Gil Garcetti

I was so inspired by a story on CBS Morning News this Sunday morning about Mr. Garcetti's change from LA Prosecutor to a fine art photographer. During the story he was holding a contact sheet so I assumed he is a film photographer but here is a profile on Freestyle,
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/garcetti.php I am just too much of a coward to change my 30 year career in broadcast advertising to serious photography and I was wondering if anyone here has been as brave as Mr. Garcetti (Granted he was already well known in LA but if his work was not good, it really wouldn't have mattered, would it?)

I saw the show this morning. I think Garcetti was fortunete in his contacts and of course his abilities which he persued over a long course of time. Some people fall into things and some have to work their butt off to get to where Mr Garcetti is, although I don't know just what obstacles he went thru the get to where he is.

I started working part time in broadcast advertising production as a hopeful second career when I was in my mid 40's, trying to move over from being a A/C contractor in FL. Unfortunetly I came late to the party (not having life long contacts) and learned/teemed up with the wrong partner from which I suffered. Still over all I see video production as a much better money maker that can allow someone the income to travel and shoot stills. Of course I'm going to say start slow and build your still business, but don't give up your day job. What else can you do?

Mr.Garcetti's work is great! I've followed his work for a number of years. I don't want to buy his two books on the Disney Concert Hall until I've taken my photos of the Concert Hall. His images are so good that I don't want to try and imitate him(subconsciously). I believe he was prosecutor during the O.J trial. Talk about stress!

He was The Prosecutor for the OJ trial and lost his re-election because of it so instead of taking any of a number of offers to join a high profile lawfirms, chose to change his career. He has my admiration and I agree, his images are great. I can't find a website for him, do you know of one?

OJ trial changed a lot of lives and opinions.

Gil Garcetti.............went from DA to photographer
Marcia Clark............went from an ADA, then went Hollywood
Christopher Darden.......went from ADA, to a teacher
OJs wife's sister.........went from a user to a media slut
OJ went from California to Florida
Court TV went from a 2 bit cable show to an institution
Dominick Dunn went from being a little old gossip to a flaming old lady
Mark Furman went from being a cop to a pretty good author.

And the rest of us got to see first hand thanks to Robert Shapiro, Johnnie Cochrane, F.Lee Bailey, Alan Dershowitz et all, that the justice system is indeed all about how much money you have.


MIchael

It is what I am doing. I went from my old career of 15 years (forced decision) to now doing photography on a full time basis and trying to make it from prints sales. It is hard and you will have to expect less and I mean a lot less but it is a lot more fulfilling then the day in and day out of the corporate world. You really can do it but you must treat it as a fulltime job and always produce new work. Also your work has also have the quality and you have to be extremely hard on yourself. If you think an image is good put it aside and looks at it again in a few days. If you think it is no longer good toss it. I have thrown out so many negatives, just shred and toss and don’t look back. Also, you have to be extremely creative in your marketing approach also. I hear people say, “well I am not going to sell anything for under $500”. Well guess what? You wont sell anything then especially when you are starting out trying to build a name. The high prices will come when you start building a reputation for yourself.


I never heard of Gil until this post but if you really want it bad enough you can do it. No matter how bad it gets don’t give up as it will sooner or later make a turn for the better. It will be rough in the beginning but as time goes on and you become better know people will start buying your work on a regular basis. There is a light at the end of the tunnel but you have to persevere to find it.

Gay,

Thanks for posting this. I had completely forgotten about how, several months ago, I walked past a gallery here in Portland one night and saw his name and some pictures inside. I was a bit puzzled and meant to follow up on it, but didn't. I met Mr. Garcetti at the 1995 USC-UCLA football game, less than 2 months after Simpson was acquitted of the double murder.

Who the hell can blame Garcetti for a career change after that circus. Thanks again.

Mike

blansky said:

OJ trial changed a lot of lives and opinions.

Gil Garcetti.............went from DA to photographer
Marcia Clark............went from an ADA, then went Hollywood
Christopher Darden.......went from ADA, to a teacher
OJs wife's sister.........went from a user to a media slut
OJ went from California to Florida
Court TV went from a 2 bit cable show to an institution
Dominick Dunn went from being a little old gossip to a flaming old lady
Mark Furman went from being a cop to a pretty good author.

And the rest of us got to see first hand thanks to Robert Shapiro, Johnnie Cochrane, F.Lee Bailey, Alan Dershowitz et all, that the justice system is indeed all about how much money you have.


MIchael

Click to expand...

And thank you, too, Michael. I didn't know that Clark and Darden also got out of the DA's office. The LA DA certainly had a hard time of it in the early- to mid-1990s.

Mike

OJ trial changed a lot of lives and opinions.

Gil Garcetti.............went from DA to photographer
Marcia Clark............went from an ADA, then went Hollywood
Christopher Darden.......went from ADA, to a teacher
OJs wife's sister.........went from a user to a media slut
OJ went from California to Florida
Court TV went from a 2 bit cable show to an institution
Dominick Dunn went from being a little old gossip to a flaming old lady
Mark Furman went from being a cop to a pretty good author.

And the rest of us got to see first hand thanks to Robert Shapiro, Johnnie Cochrane, F.Lee Bailey, Alan Dershowitz et all, that the justice system is indeed all about how much money you have.


MIchael

Click to expand...

And it showed the world that forensic science existed. Now we have CSI, CSI:Miami, and CSI:NY every week to tell juries that DNA is important above all (even when it isn't, they won't believe the real scientists anymore, just the ones on TV).
Yeah, thanks OJ et al.
Seriously, I'll have to look for Mr. Garcetti's work.
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