It's unfortunate that familiarity to a "style" of photography can make the value of that body of work lessened. The photographer could have done the same amount, if not more, work as anybody else. They could have had a beautiful vision with every stylistic choice chosen for a specific purpose and executed with perfection. Yet, because it is familiar it begins to lose value in the public eye.
On websites across the web you can find well done photos, some strikingly beautiful with a clear vision. But get to the comments and it is full of people complaining about how unoriginal the photos are. Or that "they are beautiful images and technically perfect, but that "look" has been over done. So I don't like it." It's unfortunate that a persons creative work can be belittled by what a bunch of other people happened to do before them. Sure, there are some people who blatantly copy the style, subject and idea of others, but there are even more people who don't.
It seems to be a problem that is difficult, if not impossible, to escape from. Familiarity does make it that much harder to become excited if it is something you have seen a number of times. As amazingly awesome the internet is for viewing new artists and the work of millions of people around the world, it's slowly desensitizing us. We are no longer "wowed" as easily. Looking through websites like 500px and even Flickr, you can browse for a few hours and see dozens of photographers with the same "style." And you are slowly being desensitized to the quality of each photographers work. Does it make one photographers work any less important or well done? No. The photographer whose work you happened to stumble upon first in that "style" will most likely stand out a little more than the rest. Because after that, you begin to see patterns in the stylistic aspects and it becomes known to you. And once you know something it becomes less exciting.
This is a random rant inspired by a posting on F stoppers (here). I was looking through these photos and thinking how much I like them. The depth of field, the colors, the lighting and the way the subject and background work together perfectly without distracting one another. And then, I got to the comments. A majority of comments were about how this "style" is so overdone. How it's copying Joey L and blah blah blah. And I was distracted from the photos and the quality of the work. It's too bad really. At the end of the day I still remember that photographers work and I now have his website bookmarked on my computer. But too many other people love hating and focusing not on the quality of the work, but the number of times they have seen it already. Which just isn't fair.
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Friday, October 12, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
My Photo in Lift Magazine
The 2012 issue of Lift Magazine, a Chilean ski magazine is out and it looks awesome! This is my first 2 page spread and it feels goooood. Big thanks to Juan Luis de Heeckeren for the in and Carlos Ferrer for choosing to run this image!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Heading to NY
This Thursday I'm heading back to NY for a few weeks to work my ass off, see family and friends and indulge in all of the things I can't get down here. Of course I'm talking about eating. Thai, burgers, real Italian, Mexican, pizza, Indian... I am going to eat my face off and it is going to be awesome.
Anyway, leaving Chile and heading back to NY is bringing up some mixed feelings. Of course I'm excited to see my family and friends and I'm excited to get back to NYC for a short while, but just as much I'm upset to be leaving Camila and Chile. It always seems that even when I try to settle down in one place I still manage to bounce around a little.
I'm also, strangely enough, very excited to work. Anybody between jobs or any freelancers know that if you have periods of little to no work, when you finally get some you are stoked to go back. I'm not saying I'm without work here. It's just the pay here is so low that it feels like I'm practically working for free, so making some decent money is oh so appealing. It also doesn't hurt that I'm going to be working on a TV show for National Geographic. Even though it's not my dream job, it is still for my dream company, so it's a step in the right direction. I'll also have some photography assignments on my spare days too. So basically I will be going nonstop for three weeks.
Why exactly am I going to NY? Well the whole idea came from the fact that I really NEED my snowboard and equipment. I didn't bring it to Chile initially because Camila and I weren't positive where we would end up and I didn't want to have the burden of a huge, heavy bag to drag around. Of course, I almost immediately regretted not bringing it. So the idea to go back to NY, work my ass off to pay for my plane ticket and save up some money was born. It appears to be all working out quite well. Hopefully I didn't just jinx it...
Once I'm back in Chile I will be able to get up in the mountains and get you all some awesome new ski and snowboard photos! It has been way too long since I've been able to shoot any mountain sports and I'm craving it like no other. It is my ultimate photography passion, and snowboarding is my ultimate non-photography passion. And anybody who knows me personally knows I've basically had endless summers for the last two years. Heading to South America during our winters, just to head back to North America for more summer. And now I'm doing it again ironically. But it's all for a reason and I'll still have a solid two months of winter when I return.
Since I'm going to NY, here are some photos of NY:
My postings for the next few weeks may be a little less frequent than I would prefer, so I apologize in advance, but I will do my best!
Anyway, leaving Chile and heading back to NY is bringing up some mixed feelings. Of course I'm excited to see my family and friends and I'm excited to get back to NYC for a short while, but just as much I'm upset to be leaving Camila and Chile. It always seems that even when I try to settle down in one place I still manage to bounce around a little.
I'm also, strangely enough, very excited to work. Anybody between jobs or any freelancers know that if you have periods of little to no work, when you finally get some you are stoked to go back. I'm not saying I'm without work here. It's just the pay here is so low that it feels like I'm practically working for free, so making some decent money is oh so appealing. It also doesn't hurt that I'm going to be working on a TV show for National Geographic. Even though it's not my dream job, it is still for my dream company, so it's a step in the right direction. I'll also have some photography assignments on my spare days too. So basically I will be going nonstop for three weeks.
Why exactly am I going to NY? Well the whole idea came from the fact that I really NEED my snowboard and equipment. I didn't bring it to Chile initially because Camila and I weren't positive where we would end up and I didn't want to have the burden of a huge, heavy bag to drag around. Of course, I almost immediately regretted not bringing it. So the idea to go back to NY, work my ass off to pay for my plane ticket and save up some money was born. It appears to be all working out quite well. Hopefully I didn't just jinx it...
Once I'm back in Chile I will be able to get up in the mountains and get you all some awesome new ski and snowboard photos! It has been way too long since I've been able to shoot any mountain sports and I'm craving it like no other. It is my ultimate photography passion, and snowboarding is my ultimate non-photography passion. And anybody who knows me personally knows I've basically had endless summers for the last two years. Heading to South America during our winters, just to head back to North America for more summer. And now I'm doing it again ironically. But it's all for a reason and I'll still have a solid two months of winter when I return.
Since I'm going to NY, here are some photos of NY:
Long Island City, Queens with the Manhattan skyline
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown
The New Museum
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
The Lows of Finding Photography Work in Chile
Being in a new country with no work connections, I have been forced to get creative and look far and wide for potential opportunities. The results from my online efforts have so far been less than satisfying, but I have learned a few things.
One being that using job posting sites to find photography opportunities in Chile is basically useless. There are few listings and the ones that do come up are basically rapists who have minimal value for the products they are attempting to sell. Nearly all of them specifically look for students and beginning photographers who "have a dSLR, but no experience necessary!" so that they can pay little to nothing because they know that most of these photographers are desperate or don't know any better.
Moments ago I just read one that stood out more than most. The employer was looking for students with professional cameras and professional studio lights to photograph kitchen products with the quality being "identical or better to those on Sur la Table's website." This employer very bluntly states that they expect quality that is equal or better to those who produce some of the highest quality product shots in the industry. But they intend on paying little to nothing for it. Certainly nowhere near the $1,000+ day rates that the photographer who shot the Sur la Table products got. But, the quality should still be better, obviously.
Other ads here follow a similar pattern with the majority of them being extremely vague. "Big company needs photographer for 600+ photos. Email us your rates. Beginning photographers with highest quality equipment encouraged." How are we supposed to send rates if we don't know what we are shooting, where the photos will be used or any other details? I do contact these listings and inquire about the details of the shoot, but I never receive a reply. Most likely because somebody else proposed something so insanely low they couldn't pass it up and apparently if you have a great dSLR that automatically means you can take great photos.
Now, I know the photography industry in Chile just recently beginning to develop and it's not yet widely accepted as something that deserves decent pay rates. I try to understand this as a cultural difference but sometimes it can be a little frustrating. Just like anybody looking for a job anywhere knows. I am also aware this isn't NY and I can't expect similar rates, but when companies set out with the lowest standards possible I don't even stand a chance. Not because I'm that good, just because I have self respect and know the work I produce has value. What all of these ads tell me is that there are a lot of companies out there that either don't understand what good photography is and can do for the product they just put so much capital into, or they just have no value for their product. But then again, the best opportunities aren't found in ads online anyway. All this means is that a whole lot more effort needs to be put in to find clients who do value a photographers abilities.
There aren't too many interesting photos I can post relating to job searching, so as a breath of fresh air I will post a couple beach photos instead.
One being that using job posting sites to find photography opportunities in Chile is basically useless. There are few listings and the ones that do come up are basically rapists who have minimal value for the products they are attempting to sell. Nearly all of them specifically look for students and beginning photographers who "have a dSLR, but no experience necessary!" so that they can pay little to nothing because they know that most of these photographers are desperate or don't know any better.
Moments ago I just read one that stood out more than most. The employer was looking for students with professional cameras and professional studio lights to photograph kitchen products with the quality being "identical or better to those on Sur la Table's website." This employer very bluntly states that they expect quality that is equal or better to those who produce some of the highest quality product shots in the industry. But they intend on paying little to nothing for it. Certainly nowhere near the $1,000+ day rates that the photographer who shot the Sur la Table products got. But, the quality should still be better, obviously.
Other ads here follow a similar pattern with the majority of them being extremely vague. "Big company needs photographer for 600+ photos. Email us your rates. Beginning photographers with highest quality equipment encouraged." How are we supposed to send rates if we don't know what we are shooting, where the photos will be used or any other details? I do contact these listings and inquire about the details of the shoot, but I never receive a reply. Most likely because somebody else proposed something so insanely low they couldn't pass it up and apparently if you have a great dSLR that automatically means you can take great photos.
Now, I know the photography industry in Chile just recently beginning to develop and it's not yet widely accepted as something that deserves decent pay rates. I try to understand this as a cultural difference but sometimes it can be a little frustrating. Just like anybody looking for a job anywhere knows. I am also aware this isn't NY and I can't expect similar rates, but when companies set out with the lowest standards possible I don't even stand a chance. Not because I'm that good, just because I have self respect and know the work I produce has value. What all of these ads tell me is that there are a lot of companies out there that either don't understand what good photography is and can do for the product they just put so much capital into, or they just have no value for their product. But then again, the best opportunities aren't found in ads online anyway. All this means is that a whole lot more effort needs to be put in to find clients who do value a photographers abilities.
There aren't too many interesting photos I can post relating to job searching, so as a breath of fresh air I will post a couple beach photos instead.
Iquique
Juan Lopez
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