Kevin Twomey Visits a Local Legend Before It Closes It’s Doors.

_MG_7014Kevin Twomey spends his weekends riding his bicycle and hiking in some of the most beautiful places in Northern California.   Since my weekends are often very different (think being a mom, 3 kids and sporting events) I am always in awe of the photographs he shares at the end of a weekend of the latest remote place he discovered.  On a recent weekend trip to Point Reyes, he visited a place that compelled him to write a blog post.  

Here is what he had to say.

“When the  choice between paper or plastic at the grocery store was first offered to me (which today will cost you 10 cents per bag in San Francisco),  I stood there in front of the cashier with a confused look while taking too much time weighing the positive and negatives of both.

This  week, my indecision involves the agonizing question regarding extending the lease of Drakes Oyster Company’s operation in Point Reyes. I am glad I am not the “Decider”.

I visited the Oyster Farm on March 2nd to experience what might be my last tasting of DOC’s delicious raw oysters before  they close in a couple of months due to a 40 year lease that expired last year.

I had a nice talk with the son of the owner of Drake’s Oyster Co., Sean Lunny, as he worked on the line that sorts the oysters. He hopes that the federal government will at least allow them to finish harvesting what is still in the waters. The Oyster Farm plants and harvests 8 million oysters a year (producing about 460,000 pounds of shucked oysters).  They still have about 2 years of unharvested oysters in 1,000 acres of submerged land. Their operation accounts for about 40% of the commercial oyster production in the state. These numbers are quite impressive for a small company that strives to produce a product through sustainable agricultural practices with ecological responsibility.

After my conversation I walked around the farm and took a few snapshots of their farm & production.

As one who appreciates our natural wonders, I applaud the Park Service’s efforts to keep supporting our marine life.  But I cannot help but feel there is some way a company that provides sustainable, local-grown organic food can co-exist.  Because closing this company will affect the consumer market for oysters I wonder who will step up to replace what they provided and at what cost?  A company on some other less-defended shoreline waters 6000 miles away?  One that isn’t practicing sustainable agricultural practices?

Feeling compelled to help save Drakes Oyster Company?  Link to here to sign their petition.

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Confessions of an Instragrammer. By Kevin Twomey.

@Kevin Twomey Instagram Photography

I love how when I see a Kevin Twomey image on Instagram, I never know it is his.  That is because he isn’t taking photographs of the things he does in his studio.  Instead he is photographing exactly the opposite.  And, being that he is a still life photographer, his world has opened up!   

Enjoy a recent blog post he wrote confessing his latest obsession.

“If you have not yet succumbed to the crack-like lure of instagram, all I can say is, don’t start.

It began simply enough, with me capturing stills on my iPad.  The iPad, as it turns out, is but a gateway drug: as a professional photographer, the limitations of its vastly inferior camera soon had me hijacking my wife’s iPhone to capture interesting images during our weekend hikes.  First, it was with her permission, but after I vomitously filled up her phone with my addiction, she cut me off.

I wandered the streets, desperate to fill that 16Gb void in my soul, and soon found a smartphone dealer who would sell me an iPhone. As a still-life photographer, I had been so used to the 4×5, taking my time, carefully crafting my shots, that using something a fraction of its size and weight was absolutely liberating!  I spent more and more hours under the influence of its euphoric filters, convinced that the next hit would yield that elusive high of PhotoShopped wonder.  I found acceptance in the Instagram community.

Instagram takes care of me.  It provides me with apps to nurture my creativity (first one is always free). It feeds my desire to observe and my obsessive need to shoot. After all, they are parented by Facebook, known for respecting -many- of the privacy filters they offer.  Except on January 17th.  Need I say more?

I can stop any time, though.  I can control it.  I’m not like those obsessive users driven to enter competitions, instacanvas and type-those-endless-keywords-on-a-scren-so-tiny-you-might-suck-it-up- your-nostrils-if-you-look-too-close.

It is just that it is my civic duty to mentor the social media generation, to impart professional wisdom gleaned from years of practice.

Or so I tell myself, as i watch my images flash by on my niece’s iPhone, shared and re-shared in a blindingly-fast display of teenage thumbwork.”

To view more of my instagram images please go to :  kevintwomey.com/instagram

6 Days, 7 Airplanes, 18 Taxis, 4 Hotels, 40 Appointments and 100s of Handshakes and Hugs Later.

In all the years I have been repping, these last two weeks have been some of the most productive.  I traveled to two great events and met with so many of the art producers and creatives that I have gotten to know so well over the years.   While I was busy doing my thing, three  of the photographers in our group attended At Edge’s Face to Face in NYC,  two attended Debra Weiss’s One on One event in LA and three of them ventured out on appointments.

All of those events and appointments together amounted to connecting with well over 200 people.

I have always said that the single most important thing I can do for my photographers is to make a connection.  And, if a photographer isn’t shooting, the single most important thing they can do for themselves is to make a connection. Doing so in this industry goes a long way.  And, having done this for quite some time now, I can say the relationships that have come from these connections – both personal and professional – have indeed been beneficial for everyone in our group.

Even though each event is very different, they all provide a very powerful path to making important connections.   See below for how we made each event work for us.

AT EDGE -FACE TO FACE

For those of you who have never attended an At Edge Face to Face  event, the goal is to connect top level creative talent with leading photographers.  (Link here to learn more)

Each photographer is scheduled for three 15 minute meetings with people they would like to meet.  When I attend the event, I accompany the photographers and help them to present their work.  Attending with them allows both of us the chance to connect one on one with the reviewer.

Our photographers made their own connections- without me.

Well, even though attending with them has worked well in the past, this time I decided to do things a little differently.  I learned a long time ago that if there is an opportunity for a photographer to have a meeting one on one without me, it can be more powerful than if I were present.   I have found that when I am present, the conversation can turns social and the photographer is left without the opportunity to tell their own story.

The fifteen minutes At Edge allows is not a lot of time, so why be a distraction? We decided that this time, I would merely make the introduction, say a quick hello and leave them to their conversation.

Hunter Freeman, Chris Crisman and Kevin Twomey all agreed that it was their time to shine at these meetings and all came back enthusiastic and excited about their new connections.  Connections that were entirely theirs.

Our photographers know that the quick, fifteen minute meeting, is just the beginning of their connection and it is up to them to keep it going.

I have heard photographers question how they can adequately show off their work in just fifteen minutes.  And I have also heard them say that it wasn’t worth the time and money to attend an event if they were only going to meet a few people.  I have always thought this was short sighted because all it takes is one person, one connection or even just one image that makes that next job happen.

Hunter Freeman had a great strategy.  He knew that he only had fifteen minutes and recognized that he was one of many that would be presenting their work that night.  Hunter started off each meeting telling the person that they would end the meeting with three things to remember him by;  Kids with Power Tools, Apple and Dreams.  His reviewers were intrigued and when he got to those particular images he would point them out and remind them that these were the images they were suppose to remember him by.   When the meeting ended each person – on their own – mentioned all three images back to him.  It was a successful connection.

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In addition to Hunter’s strategy, everyone in the group spent the next few days following up with email and hand written thank you notes and not just to the people on their meeting list, but to everyone at the event.  There were so many flying around I could not keep up.

As we all discussed,  having a reason to connect with someone is half the battle.  At Edge provided so much more than that.

LE BOOK CONNECTIONS LA

At first glance, you may describe a Le Book Connections event as chaotic or even overwhelming.  There are so many exhibitors, countless attendees and too many portfolios, ipads and images on display to count.

If you had never attended before it would be natural to ask, “How can you digest all of what you are seeing so that the event is meaningful?”

Here is how we do it:

•  Create a compelling and colorful environment. 

We make sure our booth is inviting and shows off imagery, not just portfolios. We use a combination of music stands and tables to showcase the work.  Every book is kept open to an image.  People often comment that the booth draws them in every time.

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•  Curate our work so that we can easily show what is the newest.

The question most asked is, “What do you have that is new?” This is an obvious question and helps people digest all the work they are viewing.  We ask each photographer to update their books before the event and also provide us with any special presentations of their latest work.  Since so many people are already familiar with our photographers this is an easy way to get them to take a second look.  This time, Ron Berg’s Kentucky Derby Fashion promo was a big hit and fun for people to flip through.

•  Provide an Agency Portfolio

We learned after the first Le Book that not everyone has time to review every book like at a regular portfolio show.  So, to combat that, we created a AGENCY PORTFOLIO.  However, rather than group the portfolio by photographers like most other agencies do, we group the book by  SPECIALTY.  That way, a reviewer can see which photographers in our group shoot still life, food, lifestyle, landscape etc and if they see something they like we can direct them towards a particular book.  It is amazing how many times someone goes from book to book once we show them the group portfolio.

•  We Know How to Throw a Good Party

At the Le Book Connections NY event last year, we hired a very nice looking bartender (can’t hurt, right?) to mix martinis for the cocktail hour.  The shake shake shake and the martini glasses wandering around the room were a hit and drew people to our booth for sure.

Well, this year, we upped the ante and partnered with Brite Productions.  We asked to be placed next to them and together we hired the bartender, served martinis again and added pigs in the blanket for a little Mad Men style.  It was a party not to be missed.  And, the sense of community was unsurpassed.

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DEBRA WEISS’ ONE ON ONE EVENT

I have never personally attended one of these events because they are by invitation only for the photographers. However,  whenever I receive an invitation for them to attend another one, I always encourage our photographers to do so.

Her event is similar to FotoWorks in that photographers meet one on one with many art producers and creatives to present portfolios. They are allotted 25 minutes and they see upwards of ten or more people.  It is a very productive time and many connections are made.

I am sometimes asked why photographers in our group attend events like this.  People wonder why photographers at this particular level would need to do this?  Why wouldn’t they just reach out to the creatives and art producers on their own.  Surely, they would get an appointment.

My answer is simple.  Efficiency.  There is no other way that a photographer (or a rep for that matter) could see that many people in that short amount of time.  Ron Berg and Hunter Freeman saw 10 people each at Debra’s One on One. Chris Crisman and Richard Schultz met 20 people each when they attended FotoworksNYC.  Any rep will tell you that coordinating 20 appointments for one photographer would never happen in two days, ever.  You would be lucky if this happened over a week and to get a photographer to commit to a week on the road promoting their work is a long shot as well.

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CHRIS CRISMAN’S LAST MINUTE ROAD TRIP TO NYC

3:30PM (West coast time) on Wednesday of last week, I received an email from Chris Crisman.  “I am headed to NYC tomorrow for appointments, can you help me out?”  3:30 my time is 6:30PM in New York.  YIKES!  While I was thrilled that he was hitting the pavement with his new portfolio, I was not quite sure what I would pull off for him given that most of NY was headed home.   Regardless of the time, I began sending emails.  I started with the art producers that have called in his work or estimated a job with him in the last year.  I then reached out to friends, knowing that I would at least get a reply from them!

Well, by the time I got back at my desk the next morning, Chris had eight appointments.  Eight!  I was so grateful for everyone for even considering such a last minute request.  On top of the eight appointments, countless others replied with their regrets – which I thought was amazing given how busy everyone was and I never expected that many people to even reply.  And, as I said to Chris, even a regret means they had to think about you for a second.  Who knows, maybe they even clicked on his website.

When it was all over, Chris had an opportunity to show off his new portfolio, talk about potential projects and meet new friends.   Something he would not have otherwise been able to do from behind his desk at his studio.

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A special thank you goes out to Glen Serbin, Susan Baraz, Elizabeth Owens, Alex Orlowski , Debra Weiss and all the NYC Art Producers that took time to schedule appointments and reply to my emails  for making our time on the road very very productive!  We are part of a very special community of creative, talented and generous people and we are very grateful.

Heather Elder Represents Rethinks the Agency Portfolio.

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Last year, we decided that it was a good time to create an AGENCY PORTFOLIO.  We had a fantastic group of photographers and many opportunities to show it off.  We didn’t want it to be a typical group book that had a section for each photographer.  While we like those and they are always very strong, we wanted ours to be a little different so that it would stand out more at events such as Le Book’s Connections.

What we came up with was a portfolio divided by SPECIALTY instead of by PHOTOGRAPHER.  We liked this idea because it allowed us to showcase the type of work our group can offer while allowing the viewer to file our group away by different specialities.  Of course it is always our main goal for a creative to learn who our photographers are and what they shoot individually.  This will never change.  But, by offering an alternate way for them to view the work in our group, we are opening up another opportunity for them to remember the work.

More often than not the Agency Portfolio is shown in conjunction with the individual portfolios so if a viewer is interested in seeing more, they can choose to do so right then and there.  This is particularly helpful in a setting like Le Book Connections because there are so many books to view and it can get overwhelming for some. We have found that our agency book provides a breath of fresh air in a crowded market.

Take a look for yourself and see.  It is no mistake that we chose the song, Breathe by Sia as the background music.  Enjoy!

Click here to see the video of our Agency Portfolio

Click here to see the video of our Agency Portfolio

Happy Holidays from Heather Elder Represents! Enjoy our recap of a great year of blog posts.

© Chris Crisman

© Chris Crisman

Happy Holidays everyone.  Lauranne, Taya and I hope you are surrounded by friendship and family this holiday season and are able to take some time off to enjoy everyone you love.

We wanted to take this time to thank all of you for your support for our blog.  We had no idea when we started this almost two years ago that it would be embraced by the community as it has.  The conversations we have had this year are compelling, interesting and fun!  We really appreciate how you all engage with the blog and help keep it alive.  It is a special part of who we are at Heather Elder Represents and we have you to thank for that.

Since our offices will be closed until Monday, January  7th we will be taking a break from posting.  Until then, enjoy some of our most popular posts this year.

•  Did you catch the controversy brewing on Chris Crisman’s blog on What defines a photograph?  This one went viral.

•  Did you get to attend Le Book Connections Chicago?  Link here to see what it was all about.

• How about the Community Table NYC posts?  Very informative conversation with NYC art producers.  A three part series that followed up our Community Table NYC posts.  Link here to see all of the Community Table posts.

•  We had some really wonderful Art Producers interviews for our Art Buyer Insider  and Solving Mystery Series.  Sandy Boss Febbo, Char Eisner, Suzee Barabee, Jason Lau, Lisa Crawford, Beverly Adler, Julie Rosenoff , Cindy Hicks and Ken Zane just to name a few.

•  Were you ever a waitress?  If so, you will enjoy reading this one.  I am Good at my Job because I was a Waitress.

•  How about Andy Anderson’s post about his series Birth Water?  Powerful.

•  Want to schedule 64 meetings in 3 days?  Ron Berg, Chris Crisman and Richard Schultz did just that. See how here.

  Why do we print?  Let Chris Crisman answer.

•  What the heck?  Birth of a Gummy Bear?  How is that even possible?  Kevin Twomey shows you with video.

•  Hunter Freeman shares how partnering with a CGI artist is a powerful combination.  Link here for the story.

•  Sheri Radel Rosenberg offers some tips on being freelance. A must re-read for the New Year.  Link here.

•  Looking for a new playlist?  Link here to see what David Martinez plays for his clients during a shoot.

•  Considering redesigning your website?  Good luck!  Ron Berg offers some helpful hints in this blogpost.

When the Journey is More Interesting than the Destination.

© Kevin Twomey

Back in October we shared with you some photographs that Kevin Twomey took on a summer trip to Italy.   He included a corresponding post reminding us the importance of slowing down.  Well, Kevin’s trip also took him to St. Moritz. And, it was here that he tested out his newly healed arm after a break and hiked a hard to reach summit.  He recently shared his experience with us and the beautiful photographs that he created.

“While on vacation in Italy, we took an overnight trip to St Moritz and I found the journey far more interesting then the destination. The first leg was from Oltre il Colle to Tirano, where we took the scenic route through windy roads and over the San Marco pass.   We stopped at the pass to stretch our legs and take a few pictures.  What I captured was one of my favorite images from the trip.   I was drawn to the the modern day electric wires that followed over a road  built  in the 16th century. For me, it was about the layering of time.

© Kevin Twomey

I was told that the pass was built as a trade route between Bergamo (ruled by the Republic of Venice at the time) and cities to the north so they could avoid paying the high tariffs to Milan. The modern road over the pass is a favorite for many hardcore cyclists.

The second leg was a 2 1/2 hour train ride from Tirano to St Moritz.  It was a gorgeous ride through the Alps with breathtaking scenery, where the tracks climb at a 7% gradient and stop close to Brenina Pass at an elevation of almost 7,400 ft.  I can only imagine what this trip would be like in the winter!

There are 3 things to do in St Moritz; ski, shop and eat.  Since I am not a big shopper, I was happy to just sit on the slopes of St Moritz (minus the snow), and enjoy my delicious cured meat and cheese sandwich while basking in the sun.

After returning from St Moritz, I decided to hike up to one of the lower peaks of the nearby Mt. Alben. On my way up, I met three lovely people who were on their way to the higher, more difficult-to-get-to peak and was invited to join them. The rock scrambling tested my arm (which I had broken 8 weeks earlier),  but the payoff was worth it when we hit the summit.   The weather was on my side at that moment with storm clouds in the distance to help give me the right atmosphere for my photograph, but far enough away so I cloud return home dry.

© Kevin Twomey

© Kevin Twomey

© Kevin Twomey

© Kevin Twomey

If you would like to see more of Kevin’s work, please link here.

10 Things (well 11 things) you may not know about Kevin Twomey.

When Kevin Twomey sent along his list of 10 Things we may not have known about him, it included an eleventh item.  He told us that we could choose the ten that we wanted to use.  We liked all eleven so decided to share them all.  Enjoy!

1. My bike: I  love steel frames, the struggle of going up hill and sometimes enjoy riding with no hands –  I have a plate and 10 screws in my right arm to prove it.

2. My nick name in college. was “Shaggy” as in the Scooby-Doo character .

3. I recently went in for a routine cavity filling and now the right side of my tongue constantly buzzes.  the dentist says just wait a few months…

4. Yes, I’m one of those bay area folks that has swum from Alcatraz to SF

5. I’m a  foodie but can be just as satisfied with a peanut butter sandwich…..on a nice piece of artisan bread

6. Dark chocolate (70%) can come from anywhere but  Fruits! & Veggies,  Local please!

7. I am the youngest of six

8. Tennessee William’s is my favorite playwright .

9. One of my first jobs was as a dishwasher and to this day, i don’t let my wife load the dishwasher.

10. Other  occupations I had considered were  theatrical set design, forest ranger and at the age of 10, a stuntman.

11.  when I went into kindergarten, i switched hand dominance from left to right, but thee are a few things i still do lefty like batting and bowling