Yeah… that’s me lookin’ all serious and cold leaning against the back wall of my studio. Fact is, it was a bit chilly that day.

Unlike today where it is pushing a bit over 70.

But the weather is not the subject here – it is the CreativeLIVE show I am doing in Seattle with the great folks up there in the PNW.

Yep – I will be doing a Creative LIVE show April 6, 7, 8, in Seattle and hope all of you will be watching. I will be blogging and tweeting the entire experience as well, but it is nice to know that some loyal fans are watching and having fun along with me.

Creative LIVE is a free, online, 3 day workshop. You can watch it from anywhere you are with an internet connection. Free…wait, I already said that… but still good to know.

We will of course be discussing… LIGHTING.

And the basics of lighting that I like to refer to as the ESSENTIALS.

So we decided to call it… wait for it… Lighting Essentials.

Pretty cool, eh?

My bud Charles Tibbs and I made a video for the trailer and you can see it here. I decided I looked too serious, so I did another one with my bud Megan, and it is black and white and I don’t look so serious… I dunno. Working on a blooper reel that is running about 2.5 hours now.

(hearing that the piano music is distracting… hmmm. Maybe I will remix it then.)

Now I am not going to go through all the f-stops and shutter speeds and how to take your flash off camera. I would recommend Zach’s great program for all that basic stuff. He covers it really well. I am going to be talking about the way that light interacts with subjects. How we can control that interaction and what it means to us as photographers to be able to light the shots we see in our head.

• I will be covering “Subject Centric Lighting” – something that is near and dear to me, as well as working with talent and light.
• Working on location with light.
• Using light to create a reality that doesn’t exist.
• Creating the most incredible, flattering, soft luscious light you can.
• How light and subject create what we see.
• Emotional light.
• And something I call “What to do when you don’t know what the $%#&^% to do.

It will be an amazing weekend.

In fact I think it will rank right up there with VJ Day, the Moon Landing and the last episode of Mash in importance to humanity.

This workshop is perfect for the photographer who wants to understand the finesse of light, and how working with a consistent understanding of what light does can translate into more creativity and comfort in working.

“Light does the same thing every time…” – Me.

It is our subjects that change. Their texture and shape and dimension and surface efficiency and color… all are part of our subject’s qualities.

Light is light… and how that light interacts with the subjects is what makes the photograph we see.

Subject Centric Lighting means we understand the qualities of our subjects, and how the light renders those qualities back to the camera.

Everything we do as a photographer is ultimately based on these properties of subject / light / capture.

And just as a pianist has to be sure that middle “C” is always going to be the note that is played when the key is depressed, we need to know that our light is consistent, and dependable.

Lighting isn’t a guessing game or an alchemist’s nightmare.

We can KNOW its properties, KNOW what to expect and begin to tame it to make our photographs.

AND THIS IS REALLY REALLY COOL!

I can have 6 photographers come to Seattle and be a part of the workshop experience.

You do have to do something to be in the ‘chosen’ 6 though.

And it is pretty easy. Really.

Sorta…

Make a 60″ (that’s sixty seconds) video of you telling me why you should be there and what you particularly want to learn. Don’t gush about how good looking I am (you will be disqualified for having terrible taste) or beg. No begging. It is not attractive and embarrasses me every time it happens.

Just make it fun. Make it you. Make it 60 seconds.

THEN – POST IT on YouTube, Vimeo, Viddler, Facebook, Flickr… wherever you like to post the videos you make.

And Tweet the URL to @wizwow / #creativelive.

We will find those videos and a team of highly experienced “choose a photographer for cool stuff” guys will choose the top 6 entrants based on enthusiasm, fun- factor, and overall “IwannacometoSeattle-ness”.

If you are chosen, the airfare and accommodations are your responsibility, but the workshop is on us.

Things to keep in mind: I am not a “sit on your butt” workshop guy. You will be ON camera and moving around and doing stuff – even shooting stuff – so you must be prepared for that.

DEADLINE:

As with all things there is a deadline… those videos must be up by March 1.

No later.

Period.

We will notify all the lucky folks who want to come out as soon as possible.

So that’s the scoop.

Me, wizwow (Don Giannatti), in Seattle on April 6, 7, 8, 2012 – at CreativeLIVE (www.creativelive.com).

Ohhh… this will be so fun!

…

Heh.

No related posts.

I thought it may be fun to post some of the other things that are interesting to me on Sunday Mornings.

Welcome to Off Topic Sundays, an excursion into the unknown.

“… and darkness fell across the land…”

First off. I received an email from someone in the business asking me to help create a ‘day of darkness’ by blocking all my content from the people who are stealing us blind.

I have no interest in that sort of thing. Not because I have no interest in IP protection. I most assuredly do.

But going dark for a day means nothing. They simply wait out the day while we go to the corner and hold our breath until we… breathe again.

Symbolically simplistic and professionally silly.

And I wonder how many would participate? We can barely get 2% of the photographers to join a professional organization. CL is full of “I’ll shoot it for beans” photographers. And I know too many photographers who would simply take advantage of the other photographers heartfelt, but misguided moment of ultimate-pouting.

I won’t be going dark.

Cello Madness:

Blending the sublime sound of the cello with the rhythm of the beat box… heh. Clever and well done.

“Appropriating” or “Ripping Off?” – a sure to be interesting interview

What may surely become a very controversial interview is Chase Jarvis and the ReMix King on “mixing” and appropriating art. Don’t miss it.

There’s a saying that you should understand. It’s “TALENT IMITATES. GENIUS STEALS.”
Now before your undies get in a wad, I’m not saying steal work and pretend it’s you’re own. More deeply, I’m asking a question. Do you want to understand and set free your most creative work? Then pay attention here. And mark my words: the REMIX is the single most important artistic concept of our time [Go ahead and read that again. And read all the way to the bottom if you want to win a Polaroid Z340 instant digital camera...]

Interview on Tuesday, February 7.

APE has a wonderful piece: “Still Images In Great Advertising – Jeremy & Claire Weiss”. It is an interview with two very talented photographers. Check it out.

On Sales

“7 Pain Free Sales Tips for Creatives” is a short piece that sort of spells it out, folks. A good read.

Design Matters

For the more geeky among you all, here is a good post on Modal Windows (popups). No, they are not Gregorian Chants version of a popular OS, but rather a contextual way of creating popups that are more interesting to the website user.

Each Sunday I will present some music that I love here. A sort of mini-concert.

Jazz First:

Keith Jarrett “Over the Rainbow” (my personal favorite song)

Don Ellis delights with the great, classically inspired “Pussy Wiggle Stomp” Heh.

One of my favorite drummers, Steve Smith, and his band “Vital Information”

And a Classical moment as well…

A section of Aaron Copland’s wonderful Clarinet Concerto for Strings, Harp and Piano

“Mmmmm… Chimichangas…”

We had our first annual Lighting Essentias (Essentials for Photographers) Picnic and Funfest last weekend. To say we had a blast is a very sad understatement… we had more than a blast – we made new friends and exchanged ideas and ate a lot of Mexican food. Thanks to all who attended – and we had people from every corner of the country – and I look forward to next year’s glorious meetup.

Till next Sunday.

No related posts.

Our focus will be on mastering images across a spectrum of genres. This workshop is for the serious photographer who wants to understand the finesse of light, and how to apply lighting and drama to their portfolio pieces.

We will look at the qualities of light, how to understand the medium, and what we can do with photographic tools to enhance and modify our light to make the shots we see in our head.

This is an intensive workshop and it is totally hands on. We get into theory, sure – but it is theory as it is applied.

Listen. See. Do.

That is how I teach, and I believe it is the best way to learn the intricacies of the photographic medium – lighting.

We will meet at 8AM Saturday for chatting and setting up our gear. We will be shooting in the big studio. You will be using a mixture of big studio strobes, smaller sources like speedlights, and we will do some natural light as well as the day progresses. Sunday will find us outside doing some location portraits, then we go back into the studio for head shots and beauty.

The cost is my regular workshop rate: $550. It includes a copy of my book (signed if you wish) and some more goodies.

There is NO signup form. I need you to email or call (602 814 1468) me to enroll. I only have one spot open, so be brave and get on it ASAP.

Thanks…

Now back to our regularly scheduled photographic discussions.

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We had photographers from NY / FL  / WA / CA / KS / TX and other far flung areas… we covered North America pretty well.

More shots from that weekend coming when I get them all in from the folks… wow, it was fun.

The first portrait was of Briana and done as a demonstration for one of the photographers who wanted to understand the large fill card and main light approach.

Briana is lit from the side with a large, 60" umbrella on camera right, in close. To camera left is a very large white fill card. No other lighting mods were used.

I took some of the other dancers to the lobby for a short natural light session. Natural light was my first love in photography, and going back to it is a choice and a joy.

The light in the foyer area was coming through an open door, and filling the bright walls. I used a couple of pieces of fome core for the main light, and set my ISO up to allow a faster shutter speed.

Mikella is lit with two white cards: one directly to camera right and the other from camera left. The catch lights were offered by sunlight on a glass picture frame behind me.

Next up was  Danica. She had this incredible hair and I wanted to get something I was seeing in my head. I moved her quite close to the doorframe for this shot, and used a fome core bounce card for the main light.

The flare gave me the exact look I wanted. A bit on the dreamy side, yet punchy enough to work as a portrait. Yes, Danica has a beautiful smile, but this look just seems so right.

Miranda was sitting in the chairs on one of the walls of the foyer, and I simply loved the look. Placing her low in the frame gives the image some dynamic. At least, I like it and it is more a stylistic way I like to shoot these days.

Miranda was lit by only natural light - not even a fill card. I had to keep her head turned away from the door so there wouldn't be bright edges on her cheeks and nose.

It is always fun to get a chance to shoot some portraits. Between all the goings on that day, it was a welcome respite for me.

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And he is right.

It is.

You can see it in industry and media and design and art. You can see it in nearly every area of business.

Apple proved it. And Mercedes. And Braun. And Singapore Airlines. The list is pretty extensive.

To get to the top – the vaunted, rare, incredibly beautiful top – takes more than being average. In fact, simply being in any field at a sustainable level will take more than average. More than “good enough”.

Especially in commercial photography.

My bud Kirk thinks the whole photography thing may be totally over. At least for today.

Maybe he is right, but I am not buying it. I refuse to buy it.

If I did, I would have to simply do something else. Riding something dying to the end is not for me.

I love photography, and photographers. And I think they are here for a lot longer than some believe.

I hear how there are too many photographers. I hear how the prices are terrible. I hear how no one is making any money (except from those who are actually out there making money).

I hear all about how there are problems, but few seem to be addressing the reality that the context is changing, and the participants have varying degrees of ability to adapt.

Few will simply come out and say the basic truth because it is so hard to accept…

The ability to take a decent – actually even better than decent – photograph is not that big of a deal. Even the cheapest cameras are capable of ‘making a good picture’ – as long as your criteria does not include the actual content of the image. Color, exposure, sharpness… all good with even the most basic camera.

(Flickr will eat me alive… I will just leave it there…)

What used to be an average photographer took a lot of work. Now… not so much.

Not much at all.

Click…

But the subject, context, emotional connection, and the relationship of viewer to the image have not changed. Those things are still important, necessary, vital.

And as elusive as they ever were.

The photographers who understood those things, that ‘got it’ were always at the top. Penn, Avedon, Demarchelier, Elgort… the list is pretty extensive. Lots of  ’old guys’ who didn’t really sit around and talk shit about lenses and film speed and what the newest cool lighting was. Maybe they would have if they weren’t so damn busy making images, but – alas…

The most difficult thing to talk about is the image itself. It is open to interpretation and combined with a point of view, can be the most terrifying and mystical aspect of the art. What do we say about it? What do other people think? What do the ‘right people’ think? Will I spill to the world I am a simple luddite if I like this or not like that? What if what I say is – gulp – wrong?

The fear of not having anything to say about the photograph quickly fades when the discussion turns to pixel counts and the GN of some new Chinese made flash unit.

Those things are measurable. Quantifiable. Easy to understand and place in direct competition.

24 Megapixels is more than 18 Megapixels.

Fact. Done. Fini. Nanna nanna booboo.

It is the stuff that average photographers latch onto and make their own. This camera does that and that camera does this and then it is all about the camera. I have this new thing and that old thing simply doesn’t ‘measure up. We can quantify that by counting the pixels or checking for fringing at 6000%.

Photography = camera.

Except – when it isn’t.

Cameras are average. Cameras create average. Cameras encourage average.

BECAUSE they are quantifiable, measurable and easily comprehended.

They take the fun out of photography, the joy and pure emotional excitement of making an image, and move it into a realm of boringass technology and defined, finite abilities.

Resolution.

Average.

Over.

Why? Because art is none of those things. Vision has nothing to do with them. Style and personal viewpoint and expression and emotion and depth and the ability to move someone to tears or elation or to go to Staple and grab that thing cause they simply gotta have that thing cause the photograph made them WANT THAT THING… none of that is quantifiable, measurable in pixels, or has anything to do with maximum flash sync.

Cameras may be the very instruments of the death of photography. Killed that sucka dayd.

Or at least tried to – but missed.

Because there are so many terrific photographers out there that it would be simply impossible to begin listing them. By the time you got to the end of the list, you would have to go back and start again. The amount of times I am knocked out by new photographers work is tenfold what it used to be. This is the glorious age of the image, of the photograph, of the art.

How can that be?

Fact: the world of photography has moved a notch up. And many of us are scrambling up to see what it looks like from that rung.

The bar raised and didn’t automatically take us all along for the ride. We find ourselves again having to earn our position there. Some of us, I fear, will never again stand on the top rung where we hung out and got fat and lazy and belligerent and arrogant and slovenly and so set in our ways that we find anything that youth does to be abhorrent and inevitably evil. We owned it. We were there so long that we never noticed that it became… average.

Being pretty good with a camera is no longer good enough. Being able to shoot something in focus may not be enough. Simply making pretty pictures is not gonna work for long term sustainability.

Because it became simply too easy to do to have any kind of gate for filtering. No top of the line enlarger or killer ass strobe system gonna save our sorry asses now.

So what are the ‘average’ shooters doing these days?

Working hard to tread water… finding additional ways to shoot and make it through the next rent check? Yeah, probably.

And bitching… lots of bitching. And digging in… lots of that too.

It will not serve anyone well and in the end will prove to be a terrible barrier to success.

Devastating really.

And you know who is to blame? Well, besides ourselves…

Time.

There was a time when simply being able to work a view camera, take an exposure reading and make images on large format cameras with the subject in focus was enough. Lots of photographers started businesses with little talent, but a lot of technique.

There was a time when being “good enough” was, well, enough. All the client needed was an ‘average’ shot of a beer opener or a bag of nuts or a Cuisinart. Average was good, average we could do standing on our heads. Average was the result of the camera doing the heavy lifting and our expertise in manipulating the tool.

Technique is not enough to carry us through these days because, well, the techniques we learned are no longer important. New techniques must be learned.

Here, I’ll say it again. It is easier than it has ever been to be technically good. In fact… who cares anymore. Sharp and in focus and technically brilliant is a given. Even teenagers can do it in their garage with dad’s borrowed camera.

Some photographers get out there and learn the new ways and continue on, and some resist and feel it is imperative from a moral point deep in their guts to hold on to the ‘old ways’ in order to jab the metaphorical middle-finger to the “young’ns” who seem to be stealing their lunches. I am not into metaphorical middle fingers myself, I prefer the real thing. Much more natural and ‘organic’ and is so much fun to accompany with some pithy profane word-smithing.

But the bottom line is that the bar has been raised. Not a lot.

A HELL of a lot.

And to be in the more rarefied air above the new bar will take more and more effort.

And talent.

And vision, style, emotion, guts, pain, blood, laughter, failure, elation, and that tingly little spine thingy that happens when you do something and it just screams at you that you nailed it… you freeeeeeekin nailed it.

Yeah… more of that.

Average is gone. It is over. (Except in pop-culture and Hollywood, where mediocrity is a badge to be worn with courage and a jaunty, arrogant smile. Think Kanye West… got it?)

It is painful to realize that when we are looking in the mirror, we may be looking at someone who is not ‘dabomb’ that was once staring back. That all the hard work to get where you are meant something then – and nothing now. That instead of resting on our laurels, we have to once again put on the running gear and prepare for a marathon. We have to train and train and train again.

Again.

And some of us will do just that.

And some of us will not.

And some of us will simply metaphorically flip us all off and tell us that we are nuts and that there is no hope and who the fuck cares anyway.

And a few of us will continue to wonder why good enough sustained us before, but will no longer be, well, good enough.

Hey, I don’t have the answers for you. I only have the view from my seat. If I could tell you what the answer to it all was, I probably would be very rich.

I can tell you it ain’t about the camera or the lenses or the strobes or the triggers or the software

I can tell you that it will be a lot of work. And a lot of fun.

And sheer hell on some days.

So what?

You think it is better in other fields?

Sorry, you gotta get out more. There are actually businesses that are far worse off than commercial photography.

I will leave you with a video.

As many of you know, I am a drummer.

Wait – after seeing this kid, maybe I am a guy that used to be a drummer.

Sixteen years old, and he plays with the ability of a guy who has been playing for decades. There are other examples of sheer brilliance on the net, but this one really stuck out to me. NOTE: you must watch all the way to the end. To imagine the amount of practice that this kid has had to endure is mindboggling.

But there is one thing that we know for sure…

Average is no longer an option.

Just ask any drummer you know.

<h2>NOW WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT?</h2>

EDIT:

Just after finishing this post (which was supposed to be about 600 words… sigh) I read this article about Annie Leibovitz.

I suggest you read it… I really do.

“This is an amazing time to be a photographer,” she said. “I discovered things about myself which were really comforting — that the work had a deep well, that it wasn’t going to go away.”

Sure beats sitting around and beating yourself up for things that are out of your control… ya know.

EDIT #2

So I am about to crash and I read this from Jake Stangle:

“You need to approach a photo editor with a preexisting body of work that does not speculate on the fact that you might take really good photographs if you were hired. Your portfolio needs to prove this. It can be 100% personal work. You just need to demonstrate that you can shoot. Your portfolio and website need to be a vehicle that high fives photo editors and wraps its arms around their shoulder and softly whispers in their ear, “hey girl, hop in my Hyundai Sonata, let’s do this, I got you”. 

Simplest sentence ever #1: If you’re not getting calls (or even meetings), your work isn’t there yet. You need to get your work there. You are the only one that can do this. Money won’t help. It could take a couple months, it could take years. When the work is there, the calls will start to come along. But not until you, and only you, get it there. This is a universal truth.

Simplest sentence ever #2: Any time you’re in a rut, you need to know and remind yourself and understand the ONLY way to get out of this rut is by making more work, pushing harder, did I say work harder? Nothing is gonna happen when you slump down. Just lost time and wasted days. So get your ass up and keep hammering, working hard infinitely. Behind every photographer is a really haggard guy or girl with a bad back.

Simplest sentence ever #3: The longer you bitch, the more you complain, the more inactive you are in getting to where you want to go, the longer, bitchier, harder, and more unpleasant it will be. This is the devastating truth. So sack up (disclaimer: I am a feminist), get in your F150, and get r’ done.”

I think, no – I KNOW – you should read this whole series at his site: Here is the link to the last one, you will navigate to the others from there.

Twitter / Facebook / Workshops / About.Me / My Book, Lighting Essentials on Amazon

And if you like the articles here, LIKE them on FB or click the little G+ thingy. I appreciate your kindness.

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Regina Pagles will either be coming to my studio for a 2 day one-on-one or I will be going to hers.

Regina was in the top lists of all four judges, and her ranking closely edged out our second place winner.

If Regina is unable to schedule, the second place winner will become the grand prize winner. That photographer is Tyler Walczak.

The following photographers will be receiving my new book, Lighting Essentials: Lighting for Contrast, Texture and Dimension as soon as the ink dries and the publisher sends it out:

Tyler Walczak – Second Place
Kathy Jan – Third Place
Brent Jackson – Fourth Place
Em Thomas – Fifth Place

Now something special for all who submitted.

As you know, I have cut down the workshop schedule a bit, but I am still doing them all over the country. ALL of the participants are welcome to take the workshop as my guest for the next 24 months. Any workshop that I am hosting – whether in Phoenix or in a city near you – for the next 24 months is open for you to participate. Gratis.

I know how hard all of you worked for the submission and if it is possible for you to get to one of my workshops, come on down.

You must let me know you are coming though, so do not surprise me. I need to know how many participants are actually going to be there.

Special thanks to the four judges who spent quite a lot of time looking and evaluating the images. I am so appreciative of your work, folks.

Selina Maitreya, Photographic Consultant
Rosh Sillars, Photographer and Social Media Expert
Seshu, Photographer and Writer
Keith Taylor, Photographer and Blogger

Thanks so much.

Here is Regina’s Submission:

A huge thank you to ALL of our entrants. We were all blown away with your work. The judging took a lot longer than expected as the judges took great pains to rank each photographer on the list.

I hope to meet each and every one of you someday.

– don

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That creative people are weird?

That creativity is best created in a group?

That creative people are sloppy, messy and disorganized?

That creative people are always coming up with cool, but ultimately silly ideas?

That only “creative” people can have creative ideas?

Yeah… me too.

What a load of crappola on a piece of small, polished wood.

Creative People are Weird?

Creative people are no more weird than anyone else. They are not all prone to fits of anger or deep, sorrowful depression. That’s Hollyweird’s version of creativity.

And since I feel that everyone has the ability to be creative, it would be pretty terrible to think that everyone is weird.

Creative people, at least the ones we think of as creative, are a little more ready to share that creativity with others. We are not weird when we have a great idea – but we are often afraid of being thought weird by people who are not as brave or open about their ideas.

That little voice in your head that keeps telling you about how weird creative people are is a terrible little voice. Deport that voice to the backyard, or over against the fence where those weeds are starting to pop up. Yeah… there.

Creativity is best from a group?

Oh, really? Like who? Congress? Mobs. (Yes, that may seem a bit redundant… sorry.) How about all those crazy villagers chasing the kind and gentle zombie from Count Frankeshteen’s lovely castle? Creative? How about a cannon, you fools.

Creativity is best brought forward when alone – or maybe with people in a more virtual setting – phone, screen-sharing and such. Groups actually hinder creativity. Sure there are great and wonderful groups that nurture new ideas, but they are an anamoly, not the norm. Most groups are more affected by who said what and how different the power levels were and if that new account exec is really ‘hott’, and how the ideas I’m thinking will bring scorn, laughter and eventually loss of the bathroom key.

Groups suck. Usually.

Creatives are slobs with messy offices.

Hmmm. OK, so that may apply to some creatives with handles that begin with ‘wiz…’ but it is NOT a necessary evil of creativity. In fact, how can true creativity exist in a sloppy, unorganized environment. The disorganization may seem foreign to many, but it may be very organized to the individual.

Sometimes the heat of the moment overcomes the attention to putting that stapler back, but the act of the creative is what is really important. I have met many very creative people who have an extremely organized, incredibly clean office.

I hate those people.

But I recognize that we do not have to be a mess to be creative – and it is time to do away with that silly stereotype. My office is a bit disorganized, but my camera gear and studio are impeccably organized. Priorities.

Creative people are always coming up with useless ideas.

Really?

Like cellphones and smart devices and computers we can take with us… on airplanes… that fly.

Fly.

Creative people simply come up with MORE ideas – or at least expounds more ideas – and that may make them seem a bit off. And that is unfortunate, because many ideas that failed at first lead to incredible ideas that come to fruition.

Remember the LISA? It led to the Mac.

A failed search for a high powered glue gave us Post-It Notes.

And did I mention… flying?

Only “creative” people can come up with really creative stuff.

Nuts.

There are a lot of regular, normal people with impeccable offices who are able to come up with incredible ideas. Business changing. Culture changing.

Life changing.

What has this to do with photography?

Everything.

Stop telling yourself that you can’t be creative. Stop thinking that because you work in an environment that is more organized than most is somehow going to cancel out the ideas in your head. Stop thinking that you cannot possibly come up with a good idea if you cannot bounce it off someone first, or that it is a silly idea to begin with.

Stop saying no, and finding ways to not be creative and focus more on BEING creative.

Make photographs that are perfect examples of what you think YOU want to do. Seek no approval prior or after. We self censor way too often.

There are a lot of different paths to take to becoming a professional (even if only in attitude and approach) and it is OK to find the one you like. Grab the metaphorical walking stick and head on out down that path. Ideas are viral… and the more you come up with, the more you will come up with.

And the more creative ideas you have, the more creativity will become your partner.

The consequences of believing myths about creativity can inhibit and hinder your work. Don’t let reasons that do not exist stop you from making images you love.

Thanks for visiting with Essentials For Photographers today… I have to clean my office now.

Sigh.

——————-

Twitter / Facebook / Workshops / About.Me / My Book, Lighting Essentials on Amazon

And if you like the articles here, LIKE them on FB or click the little G+ thingy. I appreciate your kindness.

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1. Ten Myths of Professional Commercial Photography Err… at least the 10 that I hear a lot...

1. Get a hard edge to criticising your own work and make sure it is living up to your standards.

Getting a good critique for your work is one of the more difficult things to do. While it may be a progressive idea that ‘everyone’s opinion matters’ the truth is the opposite. Not everyone, but specific people with opinions based in knowledge and awareness and taste – those are the people you want to critique your work. Art directors and picture editors and helpful photographers who truly want to see you succeed are far more important arbiters of the value of your work than some anonymous Flickr follower.

Learn to ask for critiques, and take from them the knowledge that someone had an opinion. Change – or do not – but at least you got something strong to consider.

In this article, I look at different ways to get and use critiques of your work.

Be liberal in your pre-selection process… anything that even remotely resembles a possbile portfolio piece is added to the “maybe folder”. Be ruthless in the selection process after that… whittle it away edit by edit until you have only the best.

Then have someone you trust or a good photography consultant who KNOWS what the hell they are doing look at it and work the images a second time.

And a third.

Keep at it and when you are done, you just know it. Seriously… you feel it in your gut when you look at a killer portfolio sitting on the table or on the screen in front of you. Great… you have officially earned a night off.

Drink responsibly.

2. Competitions and contests may be able to shed some light on your work and its progress. Just remember to choose wisely.

Not every competition is right for you. And you are perfect for some competitions. KNOW what competition you are entering and how they judge by researching previous competitions and winner’s work. Communication Arts Annuals are far different styles of competitors than the “Hey Hot Shot” photographers. Which do you fit in with? Which will be a place for you to shine?

There are dozens of competitions out there, and finding the one that works for you takes some research… and, hey there’s this site named Google and …

Winning is good for the soul, but simply entering is a good thing to do. It is an admission to yourself that you are ready… at least to enter and start mixing it up. Join the fray… it isn’t expensive and like the actresses all say – “it’s just great to be here…”

But do not expect anything from the win. PR it for all the advantage you can, but in the long run it may not add much to your bottom line.

3. Peer reviews and industry insiders.

ASMP and APA offer peer reviews… other photographers who are there to mentor the new photographer. And surprisingly other people in the industry may want to help as well.

Yeah – that’s right. Not everyone is a schmuck.

Call an art director in your town and offer to buy them lunch if they look at your portfolio and give you a few tips. Sure, that whole cold call an AD and ask him/her to lunch is a totally scary – terrifying really – thing to do. So what? This business has terrified you before, and it will terrify you again down the road. One truamatic little terrifying moment in the middle hardly leaves a scar.

I once called an AD to tell him that I admired his work and would like to show him my book for personal growth only. We had sushi. We ended up being pretty good friends.

And we did considerable business together.

Do it. Most AD’s will not want to kill you with their bare hands after smearing your portfolio with Chipotle sauce. It just isn’t their thing.

You will learn a great deal for your lunch tab.

4. Have an excellent and modern website, and become engaged with clients on multiple levels.

I won’t rant on here, but seriously folks… there are some terrible websites out there with photographers names on them. Terrible. You don’t have to spend a lot, but you do have to spend a bit.

Get out of the damn Flash portfolio site and onto something more modern. Look at the two WordPress Theme ads I have running here and check out what a few bucks can get you. Add a few more for some customization and get a whole new site with a whole new level of respect from the people who visit it.

And if you think that image doesn’t matter… well… just think about it for a second. What business are you in again?

Regarding the question of whether social media plays or will play a big part in your marketing efforts the answer is yes.

It will and it does. I hate to use buzzwords like ‘engage’ – but dammit – involve yourself with your customers on the platforms they are engaging their customers on.

Yeah yeah, I know… its all a fad. It will blow over soon. Just the young people and techies playing with it now.

Like digital photography?

(This post has more information. Take a look)

5. Have an excellent print portfolio, as well as some great stuff on that iPad.

Print portfolios are not dead. They aren’t called in as much as they used to be. But when they are it is for a sizable gig – not a couple of catalog shots. Print books get called in for substantial gigs.

And if you don’t have one… well… You. Don’t. Have. One.

Get a Lost Luggage or a Pina Zingaro, get your prints together and have it at the ready.

Two things come to mind:
1. They aren’t expensive.
2. Having a book in your hand – a real portfolio – makes you feel a bit taller, or more desirable. You may even smell better, I don’t know. I know that having one in my hands makes me smile.

And if you are holding off on the iPad because you think that is a fad too, well get over yourself. It isn’t. And it is something you must consider as part of your marketing arsenal.

And this is rather sobering… carrying the same images on your iPad that are on your website seems a bit – well – redundantly redundant. They have already seen the pictures on your website bigger than they are on your iPad.

Better have that iPad filled with even more eye-candy.

(On the day of this post, I have just set up my wifes Kindle Fire and have to say that the images look fabulous on it. There are not many portfolio apps for it yet, but they are coming. You know they are.)

Here is an older post that has a lot of information on portfolio preparation.

6. Once you have a considerable amount of work, a ‘body of work’, seek a consultant to help you organize and find the gems.

It’s worth it. It really is.

We get too close to the work. We bring baggage from the shoot to the final image… remembering how hard it was to get the shot or how incredible the talent was that day.

Blah blah blah… no one cares. They are only interested in the image.

A good consultant can help you by being a disinterested third party that is highly interested in your success. (Successful photographers return to good consultants for more work after being successfully consulted at the first consultation. Did you follow that?)

If you can find someone in your town, great. If you have to jump a plane, do it.

This is your career we are talking about. Everyone is telling us how hard it is. Finding someone to lead you through at least the first mine-field is more important than that new lens you want.

Believe me – it is.

7. Develop a strong, and well designed email campaign. Well designed…

Did I mention that it should be well designed. It should be.

Well designed that is.

Sorry – it’s just that I get so damn many that suck the suck out of suck.

I recommend MailChimp (www.mailchimp.com). They have some nice, simple, well designed templates that are very easy to use and customize.

I suggest either using the simplest one and keeping the imagery to the fore, or hiring someone who knows how to customize it for you. Comic sans headers with Times New Roman text and some sort of cheapassbrushscript logo is not going to impress an AD who was reluctant to click your email anyway cause she’s BUSY!

And you just sent her some shitty piece of blah with terrible typography, terrible logo, and terrible design.

Attaboy, slugger… take the bench. (She never even saw the lovely photos.)

8. Know the market you are pursuing like the back of your hand. Know everything you can know about it.

If you are courting architects, find out everything you can about architects. Everything you can about architecture in your city. Everything you can about the jobs that are being bid (so you can both pitch the winners and actively discuss the project with prospective clients…). KNOW what you are wanting to do.

Inside and out.

Learn the many ways that the market you are pursuing are marketing themselves. Find out where the biggest players are and pitch them first.

Being involved in the industry you are marketing to is one of the smartest and easiest ways to get to know and be known by the real insiders (movers and shakers) of that industry.

People like people who are interested in the same things they are. They really do.

9. Create a blog. Keep it up. Add new work and let your personality shine… and talk to clients, art directors and art buyers… NOT other photographers. They ain’t never gonna hire you.

Yeah. It is true. I am telling you to have a blog.

I am sure you never heard that before.

Well do it. Share your thoughts on the industry you are shooting in and being involved with. (Note – if it is a bigasswhine about how this and that ain’t fair and how it was so much better before digital… then don’t even bother. You are probably a dead-man-walking in the business anyway.)

And no one wants to hear it, and it is annoying to those who are actually getting shit done.

Your blog should be about what cool stuff you are doing, and the cool stuff you are shooting and the cool clients you are shooting for and how cool it is to shoot with you.

We cool on that?

Read this older post on Six Photographer’s Who “Get It” with their blogging.

10. Consistency across all platforms. Message/look and feel/design/sensibilities…

If you have a ‘look’ let it shine everywhere. Having a cohesive presentation is very important. From the blog to the business card, website to the portfolio to the email campaign.

Consistency in message and consistency in presentation show a consistency in your approach to everything.

Consistency is a good thing when you are trying to convince someone to trust you with a $5 Thousand shoot. And it is a good thing for your client to help them feel a bit more warm and fuzzy about hiring you.

Take all of your stuff and put it in front of you. Does it all look like it came from the same photographer?

If yes, break out a cold one!

If no, find a designer and get to work.

Your competition already has.

Till next time…

Twitter / Facebook / Workshops / About.Me / My Book, Lighting Essentials on Amazon

And if you like the articles here, LIKE them on FB or click the little G+ thingy. I appreciate your kindness.

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Much of what I learned then has sustained me for decades, and I loved every moment of the process. It was expensive and took a lot of time and was both exhilarating and brutal all at once. There was a good deal of a sense of accomplishment.

When I first set out, I had only two troughs for gunpowder flashes…

OK – it wasn’t that long ago, but my bag held a Nikon F2 (brand new on the market), a 43-86MM lens (quite possibly the worst lens Nikon ever made) and a 200MM f4 Nikkor (which rocked).

That was it. No wide angle, no zooms, no flash even.

I was on a climb. A mission to learn. Everything was a fascination for me.

I shot Kodachrome because of the incredible sharpness of it. Getting the little yellow boxes was like Disneyland every couple of days.

Until the discovery that half or more of the shots didn’t come out nearly as good as I thought they were going to be.

Stupid Kodak.

But somewhere along the line the boxes started containing a lot more ‘good’ ones than bad ones. Now it came down to content.

A plateau.

My bag got a bit heavier with the addition of a Gossen Luna Pro (birthday gift from dad), a 35MM f2 Nikkor and a tripod.

Climbing. Building.

Eventually my next plateau emerged. A 1400 SQ FT studio in a cool part of town that I could call my own and hang my own stuff. It was a great studio for me for6 years. I built a kitchen, and a small cyc. It had an airconditioned dark room and a nice storage area for the gear. Lots and lots of gear. Local ads became regional ads and they introduced me to national ads.

Heady days. Shooting nearly every day, only working a half day at a time (that’s 12 hours… ) and more.

Another plateau reached. Restlessness sets in and scope is raised to next target.

Bigass studio, with a 42FT cyc, full kitchen, 3 enlarger darkroom. These things came with staff, and a secretary studio manager and two full time assistants.

Plateau. One that can suck you in to want to camp there, and hang out there without any additional challenges. It becomes comfortable.

And comfortable is dangerous. It can lead to complacency and an overall eroding of the work. It becomes mundane, and mediocre and that leads to trivializing the whole thing.

We hung around that plateau for a decade or so. Shooting everything that came in the door. Garage door openers on Monday, food on Tues/Wed, tires on Thursday, a couple of beauty shots on Friday. Heady and fun and draining and I wouldn’t trade those days for anything.

But like all plateaus… eventually you spot another mountain and want to climb it as well.

My design skills took me into a small on the side design business that grew to the 3rd largest ad agency in Arizona billing millions of dollars. Dot-Bomb and 911 did us in, and I looked for another climb.

I always do.

I taught photography workshops and was voted one of the best Photography Workshop Teachers in the world by a readers poll on PDN late last year.

Both humbling and scary… how does one follow that?

I feel like I have been on a plateau here for quite a while. My design business is doing well, and I love my clients. The photography and photography education is rolling along. I love it, and I do it very well.

In the past year and a half I have written 3 books (over 130,000 words in those alone, as well as longasswinded tomes that I occasionally write on here.

I guess I am a writer now too.

That is a lot of stuff… and something got lost in the whirlwind.

My photography. While I was teaching, I was focused on that so much that I forgot to climb my work. I forgot to keep pushing myself. I was so busy pushing others, and creating challenges for others, that I didn’t push myself to grow.

Fixing that.

The teaching doesn’t have to suffer, in fact nothing has to suffer. (Well, it has been about 2 years since I watched any regular TV with any kind of  ’schedule’. I miss “The Closer” and “Burn Notice” but find time late in the evening to watch them on HULU once in a while.)

I am working toward a new portfolio… one that is closer to my sensibilities, my style, my vision. It is hard work, but it is rewarding work. More will be revealed in coming weeks and months. Back to roots with a vision that contains those roots and some new aesthetic as well.

And my photography is not the only thing that is changing to new levels.

Writing is more important to me now than ever before.

I am adding video for this blog – watch for it – coming soon.

I promise not to get all upset at internet idiots who have no clue… no, wait… I can’t promise that. That would be silly.

So here is my plan.

Spend one hour a day writing. Every day. Weekends too.

Spend at least one day a week shooting for me… personal projects, creative, portraits or even found objects.

Create a few products that will be of use to a lot of folks. Working on two at the moment.

Get out and meet more people. All over the region there are interesting and cool people doing stuff that is off the chart. I am going to meet them and find out what is going on in their world.

Simplify. My world has always been a bit chaotic. I think I like it that way, but lately it is way out of control. Simplification is the word of the month here at the Wizwow Compound. Cutting out some of the social media fat and adding more to the social media discourse.

And I want more dialog with the followers of this blog. I want to know you and provide the content you want. Essentials for Photographers is a project borne of love of the medium, and the people who create it.

So I have a metaphorical backpack on and my hiking stick in hand. I am going to climb some more… the way is still in the mist, but it is better than here. I just know it.

Have a great and productive day.

Twitter / Facebook / Workshops / About.Me / My Book, Lighting Essentials on Amazon

And if you like the articles here, LIKE them on FB or click the little G+ thingy. I appreciate your kindness.

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Tonite was a special night. It was a year ago that we had our first meeting and what a year it has been. Some who started with us left for reasons of life and love. A few just evaporated into the ethos… and that was a bit sad.

But a good group stayed with it till the end. They are the ones that kicked the apathy in the ass and moved hell and earth to be in front of their screens to talk about photographs. Every Wednesday night. To listen to critiques and to be challenged to do it again and make it better.

Jump on over and see what the guys and gals brought in as their favorite shots of the year.

Dan Fenwick brought the pie.

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