I Give You, Rick Day...

RICK DAY [Fashion Photograher]

Rick Day is a New York based fashion photographer. He is known for shaping portfolios of many agency represented male models. Most, if not all of his images dominate the blogosphere. He also released an incredibly sucessful coffee table book called "Players".

 

In October 2010 Rick is set to release a new book called Pioneers. Rick Day loves to play with the expectations of the contemplator. Superficially it’s all about sports, about immaculate and trained bodies in chunky rugby wear, tight trunks or simply naked. But Rick is not just taking pictures of masculine sex appeal. His work impresses with an almost corporeal tension. An interaction of straightforwardness and intimacy keeps on questioning: Who is the subject and who is the object?

When talking about his new book Rick Day said this - "I wanted to blur the lines of sexuality with this project. Men and women should be able to turn the pages and lose themselves in beauty and lust"

Rick Day was self taught photography and has worked his way up to be a household name in the fashion industry. Most people would have never heard of him, but those who do know him for his eccentric photography. He moved to New York City in 1994. His work has been published in numerous publications such as Elle, Details, Teen Vogue and GQ. He has shot advertising campaigns for Gap, Ritani and Rufskin. He spends his time in the East Village with his dogs Mila and Luna, when he is not travelling  from always shooting the hottest faces in the industry. In a generation where beauty is obsession and sex is a product, he seems to have flawlessly "cataloged the world's sexiest exhibitionists", in their most intimate moments; as you can see from the photo's above.

If being controversial is the means that you stand out, then it is good to be different.

Matthew Evangelisti

University: Been There, Done That!

As I have already been to University for three years doing English with Creative Writing from Sep 2007 - July 2010, I am not in a hurry to try it all again. Even being a mature student, university is a hard life to get used to and I think after three years I have done almost everything I needed to do to enjoy the experience.

I would consider doing a Masters in the future; possibly some form of mixing creative arts with photography. However funding can be a struggle when moving into Post-graduate level, and I have witnessed this through many of my friends doing just that in Sep 2010. 

Sites such as the ones below can help with information on funding:

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/funding_my_further_study.htm


http://www.postgraduatestudentships.co.uk/


http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/ChoicesAfterYouGraduate/DG_10012463

Careers in Photography

Forensics

Fashion

Weddings

Wildlife

Fine Art

Advertising

Medical

Sports

Photojournalism

Paparazzi

Event Photography

Editorial

Portrait

Architectural

Military

Documentary

Marine

Music

Travel/ Humanitarianism

Food
Product

I Wanna Be In Fashion!

FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY

Fashion photography is a genre dedicated to clothing and other fashion items. Fashion photography is most often used for advertising and fashion magazines, such as - VOGUE, VANITY FAIR and GQ. Photography in this industry is a highly creative, well-paid and extremely glamorous career. In fashion photography, photographers take pictures of models wearing the latest clothes, hairstyles, accessories and make-up which is then used for commercial use. 

Andres Hernandez

Uses eye-opening images to create a fascinating picture that would want you to buy any product.

Since there are always clothes to sell and wear, there is always a great demand for a fashion photographer. To break into a fashion photography you can follow one of the many avenues:

• Freelance (without an agent)
• Freelance with an agent
• Employed by a retailer
• Employed by a publication (magazine, book publisher, newspaper, etc)
• Employed by a fashion house
• Employed by an advertising company
• Employed by a fashion manufacturer
• Employed by a direct-mail company
• Open your own studio

Fashion photography is not only about taking pictures of people with clothes on, it's about knowing what styles will contrast with the world we live in and then taking it one step further by producing a piece of art. Fashion is not a style, it is an art form. Most people call VOGUE the bible to fashion and they would right as after the first few pages you are blown away by the shear excellence of fashion.

As a professional fashion photographer, you are expected to take on the following duties:

• Take photos of models according to the client's specifications
• Be able to work with studio lighting in order to bring out the best features of the models
• Establish good working relationship with models so they will feel at ease with the camera
• Use various props and back drafts to create an appropriate photo setting
• Produce unique, creative and artistic fashion photo concepts that will entice consumers
• Do photo shoots in a wide variety of locations and be able to work well with varying light conditions
• Coordinate with fashion stylists, art directors, agents and fashion editors
• Create rapport with models to produce excellent pictures
• Maintain a relaxing and professional atmosphere to allow models to feel comfortable
• Bring out the best in models during photo shoots
• Achieve excellent poses by boosting the confidence of the models

To become a fashion photographer it all depends on your artistic ability and it would be wise to create a strong working foundation with inside the industry; this can be achieved by volunteering in an internship program or be accepted as an apprentice to a working or well-know photographer.

In order to land good job offers, fashion photographer aspirants must possess the following qualities:

• good eye and artistic ability
• strong ability to capture and set a certain mood
• superb artistic detail
• knowledge in photo editing applications
• success-driven and with a credible reputation
• good communication skills
• ability to work well with models, art directors, agents and other clients

The typical top-level annual pay for experienced fashion photographer professionals is around $50,000, while those who have already created a name in the fashion industry can earn $100,000 or more annually. So basically if you have the talent and shine, you be will looking to make a lot of money in fashion.

More information on fashion see:

http://www.vogue.co.uk/
http://www.teenvogue.com/
http://www.top-fashion-photographers.info/fashion-photographers.html

Capturing Wild Lives...

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

Wildlife photography is one of the most competitive careers to get into. Having the talent to take wildlife pictures is what people look for these days, but they worry as most photographers cheat to get the perfect image and it spoils it for the good wildlife photographers. Images are sold on royalty free.

A Wildlife photographer Nigel Dennis said:

"It is very difficult and certainly getting harder year by year. All the better stock agencies are flooded with wildlife images, and many of the ever increasing number of photographers are selling their pictures direct to publishers as well. It certainly is tough out there! Just being able to take a good picture is not enough – a lot of determination and a strong business sense are equally important if you are going to make it. However I believe that it is essential that young creative talent does enter the profession. Without new input and ideas the entire genre of wildlife photography could easily stagnate into a constant repetition of the old tried and trusted techniques"

Despite it being hard to become a wildlife photgrapher, there are actually no real skills needed. Basically getting out there and experiementing with your camera seems to be the best way to experience different aspects of wildlife. Entering competitions can be another way top get your work out into the public eye.

Having the right equipment to take your pictures is essential. You need to have access to a wide range of cameras and equipment. Making use of very long lenses to shoot images from a great distance should be considered. Because working in the field, you need additional tools to keep your cameras and lenses protected from the elements and to clean or repair any damage quickly. At the same time, a wildlife photographer's camera kit needs to be light enough to carry into the field, sometimes on foot.

Being aware of your environment is also a key aspect of doing any photography. With wildlife photography, it can be a risky depending on what animals or environments you are working with. So having a good working knowledge of outdoor survival and tracking skills is essential. Since wildlife photographers may spend many days in the field, they need to be proficient at managing environmental issues like intense heat or cold, lack of available food and dangerous plants and animals.

It also good to have a portfolio of your work!

The average yearly salary for a wildlife photographer is $15,000 to $48,000 per year. Highly experienced and extremely talented photographers can earn up to £100,000 a year but that is rare. Average is about £50,000 if you can offer something few others can; however it is a competitve career as said before.

For more information on Wildlife Photography:

http://www.naturephotographers.net/links.html
http://www.andrew-darrington.com/page10.htm
http://www.bwpawards.org/useful-links/

Writing A Perfect Picture

PHOTOJOURNALISM

Pursuing a career in photojournalism can be unrestricted in the terms of where you work and what area you work within. For this type of photography career, some qualities are consider to be a must:

• A desire to be "out of this world". Be different and go that extra mile to succeed in capturing what you set out to get.
• Technical proficiency: Having the equipment for every kind of picture you want or need to take. If you are a fair distance from the proposed image you wish to take, then having the correct lenses is a must. And having a digital camera is the most essential piece of equipment you will need, as the memory card has become the most universal equipment that can upload any image to a computer and send it across the world with a touch of a button.
• Having the essential tools at your disposal and be willing to evolve with the times.
• Understanding of and a commitment to ethical standards: With the vast degree of image manipulation visible in advertising, television commercials and the special effects in movies, it is easy to assume “anything goes” no matter which part of the visual world one works in today. This however is not the case for a photojournalist. Many photolournalists are advsied to live by - “Record what you see, present what you saw”.
• Being Persistent! Often like journalists you will be told NO and basically you have to have the drive ignore the answer and give it all your heart and not quit till you get what you want.

To get into the career there are no real qualifications. However some debate over what applies to students who are considering it as a job:

• Self Taught! These days people seem to buy camera equipment and experiement with taking shots. They learn the craft from seeing what others have done and try tested methods. You can find Photography for Dummies in any shop or library and teach yourself different aspects of photgraphy to learn the basic essentials to do photojournalism.
• Studying Photojournalism in college or university! Many offer courses in different types of fields of photography and generally studying photography in college can lead to majoring in a photojournalism at university; rather than just learning photography you can learn the journalistic part as well.

James Nachtwey is a working photojournalist and the pictures below are some of his work. He also quoted that:

"I have been a witness, and these pictures are

my testimony. The events I have recorded should

not be forgotten and must not be repeated"



Both of these pictures are from the wreckage of the Twin Towers. Being a photojournalist, you are able to capture the images that speak a thousands words without having any writing anywhere near them. The tragedy of the Twin Towers shook the world and even now when we see pictures, we can be horrified by the memories of 9/11.

 

If considering a career in photojournalism, the typical salary is as follows:

• Entry level: $14,640 / £9,178.74
• Average: $24,040 / £15,065.87
• Maximum: $49,920 / £31289.86

For more information:

http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/

http://www.schoolsintheusa.com/careerprofiles_details.cfm?carid=1108

http://www.nppa.org/professional_development/students/entering_the_job_market/

I want to sell myself...

ADVERTISING PHOTOGRAPHY

Advertising photography is one of the photography careers that spreads across most other photography careers such as fashion, event photography, portraits, documentary and so on. An advertising photographer actually takes shots for advertising campaigns. To do this career you must have excellent knowledge of lighting, photography and how to work with Adobe Photoshop or other similar photography programs. In todays industry it is best to have knowledge of photoshop as in advertsing most images are digital and imperfections are removed, while little tweaks and influences are bolstered in each photograph, so that every print ad or poster is at professional standard. The high-end advertising photography jobs are incredibly lucrative and coveted and it takes a long while to get there, shooting as many smaller advertising campaigns and putting together a great portfolio of work. It is most important to make sure the client is always happy at the end of each shoot and that they got exactly what they wanted. If wanting to pursue a career in advertising photography it is best to start off with something small, to work up to the big leagues.

Sean Malyon - Editorial, Fashion, Commercial and Portrait Photographer

David Bishop - Food and Still Life Photographer

Trainning for an advertising photography has no set qualifications to pursure this type of career. To advance in the industry it is based largely on portfolio, track record and reputation. To create a good reputation with employers, the Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) offered by the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) is a good way to go if consider getting a job as an advertsing photographer. In terms of salary:

According to Photo District News' "Photographer's Salary Survey," published in June 2006, the median salary for a self-employed advertising photographer was about $100,000; which is about £62,624.46

For more information:

http://www.ehow.com/list_6386375_careers-advertising-photography.html

http://www.jobmonkey.com/photography/advertising.html

http://www.deanakay.co.uk/?gclid=CN3j_pCh0aQCFeNc4wodXyDKJg