The danger of internet forum
photography isn't the sausage (well
executed pictures), it's the sizzle or the serious lack of it. Why
none? Perhaps because the photographs are to please no-one but the
photographer and to post to get 'critiques'. Not near enough to the
inside (but still awesome.) But will these pictures work for
the agency who wants to make money from promoting their models and who
now have reservations about the horrible pile of 'edginess' thats just
dropped into their lap. Fashion photography is all small 'a' art stuff with commercial in front of it. That's relevant and real. There's lots of bottom line, make money, please the client, deal with the egos and personalities as well as the picture taking.
Why is this so hard to accept for some?
The reason may be the pursuit of the greatest consumer-driven myth of all time. 'I only shoot for myself and follow my own vision.'
Goldman relates an amusing anecdote:
A screen writer knows that most submissions get tossed before the first page is over. He tries to avoid convention. He wants to write just the way he wants. So, planning to do something interesting to capture that interest, his first page goes something like this:
'Its a great morning, a couple are jogging along talking to each other in Central park. As they jog along they see a strange shape moving towards them. It gets closer. They stop. Its unbelievable. A herd of twenty camels is bounding towards them at speed. The couple are fixed to the spot. The herd gets closer...
Well that should capture the interest.
Switch to agent reading.
He checks to see that its not Woody Allen whose sent this. . Its not Allen. The agent begins to think. If I were to make this movie Where would I get these camels from. Would I have to import them from the Middle East or get them from circuses. Would I need permits to use them in Central Park. What do they eat? And who would look after them. Whats the day rate for camel trainers these days. Would I need interpreters if they only spoke Arabic. How much would that cost.
He tosses the manuscript on the pile with all the others.
Great idea, but the writer didnt think about the industry he was writing for, after all he only writes for himself, and usually he's the only one who reads his pieces past page 2. He thought his idea was so great that any producer would do anything to use it. But he was wrong!! He thought he was a genius!!! Hilarious!!....He's going to be out of work!!!
Fashion photography improves when the photographer starts thinking about photographing for an industry called the Fashion Industry with its quirky ways, ego clashes and multiplicity of illogicalities. In this industry despite what we are told , Fashion photographers are bit players and certainly not top dogs.
True story:
Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington aren't hitting it off at British Vogue. Coddington loves fashion, the clothes, the art and act of it. Wintour is more pragmatic, she wants to appeal to the woman in the street, increase circulation and subscriptions etc.
A shoot takes place. Wintour orders a re-shoot because it's not what she wants. and what's more no final pictures are to be taken without her approval. Problem: Wintour stays in her office, the crew with Coddington is on the street.
Heres what happens: They take a series of polaroids of the the frocks and the scenarios. A motorcyle messenger takes them to Wintour's office and waits. Wintour flicks through them, checks the ones she wants and gives orders to scrap the other ideas. The messenger takes these back to the crew. Then the real shooting begins.
'I only shoot for myself and follow my own vision' Really!!!.
OK true you may have a vision but expect to be told how much of the vision is required and where and when its going to useful.
Alexander Liberman to Helmut Newton “Helmut we have reports that you’re shooting everything around the the pool at the hotel, it's not what we want, get your *** out of there and start shooting where we arranged”.
Business professionalism is a strange animal and certainly not always logical.
Heres a Norman Parkinson anecdote:
Art director to Parkinson
“Listen Parkinson, We handle the Hunts catsup account and we want, for our summer campaign, a colour picture of a summertime picnic with five little girls in flimsy white lace dresses eating hamburgers in buns with red catsup oozing out”
It was snowing heavily outside. Parkinson said there might be a problem.
The art director continued:
“It has to be taken around NYC and we want the transparencies in a week. I have my problems, now you have yours”
The pictures were taken in a tropical hothouse in a botanical garden on artificial grass. Problem solved. Professionalism maintained.
You're only as good as your last set of pictures.