Some Thoughts on Conformity

Firstly I must make an apology.
In my previous blog post I did something that I swore to myself that I wouldn’t do when I started this. I should explain that I write these posts for me - to manifest the knot of feelings, opinions and fears created by pursuing a vocation so intrinsically entwined with my ego/soul/general well-being and view of the world. You are effected on a very personal level every day of your life when your success, income and often mental state are controlled by the raging maelstrom that is the photographic industry.
I write these small sections of thought and opinion to vent the internal dialogs that are often hard to communicate to anyone un/fortunate enough to be involved with something that effects you on such a deep and personal level and then to have to make the decisions needed to also support your kids whilst staying true to your ideologue.
Should a blog be a vehicle of self promotion? a digital bus-side or billboard that we spend our time filling? Or should it be a reflection of something more? I choose to exercise my opinions that relate to a world that is ever more complicated, the thoughts are a part of me and something that I feel (hope) has some value by putting it into the stream.
The process is a vent or a valve, but also an invitation.

So. I am sorry. I am sorry for falling into the trap of feeling that I needed to post a bullshit piece of information to thinly veil some factious self promotion. I am sorry that I was patronising enough to think that anyone would think the better of me as a professional, and mostly I am sorry that I let myself conform to the the modern view that our value is quantified by the amount we advocate and advertise our own worth.

As an explanation, I had had two correspondences with people that I worked for who had read the blog and thought that maybe some of the content was related to them, as well as a number of other professionals who said that it was not positive enough and would put people off hiring me.
I could see their point and decided to do what everyone else seems to do and tell anyone who had taken the time to read it how fucking ace I am.
Now I want work as much as the next person, but I am not willing to sell my integrity or patronise the people who have taken their valuable time to listen to my opinion, they/you deserve better. I know for one I am fed up with the stream of fake and gratuitous promotion and self branding that I have to grin and bear every day, I would much rather someone was honest and real. I don't care if you just shot the cover of narcissism magazine, would you piss on me if I was on fire?
The people I work with keep hiring me (thanks guys) so I cant be doing to badly. Its not like I am going to walk onto a shoot and start talking about the economy like the guy in the fosters ad. I do my Job every day and I do it well. I would hope that someone would want to work with a professional who genuinely cares not only about what they do, but about the industry and the world as a whole.

I suppose you could question why I put it up at all when it doesn’t serve to promote, and I couldn’t honestly tell you. It may be because I want to believe that there are other people that feel like me. That not everyone is flying high in cloud cuckoo land, or other people feel frustrated at the sheer mind fucking bizarreness of it all, and, that ultimately someone else cares.

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Some Thoughts on Experimentation

In the last month or so I have been playing a lot with experimental lighting in portraits. I have always loved aberrations and glitches in photography. Using them effectively in an age of instagram filters poses a challenge. It is interesting the more you explore a technique with tests and personal projects the more it bleeds into your everyday work. It just goes to show the importance of personal work, no matter how experimental in pushing yourself forward as an image maker. The four images below were shot on the back of commercial shoots and at home, they are followed by a portrait that I shot for Esquire a couple of weeks back, the personal work is not relevant on a commercial platform, but when toned back a bit works nicely in the portrait of Ellen Parr, a fantastic chef and co-creator of the art of dining (yes she is also the daughter of Martin Parr)

| LA |

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Esquire Weekly Magazine

Some thoughts on motivation

What motivates you?
What drives you forward, wills you to improve? What keeps you going through the hard times, through the rejections and the failures? Is the the eventual rewards of success or the journey?
I have been thinking of this a lot lately. My motivation has been waning of late and I have been trying to figure out why. Why have I been feeling like it is all fickle and ephemeral. I have had my share of success as well as my share of failure (whatever you consider that to be) and definitely rejection.
The images I see gaining commercial and artistic success in the main I do not empathise with. I no longer understand what I consider to be good imagery.
I see projects on twins, ginger people, awkward teenagers all seemingly miserable and vacant, and I have to ask why, whats the point? I see happy couples in flared light drinking designer coffee, I am left numb. And I am as guilty as the next person.
Its as if ambiguity itself has a value in imagery - to say nothing is to say all you need. I see so many images that say nothing at all about their subject winning awards and adulation, is it just me that doesn’t get it? am I missing the something? Or are people hiding behind a veil of enigmatic bullshit because they have nothing of real value to say?
Recently I visited Paraguay with a charity that I volunteer for, we were there to deliver shelter for people displaced by flooding. During my time there I photographed the people I met, I had no agenda other than to point the camera and take a picture of them as they were - often only one or two frames. The people we met had lost everything (the little they had) They made their living from picking up rubbish in the city and selling it for recycling. Yet the pictures I got came back showing their defiance and strength, if anyone should look vacant and miserable it was them (or so it would seem in our western view of value) Not to say that these images have more or less value than any others, but it interested me that they were not what I expected to get when I left. The pictures are not by me - I simply pointed a camera in the direction of a person, the pictures are by the people themselves, and the narrative is not what was expected from a simplistic view of their situation, the lesson: a portrait is not, or should not be about the photographer or an idea of the person, but should be by the person themselves and physical motivation is inherently linked with theoretical motivation, you have to believe in what you are doing or it will have a short shelf life. Fuck these self indulgent vacant images of people who have more than they could ever want, if they say anything at all, it is to incriminate our hedonistic age of entitlement. Motivate yourself to document something real, something that adds value to yourself your subject and the world.
My lack of motivation it turns out is with our hypocritical and indulgent value of images, or at least with my view and interaction with them. I have been focused on success as a measure of work gained commercially and recognition from people for whom I have little empathy. Everyone finds value and motivation in different places and there is no right or wrong way - only that which sustains you.
There are image makers out there doing wonderful work, recently I discovered the work of Jim Motram, just one of many photographers producing work with consequence, exploring their subjects and displaying the socially conscious results in an engaging and honest appraisal of the subjects. His motivation is abundant and seems to be authentic, funded by donations, the commercial value at zero (even proceeds from a recent exhibition went to charities associated with the project) the value of the imagery increases in its pursuit of honest communication.
I am humbled by image makers that take a selfless view of the world, and are motivated simply by the art of communication and observation.
I have been focused for so long on motivating myself for commercial success that I have lost something along the way, it turns out that my motivation has not gone. I was just looking in the wrong place.

| LA |

Some thoughts on consistency

Being as I haven't uploaded a blog entry for about 3 weeks I thought I might share some thoughts on the issue of consistency within our field. The thoughts are mostly in relation to consistency relative to the world of commissioned work.
Consistency is probably one of the most important areas for a professional photographer to nail down. There are so many of us now that the mitigating factor in most commissions (after knowing the commissioner) is consistency of style. 99% of the time a buyer or client is hiring you to produce something for them that they want complete control over, it is rare that you get any creative input beyond applying your style of photography to their concept. If your images have a wide aesthetic range or varied subject matter a potential buyer would be gambling on the final look that would be achieved for their concept (in their eyes anyway) Even if you consider yourself to have multiple talents spanning a range of genres you somehow need to focus these in to a consistent body of work that leaves anyone looking to commission you in no doubt as to what they will receive at the business end.
I by no means condone this, the process creates monosyllabic narratives that are based on a commercially adherent model of success. But hey, we all need to make a living.
This is not universal, but if I was being negative and cynical (which I am) I would say that there is very little room for creative expression outside of personal work. Yet it tends to be the personal work that wins us the commissions.
Rock and a hard place.
I believe I could identify a shot upon sight taken by many of the top photographers that interest me, it is no coincidence that their style is easy to recognize and they are also successful. I guess it depends on how you measure success, whether it be the number of commissions you receive or the personal gratification of doing the best job you can, possibly even the exposure you receive, or the difference you make. Whether you agree or not, your portfolio needs to show a consistency of style that will make your work tangible to a buyer or client. If it is success in commissions that you want then it is simply a case of taking the choice away from them, give them no option but to hire you when they need a black and white shot of a grumpy looking teenager holding an umbrella on a cliff in Devon. Fill your book with teenagers, umbrellas and cliffs. Sure you may not get the flarey shot of the girl with an Afro sitting in a cafe drinking a coffee commission, but shit loads of peeps have got that one covered anyway.
A photographer will look at their work emotionally, and in some genres this is fine. In advertising you need to be more pragmatic and look at it coldly. Ask yourself if you would know what you were getting as a buyer? But at the same time be creative and cover the niches that no one else does, it is all a bit of a dichotomy, but what is photography if not consistently inconsistent.

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Some thoughts on the Portrait Prize

I have just made the annual pilgrimage to Elephant and Castle (LCC) to drop off my print entries to this years NPG Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize.
For anyone that considers themselves a portrait photographer being included in the final exhibition of the prize would be the ultimate recognition by your peers. But is it the case that such a prestigious competition could, or should, define you? There is a stigma attached to the prize a running joke among photographers that to get in it you need to shoot a ginger, freckled, miserable looking teenager. And having viewed the exhibition many times it has to be said that there is not much joy displayed. Is it true then, to say that the majority of people are melancholy, awkward or miserable? Or is it closer to the mark that a miserable or awkward looking portrait holds a higher pedigree in that it asks unanswerable questions about the subject and by default the viewer?
Like everyone I have had my own opinions on the images that have progressed and won in the past, some I like, some I don’t. My personal view is that a portrait should show a part of the person that is the subject - a visual representation of their aura in the present, in the flesh. All too often it looks to me like the photographer has projected their own interpretation of what a strong portrait is onto the subject they are charged with representing, I often don’t see a person but an idea of representation polluted by the photographers motives.
There is (as we all know) no right or wrong way to approach your work, and all we can do is execute it with the highest integrity we can, and hope that the execution translates our vision as we intended.
To pander to what you think would be judged right by the peers of a competition, no matter how highly regarded would be to water down the integrity of you work, and you would therefore probably have less chance of progressing.
This year I entered two prints, one I would say fits in well with the historical style that has been successful in the comp. The other is a portrait of a model called Meryl. I had to enter this because it is - to my eyes - as true a representation you will get of a person in a photograph that I have taken. It was shot during a break on a commercial shoot, we were chatting and I happened to have the camera in my hand, I photographed the moment without any consideration, even the composition is slightly awkward and unconsidered, but it all add to the moment that she was just being. Meryl.
I have more technically proficient images, I have images that are more instantly arresting and I have images that are more poignant. But this image is Meryl, when you look at it you see her, not me, or my idea or her, it is Meryl as she is when you meet her.
Who knows how I will do, I guess I have as much chance as anyone, I believe in the integrity of my portrait and that is all I can do. And if I am really lucky maybe next year there will be an image of someone smiling in the exhibition.

| LA |

Some thoughts on image rights

I shoot stock imagery! There I have got it out like some sort of stock anonymous introduction. I feel clean, like my dirty secret is out and I can finally start my 12 step program to recovery.
There is still a massive stigma associated with shooting for image libraries, something that until recently I have never understood. I started doing it when I was assisting as a way of commissioning myself, and with a view to easing the bridge to photographer with a monthly royalty income. It has to be said that at times this income has put food on the table for my kids when there would have been nothing otherwise. For this reason I continue to produce the occasional shoot for library. I know for a fact many household names shoot for libraries, often under different names, as do big name fashion photographers with catalog. The fact is everybody needs to make a living, and despite the hardcore voices booing from the height of giant horses, if the alternative is to not feed my kids I will gladly take it. I understand the argument against, and in many ways I agree, I can only assume that many of the vehemently anti faction must come from a time before the stock empire and remember when all clients came to you directly. I love my job, but at times it is difficult and uncertain, a quiet period involves sleepless nights wondering how to pay for my daughters ballet lessons. The library work is a fairly constant income that keeps her dancing.
So until now all has been rosy in my soirees with stock agencies.
Enter a popular Spanish band who contacted me about an image that they had found on my site. It was a simple portrait of a girl who I had shot on a shoot that had been submitted to a large image library. The actual image had not been used so I assumed everything was ok. After the image had been sent to the band they contacted me to request an official usage contract, fair as this was, it sent alarm bells ringing in my head, I suddenly remembered reading a section in the library contract that mentioned all images related to a shoot being managed by them, even if it had not been submitted. Surely an image that I had taken, produced and paid for with my own money must be mine? The fear of getting in trouble has always filled me with dread, even if people accuse me of something I haven't done I feel sick with guilt. To be perfectly sure I told the band to hold fire and contacted the agency. Turns out the image was not mine at all but theirs, apparently if I had not checked I could have been sued by the agency for whom I provide images, with my own effort and my own money. Worse than that the band could have been sued as well, bearing in mind the image would already have been produced on a run of CD covers, it would have been a disaster. This may seem naive to many but having never come across a situation where my rights were called into question I had never given it much thought. To some this will make me part of the problem, I understand the need to fight for rights to our work, but I had never really considered it much because until now it had not affected me, and this may be naive and a little selfish, but I am an image maker pure and simple. I don't pretend to understand the business or legal complexities of the industry, even if I didn't do this for a living I would make images anyway because that is what I love to do. What this experience has taught me is that this is not enough, if I want to continue to make my living from photography and provide for my children with a job I love doing then I need to pay more attention to not only the business of it, but also the politics. It is time to be involved in not only photography but also the photographic community.
I will probably still produce library images, I don't particularly hold any grudge against them, it was my mistake in not knowing my position. At the end of the day they run a business with rules to protect themselves, and over the years I have benefited from their business. I do however intend to be more selective as to what I do give them and become more educated as to the implications of not only my own rights but those of the wider community.
This week I will not have one of my images on the front of a CD by a popular band, but I will take more pictures and my daughter will dance.

| LA |

Some Thoughts on Value

Value, quality, what something is worth to you personally is subject to our own individual experience and perspective, one persons treasure is another’s curse. This is a good thing.
My perspective on the value in photography is transient. It is arguable that the value of photography has decreased with the continued saturation and fickle nature of its use as a means of communication and validation. There is also a case to answer that its abuse and manipulation in the hands of those who seek to use it as a tool of propaganda both political and economic draws into question its integrity. In its simplicity it is a means of documenting something, whether an idea or a physical rendition. How this is used and the honesty and integrity to which it is employed is a complicated subject far too deep to explore here.
So why drivel on?
Yesterday was my sons 4th birthday, I hate taking my camera to these sorts of things, normally I take pictures on my camera phone, it feels more natural to take family pictures this way, if I use my pro it feels like I am objectifying them. Yesterday I decided to take the big one anyway and I really enjoyed it. Rather than looking for a perfect shot I just took what I could without getting in the way. It was a reminder for me that the value of a photograph is in the content relative to the viewer. It was lovely to get quality shots of my family because they hold massive value to me, others may see the same shots differently, but the value is in the content - not the technical application - or the commercial value - Not even in their final use. The most valuable image to me is one of my son smiling on his birthday.

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