 foot tall pagoda built in 1643.
Goals and Humility
“I’ve had two goals in recent years, the first has been to get better at shooting black and white. Not to just shoot black and white but visualize and capture something I specifically see in my mind as black and white; not just converting a color photo to B&W. There’s an art to creating with no colors and using only textures, light, darkness, and shadows; this is stuff I’m learning by asking others I admire. The second goal, only in the last year, is to really work at street photography.”
Photography and Music?
For what it is worth, my personal experience has been that music helps me creatively, makes me more productive when I’m shooting.
The Original Peak Design Everyday Messenger!
I’m in the process of relocating back to the US from Japan, part of that means I mail my camera gear ahead of the move. There was no question I’d be using my old Peak Design Everyday Messenger bag, the 15 inch that started the craze. What I am surprised about is how great of a bag this still is!
Two Months Left in Japan
I sat down on a park bench, a minute or two later an elderly lady sat down next to me. Doing a few things on my phone, I noticed her taking out art supplies and she began sketching the US Navy ships across the harbor at the US Naval Base.
About This… Japanese Food?
After hearing about Japanese food from many friends over the years, my family and I were ready for what was to come… or were we?
Osaka
Don’t get me wrong, Universal Studios is very cool, the kids had a blast, but by the second day it felt like I was Teddy Kennedy’s drinking buddy after a weekend of carousing at Martha’s Vineyard. I was tired…
Memorial Day 2021
It’s Memorial Day here in Japan, as a veteran it feels awkward when someone says, “thank you for your service” on this day. Yes, please thank veteran’s on Memorial Day, go to a national cemetery if you’re near one; if not, visit a nearby grave with flags planted.
Affiliate Page, Finally!
Over the years I’ve taken a stab at setting up an Affiliate Page, but something has always gotten in the way…
The Last Carrier Departure.
Yesterday I was able to go out and shoot the USS Reagan as she departed Yokosuka, Japan…
Stock Photos!
Every now and then I check to see where my photos have been used, usually it’s just searching myself. Around January I’ll do a deep search with a Google Reverse Image search and that kicks up a lot more results but is more time consuming. While photography has […]
Living the Dream
I had never thought of shooting stock photography till a friend suggested I try. Now, my photos are doing better than ever at Adobe, Getty, Shutterstock and the others. However, while traffic goes to those companies from my website, I don’t sell much there. Now, I’m working on my website and have made photos more affordable.
New Website Promo Video for 2021!
Recently, I had some spare time and haven’t been out shooting much, plus some other family events. To get my mind off it, I decided to create another video promo for my website and it was a labor intensive process which was something needed to keep me going mentally.
The Greatest Person You’ve Likely Never Heard Of…
Recently, a Facebook post was forwarded to me by my wife, it was historical and she thought I’d like it. It was about a Japanese man the article claimed was the “Japanese Schindler.” It claimed he saved some 6,000 Jews during the Holocaust, five times more than attributed to Oskar Schindler, the subject of the famous 1993 movie Schindler’s List. If everything in the article were true, it seemed to me that Hollywood had made a movie about the wrong person.
Photos in The Atlantic!
On December 13, 2020 The Atlantic released an online photo collection entitled, Virginia: Images of the Old Dominion. The article contains 33 photos taken at various picturesque locations in Virginia and three of those photos were mine!
Peak Design Bags: 1 Year Later.
Top zipper access in the 15″ PD bag, built in color coordinated battery holders (for charged/uncharged), luggage pass through on the back, and the flexi-fold style dividers to stack lenses were what I missed. Did these little things mean enough to go through the hassle of selling the current bags on eBay?
The Covid Lockdown and NOT Shooting
Recently, with everyone trying to stay in or close to home here in Japan where I live, I was no different. Instead of heading out to shoot, I took a few months to go through the thousands of photos on my hard drive and see what I had…
Peak Design BLACK FRIDAY SALE, Nov 16-30!!
Peak Design gear is something I’ve been using since 2012 and they’ve NEVER failed. Peak Design’s customer service is second to none, they set the standard for creating products that customers request through surveys, and their lifetime guarantee is hassle free. Check out their Black Friday Sale from Nov 16-30th!
Ōfuna Kannon
Today I drove north to Kamakura to shoot the Ōfuna Kannon, an 82 foot tall statue of Bodhisattva Kannon that weighs in at 1,900 tons. While the statue is definitely impressive and worth seeing…
Covid-19 Lockdown…
I can’t think of a five or six month period since 2012 where I’ve taken out my camera so little, but that’s not to say I haven’t been engaged with photography in some way. Since I didn’t really get out and shoot, I concentrated on the future by researching potential gear changes.
What I Learned and Why 7+ Minutes Mattered…
While serving 30 years in the US Navy I learned something very important; being a good or bad person had nothing to do with skin color, religion, gender, sexual preference, birthright, or financial background. That’s a lot, but it’s true.
F8 & 🐝 there 