Author Archives

Director of Photography, Rob Haggart.

they don’t even know what they want, and they’re not even willing to pay for it

People want everything now, they wanted it two days ago, and they don’t even know what they want, and they’re not even willing to pay for it, that’s what’s happening more often than not!
So I came to the conclusion, middle of last year, I said, “you know what, I’m done chasing, I’m done panicking, I’m [...]

Taking The Rest Of The Week Off

cheers.
rob

Vincent Laforet Goes Beyond The Still

I was talking with Vincent Laforet about the contest he’s working on with Vimeo and Canon called “Beyond The Still” (here) and I decided to take the opportunity to interview him about his own transition from newspaper photographer to Hollywood commercial director. I was as big a skeptic as any when Vincent released “Reverie,” the [...]

Our Industry Talks A Lot About Ideas.

But at the same time, we have allowed the emphasis, the value, and the fundamental business model of our industry today, to shift away from ideas and to focus predominantly on execution.
A lot of lip service is paid to the value of ideas, but agencies are often primarily regarded as executioners and, in that regard, [...]

Ethan Hill On Photographing Roger Ebert

A reader asked if I would query photographer Ethan Hill about his recent shoot of Roger Ebert for Esquire. You can read the story on the Esquire website (here) and Roger’s reaction on his blog (here). I asked Ethan to describe the assignment, preparation and shoot:
It was a lucky set of circumstances that I was [...]

What matters to me is to find the quality in the subject that makes it extraordinary or unique

You know, I will often say, “I like this image.” And Indrani will say, “Well, what is it that you like about it?” And my answer will be, “Well, I just like it.” That’s an egotistical perspective, and she points out that it really doesn’t matter what you yourself like. It’s important to analyze who [...]

UK Close To Approving Orphan Works

Several readers alerted me to The Digital Economy Bill (here) in the UK which contains Orphan Works language that “will allow the commercial use of any photograph whose author cannot be identified through a suitably diligent search.”
Photographer Simon Crofts has a post about it (here), where he says:
“The Government’s idea is to take control of [...]

Ask Anything – Should You Tell Your Clients If You Are Pregnant Or Have A Life Threatening Illness?

Former Art Buyers and current photography consultants Amanda Sosa Stone and Suzanne Sease have agreed to take anonymous questions from photographers and not only give their expert advice but put it out to a wide range of photographers, reps and art buyers to gather a variety of opinions. The goal with this column is to [...]

Publishers Need To Put A Premium On Content

Now, I ask you—the publisher—whether you’re devoting enough corporate energy, resources and financial backing to your editorial staff in order to actually produce an indispensable editorial package? If the answer is yes, then why are you charging so little for such a valuable product? Ask the Economist how it feels about its edit and its [...]

The photographs are blurry, skewed, badly printed and in terrible condition

“If you want to be famous, you must do something more badly than anybody in the entire world.”
via Miroslav Tichy – NYTimes.com.

Printed Portfolio Videos

Here’s something cool over on Wonderful Machine again. They’ve got a handful of their photographers printed portfolios as videos on their youtube channel (here). Very cool for anyone wanting to see how books are put together and not a bad idea for reminding an AB or AD of a book they liked.

Time Is Running Out on Legacy Media Brands

Old media, even highly focused old media, simply cannot keep up. Look at almost any vertical and the story is the same: There are huge discrepancies between offline reach and online visitors. Too often the legacy publisher continues to think about the brand’s Web site as an extension of the base product and therefore something [...]

Negotiating The Editorial Contract

Bill Cramer has an excellent piece on negotiating an editorial contract with a new client over on Wonderful Machine (here).
It’s pretty amazing that people starting out on the publishing side know so very little about the appropriate terms to include for hiring photographer. Inevitably it starts with boilerplate language handed to them from some well [...]

SPD Finalists Announced

Photography awards after the jump. The whole list is (here).

Ask Anything – How Do You Get Started Photographing Fashion?

Former Art Buyers and current photography consultants Amanda Sosa Stone and Suzanne Sease have agreed to take anonymous questions from photographers and not only give their expert advice but put it out to a wide range of photographers, reps and art buyers to gather a variety of opinions. The goal with this column is to [...]

Do you know what is the most valuable asset you possess?

It’s your creativity. It’s what sets you apart from every other photographer; it’s the distinguishing value that is added to any great image you create. Without it, you could be replaced by a machine.
Ironically, this extremely valuable asset can’t be covered against loss by an insurance policy.It’s up to you–and only you–to take precautions that [...]

Stock Photographers find other ways to survive

A number I recently heard someone throw out as the amount a photographer can expect to make on a picture in a major stock photography company’s collection is, $10.
via  Greg Ceo Blog.

Times Are Changing – Less Books, More Video and Profits Are Up

Speaking with an agent recently (small to mid-size, top shelf roster) who told me that last year 20 or more books would go out the door each week and now it’s more like 2.
Also, 80% of jobs now come with requests to see a video reel. They commented that it reminded them of when the [...]