livebooks blog

Myanmar Bridge. Photo courtesy of Fisher Creative.

In August 2013 a group of 7 climbers, 5 Americans and 2 Myanmarese climbers, traveled to the farthest reaches of northern Myanmar to make a first ascent of Gamlang Razi, Southeast Asia’s disputed highest peak. All told, the climbers traveled over 270 miles on foot through some of the harshest terrain on the planet, braving extreme heat and moisture, as well as the gambit of jungle creatures. Despite these challenges, they were rewarded with rare access to one of the most remote and untouched corners of this planet, living with villagers along the trail that have never seen westerners before. In fact, there have been less than a dozen or so westerners in history to have ever been to this part of the world, and only one climbing expedition in history have been to these mountains. More »

The beginning of a new year is an opportune time to reflect on last year and set goals for the year ahead. We decided to check in with longtime friend and director and photographer Mark Fisher to see what his most memorable moment was last year and what he plans to do in 2013. (We are really looking forward to the documentary firm!)

What was your most memorable moment from the past year?

Aside from the birth of my son, my most memorable career moment was being selected for PDN 30. This is one of my favorite ski photos from this past winter. Griffin Post skiing Pyramid Peak at sunset in Valdez, Alaska.

Photo credit Mark Fisher

What is your biggest goal for 2013?

To continue to expand and grow my business in the United States and abroad. I’ve just launched an aggressive marketing campaign with the hope of reaching many new and diverse clients. But my most important goal is to complete my first documentary film, “64.5*North, an 1100 mile self-supported Alaskan Snowbike Journey”.

How has liveBooks changed your business?

liveBooks has grown with me. When I added motion 3 years ago, liveBooks was right there with me. Actually they were ahead of me. When I completed my rebranding last year, they were able to help me transform my vision into a reality with a custom designed website. liveBooks hasn’t so much changed my business, they’ve allowed me to seamlessly execute and share my business vision with the rest of the world!

As the end of the year approaches it’s an opportune time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the next. We decided to check in with longtime friend and director and photographer Justin Francis to see what his most memorable moment was this past year and what he plans to do in 2013.

Justin Francis shooting The Fray’s latest video.

What was your most memorable moment from this past year?  

I had a chance to travel to Argentina for a B.o.B. music video back in February. Normally when you direct a video you are given the job specs and the location is already decided. This, however, was one of the rare cases where my concept dictated the filming location. So I was there for a week – shooting, scouting, working with incredible talent in South America. I have been fortunate to travel around the world for one job or another. It is without a doubt the biggest perk of being a Director/Photographer!

What is your biggest goal for 2013?  

My goals remain the same from year to year –  to get better across the board and to do work that I can be proud of.

How has liveBooks changed your business?  

On a basic level, liveBooks has provided me with an incredibly versatile platform to view, edit and showcase my work. But beyond that, liveBooks has acted as a sort of loudspeaker – getting the word out about both me and my business. Most creative people I know would rather be creating stuff instead of talking about themselves. liveBooks allows me to focus on my work and I leave my marketing and web presence to them.

Check out Justin’s behind the scenes coverage of Carly Rae Jepsen’s video.

The second of two posts originally published on the Professional Photographer Magazine blog. Photographer, Writer and liveBooks client, Lindsay Adler shares her insight in the second of two parts describing the top 10 things to think about when you start using an HDSLR camera.

Click Here To Read The First Part

6. Be Steady: In most cases, hand-holding just won’t cut it. The camera will record every wiggle and breath you take. Consider keeping your camera on a tripod (or monopod), but invest in a head or unit that will allow you to make camera movements (like panning). Another option is a steadicam unit that will give you a more stable image and additional flexibility.

7. Audio: When first starting out, you might want to use a music overlay or a voice-over with your early efforts. Triple Scoop Music is a great resource of royalty-free music for photographers. Once you feel more comfortable, consider capturing audio of the scene, including the subjects’ voices, ambient noise, and more. The more advanced in video you become, the more complex and precise your audio captures will be. If recording audio alone, cars (motor and AC off, of course) make great sound studios.

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