Inspiration

Photo-illustrations most often begin with a discussion and this one was no different. For a story on how the California Judges Association blasted back against the Administrative office of the Courts, I had an inane discussion about judges at night with pitchforks and torches outside the building. I say “Well that sounds really fun, but we’re gonna need a permit for the torches.” Heads slump. Then I pitch a reasonable solution that involves a reshoot of the Hiram Johnson State Building and later I’m walking up the street with a 24mm and wondering if I should have brought the 16mm.When I arrive I realize I should have brought the 16mm. I can’t fit the building in and I decide to shoot multiple photos and stitch them together. I get on the horn and ring up a courtroom for a gavel and we’re in business. A little later a clip, a snip and were finished. I’m looking it and thinking there isn’t anything wrong with this, but I wonder what it would look like if the hammer was actually blasting out part of the building.

And that’s how it goes.



I thought I would talk about illustrations and how my thought process has evolved. Most of the time you start off with nothing more than an idea and that idea can be quite vague. The secret is to transform a vague idea into a concept that can be executed without becoming overly literal. The key is transitioning the concept into something realistically plausible within a given framework. Budget, cost, availability, and timeframe were all factors why the judges with pitchforks and torches idea wouldn’t work. Avoid ideas that become too factual or literal. Instead try to envision a hyper-real image of something that itself is a concept instantly understandable to the viewer.

The mechanics of the illustration isn’t as important as the concept, but understanding Photoshop and what you can do with it shouldn’t be underestimated. Lastly I’d add that your understanding of photography can help create better, more powerful illustrations. In the coming weeks, I’m going to go over some other illustrations and talk about my process and maybe I’ll throw in a few tips and tricks.

-$250 an Hour

That’s how much I lost by waiting 3 hours to respond to an inquiry for a job. The kicker --- I didn’t want to sound desperate or overly eager so I sat on the email.

Fee negotiation remains one of the most important and challenging aspects of the business of photography. Buy camera, get good, get paid right? Not quite. Some hard rules to consider before you price any job are.

1) What’s your cost of doing business?
2) What’s the market I’m in?
3) What rights agreement and fee is right for my client?
4) What's my clients budget?

That’s a lot to consider and certainly it might seem daunting and there are many potential pitfalls along the way, like waiting 3 hours to not seem desperate.

Don't settle for what doesn't seem fair or reasonable. Be willing to negotiate and perhaps even accept less, but don't accept less than your worth.

The photo above was a composite image of three shots. The $100 dollar bill bent on it's side to simulate swimming (later rotated in PS). The hook, poking through a hole in a piece of paper (no 100 dollar bills were actually poked in the making of this photo). Lastly, the line and hook were shot separately.

Lighting was one light camera bottom and beneath for 100 dollar bill to create camera-right light when rotated. Line and hook were both shot with one light as well.