Do - Not Take Pictures Book on Kicks-Starter now

**schafphoto** · 10-Oct-2015, 12:55

Hi Fellow LF photographers,

I wrote a book, and it is allegedly, presumably, theoretically funny. It’s half funded but there are still earlybird books left.

I’m not putting the book title in this post so I can offer a free PDF copy to the LF forum readers and limit it by keeping this off Google search. The title is similar to this: Do Not Take Pictures - A Bunch of Reasons to Skip Becoming a Tog (see photo).

After 25 years as a commercial photographer I decided to sit down and write a book about all the dumb mistakes I have made in the hope of entertaining established photographers and serving up a dose of reality to the “emerging” photographers that want to try to make a living at the very challenging career of professional photography.

Private message me with your E-mail address and I’ll send you the pre-release PDF attached so you can read it and decide if it’s worth the fifteen bucks on KS http://bit.ly/DONTBOOK - Even if you don’t back the Kick Starter, maybe you can help spread the word.

I’ve gotten great reviews from Ted Orland, Guy Kawasaki, William Albert Allard, and the guys at Freestyle and the Los Angeles Center of Photography. Here’s a link to the Book webpage: www.66reasons.com

Happy Photographing and thanks in advance for your support.

**Ben Syverson** · 11-Oct-2015, 08:24

Stephen,

Looks like a fun book! You should really have a link to the Kickstarter on your website. There are a lot of things that look like links but don't go anywhere, or lead to an image.

Good luck!

Ben

**schafphoto** · 11-Oct-2015, 14:16

Hi Ben, Yes I just realized that was not working.

Here’s the link to the Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...ont-shoot-book

Your post made me realize that I need to do a sticky at the top of the 66reasons.com website that goes directly to KS. and I’ve fixed my links.

Thanks
-Schaf

**Bill Burk** · 11-Oct-2015, 20:32

Had fun at the Renaissance Festival. Talked to a guy who does stained glass, couldn't resist telling him about your "Holy Robot."

He told a story how sometimes you make up something in glass and it looks good on the sketches and laying on the table, but when you hold it up it looks like something completely different. In his case a woman ordered a piece with curving lines and it looked great until held up and it looked like a pregnant woman. She didn't want anything to do with that idea, wasn't interested in becoming pregnant and didn't want a "talisman" to cause that to happen. Turned it upside down and it looked like the curvy lines she wanted in the first place.

Don't know why that's relevant but good luck with the project... I've backed you and thank heavens I heard the same idea thirty-five years ago when I "didn't" become a professional. I became a "printer" instead (which has its own pitfalls), and remained an amateur photographer (amateurs face some of the same problems).

**munz6869** · 12-Oct-2015, 03:44

I've backed this - it looks interesting!!

Marc!

**schafphoto** · 12-Oct-2015, 13:20

Thanks Marc, you pushed me over the 50% funded mark but there are still some earlybird books left. Anyone know someone at PetaPixel or any of the large photo blogs. I think I’ve been bugging them enough ;-)
Took this photo that I thought worked with the D0N’T SH00T theme. Copal 3 with a Nikkor mount epoxied on. Gives me a great circular image on 4x5 film.

-S. Dirk Schafer author of the book D0N’T SH00T on Kicks-tarter at http://bit.ly/DONTBOOK

**Michael Graves** · 12-Oct-2015, 15:13

I like the looks of your project. Sent you a PM. The Don't Shoot book looks interesting as well. He should have called me. I'd have told him about the time my wife tried to get me arrested. I was shooting some pictures with my Mamiya 7, or so I thought. Unbeknown to me, I was clicking away with the lens cap still on. I was just raising the camera to my eye to grab another shot, when my wife, sitting in our car, saw that the lens cap was still on and pushed herself up through the sun roof and yelled, "Don't shoot!" at the top of her lungs. Naturally that was just a a cop was turning the corning and coming onto the street. Naturally, the lights went on and he hit the siren once. Pointed at me and waved me over. Of course when he realized what was going on, he was slightly amused. Slightly annoyed, but slightly amused.

**schafphoto** · 12-Oct-2015, 17:14

Michael,
The best part about this business are the stories! That’s why I started drawing my CLICKittyCAT.com photo comic so I’d have a funny outlet for the best quotes and stories. Now with the book I can share 66 more.