[by Thomas Werner]
When an art buyer, editor, gallerist, says, “Stay in touch”, they are asking you to send them updates on your new projects or work. They are not asking to you to be part of their fab five, or go to lunch on a regular basis. It is a just friendly way of letting you know they are interested in you and your work professionally.
Thomas Werner; Educator, Lecturer, Curator. Please see Thomas Werner Projects on Facebook for more information.
[by Thomas Werner]
You are a producer, casting agent, editor, retoucher, creative director, manager, businessperson, curator, creative partner, educator and art director. You are a social media manager, pr person, advertiser, filmmaker, videographer, relationship manager, student, activist, and more….
I can hear people thinking, well, that is what a photographer is….no, these are just skill sets that you apply to being a photographer. A photographer takes pictures, creates imagery in some form, the other skills are what you apply to your art or business to make your self more successful. If your business is slow, or if you want to diversify, they are skills that you can apply to other fields, or other aspects of photography and your business. We frequently have the skills that we need to make a change, we just don’t recognize them, or how they fit together to make our businesses and ourselves more successful.
You are not a photographer, it may be the most important and enjoyable thing that you do, but it is only one part of what you can do.
Thomas Werner is a Curator, Educator and Lecturer. His new program “Rethinking Your Business” is an evening with photographers that helps them redefine themselves and their businesses. You can find out more about Thomas and his projects at Thomas Werner Projects on Facebook.com
[by Thomas Werner]
So you have your Facebook account set-up, are adding business connections on LinkedIn, and are Tweeting from time to time. You spend “x” number of hours a week posting and building your base, you have “friended” and “connected” and “follow” your fellow photographers, favorite web sites, blogs and Facebook pages, personal gurus, and maybe even a client or two. Now what do you do next as you sit in front of your computer waiting for your efforts to turn in to new opportunities?
The first step is to be sure that you are doing more than just connecting and growing your number of contacts on each site. Spend a little time looking at the message that you are sending through each of these channels, does it match your business plan, your personal goals? Are you mixing friends with business, or are you reinforcing your brand and developing an online voice? Do prospective clients know who you are via your posts, updates and tweets? Are you connecting with your target audience? Do you need to create a separate page or social media identity for your business?
It is essential that you use social media to help clarify who you are, not to confuse your future clients. Align your use of social media with your other advertising and promotions, use it to reinforce your companies brand. Think twice about the images you post, the colors that you use and the links that you send. It can take a lot time and energy to help a client understand who you are as a person, and the kind of work and service that you deliver as a business. Social media should reinforce your message, not undermine your hard work, you do not want to give a client a reason to wonder if you are the right fit.
Thomas Werner is an Educator, Lecturer and Curator. Please see Thomas Werner Projects at Facebook.com for new projects and additional information.
[by Thomas Werner]
If you want your prints to stay clean, always bring a set of new white gloves when dropping off your portfolio or meeting with a gallery or reviewer, to take a look at your work. Never assume the person viewing your work will have them, they most likely will not, and please don’t give them your old gloves….
Thomas Werner; Educator, Lecturer, Curator. Please see Thomas Werner Projects on Facebook for more information.
[by Thomas Werner]
Soon after taking over the ASMP New York Chapter in 2001, our city and our industry was thrown into a dramatic state of change due to 9/11. Work virtually stopped as ad agencies and magazines did not know what to do next, photographers were lowering their rates in an alarming fashion just to get enough work to stay in business, and stock imagery was rapidly taking a larger piece of the pie due to lower prices and the growing role of the internet. This all left me with a lot more time to work with the NY Chapter and for networking to build new avenues for my career.
That manifested itself in my moderating a series of panel discussions; one of which brought together the leading stock agencies, another focused on editors in the editorial field, and yet another hosted leading gallerists and corporate collections in fine art photography. Each of these events allowed me to meet, befriend, and later work with people that I would not have had the opportunity to otherwise meet. More importantly, as the moderator it allowed us to meet as equals and discuss important issues of the day.
Many of these relationships have directly benefited my business as a commercial and fine art photographer, as well as an educator. I was lucky enough to receive jobs and personal referrals as a direct result of these presentations. Jobs and referrals that helped support and diversify my business at time when I was struggling. Additionally, unbeknownst to me faculty and administrators from a local university were also attending these presentations. That lead to an adjunct position teaching business practices, then to teaching a three course schedule, and finally to my becoming the BFA Director of the Photography Program at Parsons The New School for Design in NY. This also lead me to get my MFA in New Media and Performance, and opened the door to my producing photographic research and series of visual projects in Russia.
None of this would have happened if I had not stepped up, reached out to local experts in out community and then partnered with them to produce programming beneficial to our industry and our chapter. Too often we wait for people to find us, to approach us with opportunities, to recognize our talent. It is essential for you to begin to create your own opportunities and to let more people know how diverse your talent really is.
The bottom line is, if you want to diversify your career, network, and open the door to new business opportunities I would strongly advise becoming an member of your local ASMP board or that of another local organization, and then proposing and producing programming for your group. You never know who you will meet who may increase your income, diversify your business, change your career, or in my case, change your life.
[by Thomas Werner]
Copyright is an important right, it affirms ownership, allows us to protect our rights, helps control usage, and gives us the ability to collect damages when our imagery is misused. Though too few do so, as a content creator copyrighting your images, video, animation, etc., continues to be good business.
What has, and will continue to change, is the manifestation of your copyright in both the commercial and non-commercial marketplace. There are a number of forces changing the focus and function of copyright. The first is contractual, as clients continue to ask for ownership, or full rights of release in print and online, you will not only see individual ownership of imagery decline, but also see a rise in how imagery is used in the market place. Clients need to repurpose imagery in multiple forms. Video, photography, graphics, animation, etc., are put into the market with the hope that they are reposted and reused. That is what viral marketing is about, it drives the clients message deeper into the market place, and hopefully onto the personal pages of Facebook, Twitter, etc., at which point the posting of that image, ad, or video becomes a “personal recommendation” of the product, an end result that advertisers have been working to achieve for years.
This also changes the public’s perception regarding fair use. The general public is being “taught” that reuse of an image or video is good, to have a large number of people take or view your work for free it is a positive and normal practice. It is that perception that is driving the value out of your copyright and forcing companies to ask for outright ownership of your work. Given the nature of advertising, increased liability, and the need for viral communication, clients would be foolish not to ask for complete ownership or full rights of use.
In addition to the above, there is also generational gap in the perception of fair use and copyright, a change in how imagery is used to populate blogs and zines online, a move away from a “search based” (think Google) to a “socially based” (think Facebook) method of finding and receiving information, a move from computer to portable device based engagement with each other and media, and a need to redefine and expand educational fair use, all of which are and will affect the value and scope of your copyright as well. I will address these issues in later posts.
On the plus side, as greater control, corporatization, and monetization of the web continues to occur there will be greater control exerted over the use of content and how people pay for it. The desire for profit will drive the desire to exert greater control over content. On the downside, as a pure content producer you will see a decreasing slice of that pie. That doesn’t mean that you should not copyright your work, you should, but it does means that where and how those rights apply will most likely diminish, as will the amount you receive should your imagery be infringed.
[by Thomas Werner]
You can drop off your portfolio for review at a museum. Just call to find out what their policy is, and be aware that they may keep your portfolio for up to 6 months or more. You should also know that in most instances a junior staff member will be reviewing your portfolio.
[by Thomas Werner]
Whether selling editioned or uneditioned prints at a gallery, store, or as an individual it is important to remember that when you set the price for your work you are only setting the price for an individual print. Mounting, matting, framing, laminating, shipping, or other expenses should be charged accordingly. This may seem like common sense, but we become so excited about selling our prints that “Sure I’ll put a mat on that for your” or “Sure I can mount that, no problem” slips out without our ever asking for additional funds or explaining the additional cost. This is bad business at best, and at worst undermines the value of your work.
So when someone asks you how much it costs to purchase your artwork, remember to quote them a price for an individual print, and to quote an additional amount for each additional request. Other businesses do it, and you should as well. Your art is a personal expression, but the sale of it is business and if you want to gain respect and turn your art into a revenue stream, it should be treated that way.
[by Thomas Werner]
Much has been made of social media and it’s importance in terms of building your market and creating greater visibility for yourself and your business. While I agree social media has become essential to a well-rounded marketing a program, I find the emphasis many have placed on this topic a little extreme.
While giving lectures I often hear people say they have been told to spend one hour a day on social media. That is an extraordinary amount of time to devote to what should become a consistent but casual interaction in which relationships are developed over the course of time. If you spend a couple of hours a week reaching out, creating new connections, and letting people know what you are doing via Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, you should find your network slowly growing and the benefits to yourself and your business growing as well.
Leave the five or seven hour a week to those who want to become online “experts” in this field. Get out, create images, have lunch with an old client, find new ways to partner with an expanded network of creatives in your city. Develop your marketing plan and relax when it comes to social media; grow your social network in a manner that you are comfortable with and your “friends” and “contacts” will be comfortable as well.
[by Thomas Werner]
A lot of people with guitars can play guitar. The person who plays at the coffee shop is a professional to some, the person who plays at the wedding is a pro to others, the guy doing tours of local or national clubs is a pro to others, and then you have the rock star. The point being that what a Pro is, is often in the eyes of the client or the audience.
The client wants what they want, and in an increasing number of instances they don’t care where it comes from as long as the image works. This goes for editorial, advertising, fine art, video, and other forms of what we do. This has always been the case, it is just that in the past clients had access to a smaller number of shooters and a different type of imagery was acceptable for public consumption.
So maybe the question isn’t what we think a professional is, that is easy, maybe the question is what does each client think a professional is, when do certain skill sets matter, or not, and what will be the definition of a professional photographer in the future.
[by Thomas Werner]
Think of video as more than documentary or an interview; think about how you can use video to create physical and emotional space, architecture, think of ways to immerse people, control their experience. Begin to use video in more ways than just a moving version of your still imagery. Get one step ahead of the game in video instead of playing catch-up for the next ten years.
[by Thomas Werner]
Art buyers and art directors look for photos in the places they are most familiar and comfortable with. Put your photos up on Flickr, a large number of art buyers and photo researchers look for, and purchase, images there.
[by Thomas Werner]
When giving a gift to client don’t give something that is too expensive and don’t give something that is a self promotion. Expensive may make a client nervous, and self promotion really isn’t a gift.
Try a small ten or twelve dollar book of photography. It feels more personal, can be tailored to each client’s personal taste, and relates to your business without saying “business.” The goal is to say thank you and connect in a way that your self promotion does not.
Good luck, and the best to all over the holidays!
[by Thomas Werner]
This is an artists statement from an exhibition at my gallery a few years ago. The only time that I used an artists statement in promoting an exhibition was this one. I came across it again the other day and think that it addresses something essential about our work and wanted to share with with you.
Artist Statement – Gabriela Maj
There once existed an idea that articulated the human capacity for a particular type of transcendental experience. An experience in which nature, at its most fierce, most violent and most monumental would allow for a brief glimpse of the divine. It was an idea that offered the possibility of the most utterly private experience. It was about enlightenment, about the soul and about beauty in its most painful of definitions.
Today we are left with residue. Dead philosophers, old poems.
Nature is harnessed, we are irreverent. These images were created in quiet homage to an old idea.
[by Thomas Werner]
Take 6 friends, drive into the forest, desert, to the ocean, a lake, and just photograph each other all day….feed off the energy, creativity and community, and do not worry about the outcome of the shoot.
This is not the usual group of portfolios, whether you find it commercial or not I will leave up to you, but I will say that some of these photographers are very successful….
Learn to trust yourself, trust your talent, trust what your heart tells you to make and do, have faith in the future and things that you cannot see or yet imagine. Learn to believe again in the possibilities of the unknown.
I always suggest sending a resume, either mailed or online, or both, right after January, and in the middle of August, right before the spring and fall semesters begin. These are both times where a photo program may find themselves needing a good instructor or two on short notice due to someone moving, getting a grant, or a variety of other reasons. No need to call or write to follow-up, if the resume fits and the school needs you they will call.
As a professional Tweeting isn’t about going to a movie or where you are having dinner, it is about letting people know that you and your business is alive and vital. It is letting people know that you are shooting a job, making new work, traveling to different places, helping them understand what you can offer them by letting them know you are interesting and busy. I don’t get twitter on my Blackberry, but I do tweet from there at times.
Twitter is also about aggregating information and getting a good read on what is happening in your world; technically, social moments, visual trends, and the lives and work of your friends, clients, and vendors.
It is being said that the uprising in Iran making Twitter a valid resource. Are we looking at a new version of our next evening news?How will this change affect your business, your ability to make and sell imagery. Is “citizen journalism” going to trend further into “citizen editorial and advertising imagery”? Yes, Twitter is important.
As noted in my last post, photographs exhibited in higher end contemporary galleries are signed on the back, or reverse of the print. In addition to contemporary practices, there are two other reasons that you should consider when deciding whether to sign the back of your print as opposed to the front, these are; market and concept. This post will briefly discuss concept.
When you create a photograph to hang in a contemporary space you need to realize that everything about your work has a “meaning”. Everything that you do “contextualizes” your photograph, and how it is viewed and interpreted by the viewer. This includes the signature on your print as well as your decision whether or not to use a mat and frame. If you sign and/or edition your work on the front you are “referencing” a certain time period in photography. If you frame your photographs in black frames with a mat, and under glass you are “referencing” a specific period of photography. If you are going to reference that time, then you need to be able to explain “why” you are doing so. Are you commenting on that period? Are you addressing social issues of the time, creating nostalgia, or speaking about memory or loss, creating an homage in reference to an artist or photographic style? Is your signature on the front part of your concept? Does it move you closer to the “why” of your photography?
Much of contemporary photography is not about creating images that represent something, it is about creating photographs that comment on something. When you are making commentary, every choice, every symbol (and your signature is a symbol), every detail, is part of that commentary. So the decision to sign on the front goes beyond whether you or your client simply likes it there, it becomes part of your concept, part of the conversation that the photograph creates.