Skype Call: Jeremy Cowart
Lesson 5 from: Turning Personal Projects Into a CareerMatthew Jordan Smith
Skype Call: Jeremy Cowart
Lesson 5 from: Turning Personal Projects Into a CareerMatthew Jordan Smith
Lessons
9:00 am - Why Do I Need a Personal Project?
34:25 2Q&A
25:04 310:30 am - How to Create Your Personal Project
27:38 4Research, Planning and Development
10:00 5Skype Call: Jeremy Cowart
10:23 6What Does a Photograph Do to a Person?
37:08 712:00 pm - Drew Temple of Sony
14:50 8Shoot: Future Presidents
45:51Lesson Info
Skype Call: Jeremy Cowart
So jeremy, you have some amazing personal projects and these guys been hearing from me all morning long I left them to hear from you about your experience with your incredible projects you know, your porter project you have a project they're so powerful and I look for them to see what you're doing yeah, well for me I mean, you know, my commercials celebrity work it's only so fulfilling you know you're usually shooting for somebody else on somebody else's agenda and it certainly pays the bills and you know, it's good it's good to have work but on the same front, I really believe that we all have a greater purpose, a greater mission and for me, I'm always trying to figure out okay, how can I use my gifts and my talents to do things that are bigger than just another photo shoot? So what kind of brain storming on new idea new ways to use my camera or, you know, right now doing an iphone app somewhat just coming, trying to think of a better way to use my gifts and help people are changing s...
tory or to rate money, whatever may be I love what you're doing and you know, if you just tell if you are unaware of your projects can just mentioned of the tooth you have out that I know of so far they're just so amazing your hey project you put a project of both so powerful and when I first saw him I just like I was speechless because it was so powerful and I feel the same way you feel about doing commercial work that is what is great in terms of making money but it may not be feeling all the time but the personal work is feeling in a different way how do you feel being haiti doing that project and how did it come about a lot of the just so my couch you know, watching your click and older you know right after it happened and I was just amazed at how the media portrayed it there was no personal slam on and so I just wondered if what a moment to haiti and tired people whole signs of grew up you know, signs that down in the rubble and I took that our supplies and let them draw or write whatever the thought course almost a visual status that they similar to your president project in them and I instead of relief you know, block post are releasing them it's one one a day for seventy days and during that time the u n found that in new york and they ended up branding is printing these images in new york for the huge meeting where our government with meeting indication government meeting and they ended up pledging ten billion dollars that day to rebuild haiti and so I mean I have no idea how much even just particularly inspired the leaders but just know that that that an idea can go from a couch to the halls of the u n that amplified the voices of those who were affected it's pretty powerful ministry that we lived in a day and age where that even possible so it's just it's just awesome to know that a camera and sort of can be used to change the world absolutely did you guys hear that? Did you hear that the power of an image can change the world and you're doing such great work man even just go into your other personal project that the portrait project seeing these people and I don't want to have you talk about because it's just so powerful I loved seeing oh everything you've done I've loved it so much the share of that as well yeah help portrait it's just that it's a movement that photographers around the world that one day a year we give fortune to people in need and mellow do we give them a fortune but we print them on the spot we give them friends for them to keep in treasure and we've been doing it for four years now like we did an event they're in seattle with creative live a few years ago and uh managed system maybe it sounds so simple and you know people say well why would somebody need pictures and we've literally seen it change lives. We've seen moms take their head shot, be amazed at how good they look, and they're going to get their first job using the head shot. We, uh, photographed a prostitute last year, the alert, and she was so moved, by the way, your son look at her photo with more will make up the normal, you know, normal hair, makeup and everything she was so moved, by the way, he looked at that photo that she quit, what she was doing prostitution and went and pursued, you know, a normal job and normal life because she wanted to be the woman in that photo for her son, so it goes way beyond just to talk about it so much one way beyond way beyond so guys, I mean, an image is so powerful you're hearing these stories here you've heard from me now you from jeremy I mean, it can change people's lives. It's nice of photograph it's more than that. It's precious jimmy, is your app out yet? Oh man, you give you the surprise the million dollar question we are cranking away on a little definitely bail this summer. I don't have a lunch date, but man it's going to be it's going to be exciting it's on it's, basically and ideas sharing database that the tigers are going toe soon have access to thousands of ideas that are coming from other users so we're going to get that launched your scene co well so you have it out let me know so human spirit to the world and get it out there man thank you so much for your time wass put his sights upon online so you can see those because they're both so amazing. Thank you for your work thank you for using photography is a medium to reach millions of people and change the world thank you for your talent can I give jeremy can I give jeremy a couple more shout outs hi jeremy good how are you? I think there's a just so much amazing work that that you have done jeremy one of the most moving things that I've seen well, so money but when when we both spoke at photographers ignite in new york last year and you can actually go and find jeremy's talk we all just had a five minutes to do a talk and find that on the creative live web site under the because we we broadcast photographers ignite there but one of the things that you talked about jeremy was your project about reconcile ing folks in africa and I hope I'm not stepping to four but I'm warning you even tell people about the impact of that project because it is truly mind blowing, in fact yeah on offensive lending to the point of the haiti project that the voices of reconciliation project where I took photos of genocide survivors who have now forgiven the people they killed their family. So we went, tio what way? We went to the scene of the crime with the killer standing with the surviving members of the family and the surviving members of the family now forgiven the killer. And I took photos of them standing together at the scene of the crime to show the reconciliation that forgiveness is taking place, you know, having a whole and no sign of whatever saying whatever they wanted to sew like two guys together said love is the weapon that killed all people, you know, another couple of guys that brothers and forgiveness so it's just man, it was so probable to go there and be at the place where it happened, you know, here in america we can't forgive each other for, you know, stealing a parking spot of the most ridiculous thing, but over in rwanda's there, literally forgiving the killer of killers of their own family. Not only that, but they're now working together to build a better rwanda so it's the insanely inspiring thank you, jeremy jeremy, how do you feel doing these personal work versus your commercial work? You know, honestly it's all I want to do it's so fulfilling and so meaningful it makes commercial work seem a little silly sometimes you know the same way yeah, I think that the day you know, we're all leaving this where the first inter gender first ever leavin online digital footprint you know, because future generations they don't really this online lesson this famous so each one of us is leaving this legacy a staff of dayton, instagram photos and tweets and all the stuff and so you know what? What legacy and my leaving I would rather be doing meaningful work so that my kids and their kids and their kids can all look back on and say while jeremy you know really did something with the gifts I don't want to just be known for shooting you know, be another celebrity to fire but there's gonna be plenty of those out rather like, be creative and figure out meaningful ways to use my camera I feel exactly the same way exactly the same way thank you so much I know you're very busy man they feel so much for coming on and sharing how you feel shame your projects thank you, jeremy very very much you'll appreciate it talk to you soon, man all right, good. How amazing is that it's just he's an amazing person with these incredible, amazing projects and truly um doing things that he loved, but also, you know, impacting his career as well, and things that make a difference for the rest of the world for the rest of the world, all with your camera, your idea. So what do you have now? What do your ideas that could change the world? I know they're out there and while waiting for you to share them your personal projects, yes, and I just want to get, you know that big jobs celebrities shoot big ads or whatever it is, shoot more weddings and there's. Nothing wrong with that. But what do you do with your photography? Is going to make a big difference in the world? Affects him by his life, lives countries with a simple photograph. It means something.
Ratings and Reviews
a Creativelive Student
Excellent, got great ideas about pursuing a personal project. One thing about Kickstarter, do your research..my experience has been that you really will do better if you have a following, if you have a plan for marketing your idea and getting the word out before your kickstarter starts (think launch) and think about getting partners that can help either with getting the word out or contribute financially. As for the following, I follow a Youtuber artist, funny guy, who was looking for $35,000 to upgrade his broken down, tiny garage studio. At the end of his launch day he had raised over $100,000 (he was gobsmacked). What he did with the extra was actually tear down the garage and build a new one, but better equipment, and did other things to make his channel better.
a Creativelive Student
Inspirational class. Worth listening to just to get yourself moving on your next project. I've sent emails setting up shoots for my next project since starting to listen to the class.