Where I’ve been…
I really do mean to write in the blog more often that I do. Most of the time lately it’s simply been a matter of, do I write/blog/tweet in public or do I create new art? Lately art has been winning that battle. It’s a happy dilemma to have. 2010 has been a very fortunate [...]
Billy Sheahan Photography at the 1st ever Chicago edition of The Dirty Show this weekend
It’s been a very busy and creative 2010. I’m optimistic about new opportunities for all of us as the year progresses. And in that spirit, I’m happy to announce I’ll be showing my photography at the first ever Chicago edition of The Dirty Show this weekend. It will be quite the scene with over 69 [...]
Riding the new wave forward
It’s been a challenging few years, but I’m officially optimistic about the future. We’ve all had to tighten our belts, cut out all but what was necessary to survive and become more creative in how we look for work, refining our business models and reinventing who we are. Those of us who have managed to [...]
5 years old… all over again
Remember when you were 5 years old? I do. I was living on the southeast side of Chicago around 99th street. Anything was possible. Big dreams. Big play. Big fun. I was reminded of that time twice today. First when I heard the Chicago air-raid sirens go off this morning at 10am. We called them [...]
Inspiration Days
Work is good. Play is better. Well they’re both good, as long as one doesn’t overshadow the other. Happily, after a long winter of work work work, there have been a few moments in the last couple of weeks where I’ve been able to come up for air and experience the art of others. On [...]
What to charge when pricing photography services?
As we continue to crawl out from under the recent economic unpleasantness, it’s a good time to reevaluate what we’re charging for our photographic services. I get a lot of questions from both emerging and established photographers asking about how they establish or update their pricing. Some of these answers depend on the market and [...]
Parlez-vous Billy ? Oui !
I’m continuing to make lots of improvements to the blog and my photography website which should be finished in a few weeks. With the introduction of Apple’s iPad, it’s been fascinating to watch web designers scramble to make sure their sites are viewable on the new device, which does not use Flash to display web [...]
A Holiday Music Video Miracle and Christmas at 7-Eleven
December is always a challenging month for me. Not because of the usual shopping stresses, but more because of work related holiday deadlines. It seems like my already bursting plate seems to overflow even more leading up to the holidays. I’ve learned over the years to not stress too much about it. There are things [...]
Questions answered about my iPhone app promotion
My Billy Sheahan Photography iPhone app (link opens iTunes), has been out for a little over a week now. It’s done phenomenally well. Beyond my wildest expectations. A little over 1000 installs every day. Really tremendous. And besides all the installs, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about why I felt I needed an [...]
Escaping Ida
FADE IN: Billy sitting alone at a table at a cafe in New Orleans under a single light, that even though it’s noon, illuminates only him. A cigarette dangles from his mouth, channeling William Shatner… or is it Stewie? “She packed my bags… last night… pre-flight…. Zero hour… 5…. pm… And I’m gonna be… HIGH… [...]
New Orleans and… Japan, of all places
The opening at Octavia Art Gallery in New Orleans was tremendous and amazing. I really love it here. I met more incredible artists and people who came by to check out all the great photography at the Exotica Exhibition. The gallery manager Emily was so kind in the way she welcomed me and made me [...]
The Last Month
I’m pretty sure this is the longest I’ve gone in years without writing in my blog here. Exactly a month ago was the last entry. I’ve learned that sometimes it’s just not possible to accomplish everything on one’s to do list and still get enough sleep to remain healthy. There is simply: What do I [...]
Billy Sheahan Photography September 2009 Postcard
“Like loving a woman with a broken nose, you may well find lovelier lovelies. But never a lovely so real.” That’s how the great writer Nelson Algren once described the city. My city. Chicago. I’ve traveled all over the world, but I keep coming back to Chicago. I often tell people, “If summer lasted year [...]
Billy Sheahan Photography August 2009 Postcard
Buckminster Fuller, the American philosopher, architect, and inventor once said, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” I’ve been getting a lot of requests this year to direct television commercials. Creatives from a few advertising agencies who have been fans [...]
Taking a moment to breathe
I really don’t have time to be blogging tonight. But sometimes I need to make time to write. It makes me slow down and breathe for a few minutes. And it’s way past time I did that. I’m very happy with everything that’s going on in my life right now, but there is simply too [...]
Billy Sheahan Photography June 2009 Postcard
When I was in college, I really loved photographing my favorite bands in concert. The only problem was that it was illegal to do so. The good thing was that security was little more than a pat down and we came up with all kinds of ways to get camera bodies and long lenses into [...]
The Embarrassment of Photography Riches Week
It seems like everything is arriving late in Chicago this year. We’re all still wondering if we’re done with rainy 50 degree days yet and it’s mid June. And I finally got a few days of freedom for the first time in I can’t remember how long. My Memorial Day Holiday had to wait until [...]
Twitter, Blog, Book or Sleep?
I really enjoy writing. When I have so much going on that I don’t have time to sit down and clear my head and get my thoughts out, I find that my head gets a little soggy. Sometimes I just have to make time to write to enjoy a moment or two of peace. I [...]
Happy and Sad
Life can be a blend of emotions sometimes. I’m at the end of one of those weekends where I was as happy as I could be and at the same time very sad. First the sad. A good friend of mine died on Friday following a battle with cancer. We literally watched her fade away [...]
Taking down the Naked Work show
Today I took down my “Naked Work” photo show at The Gallery at The Colonie. It’s always a bit sad to take down a show, but buyers are waiting for their images and it’s good to know so many pieces are going to good homes. The Colonie is really a great exhibition gallery, and I’ll [...]
Gallery Opening a Big Success
I’m a very fortunate man. The public opening at The Gallery at The Colonie was a great success. Turnout was great. I would have to estimate about half of the people in attendance I hadn’t met before, which is really incredible. I’m very grateful for all the kind words and support I received from everyone I met [...]
TED Inspiration
One thing that’s easy to forget as an artist, is to take time to be inspired. For those of you who regularly read this blog you know I try to stop every once in a while and have an Inspiration Day. It’s not always easy. There are always deadlines that need attention. Work that needs [...]
Some History – Paris to Chicago
The other evening I was watching a great documentary on one of my photography heroes, Henri Cartier-Bresson called Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye. There were a few shots of him in his Paris home, when all of a sudden I realized I had been in his backyard! Well not exactly, except that his apartment overlooked [...]
Inspiration Day
Today was inspiration day. Sometimes I forget to put down my camera and experience things with my own eyes when I’m traveling. So today I mostly put down my camera and headed to the French Quarter to a very specific photography gallery that’s been on my list. A Gallery for Fine Photography is actually a [...]
