I went back and reshot this bird. The first time I shot it-it looked good in black and white but kind of fell apart in color. Still not sure if I have it.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Bird Deux
I went back and reshot this bird. The first time I shot it-it looked good in black and white but kind of fell apart in color. Still not sure if I have it.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
The Holy Trinity of Photo Careers: Editorial, Advertising and Art ....and a story
Is it possible? Is it like the Loch Ness Monster or Big Foot, an urban myth? I want my cake and eat it too AND I want one of those free chocolates you get after desert at fancy restaurants.
We shot this guy for magazine in an alley in San Francisco. I found this location 15 years ago when I first moved to the city. My roommate worked in a restaurant on this street and I used to wait for him to get off work at the bar.
Years later after he moved away he called me to ask if I wanted to go out to dinner. My wife and I both liked him and had not seen him in a while so we heartily agreed. He and his girlfriend were traveling up and down the west coast on an eating and drinking bender. My friend is not destitute by any means but like all bachelors of a certain age is challenged in the money managing department. Needless to say we were a little surprised when he chose the only five star restaurant in San Francisco to meet. ( As I have recounted perviously on these pages when I was a bachelor I was working two jobs and making steady money but my wife, who was living on food stamps , was much more financially steady than I was.)
We had a terrible time at dinner. My friend's girlfriend (a surgeon as it turned out) was fantastically boring and brought along two equally uninteresting people. There were seven courses and a different wine with each course. We thought we were going to die and considered calling in bomb threat just to make the evening stop.
Finally the check the came and we recoiled from it as if it were on fire. We don't drink and had not signed up for this torture. My friend grabbed the check and I could see it was close to two thousand dollars . He opened his wallet under the table and said, "I got it" . I could see his wallet was completely empty. Not a lucky penny. Not even a library card.
His girlfriend protested and they went back and forth like that for a while. Eventually she of course won out and paid the check. I imagined this wrestling match repeated over and over from Spago's in LA to the French Laundry in the wine country- like a WWF pay per view event.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Standing outside
Vallejo, CA
While waiting for light in the morning my mind tends to wander. I worry how this new way of making pictures will work in the commercial world.
This weekend up in Vtown I imagined myself on the set of an ad shoot with this house or maybe the eagle as the subject of a giant campaign. It's cold and everyone is pissed we had to get up early and they are all hung over from drinking too much at dinner the night before. There is a motor home and breakfast and coffee.
I am standing with my back to the camera looking at the dawn sky wondering what kind of shadows we will get. The AD walks up to me.
AD:Hey when are you going to start shooting?
ME:I dunno maybe not at all. We'll see what the light looks like.
AD: Uhhh ok.
The AD goes back and approaches the account executive ,coffee in hand.
AE: What'd he say?
AD:He says its going great and he is going to nail it.
AE:Why is he not taking any pictures?
AD:Its part of his process
AE; Not taking pictures is part of his process of taking pictures.
AD Exactly
AE: You shittin me? What am I supposed to tell the client?
AD Hell if I know. That is why you drive the BMW and I drive a Honda
AE goes into the motor home.
Client: How is it going?
AE: Fabulous
Client When do we get to see something?
AE: Any minute...
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Artist Statement
I hate most artist statements and have had to crank out a few recently and they all kind of suck.
Emily Nathan said this about my work and thought it was the closest expression of what I am trying to do:
"Your photographs leave your viewer standing in an empty crosswalk having forgotten what they left the house for. "
Emily Nathan said this about my work and thought it was the closest expression of what I am trying to do:
"Your photographs leave your viewer standing in an empty crosswalk having forgotten what they left the house for. "
Up at 3.
I woke up at 3 this morning. The 2nd oldest kid was throwing up. I got her a bowl and turned on the coffee maker while in the kitchen. I tried to fall back asleep and listened to NPR. Three people talking about Global warming. The upshot: We are screwed. I fell asleep at 4 and then up and out of the house at 5:15 with a cup of too strong coffee.
I arrived at Mare Island in Vallejo at 5:50. I had scouted the location earlier in the week but had done a lousy job of it. The dry dock I had planned on shooting was totally enclosed by fencing. Again I was screwed. I wandered around scrambling to find something before the sun came up. I found a giant house on blocks and settled on that. Shot too much film on it until sunrise at 6:25. I figured if I couldn't get a quality image then I would at least burn through a bunch of holders and make it seem like I was doing something.
I drove around the island and came across this giant eagle in a case. Shot it like crazy until I found this angle. I wanted it to look like a snap shot. Everything I had shot of it up to that point made it look like I a was trying too hard. I may have come to it too late in the morning. The light is perfect for 15 minutes before sunrise and then most of the time it all falls apart. Milton Berle used to smoke five packs of cigarettes a day. He was a chain smoker but only liked the first couple puffs and then he would throw the cigarette away and light another one. Sometimes I feel that way:only using the best light and throwing the rest of the day away.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
My Fan Base Grows By One
"WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP SENDING ME THIS CRAP!"
This was the response I got this morning from one NYC ad agency after I sent the html email above to a few thousand of my closest friends.
They tell us nobody looks at sourcebooks and they all chuck out the direct mail they get. They are too busy to meet with us and then are surprised when we bombard them with email.
Hey. I am just trying to winnow the list of people who love love love me.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
I want my cake and ....
There has been a lot of interesting discussion on this blog about trying to reconcile the commercial world and art world. I thought it would be good to address it here. (Oh and I love the feedback but would rather you sign your name unless you are saying something terrible in which case Anonymous is hunky dorey.)
I am not interested in being a pure artist nor does just shooting commercial work interest me. I am trying to find a balance. Yes, I want to have my cake and eat it too.
I very much enjoy both worlds. I like the challenge and excitement of putting together an ad job. It is also one of the rare times that I am truly able to colaborate on a project. Also the idea of being a starving artist does not appeal to me. Being broke and single at 25 is a very different animal than being broke and 39 with four children.
On the art side I feel like I am on the right path.While the work is very much in its infancy, I am making images for myself of things that interest me that are devoid of any other commercial concerns.
On the commercial side things are less clear. After a short but successful advertising career I am trying to raise the level of work that I show and hopefully the work that I get. However I am not so naive as to think if I show compelling work then the phone will start ringing off the hook. I need to make it easy for people to hire me. (see earlier cow post) The question is what to show.
I am not interested in being a pure artist nor does just shooting commercial work interest me. I am trying to find a balance. Yes, I want to have my cake and eat it too.
I very much enjoy both worlds. I like the challenge and excitement of putting together an ad job. It is also one of the rare times that I am truly able to colaborate on a project. Also the idea of being a starving artist does not appeal to me. Being broke and single at 25 is a very different animal than being broke and 39 with four children.
On the art side I feel like I am on the right path.While the work is very much in its infancy, I am making images for myself of things that interest me that are devoid of any other commercial concerns.
On the commercial side things are less clear. After a short but successful advertising career I am trying to raise the level of work that I show and hopefully the work that I get. However I am not so naive as to think if I show compelling work then the phone will start ringing off the hook. I need to make it easy for people to hire me. (see earlier cow post) The question is what to show.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Reconciliation Part 1
So how do you reconcile two apparently different styles of shooting?
When you are known as the post-production-people-in-the-landscape guy how do you get people to think of you as something else?
How do you build a bridge between the two kinds work?
Reconciliation Part 2
One way to reconcile two different styles of work is to shoot pictures that act as bridge. In this case I am trying to show a commercialized version of the landscape or a landscape version of the old commercial work.
Reconciliation Part 3
In addition I have created two Blub books and had a slip case made to hold them both. One book shows commercial work and one shows the CTWWWTB.
Reconciliation Part 4
And then sometimes you make photographs and you are not sure what to make of them.
The truth is I am not sure how to make sense of all of this and it feels alot like trying to turn an ocean liner around in a bathtub.
Either this says: Genius! Genius !Genius ! or....
...Hack, hack, hack
http://photohistory.tistory.com/2458
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Makes You feel old
I came across this image I shot years ago of Bob Knight on the NYTimes website today. I think I was 19 when I took it and remember being excited the AP picked up the shot.
I was never much of a sports shooter. I would come back from a football game with a bunch of film and out of 20 rolls I may have had 6 images that were sharp and two that were usable. I would look across the light table at what the other guys had and it was usually hundreds of sharp frames and the occasional soft one. I was more the wide angle off moment guy. Not the peak action guy. I guess things don't change.
Friday, February 1, 2008
New Feature: Interview With Art Buyer Jen Small
This is the first in a series of interviews with people at agencies. I hope to do more of these. Art Buyer Jennifer Small is first.
THE BIG AND THE SMALL OF IT
TB:I am a little nervous I don't know why.
JS: You are asking me the questions not the other way around
TB:I want it to go well and I don't want it to be boring
JS:What do u want to talk about?
TB:Well a couple things. You are not like most art buyers and I want to talk about that and then I want to talk about the industry but I don't want it to be boring.
JS:Ok. For it not to be boring people always love haters.
TB:We talk about ....
JS:Oh no we can't can't talk about them. You are recording this I can't talk about that.
TB:I am totally recording this.
JS;We have to move on.
TB:So I get the details right. You studied photography at Parson and got a masters in design at University of Texas. You know the first time we met I was struck by the fact you are not like the typical art buyer. Do you get that alot ?
JS:Not so much because of my education or background but because I know alot about photography and looking at it. What's good and not good.
TB: That struck me for sure- more than your education. Your whole take on photography.
JS Alot of people when they hear me talking they ask why aren’t you a photographer? Why aren't you out making pictures for money?
TB:What's the answer to that?
JS: The answer to that is I am just not interested in making a living out of making pictures. I would rather just make pictures and not have to worry about making money off of it.
TB: How do you think your background and your point of view inform how you do your job and how does it make you different?
JS :I probably spend more time with art directors to find what style they are looking for. A lot of times they throw names at me because names are the currency . So I try not to talk to them in names but in style. Are you looking for something realist , romantic or Spartan? What kind of color do you want? And then sometimes people hand me a picture and they tell me they want it to look like this. And I ask them do you want the people to look that way or the lighting to look that way? So I am able to have a more in depth conversation and am able to work more collaboratively. Which I think they appreciate because young art directors especially, get freaked out about the decision and especially because they are going to have to back their decision up to a creative director who for whatever reason may want to work with some else.
TB; So are you really neutral when you recommend a photographer ? How much selling are you doing?
JS: I have to be neutral. My job is to help get things produced. Secondarily my job is to help art directors find the best photographer for the job. You wish I was more guiding? You wish I said oh my god I hate everybody except these three people and they have to do all the jobs I work on?
TB;No .My concern is that here you have vast body of knowledge and this aesthetic but by staying so neutral you are underselling yourself. You know what I mean?
JS:The art directors I know are not interested in having a photography education. If they did they would be photographers. If they want to know then I am absulelty willing to tell them. The hard and fast truth is , that I done it for so long , that they do not want to hear what I have to say. They just don't. They want to own the whole process because they have to stand and say I made this decision. And they don;t care about my opinion. It would be nieve to think that my opinion is the decisive one. There some people where it is very important (to get my opinion) and there are others who say I want to bid this person. But there are more people who are the latter than the former.
TB:Latter is the second one?
JS:Yeah. Another big part of my job is that alot of people say they want to work with Nadav Kander and I say that's awesome let the client know they are going to a ton of money. So that is a bigger part of my job is to find solutions when we can't afford Nadav or Annie Liebowitz. I am sorry if I took the wind out of your sales because I don;t use much of knowledge at work.
ANTONIN KRATOCHVIL
TB: Ok I want to talk about Antonin Kratochivil. That is a very unconventional choice for that campaign (ray-ban). Its a big production. He doesn't show alot of that. There may have been some concern that he couldn't pull it off.
JS:The creatives were looking for someone who could make a beautiful but unconventional picture so I came up with Antonin. But you are right he is not a commercial photographer. He is an artist with a capital A and that has its own problems with it. Its just different but his pictures are amazing. He is total purist and shoots with a Lieca. You get to look at contact sheets and there are some art directors who don't know what to look at when you show contacts. Its like showing them Greek or something. You got it give him props for pulling it off. It was never an issue because the pictures were so good.
TB: Unintelligible.
JS: I think those questions (whether a photographer can pull of the logistics of a complicated job) are never client questions. They are always agency questions. And they are questions when an Art Buyer has had a bad experience and needs a photographer who she can trust to do the job.
TB:So if it is not a client concern than the assumption from the client's point of view is the agency can do the job and if there is a problem then it is on the agency.
JS:Exactly.
THE CALL
TB :On every job there is a conference call with the photographer and some combination of art buyer and creatives.
JS:Its like American Idol.
TB What function does it serve? How important is it? Have creatives changed there minds about who there favorite is based on the call?
JS:That call is very important especially when the art director has no idea who they want to use. They are kind of like a try out. I have been on calls before when the Art Director is totally convinced they know they want to go with a particular photographer and he get on the phone and it is clear he absolutely could care less. He hasn't really thought about the job and hasn't really looked at the layouts and just pulling stuff out of their ass. And it is a bummer because we love this guy's work and would love to work with him. And it turns out he is an ass. It really impacts the decision. I mean those calls suck.
TB:They totally suck. I have a hard time sounding like a human being.
JS:All photographers hate those calls but they do them because they have to. It is really hard because it boils down to a personality contest. I am sorry but there it is.
TB It has always astounded me that based on a handful of images and a 10 minute conversation that some one is willing to spend a quarter million dollars on someone.
JS But is not based on those two things. It may appear that way but there is a lot of discussion and thought goes into it.
PARTING SHOT
TB : Last question. When ever I work with a new assistant or stylist the conversation always turns to stories of photographers behaving badly and I love to compile these. Without naming names do you have any prima donna experiences with photographers?
JS: Right when I started working in this business I was on a job. The photographer had an assistant , and granted he hadn't taken a day off in a long time and we were shooting in Wyoming. And there is not really a place in Wyoming to get a catered lobster lunch. The producer went out and got sandwiches but it was all very nice. And the assistant comes up to the table and looks at the food and says,”I can’t work like this!!”and stomps off.
About JSMALL-Jennifer Small's art-buying career began in 1996 at Ogilvy Worldwide in New York. She spent three years at GSD&M in Austin Texas, and after moving to the Bay Area in the fall of 2005, she has spent time at Publicis/Hal Riney, TBWA/Chiat Day and is currently at OgilvyOne (ogilvy.com/o_one/).
THE BIG AND THE SMALL OF IT
TB:I am a little nervous I don't know why.
JS: You are asking me the questions not the other way around
TB:I want it to go well and I don't want it to be boring
JS:What do u want to talk about?
TB:Well a couple things. You are not like most art buyers and I want to talk about that and then I want to talk about the industry but I don't want it to be boring.
JS:Ok. For it not to be boring people always love haters.
TB:We talk about ....
JS:Oh no we can't can't talk about them. You are recording this I can't talk about that.
TB:I am totally recording this.
JS;We have to move on.
TB:So I get the details right. You studied photography at Parson and got a masters in design at University of Texas. You know the first time we met I was struck by the fact you are not like the typical art buyer. Do you get that alot ?
JS:Not so much because of my education or background but because I know alot about photography and looking at it. What's good and not good.
TB: That struck me for sure- more than your education. Your whole take on photography.
JS Alot of people when they hear me talking they ask why aren’t you a photographer? Why aren't you out making pictures for money?
TB:What's the answer to that?
JS: The answer to that is I am just not interested in making a living out of making pictures. I would rather just make pictures and not have to worry about making money off of it.
TB: How do you think your background and your point of view inform how you do your job and how does it make you different?
JS :I probably spend more time with art directors to find what style they are looking for. A lot of times they throw names at me because names are the currency . So I try not to talk to them in names but in style. Are you looking for something realist , romantic or Spartan? What kind of color do you want? And then sometimes people hand me a picture and they tell me they want it to look like this. And I ask them do you want the people to look that way or the lighting to look that way? So I am able to have a more in depth conversation and am able to work more collaboratively. Which I think they appreciate because young art directors especially, get freaked out about the decision and especially because they are going to have to back their decision up to a creative director who for whatever reason may want to work with some else.
TB; So are you really neutral when you recommend a photographer ? How much selling are you doing?
JS: I have to be neutral. My job is to help get things produced. Secondarily my job is to help art directors find the best photographer for the job. You wish I was more guiding? You wish I said oh my god I hate everybody except these three people and they have to do all the jobs I work on?
TB;No .My concern is that here you have vast body of knowledge and this aesthetic but by staying so neutral you are underselling yourself. You know what I mean?
JS:The art directors I know are not interested in having a photography education. If they did they would be photographers. If they want to know then I am absulelty willing to tell them. The hard and fast truth is , that I done it for so long , that they do not want to hear what I have to say. They just don't. They want to own the whole process because they have to stand and say I made this decision. And they don;t care about my opinion. It would be nieve to think that my opinion is the decisive one. There some people where it is very important (to get my opinion) and there are others who say I want to bid this person. But there are more people who are the latter than the former.
TB:Latter is the second one?
JS:Yeah. Another big part of my job is that alot of people say they want to work with Nadav Kander and I say that's awesome let the client know they are going to a ton of money. So that is a bigger part of my job is to find solutions when we can't afford Nadav or Annie Liebowitz. I am sorry if I took the wind out of your sales because I don;t use much of knowledge at work.
ANTONIN KRATOCHVIL
TB: Ok I want to talk about Antonin Kratochivil. That is a very unconventional choice for that campaign (ray-ban). Its a big production. He doesn't show alot of that. There may have been some concern that he couldn't pull it off.
JS:The creatives were looking for someone who could make a beautiful but unconventional picture so I came up with Antonin. But you are right he is not a commercial photographer. He is an artist with a capital A and that has its own problems with it. Its just different but his pictures are amazing. He is total purist and shoots with a Lieca. You get to look at contact sheets and there are some art directors who don't know what to look at when you show contacts. Its like showing them Greek or something. You got it give him props for pulling it off. It was never an issue because the pictures were so good.
TB: Unintelligible.
JS: I think those questions (whether a photographer can pull of the logistics of a complicated job) are never client questions. They are always agency questions. And they are questions when an Art Buyer has had a bad experience and needs a photographer who she can trust to do the job.
TB:So if it is not a client concern than the assumption from the client's point of view is the agency can do the job and if there is a problem then it is on the agency.
JS:Exactly.
THE CALL
TB :On every job there is a conference call with the photographer and some combination of art buyer and creatives.
JS:Its like American Idol.
TB What function does it serve? How important is it? Have creatives changed there minds about who there favorite is based on the call?
JS:That call is very important especially when the art director has no idea who they want to use. They are kind of like a try out. I have been on calls before when the Art Director is totally convinced they know they want to go with a particular photographer and he get on the phone and it is clear he absolutely could care less. He hasn't really thought about the job and hasn't really looked at the layouts and just pulling stuff out of their ass. And it is a bummer because we love this guy's work and would love to work with him. And it turns out he is an ass. It really impacts the decision. I mean those calls suck.
TB:They totally suck. I have a hard time sounding like a human being.
JS:All photographers hate those calls but they do them because they have to. It is really hard because it boils down to a personality contest. I am sorry but there it is.
TB It has always astounded me that based on a handful of images and a 10 minute conversation that some one is willing to spend a quarter million dollars on someone.
JS But is not based on those two things. It may appear that way but there is a lot of discussion and thought goes into it.
PARTING SHOT
TB : Last question. When ever I work with a new assistant or stylist the conversation always turns to stories of photographers behaving badly and I love to compile these. Without naming names do you have any prima donna experiences with photographers?
JS: Right when I started working in this business I was on a job. The photographer had an assistant , and granted he hadn't taken a day off in a long time and we were shooting in Wyoming. And there is not really a place in Wyoming to get a catered lobster lunch. The producer went out and got sandwiches but it was all very nice. And the assistant comes up to the table and looks at the food and says,”I can’t work like this!!”and stomps off.
About JSMALL-Jennifer Small's art-buying career began in 1996 at Ogilvy Worldwide in New York. She spent three years at GSD&M in Austin Texas, and after moving to the Bay Area in the fall of 2005, she has spent time at Publicis/Hal Riney, TBWA/Chiat Day and is currently at OgilvyOne (ogilvy.com/o_one/).
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Oh dear
From an anonymous Art Buyer on Bitter Photographer via Jackanory:
"I wish I too could be honest at my job. When I review a car photographer's portfolio I wish I could say: "wow thanks for showing me this amazing car book that looks like every other photographer's portfolio. You really nailed it. I love the moody skies. How did you think of that? I also love how your trying to sell this piece of crap like it's real art and not just another advertisement for a fucking car."
Please keep up the great postings.
Anonymous Art Buyer"
"I wish I too could be honest at my job. When I review a car photographer's portfolio I wish I could say: "wow thanks for showing me this amazing car book that looks like every other photographer's portfolio. You really nailed it. I love the moody skies. How did you think of that? I also love how your trying to sell this piece of crap like it's real art and not just another advertisement for a fucking car."
Please keep up the great postings.
Anonymous Art Buyer"
Friday, January 25, 2008
IN NY
I am meeting with potential agents this week and it is going well. The response to the work has been really positive and I am anxious to see where it will lead.
I got to meet with fellow bloggers Robert Wright and Andrew Hetherington and I think after a few hours we were able to solve all the isssues in contemporary photography.
I got to meet with fellow bloggers Robert Wright and Andrew Hetherington and I think after a few hours we were able to solve all the isssues in contemporary photography.
Website
New website is close to completion.
You can see it here:
http://m-i-lab.com/thomasBroening/build7/
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Looking for a new Pad
Back in the day Doug Adesko, Timothy Archibald and I all had reps. Doug had been with his for a while but Archibald and I had just signed with new reps. Tim's reps were a couple of women who started an agency called Tidepool.
Doug (on the phone to Tim) : How is Lilly Pad treating you?
TA: What?
DA: Lilly Pad. Didn;t you just sign with Lilly Pad or something?
TA; Tidepool. Not Lilly Pad.
DA: Same thing.
TA: Not Pad. Tidepool.
So of course, hours later, Archibald recounts this story to me and from that day four years ago a new word has entered the lexicon:
Pad :meaning agent.
As in:
Have you heard back from the Pad about that job?
Oh yeah I know Lars' work. Who is his Pad?
Here in SF, the retouchers have Pads. The stylists have pads. You are no one without a Pad.
Doug (on the phone to Tim) : How is Lilly Pad treating you?
TA: What?
DA: Lilly Pad. Didn;t you just sign with Lilly Pad or something?
TA; Tidepool. Not Lilly Pad.
DA: Same thing.
TA: Not Pad. Tidepool.
So of course, hours later, Archibald recounts this story to me and from that day four years ago a new word has entered the lexicon:
Pad :meaning agent.
As in:
Have you heard back from the Pad about that job?
Oh yeah I know Lars' work. Who is his Pad?
Here in SF, the retouchers have Pads. The stylists have pads. You are no one without a Pad.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
I am in the process of
putting together an application for Review Santa Fe. I have never liked having to explain an image and felt that any image that needed explanation was a failure. The closest I have come to putting words to my pictures comes from the T is silent:
"love the cacti from el paso on the blog - i can feel the search your on in this photo and some of the others from reno - this "quest" is very earnest and it shows in the photos. When these photos are working(the cacti definitely is), as a viewer, i feel i'm wandering, searching for nothing important and at the same time the most important thing, meaning. steven shore and alec are great but i see a yearning in these images of yours that is inthralling - A professor of mine explained the deference between documenting or illustrating a project and embodying an idea or concept- the difference between lauren greenfield documenting kids and jim goldberg or larry clark embodying their projects. this difference seemed barely noticeable at first but the more i looked at photos i could start to tell the difference- the embodied works were the ones where i felt something, they were the books i checked out again and again, i think your work is on this path, very exciting. i commend your search and hope you are finding what you are looking for -"
"love the cacti from el paso on the blog - i can feel the search your on in this photo and some of the others from reno - this "quest" is very earnest and it shows in the photos. When these photos are working(the cacti definitely is), as a viewer, i feel i'm wandering, searching for nothing important and at the same time the most important thing, meaning. steven shore and alec are great but i see a yearning in these images of yours that is inthralling - A professor of mine explained the deference between documenting or illustrating a project and embodying an idea or concept- the difference between lauren greenfield documenting kids and jim goldberg or larry clark embodying their projects. this difference seemed barely noticeable at first but the more i looked at photos i could start to tell the difference- the embodied works were the ones where i felt something, they were the books i checked out again and again, i think your work is on this path, very exciting. i commend your search and hope you are finding what you are looking for -"
Monday, January 14, 2008
Book
In an effort to trick a new rep into thinking I am not just a big old commercial hack I have been making a bunch of books through Blurb and have been pretty impressed by the quality. I only include work that I have made since the beginning of last sumer and it only includes work from the Copy Stand and urban landscapes.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Is there room in commercial photography for photography?
I have noticed something interesting during my discussions with potential reps. There seems to be a east coast vs west coast difference in terms of what is the best kind of photography to show.
The WC reps prefer to show work that looks very much like advertising. The idea is that agencies need to be able to demonstrate to a client that a photographer not only is capable of executing an image but has in fact made the image previously.
I shot a cow once. It was part of a personal project where I shot the interior of an old movie theatre, shot farm animals in a studio and composited them together in post. The series got some attention and an art buyer saw it in CA. She had a campaign for a giant cow feed conglomerate and needed a cow shot. She saw my series and I was hired to shoot a cow for the agency. I used the same animal wrangler from the movie theatre series and we shot the same cow.
The art buyer moved from a midwest agency to a NYC agency. I talked to her and she assured me if she ever needed a cow shot at her new agency she would be sure to call me. I have been shooting for 20 years and have only shot one cow (twice) but I will always be seen as the bovine shooter by this one art buyer. Talk about being pigeon holed.
On the other end of the spectrum are agencies that bring me in early in the process of coming up with a campaign. I got a call from an agency. They had a client and needed help coming up with an idea. They gave me a rough outline who the customers for the product were and I was charged with putting together the campaign. I pitched my idea and we shot in a few weeks later.
I am in the process of changing the kind of work that I show. The new criteria will be the strength of the image and no longer whether the picture looks like an ad. I used to be puzzled when I saw the pictures other photographers showed. What the hell was Nadav Kander thinking when he showed those pictures of empty hotel rooms? Yeah they were emotionally compelling and looked like real photographs but what product did it look like he was selling? What about Carlos Serrao's pictures of a lion on a dock? Yeah they were cool and looked like nothing else out there but they looked like nothing else out there. You are supposed to show work that looks like other work that has been published. That's the rule right?
The WC reps prefer to show work that looks very much like advertising. The idea is that agencies need to be able to demonstrate to a client that a photographer not only is capable of executing an image but has in fact made the image previously.
I shot a cow once. It was part of a personal project where I shot the interior of an old movie theatre, shot farm animals in a studio and composited them together in post. The series got some attention and an art buyer saw it in CA. She had a campaign for a giant cow feed conglomerate and needed a cow shot. She saw my series and I was hired to shoot a cow for the agency. I used the same animal wrangler from the movie theatre series and we shot the same cow.
The art buyer moved from a midwest agency to a NYC agency. I talked to her and she assured me if she ever needed a cow shot at her new agency she would be sure to call me. I have been shooting for 20 years and have only shot one cow (twice) but I will always be seen as the bovine shooter by this one art buyer. Talk about being pigeon holed.
On the other end of the spectrum are agencies that bring me in early in the process of coming up with a campaign. I got a call from an agency. They had a client and needed help coming up with an idea. They gave me a rough outline who the customers for the product were and I was charged with putting together the campaign. I pitched my idea and we shot in a few weeks later.
I am in the process of changing the kind of work that I show. The new criteria will be the strength of the image and no longer whether the picture looks like an ad. I used to be puzzled when I saw the pictures other photographers showed. What the hell was Nadav Kander thinking when he showed those pictures of empty hotel rooms? Yeah they were emotionally compelling and looked like real photographs but what product did it look like he was selling? What about Carlos Serrao's pictures of a lion on a dock? Yeah they were cool and looked like nothing else out there but they looked like nothing else out there. You are supposed to show work that looks like other work that has been published. That's the rule right?
Friday, January 11, 2008
Last One
My productivity definitely fell off as the week went along. Because there is such a small window when I like to shoot in the day it is really important for me to have a plan. I saw this water tower from the freeway and made a point of coming back at dusk.
Entry Point
From Tim Archibald:
Entry Point-An image that works in both the commercial and art world.
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