If we all have the correct knowledge about photography including lighting, business practice, etc. then I believe we will stop getting the calls from inexperienced clients that say ” Well I just got a quote of $1,000 from another photographer and he isn’t charging me usage rights so why are you?”

That photographer that quoted $1,000 has no idea how to quote, can’t light his way out of a paper bag so he fixes his lighting in Photoshop. He also has a day job which makes him enough money to live so an extra grand in his pocket sounds great to him.

But imagine if we all knew the correct way to quote, how to charge for usage etc. and didn’t use post to correct our mistakes, there would be no potential clients getting $1,000 quotes without usage and then the decision would come down to whose work that potential client likes the most for their needs.

I hope this helps you guys understand my point more.

Try this: set up your “secretive” lighting. Invite another photographer over and both of you shoot the same model. Examine the results. I can promise you that you will have TOTALLY different results. Yes the lighting will be the same but who is going to capture the subject better ? Have I made it more simple for you to understand now ?

The trust and confidence in your skill that you need in yourself is what takes the longest to attain and cannot be gotten in any master class.

Like in “Kung Fu Panda” – “there is no secret ingredient”

I have often in the past helped out a friend with a question or two but it should be a two way street.

At least pay it forward if you aren’t paying it back

Do you think Apple, Google, IKEA, Wal-Mart, Chevron, Trump, SalesForce, etc., would share all of their secret information with their competitors? Exactly.

Although we’re not changing the entire world with pictures, our little secrets are some of the few advantages we can maintain in this crazy, over-crowded market. That is what keeps the pros looking professional while the others with their sub-par Canon’s just look like trust funded babies who bought their way in.

We need more people that actually know what the hell their doing both with their cameras and lighting and fewer amateurs picking up a digital camera, setting it to AUTO, fixing it in post, and calling themselves professionals.

Never a truer word spoken.

There is plenty of genuinely creative work out there that’s let down by poor technique and I for one would rather see really excellently shot work with no soul (which is usually down to poor art direction) than a great idea screwed up by an incompetent shooter.

There is no reason to give your hard earned technical knowledge to anyone who just asks for it. Training up an assistant is an entirely different matter and should be encouraged. You get an assistant who works hard for you and in return they get the benefit of your years of experience.

I’ve got to be honest I know quite a few advertising photographers here in London who are at the top of their game and not one of them is bitter. I also know quite a few who aren’t doing as well. They’re not bitter either. Everyone recognises that there are much, much worse jobs out there and being a photographer, even in one of the worst advertising recessions in recent history, it’s still a great job to have.

1) the person asking for the “bid” usually has no idea what we are talking about anyway….
2) I have seen over and over my technical details taken and applied to the lowest bidder’s numbers so He/she can keep their job at Jack in the Box and pick off photo jobs with my knowledge regardless of their lack of expertise.

There simply too many “Best Buy photographers” out there who, while they may have enough “eye” to be great amateur photographers, enough equipment to make me salivate, and a regular job they can lie to the boss about a sick day to every once in a while, they have ZERO experience actually doing the job, handling the client, or keeping things creatively moving along,.

AND they don’t care whether they get paid or not.

I am not going to help them… don’t ask!

ditto!

it may not do you favors but, it does me plenty. if you don’t agree with me, cool deal. I know what works for me and maybe that doesn’t work for you. so be it.

And i didn’t say technique was unnecessary. it is very necessary to be able to create the things you envision…my point is the end goal should not be learning technique. technique is a means to and end not the end itself. And I thinks it’s unfortunate that most of today’s work flaunts technique over substance. that is my point really about technique. Substance has taken a backseat to technique…How many photos do you see that have flawless technique and feel completely sterile and empty? Probably the majority wouldn’t you say? and yes, some of mine fit that description too.

i don’t recall insulting you so why the assumptions? Being morally bankrupt or giving anyone a free ride are you’re own assumptions. not mine.

and I much prefer being a happy hippie than a bitter photographer like most of the people in this biz. I have better things to do then sit around and be mad about shit.

Yeah, he’s got that right. Ain’t no secrets and no magic bullets either.

Think you have found a new style, spend a few hours at the library looking through art books, no new style either.

Rubbish, still life, beauty, architectural photography all require a high degree of technical ability. No ammount of living life and finding out who you are will teach you good technique. Hard work and a willingness to commit to your chosen field will.

“9 times out of 10 if someone is withholding information it’s b/c they are scared of losing control of the situation. i.e. insecure”

Again, load of rubbish. If I worked bloody hard on perfecting a particular technique why the hell should I give that away to someone who can’t be bothered to figure it out themselves? Would Mercedes give BMW their engine designs just because they asked? Of course not, they would tell them to figure it out for themselves, that’s the nature of business. It’s called a competitive advantage.

Fine, give away all of your knowledge to anyone who asks, but don’t try to make out that those of us who don’t are somehow morally bankrupt for not handing a free ride to anyone who can’t be bothered to put in the effort.

Go sell your crystal gripping, hippie nonsense elsewhere and try not to bother those us who’ve worked hard for what we have.

Oh and drop the stupid text speak, it doesn’t do you any favors at all.

lol

What chef gives up his secret sauce recipe? Not many.

Sharing business info is one thing that benefits us all, but if you want to be a serious artist, its all about the sweat, work and personal exploration. I like to guide my assistants in how to LEARN technique and DEVELOP new ones. Not on specific techniques that are going to be out of style before they figure them out.

I, for instance, kept all of my technique secret for quite a while. It was until the “cinemascapist” and my “cinemascapes” became known to such a large audience that any copy cat would be easily identifiable as such. I am confident enough now that what I’ve developed is easily identified as my signature style and I can share the details with the world and not be concerned with it.

There are legit reasons for some to keep trade secrets and I think that if I were in the commercial world, I might hold out from ever sharing my exact techniques?

ASMP paperwork share.

Might have to be an asmp member to get this.