Recently I spent time with a grade-school class, talking about what being a photographer is like, and what it’s like working for myself. The teacher emailed me a few follow-up questions, and I thought I’d share those, and my responses with all of you. And, here is how her column turned out!
Enjoy,
Troy
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**Tell us about a time when a failure in your professional work turned out to be the best thing that could have happened.
No matter what profession you’re in, there will be times when things go wrong. The best thing you can do is be honest about it, accept what damage has been done, and move quickly to solve what new problems have been created. Handling problems with honesty and professionalism should, if nothing else, minimize your client’s worries. Mistakes happen – and will happen to everyone at one time or another.
I had a shoot once that required renting time with a helicopter and pilot to fly around downtown Milwaukee. The helicopter/pilot fee was $250/hour. After getting the photos that my client needed, we flew back to the airport in Racine. Upon landing, I discovered that my camera had malfunctioned and I did not record 30% of the photos I had taken.
As my camera’s malfunction was not my client’s fault, I quickly hopped back in the helicopter, flew back to Milwaukee while the light was still right, and recaptured the missing viewpoints my client needed. I paid for the extra hour in the helicopter, and while showing the client I could deal with unanticipated problems, I also got a chance to make some photos I wanted with that extra hour in the air.
**At what moment did you know you had chosen the right field?
I don’t know that I had that sort of moment. I know though, that I haven’t encountered anything else that compels me the way photography does. Doing photography gives me opportunities to problem-solve, to meet new people, to go new places…that is why I do photography, and until something else does that better, I’ll keep doing photography.
**When meeting or reading about others in your field, that indicates to you that they are experts in your field?
That’s a pretty subjective thing. I look at photographers’ images, I imagine how much their images are or aren’t digitally manipulated. I look at their client lists. I look at how they write about their work and if it seems sincere and honest or not.
**How do you know you are on the “right track” with an idea/problem you are working on?
I don’t often know that I’m on the right track. I know when I’m dissatisfied. And when I’m dissatisfied, I keep working at it, keep trying different things. It’s important for me to recognize that while I often know more about photography, my client knows more about what they want. So, I keep pushing till they feel satisfied, and then push a little further still because just about anyone can do the bare minimum, but the one that gets re-hired is the who goes above and beyond.
**What techniques do you use to help you maintain balance?
I try to practice mindfulness.
I try to be a good, active listener.
I try to do yoga and exercise and run on a semi-regular basis.
I try to get outside.
I try to always remember “people are more important than things.”
Oh yeah, and I am willing to sing karaoke!
**How do you get your ideas “out there”?
When I go on an assignment, I try to be prepared – knowing what my client expects and having had a conversation with them prior to the shoot. I also try to do a little research on the subject, so I know a little something about who I’m photographing. I might look for other photographs of them, to make sure I don’t do something too obvious, or something someone else already did.
Once I’m at the shoot, I try to be open to the limits of the situation. Not everything usually works out the way I plan, so my skills really come in working with the limitations that I can’t plan for or alter. Too, I try not to turn away ideas that seem a little silly. Sometimes that’s what the situation needs – the unexpected.
**What do you notice about the world, everyday events, life, that others tend not to because of the field you work in
I think I might notice light differently – its color, changes in intensity and contrast levels, its type – hard, soft, or somewhere in between. I work to notice people’s expressions and tics, so that I can photograph them in ways that please them and me.
**If you were to point to an Expert in your field, who would it be and why?
Art Streiber, Norman Jean Roy, Eugene Richards, Peter Turnley. The first two because they are so skilled at lighting – whether it be a group or individual portrait, they seem exceptional at making people look good and comfortable in front of the camera. The latter two because they have such a level of sensitivity in their photos…they are so observant and caring of their subjects.
**How often does money guide your decisions?
Every decision, to a lesser or greater extent, has to acknowledge the money aspect of it. I do this for a living. I HAVE to make decisions that will lead to fulfilling me personally/professionally or making me money. If an assignment can do all those things, that’s great, but sometimes a shoot is just a bill-payer. Self-employment is really like any job – some days you love it; some days, it’s just a way to pay the bills. I have worked hard to know where my values are, and to let that guide me in what possible clients I approach. I want my career arc to be deliberate.
I have turned down work that clashed with my values. I have chosen to believe that my values will serve me better in a long-term professional sense, than taking whatever work comes my way. This is not to suggest that making these decisions is easy, or hasn’t come at a cost. It isn’t easy, and there is always a price.