nickonkenShoptalk

New School vs. Old School. Adapt & Change or Get Left Behind

I've had many of conversations with different people lately, and I'm starting to see a trend. New School vs. Old School. The biggest thing I've realized over the last year is that the times are changing. Technology is changing, and changing the game. Social Media is blowing up. Twitter and Facebook are becoming household names. Which by the way if you haven't seen this video on the Social Media Revolution, check it out, the stats will blow your mind. The internet has created a gateway for anyone to be an expert at what they do. It's created a platform for anyone to enter the the world of getting their work out there. This IS an amazing thing… IF you use it to your advantage.

New School vs. Old School. There is a ton of truth to both, and you need a fair amount of the old school to carry into the new school. In the Old School photography world it's about having amazing work and creative, which in turn gets you jobs. Which is 100% true. Hone your craft and do it well. Make amazing images, and someone will recognize you. Ten years ago, hell even 5 years ago it was much harder to get in the game. The internet didn't exist(with the capabilities it does now) which meant to get your great work into the eyeballs of the right people, you had to send physical portfolios, post card promos, prints, and be seen in printed magazines. A rep that was hitting the pavement with your portfolios all the time. This is all VERY expensive. Getting into the game COSTED a lot.

This is exactly why the "Greats" don't all have websites(or have terrible ones). Annie Leibowitz, Ellen Von Unwerth, Patrick Demarchlier, etc. EVERYONE knows who they are (that hire them at least). They've been in the game for years. They ARE established. Being published in all the major magazines is their portfolio. (don't get me wrong would it benefit them to adapt and spend of their cash reservoir on a web presence? of course.)

Now enter the New School: Getting someone to recognize honed craft. With all the benefits of the digital revolution and the ease of putting your work out there into the world wide web of eyeballs, we've encountered a downside. It's made it extremely cheap to get into the game. Let me rephrase that. It's made it FREE to get into the game. In turn, the downside is the volume of people that are doing it creates white noise. Everyone is a "photographer" these days and images are flying around the web like nobody's business. Having amazing work has now just become the entry way to getting anywhere. Anyone not at the "greats" level are struggling to adapt to the times. The older folks who choose not to learn the digital media opportunities. The ones in the game for probably 5-10 years that started in the filmic old school world and just got used to it before it changed. These are the ones that are getting left behind should they not choose to adapt.

Creating your "Personal Brand" is the key to getting anywhere. Create a voice that people remember your work by. Not only graphically, but what you project through social media outlets. The content you put out there to the world creates people's perception of you. Consistency of brand creates longevity.

What am I saying with all this? Move with the current of technology. Adapt, and try to get ahead of where technology is moving. Then use it to your advantage. Use social media and internet connectivity for your business. "Old School" is also a mentality. It really comes down to a choice as all things do. Only YOU can make S#$@ happen.

It's where the world is moving and if you don't get on the train, you may get left at the station. Be a game changer.

Only YOU Can Make S%#@ Happen!

It's a new decade, and I'm ready to rock. Maybe that sounds cliche, but the last couple years of my life have I've learned that "I" am the only one that can decide make things happen for myself. I don't mean that in the "I am God and I decide all" sense by any stretch. What I do mean is that "I" meaning me, you, or whoever you are, am the only ones who can make the internal decision to pursue our passions with full hustle and work to make them happen. I approach my life in the lifestyle design sense in that crafting the lifestyle you want takes an approach of design, making conscious decisions to work hard, and sacrifice where needed to make your desired lifestyle priorities happen. My good friend Joy recently tweeted "good things come to those who don't wait & just make it happen." which sums this mantra up. I've realized that making things happen comes through your approach of moving through the world. We all have fears, insecurities, and issues, but in the end, it is all up to us to make the decision to approach life in the offense position.

My homey Jeff Holt turned me on to this book "Crush It"(an easy 130 page read), which speaks exactly to this point. The driving message of the book being "Make the decision to live your passion whole heartedly no matter what it is because in this day in age if you do it right, you can monezite it" but the point is that it has to be your passion. This idea resonates in one of my favorite quotes by Confucius "Choose a job you love, and you'll never work a day in your life." With technology these days, you can make a living creating a business out of anything you want to. You just have to have the ambition and hustle to do it. Now, I never said this would be easy, but if you are truly pursuing what you are passionate about then it will never feel like work. I feel lucky enough to do what I do. In reality? I work probably 60-80 hours a week without a blink of an eye. The thing is, I feel like my life is a vacation. (which many of my friends think it is too) The process to design this lifestyle took a big transitions, living my passion, and sacrificing like hell to get to this point, and it's an ongoing process.

Another key to making things happen is to surround yourself with the people that are motivated hustlers. The people that inspire you to be a better person, to be better at what you do, how you approach life. Your support system is key, but this in itself is a conscious decision to surround yourself with these people, and on the flip side, what are you doing to inspire others to want to hang out with you? I think attitude is a key factor. People like to spend time with other people that inspire, and encourage. Some have different styles of being more vocal, or just being inspiring by what they do. In fact, to me the act of "Doing" inspires the hell out of me. A big reason for my move to New York. My level of influence of people doing amazing things, hustling, and succeeding has upped significantly. Something that this city has in it's DNA. I'm a firm believer in moving the things and people in your life that bring you down, drain you, hold you back, etc. out of your life, or to a minimum. I believe in helping others and giving back as much as possible as well. Only you know when you're being the influencer or being influenced though. Take the victim role and you'll never get anywhere in life.

It's funny how conversing about these things brings with like minded friends creates inspiration and opportunities. I know many people have asked if I do workshops and such, and at this point I haven't planned any, but I will be guest speaking at my good friend Lara Casey's Make It Happen NYC seminar in March. I been hearing rave reviews from the last few. This seminar is for anyone in any industry wanting to "make it happen". Check out the seminar details here.

What do I want out of 2010? A well balanced passionate life with great people, great food, and great wine. I want to be a better photographer, grow my business, start more business, build better relationships, and much more. Live life for the epic moments. Life is short and who knows how long it will be.

Goal time.

Over the last couple years, I've really been getting more into and serious about writing down my goals for the up and coming year. These goals tend to get filtrated and outputted into my marketing and business plans. My friend Kris over at Krama Consulting helped me really get this process started last year. It really takes diving into who you are, what you do, and what you want to really start to develop a detailed list. If you want to learn more about Kris' services check these links out:

Becoming Change: http://integralbusiness.blogspot.com/2009/12/telecourse-becoming-change-january-20th.html

Integral Strategic Planning: http://integralbusiness.blogspot.com/2009/12/telecourse-integral-strategic-planning.html

Since photography is such an artistic journey, it took me a few years before I really was able to create a visual style and hone in on who I am as an artist to then turn those into a list of goals in the form of a business and marketing plan.

My goals have manifested in melting both personal and business aspects. Since the photography business is really a lifestyle job they both very much fuse together. I recently read the Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris, and as much as he speaks to the full time corporate person working to create a lifestyle where they work less and enjoy more, there are many aspects of the book that directly apply to a career like mine. Lifestyle design is a huge asset to what this career can offer. You can create a business around what you shoot, what you want, and how you want to live if you do it right.

It's pretty amazing to look back at the goals that I wrote a year ago for this year as it comes to an end and see how many of them have actualized. In retrospect, I feel I could have looked at the plan more often through out the year to keep myself in check, but for the most part most of what I aimed for has been accomplished. This means my goals for 2010, should shoot even higher.

Here are a few categories on my list without going into too much detail:
•Tangible/Immidiate goals- These are goals that goals that take priority that can be checked off a list. For example, my first goal in this category was to move to New York. It took me half the year to find the right timing to do it, but I checked it off the list. Another was to finish my new business cards, which also are done.
•Creative Development- This one is hugely important. It's great to review your own work and see where you want to improve. These are things to constantly be working on to develop my photographic eye and skills. Examples: "Refine production details" work on bringing in more and better production elements into my work. Another: "Building a better rapport with my subjects" Social skills and building a rapport with my subjects is something I feel is very important and that I can always be better at.
Financial goals- I think it's good to set a goal that you want to bring in for the year. This was the first year I did that, and I luckily ended up doing much better.
Travel Goals- Travel is a huge passion of mine and something I value as part of my lifestyle design. These are a bit looser because my desire of destinations have changed due to learning about new places and opportunities. One I can check off the list from this last year is Iceland.
Long Term Development- Other goals that I have that pertain to advertising and editorial work, business development, and maybe things to accomplish in my life, etc. These are ordered in priority. IE: Advertising assignments, my ideal was 6 campaigns for this last year. Another was to develop a new website which is on the way.

These are examples from my goals last year. I have yet to sit down and write them for this year. Many new ones have culminated in the process.

The marketing plan is basically taking this list of goals, and planning out how you will actualize them. What are the methods you will use to attain those goals?

The secret is.... Seeing

The more I look around at successful artists, the more I see the common thread of their success. Maybe it's a secret, and maybe it's not. To me the secret IS, there is no secret.

But really, it all lies within that. The secret is "SEEING", which essentially is having a strong refined vision for. Definitely in your craft as an artist, but in other facets of life and business. If you can't see quality, details, and all the little elements that fit together to make a great photograph then maybe it's time to rethink. Success starts from the top. It starts from the decision maker's "Vision" because every decision that is made to execute that vision gets filtered down to the team that comes together to create it. You see this all the time in corporate companies. Look at the successful companies and the CEO's that have taken them there. Apple and Steve Jobs. He has a strong vision for the products and company, therefore that strong vision gets imprinted and controlled into everything the company puts out, including it's branding and advertising. Hulu & Jason Kilar. This month's issue in Fast Company talks about how Fox hired Jason Kilar to revamp what is now known as Hulu.com. He came in with a strong vision and turned the company around. Fired and hired a new crew. Implemented his vision, took risks and now Hulu is rapidly growing and successful. Nike & Phil Knight: Nike is one of the strongest brands in the world. Phil Knight created a great well designed product and had the vision to create a brand that matches and elevates the product. The vision to venture into new medias and try new things, but everything aligns with their vision.

How does this parlay into photography? It has everything to do with it from taking pictures to the business. You have to be able to see a good photograph to be able to make it. The WAY you SEE is WHAT you are hired for as a photographer. Seeing photographs is just one facet of the business, and if you want to make money at photography, you must build a business around it. You have to be able to "SEE" what it takes to have a successful business, so you can make the decisions and execute the elements of that. You must have the vision to hire people that are the best at what they do to make your business better. That especially goes for executing a photograph. Hiring people that do amazing work, only makes the photograph better and close that creative gap between what you "SEE" and what you produce. Seeing also comes into editing and retouching. Choosing the right images and having a vision for retouching is also key.

I have to admit, my technical knowledge is just now catching up with what I envision in my photos. Even at that, I'm constantly working on "SEEING" at a higher and higher level. If you can "SEE" at a high level and produce what you see, you'll get hired for those types of jobs. If you feel you have a hard time "SEEING", then practice. Practice by looking at magazines and good photography. Break images down to the details of what goes into them.

"SEEING" in business is similar. It's a learning and growing process. Sometimes it doesn't hurt to take a business class or connect up with mentors. This field is probably 80% business and 20% photography, that is if you actually want to make a living off of it. You have to be able to "SEE" all assets of the business, especially branding and marketing.

Lifestyle Design

"You must give up the way it is... to have it the way you want it."

In digging through inspirational quotes for a special promo project, I came across this quote, which really resonated with the way I see life, and have seen it over the years. I touched on this idea in my Transitions, Passions and Sacrifices blog post, but I wanted to expand a little and make it a bit more generic across whatever you may want to do or apply it to.

It's so true that there is a lot of sacrifice to do what you love and get paid for it ultimately. It's something I've lived by most of my adult life. I think we've come to know a generation of people that are starting to value free time, enjoyment of life and loving what what they do as SUCCESS as opposed to money. Don't get me wrong, we all need money to live and to live decently to whatever your standard of living may be, but our new definition of "success" changes that ball game drastically. If you really want to do what you love and make a decent living that takes a lot of time, hard work, and sacrifice to get to a stable point.

What does that mean? We all know it takes money to live, but how much? I've always seen the end goal of "Success" being achieved by putting the right puzzle pieces together. Some people have greater responsibilities than others at the time of their decision of pursuing their passion, so the puzzle pieces are different for everyone. Some people live in bigger, more expensive cities than others. Some have relationships and families. Some have full time jobs where the salary is great with consistent/stable pay and they're used that standard of living. Obviously there are more, but if you have an ultimate goal of doing what you love, it's about moving the puzzle pieces around and cutting things/overhead that needs to be cut in order to create more time and/or money that can be invested back into your business of creativity.

To me it has always meant making those small decisions to save money, and the sacrifices of taking the jobs that aren't that creative for a higher pay/less time ratio. Success for me is defined by working a job I love, enjoying life(the biggest idea I took home with me from my living stint in Paris), having great people around me, and making enough money for a decent living. To get to point means to design your lifestyle to get there. What have I sacrificed along the way? Money, stability, relationships, eating out, loads of possessions, etc. What have I received? Much more free time to enjoy life, and pursue my passion of a career, travel, etc.

I recently read a book called the 4-hour work week which, in my opinion some of the ideas in the book are a bit extreme, but the basic idea is great. I recommend it: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/ As much as I talk about branding and design, this book is about applying those concepts to your life. Designing a lifestyle that in the end brings you happiness and fulfillment.

It ultimately comes down to how bad do you WANT this version of success? How bad you WANT it will dictate how much you will sacrifice to get there. How much will you give up? If you're working a full time job with great steady pay but you hate it, are you willing to give that up along with the financial stability that goes with it to give you the free time to create a business of your passion? The amount of work it takes to get to that position is a hefty amount and you got to WANT it enough to be motivated to hustle for it.

Food for thought.

The Vision Board

I'm just settling into the new office in NY, and now I have a bit more space. We created a vision wall of corkboard. (harder to mount on a wall that you even think but with Jeff Holt's help, we got it done). As I was going through my bin of tears I've pulled over the last couple years, it got me to thinking about what I was pulling, which became a great exercise.

I think this is good for every photographer to do. It really helps you discover WHAT you like to shoot. I sifted through the tears, and pulled the ones where I would loved to have shot it. This is a good indicator of what you should be shooting your tests to be, and once you start shooting you'll develop your own style which is something that takes a few years of constant shooting to find. It's a great way to hone your vision. You are what you shoot, so go and shoot it!

Balloons in the Desert, 50mph winds, and a friendly reminder.

Adding this to the pot of creative theory reminders that problem solving is what this job is all about. I love to shoot my own work as much and as often as I can, (ABS Theory). It keeps you sharp and Expands Your Default. I pulled some friends together and drove to the desert for a little spontaneous personal shoot. Sometimes you get into situations where things go wrong, unforeseen things happen, important parts of the crew are late, etc. Our job is to solve those problems and make something great despite the circumstances. This time Mother Nature threw a little twist into our little shoot. My concept was involved 300 balloons, and that didn't exactly happen. We got there and the winds were so strong it was ripping the balloons off the ribbon. So we still made it work for despite the Mother Nature's blessing of insane winds. A little more to add to the subconscious default.

See the full images story here:
http://www.nickonken.com/Stories/AndreeaAtTheMojaveSaltFlats/

 

Good art comes down to refined taste, so keep refining.

This is a topic I've been thinking about recently. Refining your vision and style comes down to refining your tastes, because all the little split decisions that you make when creating a piece of art, especially photography. Since photography is more instant as to what you are putting into the picture those artistic tastes come down to decisions of the moment. Does this piece of clothing work? What color should it be? Does this light work right for the concept? Is this highlight too bright? Does this prop fit the scenario? Does it look good on film? Does this camera angle capture enough of the background? Does this dark treeline work for the background? Does this pose look right? Is the hair just where it needs to be? Is the make up right? All these decisions are just a fraction that go into your artistic one click creation.

So many of these decisions are decided based on taste. What you like and what you don't like. The more you shoot the more you realize. What works, and what doesn't. What things do you like? As you grow as an artist, your tastes become refined and you soon realize that your earlier tastes might have been a bit more amateur than you thought. Seeing at a higher level means refining what you see, what you envision, then making those split decisions that create your refined vision. You can only develop your and refine your tastes by going through the artist journey yourself. As much as someone can teach you, practicing your craft for yourself is the only way you can develop your artistic eye.

I say all this because as I reflect on the years of growth I've experienced it's come down to this: Refining my taste in the details. A great way to start seeing those details is to flip through magazines and break down images that you like. What makes it a good photograph? Why do you like it? What elements of the photograph do you like? What do you not like? This is a start to the process, but applying them to shooting is a whole different ball game. This all falls into my previous post of Expanding Your Default. Who ever said this was easy?

Keep Refining! Money can't buy good taste.

Focus

It's interesting the conversations that I get into revolving around photography. Something I've thought about lately that has been reoccurring is the idea of focusing, and I'm not talking about the camera's focus. I'm talking about focusing on one business to become successful at that. Creating a successful business that one can live a sufficient lifestyle on takes a lot of time. In my post about the 10,000 rule, we talked about how it roughly takes 10,000 hours to start to hit your tipping point in what you are practicing. Now, getting more specific, of those 10,000, where are they being focused?

There are many different genres of photography such as commercial advertising, editorial, fashion, model testing, journalism, weddings/portraits, etc. If you want to have a successful business then you must focus on one of them. If we're talking 10,000 hours to hit your tipping point, think about how long it will take you if you are splitting your time. Not only splitting your time between another job, a spouse, a family, etc. but splitting your concentration between different genres of photography. I talked about transitions, passions, and sacrifices in just getting into photography and this goes even deeper.

There are so many day to day business things to do that pertain to each business, from developing your work within that specific genre, to marketing, building a network, building your name, crafting a solid business structure, accounting, PR, etc. that one won't have the time to run more than one business. Something is always going to be sacrificed. Developing a business to it's full scale requires your full attention.

Lets take my story for example. My goal has always been to shoot lifestyle advertising work, and that goal developed after a year or so of shooting to figure out what I wanted to ultimately do. During my beginnings, I started shot a few weddings, a few model tests, and whatever I could to make money clicking a camera, while developing my lifestyle work. By focusing on advertising, I never had the time to put my full attention into any of the other genres and make them successful. I was just taking what came in the door, and eventually I had to leave them behind. Sometimes you have to juggle smaller things to pay the bills while you're running for your vision.

My point: Focus your time(10,000 hours) specifically in developing your work and business for one genre to be more successful.

A Few Words on Casting

Casting plays such an important part in the final quality of your images. Good casting doesn't always mean hotter models(except in fashion), but the right models for the desired outcome. In lifestyle, more beautiful models will take your work to a higher caliber, if you're shooting lifestyle advertising. If you are shooting advertising with real people, then real people with a unique look will make your pictures more successful. If you're shooting stock everyday good looking people sell very well, and don't have to be agency models. (agency models definitely help, but aren't necessary) In the general sense, using the right models for the genre that you're shooting is key.

I wanted to touch on the following point, because I see this all the time. The most common mistake that I see in a lot of "young" (by young, I mean early stages of the photographic journey) shooting fashion is the quality of models they are using. I see so much work that is wannabe fashion, and the biggest reason(not always the only) it feels like it's "wannabe" is because the models are NOT fashion models. The lighting, the poses, etc, may be there, but if the model is not a fashion model, it kills the whole image. This may sound harsh, but it's the name of the game, and if you really want to play, you have to get real fashion/editorial models. These models aren't going to exist anywhere in the US besides New York and LA, and mostly they'll be in NY. NY is the top of the game in fashion, therefore they have the best models.

It's all about using the right type of model for the particular image you are going for. There is always a fine line. Think about the way movies are casted. It takes a lot to find the right cast for a film. Same thing happens when you're casting for a still photo, except even more weight is riding on the right look.