Things learnt

[I'm going to make a concerted effort to post more often in here. I've been slack about it for the past couple of months because, all at once, I've been busy and uninterested in the rest of the world. Shame on me, true, true, and this is part of my effort to remedy that.]

Over the weekend of the Southern Short Course in Charlotte, I learned quite a bit from listening to people and looking over their work. Unfortunately, I only got a little bit written down, which is what I'm going to share here. So, here we go ...

From Jeff Widener:

• Build a photo library. Have a collection of inspiration on your bookshelf. Anytime you feel you're lacking in ideas, go look through a couple books of someone else's work. It's all been done already anyway.
• Get inspiration from old magazines. Find old stories that need to be updated.
• Be persistent with other people, but don't piss people off.
• Have fun with your art -- it's not just a career, it's a good time.
• If there are personal things that get in the way of making good photos and taking the pictures you want to take, deal with it. It's a major block.
• "Make love to your craft."
• Find humor in the situation. It'll make things fun, and enjoyment increases productivity.

From Shawn Rocco, regarding portfolios:

• Every photo in your portfolio should be a visual surprise, moving the viewer the want to see the next photo.
• A photo story should have something between 6 and 12 photos -- succinctness is key.
• Leave out photos that detract from the portfolio as a whole. There shouldn't be any photo in the set that just leaves a viewer with an "Eh, okay, whatever ..." feeling.
• Wide-angle vertical shots are not very attractive. Maybe kinda avoid them.

From Ross Taylor:

• Why the hell are you there? Know why you're shooting, and let your subjects know why. If they ask, have a good answer ready for them.
• Avoid acid-washed jeans. Way uncool, dude.
• Draw out a storyline, under which should be two things: Themes and Visual Icons. Themes are the parts of the story that should be told, like love, hate, fatigue, worry and other such mostly abstract ideas. Visual Icons are the way you tell an audience about those emotions and thoughts through your photography. List both.

From various people who slip my mind ...:

• Project boxes: cardboard boxes with a certain title, into which materials for long stories or projects are placed. Probably more useful for long-term projects.
• When getting a Web site, make the interface intuitive, make sure it loads quick, always include your phone number instead of just an email, and respect the photography more than the Web design. Also, avoid designed named after platypuses.
• Don't blow stuff off -- go anyway. No matter how stupid it may seem.
• Get the important stuff: tight, medium, overall, opener, closer, emotional, et al. No matter what you're shooting.
• Have a large visual vocabulary.
• It's not just skill, it's passion.
• Keep your photos clean.
• Chaos is opportunity. Get in the midst of it.

Sure, that's just a little sample of what was digested, but hey, time is money, and I'm broke. ... which means I need to do other things. Ciao.