Top shots – Christina Force

The clarity that’s right in front of you

CFASSISTANT — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 11:10:23 +0000

How often do you feel confused or overwhelmed or directionless?

If this is something you struggle with you may have forgotten about your unique skill as a photographer: The ability to shine a light (or harness the light) to communicate a very strong message.

The fact is that finding or creating that clarity, and pointing your lens at it, is a crucial aspect of your job.

So maybe try doing that in your other endeavours:

Decide on one dream ideal photoshoot so you can be laser-focused on who you want to work with.
Target one amazing brand or creative rather than trying to target everyone.
Focus on one specific aspect of a message you want to share in your personal work, rather than trying to say everything.
Hone in on one story/shoot every time you send out an email blast.
Decide on one specific marketing goal for each day, month, etc.
Find one photo rep, agent or production company you'd like to partner with and build that relationship.
Choose one mentor/ guide who you trust to help you, rather than confusing yourself with mixed messages.

As with your best work, it really is all about honing in.

And you definitely know how to do that!

Top Shots November & December 2014

Christina Force — Sat, 10 Jan 2015 01:35:28 +0000

As strange as it may seem, in November I edited numerous print folios on beds and sofas in Hong Kong hotel rooms, in time for the CA+ review event. I’m pleased to report that all the folios were well received with some creatives and photographers continuing discussions and at least one photographer finding a new agent. I’m a very proud ‘mum’!

Amongst all the folios I edited in November and also into December, there were a couple of stand out shots and these made the final two Top Shots for 2014. In the next few weeks I’ll announce the creative who’ll be selecting their fave from all the gorgeous images I shared last year. In the meantime, enjoy the last two of the year- both photographers have featured on this blog before, and both constantly producing fresh work.

November: Christian Mushenko, Sydney

Christian Mushenko‘s work never fails to draw me back to the ocean and I always always fall for fizzy bubbles that seem to accompany the water he shoots. Having said this, Christian isn’t afraid of the contrast between light and dark, and whilst our POV is from the dark and perhaps ominous depths, the feet seem to be introducing light and air into the water and draw the eye up to the sparkle of sunshine (or is it night lights?) above the surface. Very ethereal. Always emotive.

December: Steve Boniface, Wellington

Almost exactly a year ago I featured a beautiful landscape shot by Steve Boniface. Since then as always he has been very prolific, shooting everything from factories and industry, studio set ups and people around the world. But my favourite series by far was a project on cane workers in Fiji, some of which have not yet been released publicly. So I am very privileged to have been one of the first people to whom Steve has shown this stunning body of work. This shot is only one of many, but I love the composition, the crunchy texture of the sugar cane and the vibrant blue of the worker’s head-covering with his eyes peering out.

Top folio shots of 2013: April- June

Christina Force — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 18:42:54 +0000

Another busy few months has seen lots of interesting work cross my laptop. Funnily enough I ended up with a few travel shots this quarter. Since I’m wallowing in mid-winter here, maybe my choice of images means I need a holiday! Anyway, I’m off to light a fire. In the meantime, here are my 3 picks, selected from work I edited respectively in April, May and June. Again, not all the shots made the final folio edit, but I like them for various reasons.

April- Jon Love

I felt very lucky to get my hands onto Jon’s work. He is a prolific travel photographer from Sydney, with strong ethical values and a keen eye for authenticity- in people and places. I’m sure this girl’s life is not terribly easy, but I love the directness of her gaze into the camera, and the baby’s little foot peeking from under her arm is very endearing. The colour palette is gorgeous and the dappled light under the tree perfect. Check out more of Jon’s work here.

May- Will Bailey

There’s a certain serenity to Will Bailey’s work. Beautiful girls in West Coast New Zealand locations feature heavily in his images, and yet despite the sunlight, water and beaches it all has a casual quiet charm. Will is an emerging photographer doing lovely personal work, as well as capturing more and more fashion accounts. I was happy to discover shots like this and build a folio around them. Check out his website here.

June- Troy Goodall

I really enjoyed editing Troy’s work. In our first meeting he revealed his love of films- in particular the suspense of Alfred Hitchcock movies and the mystery of productions such as Twin Peaks. You can certainly see these influences throughout his work and this image was no exception. Knowing his fascination with mystery/ thriller genres, I find myself wondering if anyone is in the hut, silently watching. Or is someone watching the hut? Is there a dead body inside, waiting to be discovered? With Troy’s shots, you just never know, but it’s worth asking. See more of his work here.