Re: [Leica] Today's Great Photographers {was Photo whores}

[Alan Ball <AlanBall@csi.com>]

Roy,

True: the customer is king. Maybe incomptence is not always the force
that drives art directors or agencies to "mellow down" a photographer's
claim to creativity ? I have been in the past in a position where I had
to propose poster campaigns to customers. I liked the work of the young,
creative, risk taking artists (photographers, designers, etc) but must
admit that the marketing rationale behind refusals was often convincing.
First take into account the motivation of the campaign or publication
(target audience, type of feedback expected, production budget), then
take into account the image the customer wishes to convey of himself,
and finally try to answer to those requirements at the best of your
capacity.

This has very little to do with prostitution. It is exactly the same
compromise level as 99 pct of workers agree upon. It is called doing
business. Just a way to get enough money to be able to have as much
comfortable "spare" time as possible. In that "spare" time, there is
room for creativity, originality, search of absolute quality, whatever. 

Nirvana must be when the "spare" time also pays back...

There are many facets to photography.

Alan
Brussels-Belgium


Roy J. Feldman wrote:
> 
> The chicken or the egg comment is a bit off base, especially when directed
> at catalog photography.
> The shots are (when not cheap down and dirty) drawn on a layout, shot on
> Polaroid, approved by the Art Director, often faxed to the client then shot.
> There is a lot of bad Art Direction out there, but they are the client. If
> you want to call it a craft I wouldn't argue.
> It is seldom art, more often than not it is problem solving. I can't tell
> you the times we will have set up a creative shot only to have a (usually
> young and inexperienced)AD meddle with it, not so much to help it
> creatively, but to justify his existence to the client.("the photog wanted
> real moody lighting but I saved our ass")That's the job I save my creativity
> for my Fine Art business. 90% of commercial is politics, occasionally an AD
> will say "use your best judgment" but these are only the rare people who are
> secure. These guys do get fired every other week. Very little romance here.