Wednesday Wisdoms

Only have one question mark in your email if you need it to be answered quickly.

I’ve found that if I ask two questions in an email, typically only one will get answered. However, if I list out multiple questions, then each one tends to get answered. It seems to be a pattern, though it might be worth studying scientifically. For now, this is what I’ve observed: using bullet points or dashes to list out questions works better. Otherwise, if you include questions in a paragraph format, the second question often gets overlooked.

DEFINITION of

“pho-tog-ra-pher”

/fəˈtɒɡrəfə/

ACCORDING TO ASKSTERNREP:

An artist who is bravely inspired to experiment imagery by virtue of what he/she/they do not yet know.

There’s some confusion about our jobs as creatives. I’m representing creatives and you are creatives. It’s a business but you are also an artist. What does that mean, other than trying new things that you don’t already know? There is this balance of business and artistry that you have to incorporate more into your business if you want to keep going.  You are the ones being hired to be an artist on the set. That’s why they’re hiring you. They want to know you’re going to bring new ideas to the shoot.  Are there ideas and ways that you aren’t yet getting the artist out of yourself into your career? How can you be more of an artist?

Cultivate, develop, flourish. 

Show clients how your maturity will work for them, and not against them. Keep up with the times. 

Established photographers have that challenge because a lot of their work might look like yesterday. We have to keep it fresh and innovative. Photographers are hired by clients to be the innovative thinkers that you are, that inspired you to get into this business. The look of yesterday is not what they want. They want tomorrow’s look. I’d love to know how photographers out there, after you’ve been doing this awhile, keep going beyond the trend of today, and inspire yourself to try new things and show clients that’s who you’re going to be. How do you do that? I’d love to hear.

I had a client who wanted to be on the pulse of someone new. We paid that someone–who had never shot an ad campaign–$25K a day. 

-Guest Post: Anonymous Art Producer

There are definitely many changes in our industry. One significant change is that someone who isn’t yet well-known now has the opportunity to get their images seen, thanks to social media—something we didn’t have before. Another change is that budgets are generally decreasing, but that’s not always the case. You can still get paid well, so sometimes it’s important to be a bit more creative and make the most of the opportunities available. That’s what we need to focus on.

Repeat after me…

For 2020 I own all the bells + whistles that I can bring to my career as a creative person. I will explore beyond what I already know, learn new things, and be open to a new level of greatness.

Sometimes it’s best not to show your new work. I know we always want to show new new new work these days of heavy flowing content, but be careful as some work is not consistent, or not appropriate.

Our instinct is always to show new work and stay updated with fresh content. However, sometimes it’s best not to show certain work, whether it’s because it differs from your portfolio or it touches on sensitive topics like current news or political issues. Be cautious about what you publicly post or display on your website—avoid sharing anything that might be inappropriate given current events.

When I say ‘don’t show it,’ I specifically mean avoiding public posts or website updates. However, if you’re applying for a specific job and have written a treatment or need to send additional images, you can include those in a PDF tailored for that particular person or project, especially if the lighting, style, or technique matches their needs. In such cases, they might be more forgiving.

On a job, when stuff goes down, stay steady + handle it like a pro. Being professional means not personally defensively reacting, but listening instead, as you are objectively gathering information. 

Most likely it will blow over even though in the moment it feels alarming. Be objective.

Jobs will always come with some drama. You need to handle it like a pro; it’s your test to see if they’ll hire you again. I understand that it’s easy to take things personally sometimes, but don’t let that show. Be a constant professional and a source of calm. Listen to people, check on them if something seems off, and ask questions to understand what’s going on. Be the person who holds the shoot together instead of becoming part of the drama.

 On a creative call make sure to wait after you speak, hearing the creatives’ response. 

The purpose is not only to get your questions answered or get your message across, but also to connect. It’s not a show, it’s a conversation. 

You speak and then they may have a response, so allow for that as the connection may be more important than what you are saying. 

On these creative calls, as I listen to all the photographers, I always think about what I can learn and what they can learn from the discussion. I actually wrote some notes on this and want to read them because I don’t want to forget anything. Don’t rush and talk so much that they can’t respond to each point. Every point you make is important, and it’s equally important to hear how they respond.

Who knows what they might say? Hopefully, they like what you’re saying, but their responses can help you understand more and guide your perspective on the project. Hearing their responses is exactly what you need, so make sure to slow down and not rush as you talk. Allow space for them to answer.

Be thankful for what you do for a living. Your job is to stay in your creative zone. How lucky are we?

What are your inspirational idiosyncrasies?

I mean when/how does your best work happen?

You are an artist and to succeed you must incorporate what makes you tick and call that your “business.”

I’ve been thinking a lot about this because I notice it in photographers, though it’s probably true for everyone. My focus is on photographers, and while everyone has their own style of making things happen, there are sometimes challenges that get in the way.

I want to tell everyone to listen to what’s blocking you and figure out what will help you thrive. What will make you flow and accomplish what you need to in your business? Do you need to delegate tasks, play music loudly, open the door and go outside, or meditate? Identify what you need and respect that you need it to feel more alive, stand out, and achieve your goals. Do the things that will help you succeed in your business.