Cali Capodici, an Art Buyer at Digitas Health, Shares Her Experiences at a Recent Fotorworks Event

In May, Hunter Freeman attended the NYC Fotoworks event.  Over a few days he shared his work with Art Producers and Creative Directors and came away happy to have had a chance to make connections and inspired to shoot new work!  He had such positive things to say about his experience, I reached out to a few people he met with to see if they would share with us their own experience from the other side of the table.  Cali Capodici from Digitas Health / LifeBrands in NYC, was happy to oblige.  Here is what she had to say.  Thank you Cali!

It is so hard to find the time to attend events like this, why do you make it a priority to do so?

I think it’s important for myself as an Art Producer as well as my agency to make it a point to attend these events so that I can meet new and interesting creative, talented people.

Besides having exposure to new work, how does your company benefit from your attending? 

It allows me the opportunity to meet and build relationships with new talent as well as creative agents. It gives the photographers a glimpse into the work that our agency typically does and what might be applicable to our creative needs. I also get to meet other Producers or Photo Editors in the industry whom I admire.

You are given only 15-20 minutes with each photographer – is that enough time?  Why or why not?   I think it’s perfect.  You get to review their work, get a sense of who they are and provide feedback.  There were a few photographer who I would have liked to have had a few more minutes with, but I think over all it is just the right amount of time and allows me to meet a range of artists in a short period of time.

What was the thing you found most surprising about the photographers you met at the At Edge Face to Face event?  There are a lot of really talented artists who are basically flying under the radar.

Did you notice any trends while you were reviewing?  So many photographers are into the Instagram look and feel.  I dig it, but I think they need to go outside the box a little bit.  It’s a trend that will eventually die down.  I need to see an artist who shoots with natural, available light but also can light a set or location if need be.

Since you have a captive audience, what things do you share with the photographers or advice do you give them? It really depends on the photographer and what they are bringing to the table.  I was so blown away by a few of the photographers I met, their work was really on point.  Mostly, if their book needs some work I tell them to be sure to focus on their website as well as their book.  When you are first starting out as a photographer it’s hard to get meetings with Art Buyers & Photo Editors, so your website is basically your first line of communication. It’s crucial to make sure that it is well put together and speaks to who you are as an artist.

Do you have any advice for photographers who want to attend in the future? Make sure your work is up to par, you are going to an event where there are super talented artists.  You want to be sure you bring your A game and don’t be offended when you get constructive critisicm.

What advice would you give to established photographers who are “on the fence” about attending a networking event like Fotoworks?  I think it’s a great experience and would highly recommend it to any photographer.  It’s a great way to get inside the head of Art Buyers & Photo Editors and also create new relationships which so much of business is built on.