Mark Carter – Christina Force

5 Reasons to Throw out Your Babies

Christina Force — Thu, 29 May 2014 10:24:39 +0000

Recently I heard the good news that yet another of my clients won the top prize in a photographic competition. What’s great is that he won it for a shot he took for a dream client, shooting the kind of job he would shoot even if he weren’t paid. Only he was. And on top of that, the prize money afforded him a new car. I’m so proud that he was brave enough one year ago to throw out all the shots he thought people wanted to see, and stick to only showing what he wanted to shoot.

I often have to throw out photographer’s babies. One of the reasons I started the Top Shots series (in need of an update!) was to prove that some of the best images don’t necessarily a good folio maketh. But it doesn’t mean they aren’t fantastic. They just don’t have a place in that folio, or on that website, at that particular time.

Here are 5 reasons you should consider throwing out a beloved shot (or two):

1. It’s not the kind of shot you’re passionate about shooting in the future.

I don’t care if you shot it just last week, if it was the biggest job of your life, if the queen is in the shot, or the client loved it to bits because you made a silk purse from a sow’s ear. If it’s not the work you enjoy doing, and are passionate about doing more of, throw it out. (You may keep it aside to privately share with the next client who wants to see a similar silk purse made out of a similar sow’s ear). Focus on building your website and folio with work you dream about. If necessary, start with stunning personal work; the commissions will follow.

Mark Carter won a Loupe Award amongst others for this shoot which was instigated by a previous personal project he had done with Lightfarm.

2. It doesn’t flow well with the other images.

So ditch it. Even if it’s the best image you’ve ever made, and you think, ‘This is where I want to go’, you can’t show a random image unlike anything else in the folio. Firstly, it will confuse your potential clients; ‘So what does she shoot- soft, misty, ethereal landscapes? Or high end retouched conceptual product? Huh?’

Secondly, if someone likes it enough they may ask you for more examples so they can show their client. To which you will say, ‘Ummm, well actually I haven’t got anything as yet, but I’m working on it.’ To which they will say, ‘Hey, thanks for the estimate that took you a week to pull together, but if I have nothing else to show my client I’m stuffed and we’ll have to use photographer B….’

Instead, avoid this pickle (which I’ve seen many times) and concentrate on building more shots like it (if that’s what you want to do more of), and wait until your next folio update. If not, print it, frame it, and give it to your mum for Christmas.

I had to throw out this very cool shot by Dave Richards because it was so different to everything else he had shot.

3. There are lots of shots from the same series

Conversely, if you have too many shots from the same series you risk boring the viewer. And you might give the impression that you are lacking in good work so have padded it out. Three shots from a campaign or similar series is enough in one go. So throw out the weakest ones and leave the strong ones in. And if you have loads and loads of great images from a series, consider making a blog from them, or an exhibition, or a themed mini-book (or all three).

4. It isn’t terribly good.

I cannot believe the utter tripe I see in folios and on websites. Inevitably, the said tripe has been shot by quite talented photographers. So why is it in their folio? ‘Because I see stuff like that all the time in ads’, they say. ‘Because that’s what clients want me to shoot’, or ‘Because no one wants to see my personal work’. Oh please, give me a break. Creatives and even direct clients aspire to using someone who shoots stunning, beautiful, dramatic, [insert appropriate positive adjective] work.

How do you know what has happened to that poor old shot on the billboard you drive past every day, the billboard you so doggedly think you must emulate? Maybe the photographer was made to shoot talent the client provided. Maybe the ad agency used their dodgy in-house retoucher. Maybe the client got hold of it and insisted on making the light match the original illustration rather than where it would naturally fall (this is another live scenario I have seen). Maybe the creative, who initially briefed the AMAZING photographer on the job, hates the final shot! If all the afore mentioned scenarios happened, it is most likely the poor designer probably cringes every time he drives past the billboard. So for goodness sake, don’t assume that’s what he’s looking for. No way Jose. You must give that dejected, compromised creative something inspirational to look at when you walk into his office with your folio; something that will put a smile back on his face and remind him why he signed up for his career in the first place.

5. It is covered in ugly typography.

It doesn’t matter that it’s been published in a magazine or as an ad if the design is ugly. Even if the shot is amazing, bad typography will kill it. Trust me, it doesn’t take a lot for designers and art directors to dislike the font someone else used. Even on award-winning ads. I have seen, first-hand, groups of creatives all verbally ‘fixing’ the typography on a Gold Cannes Lion winning ad. (The photography? It didn’t get a look in.) So keep that baby but get rid of the ad. You don’t need to prove you shot it for someone. You’re bigger and better than that.

Creatives in ad agencies have to throw out their babies all the time when they write, and rewrite, and rewrite them again, and again. Their bins are full of screwed up layout pad pages (yes, even in the 21st century they still start with scribbles). So take a leaf from their book, and be strong. It will be worth it. And they will thank you.

Top folio shots of 2012

Christina Force — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:47:25 +0000

I was hoping to squeeze this post into January. I think, with any luck, and the blessing of New Zealand’s time zone, half the world will still see it in January.

Since the new year I’ve already edited 2 websites and 3 print folios. Seems like quite a few photographers out there are keen to get moving in 2013, in spite of our incredibly gorgeous summer weather enticing us to the beach. (Condolences to our Southern Hemisphere friends currently digging the snow from the driveway).

So last night after watering the plants I stayed up late going through last year’s folio edits, and picking my top shots of 2012. And to make this job less arduous in the future, I will start posting my top pick each month.

What’s interesting about the shots I picked is not all of them made the final print folios. This would have been because the shot didn’t work in a series with the others, or it was a one off. There is no point in adding a random shot into a coherent body of work if it doesn’t flow well with the others. but as a stand alone image- there’s no problem. So here goes:

1. Waikune Prison © Jeremy Bright

The holes and cracks in this derelict prison have allowed the harsh New Zealand sunshine to expose all this cell’s flaws and textures. This was one of many in the series that really excited me. You will be hard placed to find anything of note by Jeremy on the internet. He has been shooting and building an enormous archive for many years. I was lucky to have been entrusted with editing many of these stunning doco-style collections shot all around the world, and to help him figure out website categories, so that soon, very soon I hope, he will be able to share his talent with the world.

This shot was part of another gorgeous series taken in New Zealand, in an old (but still used) convent dormitory. It’s hard not to be drawn into the nostalgia of the location and the beauty of the figure. As Sara is such a prolific photographer, I was able to help her make a stunning bound portfolio with sumptuous images on every page. Click here to see more of her work.

It’s almost impossible to select the best of Joe’s images. Originating from the UK, you can tell that Joe has a well trained eye, with every shot finely crafted. This wrecked car was one of several old dumped vehicles Joe shot in the Northern Territory in Australia. I love the vast empty spaces with these rusted old scraps of metal. His folio was a delight to put together- I recommend a viewing. To see his work online click here.

Not every photographer has the opportunity to produce stunning images for commercial clients. And whilst I could have picked any number of Chris Sisarich’s personal shots, all of which are gorgeous, I decided to show a commissioned image. just to break the mould. The feeling of this shot is everything. Who wouldn’t want to be that angelic girl standing in that enchanted sunlit forest? It’s not surprising clients come to New Zealand to shoot their campaigns. Chris was another prolific client for whom I was able to help build a double sided book bursting with inspiring imagery. To see more click here.

I’ve been helping Lee develop his identity this past year, especially his website. Originating from the UK, Lee won Motorsport Photographer of the year 2008 & 2011 and has a great collection of sport and action shots. But this shot, taken in Wales, really appealed to me. I want to know more about that man’s story. The tattoos, the dog, the beer- i just love it. To see more of Lee’s work (and the website I helped him put together) click here.

I met Rob in Melbourne at the end of last year and immediately fell in love with his underwater work. This ethereal image was part of an older series he had shot, but I just love the magical mermaid quality of it. I am looking forward to seeing more of Rob’s creations as he is constantly investing in new ideas and it really shows. I’ll be doing the final edit of his print folio in a few weeks. To see more of his work click here.

Talking of water, Mark’s another photographer who enjoys being underwater with a camera. But this shot, taken for Remix Magazine had a few unlikely elements which looked dramatic and kind of 007-esque to me! What’s remarkable is that all of this was one shot. To see more of Mark’s work click here.