demarchelier

This was a response to a message regarding photographic styles and directions. The sender is inspired by Corinne Day, Terry Richardson and Richard Avedon. Since I don't know why Corinne Day is, I neglected to reference her in my response:

Photography agencies to my knowledge are more about managing your book of existing clients, than they are about getting you new clients. Basically most photography agencies sign you when you have a significant clientele and can't be bothered with the contractual, appointment-scheduling, operations-type BS, etc. They also take a good chunk of your earnings but you pay them to hold the clients' hands because you are too busy making money.

Anyway, assuming I'm understanding you correctly, you still need to decide on a specific direction. Terry Richardson and Dick Avedon are left field and right field ;) I can see how you could like both, but that's kinda like saying I'm Republican and Democrat at the same time. They're mutually exclusive. You gotta pick a side. Avedon was great with control and refinement. Richardson is great at grit and in-your-face reality. I guess what I'm trying to say is to be specific about your niche/style of photography. That way you can be more specific about how you want to build your book.

I think you have an eye for pictures. Perhaps an eye that escapes the traditionalist/Avedon-esque photographer in me. You see, I'm not very creative. I don't "get" people like Terry. Moreover, I don't understand his appeal. I mean I understand it, but it makes my skin crawl, ya know? :) I actually think he's a talentless hack haha but that's just me and my right-wing style of photography talking.

Let me be constructive here though. Always use the best models you can get find. The better your models, the better your photography. My photography is 99% beautiful models and 1% skill. It's hard to go wrong when you have faces like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyeh01/5070570953/ As an FYI, that was her first shoot ever. She also did this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyeh01/5069645407/in/photostream/ and this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyeh01/5069543412/

In closing (because this was such a well-thought-out message j/k really this was quite poorly constructed), pick a style and be the best at that style. To be honest with you, I have yet to really settle in a specific genre. I feel that I will develop my own style over time without specifically and mentally making a decision of the type of photography I want to be known for. Then again, I'm a bad example, so do as I say, but not as I do ;)

Lesson of the day. I have no idea what I'm doing ;P