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Steps to Success
Workshop at the Ranch
February, 2005 Edition
Hi and welcome to this edition of
Workshop at the Ranch. I receive many emails each month asking
how to become more successful in the photography business. To
answer that completely I would need to write a book. The digital
revolution is a great boom to the industry but also seems to suggest
instant results both with images and business alike. Here are
some of the steps I recommend for photographers starting out in
business. Take them to heart, work hard and you will find your
images improving each time you shoot.
Before we get started we must assume
that you, the photographer seeking to make progress into the business,
have a foundation of basics. Basic knowledge of your equipment,
exposure, composition, light, computer skills, etc. will all be
requirements to success. Without BASICS and the fundamentals of
photography being second nature you will be like a boat set a
drift in the ocean. Poorly exposed images with cluttered backgrounds
captured in poor light with unpleasing composition will not hold
up.......even if you are a master of photoshop. Remember, we are
talking about photography not repair/damage control. Now, let's
begin.............
Image#1 KNOWLEDGE...about
your subject is very important. The more you know and
understand about your subject whether it is an athlete,
an event, an animal, a landscape, or a portrait the more
likely you are to capture a great image. This image of
Mary Lou Retton was taken as a result not so much by my
skill as a photographer but because of my KNOWLEDGE of
the sport. I was not accomplished in photography in 1984.
I was only a few years into the profession. I had solid
basics but nothing fancy. It was my KNOWLEDGE of gymnastics
and many of the athletes including Mary Lou Retton that
gave me a distinctive edge over many of the great photographers
who were covering the Olympic games in LA. Freezing the
action of Mary Lou flying through the air and tumbling
across the beam was easy. Even her perfect 10 vault that
clinched the GOLD for her was routine for me because of
the knowledge I had of the sport. As a gymnast in High
School and College I knew all the coaches, trainers and
people who were involved in the sport. This lead to conversation
with the Olympic Photo Marshall at the gymnastics venue.
He was a former gymnast and editor of the International
Gymnastics Magazine. He had a front row ticket that was
not being used. He gave it to me. My Olympic credential
gave me access to all photography areas and after I photographed
Mary Lou performing and landing her perfect 10 vault,
I hurried off to the front row seat for the GOLD medal
presentation. No other photographer was on this side of
the arena. They are all behind Mary Lou during the award
ceremony but I am in front. I captured a moment that no
one else had and it changed my life and kicked my career
into high gear. My skill level as a photographer was only
average, but it was my KNOWLEDGE and familiarity with
one sport and all those who are involved in it that separated
me from my competitors.
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| NOTE: There are many factors
that influenced my career. Title 9 legislation paved a road
for women athletes in the late 1970's of which Mary Lou Retton
and other women athletes became big news in the early 1980's
when my career began. ESPN started in 1980 and the sports
coverage revolution was under way. Then Nancy Kerrigan and
Tonya Harding fueled a media frenzy and the sport of figure
Skating sky rocketed in popularity and me along with it. All
these factors plus a steady growth in public interest with
the Olympic movement helped create a market place for sports
images that I recognized as a perfect fit for me. What athletes,
teams, events, and situations are a perfect fit for you? Take
the time to examine the developing trends for images needed
in today's market place so as to have a SUPPLY that meets
the DEMAND. |
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Image#2 THE MOMENT...occurs in
every game. Sometimes there are several key moments and plays
that determine the outcome of a game or a season or an athletes
career. Michelle Kwan falling at the 2000 Winter Olympics
is a defining moment of her final program, the competition
and one of the historical moments of the Olympics in Salt
Lake City. The GOLD was hers until this MOMENT. As previously
explained, it was my knowledge of the sport and all those
involved that aided me in capturing this MOMENT. The more
you know, the more likely you are to be prepared to capture
the moment. My knowledge and experience with figure skating
gave me an edge. An edge to choose my position, lens choice,
shutter speed etc. in order to maximize my ability to cover
the event. |
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NOTE: These two steps KNOWLEDGE
and THE MOMENT go hand in hand. Your knowledge of your subject
will always lead to more complete coverage and increase
your ability to capture the moment for your client.
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Image#3 LIGHTING...is the greatest influence.
Your use of light, be it natural of artificial will influence
your picture more than any other factor. Look for the shaft
of LIGHT on a football field. Wait for the golden LIGHT
at dawn on a mountain. Scout out the location for a portrait
that has beautiful sunset LIGHT. Learn to use strobes and
lighting equipment. If you use LIGHTING and the other photographers
you compete with do not...then you will be unique to all
clients. I love to use lighting in many situations. This
basketball image is complex in its use of arena strobes
to freeze the action and create a colorful, striking look.
A very average play that looks spectacular because of LIGHTING.
Start small with one light and work your way up. Portraits,
events, nature, etc. can be lit. The use of LIGHTING can
RAISE the STANDARD of your circle of industry. Regardless
of what your subject is, LIGHTING can separate you from
your competitors. Poor use of light places you at a disadvantage
in the business if others are using lighting well. Get started
with portraits and continue to push yourself to more complex
lighting like arenas as you grow in knowledge and skill.
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Image#4 TECHNOLOGY...can separate
you from the others in your chosen field. The digital camera,
more mega pixels, lenses, strobes, underwater housings etc.
are all factors in the photography industry today. Choose
the camera based on the final resting place of your image.
The Internet requires a certain quality of image, Newspapers
require a higher quality, Magazines even higher quality, Advertisements
higher yet and Gallery Prints require even higher quality.
More megapixels usually equates to greater quality of image.
Greater quality of image usually equates to more options for
editors. More options for editors might equate to more space
rates using your images and the possibility of usage in other
mediums like advertisements. TECHNOLOGY can often times give
you an edge over your fellow photographers all shooting the
same game. This image of Tiger Woods during the 2004 Masters
was taken with a Nikon Coolpix 8700. A consumer camera! Its
8 megapixel RAW/NEF file and SILENT SHUTTER capabilities enabled
me to capture a high quality image during Tiger's backswing.
An impossible image to make with even the top of the line
professional cameras due to shutter noise prohibited by the
golfers. I knew very little about golf or the Masters or Tiger
Woods. However, my KNOWLEDGE of golf coverage revealed that
if I could capture images of the golfers during their backswing........then
I would have something unique and valuable for my editor.
This shot is not difficult to execute, but the TECHNOLOGY
of the Coolpix 8700 gave me an advantage. |
NOTE: It is your task to
search out the things that will separate you from the
rest of the photographers. There were 20 photographers
in the tower at the 18th tee but I combined KNOWLEDGE,
TECHNOLOGY, and BASICS to help me capture a MOMENT that
was UNIQUE and would SEPARATE ME FROM MY COMPETITORS.
You can do the same thing.
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Image#5 My HEART...goes into the making
of my pictures. I hear too many excuses from photographers.
No editor is at fault. No weather conditions are at fault.
No game or player is at fault. You alone are responsible
for the light and how it is to be used. You alone are responsible
for capturing the moment. You are responsible for every
edge and corner of the frame you capture. This image of
Kevin Barnett serving during the World League Volleyball
Championships is very defining of my style of sports photography.
My understanding of the BASICS of photography gave me the
freedom to create this image in my mind before I arrived
at the arena. My KNOWLEDGE of Kevin's perfect serve came
from careful study during previous games and practices which
lead to photographing this MOMENT of athletic excellence.
My use of arena strobe LIGHTING enabled me to freeze the
action perfectly. My understanding of remote camera TECHNOLOGY
and my equipment helped me capture this image from a unique
viewpoint. My HEART goes into the pictures I make. I love
to take pictures of a variety of subjects and I love to
experiment with new ideas and stretch my imagination when
I go to cover an event.
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These are steps all of us should
consider. If you go after even one of these steps, your images
will improve significantly. Improve two or more and the sky is
the limit. It will take hard work, long hours, and a strong desire.
Success will not happen over night. I suggest you start today.
So.... How does one become successful in this industry.....make
great pictures for a marketplace that is in demand.
See you next time at Workshop at the Ranch. Adios,
Dave
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