Thoughts of a Bohemian, first pointed out to me by Kim Taylor of 180mag.ca in the comments of a post, is written by Paul Melcher a stock industry veteran who happens to also be a bohemian, which I dig. He speaks my language as well. Here’s a good example on a post entitled “A [...]
Robert Wright delivered part 3 (here) on the “business” of editorial photography and we both agree that corporate greed is the source of the problems we face in photography and generally in business today. It always seems like I randomly run into information that further clarifies what we’re discussing and this time is no exception:
From [...]
So, it appears this story where photographer Lane Hartwell asked YouTube to remove a video, created by The Richter Scales, under a DMCA take down order is not going to get resolved quietly. I think they could have paid her a fee and removed the image and gotten on with their lives, but we shall [...]
Robert Wright delivers a couple smart posts on the business of photography and that oh so important part, many photographers overlook, making sure you treat it like a business. He’s got some strategies for dealing with the current state of affairs which amounts to a stagnant day rate and thinly padded expenses.
US vs. THEM… or [...]
Quite a few blogs have posted this story in Newsweek sensationally entitled “Is photography dead?” My take on the whole thing: A painter/art critic lashes out at photography for hogging all the gallery space with photos of photos, slick fashion spreads and editorial outtakes.
“This is the dirty secret that makes a living for artists such as Caroline Shotton. She is a new addition to that august company of artists who have careers, it seems, solely on the back of the joy the public takes in upsetting art critics, especially at Turner prize time.”
[...]“And I sympathise, I really do, [...]
There’s a great post (here) from A.E. Vogler a screenplay writer in Hollywood. Here’s a couple highlights:
Residuals, along with larger up front fees, are what we writers receive to compensate us for the fact that the studios retain legal copyright (i.e., authorship) over our work. What does that mean? It means that once we turn [...]
Our friendly neighborhood agent over at AVS has a post on getting an agent (here). Let’s head on over there and see what’s up.
One of my readers who works at PDN thought the recent discussion about doing time in NYC or LA, for 2 or 3 years, then moving where you want and mopping up would make a good magazine story. I agree. Based on the comments I’d say it’s the hottest topic we’ve covered so far.
So, let’s [...]
Don’t know how I missed this comment from the “Crapshoot” post but It’s really good and worth bringing up front.
BRRRRRR wrote:
It’s admirable to think it could all be about the images, and it’s inspiring to think of the art world as a model. But this is about business, and business doesn’t work that way. Look [...]
… and they all… not going to say *it*.
TechCrunch reported a couple days ago that Flickr reached 2 Billion photos (here) and the lucky winning photo is:
Taken by Yukesmooks, who’s flickr page can be found (here). This photo evokes the famous cliché that I am sworn as a member of the professional photo community to [...]
Into the annals of jackassery goes web startup gosee4me.com which proposes to have amateur photographers lowball each other for the chance to shoot an “object, structure, or physical location on the planet.” The press release is priceless as pure comedy. In a typical bloated web 2.0 style of over-hyped photo bullshit they provide a [...]
There’s no better way to get started in this business than assisting a photographer and if you can get on with one of the big shots you are guaranteed an Ivy League Education and possibly… tons of verbal abuse. There is an art to barking out orders and whipping the assistants into a frenzy and [...]
I know, I know, I shouldn’t be giving “The Shot” on VH1 (here) any “press” but it was free on itunes and now I’m hooked (I have a secret love of really bad photography). I think it’s more of a disservice to the young impressionable photographers who read this blog to not point out the [...]
From the comments in the Catalog Photographer post. Solid.
Old Geezer Says:
November 10th, 2007 at 9:39 pm Old Geezer here. I’m the older brother of Old Yeller. Funny how a post that started about a bad tv show ended up with a bunch of college students asking advice about their future. Well, pull up a chair, [...]
Victoria Secret is a catalog, ok. People who shoot women in bikinis, bras and panties for a living are not called fashion photographers.
Go (here) to watch the trailer. It was taking to long to load and bogging down the website so I removed.
Via, You Call This Photography? (here)
My proof:
“Finding the right image just got easier,” because we have giant effing eyeballs.
Oddly, I found this yesterday in a book I’m reading and it’s very appropriate for the comments on the post from yesterday. The nut graph (love that editor term) is at the bottom but it’s a doozy.
From “The Black Swan” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
… consider the effect of the first music recording, and invention that [...]
The the temporary bridge between where we are now and free is officially “Name Your Own Price”. Paste magazine is giving out subscriptions for NYOP (here).
I’m all for a head pop or a leg or arm or whatever needs poppin’ as long as it’s from the same photo session who cares and really who can tell when the head in an image is replaced with a head from 5 min. later so you can get the correct facial expression.Retouching is [...]
This one is actually funny. It says “Holy cow! Where’s the photo??????
Chris Anderson, Editor in Chief at Wired posts a list of all the people who spammed him this month (here).
I’ve had it. I get more than 300 emails a day and my problem isn’t spam (Cloudmark Desktop solves that nicely), it’s PR people. Lazy flacks send press releases to the Editor in Chief of [...]
When an editor tells me they want better pictures in the magazine the first thing I say to them is, “get me better subjects.”
Creating compelling imagery with mundane subjects is best left to great artists. It’s nearly impossible.
When you’re starting out in this business if your friends, your family or where you live is not [...]
The Secret to Selling your Vacation Photos (here).
What’s sad is people buy this crap.
I read a great quote from Mario Batali (but suddenly can’t find it) about what makes a professional chef.
He says the difference between an amazing amateur chef and a professional chef is the ability to make that perfect meal 100 times in a row.
That applies to photography too.
