Badges of Distinction – Kevin Twomey shares his experience shooting something unusual.
We always like when our photographers shoot for editorial projects. They often come away energized and excited about either what they shot or how they shot it. On a recent shoot for Bicycling Magazine, Kevin Twomey was asked to photograph head badges. He enjoyed the project so much he surprised us with this blog post.
“One of my recent assignments was with Bicycling Magazine, photographing head tube badges. Before the project I had never taken much notice because most of todays badges are merely stick-on decals of the company’s logo, like the one on my Gunnar. The attention that was given to creating these badges was quite amazing, as seen in the opening spread of the story.
Most of the badges in the story came from collector Jim Langley, who is very passionate about anything to do with bicycles. He has been collecting badges since the late 1970′s and now has approximately 600 of them dating from the 1880′s to current day.
After the shoot, I went online to do a little more head tube research and found some people filling the void by creating their own badges. One bicycle shop in Maryland, The Bicycle Escape, created badges out of bottle caps. Another was a Star Wars Stormtrooper with what looked like a Hello Kitty bow.
So now when someone pulls up next to me on a bike, instead of checking out their components, I’ll be looking for a nice head badge.”
© Kevin Twomey - www.kevintwomey.com
Kevin Twomey shoots video because he likes it, not because he should.
There is a lot of conversation now about whether a photographer needs to be shooting video or not. When a photographer asks us what we think, we always put it back on them and ask them if they WANT to shoot video or not. Doing so can be a natural extension of what a photographer does on a still shoot so if it is something that a photographer is interested in adding to their capabilities than by all means they should learn to shoot video. The more a commercial photographer has to offer a client in terms of value, the better. However, if a photographer has no interest at all in the medium than why pursue it?
Kevin Twomey did not hesitate to learn the medium and look for new ways to incorporate it into his portfolio. For a still life shooter, shooting video could have its challenges of course. But, Kevin Twomey found creative and innovative ways to make his images move.
Here are three videos that Kevin created recently (click on image to start the video). We look forward to seeing what he comes up with next (no pressure Kevin!).
And, if you are interested in seeing Kevin Twomey’s photography, be sure to link to his site here.
"Balloons" - Click on image to view video
"Machines" - Click on image to view video
"Simmons Beautyrest" - Click on image to view video
Hearts & Kisses
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone. May your day be filled with lots of hearts and kisses. Thank you Leigh Beisch for the visual cue.
© www.leighbeisch.com
Lauranne and I used to joke that our office used to consist of me, Lauranne and the “Fedex guy”. Well, now that we hardly send out portfolios, it is just she and I. We appreciate getting to travel because we are reminded of how special it is to be part of this wonderful community of friends, colleagues and peers. Every trip rewards us with opportunities to connect with old friends and make new ones. It is one of the best parts of our job.
On a recent trip to Los Angeles to present at Le Book’s Connections event, we were not disappointed. We were able to spend the day getting caught up with not only friends from LA but many from out of town as well. And of course, had an ample opportunity to make new connections as well.
We have a strong village and enjoyed spending the day with them all. If we still had a “Fedex guy” I am sure he would have been jealous.
Enjoy this slideshow and see for your self what a great time was had by all.
What did we think was so great about Le Book Connections in LA this year? Everything.
On January 26, 2012, Lauranne and I were presenters at Le Book Connections in Los Angeles. It was Le Books’ second year hosting in Los Angeles and we presented both times. Once again, they did not disappoint. It was a success indeed. Here were our observations:
NEW WORK IS STILL KING
For those of you who have never seen the event, think trade show. There are booths of vendors lined up next to each other showcasing the work of their talent. There are a large variety of books, iPads, leave behinds and treats – all designed to draw in the reviewers. As you can imagine, there is a lot to see and many people to meet.
Time and time again when an art buyer or art director that knew our group well entered our booth, to help cut through the clutter , the first thing they often said was, “Show me what is new.” For those photographers that provided new prints, we directed them to the portfolios. For those that did not update their books, we directed them to the iPad.
Just as with previous Le Book events, it was those photographers that had the most amount of new work for us to share that received the most amount of attention from clients that were already familiar with our group.
SPECIALTIES ARE IMPORTANT
Just as was the case with the other events, renewers who came by that were not familiar with our group often asked to see specific types of photography rather than just review random portfolios. Since they didn’t know the photographers in our group, they did not ask for them by name. Instead, they would ask for Still Life or Food or Lifestyle or Portrait etc photography to review. This made it easy to get to know what they were looking for and share with them work that would be relevant.
IPAD VS PORTFOLIO
The main attractions at our booth were the portfolios. We had 2 iPads present but neither were reviewed very much. Having them on hand just in case there was a need to show additional imagery was important. Even though the need did not arise often, we will continue to bring them in the event that one does.
NETWORKING
As always, this event proved invaluable to making new connections and reconnecting with old ones. Hands down, Le Book has been the strongest place to network with the client direct reviewers. They are the hardest to find on our own and often are not accurately listed on any database. We came home with so many business cards of new people requesting to be put on our mailing list. In addition, we received an invitation from a startup agency in LA to come back down and present our work to their team. It was nice to be asked since we are always the ones doing the asking!
Thank you Alex Orlowski for all of your hard work in directing and promoting the event. It was the perfect atmosphere to catch up with old clients and make new connections. We are looking forward to the event in NY in June and already have some great ideas on how to show off our work.
© Leigh Beisch - www.leighbeisch.com
“Recently I was chatting with an art director I frequently work with. She is someone whose opinion I have respected for a long time and whose attention I looked to get early on my career by entering contests that she was judging. We have spent many years collaborating on projects and discussing the art and the business of photography. I have admired her for her continuously fresh approach despite many years of being in the industry.
Our conversation today became about how she recognizes the differences in photographers work, how some work stands out and is able to draw her in while other work while technically competent seems flat. This ties into something that I have been thinking about for a while…
‘maintaining a sense of “voice” a clear personal vision while still growing and evolving to stay relevant to the times and trends.’
I have grappled with how quickly some photographers completely change their style and looks to whatever is the “new look”- I wondered if this doesn’t just homogenize everyone who can competently achieve that look. How can they possibly stand out? For me, choosing a clear vision and persisting in keeping a clear voice illustrates best for me how I feel about what I am shooting and what I want to communicate. I guess four years at art school makes you realize that that is what it is all about anyway.
I think all photographers have so much to express and have so many great new tools to achieve their vision. I hope that each new photographer recognizes the potential of what discovering their own vision can do for their career. Not only will each assignment be kick ass because you will be hired to shoot YOUR vision, your style, but chances are you will be compensated well for it.
Note- discovering your own voice doesn’t come overnight- it takes time to develop, lots of shooting, lots of looking and lots of thinking about what you have to say. Then keeping it updated and fresh will seem like fun rather than a chore.”
Solving Mysteries with freelance art buyer Andrea Flaherty
© Kevin Twomey - www.kevintwomey.com
Andrea Flaherty gives freelance a good name. Not only is she a freelance art buyer, but a freelance producer and project manager as well. She has partnered with clients such as Venebles Bell & Partners, MRM Worldwide and Pottery Barn to name a few. And, her client list is long having worked on some creative favorites such as Audi of America, HBO and Microsoft. Knowing her experience, we were honored that she contributed to our Solving Mysteries series. Thank you Andrea.
How do you search for photography nowadays? I keep a fairly extensive ‘library’ of bookmarked websites that’s organized by city and specialty. I typically search there first and then review photographers on photography agent’s websites. I also post on an art producer’s online forum if I am having difficulty sourcing a really specific style. It’s a great resource.
Where do you find inspiration? I enjoy reading Communication Arts and seeing the types of photography ads that are being produced around the globe. And, starting this year, I will be attending student shows at Academy of Art College and CCA as well. It’s a good way to find up and coming talent.
Which outside events do you find most useful for finding photographers? When I worked as a full-time employee at ad agencies, I would attend the portfolio shows. As a freelancer I attend – APA shows or any type of portfolio show or social event that brings together art buyers and photographers together.
What are you reading online? APA Forums, Creativity-Online.com, Ads of the World, Artbuyermag.com, various photography representative blogs including Heather Elder Represents (wink wink).
What are photographers doing lately to stand out from their competitors? I always think it’s good when a photographer accompanies his/her rep to agency portfolio shows. The art directors and other creatives viewing the portfolios really enjoy speaking with the artists about their work. It’s a good way for the photographer to make a connection with the people at the agency that play a big part in selecting photographers.
Currently I work freelance, so I am not doing portfolio shows or on the receiving end of photographer’s and agent’s marketing efforts. I was at an APA event where a local photographer did a presentation on himself and his work. I believe he started booking the presentation at ad agencies in lieu of a portfolio show. It’s a different way to showcase his work and the agencies to get to know him better.
What do you wish photographers would try harder not to do anymore? Or, maybe do less often? That’s a tough question. I think photographers should shoot and showcase what they know and love. I fully support the creative evolution of photographer. I think it’s great that a landscape photographer may want to explore shooting portraiture. But I think some photographers try to show too wide a range of ‘specialties’ in their books in an attempt to cover their bases and obtain more work. In my experience each ad campaign calls for a unique look and feel and specialty be it lifestyle, still life, portraiture etc. As a producer I need to know that the photographer I hire lives and breathes his specialty, because they will be collaborating with the art director on set. Photographers are hired for their expertise and the agencies rely on this heavily. The more diversified a book, the less I trust that the photographer is an expert in all types of imagery that they are showing.
What does your client value most from a photographer? Does that differ from what you value? And, has that changed over the years? In my experience clients value competence from a photographer. They want to know that their money is being well spent. Even though a client agrees with the agency that a photographer is well suited to shoot a particular ad or campaign, they always worry about the details. And most of the worry comes from inexperience. “Will he/she be able to get all of our shots each day? Will he/she be able to elicit the expressions we need?” An early client pre-pro meeting typically sets their mind at ease.
As a producer, I also feel that the photographer’s competence is extremely important. Equally important to me are the photographer’s personality and professionalism. Let’s face it, some clients are difficult. I need to know that the photographer I hire is going to be patient, friendly, and professional during the shoot. I can’t run the risk of hiring someone with a huge ego or that hates working with people that may snap at the client.
In my experience these needs have not changed over the years.
To learn more about Andrea Flaherty, please link here.
Recently, Justine Barnes,a producer at Duncan Channon in San Francisco reached out to us to see if any of our photographers had exsiting imagery for an upcoming campaign for Blurb photo books. We were honored when they chose an image from Andy Anderson and one from Richard Schultz.
Thank you Justine for seeing the story in their imagery.
© Richard Schultz - www.rschultz.com
© Any Anderson- www.andyandersonphoto.com
After a recent shoot with Lucy Activewear, David Martinez sent along these images and his thoughts on the shoot for us to share with you.
“As a photographer who shoots a lot both in studio and on location, I’ve always loved the inherent conditions each environments brings – the science of shooting in studio and the trials of being at the mercy of weather and nature outdoors. On a recent shoot in Point Reyes for Lucy Activewear, Northern California weather conditions were less than favorable – rain, wind and cold – a veritable ‘wintry mix’. Our stellar crew and hardy models made the shoot a real success. We smiled the whole way thorough despite the calamity of cold. I think you can feel this warmth in the images – even if nature didn’t provide it to us on those days on location.”
© David Martinez - www.davidmartinezstudio.com
Considering a Long Distance Rep Relationship? Here are 5 ways to make it work.
© Andy Anderson - www.andyandersonphoto.com
Our latest contribution to Agency Access’ blog The Lab is posting today. It offers advise for photographers considering partnering with an agent that lives in a different city. Be sure to link to the blog directly to read answers from industry experts on many more questions.
Years ago, I would have said it’s very important to live near your rep and even more important that you live in a major commercial city. But nowadays, I wouldn’t say that at all. The world has become a small enough place that it doesn’t matter where you live.
We represent photographers in Idaho, Kansas City, Philadelphia and Rhode Island – all of whom are as busy as the ones we represent in San Francisco. We don’t talk to them any less because they’re in a different time zone. Some may even joke that we see them more because they travel to San Francisco often on shoots.
While proximity is always nice, here are some tips to help you have a successful long-distance agent relationship:
Invest in Good Photo Management Software
Programs such as iPhoto, Aperture or Light Box work nicely. While it would be nice to spend the day at a studio reviewing images and choosing the order for the website or portfolio, we can now do all of this online. It’s much easier for us to review work with photo management software than to sift through boxes of images. You and your agent can create websites of potential images and website or portfolio orders/flows to review and share the links via email. We do this with everyone in our group – even the local photographers.
Know When to Pick up the Phone
We all fall victim to emailing instead of talking, even when we’re sitting at the desk right next to someone! So, be extra careful not to just rely on email when you have something to discuss. Consider Skype or FaceTime for bigger meetings and phone calls for smaller day-to-day discussions.
Be Willing to Jump on a Plane
There’s nothing like a face-to-face meeting every once in a while. So much of the photographer/agent relationship is about friendship and trust that seeing each other in person is always a plus. Consider meeting your agent on a trip he or she is taking to show portfolios. Or, schedule some extra time during a shoot in their city. Invite them to come to you to see you in your own environment. The most solid relationships always make time for an in-person meeting.
As for acquiring a rep in a major commercial city when you live in a small town, in addition to being open to the above tips, I would add the following:
Own Your Backyard
If you’re just starting out and are fortunate enough to live in an area that has clients for you to target, you need to make sure you make a name for yourself in that market. If you’re not able to do this in a smaller market, you may not be able to do so in a larger one. You may very well outgrow your backyard, but you will have built invaluable experience and made important connections that you may not have been able to do as quickly if you had started in a larger city.
Grow Beyond Your Region
So many photographers make the mistake of limiting their photography to what inspires them locally. Since the light, the talent and the locations all begin to take on a similar energy, the work has a tendency to feel regional. It’s important to expand your vision beyond your backyard and seek out new locations, new talent, new light and new influences. If Andy Anderson just photographed what was interesting to him in Idaho, we would no doubt be impressed, but would be hard-pressed to get him work.
On a Final Note
Regardless of where you and your agent live, the most effective agent/photographer relationships are based on strong communication and mutual respect. If you work just as hard at talking as you do at listening, no physical distance can stand in the way of your shared success.
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