Category Archives: In Their Own Words

Sharing the thoughts and inspirations from the photographer regarding a specific image or project

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Badges of Distinction – Kevin Twomey shares his experience shooting something unusual.

We always like when our photographers shoot for editorial projects.  They often come away energized and excited about either what they shot or how they shot it.   On a recent shoot for Bicycling Magazine, Kevin Twomey was asked to photograph head badges.  He enjoyed the project so much he surprised us with this blog post.

“One of my recent assignments was with Bicycling Magazine, photographing head tube badges.  Before the project I had never taken much notice because most of todays badges are merely stick-on decals of the company’s logo, like the one on my Gunnar. The attention that was given to creating these badges was quite amazing, as seen in the opening spread of the story.

Most of the badges in the story came from collector Jim Langley, who is very passionate about anything to do with bicycles.  He has been collecting badges since the late 1970’s and now has approximately 600 of them dating from the 1880’s to current day.

After the shoot, I went online to do a little more head tube research and found some people filling the void by creating their own badges. One bicycle shop in Maryland, The Bicycle Escape, created badges out of bottle caps.  Another was a Star Wars Stormtrooper with what looked like a Hello Kitty bow.
So now when someone pulls up next to me on a bike, instead of checking out their components, I’ll be looking for a nice head badge.”

© Kevin Twomey - http://www.kevintwomey.com

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Solving Mysteries with freelance art buyer Andrea Flaherty

© Kevin Twomey - http://www.kevintwomey.com

Andrea Flaherty  gives freelance a good name.  Not only is she a freelance art buyer, but a freelance producer and project manager as well.   She has partnered with  clients such as Venebles Bell & Partners, MRM Worldwide and Pottery Barn to name a few.  And, her client list is long having worked on some creative favorites such as Audi of America, HBO and Microsoft.  Knowing her experience, we were honored that she contributed to our Solving Mysteries series.  Thank you Andrea. 

How do you search for photography nowadays?  I keep a fairly extensive ‘library’ of bookmarked websites that’s organized by city and specialty. I typically search there first and then review photographers on photography agent’s websites.  I also post on an art producer’s online forum if I am having difficulty sourcing a really specific style. It’s a great resource.

Where do you find inspiration?  I enjoy reading Communication Arts  and seeing the types of photography ads that are being produced around the globe.  And, starting this year, I will be attending student shows at Academy of Art College and CCA as well.  It’s a good way to find up and coming talent.

Which outside events do you find most useful for finding photographers?  When I worked as a full-time employee at ad agencies, I would attend the portfolio shows.  As a freelancer I attend – APA shows or any type of portfolio show or social event that brings together art buyers and photographers together.

 What are you reading online?  APA Forums, Creativity-Online.com, Ads of the World, Artbuyermag.com, various photography representative blogs including Heather Elder Represents (wink wink).

What are photographers doing lately to stand out from their competitors?   I always think it’s good when a photographer accompanies his/her rep to agency portfolio shows.  The art directors and other creatives viewing the portfolios really enjoy speaking with the artists about their work. It’s a good way for the photographer to make a connection with the people at the agency that play a big part in selecting photographers.

Currently I work freelance, so I am not doing portfolio shows or on the receiving end of photographer’s and agent’s marketing efforts.  I was at an APA event where a local photographer did a presentation on himself and his work.  I believe he started booking the presentation at ad agencies in lieu of a portfolio show.  It’s a different way to showcase his work and the agencies to get to know him better.

What do you wish photographers would try harder not to do anymore?  Or, maybe do less often?  That’s a tough question. I think photographers should shoot and showcase what they know and love. I fully support the creative evolution of photographer. I think it’s great that a landscape photographer may want to explore shooting portraiture. But I think some photographers try to show too wide a range of ‘specialties’ in their books in an attempt to cover their bases and obtain more work.  In my experience each ad campaign calls for a unique look and feel and specialty be it lifestyle, still life, portraiture etc.  As a producer I need to know that the photographer I hire lives and breathes his specialty, because they will be collaborating with the art director on set.  Photographers are hired for their expertise and the agencies rely on this heavily.  The more diversified a book, the less I trust that the photographer is an expert in all types of imagery that they are showing.

What does your client value most from a photographer?  Does that differ from what you value?  And, has that changed over the years?   In my experience clients value competence from a photographer.  They want to know that their money is being well spent.  Even though a client agrees with the agency that a photographer is well suited to shoot a particular ad or campaign, they always worry about the details.  And most of the worry comes from inexperience. “Will he/she be able to get all of our shots each day?  Will he/she be able to elicit the expressions we need?”  An early client pre-pro meeting typically sets their mind at ease.

As a producer, I also feel that the photographer’s competence is extremely important.  Equally important to me are the photographer’s personality and professionalism. Let’s face it, some clients are difficult. I need to know that the photographer I hire is going to be patient, friendly, and professional during the shoot.  I can’t run the risk of hiring someone with a huge ego or that hates working with people that may snap at the client.

In my experience these needs have not changed over the years.

To learn more about Andrea Flaherty, please link here.

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Even when nature doesn’t cooperate, David Martinez finds warmth for his imagery.

After a recent shoot with Lucy Activewear, David Martinez sent along these images and his thoughts on the shoot for us to share with you.

“As a photographer who shoots a lot both in studio and on location, I’ve always loved the inherent conditions each environments brings – the science of shooting in studio and the trials of being at the mercy of weather and nature outdoors. On a recent shoot in Point Reyes for Lucy Activewear, Northern California weather conditions were less than favorable – rain, wind and cold – a veritable ‘wintry mix’.  Our stellar crew and hardy models made the shoot a real success. We smiled the whole way thorough despite the calamity of cold. I think you can feel this warmth in the images – even if nature didn’t provide it to us on those days on location.”

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How does Photography + Missouri Wine = Solar Panels?

Recently, Ron Berg shared with us the story of how being inquisitive and asking the right questions can lead to unexpected surprises.  On a recent shoot for a Missouri wine, Ron learned that photography + wine really can add up to solar panels.

Here is what he had to say about the project:

“Yes, Missouri does have wine. It’s an oxymoron for sure. But, it IS the Missouri grape that saved the French crop in 1872. Look it up.

So I digress…

I’m a very inquisitive kind of person, almost with a kindergarteners enthusiasm. I love to learn about people, their professions, and where they grew up. That’s one of the great things about photographing people and getting to the root of what makes them tick.  I am always intrigued by how is it that their life lead them down the path to where they are today.  Whether I’m in a factory or in a vineyard I am enthralled by this and therefore always try to get to know the people I am photographing in a more personal way.

So it is not surprising that on a shoot in a vineyard with a wine maker, I start asking questions.  The setting is a Fahrmeier Family Vineyards, a Missouri Vineyard where I making photos for their wine label near my boyhood home. As we chat, we remind each other of relationships from our past.  I of course start asking questions and wonder aloud how and why a working farm turned vineyard decides to fill the roof of their barn with solar power.

Brandon Fahrmeier explains to me that “it is free in more ways than one.”  Of course I want to know more.

Brandon says, “As we know the sun’s power is free and so are solar panels.”

My reaction is WHAT?! …with confusion. How in the world could he get all those solar panels for free?  Brandon explains further that there are   Federal Grants for Solar Power to satisfy Federal guideline quotas annually.  That is all he needed to say and I was sold.

Needless to say, we are now proud Missouri wine consumers with our photo handiwork on the bottles, and solar energy gatherers with our 42 new solar panels.  All because I kept the conversation going.

The Power of Being Inquisitive never ceases to amaze me!”

To see more of Ron Berg’s work, please link here.

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Ann Elliott Cutting shares an experience where the reward was inspiration.

Our days are filled with so many to do list items that we rarely get to take the time we want to take to give back.  It is always so rewarding and genuinely uplifting, you would think it would be easier to make happen than it is.   Well, Ann Elliott Cutting made the time and was rewarded handsomely for it.  She spent the week as an Artist in Residence at her alma mater, Westridge School.  When I asked her what the experience was like, here is what she shared:

“It was a whirlwind of a week but well worth it.  The days were non stop and the energy always positive.   I was so impressed with how organized the school was about the process.   I enjoyed joking that I learned more from them that they learned from me!

They kicked off the program with a lecture for the school (grades 4-12) and then followed up each day with a class for me to co-teaching  in art and  photography. Some of the more advanced classes had two 80 minute sessions during the week which allowed us to concept a project during the first meeting and then have a class shoot for the second meeting.  It was all very fun.

I worked with all ages of students.   The  younger students made photograms with sun prints (Cyanotypes developed in water) and shot outside in groups creating letters and numbers with leaves, twigs, shadows, their bodies, or anything they could find on campus. The more advanced students used large format 4×5 cameras for the first time. (We supplied Fuji instant film so they could see their images right away.) One class painted with light and lasers in a dark set with long exposures. Another class used text with imagery. They took quotes from letters, songs, poems, or operas and created an image to illustrate the idea, or to tell a bit more of the story behind the text.  The week ended with a show of the student’s work.

It was a whirlwind of a week. Collaborating with the faculty was wonderful. The students were clever, engaged and good problem solvers. The ideas evolved quickly into images with content and intrigue. Working in teams allowed them to brainstorm and grow their ideas into something visual and “photographic”.  I was impressed and inspired by how quickly they could make good creative decisions about content as well as lighting and composition. Some students already had a “style” and gravitated towards a certain color scheme or lighting style.

This week made we want to play and explore again. Seeing my craft through the eyes of children eager to learn and not contained by the boundaries of every day life was powerful.  I started the week thinking that I would help inspire others but I ended the week being more inspired than ever myself.   For that I am much appreciative.”

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Out and About with David Martinez.

On a recent trip to Los Angeles, David Martinez saw some of his work out there in the world.  Here is what he had to say about it:

“It’s always great to see your work living out in the world. It’s so easy to forget that the images we make do migrate from the capture station to magazine pages, packages and billboards. While scouting recently in Los Angeles, I saw a familiar friendly face staring back at me on the freeway. It was Alejandro – who I had worked with a month before on a project done in conjunction with the agency Sargent + Berman for UCLA Health System. We saw over 200 talent to find the yogini with the most skillful back bend and the businessman with the perfect smile. If only all faces on the Los Angeles freeway looked so friendly!”

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The power of the One on One connection is evident at the At Edge Face to Face event.

Hunter Freeman recently went to the At Edge Face to Face event in NY.  It was the first one I had missed so I was very interested of course to hear what he had to say.  When he returned, he wrote this for our blog.

“It was really a great time, and I can’t wait to go to the next one. At Edge really delivers on the opportunity to meet so many different influential people in our industry.  There were creative directors, art buyers, agents and photographers and they all were interested in getting to know each other.  The night was filled with great conversation and sharing of ideas.  People were inspiring each other and encouraged by the camaraderie.

I walked away feeling like the trip east was a huge success.  I don’t often get to share my own work and doing so in this environment got me excited to do so more often.  There is nothing like the value of a one on one connection – whether it be with someone who has the potential to hire you or someone who does what you do.   

I believe that down the line, events like this will be one of the most powerful ways that photographers will be able to connect with AB’s/CD’s face to face.  The increase in other “Pay to play” arrangements is proof that both sides of the table are appreciating the opportunities offered by such an arrangement.  I can say with confidence that this is a trend that will continue to grow.”

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That in between place as described by David Martinez in his own words.

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I love it when photographers take time for themselves to shoot what has been on their mind.  I love it even more when it is not in their own backyard and they venture out to chase their vision.  David Martinez recently headed east and was thrilled with what he discovered.  Here is what he had to share about it.

“I had wanted to do a personal project on New York City surf culture for some time now. After a little talking around, it seemed like Rockaway Beach was the place –  a beach accessible by subway from Manhattan. My producer and I arrived in New York City on one of the hottest weekends of the year.  As temperatures rise in the city, so do the number of Manhattanites wanting to take the A train out to Rockaway. It was going to be a busy weekend out there.

3 trains, 2 transfers and 6 bottles of water later, we arrived in Rockaway. We had done a little research before the shoot and through a dizzying tangle of personal connections, we found who we had heard was the unofficial mayor of Rockaway Beach. TJ, was a local guy, a lifelong surfer who was kind of enough to meet us at the subway stop and show a couple of us left-coasters around his neighborhood. Among hoards of other city people, we surfed, ate at the local taco shop, and met TJ’s Uncle Rick on the boardwalk (pictured above). Late in the afternoon – blazing sun and humidity turned to torrential downpour- and all 6 of us piled into TJ’s truck to head to the local pub for shelter. I was a little disappointed at first that the weather had turned just when the surf was about to get good.

Amongst the running and laughter and cursing the rain as we piled into TJ’s truck, a beautiful thing happened that always makes for the most interesting and dynamic images. We all just let go. We stopped trying to get on the perfect wave, get the perfect angle, the sun in just the right place.   It happens that most of my favorite images from the trip were created in this way.

Moments between moments.

When the veracity of feeling replaces orchestration. All of these images were made in this space in between….”

To see more of David Martinez’s work, please link here.

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Dandelions are not just for salads and wishes.

© Kevin Twomey – http://www.kevintwomey.com

In his own words, Kevin Twomey shares his obsession with all things dandelion.

“Last month while at a restaurant in Brooklyn, I saw that they were offering a Dandelion Salad as an appetizer.  After spending countless hours photographing them, I could not pass up the opportunity to experience the plant in another way beyond sight.

I wonder why we spend so much energy trying to eradicate them when right out on our lawns is a nutritious salad just waiting to be harvested? And what about the medicinal uses, not to mention the ever so important relationship it has with the bees?

For me, my obsession with the dandelion lies after the flower blooms and turns into that white fluffy ball, so fragile, just waiting for a subtle breeze to release the seed-bearing parachutes. ….and so many wishes.”

Kevin has a wide collection of ‘organic’ imagery that he showcases on his website.

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What do Elliott Erwitt and Hunter’s Freeman’s wife have in common?

When I asked Hunter Freeman to consider the questions, “Who is your hero?” for our blog series, I wasn’t surprised by his answers one bit.

Here is what he had to say:

“This is difficult to narrow down to one person.  Photographically, the closest I can get to one “hero” would be Elliott Erwitt.  He is to me the epitome of a joy-filled photographer.  He’s able to see so much love and joy and fun in our world, which can be an enormous challenge, considering all the tragedy that confronts us on a daily basis.

I feel that he would rather show us the love that is in the world than the hate, show us things that will uplift us, rather than depress us.  To help explain what I mean, for example, there are many reasons that soldiers make jokes in the midst of tremendously awful situations (which can often seem macabre to any civilian, including me), but with so much “awfulness”, I conclude that what they, and by extension, all of us, most need, is not for that awfulness to be constantly pointed out, but for something funny, or ridiculous, or just outrageously incongruous to spotlighted.

It allows us to relax, to feel at ease, not under pressure, not filled with the cares of this world.   Elliott Erwitt has persistently focussed on that which is funny, or charming, or goofy, or just simply lovely.  With so much crap out there bombarding us all, that persistence is heroic, in my book (or iPad).

My real hero, though, is my wife.  She is Love personified.  Except when she’s not, which is very rare indeed.”
To see more of Hunter’s work check out his website and his blog.  You can see first hand how his heroes have influenced his photography.