Finding Time in my Chaotic World
Pretty much the only complaint I get about my blog is that I don’t blog enough. I don’t write often enough, and I know that I don’t. The main excuse I have is that I don’t really have the time. I’m either prepping a shoot or editing a shoot or keeping on top of the post work on a shoot or looking for more shoots. Plus, I do have a life outside of photography, strange as that may seem. But another big excuse that I have, that I’ve never really talked about, is that there is a confidentiality that I must adhere to in my business. I’ve shot 20 pages in the last month for the Fall Fashion issues of this magazine and that magazine. But I can’t show the pictures, I can’t release them to anyone but the stylist for the clothing credits and of course, the magazine I did the shoot for. I can’t even talk about what the concept was, who the models were, how we shot it, where we shot it. All the details that would make for a juicy post, I cannot write about. So all the work that I do, that would be great to share with you, I can’t share until the magazine or ad is published. Which is why, in the meantime, I blog about the business or staying sane in the fashion industry.
I know what my readers want most of the time. You guys like the video tutorials and you like the behind the scenes peek, either written or filmed, of my fashion shoots. Guess what?? Me too! Guess what part about this job I love the most?? SHOOTING! Guess what part about this job I do the least?? SHOOTING!! Seriously, I spend weeks finding/casting the perfect models, putting together the perfect crew, getting the location permits or studio, sending the insurance binders to the appropriate people, talking to the stylist umpteen million times, dealing with cancellations, disappointments, hiccups, changing my equipment list at least twice, figuring out the food, talking to the stylist another umpteen million times, trying to track down the editor . I spend 8 to 10 hours shooting!!! All that work that goes into a one day shoot! That I can’t blog about until it’s published! And by the time it’s published, I forget what I did to prep for it because I’m already prepping another one. I also don’t think it’s interesting enough to talk about. So, um, yeah. That’s another problem with blogging more often.
I made a commitment over the weekend that I was going to blog every day this week! It’s already Tuesday and I’ve changed computers twice, have re-written this post a few times so that it’s more Politically Correct and I’m not sure, as I write this, if I’m even going to post it! Well, here’s whats on the table this week: I am going to pick the three winners for the Viewbook site tomorrow and I’ll post it on here! There’s your Wednesday blog! As for Thursday, I want you guys to tell me what you want me to write about. You pick the topic and I’ll write about it. Ask me anything you want, and I’ll answer right here, on Thursday. So it’s going to be readers choice for Thursday. Friday? Hmmm……we’ll figure that out later.
Here’s a little update that I’m not sure I’m allowed to write about but I’m going to write about it anyway and bear the repercussions later if they end up knocking me on my ass: This weekend I am slated to do a shoot for the infamous and uber-talented Douglas Little. Douglas Little is a modern alchemist, but oh wow, is he so much more! I met Douglas at the GenArt fashion show in the Fall of 2004 and it was like being re-acquainted with my long lost twin brother, separated at birth by the evil Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! In other words, we just KNEW each other like Siamese Twins. Odd, strange, but artistically a real f**k’in buzz! We immediately started collaborating. Of course, we did! Douglas creates these scents that you literally would kill someone just to be able to smell that sweet odor of contempt, ONE. MORE. TIME. He then packages them in ornate and original opium bottles and laudanum bottles from the Victorian Era. He leaves nothing to chance, every thing he does is done with immaculate precision! Even down to the French satin ribbon that wrap the boxes that his scented candles and tinctures come in.
You think I’m just blowing smoke? Check out the windows he does for Bergdorf Goodman in NYC (pictured at the top of my post)! He really IS a Gothic Genius. Does he design clothes? Ha…for me and some of the other VERY lucky people who can call themselves his friend. I remember sending out a mass email for an exhibit I was doing in downtown LA in 2005 and because I didn’t have a Carmen in my life at the time, everyone’s email address showed up in the address window. There was Douglas’ email amongst the 30 other recipients. And I will never forget the phone calls later that day: “YOU know Douglas Little??????” I felt so very popular. Any way, yes, not only do I know Douglas Little as a friend, I also know Douglas Little as a client! And even though we do it quite well, when a client is also a friend, it’s a precarious little line to walk!
That would be in and of itself a fabulous blog post, but not today. Today I am going to write about our upcoming shoot on Saturday. Or Sunday. Douglas is coming out with a new fragrance. Based around the theme of the famous Poison Apple from Snow White, we are going to create an ad that will take us all back to the tragically beautiful little fairy tale and recreate our Heroine Snow White with her toxic glimmering blood red apple. We are using Drew Krake for make up and hair. Drew hails from Sebastian and he did the make up recently for a shoot I did for one of the magazines I am not allowed to speak about. Our model will be Douglas’ girlfriend who whispers a very Dita Von Teese sensibility yet is her own unique goodness of luxury and sin. I’ve watched her perform her burlesque act and for a second I think I turned into a guy. Just for a second, but still. Because we want to keep a lid on the expenses, as we all know, they can just get ridiculous, we are planning to shoot this in my living room, which is big enough to do a small shoot in. And that’s where working with a friend can help. You can do favors for them and help them save money by cutting corners here and there. Also, when you’re amongst friends, it’s okay to have them over to where you live, to shoot a small job. At any rate, there will be some fake snow and some Victorian laced garments. I can’t put up the mood boards or comps for the shoot as that outs it completely, but they’re very inspiring. The nicest part about working with someone like Douglas Little is that he’s so damn brilliant that it makes my job not only easier but so MUCH FUN!
Okay! So now it’s your turn: Tell me what you want me to write about for Thursday’s blog and your wish will be my command! Savor it, I’m not usually this nice! Nor do I have this much time on my hands! ; )
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Like others I would love to see more blogs too. You asked for Thursday blog ideas so here’s one. In your videos you tell us what you’re shooting, where you’re shooting, what kind of clothes from what designers, the makeup style, etc. But how does all that come about? You’re being given assignments and a lot flows from that I’m sure. But what if you were giving yourself a self assignment trying to start developing a book? What if you didn’t have easy access to designer fashions? How would you determine and arrange all of that?
I like the control you have in a studio but I get really bored with shooting on a paper background in the studio over and over. I would love to hear your thoughts on finding locations to shoot and the processes you go thru to get permission to shoot there. Do you find it difficult to get permissions and/or permits? Do you pay to use locations. Do you have releases you use for the location? Any suggestions that can help me get out of the studio and put variety into my images would be appreciated. Sorry to ask so many questions.
Phew, follow that. We’re just not worthy. You’re going to hate me for this but I’d like to know your feelings/solutions to the problem/how to keep a lid on it when a shoot goes wrong.
Case in point; I had a shoot last week where 1. my essential colorama backdrop just kept on rolling into a creased mess until the roll ended, 2. the model was experiencing the wrong time of the month and couldn’t do half the poses we’d discussed, 3. my lights had a mind of their own and I ended up using six to get the effect of three – still not right. There’s more but you get my drift. Do you have days like that and are you going to kill me for asking?
As for blogging it’s a evil essential.
Sounds like a very busy schedule, some of us can only dream of been that busy with the business lol specially with the crisis…
You know i personally love your vids and the tutorials and the behind the scenes but i also like when you talk about what life is in the business.
I’m still experimenting and learning, now Fashion and glamour Photography have made an impression on me…Now, what i always question myself is…is this what i want? So when you come and share the experiences,your life not just through the lens but your personal perspective and your feelings towards the environment and the business it really makes me question myself, if i have what it takes? if i want it that bad? Am i doing what i should be? etc…
So maybe you wont always blog about the shooting and what not… but its always that sense of reality i love on your blogs and that’s what keeps me coming back for more
Btw congratulations on the Douglas Little project
Great blog as always.
I would like to know in much detail how people get to shoot at fashion week in America, Paris, London and Milan if they are know one in the industry, or what you need to do basically and what can you offer them to make it happen, even if you want to do it for free, but to get a chance to do it?
Another thing I would like to read on your blog, is an in-depth explanation of how to get properly started in setting up a fashion shoot to start building a portfolio? I know you have explain in previous blogs what shoots consist of, and how much effort goes into them, and how people let you down all the time, but it would be great to see some bullet points in order of what to do to get a shoot off the ground, and what you need to get, equipment, studio etc:
Another thing I’m always thinking about, is how do you know when your ready to go to model agencies and ask to shoot there new faces. How many pictures do you need to show them, or how do you know if your work is ready or good anth to show them?
Thanks.
ooh congrats on the shoot you will be doing, snow white should be an awesome concept for you to imagine and capture. Can’t wait to see the final results when they are released.
I totally know that feeling you described above, my favorite part is shooting and it is all the rest of the stuff that eats up your time, very little is actually shooting. But thank you so much for taking the time to still blog, us readers do love hearing what you have to say. ;D
Okay, well based on your blog post, I have three things I would love to read a great blog about, so if it is something you are interested in writing about, even if one of them. Have at it! lol
1. Up in your post above you mentioned “sending the insurance binders to the appropriate people”. I would LOVE to read more about an industry perspective on insurance and how it impacts being a professional photographer and dealing with high end products and fashion. I am still at the more lower level of researching insurance companies, but many of them are very limited on what they cover, the run away the minute you mention fashion photography. I also would love to know if you end up having to have different insurance companies involved for different shoots, not only covering your business, your photog equipment, yourself but then the liability insurance, what if something happens, etc. Even hearing a listing, like you did with the website providers about different insurance companies out there and the good and bads you have experienced would be an awesome post for photogs and all other industry peeps involved in shoots to read. (In my opinion anyways, for what it is worth! lol)
2. Location Scouting – There is always this big debate about whether a photographer should have their own studio or if they prefer to do location work and just scout rental studios if needed. How did you come to the decision on this yourself and what advice would you have for photographers doing the same themselves?
3. Keeping Your Love of Photography – What are some of the best ways you have found to keep your love of photography flowing, as you mentioned above, once you turn a passion into a business, the shooting becomes minimal while the build up and work to support the business and shoots becomes a big part of your life. How do you keep inspired?
PS: Sorry for the long post but I am so excited to read what other blog requests people come up with for you. Hopefully not too many that will get you in trouble with those contract holders. LOL ;D
A post on ‘mood boarding’ please!..would love some tips on creating a fashion stories that you can use to show your team & clients. Keep up the great work
Hey Melissa,
Thanks for the continued blog posts. Yours is a favorite. Still, your first priorities are you and your clients. I blog as often as I am able, but not as often as I’d prefer. For the same reason … I make my living SHOOTING, not blogging. Do your thing. Blog as you are able. Those who love your work should be grateful you even blog at all, let alone on their desired timeline.
Blogs are great education tools, no doubt. But, come on people, let’s have some originality, ambition, and creativity of our own to bolster our own photography. There’s a fine line here. Seeing how other photographers work and operate is killer. Experimenting on (y)our own, trying new things, learning on (y)our own is even more killer.
Keep up the great work, Melissa. Looking forward to your posts and updates … as you are able. Cheers.
Gregory
Thank you for the continued blog posts…
You are a Busy Gal…
And it is Kind of you that You take time to do this….
Douglas Little Shot Sounds.. like it will be……..Spectacular!
M~
Sounds like the shoot will be amazing. I actually shoot in my living room quite a lot as i cant quite afford the full studio yet, but also as you said working with friends is great and most of my team are friends. Any who, I can understand how annoying it is to not to be able to blog about your work and what’s going on, but any blog is great as your very incisive and open about it all, which is great.
The topic I would like for you to discuss, if possible, is how do you go about organizing clothes for shoot when you are just starting out? I seem to find a stylist that works well and gets the clothes together and then they disappear, then find another one, and then the same thing will happen. Is it possible to go direct to the designers PR people??? Any help here would be great.
Best of luck with the shoot, and happy blogging whenever you can.
Cheers.
Neil.
Hey Melissa,
Love your blog and what you do for the community.
My question is if your were in another career and wanted to do fashion photography, basically start all over, how would you do it?
I have done some workshops, have a portfolio on Model Mayhem, but would really like to try and fasttrack my progress as a photographer.
So, if you had to compile a laundry list of ” to do’s” what would be on it.
Thanks!
Jeff
First, you’re awesome! Thanks so much for such a great resource.
Second, I would love to hear you describe how you would go about getting to where you are now if you had to do it all over again. Looking back on how you got to where you are, what were the key ingredients that made it work, what things are more useful than others, the ones that really ramp up your career? And specifically how you feel about new photographers working for free to get “exposure”.
Thanks Melissa!
i’ve just discovered your blog.
i love it.
i’ve book marked you.
im starting a notebook and writing down every important bit of info….
THANKS!
sweet been’s ! i think all the main questions where ask and it would be awesome to hear a little bit from each one… at some point or another… if i was to ask something just a question, nothing really to blog about but… would you let me in your brain….lol jk no thats too creepy. I been a photographer for a long time, and i do find myself getting better with each shoot i do, I practice a lot and I work very hard on what i do and love (photography)…. my first Big event was a wedding at the age of 15 and I shoot a lot of variety of photography from weddings, dance, sports to funerals… i been trough a lot of lighting situations, people, equipment problems, from lights not wanting to shoot, to my camera dying on the shoot and lol… dropping the back up and breaking the camera… BUT HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR LIFE FROM PHOTOGRAPHY?…. when do you decide id worked enough for the day? or Am I just crazy and photographers just eat, breath and dream about photography….24/7?
Mad respect…
Ricky
Melissa,
First a big thank you for all you do, it takes a lot of time to devote, rewrite, edit, rewrite, and finally post to keep the blog going!
How about some insight on the details you look for in a makeup or wardrobe stylist? I see many books come through my doors, and for me it always comes down to test shoots to make sure they have what it takes. Do you work with a few you’ve groomed over the years, go by recommendation, specific details you look for?
Joel
I agree with Terry on the ‘getting started’ issue. You seem to get a lot of jobs from previous magazine shoots, and knowing people, and such, but how do you do it if you don’t have those connections? Without an agent, without any idea of how to get in contact with designers to shoot, or getting in contact with magazines?
Did you submit the spreads for magazines when you were starting out? Or did they always come to you [unlikely, but still curious]? How did you first get started in being published?
Hello, I realize this question is going to seem like it’s coming completely out of left field, but I really do mean it as a serious question, so I hope you answer. I’m familiar with your work and seen you in action, and you really have a way with models. You really know how to bring out the best in them and use it to create these incredibly iconic images that just seethe with raw sexual energy. Is that something you are aware of? Do you consciously create that or does it just happen spontaneously? And, as long as I’m being plain-spoken, let’s face it: You’re incredibly hot, LOL. Does that ever interfere with professionalism on a shoot, and/or your artistic relationship with the model?
Ok so, I seem to have a trump card opportunity with this weeks blog request. And I’m sure you are tired of me nagging you with this question, but you did say that you were gonna blog about this, and you still haven’t written me your thoughts on this
so here it goes. I would like you to blog about: ” How does a photographer go about defining his/her creative vision? Is it something that you just have or do you need to develop it? And, if a photographer struggles with finding his/her own voice as an artist with a vision, can that photographer take certain steps to develop and define that creative vision? ” Hope you’ll blog about this soon, as it’s an important question on everyone’s lips. Everybody says, create your vision!, build your portfolio!, and market like crazy! But nobody tells us HOW to create that VISION part of the equation. Love your work, and this Blog! It’s Awesome!
Hey Melissa,
Thanks again for the post. Oh, and good luck with the Douglas Little shoot. Sounds great!
My question is not really a question as such, but more required advice.
I am relatively new to photography (18 months), and even newer to fashion/portrait photography (less than 6 months). At the moment photography is a hobby, but a hobby that is consuming more and more of my spare time. I love it! But I feel as if I’m reaching a crossroads. I currently work in IT, and have a well-paying full-time job, but I find myself drawn more and more to photography, especially the fashion stuff. What I need advice on is what I should do, say over the next year, to help me make up my mind whether or not fashion photography is for me, or whether I even have the talent for it. (Actually, just reading the posts above, someone else asked a similar question
)
Keep up the great work!
Thanks again,
Dave.
I think either problem solving – those shoots that you have had that have either had a major flaw or just lots of little bits going wrong, whether disastrous or just annoying; or simply an explanation of how you got from where you were years back, to where you are now, with the sort jobs you get offered. Did you go to college/university, apprenticeships? Did you send your portfolio around and beg for work or were you well connected anyway? Answers to these would be very interesting for anyone trying to work out a route to break into fashion photography (myself included).
Thanks, Jakk.
Hi. I love this blog. Maybe if you could touch on this a bit.
I know every major photographer that blogs states that gear doesn’t matter as much. However, they are always holding their H3D and Profotos as they say it. How does someone try to compete in this business without the Profoto’s and all the gear that goes with it? Can you get serious jobs without this stuff? How did you start building your gear? You say that the level you come in at is the level your seen at forever. How can you charge the same rate with lesser gear? I know that gear doesn’t make the pictures but it certainly helps get you the job. no?
Could you describe your feelings/experiences/outcome or what your mind was going through on your first shoot where you felt the pressure to execute for a client and do you still get those feelings with certain clients(kinda like butterflies in your stomach) before a shoot.
I’d like to know anything regarding contacting a modeling agency for test shoots.
I hear about test shoots but don’t really understand what all is involved in setting one up.
Also, I agree with the questions that were made by Terry Jackson (first subscriber comment).
Many thanks for your awesome blog.
How about a post on shooting outside vs. shooting in studio?
Btw, sincerly amazed at your skill and absolutely thankful that you’re doing this.
I love your Spirit Melissa, I been searching for a BOLD Woman-photographer in Fashion, who is Successful and accessible! that’s you!
my Questions:
1.I have been in the Fashion industry on many different levels over a decade now. Now that i am committed to Photography… i have a family: New husband and a super smart 4year to balance.
How do i drive into the passion and determination you speak about( i’m not scared to Drive!)and help my husband to Fully understand the kind of support i need.He’s getting a feel of it but i know he doesn’t have to full deep picture or understand the payoff in the long term.What helped your Husband?
2. Cold Calling:
can you give a example of how and what you would say or go about pitching to a magazine or Potential Client?
3.What actually happens when you approach an agency to start using their models? what would you say ?
do you think nowadays you need to go down there(which makes me feel like too much of a newbie-like.. which i am not) or have your agent call and email you website or is it better to connect yourself via phone.
i ask because you know this industry is a lot about appearances.
I’ll ration out the questions.
“I am Fiercely ready to rock”
TRU
http://www.truferguson.com
Hey Guys,
You can upload images the covers you have to wherever: MM or website or facebook
Please please up in the team credits .that i have already email everyone. you have everyone MM#
( in copyright put: http://www.truferguson.com)
I am also organizing the tearsheets.
so look out for an email from yousendit.com with a zipped files of all the tearsheet.
Then i will let you know about the phyiscal ones are being dealt with.
just a heads up i have a possible second editorial coming out of our shoot.
The magazine is reviewing…. i think you might know them since they are from NYC.
but they are online and print on Demand from readers and through a website they use.
I am going to try to insist on digital tearsheets and then you can print them out cheap at kinkos easy for your BOOK.
i’ll keep you updated.
thanks for everything
Tru
I’m looking forward to seeing the results of your Douglas Little shoot, it sounds like it will be amazing!
Ps. I’ve recently become addicted to your blog
i love ur blog so much….
Great article and nice site