Feet Pics for Sale?

In a world where you can be anything, be hot. I mean, that's pretty much the "OnlyFans" motto these days isn't it? If you have looks good enough, you can use an iPhone 7 and make 8 figures a year. Why wouldn't you do that? You bet your sweet ass if I was anything but average looking I probably would. But alas; I am one of the millions of people who fall in the classic 6/10 range. (7 on a good day, I'm not looking for sympathy here). For those of us in the middle, thankfully enough; there are things like "hard work" and "talent”. Plus I much prefer to be on the other side of the camera anyways. I find it fun to tweak little numbers on a screen that drastically change the way something (or someone) looks! (Or at least how the light hits them). I should also take a second to say I am by no means bashing anyone who is fortunate enough to be able to sell themselves on a platform like that. You do you boo boo, just remember that if you really want the best photos, hiring a photographer is a good investment!!  ANYWAYS. If you've been following me for a while, or even a little, you've probably noticed that I have a habit of sticking my feet into the frame and snapping a photo. Social media loves that stuff. The algorithm anyways. Half the people say it's the least safe thing possible (I'm typically hanging out of a car, or sitting on the edge of a cliff) and the other half say it's the coolest thing they've ever seen! I've even seen a few other photographer friends use a similar angle, and adapt it to their style of shooting! (Which I love by the way. The photo's are really exciting to capture). But why? Where did that all come from, and why don't I want to stop doing it. 

The short answer is because it's fun and I want too. But there's a little more to it. It all started as a unique way to remember the vehicles I've shot. It started with a very tidy and very low Mk7 Sportwagon by the name of @sofresh.wagon on the gram! We were out shooting and I was waiting for vehicle to pass and was sitting in the back of my pathfinder going down the road. I leaned back, stuck my feet up and framed the car in the middle, and snapped the shutter a few times. What I was left with was a horribly blurry and out of focus shot of a friends car and some old ZooYork sneakers. Somewhere in my stupid competitive brain that became the benchmark that I had to beat from then on out. Do I want the car in focus? Do I want my feet in focus? How do I make the ground move more? Being that the photos are basically just a rolling shot, all the fancy settings stuff can be found in my blog down the page regarding "how too" on the rolling shots! Super simple once that's all part of your memory bank. 

After a few more tries I had pretty well nailed down the process of getting these shots; and honestly it has become common practice in my workflow while shooting to make sure I grab that shot! Step 1: Dial in settings for the roller. Step 2: Get my feet in it! My favourite of the photos has to be the one I've used as the title image; as it shows the Green Wagon and a Widebody GTI, driven by two close friends, holding their shoes out of the drivers windows to get a few more shoes in the frame! It is a little comical but it is always fun looking at the images afterwards and seeing the faces of the drivers. Typically with a giant smile across their face! You try and tell me that's not what this is all about. (Oh yea, you cant). I've been compiling these shots for the better part of a year now, and once I have enough of them I think a coffee table book of high resolution foot photos would be a hilarious way to earn some extra "new photography equipment" money. Imagine that, Me, selling foot pictures, just like all the pretty people on OnlyFans. 

If anyone has any idea's as to how to get a footwear company involved with this project it would be much appreciated! (Anyone reading this work at Blundstone? I tend to wear those a lot in the shot.) I'd love to find a way to turn it into something that gives back. I'm aware there are a few companies out there who do wonderful things for people in far less fortunate environments; and once the coffee table book is ready I'd love to sort out a way to donate portions of that towards a similar program! Specifically when it comes to footwear, I know there are some companies who donate shoes, or for every pair sold a pair is donated sort of deal! Is this a good idea? Who knows. I'm just throwing shit at a computer to see what sticks. Lately, mostly due to recent events, I've felt a little more need to do something that isn't just "make cool content and work myself to death."  Not being able to shoot the large scale charity event's I had committed to in 2020 actually made me a lot more depressed than I had anticipated. It wasn't just another day off, and I remember clearly wishing I was in the madness that is the Okanagan Dream Rally (Where foot photos take the backseat) on the weekend it was originally planned. 

 At the end of the day, we are all out here trying our best to live a life with more smiles than frowns.  What started out as a silly way to remember the interesting vehicles I've been fortunate enough to photograph is slowly turning into an interesting way to contribute to far more than just my own personal memory bank. You best believe once I have enough of these captures in one place, I'll print them. We've all had to come up with new ways to fill our bank accounts, bathrooms (because people went mad for toilet paper), fridges, and hearts with the challenges that have come with such a large scale Pandemic; and while I'm sure it hasn't been easy for everyone, I see no point in halting our goals entirely. Gear down, point the wheels where you want to go, and put your right foot back on the accelerator. Or I suppose in some cases, back in front of a camera.