Discuss the work of a Professional Photographer

**Damn Brit** · 07-17-2009, 10:32 PM

I'm not trying to run someone down here, just looking for a serious discussion about for want of a better word, standards, in the photographic profession.

This photographer was featured in the latest online edition of Popular Photography.
I actually quite liked the photo that was featured but I did suspect it looked as good as it did more by accident than design. Light Effects: Capturing Motion - Digital Photo Tips and More on PopPhoto.com

I was curious enough to follow the link to her website. Now this photographer is a staffer for the New York Times and she has also been published in National Geographic (although I suspect it was quite some time ago) so I expected a higher standard than I saw.
I found a few of her images to be very good but only a few, I actually found the majority of them to be pretty mediocre.
Do any of you see something that I don't? Nicole Bengiveno

*skinja* · 07-17-2009, 10:48 PM

Hi Gary, I often go to museums and art exhibits and more often then not, I come out shaking my head, this for me would be one of those occasions. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and if she can sustain an income with that technique, she probably will not need to worry about me stealing any work from her.

Maybe we are the ones that are out in left field.

**Damn Brit** · 07-17-2009, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by skinja

Hi Gary, I often go to museums and art exhibits and more often then not, I come out shaking my head, this for me would be one of those occasions. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and if she can sustain an income with that technique, she probably will not need to worry about me stealing any work from her.

Maybe we are the ones that are out in left field.

Or maybe it's a case of the old chestnut "It's not what you know but who you know".

*brecklundin* · 07-18-2009, 01:06 AM

Originally Posted by Damn Brit

Or maybe it's a case of the old chestnut "It's not what you know but who you know".

dang it that was going to be MY LINE...so fine I won't even post now...phhhffftt!

*Mallee Boy* · 07-18-2009, 02:47 AM

Hi Gary,
Often it's got more to do with the "not what you know, but who you know" stuff than real talent. I dont want that to sound too harsh, but have seen enough in my life time to stand by the comment.

It also has a lot to do with perserverance and self promotion. IF "you" (in a generic sense) truly believe in yourself and your talent and you strive for that success so much it hurts....then "you" will probably get there...one day.

I too, have stood in front of photos and wondered what all the fuss was about, but then I realise that this person has passion in their work, their marketing and themselves...so good luck to them for getting the recognition they seek.

Taking the shot is only part of it...what you do with it decides the future.

Cheers mate.

CWyatt · 07-18-2009, 03:35 AM

I looked at the website... a few good photos but overall a very uninspiring portfolio. It does seem to be partly up to how you market yourself etc.

However, the really great photographers rise to the top anyway. Popular photography isn't the top, and the quality photographers know quality - she won't make Magnum or VII with that portfolio.

*Ash* · 07-18-2009, 04:16 AM

I also don't quite appreciate her sample work online - some decent images there, but not awe-inspiring IMO. I'm in no place to critique - she's doing quite well I gather from this work I'm not 'getting'.

Well, each to their own, though I've seen work from some of the National Geographic photogs, and all of their images had me gobsmacked...

**J.Scott** · 07-18-2009, 04:21 AM

Honestly, the newspapers don't need the worlds greatest authors to put words on a page nor trophy-toting photographers to snap a few interesting pics. Being 'good' is often sufficient.

Maybe she got a break when she got the job and she hasn't upset the editors' apple cart since 1998. It's all about pleasing the editor, baby!

Now she's on "f8 and be there" mode.

Class A · 07-18-2009, 06:28 AM

When I look at great images I have the feeling "I'll never rise to this level" as in trying to get to the moon on foot. While I found some of her shots really nice the vast majority looked more like finger excersises, AFAIC.

lithos · 07-18-2009, 07:20 AM

Originally Posted by J.Scott

Honestly, the newspapers don't need the worlds greatest authors to put words on a page nor trophy-toting photographers to snap a few interesting pics. Being 'good' is often sufficient.

Maybe she got a break when she got the job and she hasn't upset the editors' apple cart since 1998. It's all about pleasing the editor, baby!

Now she's on "f8 and be there" mode.

I've got more respect for a single lowly shooter reporting for the Sodomy Times than a gross of the world's best fashion, studio, and landscape photographers combined (and the legions of back-room photoshop heroes and lighting technicians who do 90% of their work.)

*woof* · 07-18-2009, 07:59 AM

I am a professional software developer. Bear with me here... I KNOW this is not about me. But faced with something I cannot explain, I often look to my own experience for some guidance...

Day in and day out I slog though thousands of various and mundane tasks such as opening a file stream, writing to the stream, closing the stream and then performing checksum analyis on the source and destination to determine if they are the same.

This is a silly example, but seldom, SELDOM, are there opportunities to really put something together at this level that really shines. So much so that people sit around and work out the fewest lines of code that it will take to do things and compare that with the fastest way to do things, and the most efficient way to do things in terms of resource utilization. Often each of these is a different case. Often there are compromises that have to be made. Often the generalized "right thing" is not the right thing in a particular situation.

Contrary to popular opinion software development does have an aesthetic and there is an ART to it. But sometimes in the course of slogging through 100,000 lines of code, there are not that many opportunities for really outstanding in terms of the ART.

** Delivery ** is another matter. I am known as a closer. I take something and I finish it. I finish it on time, within budget constraints, and it is reliable and needs little in the way of maintenance and rework. It works. I document it and I walk away.

I get a lot of work. I will always have a job. I will always be paid a little more. Is most of my stuff better? Well, perhaps in that I strive for the complete package. But overall, no, not necessarily. Is my output high, consistent, of a decent quality, and even elegant at times? You betcha.

Don't underestimate work ethic. It can take one VERY far in life. Perhaps this is who she is? Perhaps it is not who she knows but rather that she is reliable and delivers something when required and is low maintenance, a self-starter, a closer?

Remember, this is her job. To her, this is like a day at the office. Just how often really do YOU shine? 10% of the time? Look for one in 10 photos in her stuff then. They are there, I am sure. The fact that she is a professional does not mean that she is suddenly bombarded with incredible insight beyond what we know. It does not mean she can show us a world we have never seen. It means that she struggles to see every day just as you do when you pick up a camera.

Also she is a photojournalist and for some of this material we are missing the context. What is that photo of the person with the giant? It is not there because it is great art. She was recording some event, some friendship, some moment in that person's life. The aesthetic can and does often take a back seat in terms of motivation. On the face of it, it is an UGLY subject. But look at the kindness on that gentle giant's face. He is clowning around. he may even be a little uncomfortable being photographed. There is something there. A story. Something at once ugly, yet with great pathos and somehow with a happy and a sad ending. I personally think it is moving, and I do not even KNOW the story.

Respectfully submitted,

Seaain

bnishanth · 07-18-2009, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by Damn Brit

I found a few of her images to be very good but only a few, I actually found the majority of them to be pretty mediocre.
Do any of you see something that I don't?

I know exactly how you feel Gary. I recently watched a BBC documentary on Bill Eggleston and his photographs were just ordinary with nothing special. His justification was that he captures how he would see a scene normally with his eye rather than apply any compositional skills on them.

When one gets into photography, they go through Composition, exposure and other techniques, maybe he just started clicking when he got a camera and maybe that was his skill..??? and ..maybe some people heading art institutions found that to be artistic..???

It is still interesting to see such pictures tho', which are so very different.

Cheers
Nish

and · 07-18-2009, 08:37 AM

I agree with woof and with that its more about who you know.
sometimes you need a picture not a work of art, you have someone you know, maybe you got to know them through coincidence, you have used them before and you know they will get it done and the result will be usable, they will show up on time, deliver on time, be polite and presentable and offer few or no problems.

Then you will rather use this person than someone you have no experience with.

I find this to be quite amazing sometimes, some companies will stretch far to get a certian person just because they know this person. That person is not John Doe, some name on a resume, that person is John that everyone knows.

K-9 · 07-18-2009, 09:05 AM

My suggestions is to not read any US magazines, especially Popular Photography, as the quality of the magazine articles and photos are usually very boring. Nowhere near the professional quality of most other foreign (UK, France, etc) standards. A photographer published in a US magazine like Popular Photography probably wouldn't even be considered for one picture published in a UK photo mag, let alone a portfolio or story on them.

As far as this photographer you speak of getting published in National Geographic, I'm not too high on that magazine right now. While I haven't glanced in a recent issue, they have a book on the shelves right now called "your 100 best photos" or something to that effect. It's a chosen selection of reader submitted pictures. I couldn't believe the dreadful quality of 80% of the book. It was ridiculous and it went on about how the female photo editor who selected all the pictures (can't think of her name) is so picky and had a tough time choosing them. I was appalled and couldn't believe these photos were chosen to be published by a name that used to be synonymous with outstanding photography.

*gokenin* · 07-18-2009, 09:55 AM

OK once again maybe its me but the pictures on her website all appear to me to be pictures that were assignments. I dont think that they are really meant to be fine art photography. I could be wrong but I think most members here are not "professional" photographers i.e. someone that works for a company and is told go take a picture of this author for a story we are writing or go take a picture of a migrant worker for an article we are writing. To me those are the images that she has on her site, we dont know what her personal pictures are like so I dont think we should say she is a horrible photographer based on what we see here.
I think its easy for us to sit here and pick apart other peoples pictures but as one person has already said art is subjective to the viewer. Most members here will freely pick apart a picture posted on the web but they will not post there own. I rarely comment on pictures because I look at pictures and if i emotionally connect I will comment but I will not sit there and say the composition is wrong, the lighting it wrong, you didnt follow the rule of thirds. I am a snapshot shooter I shot a picture as a memory thing not as fine art which is what most commentors here think are the only justifiable pictures to post.
sorry for the rambling post but just wanted to get my thoughts out