And in at number 10

So anyways the big PDN Photo Annual issue arrived in the mailbox last week. I didn't win anything so I wasn't in it or at least thats what I thought. I have to admit I wasn't so interested in all the upfront stuff; straight to the images to see the award winners and who made the grade. As I have mentioned before this is certainly a tough nut to crack and I have had no past success. Although I did think that this year I might have a chance and chose to submit one entry and put 'A Room With A View' up for consideration in the photo book category especially after its success over at American Photography a shoe in me thought. Alas though it was not to be for another year.

There we were at the celebratory bash the other night making the most of the free refreshments and reimbursing ourselves the cost of competition entry, damn did I pay the late fee hang on a sec get me another glass of champagne for my friend over here, better make it a double; when inspirator and award winner Eric Weeks asked had I seen the little write up I had received in the issue. No says I in embarrassment sure I only look at the pictures don't I.

So there you have it folks in an effort to make us all feel better PDN's editors and writers have compiled a list of the innovations, inspiring people, institutions and idiosyncrasies that make photography as rewarding and exciting as ever: 46 Reasons To Love Photography Now. And what do you know in at number 10: 'You Can Publish Your Own Bookstore-Quality Photo Book' we get a little mention. Nice one PDN I promise I will be more attentive to your written word in the future.

Jacks back

Well I don't think anyone missed me too much as there were no emails worrying about the blogs extended absence this time around. Suffice to say we were both away personally and professionally.

In the meantime though answer me this will you, how come whenever you book a personal trip the calls for work come flooding in for the dates you will be away ? Its always the same could be sitting around with out a bite to be had and then voila just as you are packed and ready to go the phone starts ringing off the hook.

There is always that omnipresent fear of missing out on the holy grail once tickets have been booked and plans made. These fears are more often then not realized come departure day and cause us freelancers to often never book any sort of holiday time far in advance. We can usually come up with some sort of self serving reasoning; you know its like nothing ever happens in August because the whole industry is away but hang on a sec if I am around and all the other photogs are out of town maybe the goose will lay me a golden egg.

Grrrr whats one to do ? Thankfully my beautiful wife keeps us mobilized. With a job in the real world one has to manage ones away time carefully so we do plan ahead to maximize every extra day and opportunity. If I was left to my own devices everything would end up being so last minute we probably wouldn't end up going anywhere.

Although I have to say I have scored a gig from time to time being away by giving PE's a heads up as to my whereabouts.

On this occasion a quick 5 day trip to Ireland resulted in missing 5 days work for 3 different magazines. The itinerary was non transferable as were the shoot dates so no go for me on any of the gigs. Often best you don't get too much info on the jobs you are missing out on so you don't get too upset at what possibilities may be lost.

Not to worry though I had a choice gig to come back to, but what the fuck as soon as I hit the tarmac on the return to NYC and powered up the Blackberry there were 2 more sweet gigs in the inbox with complete specs and what do you know they all want the same dates. Aaaargh this is aggravating especially when the assignments are all plum with image making potential.

One photographers loss is of course anothers gain. You wouldn't mind though nothing in the books for this week after the flurry; just plenty more work working on work and maybe a little blogging while we are at it. Stay tuned.

On the APE list

It is with great excitement I am pleased to announce that my alter ego the Andrew Hetherington is featured today as part of Rob Haggarts 'On the list' series over at APE.

I am sure some out there think that this is a massive conspiracy with a few hands controlling all the photoblogospheric threads but this is not the case, well not in this instance anyways, apparently I was there on artistic merit.

Yes of course the same names and blogs keep on cropping up in what seems like an endless reach around but as the community expands a more diverse cross section is beginning to bear its soul. But we will save all that for another day and get back to the post in hand.

So I like many others was convinced that APE was a woman, it was something about the writing in the beginning although I have to say I was pretty sure it wasn't Kathy Ryan. We were mighty pleased with ourselves to discover him here first on day two when we found the link via Technorati. APE quickly became a phenomenon throughout the photo world and was the talk of the town here in New York with every photographer and editor speculating as to his or her identity.

It was always a thrill to see that APE had picked up on some of my own postings from time to time so at the very least I knew whoever it was was a 'Jackanory' reader. Over the first couple of months his style and voice developed and my instincts led me to believe we were now reading a males perspective, leaving only a couple of possible candidates after one does the masthead math. There really aren't too many male Photo Directors. My own suspicions were confirmed by a third party who had a revealing email from Rob.

I shared the info with a few trusty confidants but chose not to disclose him to a wider audience. I didn't see a point especially knowing the reputation of his maniacal boss one Jann Wenner who I am sure would get out the firing squad on the slightest corporate indiscretion. Not that Rob was giving away damaging insider information but a lot of these companies are scared and insecure and have nondisclosure clauses in all staff contracts. I was reminded about the instance last year where a female employee was canned by a magazine for writing another behind the scenes anonymous blog.

I have to say it was all quite fun. Every time I was out with photo friends or editors talk would quickly turn to APE and the guess the identity game would begin. It was always interesting who's name came in the mix and more importantly the reasoning. I remember one editor coming up to me at the American Photo bash with her own astute observations after a remark Rob had made in a recent post "Can't be a woman or a gay guy because they don't go for beers !'

So what do you know out of the blue one Friday morning in November we get an email from APE."Hey Andrew yes its me Rob Haggart, I am APE, would you like to meet up sometime ? Sure" says I " How's your week look next week ?" was my reply "No how are you fixed today ?" went Rob "Okey dokey then I can meet, lets do it".

There you go a clandestine luncheon was arranged. I have never worked directly with Rob and we never spoke over the phone or met in person pior to this. I did one shoot during his reign at Outside but I don't think it ever ran and the last thing I did for Mens Journal was at the tail end of the previous regime. I did know what he looked like though having seen him from afar at an industry event.

Lunch was quite the occasion like two old giddy schoolboy friends sharing our experiences. It was a real treat to talk about the biz and most especially how our blogs have changed our lives and how exciting, inspiring and challenging it is to be involved.

Rob was gracious to say how blogs like 'the Jackanory, Conscientious, Alec Soth and Drinking with a Deadman' were catalysts in his own beginnings and how he was shocked to see I had discovered him so early on. He had been hoping to share it with friends for the first month or so as he found his stride. But there was now no time for that as the pressure was on from the git go.

Jann Wenner picked up the tab, thank you very much sir. No worries you owed me, I will never forget the time your accounting department stiffed me out of expenses on my one and only Mens Journal gig. Wouldn't mind that these extras were caused by an act of nature and the inability of your official travel agent to provide sufficent support services to a photographer stuck in the field dealing with bad weather, cancelled flights and limited options.

We joked to ourselves on the way out that we hoped we didn't get spotted together as tongues may begin to wag as one couldn't but help wonder how our relationship would move forward now. But a short while later a little spanner was thrown in the works when I was in a meeting with another Photo Director friend "hey" she says " I am pretty sure who APE is, its Rob Haggart over at Mens Journal and I just got a call from a headhunter they are looking for a new Photo Director over there." Fuck I mutter to myself. What do I do now, drop Rob a line telling him he's about to get the axe. Talk about a crisis of conscience I didn't know how to play it. Thankfully I get the email from Rob shortly after announcing his departure and am relieved it is he who has pulled the plug.

APE is one of those very special unique things that we should all treasure. Its been pretty amazing what he has put out there and although one misses the anonymous from time to time it has been truly inspiring to see him keep bringing it everyday, even more so now that he is out in the open.

Heres to you Rob Haggart, a true original !

Oh and in accordance with this special honor I have updated and upgraded the website and yes I know it is Livebooks but feel free to let me know what you think, I can take it.

Business as usual

Well here we are again, the start of another calender year, a time for both reflection and for future gazing. This is the time I come up with 'the Plan' for the year ahead in Andrew Hetherington Photography. It has been a really useful exercise something I encourage everyone to do, if you don't do so already. Its nothing revolutionary just laying out goals and ideas; personally, professionally and of course financially, taking stock and setting an agenda of sorts for the upcoming year. Most of it is pretty basic but its good to put it down on paper too not just to have a mindful of scrambled unfocused thoughts. A good dose of the healthy helpy-selfy. I have found it to be most useful both looking forward and looking back at the previous years objectives. Of course its nothing rigid; I am flexible and open to ever changing patterns as is evident in recent happenings but if you are honest with yourself and what may and may not be attainable it can help manage and achieve the dreams and realities.

This years plan is yet to be written; maybe because I have spent so much time at the keyboard over the last 9 months working on the blog and needed to take a break from the typing to see where all this has led and where it may be going. I have to say to those of you who haven't yet jumped in and got your own up and going it requires a lot of time and work especially if you are a daily contributor. To be honest a lot of time that should perhaps be spent on getting real work. After all I am a photographer first.

Right before Christmas I was caught off guard when a job opening with a real company in a real office editing their photo blog came my way. Yes I was surprised and extremely flattered to be in the mix but that lasted for a second or two. Hang on amn't I a photographer ? Is my perception with in the business shifting ? My passion for my own art and photography has never been stronger, the blog is all part of my own ever evolving footprint. How about it though ? A proper job with a proper wage, proper hours, proper benefits. Intriguing yes but I didn't even have to think twice after all I have a job already with no regular wages, no regular hours, no security, no boss. Maybe the chair and desk is in my future, hey we never know what hand fate will deal. Of course I didn't even think to ask how much cash money might be in the pot much to my wifes chagrin.

That's the thing isn't it we are never done, constantly getting started, forever evolving. The new year just provides us with that physical period where we can regroup and recharge and start dealing with the things we should be doing all the time as photographers but may be neglecting. My main goal this year amongst all the regular clutter is quite simple; to produce better pictures ! Not that I have been doing a bad job to date but I feel I have so much more to offer. Take an honest look at yourself and your work over the last year. How many great pictures have you taken ? I think if you are truly honest there wont be many. Lots of good ones yes but how many great ones ?

I could also perhaps use the blog as an excuse for neglecting some of my business obligations but I won't. It has been a rewarding challenge and as evidenced has led to opportunities; so while there may have been thoughts of doing an 'Alec' I am not going anywhere but will have to manage my time spent here more wisely. The main thing that has been bothering me lately is how to better handle my time in general. To make it as productive and meaningful as possible, something that can become difficult for all us solo operators as we juggle and try and make progress on multiple fronts. I cannot help but wonder how much more could be achieved here at Andrew Hetherington Photography HQ aka AHPHQNYC (in honour of JLPFL) if I had a full time studio manager. Would I get more work done and therefore ultimately get more work ? It is not a viable option for me at the moment but if there is anyone out there looking for an internship drop me a line. That's the thing when I am shooting I am not working on work or book keeping or updating the site or all that other good stuff that needs to get done. But then again its going to take a lot more work to get to that point, certainly wont come from a steady editorial diet, maybe there is a big advertising gig in my future, don't worry that will get written into 'the Plan'. Ah yes its ok to dream now and again but hey no time to sit around and wait.

So here we are back to rambling, time to work on some more of my own specifics for the year ahead. Don't worry I won't be sharing all the hopes, dreams and indeed realities but we are back and open for business so hang on here's hoping its a wild and exciting ride !

Breaking up . . . . is hard to do

After almost four years of being represented by Redux Pictures I have decided to move on. Its been a magical ride but it is time for change and for me to act on some of my own advice, to take a risk, shake things up a little, embrace new challenges and explore new opportunities. Stay tuned !

An assistants life

Finally getting round to throwing my bit into the ring on the whole assisting thing going on over at 'A Photo Editor'. There is just no keeping up with APE at the moment they are not only prodigious with their content but full of huge surprises what with the launch of Photo Rank and everything.

I kind of wish I had this blog when I was back in the assisting trenches, lots of fine memories and crazy stories that would now be embellished in print. I mostly freelanced but had a few semi regulars and was a full timer first for almost two years. I have to say it was exactly what I needed and wanted, it isn't for everyone though we all have different paths. I learnt so much, but in the end I was more interested in the process then the technicalities, I enjoyed watching how people worked, their relationship with their subject whether it be alive or still didn't matter. Everyone has a different approach and it always fascinated me especially my first time out with someone new, how did they tackle things differently from the others; were they calm, nervous, high energy, a talker, quiet, shy, did they like music, silence, were they a screamer, a shouter or were they in total control, was it all an act, a means to an end, or were they for real, what you saw was what you got, how did they interact with the client, the models etc etc.

I remember my first real assisting gig here in New York. All so different from Dublin where you were lucky if you got a sandwich for lunch. I will never forget it, it was a shoot for Lady Footlocker on location at the Puck Building. I was living in Queens at the time and was still unfamiliar with the city. I made sure to get in early and find the building before treating myself to a diner breakfast to set me up for the day. So there I am on time, in the right spot, fortified and ready to go as 3rd assistant but what do you know theres a full fuckin catered breakfast WOW welcome to the big time sonny, wait till the gang back in Ireland hear about this, first lesson learnt, don't spend money on food and bring home any tasty leftovers. Of course I tucked in not wanting to show my naivety.

I got around a bit, assisted for alot of different types of photographers but the irony is that I didn't really end up working for anyone who shoots like I do now. I have to admit I was influenced by alot of these shooters stylistically in the beginning as it took a while for me to find my own visual language. I did a lot of fashion, catalogue, still life, portraits, celebrity, music, the whole gamut and had some amazing experiences along the way; taking the Concord to Paris (now that's an epic tale I will share later), working on the island of Barbuda off the coast of Antigua as Princess Diana and Princes William and Harry lounged around the pool on their vacation, a few short months before her death, almost losing my own life on a Swiss mountain top only for the photographer to reach out and grab me as I was about to slide past him off the edge of a 5000 ft peak, some close encounters with machetes in Jamaica, having gear stolen out of my room in a supposedly secure all inclusive resort in Barbados as I was having dinner with the crew. Ah yes good times.

Back in 1995 when I got here fresh of the boat the process of getting assisting work was a little different. There was no internet, no email, no cell phone for fuck sake; it was like the third world, so much for the land of convenience, we all had mobiles in Ireland, ok they were bricks but come on the only weapons at your disposal were a beeper and a resume, if you were lucky you had an old source book and friends already assisting who could get you going, otherwise it was over to Barnes and Noble to try and track down names and numbers. Yeah you had to fuckin call everyone to try and get a foot in the door. And yes everyone answered the phone with those immortal words 'STUDIO" even if they didn't have one, you were expected to and the photo district was alive and well. This was the mid nineties and the rental studio scene was just kicking into gear, Pier 59 Studios, Milk and Splashlight were still a couple of years out. Industria was the main player back then and I remember seeing an article in the long gone English magazine SKY on the place before my arrival in the USA. Fuck me that place looked cool an old Rolls Royce dealership, I wanted so badly to work there hey wait a minute the cyclops himself Albert Watsons got a place next door, magic. In the end my dream came through as some of the guys I was working with were frequent Industria users although nothing ever transpired with Albert. Oh and everyone shot chrome/transparency so it was all color meters and filter packs early on for me before the negative became the medium of choice. That was a god send; no more clips/snips, keeping elaborate film logs, judging balances and shitting bricks waiting to make sure you didn't have a cock up on your end.

Yes the beeper, resume, names, numbers and a roll of quarters for the pay phones it was all pretty prehistoric. The email is great, never have to have those awkward first phone calls of introduction. "Studio . . . . Hello yes my names Andrew Hetherington I am new in town and I am a freelance assistant and I am keen and eager - I know how to load most cameras, now which one is it you use again ah a Bronica - what strobe ? - aha the mighty 40,000 watt-second Ascor sure no worries if I hook that beast up the wrong way and blow myself to shit - sure I love your work I saw it in ? - any chance I could stop by - Oh this isn't a good time right you are busy on the casting couch - should I call back later or what ?". At least nowadays you can drop someone an email and they can chose to respond or not, don't worry if someone doesn't get back to you right away, takes me ages but I will be in touch.

So what do I look for in an assistant: well of course a hard worker, someone who is going to leave it all on the playing field, easy going but professional, someone who is going to contribute, we are a team dependent on each other for success. I don't have time for moaners. Its my name attached to the pictures so if there is a fuck up it will be my fault no matter who is responsible after all I am responsible for you I have hired you. Don't admit to knowing something you don't its a big no no. I have been caught out and now have to ask anyone under the age of 25 if they can load 2 1/4 film and don't worry I will be standing over you on that first roll just to make sure.

I like to work with the same people, but am always looking at the same time. I do hire friends, this is not always the best idea but I can trust them and if we are on the road I want to travel with someone I can have a conversation and a beer with at the end of the day. There can be a lot of waiting around on my shoots, so patience is an asset. Most of all I want to work with someone who's also passionate about photography and life, who is going to inspire me as much as I can inspire them, who is naturally curious, wants to learn and teach me at the same time. And yes always be early because I am. Oh and then bring your camera when we are on the road there maybe opportunities to do your own stuff, that was how I put my first book together.

I will want to meet you in person too if possible. I can usually tell in the first 30 seconds if we will get along or not. First impressions are everything. And don't worry if you have already come to see me and I have said I will be calling and I haven't I will eventually. I want to know that you are familiar with my work that's the reason you reached out, right ?. For god sake don't waste our collective time if you don't like what I do. No worries try and work for someone who's work you do admire. Do your homework ! You won't believe the amount of people who come see me, saw my name some where, have no idea what I do and certainly didn't bother to check out my site.

And before I stop the rant lets bring up that most uncomfortable of subjects money. I will always talk about it before we work so you know my policy upfront and we avoid any tricky apres job uneasiness. Don't be afraid to ask any photographer you interview with what their payment timetable is like. Better you know in advance that way you can make your own informed decisions and do whats right for you based on your own needs, personal, professional and financial. Fuck I even saw one photographer I worked for 8 years ago at a bash recently who hadn't paid me for a day I did, I also remember the time a rep paid me on behalf of a photographer and the check bounced, you wouldn't mind but I was the full timer, it was for 2 months solid work and I was in Ireland on my Christmas holiday only to discover that all my own checks had been returned as a result and I hadn't a pot to piss in, what a fuck up, that gig eventually came to an end because the photographer decided he wanted to make a change to the existing sketchy arrangement, after 18 months he decided he couldn't pay me on completion of job but I would now have to wait until he got paid, as if it wasn't bad enough already what with his rep already screwing me, wheres the fuckin loyalty, so I said sorry that wasn't going to work for me see ya. In the end one of his biggest clients ended up hiring me to do some of his work after they had a falling out or change of direction or whatever. Don't forget what comes around . . . . . .

Mutual admiration forum

Those good folks over at the Nutopia Forum obviously desperate for material to get their blog up to speed posted a little something unexpected on yours truly here yesterday that made me a little teary.

Best week ever

This past week saw the best week ever here on 'Whats the Jackanory ?' with 3,926 visits. That works out to be 561 per day with the average visit length now a very healthy 4 minutes and 7 seconds. So thank you one and all I really appreciate you taking the time.

Shameless self promotion

Me as featured in the November issue of Portfolio magazine with a portrait of Victor Weiner an art and photography appraiser. Its always a treat to discover the magazine has manged to use another picture for the TOC (table of contents) especially when its bigger then a thumbnail.

NY LA and everywhere in between

Swing voter & family, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Esquire, photo © AH

I 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.

Top model becomes top photographer

As GQ was trolling for material to help celebrate their 50th anniversary they came across this gem courtesy of Ebay. Yes thats the papa bear himself Bruce Weber as a 21 year old up and coming model on the cover of GQ Scene, a short lived spin off from the late 60's aimed at 'Teen Men Only'. Nice one Bruce ! now if only I could tap into some of your success on the heels of my own modeling debut.

As featured in . . . . Wired

Photos © AH

I had been meaning to catch up on some work I have had published here in October although it hit the news stands in September before it becomes irrelevant as although its only the 10th of the month here comes November at us already with Vanity Fair the first one out of the gate as usual and the rest due in quick pursuit.

I worked on this story back in July for Wired and have re-posted the behind the scenes action of this particular outing below, full original post with links here.

Tuesday July 10

Working on work and getting set to head out again 6.05pm flight to Des Moines Iowa from La Guardia. This time we leave plenty early, get an SUV for the gear so as to avoid another incident and take the mid town tunnel, smooth ! I get the call on the way out the three area airports have been shut down to arrivals and departures, weather ! Wheres the fuckin weather ? I don't see nothing not a cloud in my sky, no mention of anything when I checked online earlier. The airports a madhouse as people line up to rebook but we are showing as on time. Check in swiftly and head down to the food court on the lower level, we have time. From our vantage point there is some activity on the tarmac. Planes are lining up for departure but none are landing an ominous sign but we are still looking good. Time to head through security and to the gate. Anyways now its time for our fortunes to change. Showing a delay now, 1 hour no worries. Only problem at this part of the airport, American Airlines concourse, is that once you go through security your dining/drinking options are slim. There is no bar ! and we have been told to stay close to the gate as our situation could change in an instant, unlikely ! Then comes a gate change, a further delay another gate change and at last our plane is on its way, it has just left Boston and will be with us shortly, yipee. More musical chairs with a further gate change but they turn it around quickly and we are all aboard, its close to 10pm at least we will make an hour up with the time change.

Wednesday, got in early that morning, straight to bed at The Holiday Inn Downtown, sort of kind of, $ 100.00 per night and it feels it, but I am tired have a king bed and a mirrored wall next to it, retro chic.

We had an afternoon shoot so we had an easy morning. Joel did the Chowhound so we had fine breakfast choices. The top sounding spot it turns out was no longer in existence had been knocked down and replaced by a spanking new condo building, you got to check the date on the postings, but he was prepared and had a back up, nice one ! The Waveland Cafe on University. Taking the healthy route I opted for 2 fried eggs, country ham, hash browns, Joel went for the biscuits again this time topped off with scrambled eggs and we had coffees and orange juices. Excellent, top class breakfast, simple, super tasty and this was only $ 18.00. I do not eat like this at home by the way in case you are wondering.

As luck would have it this time I was photographing another race car related story, this time for a different magazine. We had a 3.00pm call time @ the Iowa Speedway 40 minutes east of town and our subject was due on set at 5.00pm and we would have him for all of two hours ! It was a glorious day with puffy clouds moving across the sky but there was a strong wind pummeling the track. We were shown possible locations by the track PR and now time to meet the race team PR and get the plan sorted. Everything was a little unorganized only to be compounded by the fact that as this was a race weekend, certain rules and regulations were now in play and it had been mandated that all cars needed to be in parc ferme (quarantine) at 6.00pm to prevent the mechanics doing extra work on them. Turns out work time is regulated so its an equal playing field for everyone. Also the teams had just arrived track side that afternoon and hadn't set up their pit boxes so the place was a little empty and devoid of race day atmosphere.

We settled on a spot on pit lane, got the car on site about 4.45pm and the driver would be with us shortly. I had my lighting set up worked out and had an idea of what I needed to do. Not to bore you with technicalities I normally use two camera set ups. A Hasselblad 503cw (has the winder on the side, removable) this has a prism and I use an on camera flash mounted to this. The second is a 553elx (winder built in on the bottom) which I use with the waist level finder and a Q Flash connected via pocket wizards (remotes). We had decided on set up #1 due to the wind. We were doing a couple of test polaroids and then CLUNK ! The winder stopped and the mirror locked up and lens jammed. Shit ! No time to panic. The one design flaw in the 503 set up is that you cannot remove the winder when the lens is on and now the whole thing is locked up, time to get the tool out and to try and unlock the beast. But first I decide to change the winder batteries which appears to do the trick. The camera kicks into life an off we go again. Two polaroids later CLUNK ! Fuck same again, try more batteries and again same thing happens, I play around with the batteries manage to get the camera fired up decide to take the lens off and move on. Time to use the back up 503cw. So off we go and all sounds good. When you have worked so long with a camera you become in tune with the sounds it makes, I find I can usually detect a fault if it appears to be missing a beat, intuition I guess. Everything sounds good then CLUNK. Fuck ! The subject has arrived on set and he's a couple of minutes behind schedule so I am up against the clock already. We have to change set ups move on to the 553elx and alter the lighting package. The driver is super young and very sweet, not panicked we engage in chat mostly about motor sport (see my Dan Patrick post below) and start the session.

Here's the thing, I know I have at least 50 minutes with him and the car all I need is one frame from at least two different set ups and the magazine will be happy ? time to be calm and focused. And we are off ! But oh no we are not, now the pocket wizards are acting up. I have a back up to the back up but all this changing is cutting in to time and disrupting my flow. The first few polaroids are ok, everything needs to be finessed, finally about 5.30pm we are looking good !

In a session like this I have been given certain scenarios the magazine wants covered, driver in car, driver next to car, driver on own no car. Pretty straight forward but one needs to take a decent image and make it a little special. For me I start out with a plan and then see where we go, observe the subjects idiosyncrasies his mannerisms all the while looking @ whats going on around and see if I can incorporate some of the happenings into the shot. I am not a high concept shooter, I do not come with big set ups, ok sometimes I bring a few props, I like to think I find found moments although the shots are mostly staged. Joel was gracious enough to say that I/we have a habit of making something out of nothing. Its always a team effort no matter who I have working with me. We have worked together on a lot of fab shoots over the last couple of years and have been in plenty of tricky spots but have always pulled through. I enjoy the challenge. That's the thing with an editorial shoot like this is there isn't the time to get to the heart of a subject. You got to work with what you got and make something of it. Its not always going to be a winner, it can't be but as long as you did everything in your power to make it the best photograph you could take given all the circumstances and hopefully be regret free when its all over. Don't forget you can always ask someone to do something, worst they can do is say no and I never force anyone to do anything they are not comfortable with. So remember no re greats !

6.00pm and the car is rolled back to its trailer and put to bed. I continue to shoot portraits in and around and am in the groove. I know when its going well for me, it feels free and easy I see things and scenarios quick, don't give the subject time to think. Its 6.30pm and he's done, losing interest but more importantly I am done.

So after a rocky start everything settled down, no panic that is the key. Not to say that there is never panic. Every now and again things go wrong, there is no avoiding it, see my earlier post on why I no longer judge other photographers work when you see it published in a magazine here. One usually has a long period where the cameras function seamlessly but then all of a sudden out of the blue all hell breaks loose. Breakdowns will happen it is inevitable and its always at the most inopportune time. I travel with back ups to the back up but it still can be dicey you can never be too prepared.

It feels like we have been standing in the sun all day. The track is a concrete bowl, it wasn't super hot but between the wind and the adrenaline Joel and I feel we packed a full day in to a couple of hours. Time to treat ourselves, back in to town for some low calorie food.

In the end they ran one picture as part of a 4 page mini feature which is mostly made up of text and illustrations, a little disappointing; the choice was pretty safe but they were happy with the package I produced. I even got a lovely note in the mail from the Creative Director Scott Dadich expressing his satisfaction with the results, I do appreciate him taking the time to write its not often one gets a note especially in the post. My favorite shot from the session is the last one (above), nothing to do with the car as that was long put to rest but I have a thing for helmets as anyone familiar with my work will know.

Updates

I just wanted to give a quick shout out of gratitude to those of you who have linked and mentioned me in posts over the last couple of weeks. Many thanks to 'State of the Art' the group blog from the editors over at American Photo, 'A Photo Editor', 'A Visual Society' and 'Conscientious'. I would also like to mention 'Search & Destroy' and 'Micheal Dooney' you have been added to my blogroll.

'Whats the Jackanory ?' traffic has been increasing steadily and we are now getting a healthy 2000+ visits a week with the average time spent on site being 2 minutes and 45 seconds; so thanks to one and all I really appreciate it. And don't forget if you have any thing you would like to share publicly or anonymously please feel free to drop me a line.

The eagle eyed amongst you will have discovered that I have registered and am using www.whatsthejackanory.com as the blogs url, please feel free to change your bookmark but no worries either way as www.whatsthejackanory.blogspot.com will still get you here.

Next top model

Oh yeah ! thats me (#2) above amongst the happy hipster mix modelin up some fine Calvin Klein shades for 'The Sartorialist' and the Automne-Hiver 07/08 issue of Vogue Hommes International. Although alot more comfortable in front of the camera then behind it my lack of height has seriously hampered my catwalk career but I am always available for beauty and hair campaigns where the lack of those extra inches doesn't seem to matter.

Separated at birth !

Photo © ?

There I was minding my own business at the news stand today leafing through some of the latest magazine releases. Not intending to buy British GQ but just taking a look see at what they had on offer in their October 'Men of the Year' issue; an odd familiarity struck me about the above ad for Goodyear Tyres!

Photo © AH

I took the above picture back in November 2005 on a Thanksgiving road trip to visit family in Rochester NY with my dad (in from Ireland) and my wife. It was one of those simple quick ideas that popped in to my head as I was wandering around outside in the cold, trying to turn the snowy conditions in to photo opportunity. Getty selected the image for its Image Bank collection but cropped out the lower half of the frame including the license plate and bumper turning it into a horizontal.

Who knows where the inspiration comes from and whether any similarities are truly coincidental ?

Photography 2.0 . . . . A Review of Sorts - Part 3

Following a break to recooperate from the Jarvis show we were treated to a little more laid back fare as photo editor Catherine Talese took us through her career and gave us an insight into how she operates as a photo-buyer in the magazine world. I had worked once with Catherine many years back while she was at GQ and have to say I enjoyed her show and tell immensely. She loves photography and her passion and enthusiasm were enchanting. Did I learn anything new, no not really, but she still loves to look at a portfolio full of prints over a website.

The panel discussion followed; we had Kareem Black (photographer), Jennifer Miller (photo editor), Landon Nordeman (photographer), George Pitts (teacher, photo editor and erotic photographer), Roy Hsu (art director, stock photographer and President of Stock Artist Alliance) Jarvis, Talese and was moderated by the highly amusing Grover Sanschargin, VP sales and Marketing for Photoshelter. See their bio's here.

The first half of the discussion centered around 'stock' and everyone weighed in on Getty's recent decision to sell all collections for web only usage at the knock down price of $ 49.00 extensively reducing the value of all their rights managed imagery. You can read more about it and recent developments here. It cannot and was not stressed enough how important it is to register your copyright with the Library of Congress. I had not previously been aware of the Stock Artists Alliance and I encourage those of you involved in stock to check the site out, lots of great stuff on there. President Hsu was most knowledgeable and articulate during the discussion and he himself is a Getty contributor so he is actively involved on all fronts.

The second half was more concerned with marketing in this day and age, all the while the floor was open to questions, nothing really new for me here either, just the odd question cringe.

Perhaps the real high light for me was coming across friends, some expected others not, as well as meeting the panelists most of whom I have had some contact with and making some new contacts. It was a real treat to catch up with old friend the road warrior himself Jason Florio (more on him in a future post) also in attendence were friends and 'inspirators' Eric McNatt, Joe Fornabaio, Cara Phillips. I managed some one on one with George Pitts, with whom I have always enjoyed meeting, he is a true original. As he alluded to in his own introduction on the podium he is an erotic photographer of some repute. I didn't realise he has a chapter dedicated to his work in the Taschen release 'The New Erotic Photography' and he is currently engaged in working for them on a book of his own featuring 'the older woman' don't forget you heard it here first.

So all in all a fun day and I encourage everyone to try and check this travelling roadshow out as it hits the road over the next couple of weeks, schedule here. There is an ever evolving selection of panelists and speakers.

Hey Photoshelter I am ready and available for some cross country travel should you require a rambling Irishman to bring the blarney !

How does it make you feel ?

Although we are still in September it still doesn't mean there is any slowing down in the magazine world as the October editions are coming at us thick and fast. While Septembers issues are definitely the heaviest in terms of pages (advertising); so far it seems October is only lagging a short distance behind in terms of weight and girth. Vanity Fair is always first out of the blocks and still clocked in with a very healthy 402 pages; 120 pages of advertising before the Editors letter.

I pick up quite a few titles on a monthly basis and then go through the rest on the news stands. I like to see what photographers are shooting what and who's commissioning who. I like know whats going on and keep myself current and now with the blog I have an ulterior motive as I am now always looking for fresh content.

I had a busy summer on the editorial front with June and July being pretty chock a block and August tapered off with vacation time for me (of course I could of worked all week had I been around, how come the phone always rings when you are on your hol's) and the magazine world in general. Some of the work has appeared already, with the rest to follow in October and November; though one story looks like it will not see page time before Spring 2008.

As is usual when one gets on 'the roll' the work seems to come quick and easy. The scheduling gods worked out most of the time for me but there were many occasions during the Summer that I had to pass on gigs that I couldn't fit in due to prior work or personal commitments. Some assignments ended up taking another direction (another style of photographer) and on a couple I was cancelled.

With all jobs I like to get as much info about the gig upfront in the initial conversation; whether it be directly with me or my rep especially when there may be calendar or suitability concerns. If it is an especially interesting commission I always try to make it happen and fit it in; although I will not compromise an existing booking. One is always hoping that you are the first photographer that springs to the editors mind when an ideal gig comes across the desk "Lets get Hetherington on this, its right up his alley, he will be able to produce some fine signature work !" It's always a big bummer though when you miss out on a primo gig that would have afforded opportunities photographically and personally particularly when you may have already committed to something perhaps a little less exotic.

But now as I am perusing the freshly printed matter I am coming across the commissions I couldn't do and get to see who did them instead. It raises interesting questions personally and professionally. Who was my back up ? so to speak. I know I have been an alternate on many occasions and who knows I might even have been a back-up in each of these cases. I am naturally curious to see the results, to see the different approaches and to visualize how I may have tackled the subject differently or indeed am I man enough to give kudos when it is due and realize that I may perhaps have not have fared so well. Did I feel I missed out on the chance of great pictures not only for the magazine but for myself ? When its a good gig done well there are pangs of jealousy, one is only human after all. I have learnt to be less effected, its really not worth it; you only get down on yourself but it can also be tough to be devoid of feelings or indeed attachment, after all the gig was mine at one stage no matter how fleeting that instance was.

This also raises another interesting question. Would I want to know if I wasn't the first pick ? I have on occasion found out; its not a particularly great feeling. Also would I ever mention it to the photographer who picked up a gig I couldn't do should I ever run across them that they weren't the first choice ? Would you ? To be honest I haven't and wouldn't, whats the point ! I do firmly believe what goes around comes around and its not in my nature, its such a fragile business at the best of times and we all manage our big breaks in different fashions; right place right time sort of thing, the photographer you are assisting suddenly gets sick with food poisoning and you step in to save the day etc etc.

On occasion I have done a reshoot or have shot extra stuff to fill out a feature by another photographer. It is certainly disappointing when you see a published piece that you expected to have all to yourself and see some other shooter included in the mix. Sometimes you get advanced warning, sometimes not; all depending on your editor. I have to say that I have been pretty lucky but I do remember my fist big feature a few years back for GQ and being excited to see my pics published in all their glory only to see that I didn't get the all important opening spread. I was usurped by a photo montage from Matt Mahurin. In all honesty I think through my inexperience I was a little naive to the importance of 'the opener' and didn't really get a strong establishing shot that set the story up. Sometimes you just can't beat a photo illustration when the reality is less accommodating. My ego was a little bruised but that was then and this is now; I am older and wiser and hopefully a little more secure in myself and my work to not take it personally ?

Friday foto

Photo © AH

Friday foto

Photo © AH

Window washers, Guangzhou, China.

Back in the saddle

I have been back in New York for a few days and as always when one has a fun time away it is difficult to get the groove back on and get stuck in. So I apologise for my lackadaisical return to posting but on the flipside while we were gone I am delighted to announce we had our 10,000.00 visit here at 'Whats the Jackanory ?' since records began back in May. I know this is a relatively insignificant number for some but it means a lot to me. So thank you one and all for taking the time !