Swing voter & family, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Esquire, photo © AHI just want to jump in and add my bit here on 'The Jackanory' to some of the fine posting and commenting over at 'A Photo Editor' with a little of my own insight; in particular I want to address the raging debate on the whole NY / LA thing and how local talent in between gets overlooked. I want to tackle the topic from a creative angle I feel has been left untouched in all this.
I am a working editorial photographer based in New York, as I have written in the past the majority of my income comes from it or as a result of it, whether it be resale or stock. In the course of a year I end up working very little in the New York metropolitan area. I think on average 90% of my work takes place outside of the five boroughs and 70% of that involves taking a plane or a train as opposed to day tripping it down the New Jersey Turnpike.
From a purely selfish standpoint I like nothing better then to be in bum fuck no where on an assignment, knocking on an unknown subjects door, not knowing what surprises and life altering experiences may await. I am primarily an environmental portraitist and anyone familiar with my photographs should sense how much I thrive on these opportunities. I am all about the unfamiliarity, it brings out the best in me. Lets forget about the economics and the politics of the hiring process for a second. To be honest I don't like shooting in New York all that much, familiarity does breed a certain degree of visual contempt. I want to be sent on the road and yes it maybe to your neck of the woods but perhaps I bring that little something different to the plate, a fresh perspective as you would an out of towner here. Its good for an editor to have me there, I am all wide eyed and stimulated.
Most of my book is shot on the road whether it be the assignment itself, outtakes or all that other good personal stuff I find along the way. I want these jobs, I live for them they feed my photo soul. I don't always travel with an assistant, the budget doesn't always allow, sometimes it is just easier to work alone. I have worked hard to develop my style, I always use the same equipment whether I journey solo or have one, two or three assistants but more importantly I never compromise and I always bring the same huge appetite for new experience; photographic, professional and personal. Yes there is a certain degree of safety for my employer they have an idea of what to expect but they also know to expect the unexpected as I want to surprise myself as much as I want to surprise them. Can I do this in New York yes of course but I do so love the thrill and uncertainty of new and unknown roads.
Of course I am not saying that every gig should go to a NY or LA based shooter to ensure the funk and the noise, far from it. Yes there are plenty of amazing photographers nationwide being commissioned and talent is becoming easier for editors to find. Just remember to stay true to your vision, to believe in what you do and to make the work for yourself first, the assignments will follow, they did for me.
8 comments:
You're spot on there chief. I live in my hometown of London now but for 6 years I was a resident of NY. In that time, 80% of my work was outside of NY. I added it up and concluded that I set foot in 38 States. And by that I mean I actually stepped out of the airport, I didn't just change planes. Like you, the call of the wild was the thing that got my blood raging hard.
Remote control car racers in Orlando? Yes please. Buffalo farmers in North Dakota? The leanest of the red meats. Orphaned college basketball players in Houston? Alrerady ready. General Tommy Franks at his headquarters in Florida one week before the launch of the most foolish war of modern times? You can even touch the phone that he uses to call the president. Thank you very much.
Why was I getting these gigs? It wasn't just because the photo eds liked my stuff. It was because they knew me, had conversed with me, eaten and drunk with me and, I hope, liked and trusted me. We had a relationship.
This is a business, like any other in many respects, but also unique in others. One of the ways that it is like any other is in the fact that It's about relationships with the people you work for and also with the people you shoot. Personal contact, charm and warmth go an extremely long way. They need to know that you can form a meaningful photographic relationship in the 20 minutes that you have with the subject. I went to see Platon's talk last night and it is as clear as day that the reason he gets the pictures he does is because of his charm and personality, not because he knows how to put a vignette and a 30mm lens on the picture. People. Like. Him.
I'm afraid to say that if you are, personally, an unknown quantity your work is going to have to be very very good to get you 'The Call' - and even then photo editors will have residue doubts because they have never looked into your eyes and seen what you are made of.
One point I will offer in favor of the NYC editorial guy like yourself (naturally there are more than one): you are, more or less, a specialist and an editorial specialists of the highest caliber are more abundant in the larger markets, especially NYC.
Right on chris great to see you all fired up about teh Buffalo meat man, I can taste the flesh between my red meat free lips, insider joke
And Bruce "specialist" might be a little clinical but I understand where you are coming from and yes you are totally right about the abundant talent in the large market place
You know what has also got left out of the mix is not only New York the American media capital its a global capital, there are photographers here from all over the world. Thats what was so inspiring and yet so daunting when I arrived here first, people forget the diversity of the market place
I was out last night with Chris and he used the word journeyman to refer to himself and his craft - I liked it it has many different connotations
Thanks for the comments
Chris, you nailed it with the reason why you got the gigs: the relationship.
It's one of the first things I learned about photography when I started assisting and one of the main reasons I spent a big wad last month in NYC shaking hands and meeting editors face to face. The relationship.
Wow! Thats an amazing bit of wisdom from someone who's been in the biz for a while. Just know the young guns are out here listening! Thanks!
my two cents..
ny and la are two of the biggest media (and ad) markets in the world, much less america. therefore you will find the most breadth and depth of photographers in those two cities (same with london and paris in europe).
and therefore the ones that rise to the top in those places are the ones that get noticed the most.
no disrespect to shooters in other cities, but that's just how it is.
.avs
It's really funny though when you consider that most photographers as well as photo editors in NYC are actually from Ohio.
Andrew - Nice post. I read the ranting over at APE and I must say that your post was refreshing after the endless back and forth comments that I couldn't stop reading.
I think part of the interest for me is that I'm a young photog and I live about as far from NY or LA as possible- Homer, Alaska. One thing I'm learning is that living out here with the caribou has its own unique advantages for a creative freelancer.
There is value in being a fresh pair of eyes in a new land, likewise there is value in being familiar with a place and having the local knowledge and experience. Example: I would feel safer flying my ultralight through the mountains in Alaska than I would driving through NY or LA. A NY photog knows his way around the city and the social scenes. I'd do better talking to an eskimo about smoking salmon than sitting at a bar making connections with a potential client.
rambling . . what it really comes down to is your last paragraph. I love Alaska and couldn't imagine living in a big city so here I stay! It is and probably always will be about identifying the things that fuel the passion, then finding ways to support the obsession.
cheers
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