the paradox of art and business

as a photographer i've always had issues with two titles, pro and artist. i don't know if i'll ever be comfortable being called a pro, mainly because even after twenty years of shooting i'm continually learning and evolving. being called an artist i think i'm a bit more comfortable with because art is totally subjective. literally in the eye of the beholder.

for me the greatest thing about art and more specifically about making art is that it's part of you. it's a very cathartic thing to put your own style into something and not worry about being judged against others because there is nothing to fairly judge against, it's too individual and personal.

photography is one of the very few businesses that try to meld the two, art and business, together. it's not always an easy task and usually not seamless. my style is very defined, i think people have a good idea when they hire me that they're not going to get rigid posed sears images, technically perfect but soul-less. that's why i spend so much time talking with people before i shoot them. by doing this i'm not just trying to learn exactly what they want but also i'm quietly thinking how can i put my mark on this and make it indisputably mine. anyone can shoot a decent portrait, literally anyone. it's the attention to detail and the work in planning and execution that make it special.

the end results though still have to be what the client had in mind when they contacted me and that's where the tricky part lies. i have to make a memory that is as much their concept and vision as it is mine and that's not easy. sometimes our ideas mesh perfectly and sometimes they clash, in which case sadly capitalism wins. getting to know people and grasping an idea of their taste helps but i occasionally take a leap and hope for the surreal.

jill came to me for some unique images of her very colorful tattoos. we talked and agreed on a setup and location. i had some ideas where i wanted to go with it and she loved them. so we shoot and we get some great stuff. beautiful saturated colors (she is a gorgeous redhead so that just added to the color). as i was editing i came across one image that i just kept struggling with. i tried everything i could to make it work in color but it kept screaming at me that it was meant to be black and white. this is the point where art and business collide, the point where you have to rub completely against and go with art. i really wasn't sure how it would be received, we did get some spectacular images in full and glorious color but this one black and white was totally contrary to the intent of the shoot. i showed it to her and she loved it. fortunately a gamble payed off, enough so that this image will be in a gallery show in july. whew. sometime you have to jump without thinking.

top secret

at an undisclosed location, thunderstorms looming in the distance. it seemed like we drove forever to get there. then we walk and walk and walk a bit more. nearly lose a shoe in some mud, and finally we arrive at the coolest place i've been for a while. it always takes a few minutes to break the ice so to say, to get into a good groove and start making magic, but i think it took way less time than it usually does. partly because chelsea is phenomenally good at what she does, and partly because i had a very good idea of what i wanted from this shoot. we shot for hours and it went by like minutes, pure magic.

ok enough 1950's crime drama writing. this was a really fun shoot and since it was the first time we had worked together we had a blast trying all kinds of different things. i have yet to meet someone that versatile and i wish i could explain how fast she can go from laughing to ready to shoot. almost instantly. i'm still playing with my homemade light strips. i may never use an umbrella or softbox again. 

another great day in the life of a photographer.

don't get me wrong, there are plenty of times it sucks to be a photographer, or more broadly to be in business for yourself doing anything. the business end of it is tough and brain-killing at times. the bright side though is the extreme satisfaction i get when i get to have a jump up and down "i got a killer!" moment! i've said this before but it's such an integral part of how i work, i plan everything. i'm a chronic planner. i am very good at pre-visualizing what i want from a shoot, but i'm also good at throwing those visions out and changing course. enough on that boring stuff though.
last night i had one of those moments when i knew i had a killer. it was a great shoot altogether but there is just an instant when you glance at the display and do a little dance, and i have to give credit where it's due, my bestie heather actually set up the shot, she's been trying to find the right situation and model to do this for a very long time and last night was it. i haven't seen what she came away with from it but i'm sure it will be spectacular. here is my version of it:

there were quite a few images from last night that i like but this was my dance like an idiot moment. i have to thank margaret for being such a great model and for putting up with our insanity. last night was just nuts, we were all late (except for margaret) and in a very uncharacteristic display i had some technical issues that while easily resolved (again you can't get freaked out when stuff goes awry!) they were still frustrating. but all in all a great night. here are a few more...

i'm really hoping to make more regular posts but life keeps getting in the way! i need desperately to update my website but frankly i'm becoming rather addicted to blogging. gee thanks again for that chris.

A weird reality check

i had the honor last week of shooting the graduation photos for a couple of great kids. not just any kids but the kids of a friend that i went to high school with. i'm still trying to wrap my head around that one. someone my age is old enough to have kids that just graduated high school? seriously am i.. are we that old??? yes i'm afraid we are. my lovely wife and i got a really late start at the kids thing, our oldest will be ten soon. but this was still a really weird realization, i just don't consider myself that old. my knees would disagree, they feel every day of my thirty eight years. nonetheless it was a great opportunity and i'm so happy i was able to do these photos for them. and what a fun bunch at that!

just to get the shot

photographers are a different breed. we're an obsessive and even neurotic bunch, driven by one thing: the desire to get the shot that's in our head. if you meet us one on one we may seem perfectly normal, but when you get us in groups of five or ten, or forty, our true insanity comes out. we have our own language, most of which seems to be dominated by a bunch of numbers and fractions and we are constantly passing around unbelievably expensive pieces of equipment as if we were showing each other baseball cards. one thing that happens quite a bit when we get together is we take more pictures of one another than we do the clients or models, and one of my favorite type of these images is the ones that demonstrate exactly the lengths we will go to just to get the shot. here are some of my recent and all-time favorites.

heather frazier of hnf photography, taken by me at  the 2010 scott kelby photo walk.

tom leopold of high class photographs, taken by lisa marie mulvaney, lisa marie photography. also taken at the 2010 scott kelby photo walk.

chrystal rae heckman of chrystal rae photography, taken at a shop talk event at tuttle creek by heather frazier.

me! taken by heather frazier at a recent model shoot.

catheryn chatham of rock star images photography, taken by me at a wedding i assisted her with.

yaritxa quinones-rodriguez, taken by me at a shop talk event.

a vision from my head.

i very rarely go into any kind of shoot without some idea of what i want to leave with. to me this pre-visualization helps me get prepared and gives me a direction. i'm also a firm believer  that you have to be willing to completely let go of that vision and be able to move in a totally different way if need be and not freak out and lose focus. versatility is a really critical thing to being a successful photographer. possibly the most important thing. one way i work on my own versatility is by challenging myself with unique locations and situations.
this image has lived in my head for a very long time. for one reason or another i could never find the right person/place/time to make it. but it stuck around and kept knocking on my brain wanting out. it's still not exactly what i had envisioned, and maybe at some future point i'll do it again, but for now my brain is quiet. for now. that doesn't last long.

a strategic decision.

i loved the image that i had used for years to represent my business, but it was time for a change. i made the decision that it needed to be more universal. the tattooed body of my good friend V has graced all of my pages and even my business cards but it might be offensive to some, who knows possibly many. it kinda feels a bit like selling out. i love catering to the extreme, after all most would agree that i'm a bit extreme. the problem is, there simply aren't enough of them... us around here to risk losing out because of something as simple as a profile photo or logo. so here it is, the newest face of szel photography. enjoy.