Brutal Honesty

Published on January 26, 2012 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

As a perfectionist, I tend to question if I am doing things right on a daily basis. When it comes to being a ‘creative’, there is no one that is harder on my work than I am. I welcome a quality critique of my work as it helps identify why the end result falls short of my original vision. At this stage in my development as a photographer (a small, colorless fish in the local pond) an honest critique from more skilled, more experienced photographers is a welcome gift. I do not always receive critique as well as I should, but if a comment makes me think about my photography in some way, it can be incredibly helpful.

Not all criticism of a photographer is aimed at their portfolio of images. Photography is a business of relationships. Relationships with other photographers, with models, with makeup artists, with property owners, and so many others. Most importantly, photography is a relationship with the client.

Yesterday, a photographer I have met only briefly posted an open letter to all photographers on his blog. It evidently evoked quite a response and it was followed up by another post this morning. If you are a photographer (or in any business with clients for that matter), I would suggest that both posts are a worthwhile read.

For me, it would seem my client pool is pretty small. I have not built a strong clientelle nor would I call myself a professional, although I would like to reach that point. As I reflected on Robert’s words, I thought back to various speakers and blog posts I have heard and read over the past several months. It occurrs to me that there is a specific clientelle that I have built which deserves the same attention.

Photographers are my clients, too.

Honest critique of another photographer’s work and business practices is one thing. Complaining about that photographer with no intention of educating them is quite another. Being a professional, you do represent the industry. You also help define what it means to be a professional. When you educate a fellow photographer, you help raise the standard associated with the phrase ‘professional photographer’.

Thanks for putting things in perspective, Robert.

A Recipe For Creativity

Published on January 19, 2012 in Models, Photography and Professionalism. 0 Comments

What I am about to write applies to myself as a photographer as much as it does to the models with whom I discuss arranging a shoot. These conversations all too often include such creative words as ‘whatever’ or ‘anything’ and phrases like ‘I’m open to ideas’.

When someone asks you where you want to go to eat, responding with any of those generally doesn’t go over well. That sort of response usually engenders an exasperated response from my wife. At best, I know I’m not getting any brownie points for being so accomodating. At worst, I’m knee deep in a spinach and arugula-laden salad sprinkled with blue cheese wishing I’d mentioned that rib eye steak sounded pretty good. When a photographer asks a model if there is a general concept she would like to shoot, saying ‘anything’ potentially lands you in the same boat.

The truth of the matter is that both sides of the equation, model and photographer, have something in mind they each want to shoot. Otherwise, why would they be talking about shooting together? If it is just to be polite, well, that’s a whole different issue. If you are serious about wanting to shoot, ask yourself why you want to shoot with this person. Have you seen the photographer’s work and like his style? What is it in particular you like? Maybe the photographer shoots a particular genre in a particular style that would be beneficial for your portfolio.  On the other, photographers, what is it about this model that will add to your portfolio? Is there a particular genre or style that the model shoots that would benefit your portfolio? Perhaps the model has  a particular look that meets a need for one of your projects? 

The overwhelming question on both sides should be, “Why?”  Why is shooting with this model or this photographer worth your time? If you can answer that question honestly, then you should have at least a seed of an idea for a shoot. If you like a photographer’s natural light portraits, simply suggesting you would like something similar should be enough to get the ball rolling on a more complete concept. If you’ve seen the model’s fitness portfolio and that is what grabs your attention, say so!  If for some reason you are not familiar with the other person’s portfolio, ask to look at it. These days, all you need is a smartphone and the location of their online portfolio. As you begin to browse, ask the model or photographer what genres they have experience with or what genres they haven’t yet shot but would like to add to their repertoire.

If you ask “Why?” and you can’t come up with a good, solid answer, you may want to politely decline until you’ve had a chance to determine if working with that particular model or photographer is going to be worthwhile. Are they offering to pay you for something within your comfort zone, will they add something to your portfolio that wasn’t already there, or will they otherwise help advance your career?  Figure out how they can help you meet your goals and let them know.  If they have little or nothing to offer, politely tell them where you feel they fall short. If they can’t provide a compelling argument that wins you over, move on knowing that you have hopefully helped the other party identify potential areas for improvement.

So, where’s that recipe I mentioned in the title? If you have honestly asked why, you should already be well on your way to the what and how. Let the creative juices flow.

In The Logo – January 2012

Published on January 11, 2012 in Casting Call, Models, People and Photography. 0 Comments
In The Logo - January 2012 - Laurel Sein
© 2012 Mark Gunter – all rights reserved
Last week, the first In The Logo model was unveiled at QuestionMark Photography. It is always fun to see an idea materialize and this is just the beginning for this particular project. 
The response to my initial casting call was exciting and there are still several models on a growing list that I hope to work with in the near future. I think the only thing I did not properly plan for was what to do when I quickly get enough shots for several months of logos. I am working on it and, for those models who don’t make the cut, I do have a plan. Bear with me for a few months and hopefully you’ll be pleased with where that plan leads.
 If you have not already checked out the website, I encourage you to take a look. Laurel Sein is a lovely young woman with a lot of talent and she was an absolute pleasure to have in my humble studio.  There are still a few more photos yet to be posted, so I do hope you will check back in later this month. You can also follow updates on the QuestionMark Photo Facebook page.
 
For  models interested in this project, visit the QuestionMark Photography site for more information. I would love to discuss ideas that might put you In The Logo!