You need a better example of a "story"?

You know, if you have been reading this blog, that I believe that your story is as important as your 'brand'. I rather think it is more important in the art/craft world. It isn't about logos or flash or websites as much as it is about who you are and what you are about.

In a world that is enamored of digital right now, this guy's story really stands out. It is a differentiator of huge proportions. It is what the art scene is buzzing about. His images are important, no doubt... but the story is as important.

Think about it... handbuilt camera, farm in rural NY, no computer work (indeed, no computer) and correspondance by handwritten pencil. The story is fun to talk about, a bit whimsical and definitely a defining item. His camera is hauled around by an Ox.

How many other photographers can you name that have any kind of animal haul their camera around? What does that have to do with photography? Not a damn thing. That's the story.

Wired News: Civil War Era Grips Tintype Rebel: "Photographer John Coffer lives in a hand-built cabin in rural New York and makes a living taking old-fashioned metal-plate photographs.

For years, he's eked out a living taking portraits of Civil War re-enactors from the back of a horse-drawn wagon. Now, his distinctive pictures are becoming popular on the chic New York art scene."