PDN has just announced the lineup for this year’s PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo, and among the 100-plus seminars listed, one in particular caught my attention: “How to Work From Ad Agencies.” (By which I think they meant “How to Get Work From Ad Agencies.”)
The seminar will feature three panelists—Sara Galkin, an art buyer at Nitro USA; Andrea Kaye, VP, manager of art production, at McCann Erickson; and JoAnn Tansman, SVP/creative director at BBDO—and was created by Debra Weiss, an independent creative consultant who’s been in the business for almost 25 years.
With so many photographers—and art buyers—out of work these days, I wondered about what attendees might expect from this seminar, so I got in touch with Weiss, who will moderate the talk, and asked her. I’ll admit to feeling a bit uneasy when I got off the phone. Read on:
“It will be more of a roundtable discussion about changes that have taken place in the business and changes that are coming, and what photographers can do to get work. And will there be work?” Debra explained. “What is going to be the more effective way to go forward? What are the changes in the business models? How did we get to this point?
“What it’s not going to be is a very cheerful program. I just can’t lie and make believe everything is the same. This is going to be an honest and frank discussion so that you have all the tools necessary to go forward as a photographer.
….
“What it’s not going to be is a very cheerful program. I just can’t lie and make believe everything is the same.”
….
“I’ll also talk about the RED camera, and I have to talk about the proliferation of so much photography that looks identical. That is a real problem. If the client can’t tell the difference between 25 photographers, why wouldn’t he go with the cheapest?”
Scary stuff, right? I’m not a photographer, but after talking with Debra, I still felt like maybe I should go enroll at Apex Technical School and learn how to repair air-conditioners in case writers are headed for the same employment uncertainty as photographers. (What am I saying? We writers are already there!)
Debra is also helming a discussion called “Inside the White House: The Role of the President’s Official Photographer” that features former POTUS photographers David Hume Kennerly and Robert McNeely and Pete Souza, the current administration’s official lensman. A dose of fantasy for those shell-shocked by her other seminar, I guess you could say.
Several Stockland Martel photographers also will be presenting at PhotoPlus:
In “The Documentary Hybrid: Photography & Filmmaking,” Lauren Greenfield will be lecturing about and her long-term documentary projects “and her progression into film for creative impact and educational reach. Greenfield will also discuss the making of her commercials, documentary films and multimedia work; the relationship between her films (Thin and kids + money) and her photography; and how video and multimedia can deepen your narrative and provide access to a wider audience and a broader spectrum of commercial clients. She will also discuss the synergy of video and still cameras and the technical crossover possible with both.”
And in “Cinematography With a DSLR,” Vincent Laforet “will outline some of the most common challenges still photographers are likely to face as they make the transition to cinematography. This presentation will focus mostly on using the new breed of digital SLRs to capture video, as well as discovering the technical advantages and hurdles they come with (especially when compared to other devices such as the RED camera and other traditional camcorders). Laforet will demonstrate many of the DSLR accessories available to achieve professional results on larger productions as well as the post production workflow including video conversion, basic editing and grading. A live shoot segment will take place with the participation of a few lucky attendees.”
Both seminar descriptions, by the way, come directly from the website for PhotoPlus, which will take place October 22–24 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York.
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A PhotoPlus seminar that will scare the crap out of you
PDN has just announced the lineup for this year’s PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo, and among the 100-plus seminars listed, one in particular caught my attention: “How to Work From Ad Agencies.” (By which I think they meant “How to Get Work From Ad Agencies.”)
The seminar will feature three panelists—Sara Galkin, an art buyer at Nitro USA; Andrea Kaye, VP, manager of art production, at McCann Erickson; and JoAnn Tansman, SVP/creative director at BBDO—and was created by Debra Weiss, an independent creative consultant who’s been in the business for almost 25 years.
With so many photographers—and art buyers—out of work these days, I wondered about what attendees might expect from this seminar, so I got in touch with Weiss, who will moderate the talk, and asked her. I’ll admit to feeling a bit uneasy when I got off the phone. Read on:
“It will be more of a roundtable discussion about changes that have taken place in the business and changes that are coming, and what photographers can do to get work. And will there be work?” Debra explained. “What is going to be the more effective way to go forward? What are the changes in the business models? How did we get to this point?
“What it’s not going to be is a very cheerful program. I just can’t lie and make believe everything is the same. This is going to be an honest and frank discussion so that you have all the tools necessary to go forward as a photographer.
….
….
“I’ll also talk about the RED camera, and I have to talk about the proliferation of so much photography that looks identical. That is a real problem. If the client can’t tell the difference between 25 photographers, why wouldn’t he go with the cheapest?”
Scary stuff, right? I’m not a photographer, but after talking with Debra, I still felt like maybe I should go enroll at Apex Technical School and learn how to repair air-conditioners in case writers are headed for the same employment uncertainty as photographers. (What am I saying? We writers are already there!)
Debra is also helming a discussion called “Inside the White House: The Role of the President’s Official Photographer” that features former POTUS photographers David Hume Kennerly and Robert McNeely and Pete Souza, the current administration’s official lensman. A dose of fantasy for those shell-shocked by her other seminar, I guess you could say.
Several Stockland Martel photographers also will be presenting at PhotoPlus:
In “The Documentary Hybrid: Photography & Filmmaking,” Lauren Greenfield will be lecturing about and her long-term documentary projects “and her progression into film for creative impact and educational reach. Greenfield will also discuss the making of her commercials, documentary films and multimedia work; the relationship between her films (Thin and kids + money) and her photography; and how video and multimedia can deepen your narrative and provide access to a wider audience and a broader spectrum of commercial clients. She will also discuss the synergy of video and still cameras and the technical crossover possible with both.”
And in “Cinematography With a DSLR,” Vincent Laforet “will outline some of the most common challenges still photographers are likely to face as they make the transition to cinematography. This presentation will focus mostly on using the new breed of digital SLRs to capture video, as well as discovering the technical advantages and hurdles they come with (especially when compared to other devices such as the RED camera and other traditional camcorders). Laforet will demonstrate many of the DSLR accessories available to achieve professional results on larger productions as well as the post production workflow including video conversion, basic editing and grading. A live shoot segment will take place with the participation of a few lucky attendees.”
Both seminar descriptions, by the way, come directly from the website for PhotoPlus, which will take place October 22–24 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York.
….
…..