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With some regularity, I see people posting on Facebook or photography forums asking for ideas on what they can shoot in their home for when they’re unable to get outside and shoot.
The work of Amsterdam based duo Adrian Woods and Gidi Van Maarseveen, certainly gives us some inspiration for such times. In their latest project, commissioned by Quote Magazine, Adrian & Gidi created a VanDutch boat heading into rough waters, and made the entire scene using nothing but paper.
Ask 10 photographers about the market and 9 of them will probably tell you that it’s not what it used to be and talk about how low prices have gone.
The 10th photographer might be Kevin Abosch, a portrait photographer who spends his time between Ireland and Boston, as he hasn’t felt the pressures of an over-saturated market, and he definitely doesn’t compete with I-just-bought-a-DSLR-so-I’m-a-pro photographers.
In fact, charging anywhere from $150,000 for a simple portrait to $500,000 for commercial licensing, Abosch doesn’t really compete with anyone.
Not to mention he sold a photo of a potato for over $1 million.
I teach and write about commercial photography. Not babies and weddings and senior photography – that is consumer focus and I happily admit I am not involved in that end of the business.
My focus is on commercial. Business to business – imagery for commerce is what gets my attention focused.
I am often asked how to find commercial photography clients by photographers who are intrigued, but haven’t a clue as where they can actually find a gig.
I have a lot of advice for them, but the top three items are these:
Photoshop has become such a standard part of advertising photography that we don’t even blink anymore when we see it. So it takes us a little by surprise when we find an incredible image that was actually shot entirely in-camera.
The creative genius of Christian Seel shone through on the cover of Philip Preston’s new book, Immersed: The Definitive Guide to Sous Vide Cooking. Not wanting to rely on cheap tricks, Christian and his team devised a surprising way of capturing the dynamic image in-camera: by literally putting Phillip’s head into a sous vide cooker.
Estimating, along with cold-calling, is probably one of my most difficult tasks as a photographic businessperson. There are so many variables that can potentially come into play that it can be downright maddening. Add to that the fact that sometimes clients feel an estimate is a bit more fluid than is reality, and it can become a nightmare trying to juggle client expectations with the original budget while not undercutting yourself or upsetting them by having to change it.
The best way to eliminate a lot of that hassle is by thoroughly feeling out what the client’s needs, expectations, and usage of the final product will be. Photographer and mentor J.P. Morgan of The Slanted Lens gives us some pointers on gathering the information that we need.
Back in February we reported that Josephine Havlak, a commercial photographer from St. Louis, sued the village of Twin Oaks over its decision to ban commercial photography in the local park.
Following her lawsuit, the village’s board of trustees has decided to refrain from enforcing the ban for at least 45 days, while the village negotiates with Havlak’s attorney.
Is a ban on professional photography in a public park in violation of the First Amendment?
According to Photographer Josephine Havlak and two of her clients, the small village of Twin Oaks should not be allowed to ban professional photography in the village’s only public park.
The ban was implemented after a county executive’s failed attempt to impose a $2,000 yearly permit fee, says Havlak.
The village clerk, however, blames photographers for this situation, in a case that could have a deep impact on the entire industry.
Though you’ve probably already seen your fair share of drone captured real estate photos, up until today, those images were taken illegally according to the policy currently in effect by the FAA. Presently, the FAA restricts nearly all commercial usage of drones. In order to legally operate a drone for commercial purposes, one must first request an exemption from the FAA’s rules. To date, the FAA has issued a mere 14 exceptions from a total of 214 requests.
Douglas Trudeau, a real estate photographer from Tuscon, Arizona, is now the proud new recipient of an exemption, making him the first (and only) real estate photographer on the exempt list.
The heart of DIYP is about creating much from little, using what is on-hand or can be cheaply fashioned to achieve quality results. That is exactly what this post is about. Not gun control, not gun rights, or even the timeless tradition of hunting. As we know, there is no better way to send a conversation with an American into verbal bloodshed than by mentioning the Second Amendment, socialized healthcare, or the fact Tampa Bay actually has an NFL team.
I attribute a great portion of my rekindled interest in photography to the late Bill Simone, a phenomenal commercial photographer whose work for one of my previous employers was dynamic and emotive, especially to a young adult whose previous exposure to photography had primarily been relegated to a 35mm camera. Some of my favorite images from Bill were simple, single-light setups that seemed to draw the viewer into the photo, and they looked great in a glossy catalog!
San Diego, California based start-up company, Togally, is hoping that it’s new platform will help connect photographers with clients by taking a slightly different approach. The company has designed and built a website which allows photographers (which they refer to as “togs”) to post a free profile on their website so that anyone with an internet connection and a need for a photographer can look them up and hire them. ( I find it to be like a combination of the services Thumbtack and ImageBrief provide.)
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.
John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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