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Creativity Tips

He's um creatively tips tips on being creative share those ideas of the team I said it before earlier by must head again share your ideas with your team to make them stronger what's going on with the the idea of showing the beautify story and said no guys it must be this way because this is my vision and this is exactly have tohave it on like this I would lost out I've had my vision yes, but we find the vision with the team makes it stronger refined the vision with the team makes it stronger do research three fine your vision to help you communicate your idea fully with the team do research given visuals to see get visuals to see your idea tell them the idea show them idea that they hold it in their hands and now we'll move on to our next section which is uh alright cool questions we're going back to we can always do that. Um let's see al marcus photo would like to know if you shoot the same model over and over can you put them in your portfolio multiple times? Yes to a point um I didn...

't have my favorite muse is my favorite models for sure um I shot tyra a lot and I have z and pictures of her, but I can't have my book filled with just tyra orjust yuki um yes, I have my favorite models but I've gotto show a full range throughout work I could have her in there like two or three times different stories for sure absolutely but not entire book of just one model on lee no wondering um here you speak about like being an assistant and things like that she would make that type of position or internship that's not a great question excuse me guys so how to get the steps how do you become a photo assistant for me it start off being an intern first so I go to new york after art school and while I was in school actually I'm sitting uh letters at the time to my favorite photographer who's who I want to work for and I get this now will people will send me an email now want to be an intern or assistant and they say, oh, I love you worked in a so called before the interview and I'll say, oh whoa, whoa, what work did you like the most? They go blank because I haven't seen the word they look like sea the name and I was like, oh, I want with this person but they don't know the work, so I'll ask questions find out they really know my working out so make sure you do research to find out who you want to work for and that you know their work same with getting it's the same thing for getting a job as an assistant as getting a job shooting for magazine or advertising no client as an assistant I want no one would work for and what the work is like for being a photographer get a job for magazine I want to know the magazine I want to make sure I know the articles in the magazine what their viewpoint is, what their brand is so I'm going to that meeting finally and finally getting a meeting editor you two talk their language to them I won't make them feel like I'm a reader of the magazine because then you identify with their brand their vision and then they see that you're part of their team you speak their language has an assistant I want to speak deaf tarver's language I want to go in there and show not guess about photography but high limit as a person because for me if I'm hiring an assistant I will make sure that he's saying or she's saying and I can take them on a trip for two weeks and not go crazy have beside me on a plane well being with me on two weeks you know, having dinners and everything for two weeks I want great people around me talented great people because these people around in my assistance my interns they represent me my client looks at me and my entire crew and who I hire because they reflect me so I looked for that was to my interns in my assistance can I have them around in this round of celebrity? Can I have them around? Tyra and I had him around anybody and not be embarrassed having them around we represent me well can he be out the country with me for two weeks on a plane for twelve hours? All those things are very important what's their personality like all that and talented as well. Great question. Six more question from summer de gonzalez what would matthew say the ratio is between the work and the drive for becoming a success thank you very much for that question what's the ratio between the drive and the work the drive is extremely important you've got to love it, you've got to love it because that really work when you're doing what you love it's not work I love this they're mean that's what I've been up for like two in the morning editing pictures to my eyes going crazy see cause I love it yes it's work but not really I read me doing this than anything else in the world I love photography and I'm blessed I could make a living doing what I love if you can do that it's not work you're doing what you love if I wasn't getting paid to do at least jobs I see you doing photography because I love it not like I love it the drive is very important things that question online the drive is very important it fuels everything if you are a great technical photographer you get great pictures but the driver is the passion I am I can feel that in the room the drive is very important thanks for that question online from great questions coming from online so let's have some more of those babies so many ways and I think we're going to do q and a for about twenty minutes so lots before lunch lots of questions okay this one is from missy see even a pro photographer taking a whole day taking pictures of the same model with different kinds of makeup hair style how many pictures at the end are the ones so those which you think they step out have a story and you picked them as the winners does that mean taking like six to ten hours or more teo make let's say one two five perfect pictures is that normal in the process that's that's very very normal okay so let's go walk with the whole david shoot um we'll start around eight thirty will have you know people come in they had their coffee or for me my green tea they'll have their you know chris aunts whatever and we'll start hair and makeup hair make a process who last about about two hours on average, uh was more intricate it could be three hours but doing that time of hair and makeup uh, I'm sitting at the lights, I'm tweaking the lights, I'm taking pictures of my assistant usually for assistance private most forever upon the world they're pictures of for assistance everywhere, and I have a lot of pictures of myself when I was an assistant doing all those tests, I'll shoot the color checker is the first shot all my assistant, so I had that reference for color later on, I will go through and test the line, make sure that the right angle because ah, normal on a big job, my assistants are setting up the lights, then I go through, I'll look at it like, okay, it's up to high, break down one and tweak it just make it perfect. So we test the light to other meter readings to all that before the well comes out, so she walked out on the set two hours later, we're ready to go, but first two hours in the morning is very important, and then we start shooting and then our prize shoot. You know, if I'm doing a job for magazine, we're shooting those pages for the magazine, my personal work, I'm shooting until I feel I have it and we'll probably shoot, you know, sometimes eight pictures ten pictures I'm always shooting odd numbers I mean even numbers could I want to have pictures for spread? I'm thinking in spreads, so I'll shoot eight to ten different variations and then we're done like around five, six nine oh, good question on the assistance that you different skin tone reflects absorbs light differently that important for you to have an assistant that has the same general skin tone as the model you're using? Or how does that question not really? No is long as you're cognizant and know about who you're shooting that's important? Um, oddly enough, what I should oprah they have an oprah standing who is her complexion? Hi everyth thing a sit in to test the lights until she comes down, but generally I look at who I'm shooting and I think make adjustments accordingly. That's also a good question because, um we meet her every shot and you'll see us do that as well. So meters don't think the meter new camera, the handheld meter they don't think the meter reacts to light accepted the photographer to think so. If I take a meter reading, it tells me f ate, I can't shoot a by the same way yeah sugar who's my complexion, a girl who's, very light skin and blond the same way just because the camera the meter says f ate I had to think about it and make adjustments something if she was like you know she's a blonde and have a deep tan I think about it differently meters don't think they only react alight you guys have to think about it you can't shoot everybody the same because the camera says f eight doesn't mean you shoot it if eight cameras not thinking it's reacting to light professional photographer thinks about the light and the subject and ex accordingly for those who remember ansel adams and the zone system from back in the day it's the same thing it's the same thing ansel adams and his own system it's not about just taking a meter reading and show you what the cameras meter says the camera says it's thinking about where you want those tones to fall that's his own system from way back in the old film days I still field dropping great knowledge here incredible I was chased jarvis likes to say I have a question from nikon gal thirteen fifty seven who says how do you balance your love of your passion and your love of your personal life and family uh it is a balance is a balance for sure um in my goals party is know about photography but about life in general and family's very important to me having time with family um my family knows I love photography and we all love way do road trips a lot as we do road trips to to joshua tree or to the grand canyon and what is a donor were taking pictures everywhere even my little stepson is nothing pictures everywhere and it's funny seeing his point of view from down here as he sees the world he's a very good photographer now so yes, photography is throughout my life family life and it's my passion and have that balance where you take care family is very important absolutely do you recommend working as an assistant? Do I recommend work as an assistant before getting started with a career photography? Absolutely I do um and I do because that was my path I started as an intern in a full assistant and then photographer and here's what I think is important because working as a photo assistant for me at the time working as a forest in new york city you're working on big jobs under pressure every day so when I was in art school I look at magazines like oh my god wow how'd I do that picture? How do you do this? Has that done as an assistant? You were there and you see it every day and also that it was like, you know well, how do you do that? You're part of it it's like second nature like brushing your teeth you don't think about it that's what assisting does you're in the throes of pressure every day you're like not having to think about was it like to be a former assistant on that job? Victoria's secrets you're there packing the gear, make sure you don't forget something make sure you have a car name with all the equipment listed in all the serial numbers, so when you get to jamaica, you go through customs with all the list down you're under pressure make sure you're up at four in the morning that you have flashes to walk around in the dark in jamaica as you go out on location, you have all that stuff under pressure every day that's being an assistant under pressure and every day is different, but you learn so much doing it. You learnt so much being assistance by the best thing you can do to learn the industry on a high level under pressure because every job this pressure it's not the luxury of taking your time to do things slowly you're under pressure because everybody's on the clock and looking at the bottom line I don't want to over time, it's pressure and the assistance do it all the assistance do it all they carry all the gear they packed the year to set the lights, the lights down, they know all the strobes, all the lights learned everything all the lenses, something breaks down, you don't have to work around it and something always goes wrong when every big job always that's the norm you learn howto work around pressure around problems your problem solving all the time and nobody ever knows besides the assistance in the photographer and do it fast in the old days we'd be on the beach shooting we had the meter the sun's going down and you have we'd have back in those days we have um uh filter's putting filters anyone a's anyone beings as the sun's going down getting warmer wartime like adjust for the light changing you'll also be meeting your hands like uh f eight to fifty six one two five uh four one thousand you'd like that fast under pressure assisting is amazing because you learn and work fast under pressure that's the best thing so there's one need to be in new york or l a then if they wantto pursue a career in fashion and beauty once upon a time yes now no the world has changed every thing is changing you must be aware of fashion and have a good grasp of what it is and what it means and have ah great town around this is easier in those places with the fashion mecca is like like you know london nor paris or new york it's definitely easier there is all around you but not necessary right? So another question with regard to assistance eyes from ti mas how did you leave your assisting job? Did you have an agreement with that photographer to stay for a certain amount of time like three years and vice versa with assistance you may have that's a very good question there are some farmers who want that commitment of two years three years um most don't the big photographer is will want a commitment because they're doing big jobs and you want you want teams will be there for a while and I understand that now because it's hard training new people so when she was your family he wants that that family as emotional also is well you you form bonds with people so you want at least that to your commitment and it is important for sure is it necessary all the time no not at all. So question here from that is that feli okay let's see d does photos um have you ever been just moved up one second I've ever been asked to do shoot something you just had to say no to it didn't fit your brand absolutely absolutely are you ever asked you things that you don't feel good about? Absolutely it's not just about money and it's funny I had this conversation recently with a uh another good buddy of mine uh who turned down a job and his agent was furious because the big my job he turned it down and you will be put in those situations it will happen if you're shooting and show what you love. Clients will be drawn to you and come to you if different opportunities you're in control of your life and your what you shoot and you take what you want and turned down with you don't you will be tested. We all are. I've turned down jobs. You've talked about this a little bit. Um what you question from jeremy christian is de overbay shoots or ideas are you ever be shoots our ideas on things very personal to you, like things that are happening with your family or home life? So you talked a bit about experiences out there in the world and some about childhood. But what about today and family and home life? And my question is some great questions. So yes, do you shoot things that are part of your life? Absolutely so my second book was not my idea. It was brought to me. The book is called lost and found name, though, because if I want to call the lost and found. But it was brought to me the way I was brought to me and I shot it and it was about missing children, so I shot this book project because, uh, in nineteen, eighty one, I graduate from high school. That time at that time there was this big thing going on in the south with there were these atlanta chalmers going on and he was the big thing in the news at that time and I remember it so well that I was going to atlanta to go to art school so it was happening, right, that in there so I remember all that stuff at the time so there was uh uh um the walsh family and his son was killed and hey, start this tv show because most wanted and I remember all that stuff happening at the time and hey started the national center for missing exploited children so when I got the book project like I remember all this stuff happening as it happened, so I do the project I had to meet john walsh and work on the head with the project now when over america for laughing families of missing children because that was personal to me. I remember all that happening so clearly and uh it was it was powerful and now john walsh's daughter and I we're good friends because she's a photographer I just come back from from india and she just came back from india, we made the connection and we still even show all the time we talk about photography all the time I went all over shooting pictures of different families like the the family in in utah elizabeth smart I photographed her in utah went to ela my first time coming to seattle was for that book flew in here from new york for a shoot as here less than six hours I flew back to new york off that book that was a great question next question stranger beat what would like to know no strenght stranger beat sorry what are the best ways to approach some of the big agencies like elite ford etcetera are hard copy portfolio is required or things like the ipad more acceptable acceptable now great great question approaching the agency's, the modeling agencies for a lead, em whoever they are whatever country you are um show the work and then have changed used to be good to go in there with a tangible portfolio now everybody has the ipad, the models now have ipads versus tangible books, so I go even appointments now I go off my my tangible portfolio, I'm showing prince I love that, but I also go with my ipad because some editors want see the ipad someone see a tangible portfolio, you can't tell quality that well on an ipad you can in a print nothing speaks like a print also in terms of going in for a meeting with clients with the ipad you can't leave that behind, you can leave a book behind and often if other loves your work they're taking around other editors they must really take a book around than an ipad around if they have like four five editors around disk can't we see the ipad together that well at an angle a book they can so I go into my meetings with both well my agent goes in with just the portfolio I think the portfolio and the ipad great questions I love these questions that coming how do you manage all your online presence riding the boat or this giving interest in your work now that is another great great question how do you manage all this stuff? Because now there is the online presence is all having so fast it's a lot to do have some friends who hired social media people just ahead of the social media and I'm thinking about doing because it's so much to do I do it on the plane going to the airport in taxis I do allow that that way um have interns that sometimes I have doing stuff for me and teaching me how to do things it's a lot it's hard to manage sometimes it's hard to do by yourself I have an agent uh agent in new york and agent in l a and uh you know we work together as a team trying to manage it all but it's not easy scheduling is hard and very often very often you have mostel things happy at the same time you got to figure it all out is a matter of fact you say that now, but it is a matter of fact I was up for a big tv show that's having this weekend but I had this commitment here so I'm here that's how it happens I just shoot a long time ago where I had a, uh a big shoot with, uh a big celebrity and it took like two months of this shit together the night before the shooter's one on location to shoot this person two months of this shit together, so if I'm going to shoot him and the night before the shoot out a call on the morning of the day before I get a call to a south africa for a bath mandela nelson mandela I did turn it down it really hurt to turn that down if I hadn't turned down so things happened that's how life is next question next question crystal three or two says photography makes so much more aware of things family surroundings do you agree? Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely photography and enhances your senses in every way because you see things really as a photographer, you hear things differently as I go through anywhere I'm always looking at light and in my family knows that I'm like a light sensor, so I'm always aware where that's coming from if we arrest him like oh my god that's beautiful light coming through right now that's a that's a lot so now they joke it make it my god that light is so beautiful that's my thing I noticed when it's like golden hour the time of the sun's about to set the lights at a low angle it's amazing and family wives who were on road trips we always go places very early because I love seeing the sun rise and seeing how light first comes and hits the beginning of this year we start the day by going to joshua tree to observe the first sunrise of the decade first sunrise that was important to me in a photograph and see that light comes up over the mountains and hits and anything turns golden it's so beautiful I love that question from photo como how much emphasis do stress on having a formal photographic education over someone who is self taught or perhaps just taking workshops such as this? How about with your assistance? Well, that's very good question I love these questions a lot there also right on point a formal education versus learned through workshops er both agree you don't need the formal education a lot of great photographers out there who make you know six figures seven figures who are self taught a lot a lot this is great to have is much education as you can in any form that you can get it workshops online the world is changing so fast and everything that used to be the rule is changing their new ways to find education like this this was around ten years ago five years ago but now I can reach people all over the world everything is changing and continue to change great question thanks for that awesome or q and a time ask anything you want viewpoint or your point of view because I think for me a lot of happens that I'm thinking of the technical I'm thinking of how to do what I'm going to do with damage what I'm gonna do you know there's so many things when I'm there it's just like I remember being in that same position I remember no my first years shooting I was thinking about how will I find my style I'd always heard about oh you mean most of a style you must have a style and I couldn't figure out what my style wass and uh then I had my first covers were coming out so I'm doing a lot of coverage police magazines and my friends like wow I saw you cover today mike how do you know his mind like I could tell you style like you could you know my own style you it's like no I see you work I know right away that she will work and for wow I was called upon thinking that my style was tied into a certain camera or certain light at first I thought it was just about the gear, the lighting, the technique it's about none of that your stockings from you from deep in here why you shoot pictures that's why? If you see a picture by a league of its you try to copy it exactly it won't look the same because anne is shooting comes from here you can't copy that? Yes, you can copy the camera technique, the lighting all that stuff but the special cell comes from here. The full assistance are on these jobs with any leave of its working day and night the sitting of the gear lights cameras and annie comes in and shoots with special suffers from here not in the gear, not on the set up and they know how to do all that stuff because they have a two year commitment to be with annie they have that commitment sitting up everything they do every job having around the world with her every day they can't do what she does it comes from here it's not the gear yes it's great having all the great gear all the tools but the special stuff is in here is your inspiration that's how you stand out from everybody else going deep inside and pushing yourself there's the incident that happened a couple years ago with any photographing the queen in london and she's true to her style because any pushes the limits that's her thing, she pushes the limits. So she showing the queen and she has to take off a crown and became an incident because she has the queen of occur crowd and she walked off the shoot. But annie was being true. Toa annie that's her style. She pushes the limit. You gotta find what's inside of you that's. How you find and we find your style. You become cognizant of what makes you shoot and you push it mme or whatever it is, whatever it is. So do some homework and look at fine five times that you love it's not studying their work and find out what's their brand living or disease find five photographers and so steven mayes l herb ritts go on, find five times that you love their work and study there look and try to find their style sandwich movie directors steven spielberg what's his brand find out what it is, lookit photographers to the same thing and then define your vision. Find you a style and then be true to that that's a great question.