Do you have a website or more up-to-date blog (http://debraweiss.blogspot.com/)? What product and/or service is and how to get in contact with you?

If not, I’m confused on the “brand identity” advice (not to say that it isn’t accurate). Appreciate your other insight however.

Utah Advertising Photographer

I have been experimenting with prints that are 11×14 landscape, that naturally don’t break evenly into two 11×14 portraits. I have two quick questions:

1) I am getting the 14×11 brewer-cantelmo portfolio (like the other 40,000 photographers) :o) and I am curious how you accounted for the gutter on your two-page spreads (single image across two pages). Your images seem to line up perfectly.

2) Is there a “rule of thumb” for fill location for images that do not scale (black or white, left or right or even?) Like the image of your coca-cola bike riders in the pool, the fill is white and on the left? (also please see my attempt at this here: http://www.martinoroselli.com/gallery/6461993_KxaHz/1/409867492_VuHVf)

Any help or insight would be great.

Thank you again!

Cheers,

Martino

John

This is a strange statement because it makes it sound like you made a conscious decision to shoot a certain way, instead of just shooting what came naturally. How did you shoot before 11 years ago and what made you change your style up?

Did you decide to shoot a new way because it was more hip or commercial?

I feel like most of us only know how to shoot one way, our own.

i still shoot film for personal pictures. and I’ve been shooting film for so long i don’t really wonder how they turn out and rarely retouch them. but i shoot digital a lot nowadays

Not saying it’s horrible or anything drastically critical, just tired of comments online such as “beautiful!” and “nice!” with no actual praise in the commenter’s critique.

Photo school had the same problem.

Am not sure how this could be unless the editor was seriously cropping and altering the work. Photographs don’t suddenly metamorphose just because of a different aesthetic. Also, I assume you would notice that pretty quickly and no longer be working with that editor. I spend a good deal of my time editing and work with what the photographer has given me. I might make certain choices of imagery that is different from the what the photographer would want to see in the book, but it is still his/her image. Photographers tend to get too emotionally caught up in the image to be truly objective all of the time.

@85 “I’m interested in your rationale Debra.”

By the time you get through adding up all of your operating costs and expenses, you will see that the agent is actually earning more than you. While most agents have some amount of overhead, it is not comparable to that of a photographer, except in a few cases. Good agents will require a lot from the photographer. In order to have been represented by me when I was an agent the photographer was required to go into at least one national source book, supply me with a direct mail campaign for the year, have multiple copies of the book, and supply new pieces for the book on a regular basis. Some agents now produce their own promotional book and a payment from the photographer for producing that promotional book is required when they enter into an arrangement with the agent. In order for the agent to do their job effectively, they must have the proper tools and those tools are costly.

When you are looking at a budget for the year, you have to allocate certain things to certain areas. Your agent would be considered a marketing expense. When you add their commission (which
used to be 25%, now it is more commonly 30% and in some cases 35%) to you other marketing expenses – portfolios, promotional material, travel for meetings, etc. you are now spending a disproportionate amount of money on marketing.

In a good economy it can take anywhere from 6 months to a year for an agent to make headway with a photographer unless they are taking on someone well known who at the time is currently working. Double that amount of time in a bad economy. During that time you are putting money out to run your business with possibly very little coming in. Of that amount, the agent is getting 30%.

While many photographers seem to think that having an agent is the great panacea, it’s not. As I said previously, most photographers will never have an agent because there a too many photographers and not enough agents and the numbers simply don’t compute. Additionally, while there are some great agents, there are plenty that are just not. A big problem is the lack of standards. When we were sitting around as kids discussing what we wanted to be, Photographer Agent never entered into the mix, at least not when I was a kid since the profession didn’t exist at that time. I think there are big misconceptions surrounding this profession:

#1 This is a creative position. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t agents who are creative, but the majority are not. First and foremost, it is a sales job. Most agents don’t know a lot about photography or business which makes for a deadly combination.

#2 I’m going to hang out with creatives and have fun. While some aspects of being an agent can be enjoyable, there is a whole slew of them that aren’t.

#3 The agent makes the photographer. No they don’t. They can open doors. Ultimately, it is the work that makes the photographer. The agent should be there to guide, protect, encourage and advocate.

For the agent, this is pretty much a thankless job. Traditionally, the agent/photographer relationship has been looked up as “if the book is doing well, it’s because of the photographer and if the photographer is not doing well, it’s because of the agent.

For the photographer, this relationship can be very frustrating as most, especially in the beginning, have totally unrealistic expectations of the agent and what the agent could/should be doing.

If having an agent is something the photographer really wants, my advice is to take your time, do your homework and really try to find the right match. You don’t want to enter into a relationship that will quickly end as it is not good for either of you. Always remain in control of your business whether or not you are represented.

One more thing – I think any photographer who turns over 35% of their fees should be institutionalized.

@87 Thank you.

@90 “Whereas, I could more often than not recognize an Annie Leibovitz shot, or a David La Chappele image much more easily.

This is because they have taken ownership of a style. It is also because they happen to be better than others. While LaChappele’s work gives me a headache most of the time, I can appreciate its masterful qualities. The more photographers that enter the marketplace, especially those who really don’t know and understand the craft of photography, the more generic and banal the imagery will become.

@92 Jonathan – I can’t do this. It is a big part of what I do for a living and it would be totally unfair to my clients. Also, I don’t work for free and my advice to all would be that you don’t either. Hope you understand.

jonathan

jonathanbeller.com

jonathan

jonathanbeller.com

I feel exactly the same way! I shoot digital on every job of course, but at the same time I also shoot film. Film is so much more of a pleasure to work with! I feel as though every time I hit the shutter on my Hasselblad, something actually happens! Whereas with digital, it just feels like my camera is more of a go-between, between the subject and computer screen.

Excellent.

I also mentioned that as a newbie, I cannot see the subtle differences that everyone else seems to be able to see. I have spent hours going through a lot of agents sites, listed on this site, and quite honestly, if one were to cover up the names of the photographers and ask me whose image I thought it was, I couldn’t even guess! Whereas, I could more often than not recognize an Annie Leibovitz shot, or a David La Chapele image much more easily. The difference between Chri’s agents photographers is really very subtle for me, and that’s just my opinion….. Along with many who might or might not agree.

@89, I see your point Chris, with shooting celebrities and having their agents interrupting you. Quite clever.

@83 there are times when time constraints do force me to shoot digital but for the most part, its not that much faster. i do know what i’m doing and would prefer that no one saw what i was shooting. i get hired for what i do so there is a lot of trust involved. its only recent that you can get by without really knowing what your doing. just yesterday i did an editorial shoot with 5 celebrities involved. it was in the studio which normally i don’t mind shooting digital because its such a controlled environment. instead i shot film because each celeb has a publicist with them who are generally very vocal and opinionated. can you imaging having a monitor set up for everyone to comment on while you are trying to focus on the subjects? no thx. with film i did a couple of polaroids and started shooting, interruption free. it is definitely another one of those personal choices. the fact that most people think its weird i still shoot film is another thing that makes me happy, because shooting digital is very uninspiring for me. no soul. no feeling. nothing i can really touch. give me a proof, grease pencil and loupe anyday. the last thing i want to do is what i’m doing right now, staring at the computer screen.
@85 thanks mark
@86 your work is great. keep it up. you gotta stay true to that.
@88 i totally agree simon. i make limited personal books that i send to select clients and have a personal portfolio i show when i meet people personally. i probably need to do it more

I’m interested in your rationale Debra.

Chris – it might look pretty simple, but you have a great talent and your execution is great.

It’s about identity and some degree of individuality. Of course, ultimately, the work needs to speak for itself but as getting face to face meetings becomes increasingly more difficult, the book should be an extension of the photographer’s personality. It needs to have a voice because the odds are that it will not be in buyer’s office with you. And, again – you have one shot to make a first impression.

Years ago, the NYC Police Dept. had a policy of using horses for their mounted units that were all the same color. ( I believe they were bays) They had psychological studies conducted. What they found was if a group of mounted cops were on bays and one was on a different horse and a psycho happened to be in the area looking to shoot a cop, the one on the horse of a different color would be the one to get shot as he was different from the pack and easier to notice.

I am not suggesting that anyone use a good looking presentation to conceal bad work, however this business is about a lot more than photography. When the buyer, and eventually the client see a presentation that has been put together with a great deal of thought, that is made with good materials and has a sense of style that separates it from the rest of the pack, a) it will get noticed sooner and b) the client will experience a stronger sense of security that the photographer will most likely take greater care with their job. This business is all about perception.

As stated previously, if your book is working for you I think that’s great. I would like to believe that the best work always gets chosen, however I’ve spent enough time in this industry to know better.

@83 – “It’s also possible that in the end the cost decides who gets picked.”

With some clients, cost is always a factor. As a new photographer you have the opportunity to lay down ground rules as to how you’re going to run your business. The purpose of being in business is to generate profit. You cannot generate profit by taking bad deals. You will need to understand pricing, usage and negotiation. You’ll also need to understand the value your work has in the marketplace. Read my article entitled “The Value of Photography” on the home page of EP http://www.editorialphoto.com/ No other business allows clients to dictate price except the photography industry. Go along with that and you’ll be in a quick race to the bottom.

“I am a little surprised that you still shoot film! and print traditionally.”

Many photographers still use film. You should be working in the medium that best conveys what it is you’re trying to say. It’s all about your point of view.

“Waiting around for film to get processed, how do you know if you’ve got the shot?”

Jodi, I believe this is called being a professional.

“Shooting film and not re-touching shows that you are really very talented to me. So if I said anything negative, I take it all back, after reading that!”

Please, please, please take a history of photography course!
Somehow, I get the feeling Chris would survive if you didn’t like his work.

@79, Chris I don’t have a website yet, so I cannot direct anyone to a site, also my work is no where near your level!
You are obviously very talented, my critique came after I went to your agents site, and saw the other people she represented, and that’s when I felt, that the style was almost identical, of-course that’s too my very unprofessional eye! I also went to other agents sites and they all have photographers who shoot in a similar style, at least to me it looked very similar. I agree, I don’t know much, except if you all compete for the same type of jobs, I think it must be very subjective when one gets picked over another. It’s also possible that in the end the cost decides who gets picked. I do like your work, I think it’s great, which is what I said in my first post. Except the competition must be very hard, as so many are doing exactly what you are….I am a little surprised that you still shoot film!
and print traditionally. Also that you don’t do any re-touching!
How do you stick to time constraints on jobs? Waiting around for film to get processed, how do you know if you’ve got the shot? I interviewed with a well known NY photographer, and he shot everything digitally due to time constraints. He also said that the art-director could see the images instantly….. He also hired all his camera’s by the day for a shoot, as he told me technology kept changing, and he could charge them to the job. Shooting film and not re-touching shows that you are really very talented to me. So if I said anything negative, I take it all back, after reading that!