a day’s work

Cappuccino as a kickstarter at the usual bar. (Bad) news overview in the newspaper. Email check. Quick flip through my to do notes. Getting ready for the new assignment. Waiting for the food-stylist. Waiting for the props-stylist. Waiting for the client (Christ !, am I the only one who’s always on time ?). Staring at the monitor while I think. Making up my mind for a middle-morning coffee at the bar. Going back to my studio where I find everybody waiting for me … . Trying to interpret the mumblings of my client. Persuading all that having lunch in my little patio is just the case. Applause. Wearing sunglasses. Back on set: everything clear now. All happy! Toasting each other’s workmanship with a glass of Prosecco. Showing everybody out.

 

promos

Promoting your business is essential especially during economic downturn. My clients should know it and I can’t understand why they keep on cutting marketing costs

Since I started my 3-4 times per year postcards mailing long ago I did not abide by Leslie Burns Dell’Acqua’s 2nd photographer downturn commandment (but I did abide by the remaining 9). It’s not only a question of saving money: I like to design my promos (trying to make them not look crappy ….).

Besides I very well know how annoying is coping with a difficult client (which I am!).

So I recently come up with two different designs: one for American recipients and the other for European ones. Why ? Cultural divergences ? Clash of civilizations ?

Actually, widely different mailing costs.

 

 

Gianni Berengo Gardin

Today October 20th, 6 p.m. at Lincoln Center, New York, Gianni Berengo Gardin will be given the Lucie Statue for “Lifetime Achievement (an individual who has dedicated his/her entire life to the photographic craft)” during the Lucie Awards Gala ceremony.

Honorees who will receive the Lucie statue along with Gianni Berengo Gardin are:

Patrick Demarchelier (Achievement in Fashion), John Iacono (Achievement in Sports), Josef Koudelka (Achievement in Documentary), Herman Leonard (Achievement in Portraiture), Susan Meiselas (Achievement in Photojournalism), Richard Misrach (Achievement in Fine Art), Erwin Olaf (Achievement in Advertising),  Sara Terry (Humanitarian Award), Visa Pour L’Image Festival (Spotlight Award).

Update: Rob Haggart will be blogging live this evening and “will provide some commentary for people unable to attend … “. Thank you, Rob.

Andrew Zuckerman’s Wisdom

 

Photographer and Director Andrew Zuckerman does not need presentation. I have come to know of his new book Wisdom and having seen the exhibition of his previous Creature project I thought I should have had a look.

The dedicated website (here) not only show you a good number of the portraits Zuckerman has taken for this book but let you look behind the scenes – which is always great for a pro who wants to peer at others’ working methods. Particularly if those methods are related to a field a bit different from the usual one you work in (contamination – at all levels – can be helpful to bring something new in your work).

Maybe I am wrong but I have always thought that a photographer (especially if he/she can be also considered artist) is a photographer and not just a ghettoed stilllife/food/people/landscape/architecture/fashion/etc hyper-specialized one. Ghettoed, no matter how successful. I think that many colleagues, specializing in one field or maybe two, could take great pictures of almost anything/anyone (I do not say all photographers. I say many).

I think Zuckerman is a most talented confirmation of this.

you don’t suck

If you are a commercial photographer this is the book for you : “Tell the World you don’t suck: modern marketing for commercial photographers” by Leslie Burns Dell’Acqua, internationally known photo consultant and owner of Burns Auto Parts–Consultants.

With more than 20 years in this line of business I cannot consider myself green but I have always found Leslie’s manuals helpful and supportive.

beer and restaurants

Interesting post by food critic Gigi Padovani (here) about the increasing number of chefs who are adding beers to their drinks selection. The new Guida Espresso has a new “Le tavole della birra” section in which 184 restaurants, wine-bars, etc., have been highlighted – some of which having a high ranking.

For Italian speaking only

i.m.h.o

Some fresh air helps! Today I have come across:

1. Fabrice G. Frere’s foreword to “City, a photography retrospective”. Excerpt:

“Ultimately, the incredible diversity of the photography that ended up within the pages of the first 50 issues or so of CITY was the result of working with both established photographers and emerging shutterbugs. The new talent, in particular, always brought a fresh eye that didn’t know it could fail, which was always something special.

I remember on several occasions a stylist coming into my office and pitching me an idea that he or she wanted to do with a photographer friend who had never actually shot a fashion story before. After a follow-up meeting with the aspiring lensman – not to mention a long, deep breath and a few words of wisdom – the story was usually a go, something that is rarely if ever the case at other publications.

The rationale was that without a little risk thrown into the formula, it would be impossible to discover new talent.

We’re proud to say that we’ve launched quite a few careers at CITY, and it was perhaps most rewarding when one of those young guns came back to us several years later, tired of more bland assignments elsewhere and eager to play in the CITY sandbox again.”

2. Interview to David Griffin, National Geographic’s Director of Photography, by Rob Haggart. Excerpt:

“Then the story goes into layout and work begins on any special web features. The photographer is very much a part of that process. From our viewpoint it would be both financially and journalistically foolish to not involve directly the person who we invested our resources into for the story. The person who best knows which images capture the truth of the story is the one that was there. It may seem like a luxury, but we feel it is a part of our process that makes a tangible difference in the accuracy of the final published stories”.

In my humble opinion this is how our work should be.

There still is someone with brains out there.