Permission To Suck

Creative Licenses

Ask anyone in a tough creative field who they idolize and they’ll usually give you ½ dozen off the top of mind.  Conversely, in an entirely opposite dimension, we all recognize those undeserving souls who’ve been elevated to opportunity, prominence or praise.  Just for the record: may I say with some sarcasm, very few deserve it more than me but I’m equally certain I’m on more than one list of someone’s somewhere.

I don’t often get inspired to respond to a post on another blog but this was too good a subject to pass up.  Leslie over at Burns Auto Parts (creative consultant) posted a complaint about Brad Pitt jumping professions, she called: “Creative Poseurs”. The beef: without any apparent formal qualifications, Mr. Pitt was given an opportunity to help design a Hotel in Dubai and took it. 

Exasperating? Yes, more than a little for all those insanely talented architects struggling to gain enough notoriety to design a 4 story office building say nothing of a high budget hotel in a booming international city.  I share the teeth grinding frustration.  Nevertheless I’ve avoided expensive dental bills by recognizing that creativity isn’t the asset of an exclusive club.  Has anyone actually seen the Brad Pitt aided hotel design? And, if so, is it the architectural equivalence of Paris Hilton?

Mostly in my youth, but still on occasion, I’d anguish over a campaign that I could have kicked in the teeth [might as well keep it going] but somehow passed me over.  To make matters worse, all my friends, and a few relatives, tell me how I would have done a much better job than Joe Photo Dude who won the assignment. Thus far, however, nothing good came from whining over the injustice of it.

Qualifications not withstanding, would I turn down a Microsoft Ad Campaign because I knew Bill Gates and others felt I was undeserving? Hell no, I’m takin’ it.  How about that 18 y/o guitar hero on YouTube that was signed to open for Clapton in London? [don’t bother looking it didn’t really happen] Do you really think he’s more deserving than the 1000+ more talented players who’ve put in their Econoline miles? – of course not. 
Our mission as professionals – like it or not - is to embrace opportunity when it comes, admire the luck of others but charge forward head down making our own.

Not Allowed: sidebar

Listen to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton's (D-DC) reaction to banning photography in Washington's Union Station by going here.

Get more scoop on Joel Lawson's blog here.

Photography Not Allowed

If it wasn't evidence of our eroding rights post 9/11 this might actually be funny.  Why is photography so scary?

Go here.

This post came to me courtesy of The Photo Attorney.

Fair Use Fuss

Carolyn Wright - Attorney for Photographers - has a great post about copyright and fair use. HERE

Manarchy

Not that you ever wondered or put one ounce of thought into "where did Bruce find his inspiration early in his career?" or "where does he find it now?" - regardless - I'm going to show you.

Go see: Dennis Manarchy

He has changed the way I look at photographs more that once. I recall back in 1997 I visited a Chicago photo retoucher who was working on Dennis' work.  When I entered his office he said, "Bruce, you've got to see this; it's a prototype of the new Manarchy Book." 

I left both entirely humbled and whole heartedly inspired at the same time.  There are a hand full of photographers who can offer me that experience.  I will share them occassionally: please visit Dennis's work.  You won't be disappointed.

Shocking the Pitch

I've always heard that It's a good idea to show personal work in your commercial portfolio.  But wait - you say you lost that last big job even though the client loved your commercial work. Ahhh, they hated that personal project you did on public orgasms; or was it the dead people in the streets series?  Bastards!

The dilemma is between gaining attention and closing the deal.  Art wants to be emotionally gripping & provocative for the viewer but not necessarily shocking.  Shock is fleeting and something we might instinctively avoid.  I believe photographers tend to enjoy the attention shock brings because it’s a sure hit; walk that provocation line and you may not grip some viewers emotionally.  Disappointment sets in.

Mapplethorpe was shocking at times but his mastery of art brought it to a supreme level of provocation; his works turned over rocks we didn’t even know were there.  As great as I believe his work is – I’m a huge fan – it would have failed to make a positive impression in the boardroom during a Nike pitch.

I made the mistake early in my career of showing work to which clients could not relate.  The real trick is to find the golden balance that both provokes an emotional response AND causes Art Buyers, Art Directors, Creative Directors, Account Directors and Marketing VP's to say: “that is exactly the look and feel we want for our new campaign”.

Here's the confusing part: Some photographers become famous for their shocking approach.

The Perfect Edit

I’m a good editor - I’ve been looking at photos since I was 14 and I’m now 50. This is not a point to argue, it’s simply fact. Even though that is true, I miss plenty in my edits. Practice does not make perfect editing.

If I have time, I deliver a personal edit separate from a larger batch. Why do I insist on delivering my borderline rejects? Because others find things I don’t - still - after all this time looking at pictures.  This goes contrary to many other photographer's opinions.

Everyone projects feelings and experiences into what they see; we have baggage - good and bad. For any photographer - no matter how good - to assume they’ve found “the best” when you send an “A” level shooter on a job is pure arrogance.  It's a must to be open to interpretations.

IMHO - the only reason photographers deliver one photo or a very tight edit to a client is because they feel the job was theirs and not a solution for a client's project - [OK I'll qualify it] - or if the client asks them to deliver a tight edit.  Again - my opinion - under the best circumstances an advertising, editorial or commercial photo shoot is a team effort. The best perform by absorbing input from many sources including art directors, clients, assistants, stylists - they simply have to be strong enough to take that input and channel it through their viewpoint.  Let's revisit that point: It takes experience and strength to listen to input and channel it through a personal artistic viewpoint.

Without that strength there is no added value.  Without being open to interpretive editing we risk missing the best of ourselves.

Marketing thru a Recession

I was sent to a great article written by John Quelch a professor at Harvard Business School, by Leslie over at Burns Auto Parts.  You can find it here: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5878.html

When things get tight, the first budget to get cut is marketing, right?  Well, yes that's often the way it happens because it's an easy way to keep the bottom line steady when sales drop. 

One of the points made by John Quelch in his article, and what I've often written and talked about, is that a recession is not the time to reduce marketing effectiveness by slashing budgets.  Perhaps being more targeted or increasing research to be sure customer trends haven't changed is wise, but reducing marketing spending and hoping that at recession's end you'll automatically regain your share is a little nutty if you ask me.

The smart companies are more aggressive about spreading the word when sales are down.  If at all possible, take this opportunity to carve a larger market share so when buying patterns are - once again - back to normal your sales have increased, rather than decrease due to your anemic marketing plan.

And the winners are:

Tide and E*Trade: HERE and HERE

My New Website is Live

Ok, so maybe everyone isn't as thrilled as me.  Do me a favor and play along as if you were looking at your best friend's newborn because that's what it felt like to me.  Isn't it precious?  The designers were Emory Ball and John Romano.

http://www.deboerworks.com