You guys are still the best damn forum pool around. And I have a set of 26 photos that really impressed me. Getting harder to narrow them down now. Lots of great shots in the pool these days. Thanks.

IMPORTANT: IF YOU HAVE ATTENDED A LIGHTING ESSENTIALS WORKSHOP, please see the Workshops Page.

Before we head over to look at the shots, a few thoughts.

Last week, the NYT published a piece, “For Photographers, the Image of a Shrinking Path” that has caused a bit of a mini-firestorm. One that I think will stay smoldering for a while.

I won’t even begin to summarize here, you should read it yourself. And then read these followup articles for other perspectives:

“Don’t Panic: Thoughts on the NYT Article about the Future of Commercial Photography” – Heather Morton.
Money graphs:

“There is no way to compete against stock in the jobs for which stock is appropriate so I think you should mostly stop trying (and definitely stop bitching about it). Instead, make sure you’ve got a look and feel that the brand needs; that you are an innovator, offering solutions. And take heart- as per Jaffe’s article referenced above, these are the same demands that clients are making of the ad agencies.

There will always be some demand for commissioned, generic, safe imagery but this is a field that is enormously oversaturated. On the other hand, there is tremendous opportunity to find new ways of working right now. So don’t panic, just figure it out.”
Check the comments for some great fun.

UPDATE: Heather has added a second, follow up post:
Don’t Panic: Part Two by Heather Morton
Money Graphs:

“This is the same thing I’ve been hearing for a couple of years and I just don’t know what I can do to help on this one. Because of where I work (if you’re an agency who can hire a freelance Art Buyer, you at least understand that you have to pay for good photography), I haven’t experienced this dramatic assault on fees. But I also can’t insist that the client shoot every image. If shooters like Mariano Pastor are offering product shots to own for $250 and my client finds out about it, there’s only so much I can argue that the shot needs to cost 30 times that.

But I do argue with them because I don’t want y’all to leave the business. I need to know that when the good tabletop jobs come up, you will all still be there so that we can really delve into the skill and style that a great photographer can bring to the brand and elevate it beyond the value of a $250 photograph.”

“NYT: Pros and Amateurs Debate: Is Photography in Trouble?” – Bruce DeBoer.
Money Graphs:

“My feeling is that once the “good enough” market is saturated, photographers with the skills to “make” images will find new business models that return a decent lifestyle. We are in transition. The current angst is mostly fear of change but also about the heartbreak of all those career photographers watching their greatest love walk away. I hold grief for my profession but also excitement about possibilities since imagery is gaining importance in the marketplace.

It’s a time of disruption but disruption means high creativity – watch this space – good stuff is bound to happen.”

“Creatives & The Hope Economy: What Do We Do Now?” – Bruce DeBoer once more.
Money Graphs:

“The market is most robust for what’s good enough and good enough is less than it was. Once there were professional type houses but now desktop publishing – good enough. Once there were staffed million dollar music production studios, now we have a garage and Pro-tools on a PC – good enough. Once there were journalists, now there are bloggers – good enough. No time or money for more than good enough unlike there once was.

Spend 10,000 hours on proficiency and the world will have moved on to something else. Don’t look now but your expertise is obsolete. One might be better off learning a little about a lot, settling for good enough and cashing the check: the DIY culture.”

“Professional photographers’ commoditization covered in mainstream media” by Carolyn Potts.
Money Graphs:

“I still believe the very best strategy to deal with these changes is having both real talent (that is ever-evolving) and the right attitude. I feel that having a pro-active attitude instead of a “victim” attitude is probably the most critical element.

What did those professional photographers do to survive? Every single one of them refused to focus on what was wrong with changes; they focused on the opportunities! They use a business slow-down to reinvent themselves. They update their portfolios; become proficient in new software; grow their business network; and learn more effective sales and marketing techniques. “

Of course, you must first read the NYT article, which I found to be very full of holes, mis-representations, omissions and ironically stupid to have the guy from Corbis on there… sheesh.

On the workshop front, I am coming to Omaha, Cleveland, New York, Baltimore and a bunch of other great places. I have a few spaces at most of them, and it is always fun to come to markets that are not well covered as well as those that are saturated. The workshops are much different than most you will take. We combine classroom theory and real world shooting to make sure you understand and can repeat the concepts and techniques taught.

Take a look at Learn to Light for more information, and if you are thinking about a workshop this year, consider ours. Inexpensive, and filled with real learning.

Now… off to the images!

This shot pretty much puts that ‘rule of thirds’ in it’s place. The use of sky/space augments the subtle lighting and adds power to the subject.

This shot just draws you in. The light is sumptuous and warm.

I love the homage to classical portraiture in this shot. Wonderful light and gesture.

Use the light like this to tell a story.

I just like this shot so much.

I think this photographer understands negative space really well.

I would say that this shot is a ‘knock out” but… well, you know. It does have a lot of punch doesn’t it?

A Fantasy shot that has some wonderful texture and light.

Soft and natural light for a natural beauty.

Composition, light and limited DOF creates a powerful portrait.

A very clean commercial look of a beautiful girl and some Canon gear.

Light as a subject itself.

Beauty Light on a beauty.

Nice use of light and texture. The pose is well executed into a vintage look.

Just cute.

Gesture, pose, light.

Classic glamour. Classic light.

Using light to enhance a sense of place.

The light is calling from outside the frame. Adds mystery.

Light can make even the most mundane set more interesting for a portrait.

Simple beauty light.

Nice lighting and gesture.

Perfect… LOL… just perfect.

I love the flare, and the crop.

Beautiful color and edge light.

Thanks for following along. You can stalk me on Twitter, visit my other sites, and view my iPhone images here.

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Portraits… man I love portraits. People are so interesting and the combination of an interesting person and a creative photographer reveals more than simply a photo of someone… it reveals the nature of all of us. And that makes it timeless.

From the earliest times, painters and sculptors used people as their inspiration… from the Roman statues to the Mona Lisa, Rembrandts portraits to Bourke-White’s mother and child… people dominate our subject interest.

And photography is the medium I, and I presume most of the readers here, choose to render the people we see into portraits.

There are a lot of opinions on portrait photography, from the ‘Rembrandt triangle of light below the shadow eye’ to the ‘correct’ lens to use. I believe most of that stuff is crap… there are no rules other than the rules you impose on yourself. Does your vision of the portrait match the image taken? If so, good. If not, you may need more work. And that’s fine too.

Portraiture gives us a wide variety of genres to work in. Fashion, beauty, glamour, artistic nude, wedding, maternity, environmental, studio and more. And the styles can run from a total formality to a whimsical play. And so much in between.

But because portraiture is so popular as a type of photography, it becomes more and more difficult to set your work apart from the vast amounts of portraiture being created daily. I know that it is hard to do, but it is so important. And it can mean the difference in whether you can be sought out by people wanting your particular spin on the image, or just being considered by the price-shoppers.

Light can be one differentiation in how your work is seen and appreciated. How you work with your subjects, their relationship to the environment, posing, lens choices, angles, and gesture becomes your pallet. And then comes the vision thing that ties it all into your approach to the portrait.

Great portraitists present their subjects as they want them to be seen… infusing the photographers vision into the resulting image. This can be a little challenging to some who want only a ‘picture’ of themselves, and there are plenty of places and photographers who are only too happy to provide a snap. Portraitists want to do more than simply snap, they want to explore and reveal and lead and challenge.

A few portrait shooters from my list of influences.
Yousef Karsh
Richard Avedon
Irving Penn
Victor Skrebneski
And some newer to the scene:
Nadav Kander
Dan Winters
Chris Buck
Nick Onken
And of course, Annie, Patrick, Arthur, Albert and Peter.

The goal for me has always been to make the subject look as beautiful as possible… without changing them into something they aren’t. I want to let the beauty I see in them come forth through my camera. And that takes a mix of lighting, composition, lens choices, timing and most of all, rapport. I look through the lens and become emotionally involved. I don’t hear the music, I don’t hear the distractions (which I keep to a minimum in the studio… cell phones on buzz, only answer in the dressing room, no chatting on set unless it directly involves the subject and the session etc…). I just see the subject and what we are trying to do. When the camera goes down, things go back to normal, but when I am shooting… I simply am involved with my subject.

After the jump we will take a look at 24 images from the LE Flickr Pool that I thought brought a little more the portrait… a drama or sense of style.

If you are considering a workshop, we have planned a schedule that will bring us near to your city, and if you would like me to bring a Lighting Essentials workshop to your city, let me know. I like to go to the smaller cities where other workshops don’t venture. We are a small group (limited to 12 tops) so going to smaller venues is possible. And fun!

This portrait starts the gallery. I love the unexpected look to it, and the post brings a sense of cold and dread. The subjects eyes being set a little off from each other adds to the surreal effect.

The black and white post adds to the drama of this image. The slight backlight is offset by the fill and the light in the eyes. The photographers use of angle and the subject looking off from the camera adds to the uniqueness of the image.

I like the sense of loneliness and separation that this image conveys. Placing the subject in the center and in a little shaft of light isolates her from the dark and mysterious environment.

Framing the subject with a panel of color, and with the gates in the foreground make this image seem like a grab shot. But the formal position and the off camera gaze give the shot some definite focus.

A single spotlight effect gives this portrait a unique, stylish look. The sunglasses add a bit of whimsy… or mystery.

The post in the bluish tones adds to the unique style of this image. I like that the light is visible at the back to camera left. Her fun pose and leg line are kinda cool too.

I like the black and white processing on this shot. It adds so much to the dramatic pose and skin of the shot. Working the light to advantage here, the end result has interesting tonality and highlights.

A natural, soft light and angled horizon give this shot a very nice feel. Keeping the subject to an off camera gaze allows us to imagine a bit about what is happening in the image.

The falling lines, low angle and well defined light takes this portrait to a higher level. I like the look on her face and how she fits into the environment.

I love the gesture and the light here. Her total involvement in this shot really carries it. I love it when a model really lets go like this.

Dramatic lighting, the flared sun and the helmeted subject give this shot a dramatic appeal.

From the color to the dynamic pose to the dramatic setting, this shot delivers a wonderful feeling to a double portrait.

I like this shot a lot. Dramatic light, interesting post and a subject that really draws you in. The gritty location adds to the accessibility of the image.

Such a nice, illustrative image. The set of grass and the sleeping subject are set off well with the interesting light. A grand gesture brought into a ‘small’ image.

A very dramatic image with a super wide lens and a wonderful affectation from the subject. The cross lighting adds a sense of illustration to the shot.

A fantastic illustrative shot with excellent lighting and a surreal setting. With the subjects attention off frame, the image takes on a poetic, editorial feel.

The light, pose, composition and excellent framing make this portrait a standout. It just grabs the senses and delivers a fresh look.

The negative image of the subject against the light and the corridor gives this shot a totally editorial feel. A small story in a single image.

Just an entertaining portrait with a whimsical feel. The light and the environment lend a fun feeling to this illustrative portrait.

One light majesty with a subject full of character and charm. The simplicity of a black background and a dramatic light can never be underestimated.

Tightly composed and brightly lit with beauty light, this portrait delivers a sharply defined subject with some very nice shallow DOF.

A small pool of dramatic light highlights this subject in a dramatic way that also shows off the muscular physique and interesting wardrobe.

Warm, enveloping light is perfect for this location maternity image. The framing and composition creates a compelling portrait.

This musician shot conveys a dramatic light, and an affable smile. Contradictory and yet inviting. I like how the light just hints at the guitar.

Thanks for visiting Lighting Essentials. Follow me on Twitter if you like. And if you like Lighting Essentials, be sure to tell your friends about it. We are pushing hard for a few thousand more readers. Thanks!

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Well, we present 30 images from the pool today. Images that are soft and wild and quiet and loud… but all of them compelling in their own way. As always, the images link to the photographer’s Flickr pages so please click and visit. Leaving them a comment always brightens their day.

Before we get going with that, some fun stuff to share.

From the web:
Heather Morton has a post on breaking out and adding to your genre.
Kirk Tuck shares some insights from a nice ad job he did.
Mathieu Young grabbed a big strobe and walked all over LA making photographs of every one he met.
Mike Sheil gives us his take on working as a photographer for over 30 years.
And here are Ten NO’s for all of us freelancers.

On the Lighting Essentials site, we have just completed a three part interview with Selina Maitreya. Her insights into what is working now and what to do to get out there are really indispensable.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three

The new Rants and Raves section is getting quite a bit of play. And we added some testimonials to the Learn to Light site. If you are considering a workshop, take a few minutes and check out ours. I want to make it the best workshop experience you have ever had.

Upcoming dates for the workshops:
Jan 30, 31 : Seattle
Feb 6, 7 : San Diego
Feb 27, 28 : Houston
March 13, 14 : Santa Cruz
March 27, 28 : New Orleans
April 17, 18 : Philadelphia
April 24, 25 : Omaha

Please let me know if you have some questions that you would like me to explore. I am preparing a few posts n shooting film, medium format and large format, as well as some on-the-scene coverage of some working pros. Your input is always welcome.

BTW… if you haven’t started a 365 Project yet… it is never too late. Just start today and run it for a year. Let us know about it and we will compile a list of LE folks with their 365 projects.

OK… let’s go look at some images from the forum. I think you are going to like these.

As always on these posts, please click the image and leave a comment on the photographer’s Flickr page. It means a lot to them to hear from you.

I love the gesture here. The “Jazz Hands” and the impossible position give the photograph so much dynamic motion.

The light, smoke and position of the subject make the shot seem formal. The subject offsets the formality of the composition by the gentle twist of the head and the informal hands.

This image just pulls me into it. Such a nice composition, and the tonalities make it inviting. I love that little bottle dead center. The casual effect of the subject looking off camera is powerful.

Careful focus and wonderful soft, wrapping light make this portrait stand out. The attention of the subject on his hand lends a feeling of reality to the image.

This subtle black and white landscape shot has such a nice composition. Love the texture versus smooth foreground. Those clouds bring the eye right back to the land, don’t they?

This dramatic shot looks fabulous as a thumbnail. The big shot doesn’t disappoint. Nice use of flare to help make the statement.

Sublime texture and line in this classically composed environment. Black and white works so well.

Careful attention to casting, props and wardrobe make this image stand out. The light is complex without being distracting. Ahhhh… texture.

Wow. Lighting and mood. Props and color as well as the DOF control make this little guy pop without being blown out. Clean light and beautiful baby.

This crew should love the photo. Very complex lighting, but the result is a well done commercial image.

The softness of the natural light, with the flare and wrap make this image a perfect match for what the photographer was going for… a dreamy state of mind.

The offset composition, shallow DOF, gesture of the model and very nice, dramatic sidelight give this image some real punch. Hard not to notice it… and then it draws you in.

Color, gesture, angle and the model’s pose all together present a moment perhaps to be remembered.

Sometimes the portrait is so dramatic and the concept so pure, it cannot helped but be seen. The gesture brings you in and you leave with more questions than answers. Nice light too!

Sometimes the light is so nice, it can enhance an otherwise already nice image. Composition is classic, subject is gorgeous and the light sets her off very well.

Clean, solid light, limited DOF and a smile that is infectious. A nicely done headshot for sure.

I like how he seems to be emerging from the light. Nice effect. And really nice pose.

Dontcha just love images that are like little short stories? Mini novellas? Light, gesture, pose, composition… so much going on here.

Dramatic composition and effective use of two lights present this subject in a classic, yet a bit modern image. Limited DOF and the pose of the subject make the image stand out.

Hmmm… that looks like it may be a Corona. That works for me!

Yeah… sometimes it’s just like that. Lighting works to present an illustrative portrait with a lot of appeal.

What could be a cliche ends up bringing us in. Nice use of a color pallet and gesture.

Sensual color and light. The composition sets our eyes moving into the mist to see what is there, but ultimately we are drawn back to the windmill.

Alright… this just looks like a hell of a lot of fun.

Such a classic composition. Quiet and understated and so very interesting. Great detail to offset the whimsical pose.

Oh man, this shot works on so many levels. Such energy from the subjects. Placing the rider to one side in the composition makes it even more dynamic.

Rich color and dramatic DOF make this image pop.

A beautiful, natural light portrait of a lovely subject. What else could you ask.

A feeling of ‘paparazzi’ created by the lighting and the subjects attention elsewhere. Seems almost a grabshot, and that makes it immediate.

Light, color pallet, gesture, styling and makeup artistrty combine with subtle and effective lighting to present an ‘other worldly’ portrait.

Hey, thanks everyone for taking a look at some of these amazing images from the Lighting Essentials Flickr Pool. Come on and join us there for images and discussions on a wide ranging set of topics.

Follow me on Twitter, and visit my workshop site at Learn to Light.

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Hey… it’s been a while. Sorry ’bout that. I have been traveling so dang much that it has been a little hard to get to the site… but I have really got a lot of stuff ready to go.

The last few weeks included Boise, Toronto and this weekend it is Pittsburgh. If you are ready to get your lighting up a notch or two, we will have our schedule for next year ready for signup on December 1. I am taking most of December off to work on the book and DVD. We should have some great stuff for next year. I am revamping the workshop to include more demos/handouts/video and some other cool things to be announced.

Toronto was a blast… a real blast! We had some incredible light on Saturday, and some – uh – fog on Sunday. No matter… the thing rocked. Shooting in Adam Belnap’s beautiful studio (more coming on that) and the cool area all around it.

I got to see some of the beautiful Canadian countryside on the way back (getting lost facilitated a trip through the back roads of Ontario… lucky I had time). It was beautiful and cold.

I got to the airport in Buffalo and found this email from one of my attendees…

“I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your workshop. I am in tears right now and that is not an exaggerating. I have been struggling for awhile (for a long time) with figuring out a career path for myself. I have always had a passion for photography, but was always unsure if I could do it. I got home last night and was anxious to look at my photos that I took from Sunday’s session, but had to force myself to sleep. (I can’t lie I was exhausted, but a good exhaustion.)

This morning I woke up got the kids off to school, and sat down to look at my pictures. There were some not so good pictures, some really good images, and some photographs that I never thought I could’ve taken in a million years! They literally took my breath away. If it weren’t for you putting on this workshop, and making it affordable to someone like myself, I would still be sitting here today, wondering if I could do it. I now know I can do it, and more importantly I want to do it so bad I can taste it. Thank you a million times over.”

I love this. I really do. You are welcome!

Some recent posts from around the net:

A Photo Editor had this interesting post on “Perception”.
Heather Morton: “A Year in the Life” project.
David Hobby has a few beers with Vermeer… heh.
David Eustace and his daughter take a trip.. and the result is stunning.
My friend Chris Valites got a nice post on Conscientious.
Liz Cockrum knocks us out with an amazing set of portraits.

IMPORTANT NEWS! Selina Maitreya’s incredible, wonderful, informative and entertaining audio series is now available to the readers of this site for half off. That’s right! 50% off her regular price. Simply visit her site and order the audio. When you get to the purchase page, put in the code FOSLE and you will get $100 off the price at checkout. This audio package will change how you think about your work and working in this great business.

Let’s go on now and check out these amazing 33 images from the Flickr LE Pool.

From the amazing Lighting Essentials Flickr Pool. And remember that you should click on the images you like and visit the photographers. Leave a comment or two… they love it

Thanks for taking a look and be sure to click on the images to see more work by these wonderful photographers. If you liked it, be sure to Tweet it or share… see upper right of each page for a series of sharing tools.

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We have another inspirational post from the Lighting Essentials Flickr Pool. 44 terrific images that hopefully will inspire you. I love looking through that pool whenever I have a few minutes. Take your time, and as always, the images link to the photographers Flickr page so take a look at the other wonderful imagery you can find there.

Our cover shot was done a few days ago at the amazing Boston workshop. It rained steady the second day and we had to punt a bit, but we got some amazing imagery. Fantastic models and talent and some really talented photographers there in Boston.

Off to Boise – and we have an opening or two. Sure it’s last minute notice… but hey, throw caution to the wind and join us in Idaho for a workshop that will change the way you think about, and use, light.

A few of our previous collections of images live here:

40 Pictures from the Forum
44 Cool Images From the Forum
24 Photographs That Rock
Lighting Essentials Forum Rocks Another 40 Images

And…
Create an Antique Camera Look for Your Images
Adding Texture to a Portrait for Added Drama
Style: It’s Not What You Shoot, It’s How You Shoot It

I hope you enjoy this post as much as I enjoyed looking through the pool. Grab a cold one (or a warm one if you back in New England) and spend some time looking at the amazing work.

Here are 44 of the most amazing Lighting Essentials Flickr Images. Thanks for sharing the great images with the world, folks. PLEASE click on the photographs to see more of the amazing images from the photographers presented here. And of course, thanks to all the photographers who participate in the Lighting Essentials

Thanks for stopping by. I am so proud of the work on the Lighting Essentials Flickr page that I love to share these images. Makes a heck of an inspirational post, ya know.

If you enjoyed the post, please share it through Flickr, Facebook and any of a bunch of Social Media sites. See the panel on the top right of this page.

See you later this week with another post.

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She’s back – due to popular request. Briana has a new article on Model Behavior. She calls it “Trust the Model”. Thanks Bri, for the article.

On the Lighting Essentials front, it has been pretty hectic lately. I have several things to review and will get them reviewed as soon as possible for you all.

This month of August will see me doing a workshop in Seattle, an assignment in San Diego, a couple of product shots here in Phoenix, and the first ever Lighting Essentials Advanced Lighting Workshop. Very excited about that.

I am also starting to look at next years workshop schedule. We wanted to come to England and Spain this year, but scheduling needs to be farther out for that. I am planning on Bahamas, Panama, Canada and Alaska for some workshop dates, and if you have any ideas for me… well, bring them on.

I have started something I call LE Pick of the Day, which is a screenshot if a website, and a link. When I see something that’s really cool, I just want to share it with you all. This format doesn’t allow that. You can see my Pick of the Day on Twitter, and Facebook. You can subscribe to it at Posthurous. And my other little much updated blog is It’s What I Do on Blogger. It gets about 6 updates a day… photo and design mostly. Me grouching occasionally… heh.

I will be in San Diego doing a cool job that I will share with you all soon. Watch for my interview with Chris Bohnhoff on Monday.

Remember you can save 10% off purchases at MPEX if you use the link to the right, and be sure to visit my sponsors for your photographic needs.

Trust the Model
By Briana Shaker

Part I:

Introduction

Ever play that game Trust? You know the one. The one they play on business retreats and at personal development workshops? Yes, the cheesy one. “Trust me, just fall back and I’ll catch you.” Yeah, right. If it’s not in dance, the only person I’d trust if I was falling is me… or Superman. But since he’s make-believe, let’s make believe I can get by my trust issues if you can get by yours.

Yes, you.

Whether you’re in front or behind the lens there has to be trust. The model has to trust that the photog knows what he or she is doing. Further, the model has to trust that the photog wants the shots to look good and won’t do anything that may compromise the model or her work. It works both ways. Photogs as well need to be able to just fall and know that their models will catch them. It’s the essence of creativity. It’s the essence of photography. Letting go.

Control Issues

We all have control issues. We like control. Or even the illusion of control. Put a steering wheel and pedals on a roller coaster and the lines at Six Flags would be that much longer. I even know a guy who would be more comfortable flying a plane than being flown (he doesn’t know how to fly by the way.) It’s all about control. When we’re in control, the responsibility for success or failure is on our own shoulders; we have no one else to blame and… no one else with whom to share our successes.

How sad.

All of it is meaningless without someone to share those failures and those successes. We need an audience. Artists need audiences. There is a certain amount of trust even in that relationship. A relationship we often take for granted or, as often, just ignore. For instance, in dance, trust is second nature for me. The other dancers and I have similar goals, to perform for an audience. Thus all of us let go of our inhibitions and trust issues and just dance to make the best performance for our audience as possible. But outside of dance, it’s different. My goal, I soon realized, was to figure out why I can do it in dance so easily and how can I translate that skill to other fields. So far, it’s worked for me in modeling. Now… how do I learn to trust that the calories in a Carl’s jr. bacon-burger really will keep me as fit as the model on the T.V. commercial?

It has been argued that maturity is an acceptance of responsibility for one’s own actions. I like that. It makes sense. But it also creates problems. Inherently, such philosophy is self-defeating. It prevents trust, trust in others being responsible enough or capable enough to do their jobs. It’s like sitting in the passenger seat and constantly checking blind spots. After a while… It just hurts your neck.

Creativity and Trust

Creativity is about trust. To be creative one has to go beyond the bounds or limitations already established by others. The artist has to trust in his or her craft and in his or her audience to… “Get the point.” Sometimes that doesn’t happen though until after the artist is long gone and passed. That’s where the expression “ahead of the times” comes from I think.

Now this isn’t a discussion about art or what is good art, it’s a look at how creativity is enhanced through trust. And an easy way to see that process in effect is to go no further than the recent summer blockbuster, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. (Yes, I looked up the title. I just wanted to call it Transformers 2, but…)

Imagine being an actor in that movie. (Yes, they’re actors. Regardless of whether you think working with CGI effects counts as acting. In fact, I imagine it’s much harder to react believably to not yet existent effects. We models do it all the time.) But my point is about trust. The actors work about 8 weeks on the film. 8 weeks with often “non-existent” co-stars. These actors are putting a lot of trust into the crew behind the scenes to ensure that they “look” good in the final product. That’s a lot of trust for playing make-believe.

Now, imagine you’re the director. Your actors put in 8 weeks. You… you put in another year for your vision to come to fruition. Seemingly, the director has a lot more at stake. The director puts a lot of trust in his actors to pull out believable performances. And once they’re done, there is no calling them back to redo scenes. Film budgets will not allow it.

In the end, without the actors the director has nothing. And the actors have nothing without the director and the crew’s year long work. Each has to trust the other for there to be success. Each has to just let go of his or her illusion of control and trust that both want the same end result… great art (or, at the least, a lot of money

Letting Go

Art is about letting go. It’s about breaking the rules. It’s about being a kid.

On one hand, you need to trust in intangibles, like skill, instincts, and all the effort spent in preparation. But on the other hand, that hand you rarely use, you have to put trust in others.

Yet, how many times have you wished others had a little common sense? Well… common sense is not a great trait in artists. The problem is that too many people share the same sense. Imagine… without innovators we’d still think the world was flat.

Put it this way… by letting go of convention you can create new possibilities in art. One of those conventions is in not trusting others. But that’s where change happens. Another’s unique set of life experiences are brought together with yours. So if you set a shoot up and just trust in the model, the shot you want will be there, but so too will a number of shots that may change the whole way you’ve ever thought about your own work. Just in looking at a few of the pictures in this article, I’m sure you’ve already formulated some ideas for new things. You do it all the time. You’ve trained your eye to do so. But it’s important to realize that you too can find new approaches in your own work. Trust leads to mistakes, mistakes to experience, and experience to… greatness.

You can read more of Briana’s “Model Behavior” articles on the Model Behavior Categories tab above. Her website is BrianaModel.com and watch for her first book to be announced soon on these pages.

See you in a few days with a new article.

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We have been focusing on some business things for the last couple of posts. I wanted to take this opportunity to pull some more images from the Lighting Essentials Pool at Flickr and recognize some wonderful work.

We aren’t the biggest Flickr Forum, and we aren’t the most famous. But we have a hell of a pool of photographers who recognize some of the subtleties of light and composition and gesture. As always, please click on the image to be taken to the photographer’s Flickr page to see more. This is a collection of images that I want to share, but all of the images deserve a viewing. Visit the forum for a real visual treat.

Workshop Information:
We have completed the first half of the year. And we have been to some great places that I have always loved visiting, and also been to some places where I have never been before. It is simply amazing to me that I have met so many incredible people who want to learn to do what they do a bit better. We have had beginners take a huge step forward and professional shooters discover new directions and style. From coast to coast, it has been my pleasure to meet and work with talented photographers and models and assistants, and have a lot of fun.

The workshops are not like most. I do not have a long Bio section where I drone on about all the cool stuff I do. That’s all a waste, you know. People come to the workshop to learn lighting, not hear a bunch of self serving crap. I don’t sell anything at the workshops… DVD’s are given freely, as well as a workbook that gets updated as we go along. I rarely shoot on these workshops, preferring the students maximize the time and get the images they want. And we rarely finish until well after dark. Sometimes staying up until wee hours discussing photography and Photoshop and models and business. For two days. It is an intense workshop, and it will most definitely make you a better photographer. At my workshop, photographers are involved for the entire time. Doing, learning, doing, discussing, doing, thinking and doing. I think you see a trend there. I call it a hands-on workshop for a reason.

I have enjoyed writing the business oriented posts, and I will get back to the lighting soon. I am semi-officially going to start consulting with photographers who need to change it up. Not simply a business tune-up, nor am I in the “portfolio review” business, but a comprehensive look at how photographers can develop new strategies in this ever changing environment. From personal growth, and self assigned portfolio work, to social media and creating an identity, we will go through a 2 month process of creating a new ‘brand’ for your work. This is intense, and it will be very demanding on the photographers who take part. It is one on one with some group work at points within the time frame. Photographers must be committed to undertake this, and there will be time considerations that will have to be met.

If you are interested, drop me a note and I will discuss it with you by phone or Skype (send contact information). We will officially announce the consulting on October 1. However, if you are interested in the first small group to go through, it will be August and September. Photographers must have a portfolio, and website as well as agree to commit to the work. In the end you will have a new portfolio, new brand, a list of contacts and a website that will show your work off as well as help you get noticed.

My next post on 10 Things a Photographer’s Website Should Have is coming up Saturday. Enjoy this post of excellent images from the LE Flickr Forum.

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