Photographer Andrew Martin, who I used to rep at The Collective Force, made this fabulous shot for a Heinz campaign.

Are you working with ‘meatloafs’?

11 April, 2022

‘Meatloafs’.

That’s the word a photographer recently used to describe some of his more frustrating clients who work in the sports world.

It’s not surprising really. Many people who book photographers direct are non-visual.

And it’s not limited to ex-rugby players.

Marketing managers, event organisers and corporate executives are simply not (usually) terribly visually eloquent.

They haven’t studied art or design or photography or film, or spent years in creative departments or photography studios surrounded by visual media.

Because of this they can under value good photography, or the difference good production makes to a shoot, the importance of enough time to organise, prep and make something great, and the difference in cost that comes with that.

But if you’re still working with meatloafs, (or your version of meatloafs), you might need to ask yourself why.

Fear?

Comfort?

Better the devil you know?

If you’ve ‘done your time’ in the industry, and are ready to work with more visually discerning people who’ll hire you to shoot what you love, you’re going to need to aim higher.

Whatever that means to you.

It’s time to get out of the sandpit and play wth the big kids.