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Three Bidding Fiascos: Be Prepared or Stay Home
Recently I had an opportunity to sit and chat (over delicious Mexican food) with two very good photographers. Dave and Steve are both well seasoned, and full on commercial photographers here in Phoenix.
As things do, we began discussing gigs and some of the war stories we all love to bring up at these sort of little social events.
What emerged were three incredible stories of how unprepared photographers have screwed up big gigs, and themselves as well.
I bring them to you with the hope that they may inspire you to not make the same mistakes.
Fiasco Number One.
A client of nearly ten years has been doing quarterly updates to their national and regional advertising. The images run in several regional publications, newspapers and in-store Point of Purchase displays. The photographer that has been shooting the work for them was charging $12,000 per shoot based on the usage.
This rate had stayed fairly steady for nearly 8 years. Mostly because the photographer was doing a lot of work for them and kept this price steady as a favor and so that they could budget without getting bids each time.
The last quarter he did not get the gig. A new photographer had pitched them and told them he was happy to shoot it for $3000.
This photographer could probably have gotten the gig at $10,000 and made $7000 more if his work was good. The interloper, having no idea at all what the gig was worth, just screwed himself out of at least $7000, maybe more.
He also set the new bar at $2500… which is unrealistic in the commercial world with that kind of usage.
Why would he do it for so little? I can imagine that he had no idea of what the value of commercial photography is set at, nor is he aware of usage and how usage is priced. Look, this is a billion + a year client, and these images are very important to their marketing.
(Solution: Know the industry. Know the market. Get involved with that part of the industry, and get help on shoots that are for national clients. There are consultants and websites that can help. Wonderful Machine has people who can help with bidding on a per bid basis, and fotoQuote has a service that will help you put together something that makes sense.)
Fiasco Number Two
The client is a national ad agency with regional offices. Their client is a celebrity.
The gig involved the celebrity and an endorsement of a beauty product. The shoot was a buyout, with everything from national advertising to electronic media. Three shots of the celebrity with and without the beauty product and one shot of the product itself.
The bid was created using standard bidding and buyout parameters. And the photographer actually wanted the gig so the bid was modified (down a little) to a rate of $40,000.
All was set and agreed to… then… nothing.
The photographer received a phone call from a photographer looking to rent a studio for a ‘celebrity’ shoot. Turned out that they had looked at another photographer and had decided to go with her.
She was shocked that the rental was $300 for the day. She had bid only $2500 for the job and felt that if she spent $300 on the rental studio, she would not make enough.
Ya think?
How about craft services? This is a celebrity, her entourage, the ad agency entourage, MUA, hair stylist, stylist, and wardrobe person. Food alone could easily be $600. And of course, the photographer had no liability insurance, which is insane with that many people on set.
In the end, the agency lost the account. Why they would have even thought that someone quoting $2500 for a gig of this magnitude would have a freaking clue about what the real world brings is beyond my understanding.
(Solution: Get educated on licensing, why rights matter, and how much a shoot of this size and usage requirements would be. The above resources are important, but there are professional sites on line as well as the peers in your town that may help you work this out. And if they are not willing to help, they are totally assholes. Find someone else to help. Dig, research, dig some more.)
Fiasco Number Three.
A photographer was called to bid on a job involving widgets… lots of little widgets. The bid was for simple “drop and pop” shots of 450 items.
When the time came to begin the planning for the shoot, the client informs him that there will actually be three shots per widget.
At the same price as negotiated… but the new shots involve different angles.
The photographer tried in vain to explain how the light was different and how having 1350 shots meant much, MUCH, more time.
But to no avail.
What should have been a 2 day gig stretched into 6 days of blinding quick shooting and upset clients (it should not have taken this long) and more.
It was a disaster for both the client and the photographer.
(Solution: Actually, I told a fib above. The photographer was me. And when I was told that there were far more images than expected, I rebid the gig. And when they said it was too much, I politely declined the gig. They found someone to do it though… and there ya go.
That photographer is happily (or whatever) shooting boring, monotonous widgets at $3 a piece. By the time he is done, he will have worked for over a week for a rate that should have been one day.
I have the experience, both in the bidding and understanding of how the process goes, to make decisions that will not harm myself or my industry.)
Not much else to say here. I understand that there are a lot of new people in this business. That is a good thing.
That there are so many who haven’t or will not take the time to actually learn about the business they are in is not a good thing.
Don’t get caught on the outs… get educated in how it all works.
BTW – our photographers at Project 52 are learning all about the industry including bidding, shooting to layout, creating promotional pieces and building a portfolio. And that is a free site for interested photographers who don’t like being clueless.
Just sayin’…
And if you use the Promo Code “Lighting Essentials”, you will save $20 off my current class at UDEMY.
Related Posts:
OK, Now I’m Hungry… the Food Photography of Michele Drumm
Michele Drumm is a photographer in the Washington DC / Fredricksberg area of Virginia. Her work ranges from still life to environments, but one of her great loves is shooting food.
From meticulous studio shoots to on location editorial work, Michele brings a bit of whimsy and fun to each project she takes.
She has been a Project 52 member for two years and is now a Project 52 PRO, working on getting her book out and into the world.
We love her work and her commitment to making the image exactly as she sees it. Only problem is that every time I review her work, I gain a pound… heh.
You can see more of Michele’s work at her Flickr page. Just click on any image above and it will take you to her images.
Thanks for coming along today, but I gotta run off now. It’s lunch time!
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Should You Shoot ‘Edgy’ Work for Your Portfolio?
Recently a photographer asked about whether or not “Fantasy” makeup or “Avant Garde” images should be included in a commercial photographer’s portfolio.
The work he was specifically asking about was a kind of shoot one sees a lot on Model Mayhem… multi-colored makeup covering most of the face. This seems like something a lot of photographers like to do, and it is quite prevalent in some circles.
While answering something like this is always tricky, it is also important to get everyone on the same page first. What comes below is MY response, and should be taken with the understanding that it is personal and comes from my viewpoint. Please seek additional viewpoints if you desire.
First of all, I didn’t see the work as Avant Garde at all. Avant Garde means on the bleeding edge, and this work is not even close to that. While it is good work, it is not bleeding edge.
Avant-Garde
n.
A group active in the invention and application of new techniques in a given field, especially in the arts.
adj.
Of, relating to, or being part of an innovative group, especially one in the arts: avant-garde painters; an avant-garde theater piece.
The work was good, solid work with “fantasy” makeup as the feature. Fantasy makeup work is a staple of Model Mayhem shooters (Please do not read a negative into that, as it is not implied.) It has been around for a long time and shows no trend toward going away.
That’s fine.
The poster asked “if this kind of work in my portfolio would actually benefit me?”
Photograph: Joshua Gaede
My answer:
That depends. A book full of it? No, not really, I can’t see where that would work for you at all. I am not aware of any marketplace that uses this kind of work. Not fashion, not glamour, not beauty, not lifestyle… possibly a case could be made for doing it for a consumer client base. I do think it would be a pretty difficult marketing situation – as you stated, it is NOT the mainstream.
While there are some mainstream uses for edgy work, and
As something added TO your body of work, or an aside project, it would be fine.
My bottom line feeling is this: I simply am not aware of a market for this kind of work as an ‘emerging’ photographer. In fact it may actually be a problem in some situations.
Showing this work to a magazine editor may create a lot of questions as to what you are thinking is fashion/beauty work. As a former art director, I would immediately think of MM and wonder who the client was. Since the work is so personal, it may not be something that could be used commercially… ask yourself what client would want this kind of work?
Not beauty products.
Not lifestyle products.
Not fashion or glamour.
So it is left as a photograph for the model / MUA / photographer.
Again, that is fine for a single portfolio shot, but as a group it has no commercial value. And it doesn’t show the three most important things you can show in a portfolio.
1. a unique vision
2. the ability to solve a problem
3. an understanding of what kind of work is marketable
There are others, for sure, but these things should always be in the fore of thought when working toward building a portfolio.
Now…
As something to do to hone your skills, or if you simply love to do it, then KNOCK YOURSELF OUT. Absolutely! Personal projects are whatever the photographer wants them to be. And if you LOVE this kind of work, then you absolutely should continue… just be mindful of some of the thoughts above.
Remember, this is only MY opinion. And I am not FotoGawd!!!!
However, I would ask if you could find this work being used commercially anywhere (and the handful of ‘editorial’ images in Vogue or Elle, really don’t count as they are fairly rare. And when assigned, are usually given to already known photographers who may not even have a ‘fantasy’ headshot in their book)?
That search will indeed be enlightening, whatever you find.
HOWEVER… shooting personal work is very very important. And shooting what you love is vitally important for not only creative reasons, but to keep the camera and the eye busy.
And work like this, or whatever YOU think is the edgy work that you do, is great for projects and a personal viewpoint to show clients what YOU think is cool. Creating a project of “Fantasy” makeup makes a lot of sense to me within the context of a ‘Set’ of images.
Remember that it is more important to shoot than it is to filter out because of what you THINK someone would want to see. Good work in any genre will lead to more good work in that – and other genres.
See you next time.
Save $20 on my UDEMY Courses by using the code “Lighting Essentials”. This makes the price only $30.
My CreativeLIVE course on “Tabletop Product Photography” available here.
My CreativeLIVE “Lighting Essentials Workshop” available here.
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Bret Doss’s “Fallen Leaf” Series
Bret Doss is a photographer and an engineer in Seattle, Washington. He and I have traveled the PNW together on occasion and he was my assistant on the Creative LIVE workshops.
He is a talented photographer with a wide range of interests. From fashionable portraiture to environments and still life, Bret brings a unique view to what he shoots.
In this recent “Improvisation” Bret turned his lens on leaves that fell on or near his porch. The images bring a subtle dynamic, and a visual twist, to something we have all seen… leaves.
Bret offers no explanation for these images, and I agree they need none. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year for photography, and shots like this are one reason.
This link will take you to the entire series.
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Gear List / Links for the UDEMY Portrait Class
Class:
Portrait Photography with Simple Gear
Stand (even better a stand and a boom)
Umbrella Holder
Umbrella (shoot through and bounce)
Flash (the kind that goes on the camera, but also has the ability to set the power manually)
A trigger set to fire the flash from the camera
Softbox (small or medium – get the best you can afford)
6 sheets of fome core or white cardboard
Clamps
A 5-in-one or 6-in-one reflector set
Items for the class (note, these are affiliate links).
Triggers:
Flash Units:
Stands:
Stand Toppers:
Mini Boom:
Umbrella/Softbox
—
—
Clamps:
Reflectors:
Extra items to consider:
A “Standbagger” for your gear. I have several for my big stands, but I love my two Standbagger “Grab-N-Go” bags for small flash work. You can see the entire Standbagger line here.
Flashmeter (light meter that can measure ambient light as well as flash).
Gray Cards and Light Balancing Tools:
Thanks.
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Facebook Slams the Door on Photographers
As photographers, Social Media takes a hit on all of our time. We do it for various reasons. Because it is fun. Because it is a good way to reach people who are otherwise not reachable. Because it is certainly a powerful part of the lives of all of us in business.
Facebook is certainly a big player in the Social Media world. Many photographers have used it to great advantage to help market their work, or grow their reach.
And there were custom landing pages that allowed small businesses and photographers offer a premium for “liking” their page, as well as present a custom look to the normal Facebook UI. These custom pages could be set as the default home page for “Pages” allowing the FB business to control the entrance to the page.
Then that changed, and we have the timeline. The only customization that can be made is the top graphic. OK, fine. If it is across all pages, then it is somewhat “fair” I suppose.
Photography with Simple Gear” is on sale
for 50% off until Friday, October 19, 2012.
But many photographers and small business owners have worked hard to get a lot of subscribers to “like” their page. These are people who ASKED to be kept apprised of posts and changes to the page.
Facebook just inserted them into the middle of this now by requiring the photographer to PAY to reach out to the people who ASKED to be kept apprised. (Right about now, someone is going to say… “well, FB is free so you shouldn’t complain”. Oh, please… that is simply bullshit and we aren’t even going to go there. FB charges advertisers to get access to me. A lot of money.)
So they expect me to spend from $5 to $20 to reach out to the people who have asked me to send them stuff. I will not comply (well, there have been two that I did ‘Promote” as they were essentially advertisements for my UDEMY course. For an ad, I have no problem with paying for the placement, so no problem there.)
From Photographer Neil van Niekerk;
“The linked articles above mention a loss of up to 60% of people that see the pages. I’m in the region on 90% if I have to roughly estimate it. By reposting the album of photos, I have been able to get more people to see it, but the numbers are still way down.
If this trend with Facebook continues, I’ll just put more accent on my blogs. FB doesn’t bring discernible income to me. It’s a marketing thing, sure. But I can’t say that I have had any income which was solely because of FB. I don’t have anything to sell in the way a retailer has … so there isn’t much driving me to pay FB money for other photographers to see my FB page.
I will just send the link to the FB albums to my clients, and they will share with family and friends, and I am content. That’s all I really need from this. But there is no reason for me to use Facebook to the extent I have in the past.”
You should absolutely read all of Neil’s post. It is far more detailed than I am going to get.
Like Neil, I find it difficult to continue to create content for Facebook if I am forced to pay for the reach I earned. I will probably hook up my twitter account to feed it, but the idea that I create specific work for my Facebook people when MOST will never see it makes me weigh the ROI of the work.
You can see in the chart below EXACTLY when FB changed their (secret) algorithm sending posts out to folks. From an average of 1670 readers to an average of 460 readers in a few days. The same days that FB changed it up.
Seriously?
I am preparing a longer post on what I think photographers should do now. But quickly, it is that it is now even more apparent… your BLOG / WEBSITE is still your best marketing tool. Every time we get a third party intermediary they begin to chip away at our wallets. Ya know!
There is no easy way to do anything, and working on a blog and a website can be hard work. You have to WORK for your readers, and you have to WORK for your content.
But no one is going to come between you and your readers.
See you next time.
Related:
“Want to Highlight Your New Facebook Pictures? Pay to Promote Them”
by Samantha Murphy at Mashable.
Yes, FB wants you to PAY to promote your personal shots of lunches and laundry.
Seriously…
A Hipstagram photo from recent trip through Maine.
A rock beach near Camden, Maine
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It Costs What It Costs
I purchased a car yesterday. I haven’t bought a car for a while, always getting the wife’s hand me down… heh. But with the new business, a new ride is imperative.
It was pretty painless. I told them straight up that I had no time or energy for haggling (and they actually do not do that either). I wanted their best offer and if it was good I would take it and if it was not good, I would walk. Simple. I wanted their best effort and price and I got it. They came back with three proposals, and I took the middle one.
I had done my due diligence, knew the trade in value for the blue-rocket, knew my credit score and the rates that should accompany that, and also knew the markup of the vehicles both used and new. Research is a bitch, but a beautiful bitch for sure.
I kinda laughed to myself, as the ‘three price guideline’ is something I preach a lot. And true to nature, I took the middle offer.
Drove home in a new car. And a new car payment (also something I have not had for nearly 10 years. LOL.
And as I was driving home I thought about the most recent chapter I did for my PRO group at Project 52. Project 52 is a weekly assignment website I run for serious photographers, and the PRO group has been instrumental in working toward being a pro this year. The goal was to make sure every photographer was equipped to work in a year, and indeed had gotten a gig. So far, so good.
The post was called, “It Costs What It Costs” and I am bringing it to you unedited.
I would love to hear your comments and ideas for this concept. (Radical, I know… heh.)
Week Twenty Seven, Project 52: PRO Group (Jumping to Pro)
“IT COSTS WHAT IT COSTS…”
No more.
No less.
In Danielle LaPorte’s new book, “The Firestarter Sessions” she describes a situation where a junior executive had a brilliant idea – one the big bosses loved.
However, after she started costing it out, she found that it was a lot of money. All those hidden costs and travel and rentals and such.
She feared that the proposal would be shot down.
When she next saw her boss he asked her when she was going to get started and she was a bit surprised. “Did you see the cost estimates,” she asked?
He shrugged his shoulders… “It costs what it costs.”
You can get the book here:
(Affiliate Link)
I recommend it wholeheartedly.
So what does that mean to us?
How often have we been asked to create a bid, give a cost estimate, reply to an email with a figure that would be ‘in the ballpark” or otherwise prepare a budget for someone else’s money?
It can be one of the scariest things we do. But do it we must.
And we have to do it well. We have to do it professionally. We have to do it without soiling ourselves and curling up into a fetal position whimpering for that simple time when the cubicle was our friend.
In other words, we have to get it done like a professional.
And remember that it costs what it costs.
Client to you: “… and we need two shots from above the second story patio area, shot down and with a lot of angle to it. Shoot it from the middle of the foyer area.”
You: “Well there are no structures there to stand on, so we will have to bring in a scissor lift. I will get an estimate on the rental for a day.”
Client: “Well, we don’t want to spend any more than the estimate I gave you.”
You: “I understand, but scissor lifts cost more than half of this estimate.”
Client: “What, you don’t have one?”
You: “No, ours is in the shop in Milan, so we will have to rent. If you want the shot from the middle of the courtyard, it will have to be from a scissor lift. And they cost what they cost.”
Ya know…
Now for sure it is a good plan to always try to help your client budget well, but budgeting yourself out of the tools you need to do the job the right way is just plain crazy. You will remember they said no scissor lift, and so had to improvise with one of those silly kite things.
They will not. They will only see the fuzzy images from the hanging camera.
It costs what it costs.
Does that mean that you can’t find areas in the estimate to shave a little here and there? Of course not. Find them and whittle them away, but always remember the shot you want to get – need to get – must get – in order to satisfy both the client AND your own vision.
And that shot costs what it costs.
We have spoken at length about the line item approach to bids, and how they benefit both the client and the photographer, but it is so plainly clear that the costs are what they are when you see the items so plainly listed.
And remember that the top line – the “Fee” is not adjustable without a giving up something on their end. It is YOUR FEE, and it is non-negotiable. You cost what you cost.
If this makes you feel strange or somehow uneasy, I would suggest you re-examine this part of the business.
You have spent untold hours and learned exactly the skills you need to pull this gig off. Even if one of the skills is how to pull the gig off without really knowing how to pull the gig off. Yeah… it’s an art.
Your value is set in stone when you say that you cost what you cost. That the image costs what it costs. That the production costs what it costs.
These value propositions are not frivolous, they are immediate and palpable. They help steel you against those who would devalue your work. The value you put on yourself is a deep and exciting venture… it can define you to your client.
It can define you to your crew.
It can define you to your mom (who always wanted you to be a doctor like your cousin).
And, most importantly it can define yourself to you.
When you know your value proposition, the value of the work that you do, and how others see that value, that fear and loathing thing about doing bids goes away.
Mostly.
How do you redefine your value?
Find out what others think about the type of work that you do. Ask your clients what they value most in the work you do – and in the work they get from your competitors.
Take a mental note of what you are currently charging and ask why?
Are these numbers you simply pulled out of your… out of thin air?
Or are they industry standard issue run of the mill prices?
Cause, you know, you are just a standard issue run of the mill photographer?
And we all know how much in demand those runofthemillboringassplainvanilla photographers are. Yeah, baby. They are rockin’…
Not.
What is the value of your work?
What you demand for it.
Does this mean you can skip the part where you bust your ass to make really incredible, better than most, over the top creatively killer images?
OF COURSE NOT!!!!
We are taking that as a given. This is week 27 for God’s sake, your work is not in question here. You can shoot. You can edit. You can prepare and pack.
You can make scribbles on that check list you have.
We are accepting the fact that you are already a better than average photographer. You are a talented and up and coming shooter that needs to be charging what you are worth. (This is after the pre-set “get every gig” approach discussed earlier… we are transitioning a bit now to the real world.)
Assistants are important. They hold lights. They build sets. They carry heavy stuff when you are deep into the “OMG, what was I thinking when I said I would do this shot without seeing the location first. Where’s the nearest bridge… OMG OMG…” thinking.
They are part of your team.
They cost what they cost.
Sets are a valuable part of the shot. They can be shoddily constructed and fall apart every time the model steps up to it, or built right so the shoot can smoothly move ahead.
Sets cost what they cost.
Yeah, we shoot digital. That means that sometimes we need to see what we are doing right at the shoot. Digital techs make the shoot go smoother, and keeps you assistant doing what they do so well.
Digital techs are important and, surprise, they cost what they cost.
If you need something to make the shoot go smoothly and with less problems, it probably has a cost associated with it. That cost is generally set by the vendor, service, technician or talent that provides that special something.
They all cost what they cost.
Exercise:
Plan a big shoot and line item all the things you absolutely need to do the shot you planned. What do they cost?
Can you do the same shot without them?
If the answer is no, then you have your base.
(Look, we can always find ways around some costs. Borrowing a motorcycle instead of renting one is great if you have a bud with a Harley. But if you don’t, then the headaches associated with trying to find one to borrow or rent is a cost item for your client to have itemized.)
Clients know this stuff too, you know.
Sure they want the least expensive way to go… saving money is a good thing.
But they also know that scrimping on art will never win them another client. Doing good work does that. (And if you are thinking… “yeah right… not the clowns I work with…” then stop working for clowns and step up to the clients who do value the work well done.
And they can see through a poorly executed bid. They know what things cost to do it right. And they want to be sure YOU know them too.
So the next time you start to put a bid together, just remember… “It costs what it costs.”
Bid accordingly.
Related Posts:
Project 52 PRO – Works
At the Project 52 PRO group, there are an astounding group of photographers all helping to boost each other into professionalism. Most of them have gotten a paying gig this year, and we are well on the way to making that happen for all of them.
The point of Project 52 has always been to introduce photographers into the ways and workings of commercial photography. We are not weddings and portrait oriented, although many of our shooters are indeed doing that kind of work.
To me, professionalism is not how much money you make or what kind of camera you shoot, it is an attitude that permeates all that you do. From the care and lighting of a photograph to working with clients to billing and marketing.
And anyone can learn to do that stuff.
The uniqueness of all of us in photography is in the eye/moment connection. What we see and when we decide to snap that shutter.
Below are shots from many of our Project 52 PROs. I hope you enjoy them.
Eric Muerttities
Steve Collins
William Cohea
Hiram Chee
Greg Kindred
Alfred Kuypta
Ed Yezekian
Michelle Drumm
Rob Davidson
Nick Giron
Reed Waters
Don Fadel
Pete Hudeck
Steve Pamp
Keith Knasiak
Terry Jacobson
Bret Doss
Anthony Dunn
Charles Tibbs
Ryan McGeehee
Em Thomas
I will be posting some images from the Lighting Essentials group (non-Pro) next week.
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On Style: Personal Take
This morning I followed a link on Twitter to a website devoted (supposedly) to helping photographers learn to be better photographers. The name of the post was something along the lines of “12 Super Awesome Ways to Make Epic Images” or something similar – and no, I am not going to link to that post.
Why?
Because it was terrible. The advice was terrible. The instruction was terrible, and the examples were – even worse.
So I decided to go at it with a snarky post about how we now have people who are actually not good at something teaching others to be not good at it as well.
But I thought about it again, and decided instead to talk about something more positive.
It just seems better to me.
I have been struggling with my work for a while now. I want to do something different.
I can see what I want through a mist sort of. I work on writing it out (journals are lovely to work with) and I keep shooting. I need to shoot more, but I have dedicated a lot of time this Fall for creating new images and just being behind the camera.
In search of a style? Not really… more like in search for personal inspiration that allows the style to be revealed.
Because that is how I believe style happens with a photographer… it is revealed while making photographs. No book, audio, PDF, class, podcast or best buddy with a case of Corona can reveal it. It flows from photographs.
It is revealed with choices.
BigAss choices like what you photograph.
Big choices like how you light it.
Choices like composition and color.
Subtle choices like cropping, POV, angles and details that are personal and small and oh-so-important.
So I have been shooting and writing and journaling. A trip to West coast, a trip to the East coast, a trip to Midwest and a trip to the Pac Northwest coming up. Lots of new shots.
Lots of stuff I don’t like.
And some stuff I do like… a lot.
Surprising images and safe images and pretty images and challenging images.
I wanted more. I still want more.
But it is a process. A process that is both disappointing and exhilarating.
I am seeing some things that I can tie together, making more of a ‘body of work’ instead of disparate imagery, and I can feel something emerging that is a mix of my old work, current work and the new, shiny, cool and still ethereal work that I can sort of see in the distance.
There are many ways to find the style and lighting and post production mix that gives you images that please your eye, and make you want to do more of them.
Finding that mix can be a journey of discovery, or simply recognizing you are there.
It shouldn’t be a difficult journey, but an exciting one.
It shouldn’t cause angst, but instead create joy.
It should reveal itself with a self confidence that overwhelms all feeling of inadequacy (inadequacy is also known as “photographer” too often in our own minds,)
You should love doing the work, and when you find that moment when it all starts to come together, let it. Let it come together.
Get the hell out of your own way, and let it all come together. Turn off the voices of doubt, fear and concern over what some guy on 500PX will say.
Don’t think it to death.
Don’t question it to oblivion.
Don’t let it be trashed by people who shoot their laundry and kitties.
Don’t second guess it by how many Flickr comments you got.
Then defend the work. First to yourself, then to others by simply showing it. When challenged, and you will be, you will know if you love your work by simply feeling it to be right in spite of the challenge. If the challenge upends your world, maybe you were shooting for someone else instead of yourself.
No one can please every one. No. One.
When you hit on that stylistic approach that makes you like looking at your own images, then you may have arrived at a small plateau. Plateaus are simply resting places before the next climb.
And you can also get some kudos from peers and fans and others.
Don’t bask in it and think you have ‘arrived’.
Just smile and accept it and keep doing more of it.
Keep shooting the images you want to see.
Tolkien wrote books that he wanted to read.
Take photographs you want to look at.
Related Posts:
Instagram… it is Not the Devil (or is it?)
Instagram was a tiny app that grew at an amazing rate. Hipstagram is another app that has grown faster than most, and Snapseed was just purchased by Google.
What does that mean? Is it, as one of the articles below suggests, the end of photography? Or is it a new, and very cool little tool that will grow into something amazing and a part of the arsenal of professional photographers.
I use all three, and really enjoy their quirky twist on the image. But there are detractors as well. I thought it would be interesting to see what others think about the photo sharing tool everyone loves – and some love to hate.
“I became very, very quickly addicted,” says Reid, who works primarily as a web designer. “It’s a fascinating phenomenon, unlike anything. Something like Twitter — that’s a community, but its not such a happy community, where people are all sharing their art and talking about it, like [Instagram].”
Thousands of people like Reid have used Instagram to meet other photographers experimenting with the medium, and even selling their photos on sites like Instaprints. Reid’s own “DCEmmy” Instagram account now has almost 5500 followers, and she has exhibited her work in mobile photography shows across the country.”
Read more at Huffington Post.
David Harry Stewart has a short little rant about Instagram.
I get asked all the time if I feel threatened by this new wave of iPhone bearing Instagramming photographers. Why would I possible feel that way? I think everyone, every single person on the planet should be Instagraming and we would all be better off.
This post at Forbes shows how far reaching the formerly little app has grown; “Google Challenges Facebook And Instagram With Snapseed Buy”
“One reason we can presume Google wants to integrate Nik’s technology into its social network: the acquisition was announced by the man behind Google+ himself, Vic Gundotra, on a Google+ post. “We want to help our users create photos they absolutely love, and in our experience Nik does this better than anyone,” he wrote.
The same post also talked about the growth of Google+ users, saying the network now had more than 400 million signups, with 100 million of them “monthly active users.”
At the Guardian, there is this; “Is Instagram ‘debasing photography’?”
“It’s not just Instagram – other software produces the same effects: Hipstamatic, Snapseed and of course the big boys: Gimp, Photoshop and Lightroom.
For me, these filters spoil pictures: they get in the way of the image and they distort the story the picture is telling. It jars to see a picture taken a few seconds ago, in the summer of 2012, that looks like a picture from my childhood (I’m a 60s baby).”
Over at Bloomberg Business there was this interesting article on pro photographers using Instagram.
“Following the acquisition of Instagram by Facebook, Businessweek.com asked several prominent photographers, editors, and other photography professionals about Instagram. For many of them, the simple app has changed the way they shoot and what they choose to share with the world. Here are their replies, in their own words.”
“8 PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FROM TOP INSTAGRAMMERS” has some gorgeous imagery and some good information.
“Rather than just snapping drunken shenanigans with pals, some Instagram users are creating mind-blowing pics with just a few taps on their iPhone. Want to know how some of the most popular users do it?”
So what is your take on Instagram?
Or for that matter, what is your take on Snapseed and the acquisition by Google?
For me it is simply a lot of fun, and a great way to amuse myself.
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Glad you dropped by. This is my love and my muse. We talk about photography here, as well as the folks who make images. I am very focused on commercial and fine art photography, and we don't really spend all that much time on weddings and such. I have written 5 books - two I give away here, and two are for sale at Amazon, and the 5th one is being edited and designed right now! Thanks for visiting, leave a comment or join me the social networks...