Photography with Joe

   How I Discovered the “Machine Gun Shot” and Why Reputation Isn’t What You Think by Doc Scholz I had this client who didn’t like long shots. Or rather, he didn’t like the idea of taking a long shot. He said, “I don’t want to try—it might destroy my reputation.” And I get it. Nobody wants to look foolish. Nobody wants to fail publicly. But here’s the thing I learned the hard way: in the creative world, failure doesn’t destroy your reputation. Avoiding risk does. I realized this by accident. I wasn’t trying to teach anyone anything—I was just doing my job. But over time, I noticed a pattern: the clients who got scared and didn’t take chances? They stayed invisible. Nothing happened. No relationships formed. No doors opened. And in creative work, being invisible is the real killer. Then it hit me. I started thinking about the process differently. I called it the machine gun shot . The Machine Gun Shot: My Accidental Discovery I discovered the machine gun shot co...

  The Case for Criminalizing Jokes Free speech is dead. Yet people cling to the illusion that they can say whatever they want, hiding behind “intent” or “humor” as shields. The UK is already punishing people for hate speech—even when they thought they were joking. This proves the old rules no longer matter. Why not cut to the point? Make jokes illegal. Ban every non-literal, every pragmatic utterance. The so-called “minor injustice” of punishing humor is nothing compared to the greater injustice of allowing people to believe they have rights that no longer exist. Jail time will drop, clarity will rise, and the myth of free speech will finally be buried.

  Noblesse Oblige in an Age of Intellectual Power Let’s get this straight: power—real power—isn’t measured by titles, votes, or bank balances. It’s measured by who you lift, who you teach, who you give the tools to survive and thrive when the game is stacked against them. Intellectual power, academic influence, creative authority—this is the leverage of our era. And if you have it, you owe it . Noblesse oblige is not optional; it’s combustible, it’s dangerous, it’s responsibility dressed as opportunity. I’m talking about wielding your knowledge like a torch, not a cudgel. Mentorship that breaks hierarchies. Ideas that destabilize comfort zones. Exposure that accelerates the overlooked. If your brain, your insight, your access can open doors, shut up about humility and start opening doors . Too many people hide behind “meritocracy” like it’s a shield. Newsflash: if you hoard your brilliance, your connections, your strategies—you’re complicit. Complicit in mediocrity. Complicit in...

Seeing Color: How Our Brain Tricks Us and Cameras Try to Keep Up TO RICHARD Before we can discuss the illusions created by Samsung cameras or any camera for that matter, it’s best to start at the beginning: our brain does not see exactly what our eyes see. Vision is sometimes reality, and sometimes a created image—our perception is always a mix of raw input and brain interpretation. Our perception of color is not a direct readout of the world—it’s a reconstruction built by the brain. Light reflects off objects with different wavelengths, but the exact mix of wavelengths hitting our eyes depends heavily on the lighting. A red apple under bright noon sunlight looks different than the same apple in the golden glow of sunset. Yet, remarkably, we still perceive it as red. This is because our brain constantly compensates for lighting conditions . It applies unconscious “corrections” so that familiar objects maintain a consistent color in our mind. In a sense, our brain is lying to us, making...

  “Dick, when you take a photo with your Samsung, the camera isn’t just snapping exactly what the sensor sees. The sensor records raw light, but it’s limited—it can’t capture every sparkle or highlight perfectly. The phone then runs some smart software on that raw data: It merges multiple exposures (HDR) so bright spots like glimmers don’t get lost and dark areas aren’t crushed. It cleans up noise, which also makes little sparkles pop more than the raw sensor caught. It boosts local contrast and sharpness, making reflective surfaces look extra shiny. So the final photo is like a polished version of reality—it’s technically “enhanced” by the phone. Your viewfinder already shows a processed preview, which is why it looked like what you saw with your eyes. But the saved image might exaggerate glimmers even more because the algorithms are trying to make it look vivid. In short: the camera didn’t lie, it just used smart tricks to make the glimmers stand out more than the r...

  When Dec 26 works well As A Music Relase Party It’s a good date if : The event is low-pressure (drop-in, casual, no strict start time) Your audience is local , not industry-heavy The vibe is cozy / celebratory / communal , not hype-driven You’re okay with smaller but warmer attendance Examples: Listening party Intimate live set House-show energy Bar or lounge event with flexible timing When it’s a bad idea Avoid Dec 26 if: You need maximum turnout You’re inviting press, industry, or promoters The event relies on high energy or late-night commitment You’re counting on ticket sales rather than goodwill