BRIAN SMITH PHOTO TIPS

WE'VE MOVED

2009-10-12T22:52:00.010-05:00

Please visit our new address:
www.briansmith.com/blog

And our new website:
www.briansmith.com

Moire

2008-05-02T09:23:00.003-05:00

Moire happens more often with Medium format backs because they don't have the "Mr Magoo Anti-Aliasing Filter" that turns sharpness to mush in Canon files. Even so, I get it from time to time with a 1Ds2 anyway...

The only magnification you need to check to make sure this is not "Screen Moire" is 100%. If it shows up at 100% it's in the file.

Moire is extremely distance dependent.

If you shoot hand-held the difference of a couple inches may be enough to make it appear or disappear. Often there's something in the next or previous frame that you can clone to repair the moire.

If you shoot everything locked down on a tripod and the subject doesn't move, then it'll probably be an all or nothing proposition, meaning either you're golden or you're screwed.

And with that, tripod sales just went down...

If it's "Color Moire" you can often blur out one of the RGB or CYMK channels.

If it shows up in RGB, CYMK and LAB, then you've got "Pattern Moire" and you are screwed...

If that's the case, cut-n-paste from another frame is the easiest fix.

One more thing to bear in mind....

Moire loves the upper crust.

You'll rarely get moire when shooting a dude in jeans and a white cotton wife-beater, but moire really bites you most when photographing really expensive wool weaves and silks. So if you find yourself being bit more often by the moire bug it probably just means you're photographically social climbing...

Brian Smith Portfolios on the Web

2008-04-30T08:58:00.011-05:00

Photo Editors and Art Buyers find me in lots of different ways. Actually, you'd be surprised how well good old-fashioned word of mouth works. But there's no overlooking the power of the web. A few of the online portfolio sites that feature my portfolios include:

Adobe Photographers Directory
altpick.com
ASMP Find a Photographer
Blackbook.com
BigShotAssignment
Design:Related
Editorial Photographers Portfolios
Lightstalkers
PhotoServe
Search APA
Shoot in Florida - Celebrity
Shoot in Florida - Portraits
Shoot in Florida - Sports
Viisual Pro
Virb
Wikipedia
Workbook.com

What Every Photographer Needs to Know About Orphan Works Legislation to Protect Against Copyright Piracy

2007-11-21T18:30:00.000-05:00

"Orphan Works" Legislation is currently floating around Congress and this legislation essentially gives pirates a free pass to S-T-E-A-L photographs if they can't locate the creator. Simply put, my good friend former ASMP President Clem Spalding describes "Orphan Works" as "Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers."

Orphan Works will essentially strip the guts out of Copyright protection taking away punitive damages in the event your images are stolen if the thieves can prove that they tried but were unable to to locate the creator. Editorial Photographers is one of over 20 photo associations around the globe opposing Orphan Works.

To put the impact of Orphan Works in simple terms - it would be akin to enacting a law that makes it ok to steal from the local convenience store as long as no one was behind the register and then if the cops actually catch you with the goods, the thief would only be liable to pay for the goods that the stole without any penalty for the theft.

It is absolutely essential that you embed your copyright and contact information in the metadata of every single image that leaves your computer. You can locate this while in Photoshop or Bridge by selecting File>File Info. Every photographer should fill in the following fields:

Description: Copyright Status, Copyright Notice & Copyright Info URL

IPTC Contact: Creator, E-Mail, URL, Address & Phone

IPTC Status: Copyright Notice

Using "Save for Web" certainly optimizes images for quick web loading, however it generally also strips out all the metadata that helps safeguard your images from piracy. In the latest version of Photoshop CS3 (version 10.0.1), the “Save for Web” feature now gives your the option to “Include XMP” in the Save for Web dialog. When this option is enabled, all XMP data — including the creator copyright and contact info — is included in the optimized file.

In addition to embedding Metadata to your files, I'd also suggest a visible copyright on the images. I've never really liked the look of slapping watermarks all over images, so I decided to follow my friend Seth Resnick's suggestion of creating a border around the image an placing the copyright notice in the border area. As part of the Photoshop batch actions I run to create web images, I add an extra 10-15 pixels to the bottom where I place the copyright notice. The idea is to treat this as a design element - not a distraction.

Most importantly, if anyone were to steal an image (and hopefully that won't happen) cropping out the copyright automatically elevates the theft a willful copyright infringement which is subject to the harshest penalties. More about copyright can be found on the Editorial Photographers website.

Q&A with ASMP Washington DC

2007-10-07T08:24:00.001-05:00

Q&A with Brian Smith President of Editorial Photographers
Excerpted from "The Art and Commerce of Magazine Photography"
Presented to ASMP Washington DC on September 11, 2007

Q: Years ago Greg Heisler was quoted in PDN as saying "I think you will find that most of the magazine assignments are given to friends of the photo editors." Is this still true? How important are those relationships?

A: I suppose that must mean that Gregory has friends in higher places than I do…but seriously…I think it’s less a case of being buddies with your editors and more important that you’re someone they know they can count on to produce a great photo without fail no matter what forces conspire against you.

Q: Does the magazine work lead to other more lucrative work?

A: Getting published in hipper well-art-directed publications can definitely lead to ad work, but sometimes being in the “wrong” magazines can actually hurt you. I try not to worry that much about it as long as the shoots interest me.

Q: How do we determine what the good magazines are and who we want to avoid, as far as contracts and art direction. How flexible do we need to be on the contract end of it?

A: Well, good art direction should be pretty obvious from just looking at it. Unfortunately there tends to often be an inverse relationship between trendy art direction and money. Many of the really cool hip magazines will pay, like, a dollar (provided they don’t go bankrupt first.) So there are always trade-offs. Contracts are another issue. Contracts that I’ve seen generally fall into the categories of “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.” But even some “ugly” contracts are very negotiable, so the best thing to do is discuss the points you need to change. Editorial Photographers has a many of the major magazine contracts posted on the member side of the website.

Q: What are magazines paying these days? Is it flexible?

A: There’s more flexibility than you’d think. Editorial dayrates range from $500-1,000, full-page space usage rates range from $500-1,250 and covers range from $1,500-$5,000.Even magazines that seem to have “Thou Shalt Not Pay More Than Five Hundred Dollars” carved in stone tablets, are often willing to offer larger guarantees based on usage on bigger stories.

Q: Is there money in the budgets for production?

A: Magazines are generally more willing to spend money on production than for creative fees. How much depends on the magazine and the shoot. Production budgets can range from a few hundred bucks to tens of thousands. Generally speaking, small front of the book assignments are generally tighter budgets, though that’s a relative term. I have some editorial clients that consider $3,000 in production bare bones, but that isn’t the norm.

Q: We have all seen the Annie Leibovitz. movie so we know what that end of the business is doing as far as scouting, production and makeup. What is "real world" for the good size magazines like Time, Newsweek, SI, ESPN?

A: Most of the time they want Annie Light...they want the same great taste, but with less filling of your pockets. Production budgets are often dependent on what the shoot requires. Budgets tend to escalate when they involve travel or if you need hair, make-up and styling. Is one assistant enough or will two or three make it go more smoothly? Does the shoot require location scouting, a production van, catering, permits and insurance? I think one of the biggest mistakes some photographers make is skimping on production when there’s money in the budget for it. Good hair, make-up and styling can make all the difference in the world. I find it ironic that the fashion rags wouldn't dream of shooting 14-year-old girls with flawless skin without hair and make-up (and of course retouching) - yet it's an afterthought at business magazines filled with pictures of 70-year-old-bald-white-guys-with-liver-spots? The quickest way to add value to what you do is to work with people who can make the shoot look better by spending money on a good crew.

Q: What kind of luck are you having licensing magazine shoots as stock?

A: Some shoots do phenomenally well and others do nothing. I’d say that the top 10% of assignments generate 90% of my licensing and the top 1% probably accounts for 50% of that. In terms of celebrity stock, the more they’re in the news and the less they agree to be photographed - the better.

Q: How are you handling model releases for your magazine work?

A: Ideally you’d get model releases of everyone you shoot, but since I shoot a lot of celebrities, athletes and CEOs, that’s just not going to happen, so I try to get releases whenever I can. Even without releases, it’s still possible to syndicate them for editorial use and with celebrities even editorial can be licensed for decent money, I’ve also had a number of instances where celebrities have approved photos for commercial use just so they wouldn’t have to sit for another shoot.

Q: Should we expect any of our magazine work to be used in video or TV shows when shooting for the big corporate type magazines?

A: It’s fairly common on celebrity shoots for the magazine to send a video crew to shoot behind-the-scenes B-roll of shoot, so I suppose you can take it as a sign of success. Just make sure you dress nice if your backside is going to end up on “Entertainment Tonight.”

Q: How are you marketing yourself to your clients and potential clients?

A: A lot of new clients find me through web portals, but “old school” still works. I still get good results from direct mail and drop-bys to show my book.

Q: How much art direction are you given on a normal magazine shoot?

A: It really varies. Most of the time it revolves around the layout like “we need a cover and a double-page spread” or “we need a full-bleed-right-hand-single-page opener.” On covers there are always issues like leaving room for logos and cover lines. Since I shoot lots of celebrities, athletes and CEOs who I’ve photographed a number of times, often the direction revolves around giving me an idea what the story is about. Of course my favorite thing to hear is, “we thought this shoot would be perfect for you, so just go out and do your thing.”

Q: What do we need to accept and what should we push back on as far as fees, art direction, contracts?

A: I think you need to feel comfortable with everything or else not do it. I never simply assume art direction is a bad thing. I’m not too proud to admit it when an art director, photo editor or even the subject comes up with a better idea than me.

Q: So, is it still possible to make a small fortune as a magazine photographer?

A: Absolutely. It’s actually easy to do. Just start with a large fortune...

--Brian Smith

Advice to Photographers Starting Out

2007-02-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

FIRST: Most importantly...Shoot what you love to shoot. Work that's from the heart will always be your strongest work. NEVER FORGET TO HAVE FUN!

SECOND: The next most important thing you can learn is how to relate to people. Even if you are a still life, architectural or landscape photographer who never shoots people you still must relate to people like clients, architects, designers and of course accounts payable. So go out and find 50 strangers, introduce yourself to them and shoot a portrait that says something about who they are - not just what they do.

THIRD: If you are trying to move on to better clients, treat every assignment you get as though you are shooting for your dream client. If you are at a small weekly newspaper and your dream is to shoot for a large metro, approach every assignment as though it was your first week at that dream job. The same is true if you are at a large metro newspaper and dream of shooting for Rolling Stone. Start shooting every job that way. Too many photographers just slide by with the idea that they can raise their quality when they get the 'right' clients and then wonder why they never get where they want to be. The truth is that as you advance up the ladder, the assignments don't necessarily get any better but expectations certainly get higher. Raise your game ... now!

FOURTH: INVEST! Stock, bonds, mutual funds, real estate ... Even if you are one of those lucky bastards with a staff job and a retirement plan, let a portion of your earnings start working for you. Most photographers starting out don't feel they can afford to put money away. The truth is you can't afford NOT to!

For more suggestions like this, take a look at advice that I collected from my fellow members of Editorial Photographers in piece called "Starting Out."