Lessons

Lesson Info

3:15 pm - Standing Out

How do you stand out? As we talked for everybody, including your client's has the same camera. They might have a better camera than you have. How do you stand out as a photographer? Everybody has the same camera. I was able to make amazing pictures. How do you stand out from everybody else? Remember cindy sherman, who makes her living taking self portrait ce and does extremely well making millions of dollars? Taking pictures of who herself question for you is how do you stand out from everybody else? You find out what makes you a photographer. What makes you love photography? And you put that stuff in your work you find out what makes you feel happier than anything else you put in your work and for me I love doing fashion and beauty. I lived on celebrity work. I have a great time doing it, but it's my personal projects that give me more joy than anything else it's my personal projects that could be more joy than anything else. And guess what if you want to work mohr in fashion and beau...

ty, show those clients your personal work there people first forget if there editor doing fashion whatever they are, forget about that. We're all people. First they connect, everybody connects to your personal projects because they feel how much you are into it they feel your devotion and dedication to your personal projects. They could be anything you want to do, a an exhibit with your personal work, and then when you do that, you'll invite those clients and hopefully future clients to your to your gallery open opening to see your personal work, it's mighty asked earlier. What do you do with that personal work? And I said, you could also have an exhibit so you can have exhibit in a small gallery does not be a big gallery could be a small gallery anywhere in main street america, and there was a mainstay is a main street in every city in america. For every state in america is the main street. You find a gallery to give you an opening and you have your work up there for a month or two months, and you invite everybody you work with and want to work with to your opening because didn't stand out from just doing this. They've gotten your promo four times throughout the year and these in an invitation and the invitations very different here you are asking is work hire me, hire me, hire me, please hire me, please having me, I'm really good, but then you send an invitation to your gallery event to your opening and they can get dressed up. Come out to gallery, has some wine and cheese and enjoy themselves and be away from the office and be away from work mode and see photography the way it's meant to be seen in a gallery setting with other creatives. They can talk about the work. I have a great evening and leave and remember your name you want stand out from everybody else. Have an exhibit he wants to know from everybody else. Do a book of your personal project. Dedicate yourself to whatever theme or cola's you believe in and do a book. My first time coming to seattle my first time come to seattle. I was living in new york at the time and I flew here for basically two hours to do a portrait and lead. I flew in shot and we arrived at the airport and left. And that was two thousand seven. So I had no idea where that location was, because I loved location where I shot. I had this connection there. I love the image. And it was for book the responsible and microsoft and the book was on missing children. So for that book project, I went over america for laughing families of missing children. The book is called lost and found, so I was moving so fast from state to state. For this project I've had time to really get to know each place but I remember that location how special it was so today I'm going back to capture seattle at that same location I'm taking you guys with me where I shot lost and found so I love that location so much it's a great location it says seattle washington to me and I hope that picture will last for the next one hundred years and inspire millions of people that's my dream that's my dream you want to stand out photographer find out what moves you and put that in your work when you're doing fashion but you're thinking about getting worked by hasn't I hire you but there's something bigger than that that's your personal work what drives you what makes you feel alive I want to shoot why did you buy that came in the first place what made you pick it up what was your reason for buying your first camera why do you want to shoot what made you leave your job you secure job and want to pursue photography whatever that is don't forget it keep it within you all the time and put that energy into your work won't change how people see you so I changed you and how you shoot your projects it's going change you and how you shoot fashion and beauty and when people see that identity in your work then they hire you everybody else has the same camera they're out there with the same camera the same lens is doing the same with the same printer or better camera than you how do you stand out? How do you stand out? Yes I want the best camera can get the best tools I can use all the time but I also know it's beyond that to be successful in photography in fashion and beauty or any other field of photography it's beyond just the gear is beyond just knowing how to be a photographer you raise seeing that fashion beauty it's knowing photography it's knowing communication is going head to head casting it's all these things together the shooting part is the easy part shooting part is the easy part everything else is hard it's hard casting it's hard to in production it's hard work of clients it's hard getting kinds it's hard keeping clients the shooting part is the gravy and anybody could do that to teach people how to do that part. This other stuff is extremely important and I think the most important part is how you relate to that subject which is why this class is all about howto work with models but really should be had a lot of people because that's what it's all about working with people in the very beginning of this class workshop I talked about one book how to win friends and influence people and again, I'm telling you that is a must read book how to win friends and influence people. If I didn't learn that could never go over america and stop strangers and get them to do a portrait with me, it wouldn't work there like, who is this strange, weird guy trying to stop me and take my picture? Oh, let me get over here, but that's not happening. I'm doing a project where I'm stopping strangers and taking portrait ce I'm stopping them in the middle of whatever they're doing, and they have to intrigue them enough to stop what they're doing and give me forty five of the time be a project hard my project that takes a lot. I learned that through fashion and beauty, I learned that through how to win friends and influence people. I learned that into learning to do what I love and putting it out there, because it means a lot more. The best advice I ever got from dog for when I was an assistant was matthew don't do what I did, make sure you she's a personal work and put it into a book and that's how I learned to do and it's more powerful than I ever dreamed it could be some tell you all, please find your passion. Whatever it is and put it out there put it in a book put it an exhibit but put your personal work out there to the world and then everything you dreamed about doing will come to you it will just come believe me that's, what questions do you want to go back to questions from the shoot the war actually thiss let's go back to that questions about our shoot from earlier we grade they will go into the other stuff. Eddie farr had asked, what would you do to create tears for a more intimate emotional shoot a scene with some campaign? So this is more talking about getting people to make certain emotions and such they had to do that I wouldn't try to pull those purse strings to create it if they come as be genuine. I haven't had a client hired me yet to do a shoot where I have to do a girl crying. Of course you could do fake tears with bliss friend or whatever and make tears that's fairly easy. I'm not sure if I tried to pull them out um intentionally when I was doing my book project lost and found is a very emotional project there were a lot of tears on the set, you know, as we went round for roughing up families of missing children, but I'm not sure what for me anyway personally I don't want to get that emotion by pulling out from some somebody but that could be a great series with somebody they had a whole book of that work so I guess the thing would be to work one picking out what pools and people's emotions in a strong way and when you find out what that is you use that to your advantage to make portrait that capture that emotion and I could see that being very strong so what's her name went to the west that question oh that's a good question but way past that about thirty questions coming in last eight minutes there's just so many that I think we're getting a little bit ahead of ourselves so I can't find the question that I wanted to ask you so another question beauty of the lake I would like to know how do you approach a stranger and asked to take their portrait and I've seen this question so many times in the chat room this is not your collection and the energy can you talk it is it is it is definitely about the connection and the energy um it can be very intimidating for for me to walk up to a stranger and approach him about doing a portrait and even the idea of that sounds crazy but when you learn to make a connection with people it's it's a different experience and it takes it takes doing research it takes finding out what makes people want to connect with you, and once you find out what that is, you use it and that's what I've done. So my project is a project that, um, people really say no to I've had tried to people say no throughout america, as I would on the project, and I've done four, seven images during the forty six one twenty, forty seven tonight we've had two people say no and that's it and the ones that said, no, we're probably gets a little scale didn't really understand the project, but it's not a problem if you say no. So it's, uh, finding out what works and and doing we've been doing the last two days learning how to connect with people if you really read that book, how to win friends and influence people will make a big difference in your career, no matter what it is, where they're working at a software company or a fortune five hundred company or fashion industry doesn't matter. This book will give you information to help you be successful in any field. That was a great question, you know, it really is, and I was I was just thinking because it applies to working with models supplies to people on the street applies just across the for everybody out to everybody. And think about it what was the last time somebody stopped you and intrigue you have to stop and listen like in new york city people are approaching people all the time and nobody stops for anybody no one but you could do that if you could make a connection so I shot in new york as well twenty of the funny part about new york city to me is when you approach a person and you're not asking for anything when you just may be asking for directions you don't necessarily want something from them at first they're like for you one for me and that as soon as they know you don't want something from them they open up. I've been that new yorker like that I've been there before so I understand that big on the other side exactly and also putting itself and the other person's shoes will make you stop put yourself the other person's shoes and asked that question what would make you stop way have about twenty more minutes till four o'clock what would you like to do? I should probably go through some of the images from there so questions relate to this and going to the images that most are going through this process now more shooting her she was stiff in the beginning and remember this process I'm gonna go through all her images and I felt like the hand was staying still and we're all trying to find out what makes her relax and almost forcing her to be somebody else. Oh, that who she is and you can tell that she really was uncomfortable at first doing this. Can we jump to her last session, guys? First image of her last session like this, the entire shoot there a lot of good moments. And here, todd, I think this is really cool and this is a very difficult way to shoot, and I understand that, but I want you to really think about the connection, anything else and learn how to work in that tight space because what you don't do this, you'll have you anything else because it's a very intimate setting, it's, very easy, other stuff, the intimate stuff can be a little intimidating. At first you were so close and it's so cozy and intimate, so if you can learn how to direct in this space, you know the other stuff, but I felt you got some great stuff in here, so that's interesting. What you just talked about matthew was similar tio question that willis miles had asked, which was heavy overhead first time models feel uncomfortable with the intimate approach. It was interesting because the two models talked about katie and qatar talked about it, feeling more comfortable for them, then say, like upon the roof does it go? It goes both ways goes both ways I think you have a new model you could go either way where they're comfortable or uncomfortable is help to you to use everything just at your disposal to make it comfortable so that happens way before the model gets here on set when she walks to the hair and makeup area I'm trying to make her comfortable from that point of entering into the space where it is we shooting on location was shooting in a house or studio whatever it is I've got to do something make her comfortable and that means I'm having music I'm having some kind of food or beverage available for her and she when she walks in and offering those things for her she's comfortable making sure she's not too cold not too hot is making sure what time she gets here she feels welcome and open to me she comes in has hair makeup done and I don't say a word to her until she sits here it's hard making that connection so it starts way before she gets here and then you have a better chance of making her comfortable uh here she is this year's so beginning of her six shoot I felt that he was trying to force him to be somebody else and here we found her magic moment where she's starting to come alive and beaming this is probably the best we've seen her in all the chutes have done so far because now I found out we're especially what were her passion lies so going to the shoots tomorrow would you use this information to our advantage? Because now we all know what she does best, that kind of energy you can't fake that before she's posing this is not a polls her edges really it's not fake because this is what she knows very well this is where she lives in this space and again going back to the casting you find these things out through your casting where the comfort lies what's the comfort zone of vanessa's title terror song comfort zone miss williams all this is getting comfortable with the model and funny out where she is most comfortable like this serious, which is that profile almost anything else, so we're new doing this for the entire crew. This is new for for johns is new for the model and it takes being in sync with the entire crew. The assistant the model with me is all one group working together to make this shot work, but once you all comfortable doing this, you can get great images if you like that one too coming out of her smile, going back into this was quite nice that's beautiful, so that's just beginning of working on this so again, if we're doing a job we spend a lot more time working on getting this and being precise to get everything just right but teaching you guys the basics for how you started in communication and we're showing you through different chutes but the idea of this whole workshop is a communication between you and the models doing fashion and beauty that's kind of cool is definite where she is the most comfortable so as a question earlier also about what I have john instead of having john there I've had the mirror on a stand and move it that way but as the model moves try this both ways but it's much better when I have an assistant there a person to move around first having it on I stand in trying to move us stand around interesting question from john ellis who says because you have such a soft voice when you go to that whisper voice when you're communicating with the models do you ever set their expectation that that's how it's going to get really quiet in here or or do you just let it happen? It just happens actually no normally just happens I never say or what a whisper and I never say that it just happens cold and also the s and m photo was wondering if you remember what you said to qatar a in those moments when she was laughing oh what I was saying to her at that moment john was going around purchased john what's inside that thing it all but I do remember ways saying, which start laughing what we said to get her to that point just for the conversation I have no idea what we said I forget also, but we discovered that that worked we knew to stay with that. I don't remember exactly said either we're kept say I was gonna get your come on critical issues, something like that, but but then she started left before that came out, so I don't know what did it I forget as well, but when I saw it come alive there, I knew that was her space and it wasn't being intimate in tony, sexy or sensual, it was having the last laugh and being no, having that you've come out that way and I love her this way, so I shoots tomorrow, I'm keeping her there, it was not being matthew, but I think I think you once you heard the lap, you wanted her to continue vocal I laughing? Yeah, I think you're right, I think you're right, you encourage her like, oh, that's what I want when I want that your you said that wasn't really and I think that made the first laugh out the first left and it looked better yet much better, yeah, she was being stiff and trying to hold it given an idea of sensual or sexy or intimate, this is more comfortable. I have an interesting question from a vallee who says as I am a female photographer, how would you recommend coaxing that central moment out of a model? I noticed you talk very softly and essentially to the mall to get that mood, but I don't think that would come across the same as a female photographer working with the female model well agree with that ladies, what do you think? I found the models more comfortable with with a female for oprah felt when they first meet me like especially amusing like uh start up model so they minutes they found that I'm a female photographer, then they're more comfortable like um yeah that's that's what they say so because I can be sex like saying like sexy like try teo teo it feels different that same hard but still like they don't feel intimate intimidated by me because I'm not a male and I'm not trying to get anything I'm trying to create something right and you as a woman also may have be able to relate to them or and just talk about your boyfriends together and get them into that feeling where I'll just say you're not you're not trying to hit on them or make it sound getting on them, but you could maybe bring him into that feeling to just remember just through girl talk about it that's try that's true. So the answer that question basically, each person is different and we have our own way of communicating with people. So what you find what works for you? I mean, the whispering works for me and it works in that series of what we just did, but how you shoot is how you shoot you gotta make it work for you in a way that you pull something out of people. It's not about really copying what we're doing here is about finding out how you worked this and using all your assets pull out that person's personality, whatever it is because that's, what works for me and I'm comfortable in this space, it may not work for everybody else find out was comfortable for you and use that I'm just showing you my example of what I do. But each person again is very different. Now I want your personality to shine and come out the place where you can pull that out of your subjects be you. But I know this when you start whispering, the entire mood changed, like even assisting an assistant. I feel like the lighting, everything tens and it was like magical thank you changed the tone talk what do you feel I agree with that your your voice is very soothing how did it feel for you photographing the models that was that was close in part like I said before was a little a stressful because I'm not used to it but I can see where it would be I mean, once you get used to it and you know got to where you could work with it I could see where that would be really you know, to close in the closeness could really work to your advantage perfect for bring what you need out of the mall so how do you guys feel about doing these two chutes which you're very very different how do you feel now having the chance to shoot both the fashion upstairs full body on location then come and she said the more intimate misses the opposite the energy upstairs shooting on a rooftop there being downstairs and shooting into the environment how is that for you? I would think that I I'm looking models differently now, like earlier it was an object for the photos like like almost it's a mint thing to say but maybe like a finger for a government but it's actually a human and yet we know it's a human, but we don't act like this being become behind camera every time, so if you don't make this connection like this is the it's a person and you're going to get better results when you talkto model as a person it's much easier than on the shoot and much more fun absolutely I feel the same way I feel the same way exactly uh for me in expressing it well I guess I like to use an analogies so I guess the way how I operated before like using a motor boat and so you everything you're in control and kind of structured but then when you bring in that element and then now you have something a little more dynamic is like now you were going to put the sales and let the wind carry us and then you just feel more alive now that you have this this interaction is quite special is quite special indeed quite special indeed I think of course from the internet about how they feel I guess at wing says on that topic what about a male photographer to a male model that whole alright don't work the same way as well I don't have that same angie when I'm shooting man when we spring the same way um shutting shot a lot of male models as well and male actors and it's a different situation where I'm raised them I'm talking about you know the game last night or it's just a different dynamic altogether it's a different dynamic all together for me when I'm shooting men so you don't say the same war if you don't use the same voice is not at all not at all really that's what if it was a watch adam and it was a very intimate how well I was still I'm still not whispering in that way or the tones different he shot images of men for for hair care and uh and cosmetics as well cosmetics hair care watches I've done men for those types of campaigns and it's a very different feeling um and I guess it's just natural I don't I don't feel it would feel weird to me to whisper to a guy but that's me what you're doing with a guy girl you're talking different to the guy than you are to the girl one time with your carrier so so you said that I thought about an ad that I shot with a new male model and experience female model and I'm doing a shot it's for ah a companion in paris and the couple had to kiss actually no they had to almost kiss but it was it was so intimate and so close it was the guys first job as a male model his first job as a male but he had a great look on the client like his look uh so I had to talk to the girl first I pulled the girl off the set and I told her a situation that this guy was brand new he's nervous he told me he's nervous so I said please work with him take him off to the side first and reassure him that you would give to the job and she did and it made it easy when I spoke to them, I spoke to them together so I'm like, hey guys, I need this hi guys, any of that and I made it a close set so he would feel comfortable the girl was very comfortable the guy wasn't but to make it intimate so he would feel comfortable and being vulnerable in his close close close said, and it worked it was a question about the couple okay, we're gonna ask the final question of the day wow, time flies when you're having fun this is from t j b who says thank you, matthew, for repeating over and over again to focus on the energy of the model. What is happening on the inside? This point of connecting communication is so crucial thank you, matthew, for stressing this again and again. Can you say matthew, this is one of the most important points of your success. I think it is the most important part of my success beyond everything else because there are lots of talkers out there I mean, they're ton there millions tarver's in new york city alone have clients who I can hire anybody else in new york, but they'll flooding from l a to new york to shoot a job for them and I know best on lee because of connection. Not because I'm some amazing photographer it's the connection.