Do you know why you’re shooting… Now that’s a question especially with everyone being a photographer or model and quick to say they’re on a photo shoot. Yet the only images shown are usually on a mobile device, tablet or desktop. I can’t tell you the last time I saw a model or photographer bring a printed portfolio or zed-card to a casting. It’s like printing is a lost art, which it shouldn’t be with all the ways we have to get images from the camera to print. There’s hundreds of apps for smartphones to print your groovy Instagram images. And from a professional standpoint there’s dozens of quality photo labs that can bring those photo shoot images to print. Yet many seem content with displaying online galleries or just posting images to social media.
Personally I find it to be a great feeling when I print an image I shot, especially if I get it enlarged. Plus when you print images it shows EVERYTHING. The good the bad and what can be done better next time around. Small screens just can’t show this type of detail and again the thrill of having your work printed is such a great motivator.
And I don’t want this next statement to come off as a rant but I can’t put it any other way. If you have an attractive subject (female) and a decent camera and kit lens and you take a photograph of this attractive female and post the images of this female online and you receive praise from all your friends, her friends and any other thirsty individual (let’s face it she is attractive) please don’t let this fool you into thinking you’re a great photographer. All you did was simply photograph an attractive female and shared her beauty with the social media stratosphere. You may not see it but there is more than having an attractive female in front of your lens. Yes social media has made everyone an professional (or so it appears) but know that scantily clad females in front of your lens with no real concept or story telling is nothing more than material of all the meat rubbers in cyberspace.
Whatever your reason is for shooting make sure that it’s a consistent movement forward and being creative instead of typical and stagnant.
1 comment
Wow! As a model, I found that to be thought provoking and I will keep that in mind about the prints vs. social media only. I think the reason for using social media (and I’ve only been at modeling for 13 months now) is to gain exposure for the garments and/or the model alone ~ after the accolades. 🙂 Like you pointed out, the prints are not requested much anymore. But, I DO love flipping through my portfolio to look at the edited images. Only once did I think about enlarging an image. You have really given me something to think about. Thanks a bunch!
~ Ann Olivia Hlabangana-Clay
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