I’m a part of Gen-Z, and in case you haven’t heard, Generation Z is not great at face-to-face communication. The irony is that I believe our generation has an abnormally caring heart for people- on average probably even more than past generations. Time and time again our generation is quick to talk about a new trend or popular person as if they knew them… deeply.

At its surface it may seem like a bad thing that all these “young folks” are being “influenced” by people who are “talking to a screen” for a living. Notice what I did there? I used three common phrases that have grown to imply negative connotations, but have you thought about how we could give those words positive connotations? We as young people have allowed ourselves to ONLY see the negative connotation and take that to heart which simply poured fuel on the flame of cancel culture. 

As I was thinking about this dilemma today I came to realize that maybe the key to it all is forgiveness mixed with a little bit of optimism. We as a generation are more than capable of both, but we stop ourselves from partaking so that we can hold our grudges, but I encourage anyone reading to think a little bigger… think about what would happen if we dropped our grudges, our phones, and our fear of face to face interaction and came together as a generation to be known for so much more. 

It wouldn’t take a lot of money, resources, or special connections. The beauty of it all is that YOU are the only person required for a change to happen. The person reading these words right now. You have the ability to forgive. You have the strength to present your ideas in person. You have the choice to make yourself known as a Gen-Z’er that went against the status quo in hopes of creating a more beautiful world. 

Don’t give up quite yet. There’s a good ol’ cardboard package that contains hope, all it needs is a delivery driver to bring it outside.

Welcome to The Cabaret! For those of you who don’t know, a cabaret is typically a meeting place that provides live entertainment; similar to a club or a showroom. Similarly, I created The Cabaret as a blog to share my experiences on the job. This includes on-the-road experiences, shooting tips, life lessons learned on set, and more! 

For a long time I, Cole Plichta, have wanted to be more connected with the people who find inspiration, encouragement, and joy in being involved with my journey. I’m proud to present this as the first step!

If you are looking to follow the journey on Instagram, I apologize to inform you that you won’t find much, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t be involved. I’m always looking for ways to benefit the people who come around me to create a beautiful creative community. The creative life thrives when it’s founded on a community of talent. No one person can carry all the weight.

My goal with The Cabaret is to build a place where that community can grow. If something I typed on this screen moved you… email me! I want to hear about it. I want to hear about how my small drop in the ocean created a ripple for you. That matters to me. 

If you’ve made it this far. Thank you. Please spread the word, and of course…. reach out if you want to connect!

Cheers,

Cole Plichta

Here’s My Hot-Take

Ah…. concert photography. It holds a special place in the hearts of so many photographers yet crushes the hearts of so many more.

You may be thinking to yourself, “Cole, why would you say that? That makes no sense!” Well, the fact of the matter is that it’s true. Concert photography is one of those genres that gets adrenaline pumping through your veins, but the heartbreak sets in when you realize the supply and demand ratio. 

So many people want to shoot their favorite shows, which is exactly why the money has been sucked out of the genre as a whole. Unfortunately there’s not much left. After about three years of shooting concerts specifically, the most I’ve ever seen someone make from a show is $250.

What’s The Up Side?

If I stopped there this post would be severely depressing, but luckily there is a bright side to all of this. The bright side is the fact that concert photography leaves you with an important skill. The ability to capture a split second moment. Over the few short years of shooting shows for fun, I’ve found that my ability to predict moments got significantly stronger.

The ability to predict moments, otherwise known as an ability to capture the “decisive moment”, is a skill that is applicable to ALL genres of photo and video. It’s practically a super power.

At this point you’re probably wondering if shooting a concert is worth it. My answer to you is YES. Train your eye and go have fun on that beautiful playground. You never know. It may just get you hired one day.