Mr. or Mrs. or Miss, or Ms. E,
I respect and usually agree with Rob C, but this time . . . ?
You asked some very broad questions that no one can answer without knowing you, but here goes.
1. Age. That is a fallacy. Yes some clients will be prejudiced on age, race, nationality, color of hair, but that's something you can't control and nothing that really matters. If you walk into a room and one of those factors stops you, find a way around it or politely go to another room.
One of the most successful commercial directors in LA never directed before he was fifty years old and went on to bill $35 million a year. Some of the most respected and well paid DP's in movies are in their 70's working for directors in the 20's, 30's and 40's.
2. Assisting. I never assisted, it wasn't my way, but some people found it invaluable. I've had assistants from 15 years ago with huge egos, $100,000 in school loans and believed they would be shooting in 6 months. They're still assisting.
Everyone asks me how to become a photographer and the answer is simple. Get good, put out a shingle, show your work to people that "buy" photography and boom you're a photographer. Yes, it's harder than that but if it was easy everyone would do it (and cell phones in your pocket do not make you a photographer, though they don't stop you either).
3. Dedicate 100%. This is where everyone drops it. They say they give 100% but the crew, associates and good clients I work with spend virtually all of their time on image creation, study and moving forward.
This isn't a job, this isn't a profession, it's a calling. I was an Art Director at the start of my career, begin hiring good photographers, then a few great ones. The first time I edited a beautiful shoot, I fell in love with the image. That evening walked into the President of our ad agency and quit. I didn't know how to start, where to go, but I found a way.
4. Highs and Lows. If you love image creation it can lift you to emotional levels so high you could never have dreamed possible. Then a month later drop you to your knees in dispair. To succeed you have to keep the boat always steady, always with a destination (which will change in time) and never believe your own press releases, never let one or two or twenty people stop, or elate you.
5. Study, Study, Study, Practice, Practice, Practice. This is a young industry in the world of industry, so look at work from the people that invented this biz. Penn, Kane, Stern, Avedon, it's a long list but in their work is the basis of everything we do today and unlike today, they're wasn't a light modifier for every style, a school or online tutorial for every question. They went into a room and invented their light fixtures, filters, lens choice, formats, directorial style.
6. Distance yourself from negative people, because it wears on you. Surround yourself with the best most positive people you can associate with and hire. If someone is perpetually negative then get away from them asap.
7. Expect a lot of yourself and your crew/associates. Don't settle for good enough.
8. Think globally, not national or local. When you start your career, local people will talk about local people. That's too narrow a view. Think the world and you'll learn from the world.
9. Don't be a dick. Treat crew, associates and clients with respect. Pay crew before you're paid and don't ask anyone to do anything you're not willing to do yourself. Keep it professional. Crew is not there to get your laundry, wash your car or walk your dog. Use them for their professional skills and they'll return in kind.
10. Don't listen to me or anyone else, at least not 100%. Be your own person, build your own look, be complete and know what you're doing. This is no longer a business where an assistant loads film in a camera, lights for you and you just walk in and push the button. (to some it is, but those people don't concern me). You have to know the industry from start to finish and never be embarrassed to ask a question. I would rather ask and look stupid, than fake it and never learn anything. If your style or look doesn't work it's either 1 or more of three things. Either you don't communicate well, or you're presenting to the wrong people, or maybe your just shooting in a genre that isn't flourishing. The downside is you have to reboot. The upside is in this biz if you shoot 50 images of shoes, then you're a shoe photographer, etc. etc.
11. No excuses. None of this "they got the job because they were young, female, male, blah blah". If you don't get the gig or If the image fails, then you failed. Period. If you lay it off on someone else, then you'll never grow. You can combine this with "never good enough". I've been stoked from a shoot, then realize I could do better, always better.
12. Bonding with talent/models/actors? Yes it's great if your all on the same page, but honestly not the most important element. What is important is you exceed the creative brief and story (even if it's your own) and deliver something unique.
A few years ago we did a gig that was a dream job for an actor/model. The working title was the life of a Hollywood star and every element was built around her. We showed storyboards, explained the brief and every scene she would say, "I don't understand my motivation", so we'd explain it again.
Maybe she was pulling my string, I don't know, I just know the results worked.
Now I don't believe in this sexual tension stuff, making it better, or more enticing, or bonding or whatever. To me that's just words people use to flower up an image. I've photographed some of the most beautiful and I guess sexy men and women alive and though I'm not blind I only see the value of their look, it never occurs to me to have sexual thoughts or tension or intensions.
This is one of the most incredible talents I've photographed. She was tall, strong and very good on set. Obviously since its lingerie her look was the reason she was selected, but constructed photographs are fiction, not reality.
IMO
BC
