PhotographySilo.com » Featured Photographer

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: Kareem Black

Lawrence — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:35:16 +0000

“The burger king shoots are always amazing and a lot of fun. I do those with the awesome people up at Crispin Porter.”

PAST

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: In your early years of high school, were you involved in the yearbook? What sparked your interest in photography? Do you recommend all the weekend photographers out there to initially stick with the subjects they know and build from there? Do you have any suggestions on how to build that progression? How did you progress to where you are today?

KAREEM BLACK:
Hmm.. Lemme try to get to all these questions… when I was in high school I was a painter and I took pictures of my subjects so I could paint from the pictures when my subjects couldn’t sit for me. That’s how I initially started taking pictures. I think that photographers (weekend or otherwise) should shoot what they love.. If they like to shoot people they should shoot the people that are interesting to them… people who look interesting to them. Even if those people turn out to be perfect strangers. The more you shoot the better you get and more refined your vision becomes. You also need to not be afraid to let the outside world in and to not fear its influences.. One mistake that I made a few years ago was that I stopped looking at other peoples work.. I stopped going to magazine stores or art shows. That was a blunder and I think that for a period my vision suffered.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Do you still have photos taken from the early years when it all started? What were your subjects? Are the pictures online to share with everyone to compare with your work today?

KAREEM BLACK:
I have tones of prints and negatives and archived material form the ten years that I’ve been shooting professionally and even a lot of the stuff from high school and college that I did. It’s interesting to look at that work. I’m not sure if I would say that it was similar to the work I have now in that I think that a lot of my goals with that work was different… back then I believe I was learning HOW to take pictures in a very technical sense.. I was figuring out light, how to navigate the industry, I think in the early years of my professional work I was much more concerned with my upward mobility in the professional photo world than I am now… now I’m interested more in the feeling of the images.. not as much how perfect the light is. Now I’m more interested in the story of an image rather than how this image will make me famous.. I think I’m just more mature and complete as a person now. I also think I am more confident in my work and I no longer think that the value of my work is dictated by who ive shot and how famous I am. I’ve shot so much in my short career and there is a lot yet to do but I know that I can do it.. Back then I wasn’t so sure.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What books did you read at the beginning of your photography career that helped you prepare for today? Title of book, author and price of book please…just messing around, the title of the books should be fine thanks to google search. Do you recall any other resources that you referred to heavily to help you prepare for the photography business? We want to know what the must have resources are to fully equip ourselves when and if we ever plan to take that leap of faith.

KAREEM BLACK:
London and Uptons “Photography” was required reading at SVA.. I read the entire thing many times over.. Its very technical and I’m sure that its been updated many times since I was in school.. but that was like the bible when I was in college.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What was your very first professional photography job? Was this purely out of luck that you were at the right place at the right time? Was there a hidden plan to penetrate the market from within? Would you recommend it to new photographers trying to break into the market and that are having difficulty breaking in? Once you had your first job under your belt was it difficult to get another gig? What did you do to acquire more work besides providing awesome images? Have you ever considered being agency represented? If you are agency represented how did you attract a photography agent?

KAREEM BLACK:
OK well that’s 7 different questions disguised as one question… I’ll do my best. When I first moved to NYC from Philly I was a skateboarder and I was sponsored by this skate shop called Swish that used to be on St. Marks. I was in college at the time and the owner of the skate shop Knew I was a photographer and I “hired” me to shoot the ads for the shop. Of course I didn’t get paid but I was just thrilled to have anything in print at the time.. I was the only kid in my college class that did. I did those ads for a few months. After that my next job was with On The Go magazine. Which was awesome because the gentlemen who made that magazine Were friends of mine from Philly.. It’s all about who you know sometimes I suppose.. (I know there are like 6 other questions I didn’t answer there but ya know..

PRESENT

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What else is there that keeps you rolling in the dough? Your brand is possibly a huge factor to your longevity? Am I right? You have definitely built your brand with your website and giving back to the photographic community like what you are doing here right now.. Do you have any recommendations on brand building for weekend photographers and/or Photographers in general.

KAREEM BLACK:
I think a photographers “brand” is incredibly important. Much more so than a lot of photographers realize. Your brand is what you are. It’s the work, and the experience that people have when they work with you. As far as advice that I would give to any photogs trying to build a brand I’d say. Stick with what your good at and shoot what you love. Sounds pretty simple but I think that those are the basic rules that dictate how you should begin to build your image a photographer.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What is currently in your photography bag? Please be as detailed as possible for those starting out photographers that want to be just like you. From your photography equipment arsenal, what do you bring most of the time for your commercial shoots?

KAREEM BLACK:
It really depends on the shoot to be honest. I never leave home with out my Canon G10. My favorite products camera wise at the moment are cannon products. I love the 5D mark 2. I also shoot with a Hasselblad with a phase back or something.. But I don’t know exactly

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: When I enter your site the first thing I see are the Burger King ads you did. That seemed like a fun photo-shoot to participate in. How did you land that job? Did you have creative input in the burger king concept or did the art director handle that side of the photo shoot?

KAREEM BLACK: The burger king shoots are always amazing and a lot of fun. I do those with the awesome people up at Crispin Porter. I think those shoots are the shoots that I laugh the most on. The vision that BK and the art directors come up with is bizarre and sometimes I can’t believe that there are actually people that sign off on the concepts of what we are doing! I mean, there have been a ton of times that I’ve photographed “the King” naked. I mean, the guy is just walking around the set like that with the mask on!

Sooo much fun!

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Is having your own studio space essential for any commercial photographer. Do you have a photography studio of your own? If so, what do you look for in a photography studio?

KAREEM BLACK: NO, it not essential at all. I don’t have my own studio. Mot photographers rent studion when they need them and that what I do.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What types of commercial gigs are you currently involved in now and how did they surface? What are your recommendations on how we photographers diversify their product offering from Commercial and stock in today’s marketplace?

KAREEM BLACK: I’m shooting a lot of stuff for Burger King now.. Strangely enough I’ve been hired to shoot for a major competitor of theirs also. I’ve been working closely with this band that I admire called Dynasty Electric on a bunch of their projects. I’ve shot a few things for dynasty and also directed their newest video… The video should be out soon (if it doesn’t kill me editing it). I try to never forget to shoot my own personal work as well.

FUTURE

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Already a major player in the advertising photography space, what is next? What are your immediate goals as a photographer and artist? Are you planning on releasing any how-to books? What are your recommendations to people thinking about starting a photography book?

KAREEM BLACK:
I honestly just look forward to doing fun stuff… be it advertising, video or editorial. I like shooting things that are humorous and make people laugh. I’d like to also direct more video.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: I think it is safe to say you have a good following of photographers wanting to be just like you. Will you start offering workshops in the future? I know TIME is not your friend, but there are ways to get around that maybe offering internship opportunities to intern with you for a small fee during one of your paid shoots. Or maybe provide an opportunity to be a spectator for one of your weekend shoots? I would definitely be interested in that and sure there are others in the same boat.

KAREEM BLACK: I take on new interns all the time and although I have a group of assistants that I work with regularly I always try to make my self available to check résumés etc. There are shoots that I do that are like parties the entire city is invited. Next time I do one of those I’ll certainly let you know.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: I am sure you’ve read many articles discussing how in the future video and photography will be one? What are your thoughts on that and how will you evolve to the new morphed medium? I know you currently do some video work but how do you plan on taking that to the next level?

KAREEM BLACK:
Video is certainly something that I’m trying to figure out. I like the medium and I agree that the two are merging and I think it will be increasingly important if not required for photographers to also have experience as directors. As of now I’m just trying to master the craft and learn how to tell a story with that medium. I’ve directed a few things here and there and I’m starting to get a feel for it.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Ok so thinking about the future is very important in any endeavor especially the photography business. What do you suggest photographers do in the future to solidify their presence in the industry? What will you do to ensure that you remain on top, not taking into account your photography niche?

KAREEM BLACK: I think it’s important to always be shooting, even if it not work related.. (especially if its not work related) this is something that a lot of us forget to do, my self included. As photographers we need to keep growing.. If we don’t then we become irrelevant.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: KAREEM thank you again for your time and giving back to your fans and followers. What would you like to leave for us photographers to think about when moving forward with photography for the future? If you have any words of wisdom will be appreciated.

KAREEM BLACK: in the words of one of my most respected mentors: “shoot what you love”.

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER INTERVIEW: Michael Grecco

Lawrence — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:36:52 +0000

I just finished my first Feature film, the making of the book called: “”Naked Ambition: an R Rated Look at an X Rated Industry.”

PAST

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: In your early years of college studying filmmaking and photography at Boston University, were you involved in any photography clubs? What sparked your interest into taking photography and filmmaking in college? How did you progress to where you are today from your education and freelancing for the Associated Press?
MICHAEL GRECCO: I did the photography for the Boston University Magazine while in my first photojournalism class. Part of the class was to do an internship when the semester ended. Mine was going to start in a few weeks when a historic blizzard (no I’m not telling you the year!) hit New England, I got on my skis and ski goggles and made pictures, then dropped my film at the Boston AP office. I have never looked back.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Do you still have photos taken from the early years when it all started? What were your subjects? Are the pictures online to share with everyone to compare with your work today?

MICHAEL GRECCO: My pictures are not online yet. I saved all the film I could, and I have it archived in my files in my office. It’s very organized-I realized it’s importance early. We are now scanning it all to add to the Getty Archive. It’s pretty amazing to see all the things I have done over my career.

MICHAEL GRECCO: Well, I got hooked on the idea of being a Photographer as my life’s path through the Time/Life books on Photography. The books have titles liked, “The Print,” “Masters of Photography,” “The Art of Photography,” etc. The books were awe-inspiring. It was that classic scene with me under my covers with a flash light staying up late checking all these books out.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What was your very first professional photography assignment with the Associated Press? Was this purely out of luck that you were at the right place at the right time? Once you had your first job under your belt was it difficult to get another gig? What did you do to acquire more work besides providing awesome images? Have you ever considered being agency represented?

MICHAEL GRECCO: No, they were impressed that I came in with film in the middle of a crushing blizzard. My internship started right away, but it was something as boring as covering the Massachusetts State house and a press conference with Governor Dukakis. That was one the reasons I hated daily news photography, if nothing was happening where you were, the images were not as exciting and interesting as when hard news was happening.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: After your first job, What was the next photography gig you obtained and how did you go about your execution? How did you become a regular contributor to PEOPLE? Did you apply all that you’ve learned in all the books you’ve read ? Did you buy more books or accessed any more resources to help you jump to your next big step in the game of photography? What tools do you recommend that are a must have that helped you get to where you are present day?

MICHAEL GRECCO: Well, while working for the AP I had this alternate life of listening to early punk music and hanging in the clubs. I started working for some local music magazines and doing both for a while until I got a staff job at the Boston Herald. I did that for a few years cover many events, including the Schwarzenegger wedding and Caroline Kennedy’s wedding. At those shoots 1 out shot the 3 photographers from the Agency Camera 5 that People had hired. They had to pick up pictures from me for the magazine. At that moment Beth Filler, the deputy picture editor, told me if I ever left the paper she would hire me. I quit within months and moved to LA.

PRESENT

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What else is there that keeps you rolling in the dough? Your brand is possibly a huge factor to your longevity? Am i right? You have definitely built your brand through your website, your books your blog and giving back to the photographic community like what you are doing here right now.. Do you have any recommendations on brand building for weekend photographers and/or Photographers in general.

MICHAEL GRECCO: My brand is built on going out and taking great pictures. Every time I walk out of my home or office to shoot, I know that photographers are judged on their last shoot. That has to be first. Everything else falls into place after that. I do spend time on updating my site and making sure it looks good and is current. I spend time on doing a certain amount of press, I do enjoy the business side of the equation. I am happy doing both.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: After surfing through Youtube. I came across a video of you using a California sunbounce in an outdoor shoot. Was that some kind of sponsored shoot? If so is that something you recommend to other photographers? Do you think partnerships with photography equipment manufacturers are important?

MICHAEL GRECCO: I do use strategic sponsorships in my business. It only works though when I like the company and products I am supporting. I have to really be into the product. Being sponsored not only helps you get gear, but it often creates a platform to lecture from or to promote a book.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Since 1992 you have been regularly shooting magazine covers for Time, Wired, Entertainment Weekly, ESPN and People to name a few, what magazines are you presently regularly shooting for? Which is your favorite publication to shoot for and why? How would you recommend photographers go about shooting for popular magazine publications? What is a good penetration strategy?

MICHAEL GRECCO: I am moving into directing and producing. I just finished my first Feature film, the making of the book called: “”Naked Ambition: an R Rated Look at an X Rated Industry.” I am also pitching a TV series at this moment. I like directing and I have been incorporating still images into the productions. It has worked out rather well.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: You’ve photographed celebrity portraits to the likes of Martin Scorsese, Christina Applegate, Hugh Hefner, Lucy Liu, Robert Duvall, Mel Brooks, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Joaquin Phoenix, Jet Li and Penelope Cruz to name a few. How do you go about photographing these actors and actresses? Do they approach you or do you approach them. If you approach them, how do you go about doing so?

MICHAEL GRECCO: I approach them as I would anyone else. Very down to earth and as a good listener. The last thing I want to do is make a scene over someone and give them a stage to see how they reach to it. Most actors are very down to earth and some actually very quiet and introverted. I think the most important thing is to be genuine. I discuss this at length in my book, “Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait.”

MICHAEL GRECCO: We recently did a “Got Milk” campaign and a Campbell’s Soup campaign with Ladainian Tomlinson.

FUTURE

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Already a major player in the photojournalism/fashion photography space, what is next? What are your immediate goals as a photographer and artist? Are you planning on releasing any more how-to books? Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait was great (at least the parts i read in Barnes and Noble) What are your recommendations to people thinking about starting a photography book? I know you have recently released a book titled “naked ambition” an R rated look at an X rated industry. Are you receiving any backlash from this book due to its content? What compelled you to produce this coffee book?

MICHAEL GRECCO: I will do another book. I think it’s going to take some historic work and publish it in a new way, with video, etc. Then I do want to do another social documentary piece as a book and a movie like the “Naked Ambition” work. I am and have always been fascinated with subcultures and want to explore another.

MICHAEL GRECCO: I do workshops fairly regularly. I have a one week workshop coming up in late February at the Palm Beach photo workshop. I often teach at the Maine Photo Workshops and lecture all around the country. If you check my website out at www.MichaelGrecco.com/seminars you can see where I will be next.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: I am sure you’ve read many articles discussing how in the future videography and photography will be one? What are your thoughts on that and how will you evolve to the new morphed medium? I know you currently do some video work but how do you plan on taking that to the next level?

MICHAEL GRECCO: For me this will not happen like it is for newspaper photographers and photojournalists. They shoot video and pull still out. For me I do both consciously and then make a movie or show out of them. I shoot the stills to either be animated, sequenced or moved around, and then shoot video where appropriate. I stated delving this in my new movie, “”Naked Ambition: an R Rated Look at an X Rated Industry” and am continuing to experiment with it. Please check out the movie and let me know what you think.

MICHAEL GRECCO: Well, it’s like the economy in the USA, the middle class is shrinking and the upper and lower classes are growing. You need to figure out where you want to end up and then figure out how to get there. I do books and make movies now to position myself, everyone has to figure out how to stand out.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Michael thank you again for your time and giving back to your fans and followers. What would you like to leave for us photographers to think about when moving forward with photography for the future? If you have any words of wisdom will be appreciated.

MICHAEL GRECCO: Never lose site of taking great pictures. It’s the foundation of being a great photographer.

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER INTERVIEW: David Bean

Lawrence — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:16:32 +0000

“I’m shooting a lot of musicians and again, advertising. What I do shoot does vary but it all falls under either advertising or musician/celebrity portraits.”

PAST

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: As a graphic designer, you were approached by a design client to see if you took band photography, correct? If I recall correctly from that interview, your reply to the client was “yes”. Do you recommend young photographers to take that leap of faith when that opportunity presents itself? What were you thinking about when this happened?

DAVID BEAN:
I’m not sure if that kind of leap is for everyone. I’ve always been the kind of person who thought they were capable of anything. It’s worked out well for since hopefully I’ve had what it took to back it up. But man a lot of my early work wasn’t so much bad as it was way to safe.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Do you still have the photos taken from that first shoot? Are the pictures online to share with everyone to compare with your work today? Can you give us a step by step account of that very first shoot? What were the issues and what did you first learn?

DAVID BEAN:
I can dig them up. They are all slides so I would need to get them scanned in somewhere. I got real lucky with that shoot. Slide film is the most unforgiving of all formats. Basically I got hired, took the money I was going to make and bought a Nikon film camera, some slide film, rented some hot lights and did some location scouting. I had no assistant and not much gear other than a Sunpak flash and the rented lights.

It wasn’t a bad shoot but if those guys were comparing the shoot to others they had in the past I’m sure they were scratching their heads while I shot them.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What books did you read at the beginning of your photography career that helped you prepare for today? Title of book, author and price of book please…just messing around, the title of the books should be fine thanks to google search. Do you recall any other resources that you referred to heavily to help you prepare for the photography business? We want to know what the must have resources are to fully equip ourselves when and if we ever plan to take that leap of faith.

DAVID BEAN:
Hmmm…i started as graphic designer so a lot of what I learned as as designer really helped me with photography. Even books like “The Designer and the Grid” really helped me later on as a photographer. I’m really not that much of a book reader. I probably learned more from magazines and the Internet. I do think that a lot of what I read was terrible for me as a photographer. The biggest mistake I made as a photographer in the early part of my career was thinking that I “had” to do it the way people were teaching in books, magazines, etc. I didn’t realize there are an infinite number of ways to light someone. I would work so hard to do it the “book”way and thus my work was way too safe.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Can you refresh our memory of that first professional band photography job that fell on your lap as a graphic designer? Was this purely out of luck that you were at the right place at the right time? Would you recommend it to new photographers trying to break into the market and that are having difficulty breaking in? Once you had your first job under your belt was it difficult to get another gig? What did you do to acquire more work besides providing awesome images? Have you ever considered being agency represented?

DAVID BEAN:
I believe it was a diving gift from God. But I love the quote, I forget who it is that said “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” I believe in luck but not in some mystical way. I believe luck is very practical and anyone can aquire luck. I’ve read studies on why people are lucky and it boils down to not having too much of a routine. People that don’t drive the same way home every day, people that are outgoing and strike up conversations with strangers, people that go to parties, etc end up being “lucky.” The more opportunities you give yourself to create opportunities the luckier you will be.

After that gig i tried to find other bands to shoot. I did find some and just kept at it. I recommend people begin by shooting the people they know, bands, friends, etc and build up a portfolio that way.

The other BIG thing to find a photographer to assist for. You can learn more by assisting than any school.

DAVID BEAN:
When I started shooting digital hadn’t quite taken hold yet. It was about 6 months after I did my first shoot that the Canon D60 came out. It was a 6 MP DSLR and it was $2,500. I bought it and photography instantly became a lot more easier to practice and learn. We had a darkroom in our house at the time and I basically never used it again.

I never assisted, even though now I wish i had. So I really just kept sitting on the floor of Barnes and Noble for hours on end reading. I don’t remember any names of any books. The only book I still read is one called “Pricing Photography” that is a great resource for learning about the business side of photography.

PRESENT

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What else is there that keeps you rolling in the dough? Your brand is possibly a huge factor to your longevity? Am i right? You have definitely built your brand with your website, blog and giving back to the photographic community like what you are doing here right now. Do you have any recommendations on brand building for weekend photographers and/or Photographers in general.

DAVID BEAN:
Branding is not just a logo but the entire way you run a business. And as a photographer it’s how I live my life in front of others. The way you answer the phone, the way you act on a shoot or even the way you act in front of people in general, is all branding you. The trick is to be consistent with your branding. Your blog, web site, business cards, etc should all look like each other.

I have big advantage being an ex-designer. If a photographer has no design skills I highly recommend them hiring one to do it. I also encourage people to not settle for a template web site like everyone else. If you can afford it or know someone who can do it cheap, design and build a custom web site. This makes you stand out more.

Twitter, Facebook, etc are also good places to build your brand.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: I’ve noticed on your site, you have images of Niki Taylor. What photography jobs to that scale are you involved with presently? How do you go about obtaining this type of work? What do you recommend aspiring photographers to do to get them on the right path on becoming a Advertising/Music photographer.

DAVID BEAN:
I’ve shot Niki a couple of time and even went to Thailand with her for 10 days. I shoot celebrity types frequently. I just finished up shooting a new Food Network host 2 weeks ago. She will have 2 new shows on the network. I have shoots for record labels and unsigned artists coming up as well as some ad ones. Every shoot is different and I love that facet of photography.

You will only be hired for the kind of work you have in your portfolio. if you have no advertising-looking work the chances of getting hired by an ad agency is slim. I recommend people find out exactly what it is that they want to shoot and then load your portfolio up with that. You can’t just go out and shoot celebrities but you can do personal shoots that looks like ads or no-name musicians. There’s always a way to build your portfolio when you don’t have work.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: I just checked out your blog today and came across a youtube behind the scenes footage of your shoot for “Haste the Day” and “Jordan Pruitt”. Do you recommend other photographers to produce these types of videos to show off their work? What benefit do these videos offer you?

DAVID BEAN:
Both of those videos I had no part in. I just found those floating around YouTube. But I do record some of my shoots and will be launching GoBehindTheShoot.com very soon. I think videos are a great way to get your name out there, but you have to make sure it’s interesting and educational.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Is having your own studio space essential for any commercial photographer? I see you have a rockin 4,000 square feet studio named Studio Daylight. Absolutely amazing. Other than providing plenty of ambient light, what other benefits does this studio provide you?

DAVID BEAN:
Having a studio is a necessity in the dead of Winter or Summer. When it’s freezing or unbearably hot out, people don’t want to be shot outside. A studio also acts as a blank canvas with which you can create any world you want. Even though my studio is very vibey, I treat it as blank white walls. By that I mean, I build sets and such to make it look like I’m not in the same space over and over.

It’s a place you can rely on as a backup solution in case of rain, a place you know you have no matter what. And a place to keep your loads of gear.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What types of commercial/entertainment/misc gigs are you currently involved in now and how did they surface? What are your recommendations on how we photographers diversify their product offering from Commercial and stock in today’s marketplace?

DAVID BEAN:
I’m shooting a lot of musicians and again, advertising. What I do shoot does vary but it all falls under either advertising or musician/celebrity portraits. To be successful in photography you really have to find what you want to shoot and only shoot that. If your portfolio contains too many types of work you won’t be hired for any of it. At least not on a national, bigger level. Being diverse does help on a local level or when economic times are real tough. But generally the rule is be known for doing 1 or 2 specific types or work.

FUTURE

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: As a key player in the Music/Entertainment photography space, what is next? What are your immediate goals as a photographer and artist? Are you planning on releasing any how-to books? What are your recommendations to people thinking about starting a photography book? Per your blog, it looks like you will be releasing a new education site soon titled “Go Behind the Shoot” for fans of photography, music entertainment. Can you expand more on what this site is and how it will benefit the photographic community?

DAVID BEAN:
My immediate goals are to re-analyize my business during this rough economy. I want to make sure I’m doing things as efficiently as possible. Right now, work is becoming a little scarcer to find. You really have to be at the top of your game these days to stand out.

My only real plan is to try to keep getting better and learning more. Anytime a photographer thinks they’ve got it all figured out or doesn’t need to improve, they are serious trouble.

I do have plans for a book but I don’t want to go in to what it is yet. The site, GobehindTheShoot.com will feature behind the scenes shoots of not just me but other photographers. It’s meant to be both entertaining and educational. The videos I do on there will show an actual shoot and while I’m doing the shoot I will give instruction on why I’m doing what Im doing, making the choices that I am, etc.

DAVID BEAN:
I have just started a new workshop called “Light and Commerce.” It’s a one-day workshop that talks both about the practical/technical side of of photography (lighting, posing, etc) and the business side of things (client relations, estimating, etc.)

I’m really excited about doing these, not just in Nashville, but around the country this year. I’m putting up a small web site for the workshop, but in the meantime people can get some basic info on my blog.

I do take on interns but I try to limit the number to 1 or 2 at a time. I am looking for an intern with Photoshop Experience to help me with some of my post-production as well as shoots. I also have a ton of people that want to come out for weekend shoots but I rarely ever shoot on weekends.

DAVID BEAN:
I’m not clear on a timeline but I do see video and photography becoming more of a single business. I sometimes shoot the still photography on a video shoot. But I think the day is coming when clients will just pull hi-resolution stills from the video rather than shot them separately. Cameras like the Red can produce great quality stills from video.

I don’t think everyone will merge the two but those that do will probably be very successful. I really have no desire to get too deep into video other than being a director. I’ve produced and directed videos and it’s been fun but photography is what I enjoy most.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Thinking about the future is very important in any endeavor especially the photography business. What do you suggest photographers do in the future to solidify their presence in the industry? What will you do to ensure that you remain on top, not taking into account your photography style/niche?

DAVID BEAN:
That’s a tough question. I’d say there are three things to help you get to the top. The first is to take amazing photos. But that alone wont’ get you too far unless you become a marketing machine. There are some great photographers who never go anywhere because no one knows about them. Then there are average photographers who market really well and become very successful as a result.

The third thing is to learn everything you can about the business and craft of photography. Learn every aspect of it so that when opportunities arise you will ready both in your knowledge and experience.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: DAVID thank you again for your time and giving back to your fans and followers. What would you like to leave for us photographers to think about when moving forward with photography for the future? If you have any words of wisdom will be appreciated.

DAVID BEAN:
I would tell people to be true to their own style and not try to copy other people’s. You will never stand out unless you can create a recognizable style that is all your own. I’ve found mine but am always tweaking it to be better and more representative of who I am. You’ll sometimes here the term “point of view” in relation to an artist. Every artist needs to have a POV to their work; how you see the world and how you interpret what you see.

Be flexible, always learning and shoot as much as you can even if it’s just a personal project. And I can’t speak enough of the value of assisting for more established photographers. You can learn sooooo much that way.

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER INTERVIEW: Nick Onken

Lawrence — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:06:39 +0000

“My first big commercial job was for Nike, and it was a bit of right place at the right time, in the respect of an art director friend recommending me to his producer in when they were in a pinch.”

PAST

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: In your early years of High School, were you involved in any photography clubs & or school newspaper? What sparked your interest for photography? How did you progress to where you are today?

NICK ONKEN: I was never involved in any photography clubs or newspaper. I took an intro to photography class in high school which was basic. I decided I wanted to be graphic designer when I was in high school, and that’s what I went to college for. I took a required basic photography class in college, but that’s because it was part of the program. I never thought about it at all until 4 years into my graphic design career. I had picked up a glorified point and shoot digital when digital was just entering the scene. I bought it to shoot content for my own design work and that was it. A year later I ended up convicing a non-profit design client to split a trip to Africa to build a photo library. When I got back, it hit me that I could actually see doing photography as a career. Eight months later after wrestling with giving up my graphic design career, I started assisting Jim Garner in Seattle. I assisted Jim on some of his local seattle commercial work for the first year.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Do you still have photos taken from the early years when it all started? What were your subjects? Are the pictures online to share with everyone to compare with your work today?

NICK ONKEN: It’s funny, my new rep HYPERLINK “http://www.greenhousereps.com” http://www.greenhousereps.com actually has a few of my original images from Africa on my travel portfolio section of their website. Other than that, there is nothing from my earlier days online. As for the lifestyle side of my work, I started out shooting my pretty friends, then moved into shooting models for modeling agencies. When I was shooting models for agencies, it was all about the models, so my work looked more catalogueish, and eventually diverted more into lifestyle concepts, which is where I’ve ended up today.

NICK ONKEN: Honestly, I don’t recall ever reading any books on photography. I read a couple books on business of photography, but nothing ever really technical. I always got lost in those books because I’m not that technical of a shooter. I am more visual, and always have been. My technical side has more so caught up with my visual direction and vision. There are some great resources out today by consultants like Leslie Burns on the business of photography. I also hired Amanda Sosa Stone as my business consultant who helped me craft my vision as a photographer and get on the right marketing track. Also assisting really helped give me real world experience and immersion. I never went to school for photography as I learn better in context.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What was your very first professional photography job? Was this purely out of luck that you were at the right place at the right time? Would you penetrate the market from within? Once you had your first job under your belt was it difficult to get another gig? What did you do to acquire more clients besides providing awesome images? How is it being agency represented?

NICK ONKEN: My first big commercial job was for Nike, and it was a bit of right place at the right time, in the respect of an art director friend recommending me to his producer in when they were in a pinch. I thought things would roll from there because the client was happy with the product, but I didn’t see another big commercial job for another 2 years. It takes a lot of time on the journey and everything in your work shows where you are as an artist and what you can handle. Acquiring new clients besides providing awesome work comes down to your networking and relationships. A great networking book I read a while back is “Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazi.

Being agency represented is fantastic, but it’s because I’m with the right agent. It’s raised my status as a photographer just by being with them. They also have a channel of contacts that would have taken me years to acquire.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: After your first job, What was the next photography gig you obtained and how did you go about your execution? Did you apply all that you’ve learned in all the books you’ve read ? Did you buy more books or accessed any more resources to help you jump to your next big step in the game of photography? What tools do you recommend that are a must have that helped you get to where you are present day?
NICK ONKEN: In all honesty, it was my own ambitions of shooting my own work all the time. That’s where I’ve learned the most. Every time you set up a shoot, and keep clicking is where you learn. I also assisted other photographers to watch how they shoot and approach it. I’ve found that the best way of preparing for the bigger projects is to produce your own bigger and bigger shoots. This will cost you money, but you will have more produced images, and in the end get you more produced work. I’ve always focused on the development of my work and honing my creative vision and that’s ultimately what has gotten me work. So the biggest tool of all would be shooting for yourself. You can always take workshops as there are some great photographers teaching workshops. Santa Fe Workshops has some great 1 week workshops that don’t require going to school full time.

PRESENT

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What else is there that keeps you rolling in the dough? Your brand is possibly a huge factor to your longevity? Am i right? You have definitely built your brand through your website, your blog and giving back to the photographic community like what you are doing here right now.. Do you have any recommendations on brand building for weekend photographers and/or Photographers in general.

NICK ONKEN: I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s all been rolling in the dough, as it’s really been the last year it’s financially been comfortable, but there is a huge investment in your business that you must put in to make it successful. The last couple years I’ve dumped thousands of dollars into marketing, and equipment. (read my transitions, passions, and sacrifices blog post about this) Luckily, my previous career as a graphic designer I have been able save a lot of money in that department, but I am one of the few photographers that can actually design their own stuff because I studied it and did it for 5 years. For anyone who doesn’t have formal training I would not recommend doing that stuff yourself. Hire a designer.

Your brand and how you package and show your work is hugely important. You should have a good website as it is your gateway to getting in the door. Everyone hiring prescreens by your website. If you’re a weekender, or don’t have much money a good place to start is getting a template site from bludomain.com. If you’re wanting to build a brand, you have to hire a designer. Brandenvy.com has some more economical branding solutions for the weekenders and wedding photographers.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: If i recall on your interview with lightsource, you do not really use studio lights for your shoots and use purely the sun. Since you have a travel/lifestyle look executed with the extensive use of the sun as a backlight would you ever consider really integrating flash to your photo sessions? If so, what type of lights would you use?

NICK ONKEN: yeah, most of the work you see on my site is natural light. Recently I’ve been getting hired to shoot concepts that are all lit. I just shot a campaign that was shot at night, so I had to light everything. We used HMI’s to light everything. Then I just did a shoot for Cosmo this last week in the studio where we created fake window light with Profoto strobes. Every job is different and requires different lighting. It’s all problem solving to create the desired solution.
LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: I see you are also a Travel Photography How-To book author. Do you have any more books that you’ve released? Can you candidly let us know what it is like to write a book on photography?

NICK ONKEN: I’ve just begun writing my book on travel photography, and it’s my first book, so I’ll have to let you know what it’s like.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What personal projects are you presently working on? Do you recommend photographers to actively create personal projects to expand their photography arsenal?

NICK ONKEN: Travel photography has really always been my personal work, which I shoot when ever I travel to a new international location. I just shot a personal project in the City Of God, a favela in Rio De Janiero.

Yes, I am a huge advocate for photographers actively shooting their own work. It’s the only way to grow as a photographer. It’s essential.

NICK ONKEN: My work has developed into Lifestyle advertising and that’s the types of jobs I’m getting. It really has come through networking and getting my work in front of the right people, then keeping them updated with new work.(another reason to always be shooting for yourself)

In regards to diversifying, it depends on what that means. In general, the whole idea is to focus and create a unique style as that is what you will get hired for. You want to show the work that you want to shoot. You can diversify within your style, but you have to develop that style first. You have to find your strengths and develop a strong portfolio within that genre.

FUTURE

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Already a major player in the lifestyle/commercial photography space, what is next? What are your immediate goals as a photographer and artist? Are you planning on releasing any more how-to books?

NICK ONKEN: What’s next? Shooting the jobs I want. The dream clients, and refining my work to get hired for those jobs. I want to shoot bigger and better personal projects which involve a higher level of production.

As far as books, I’m going to work on writing and releasing this first one, then see where to go from there.

NICK ONKEN: I’ve actually been thinking about this lately, and I will probably offer them in the future, but not for a year or so. There are a few things that I’d want to get in order before offering them. I’ve also been thinking about offering internship opportunities and how to go about doing that. I think the education game in photography has changed, and real time education is more valuable than going to school. That will probably be on the same timeline as workshops.

NICK ONKEN: Yeah the future of video and photography are becoming mixed. I’ve been getting asked for my “Director’s reel” a lot lately, which I don’t have. I’ve only done a few things, and those being mostly stop motion. I’m currently slowly working on a reel, but for the most part right now I’m focusing on still world.

NICK ONKEN: It’s really all the above: continually shooting great work, packaging it right, keeping a strong brand, marketing consistently, and providing a great and smooth service to your clients.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: NICK thank you again for your time and giving back to your fans and followers. What would you like to leave for us photographers to think about when moving forward with photography for the future? If you have any words of wisdom will be appreciated.

NICK ONKEN: Again: shoot shoot shoot! The more you practice shooting the more you’ll learn and the better you’ll get. You have to be very self motivated to do this! It’s the only way to get there.

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER INTERVIEW: David Tejada

Lawrence — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 18:57:13 +0000

“My interest in corporate photography began when I started working for Houston based photographer Joe Baraban. ”

PAST

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: In your early years of high school, were you involved in the yearbook ? What sparked your intere st for Corporate photography? Do you recommend all the weekend photographers out there to initially stick with the subjects they know and build from there? Do you have any suggestions on how to build that progression? How did you progress to where you are today?

DAVID TEJADA: Not only was I involved with the school yearbook, I also shot for the school paper.

My interest in corporate photography began when I started working for Houston based photographer Joe Baraban. When I started assisting Joe, he was shooting corporate annual reports for Fortune 500 companies all around the country. My exposure to corporate photography peeked my interest in how the world functions and how things are made. It’s curiosity that continues to feed my interest in shooting corporate assignments.

For the weekend shooter I’d recommend sticking with subject matter that you know, take this time to develop your skills in the area of composition, design and lighting. I suggest studying the work of other photographers you admire, figure out what it is about there work or a particular image that grabs your attention. Try to deconstruct all the elements of that images to understand what it is that draws your attention. I personally keep a folder of images that I really like from various photographers, it is usually an example of wonderful lighting. For me, it all about lighting. That’s just me.

I would strongly recommend taking workshops to hone your skills. I’ve personally attended several workshops for myself, being self taught I think it’s very important to continue your education and develop new skills that you can bring to your craft.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Do you still have photos taken from the early years when it all started? What were your subjects? Are the pictures online to share with everyone to compare with your work today?

DAVID TEJADA: I still have many photos in my portfolio that are at least 20 years old. The subject matter of those images are less important than the fact that the images are well designed, composition, lighting and emotion of the image.

DAVID TEJADA: Back when I was starting in the business, there was a book titled “Shooting your way to a Million dollars” I read and referred to it often. As I mentioned earlier, I’m self taught. My shelves where full of AM Photo books, Kodak Pro Workshop Series books like “Corporate & Location Photography”, “Industrial Photography” by Jack Neubart. and many others.

I would also mention that professional organizations like ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers) or PPA (Professional Photographers of America) have wonderful resources for the young photographer.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What was your very first professional photography job? Was this purely out of luck that you were at the right place at the right time? Would you penetrate the market from within? Would you recommend it to new photographers trying to break into the market and that are having difficulty breaking in? Once you had your first job under your belt was it difficult to get another gig? What did you do to acquire more work besides providing awesome images? Have you ever considered being agency represented?

DAVID TEJADA: My first professional assignment for for Bovay Engineers, Inc. When I left Joe Baraban’s employment as his assistant, I moved back to Denver where I was living when I met him. Bovay had a project in Idaho that they needed photographed and the art director knew me from my Houston days with Joe.

Not certain I understand your question regarding penetrating the market from within? In regards to breaking into the market, you need to be clear as to what market your trying to enter. If say for instance your interested in pursuing healthcare related photography, your book (portfolio) needs to demonstrate your skills in that area. Showing pretty sunsets, flowers and bugs won’t cut it. The field of professional photography is very very competitive and your book needs to reflect that particular industry.

When I started my business in Denver 1983, the economy was in the tank… Current economic conditions tells me we may very well return to those dire conditions again. Getting assignments is hard, it takes work, perseverance and a commitment.

When I started, I was living with 3 others in a house and I had very little in overhead. I remember saying to myself in the beginning, I only need one job a month to get by. I spent every day looking for work, call companies, design firms, PR firms and ad agencies. I had a portfolio that looked professional or as professional as I could at the time. I worked on my portfolio during my time with Joe, my weekends and what every free time I had. I put together images that looked as though they could have been shot for clients, portraits, architectural work, construction and what ever I had access to photograph on my own. You need certain images in your portfolio in order to demonstrate a skill set in order for potential clients to hire you. It’s sort of a catch 22 in that case, perhaps you haven’t shot healthcare before and your pitching them to hire you. Try your best to compile images that translate to the client your pitching.

It was about 10 years into my business when I was approached by Getty Images to become a contract shooter for them. I’ve now been shooting corporate assignments for Getty 15 years plus. At about the same time, I was approached by Tony Stone Images for my stock photos. This was a terrific business at the time, royalty fee and cheap stock images available today have killed that business.

DAVID TEJADA: My next assignment was for a local ski resort, the job came through an ad agency I had contacted during the first few months in Denver. The assignment was tight shot of a young lady holding ski passes in hand wearing a cowboy hat. Since I didn’t have a studio, I shot her at the house I was renting. This was not the most professional location to shoot but it was what I had at the time.

One of the most important tools is your PERSEVERANCE. Let’s just say that you get 1 job for every 15 calls or interviews you make, it’s hard not to get discouraged after the 6th,7th, 11th rejection. This is the very time you should be getting excited, you only have a few more to go before you get your next job! Keep your chin up. This will be one of the hardest things you’ve ever done.

PRESENT

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What else is there that keeps you rolling in the dough? Your brand is possibly a huge factor to your longevity? Am i right? You have definitely built your brand with all the youtube photo shoot videos, your website,your blog and giving back to the photographic community like what you ar doing here right now.. Do you have any recommendations on brand building for weekend photographers and/or Photographers in general.

DAVID TEJADA: Living within your means! It’s important to establish yourself as a business. Have a logo, business cards and the like, consistency is key and makes you look more professional.

Today your most important portfolio is your web site. Don’t use music, flash and goofy graphics that junk up your site, make is clean and simple. I haven’t shown a printed portfolio in years. Find someone to mentor, someone who is already successful in the area of photography your interested in. Join professional organizations like ASMP and PPA.

Keep your word, Get in writing and always do your best.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: After going through your Youtube videos, I noticed your fashion shoot video. This definitely was different then your current product offering. Will you consider doing more Fashion type photo shoots? Is this something of interest to you? Will we see your work in the covers of Vogue? What are your thoughts on extending a product line? Any suggestions to photographers wanting to do it all?

DAVID TEJADA: Quite honestly I have no idea why the client chose me. Perhaps she thought that if I could make a mine site look good, I could certainly make young girls look hot! Listen, who won’t like to shoot that stuff all day long. My particular interest however is heavy industry. I really enjoy shooting large engineering project of all types, I enjoy the international travel that comes with it. That being said, I do think it is very important to challenge yourself and shoot outside of your normal comfort zone.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Your latest Fire Fighter video was as informative as your other videos. How do you do it? How do you find the time to edit the video or do you have your own video editor? How do these videos affect your bottom line present day? Is it worth the time and effort put in?

DAVID TEJADA: I don’t know how I do it, I can’t tell you how busy I am at time! I do the videos because I enjoy sharing my knowledge and helping young shooter develop there skills. I wish that there where such resources when I was starting out. My assistant Erik shoots most of the video on my Canon G9 and I use i-movie to process it. The videos also help promote my lighting workshop “Small Strobes, Big Results”. These workshops are designed for advanced amateurs and emerging pros to learn how to achieve studio lighting on location using hot shoe flashes.

I’ve been one lucky guy, I’ve had over 25 years shooting assignments all over the world making a wonderful living. If I can help a few people to achieve there dream and have half the fun that I have, that would be great.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Is having your own studio space essential for any commercial photographer. You mainly shoot on location, so do you still have a studio?

DAVID TEJADA: For me, having a studio is not necessary. As you’ve mentioned, I travel extensively and I only rent studio space when needed. There was a time when I did have a studio near downtown Denver, I had it for about 6 years. During that time I shot in it only 20 or so times, it became a big closet for me. What a waste of money for me. If on the other hand I where shooting product or product illustrations it might be a different story.

DAVID TEJADA: I’m currently working on an annual report for a Electric company, I’m also working on a project for Auto Nation USA

FUTURE

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Already dominating the corporate annual report photography space, what is next? What are your immediate goals as a photographer and artist? Are you planning on releasing any how-to books? What are your recommendations to people thinking about starting a photography book?

DAVID TEJADA: I am far from dominating the corporate annual report business! It just happens to be a focus of mine. My immediate goals are varied, I continue to pursue better clients, clients that have interesting and challenging assignments and of course clients with larger budgets. Another area which is relatively new to me is teaching workshops.

As mentioned earlier, I’ve started teaching a lighting workshop called “Small Strobes, Big Results”. I started Small Strobes soon after I was asked to teach a lighting workshop at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops in Santa Fe, NM I’ll be teaching a one week course by the same name “Small Strobes, Big Results” March 29th – April 4th, 2009.

Another project I’ve recently became involved with is the Popular Photography/America Photo Mentor Series Worldwide Treks. I’ll be conducting my first trek February 18th-22nd, 2009 to Death Valley National Park with fellow mentor Bill Durrence.

DAVID TEJADA: I have no plans at this time to merge the two mediums. Stills are where am at, and where I prefer to concentrate my efforts.

DAVID TEJADA: Visibility is everything. Shoot subject matter that interests you, market yourself via web, print and other new media that comes along. It’s all about getting your work out in front of potential clients.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: David thank you again for your time and giving back to your fans and followers. What would you like to leave for us photographers to think about when moving forward with photography for the future? If you have any words of wisdom will be appreciated.

DAVID TEJADA: Practice, Practice, Practice. Even though I’ve been shooting professionally for 25 years plus, I still practice with my lighting and various new techniques. Photographer Mark Robert Halper stated that “Success is not a place, it is a journey” I couldn’t agree more! Work on your craft and continue to grow.