Today consisted of swimming, visiting caves and eating ice cream. I’m still on vacation in Manitoba and loving life. So photography wise I can’t say much is going on worth mentioning to the blog-o-sphere. Thanks to The Pas’ Library I’ve checked email once in the last five days and thanks to Rogers I can’t get cell service even when I’m in town, let alone at the lake. Lately, for me, the only way to actually get a true feeling of calmness is to completely disconnect myself from technology (for at least a few days). I realize I’m obviously not that far removed, as I’m still able to get this post to Heather. While in the city it’s so easy to get caught up with checking emails constantly, reading blogs obsessively and, in general, spending way too much time connecting with a computer rather than face to face with real people. I can honestly say I haven’t thought once about Twitter or about what’s going on with Facebook. I have spent a lot of time reevaluating what’s essential to my life and what’s possibly missing, what changes I can make now and where I see myself in the future.
I’m not ready to head home just yet and I don’t dread the idea either. When I do arrive back in Vancouver, early next week, I know I’ll be a little more attentive and focused and I’ll have a replenished stock of enthusiasm. Bring it.
Here’s a little sampler of a recent self assigned portrait session with artists Lesley Anderson and Jeremy Green. I wanted to mix it up a little lighting and content wise but still keep a cohesive feel to the images.
Things are coming together a little bit I suppose; there’s a slight blip on the heart rate monitor of my summer. Of course, it’s not really in the form of work just yet, but one step at a time. I’ve been setting up things to shoot some portraits next week, which I’m looking forward to.
As I said, all is still quiet on the work front, though the high-res order did come in for that Toronto Life stuff I shot last month so it’s at least given me something work-related to do. It’s too bad 40+ edits isn’t quite as fun as 40+ photos to be taken. As much as the editing is a time eater, it’s the uploading that’s killing me. Seriously, unnamed-major-internet-service-provider, I’m paying for upload speeds that are literally ten times what I actually get. Little help?
Other than that my time has been spent reading, wandering, relating to comic book characters, planning and folding/crinkling wax paper trying to get my promo back on track. Is there like “art grade” wax paper, or anything that isn’t the no-name stuff from the grocery store? This will all make sense in a few weeks, don’t worry.
Anyways, I have some planning and packing to do for the long weekend. I’ll be all over the place, getting tossed around between family members. Oh, the childhood memories. At least it should make for a more interesting post next week.
For images this week, here’s a few randoms from the Levi’s job I had a little while back. I haven’t seen any of it in layout yet, which would probably help them make a little more sense, but you know how it is.
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The Year in the Life Project follows two junior shooters through their weekly adventures, trying to make a go of it, in the world of commercial photography.
As per yesterday’s post from Jaime, Grant is reflecting on what the last almost-year of A Year in the Life has meant for him. A bowl of cherries apparently!
For me the last year has been a bit of a roller coaster ride of ups, downs, tight corners and a current pesky water section that I am trying to keep my head above.
My main objective during the last year was to move away from assisting, build my print portfolio, create a marketing plan and then to start getting my work in front of as many people as possible. Of course the idea then was that these steps would lead to jobs. The jobs have been slowly rolling in and I think there is potential for this to keep ramping up. I have a much better idea of who my target market is. I feel that much more confident in what I do and how I go about it. This has been a productive year and I have met my goals, which makes these slow periods all the more difficult to handle. If you feel like you are doing the right things and the phone isn’t ringing; then what are you supposed to do? I realize I am new and that it takes time and a ton of work. I have extremely high expectations. I don’t know how else I would ever be able to make this work.
As Jaime mentioned yesterday, he and I both have questions regarding how to take what we do and apply it to the commercial world. I still haven’t figured that out yet. I do have a better idea though and trouble shooting this issue has given me inspiration to think about approaching photography from a different angle.
This blog has been an integral part to my success in the past ten months. Thanks to Heather I have a voice beyond Vancouver. In actuality, outside of photographers themselves, I now have better connections in Toronto than I do in Vancouver (at the moment I am having trouble getting past the front gate with people in Vancouver). It’s definitely takes work to post every week, however, I enjoy the consistency of it. Blogging is really the only thing I can count on happening every week. It’s a little easier staying productive knowing that I need to have something to write about and a photo or two to post. Overall the experience has exceeded my expectations. The photo world has gotten a lot smaller in the past ten months.
I’m not sure what post-HMAb will look like for me. Jaime and I will have our free-agent status in a couple of months. What then? Freelance blogging? I’ve grown emotionally attached to both Heather and Jaime. Maybe I’ll start a Facebook petition group called: Don’t Let Heather Cut the Chord.
Considering the slowness lately at GH Headquarters and the fact that Paige has been handed an unexpected vacation next week- we are heading to her family’s cabin on Clearwater Lake in central Manitoba. It ONLY takes two days to drive there. If anyone needs a photographer in that region- send word. Seriously. Otherwise I will be swimming (not very well), drinking bevies, hunting (for thrift store gems), riding rusty bikes, reading, canoeing (I have a pretty good J stroke), swatting mosquitoes and documenting the works for the next week or so.
These two images are from a couple of weekends ago in Penticton. My Dad’s cousin has a cherry tree in his backyard. He figures the tree yields about 200 lbs of cherries per year. How awesome is that?!
Earlier this week, I received this note from Jaime:
Grant and I have been sharing emails the past couple weeks since no one else is emailing us at the moment and this week appears to be more of the same for both of us. I’m not really sure people want to read about us whining for the 3rd or 4th week in a row about summer, slow time, being poor and such, so I was curious to get your take on it. Do you think we should maybe discuss a topic or something? Take a week off? Force someone at knife point to give us work? Apply for night jobs at Wal Mart?
Whoa, let’s not talk crazy. Instead of the whining, I suggested the boys talk about the last 10 months of A Year in the Life: how their careers have grown in that time, how the blog has affected that growth, and how all of this measured up to their expectations. Sort of a check in as we near the end of our Year.
Jaime reports today, watch for Grant’s feedback tomorrow.
I think this year has been both better and worse than I was expecting. My client list has certainly grown and I definitely achieved a few goals along the way, while losing sight of a few others.
My main focuses this time last year (outside of just straight up getting work) were to grow my client list and perhaps start to make some headway in the commercial world. I’m happy to say that at least part of that has been working out for me thus far. I’m definitely shooting for a wider range of publications than I was a year ago, and now my focus in that regard has switched to figuring out ways to promote myself better to gain some larger assignments. There are still many times that I’m flipping through a magazine wishing I had been tasked to shoot something. While I hope that sense of inspiration never dies, I also want to start getting some of those gigs.
On the commercial side of things, it’s a bit of a different story. I can’t say that I had a clear vision of where I wanted to be with my commercial work and I probably still don’t. While I have been asked to quote a few jobs, my phone isn’t exactly ringing off the hook with calls from agencies. Through all of the chats and meetings that I’ve had in the past year I think it’s become quite clear that I don’t have a commercially viable book – at least not in the local market – so the onus is on me to change that if I want to move forward. I know it’s been a big talking point for both Grant and I, but it’s still a little confusing.
As for being part of the blog? That’s been exceeding my expectations all year long. I had hoped that starting this blog would be the launching pad I needed to get to the next level, and it hasn’t disappointed thus far. I definitely got to experience things that I otherwise wouldn’t have, were it not for being a part of this.
First off, I knew going in that there would be some increased exposure for me – when I was featured in ‘The Lounge’ there was a spike in the hits on my website and a couple phone calls – but I never expected it to be all that it has. My web traffic for one has quadrupled, which gave me the motivation to get off my ass and build a new site. Also being featured in PDN’s Emerging Photographer magazine, as well as other random interviews aren’t things that probably would have happened otherwise. I’ve made contacts all across the continent it seems. While I’m sure not everyone follows along every week, it’s at least made our names more recognizable I think, which is so important in this industry. Hell, I’ve even found the assistants I use through the blog.
I’ve told Heather before – I don’t want to leave. I’m going to be that 40 year old wearing an Iron Maiden t-shirt, playing video games, drinking beer and eating solely pizza and mexican food while still living in his parents basement, or in this case Heather’s blog… And maybe her basement if the summer continues to be so dead!
Here is a sample of Jonathan’s Saunders e-newsletter. Read more of what I think about this here and here.
And here are this week’s questions for your reference:
And from Terence Patrick:
Heather, thanks for your thoughts on having an image on the backside of the promo card. Should the image on the back be related to front-side image (in terms of a series) or should it show range (different project)?
I know that you’ve touched on this subject on your blog before, but I have a sort of different situation. I’m currently a photography student who will be graduating soon. Rather than looking for a job, I’d like to be able to start working for myself. I have a website, a brand, a business plan, and am in the process of putting a book and self-promo pieces together. I’m just afraid I won’t be taken seriously by art buyers due to my relative lack of experience. I’ve spent about four years doing a little assisting and retouching for other photographers on top of having an in-house gig while going to school, and I feel that my work is close to being up to par. I just don’t know any ABs, I’ve never sent out a book or been hired for freelance commercial or editorial work, and have no real experience dealing with agencies or hiring crew, talent, etc…
I’ve considered going back to assisting, but in the few inquiries I’ve made to photographers in my area, the consensus has been that they’ve either stopped hiring freelance assistants due to the economy, or they already have regular freelancers who aren’t really going anywhere. I feel like this is my time to break into the industry, and I know that everybody has to start somewhere, so here’s my question: as an art buyer, would you be likely to take a chance on an unknown photographer with relatively little experience given that their work was good enough, or should I try to get more experience working with other photogs before trying to get work for myself? Is there anything else that you think I might be overlooking?
Any help is greatly appreciated, and I really dig the blog!
First off, I wanted to say thank you for writing your blog. I am an avid reader and the information that you pass along through your blogs is incredibly helpful, and inspiring at times. I know that your time is precious so I will try to keep this as short as possible. My name is Nathaniel Chadwick, I am 24 and pursuing my career as a commercial photographer fresh out of college (I didn’t major in photography, nor have I taken any photography classes, I am self taught). I know I have a long way to go with my work, but I am at the point where I would like to start sending out e-mails and mailers to AB’s and AP’s. I have been doing a lot of research on what to send as mailers, something creative that grabs your attention with the .027 seconds I have of your attention, but what I don’t know is…what should it say? I suppose this is more geared toward the emails I will send out because the mailer will just have my name and website slapped on it, but are the emails supposed to be more personal? e.g. “Hi my name is Nathaniel Chadwick, I am 24 and very interested in working with you blah blah blah…” or should the emails be just as basic as the mailers with just an image that clicks through to my website and my name on it? Sorry this question is very basic, but I know there are a lot of rules to the game of getting noticed, and I want to abide by them all to give myself the best chance possible. Thank you so much for your time, and I look forward to hearing back from you.
I’m not sure any of us really know what the future holds in terms of still photography in the face of so many demands for interactivity. At the same time, there are more opportunities for photographers to develop their motion chops. Today, I thought we’d take a look at Sugino Studio where they have all [...]
Launched earlier this spring, the website explains: STASH a collection of artists that share ideology and aesthetic before craft. Stash represents, but is not limited to, photographers, illustrators, designers and film makers. Beyond the traditional work-to-order approach to production, Stash advocates a spontaneous, commission style approach with a respect for the artist’s personal working process. [...]
Grant Harder: Oh, hello. It’s been a while. I just arrived back to the office from the Vancouver Institute of Media Arts where I was asked to be a guest speaker. Katie Huisman, an old friend from my first few months of assisting, is teaching a couple courses at the school and asked me to [...]
Last month, Kristina Feliciano at the Stockland Martel blog posted an interview with the creative team behind Nadav Kander’s Monte Carlo campaign. Some shots from that work: After reading the article, I was really curious about a few things the creative team mentioned in regards to how they approached the shoot. I think AB’s are [...]
Here’s another video for ya. One little correction, I’m actually not on holiday- I planned to post this last week and then that didn’t work out so my intro is a bit outdated. And the crazy image that I hold up at the end featuring Elmo is called, I Hate Parades, Let’s Get a Drink [...]
