When Debra Weiss speaks, Photographers NEED to listen

It’s not very often that I will run out and attend a photography seminar anymore. It’s not that I feel I don’t need them, it’s just that over the years I’ve been to so many that most of them don’t really grab my attention to want to attend. But when I heard Debra Weiss was speaking last April on the business of photography, I sure as hell went. And I took notes on every thing she had to say. I’ve known about Debra for years. She is probably one of the most important figures in the photography business because she is actually out there insisting on fair treatment and payment to us photographers. She is knowledgeable in all areas of our business and is passionate about protecting photographers’ rights. I can easily say that she is part of the backbone of the photography business and it is people like her that keep our industry running fairly and competently.  I asked Debra if I could write about her on my blog because I believe she is someone my readers should know about. She very kindly agreed and sent me her bio. Read on….

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(4.55 stars, 20 ratings)

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New and Improved!

Since I enjoyed the last seminar I held in July, I decided to do another one! The opportunity to meet such great people from all over the world was an amazing experience for me! And all that talent in one room was humbling!! Come to find out, I have some very talented and accomplished photographers reading my blog and it was such a blast to meet some of them!

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(4.95 stars, 21 ratings)

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All Images © 2009 Melissa Rodwell Photography

When asked to shoot an editorial for Genlux Magazine, Stephen Kamifuji, the creative director, gave me two choices: I could shoot a beauty story based on a man and woman kissing or a fashion story based on the famous love story of Romeo and Juliet. I chose the fashion story. The theme for Genlux’s fall fashion magazine is Love, so obviously kissing and Romeo and Juliet are story ideas that depict the theme. Honestly I would have liked to have shot a beauty story for Genlux because it’s been a few years since I’ve done one for them but when Stephen presented both ideas to me, for some reason I felt more inclined to do the fashion story. I worked with stylist George Blodwell again because I like his work and I like working with him. Whether George’s website showcases more celebrity dressing/red carpet styling rather than editorial, one has to remember we are based here in Los Angeles and our market is celebrity driven. Many talented stylists ( wardrobe, hair and make up included ) market themselves towards the celebrity market when they are based out of Los Angeles. If you click on the artists name that has a hyper link and actually check out the agency site and more importantly, the artist’s link, you will see that most agencies have a celebrity section along with the editorial and advertising sections on their artists.

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(4.70 stars, 30 ratings)

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The Truth. “Unveiled”

The reason I started this blog was to do something I’d always wished someone in my industry would do: pull back the veil of mystery shrouding professional fashion photography. I wanted to write about things that could be useful to other photographers, whether they were just getting started or already established. I wanted to present an honest, no-holds-barred account of what it’s like to work as a photographer in the hyper-competitive world of fashion. And I wanted to include it all: The good. The bad. The ugly.

Not long after I published my first post, however, I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to write quite as freely and openly about everything as I’d first imagined. In other words, while I can be brutally honest and truthful about  most of the facets of my job, there are certain subjects I need to stay away from for the sake of professionalism. I’m a working photographer, and I need to maintain good relationships in the industry I work in. It quickly became obvious that not only students and other photographers were reading my blog. The Industry was reading it. Clients, potential clients, agents, colleagues, contacts, etc. were on here reading my words. So I’ve been careful about what I’ve presented here, and I’ve censored myself to maintain a certain level of decorum.

Until now.

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(4.63 stars, 80 ratings)

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The Movie that Lets Us Inside the Coveted Domain of MY Favorite Diva

Photo by Lori Hawkins – The September Issue

Everyone has their heroes, people you look up to and draw inspiration from, and Anna Wintour is definitely one of mine. I’m sure it’s obvious why. Anyone who knows anything about the fashion industry knows Anna Wintour. Over 20 years ago she rescued American Vogue from the brink of obscurity and restored it to its Diana Vreeland-era glory days, and she’s remained one of the most important figures in the fashion industry ever since. Her eye for style is unsurpassed, her taste is impeccable, and her power and influence in this industry cannot be overstated.

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(4.69 stars, 39 ratings)

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