Competitors

So I'm still working on my business plan.

It's a long process if one is doing it correctly. It involves research, planning, deep thought, and a whole lot of aggravation. On the plus side, it gives a person allocated time to investigate others who are your competitors. Those who have mastered what your goal.

I have found a website today with an agent who has miraculous taste in photographers. One day my works will take up internet space on this page of great talent.

Here is the list of great photographers that I consider competitors. It is mainly the fashion side of my competition, though a few shoot celebrities as well. Investigation takes a while ;).

With Agent: Michele Filomeno
Alexis Silvagni
Christophe Kutner
Claus Wickrath
David Ferrua
James Macari
Javier Valihonrat
Jean-Francois Campos
Juan Gatti
Peter Lindbergh
Sophie Delaporte
Stafano Galuzzi
Tiziano Magni


I also put Annie Leibovitz on the list even though she is not represented by Filomeno. She has been very lucky to have shot much subject matter that interests me.

This list will grow as my investigation blooms. I am going to try and contact as many of these photographers as I can to get advice from them. They all have incredible work.

Hhmmmm Stock Market

I only wish I had enough money to invest right now while everything is dirt cheap.

I'm glad the bail out didn't pass, the market was going to crash any ways it just would have taken a couple weeks longer.

I'm glad for my acquaintance Mike who owns Gold Casters. He sells gold and the stock went way up for it. Congrats. :)

Who ever knew that Wall Street Culture was actually exciting?

4:09 AM: Crystal Bowersox

Yes, I stayed up all night photo shopping this, but its done...and it kicks butt!



Crystal Bowersox on her farm

It might get squished or cut off, so click on it to see the whole thing.

Business Plan

Today I have been working on my business plan. It has been a tough and tiring thing to work through, but helpful and rewarding. I suggest all new photographers to start one ASAP. It allows you to know your goals and realities.

Shoot #1 of Recycled Paper Sculptures

This shoot was the most amazing shoot ever! I swear. Here are the credits:

Photographer: Nicky Watts
Location: Nicky Watts Studios, Las Vegas
Model: Zaya Kharkhuu
Make Up Artist: Samantha Hendrickson
Hair Stylist: Valarie Zwahlen
Recycled Paper Sculpture: custom $2500: Nicky Watts
Wardrobe: Zaya Kharkhuu
Assistant: Jeannette Spradley


Everyone did such a great job, I already finished the job. 4 pictures photoshopped, oh...and shot, in one day. Oh yea, I'm on a roll. Here's the grid I made of the final three I kept as the best.




Awesome, huh. Ok, well I'm off to sleep. Well after I print one for my very early morning networking breakfast....7am...yuck.

Websites

Let me give you all a word of advise.

NEVER HAVE A WEB DESIGNER UPLOAD YOUR WEBSITE UNTIL IT IS COMPLETELY FINISHED!!!!! I MEAN COMPLETELY, NO MATTER WHAT THE RUSH MAY BE.

If it seems to be going faster than you understand, it is and you will pay for it later; and my web person is very nice and has high recommendation, so I can only image for the real sleaze balls out there.

If you are interested in hearing more about the troubles of this let me know, other wise I will not rant and rave on about it.

Photoshop girl...and more

I have started my recycled paper sculpture series. I'm really excited, I shoot the first one tomorrow. I have finished the sculpture for it, I tested the 8x10 camera.....and guess what....IT WORKS!

Tomorrow I have a solid team of people who are really excited about working with me. You can't get better than that.

Here are some pics I've finished recently. Its all stuff I shot this year but revised it. Most of it I shot in the last couple months.



This picture is of Ben Hilt of Raw Milk. It is from a shut down bridge in Chicago. It was crazy because I really wanted to shoot at this bridge, but I didn't even know if it had existed anymore. I ran into my first year living in Chicago with the brilliant Chicago artist Emmit Liston, but I hadn't seen it since. So it had basically been 6 years and I only vaguely knew what I was looking for. Rich thought I was crazy and it didn't exist, but here it is. We found it on intuition with no problem. I love it when that works out.



These two beautiful young ladies. They are both sisters who also happen to be incredible makeup artists. We shot this photo in Crystal Bowersox's apartment. We shot this when I was visiting Chicago for three weeks a couple months ago (one of 8 shoots). These are pictures that the sisters have wanted for a long time. It was a riot because we were actually (don't tell anyone) going to shoot in an empty apartment, but due to complications ended up shooting in Crystal's. Crystal's mom was there and admitted later that she thought they were lesbians because of their closeness. That made me laugh, these sisters are close, but not that close ;).

This was a great trade, I get to get my eye brows sculpted and my mustache removed when ever I make it to Chicago. These are services I would never pay, but between my trade with Angel at Buzz salon for prints of my Chastised Series and this, I am a very spoiled Chicago tourist :).

Here's another one from that series, but I don't love the background color here. What do you all think, should I change the background? ich likes it but I think it takes away from them. Something's not quite right.



The girls wanted the skin very smooth, I'm still debating whether this is way too smooth.

Well, there's more, but this is enough for now. Soon I will do a whole section on Crystal Bowersox. She is my favorite musician that I just so happen to have been lucky enough to have shot about 5 times. I will explain everything some day, but I'm working on her cd cover now and I want to wait. Check out her music at

www.myspace.com/crystallbowersox

I listen to this over and over again, I can't get enough of it.


Well, good night, Nicky

New Movements

I'm really excited. My 8x10 camera is now set up in the living room and ready to be tested to make sure it works. I don't see any problems with it, other than a small chip around the edge of the lens. This sucks, but its not the end of the world either. I even have the film loaded so by the end of the day, it will be tested. Hopefully I will know this tomorrow or Tuesday.

I have been moving forward on my womens' body project. I will be meeting with some women in the next couple of weeks who are very interested in participating.

Now I have the group of former show girls
a belly dancer
a model
and an freelance escort

who are interested or have agreed to participate already. This is so exciting. I'm going to budget in some time next week to paint. With this many girls interested, all I need is to move forward with them and finish two paintings and I will be able to apply for some grants. Oh...its getting closer. I can feel it.

And.... I have a photo shoot this week for the recycled paper sculpture portraits. I will be testing on Ann tonight, casting the model on Monday, and we will shooting on Wednesday. Hair and makeup are already covered. I'm hoping to shoot both digital and with the 8x10 camera. How exciting!

Well, this isn't it, I have set up a separate Nicky Watts Studios myspace, Henderson Art Association email, a spam email, I found that an email I was using for flickr had been hacked and the individual had a myspace under it. I canceled that. I guess this is good advances in my internet PR. I'm pretty happy with it all because it all takes time to do. Well, so long. I'm hoping to video tape Monday and Wednesday so everyone can see the process.

And...lastly....WoPRo (the women's Networking Community that I'm really excited about) seems to be moving along really good. If all works out I will be renting some loft space with this organization. It will be shared space of 2000 sqft or more depending if the leads that exist now go through. Stefani, the president of the organization, is waiting to get the loft to see if contracts close. If they do the space will be bigger. Everything will be on wheels so it will be easy to shift things around depending on need. This will allow me to make huge sets, and that's what she wants me to do. She wants it to be based around the arts and I am the artist involved. It will be shared with 25-? professional women. I'm so very excited for this to happen. I feel good about it inside. I'm crossing my fingers, so you should all cross yours for me too. Well, I'll keep you updated.

Nicky

Malbec

I have completed a bunch of work the last couple days. That convention just continues to prove its worth every time I'm on Photoshop.

This photo is really exciting to me. It's Malbec, a Los Angeles band I've wanted to shoot since I saw them in Chicago a couple months ago. This was on a whim, I was randomly passing through LA and called them. I happened to have about 60 yard worth of netting in the back of my (well Rich's) Honda Element named Eleanor. My style is usually heavily planned out, but here I had to think quick with little resources (well I had all my equipment)...little props.

Here's what I came out with. Its fun, was laid back (which I prefer), quick (which I also prefer for the actual shooting part), and they love the picture. They even want me to go back. I'm happy :)

Today I went to this network lunch with one of my favorite groups I'm involved in; Chics Who Click. Its a wonderful group of photographers that meet once a month for lunch and talk about business. Today we discussed insurance, oh so helpful. The verdict....you need it! Business insurance in particular.

We also talked about PPA I think it is. Highly recommended for its professionalism and support for photographers. I think its actually something else; Professional Photographers Association ....... These girls are a riot. This has been my third month and I plan to continue. Every week (well almost) we take a group picture. Here's our picture this month:



Fun Hah?

After that I met with Sharon and Deb from the Henderson Art Association. I will be doing PR work for them. It was great to finally get grounded on what is going on with the association. Boy are they in a shift right now, I've come at the perfect time. Not to be arrogant or anything, but the woman who ran it before Deb really had it grounded, and its been in the weird shift that happens when a new director takes over. Now it really sounds like they're ready to move it forward. At least Sharon and Deb are. I am too....all of you who know me sure know I love planning stuff. I will have to restrain myself though, its not my group this time. That my be a little difficult to grasp at first, but I think I will be able to step off. I just hope people tell me if I'm pissing them off.

I'm really excited for tomorrow. I am meeting with Stefani, the individual who is starting the group called WoPro that I am involved in. I love her. She has a great personality and I am really pumped about the group. I can't wait to hear the advances she has made.

Well, soon I'm sure :0

I forgot to mention that the studio we are in for the Chics Who Click lunch is Connie's: Thanks Connie. She's the one who looks like Bette Midler. I love it.

First day of blogging!

Hi.

I'm Nicky Watts, the one and only!! Actually, if you google my name a hockey player also comes up, so I guess I'm not the one and only. But, to elaborate slightly, I am like no other.

This is my first time blogging. I have been encouraged to do this for a while now, so I figured I might as well give it a try.

I'm about to turn 26. Getting older is great and deserves recognition. One more year survived in a world that throws individuals around like the wind. There's pride to reaching an age I never thought I would live to see. My current living location is Henderson, NV; just outside Las Vegas. My boyfriend and I of three years moved here to escape the chaos and cold chill of Chicago. Aug. would have marked my 7th year there; Rich grew up in the suburbs.

My occupation is as a contemporary artist and photographer.

For my age I am well practiced in the process of exhibitions. I worked as a free-lance photographer for over 5 years and have exhibited my art work in nearly 20 art exhibits. Organizing events and collaboration are pass times of mine. I ran an art group called New Works Group closely affiliated with the New Works Gallery at UIC for 2 years while I attended the Art and Design department. I graduated. UIC was a warm encouraging place to be, until my last year and a half. I found my Art Education teachers to be disrespectful and unnecessary, the photography department was my refuge.

In this blog, I will talk about my daily achievements as a photographer and artist. Maybe I will venture into the achievements in my life as well, but we'll see ;). I will start with last night:

I had the wonderful privilege of photographing Malbec in LA, CA. That is my achievement as of now. When I have completed the pictures I will prob have more to say about it. I'm blog pooped out, good bye for now.

Nicky