[My a priori apologies for length. I've obviously met the 100-character minimum! Also some notes to self are integrated herein and are intentionally cryptic.]
BIT OF BIO:
I have a news background and it's been ingrained that it's anathema to manipulate a photograph. Art doesn't have that type of constraint but it's a hard habit to break. Nature shots require patience. Birds are flighty. When I got started working with human models in the studio I would shoot away and my crew said "Slow down, JT--she's not going to fly away :-)"
OK, but I have found some human models also to spook easy and be flighty--or not even land in the studio and have not the courtesy to even a posteriori lie to cover up for a no show. A model suggested that if other models agree to shoot but don't show in studio, don't show up on caller ID, don't show up in e-mail, and don't show up in the obits, and don't respond to follow-up communication, then they should show up on a list here! Photographic mentor disagrees suggesting this is bad karma. What do you think? [Reprise in Credit section--i.e. topic revisited.]
MONEY: Since this may be a show stopper, let me state up front that my shoots are almost always TF*. However, there is no opposition to revenue-positive shoots! :-) This is not meant to devalue models' contributions to the shoot which is huge. I could list a litany of rituals, roles, lifestyle changes and discipline that models go thru to achieve the look they bring to a shoot. It is greatly appreciated.
LOOK: If you've been invited to shoot, odds are very good that you have good to great look. I do on occasion attempt to help those like I've been helped but I strategically consistently shoot up! Counterintuitively, I've found those who need help to be much less responsive than those who I thought would be too busy to give me the time of day. So I've anecdotaly noted a direct correlation between communication ability and port quality. I also intentionally try to avoid shooting with the same models until I feel there is significant incremental value.
STRATEGIC PROGRESSION/PHASES:
* shoot what I have in mind,
* shoot what models have in mind, [primarily here now]
* shoot what third party has in mind (prof, art dir, etc.)
* shoot for the marketplace ($).
Rationale--initially start with trying to get what I have in my mind captured. Next is to capture an idea that another person has but who is on set. Thirdly, is to capture what a third party, who is not party to the production of the image, has specified. Lastly is to be able to anticipate and shoot for an amorphous marketplace which grades, in part, by a willingness to part with funds.
IMMEDIATE goals:
* RYS--87 years old.
* Increase selectivity to slow the rate of shooting to reduce the post-production backlog! Akin to a hiring freeze/work slow down!
* Nashville mansion.
* Defenseless? 3-frame series themed after scene in Sylvester Stallone movie "Nighthawks" (1981).
INTERMEDIATE goals:
* Rappelling/rock climbing, [Spring 2010? Rabecca, Lyndsay, Knoxville].
* Reduce the length of this Bio and Credits without eviscerating valuable info. This may not be possible! [Good thing I've not hit the maximum number of characters for bio!]
* Ying and Yang: Asian M & F, B & W, H to T in circ bath. :-)
[Where can I find high reflectivity diversity within racial consistency? geographically propinquitious and with high tolerance to exposure.]
Variation: Ying, Yang and Other. :-)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang
* Air of Sophistication--figure out how to safely light and shoot a VLJ--Very Light Jet in hanger (Eclipse 500!). [Pending uncertain travel schedule, co shooter, site visit, test shoots with untested models prior to location shoot, which depends on plane & pilot. Verbal permission given twice, pending confirmation via signed property release.]
* Barn Beauty--equestrienne shoot? :-) [Trying to figure out lighting in a barn sans electricity, ditto for water, how to get a heavy cast-iron tub in loft sans elevator, stairs, external lift, etc. and concerned about load on floor--crashing thru the floor is not my idea of a fun shoot!].
* Shim Shoots :-)--Logo development and implementation. Converting this verbal double entendre into a visual double entendre!
* INTERMEDIATE Shoots [something's holding it up, e.g. location, logistics, model, legal, insurance, research, allergic reaction, governmental cooperation, Homeland Security, funding, equipment, personnel, time, scheduling, etc.]:
- Cemetery Siren [seeking satisfactory location with fresh dirt],
- Rooftop & Regalia, [access, PhotoShopper, time.]
- Boots, Bikinis & Boats,
etc.
Yes, I'm letting the alliterations drive the shoots. Why not?
It's verbal and visual art and adds a layer of complexity.
LONG-TERM goals:
* Make this hobby financially sustainable.
Towards this end I'm trying to limit the days of shooting TF.
Which means that reluctantly I will have to allow financial considerations to affect art production.
One model, who I'm tight with, wants a 6- to 8-figure set up!
WORKING ON THIS!
* To capture human images without PhotoShop, that are hard to reproduce, and that have cachet! To enjoy photography while generating enough revenue to support this expensive hobby :-) One stuntman estimated that insurance premium alone for one wing-walking concept would be half to a million dollars.
* Celebrity [SB, Austin TX].
* Cover of book, CD, or other item with ISBN.
LONG-LONG TERM goals:
Leave images sufficiently ambiguous, sophisticated and complex for future anthropologist to appreciate and cogitate as they dig thru our digital detritus.
Want I want from this site:
I've been advised by a pro photographer that this site provides a more stable style of model than other site.
What I might have to offer:
Willing to help others as MANY have helped me and was approved as a 2nd List Mentor 4/17/09.
OPERATING STYLES:
Wish I could say it's carefree but it's not. I sweat the details and get models involved in what I'm struggling not only to tap their intellectual capacity, expertise and experience, but also to provide insight into how difficult some things can be. This means that pre-shoot e-mails can be long and involved, erudite and pedantic. This type of preparation contributes to actual shoots being productive. Unless presented with strong evidence to the contrary, my style assumes the null hypothesis: positive correlation between beauty and brains.
Operating style can range from those that require intense planning to what I call a decompression shoot where we go with the flow. Sharing the detailed planning of an intense shoot would require doubling the size of this profile but it can take about 40 man hours over several months/years. I usually share many details with involved parties to help ascertain feasibility, avoid mistakes, and so that when we get to the shoot, we're on the same page.
COMPLEXITY: I've done easy, so I may intentionally make a shoot more complex than it really needs to be for the challenge [a la Tom Sawyer's rescuing the slave Jim even after Emancipation made such an adventure unnecessary!]
STRESS: Induced by the uncertainties of putting together shoots with so many moving parts. It's like putting together pieces to a puzzle the size and shape of which are unknown. Not only do the people and props need to fit during any point in time but need to dynamically and efficiently flow from one concept to another with minimal wasted effort. Some profiles have minimal documentation, operating specs, limitations.
INTERVALOMETER: To add a layer of complexity and to do a shoot of the shoot that can quickly capture the shoot, I sometimes do time-lapse photography of the shoot.
AGENCY: I recognize that a shoot is not a real estate transaction but my ingrained training in that field I find strongly influences my operating style. For example, I've decided that my duty is to ACT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE SHOOT. The implications are numerous. This means that the best interest of a shoot may dictate more than one model, more than one photographer, it may even mean that I may recuse myself from shooting at a shoot I myself set up! Sometimes this morphs me into a director/producer role.
Another example of how the real estate and research training influences my style, if in doubt, disclosure. Depending on the people involved this can be perceived as TMI--Too Much Info! However, I share this biographical data so you might better understand some of the forces shaping my thinking.
SAFETY: Looking out for the best interest of the shoot does not vitiate the duty of care to participants. The physical and psychological safety of all parties is important.
ESCORTS: Please bring a well-behaved escort PRN (as needed). Hopefully he/she doubles as hair/MUA/assistant. S/he/they should not distract nor inhibit model but enhance and encourage his/her/their work.
WARDROBE: This is a good starting point
http://blog.patyuen.com/faq/modeling-ph … n-her-bag/
Things can get a bit chaotic, I know. Some things lend themselves to labeling, please free to do so. When you leave take all you bring, and only the things you brought. Saves on sorting, identifying, tracking, storing, shipping and/or delivering remains. I'll remember you with the images (no need to leave anything tangible as memento.)
HAIR & MUAs: Assume that models are competent to handle this on their own. However, sometimes both are provided by MUAs willing to do TF* or for a kit fee.
FIRST SHOT--ID: After signing release and other paperwork, head shot with ID or two is de riguer to document model's age, ability to contract, etc.
GIVING DIRECTION AT SHOOT: I'm pretty good at developing the concepts but usually somewhat laissez faire about direction on a shoot. Often, I want to see what a model comes up with on his/her own.
ADVERSE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES: As a chess player I like to anticipate and plan for multiple moves ahead. As such I often take proactive precautionary steps to avoid, mitigate or reduce the probability of adverse unintended consequences.
LAST SHOTS: Sometimes I'll request a crew shot.
LOST SHOOTS: Once in the 1970s and 1980s, I lost 2 shoots--different reasons. (Idiotically, opened the back to expose film; film not advancing). Learning process. The mistakes I make now are different ones! :-)
QUOTE RELEVANT to above incidents: Attributed to Einstein--"The difference between genius and stupidity?--genius has it's limits."
CO SHOOTER: To mitigate against a lost shoot, provide additional points of view, to optimize time, learn and/or teach and have fun, I usually invite coshooters to work with me. [Seeking to own another camera to shoot with to further reduce risks.]
TURNAROUND TIME, CONTENT, RATIONALE: Models usually receive DVD with their non PhotoShopped images within a week. This is not a guarantee. Do not expect images to be PhotoShopped. [May also post online. Longest was about 10 days after an entire day of shooting dozen models in 2 locations combined with drive failure.] Have burned on the spot but usually too hectic, chaotic and time consuming.
Since this is TF*, I reserve the right to share the entire set of images with the model as reasonable consideration. [TF* covers TFCD, TFDVD or just TF digital images via e-mail.] This SOP and turnaround time is in no way intended to set a precedent for others. I redact the egregious evidence of bad photography and/or modeling and leave the model to learn from the remaining and exercise good judgment in displaying only the best. It is not in his/her best interest to display substandard work and I've not yet experienced such.
Another reason I share the shoot with the model is that I expect them to archive the shoot.
ACADEMIC: May pursue MFA, budget permitting. My style may reflect an academic approach. i.e. I may ask non-normal questions. If you have an earned MFA in photography and are interested in providing guidance, please let me know.
LEARNING: This is not a routine production line. I will be pushing myself to do assignments that I may NOT have done before in order to learn a new technique, equipment, people, structure, style that may be outside my comfort zone. Please be patient during this learning process--that may involve asking questions.
BOTH ENDS: Models who wish to gain a little experience shooting are welcome to request to shoot as resources permit. [I've been model thru local agency (Azure) for textbook (HB) and I think working both ends of the camera improves and reinforces competency].
SOCIAL DESIRABILITY: I appreciate photographers who are willing to coach me and convey info on the sly with models on set and to do so in such a way as to make it transparent to the model that I don't know something...that's not necessary :-) I'm self-confident enough to learn openly and unabashedly...and maybe the model(s) can learn useful knowledge that makes them better at what they do!
LEGAL: For example, I want to learn the information here--
http://www.krages.com/lhp.htm
PREFERRED CONTACT: via e-mail.
However, believe that we ought to have at least one verbal, interactive conversation prior to shoot to capture the nuances that e-mail just doesn't have. E-mails tend to be long (like this profile) and chock full of developmental details so that we all arrive to shoot on the same page.
ALTERNATE E-MAIL: As we know, MM is not rock solid.
http://www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=525084
Therefore, I recommend the provision of alternate e-mails, e.g. jtshim@onemodelplace.com
PHONE NUMBER: At some point in the process, viable candidate for shoot are expected to ante up a functional phone number so that we can communicate regarding a shoot. Please specify what hours are optimal and what are acceptable, whether there is a toll on texts. Default assumption is not to call until double digit hours and not to after double digits, i.e. not before 10 AM and not after 10 PM. In my experience, the lack of a functioning phone correlates highly with lack of collaboration, confusion and cancellation.
When I assemble a highly-talented crew and models don't materialize...and I have no means of requesting a status update, the crew tends to look at me askance. It's inconvenient, embarassing and borders on irresponsible not to have basic means of communicating with participants when so many people are involved.
For extended debate on topic see forum
http://www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=159177
FLAKE FLOW CHART:
http://blog.patyuen.com/lessons/model-f … flowchart/
While I'm not endorsing this as a valid model, and don't have empirical data to support or disprove it, I do believe that it's not without merit! I wish to avoid flakes.
PRIORITIES:
If PAYING work comes up after you book a TF* shoot, you are expected to communicate that to me ASAP and confirm I've got the message. Utilize your potential for highest and best use, in this case optimizing revenue. This is not deemed flaking. TF* shoots are, in part, intended to generate revenue; they are not intended to get in the way of actually getting the revenue--that would be counter productive.
HIATUS?: in futile attempt to take a break from TF* shooting in order to get post production procedures refined, better learn Photoshop, etc. [10/09]
TDY--Chattanooga, TN.
TRAVEL: no budget. Geographical dispropinquity adversely affects many potential collaborative combinations.
http://www.anngrogan.com/01/about.html
AB Sports.
Shoots with humans is not a solo operation. There are many who contribute to a shoots success. To quote Bill B, a famous photographer, "It's a 'we' thing, not a 'me' thing!" Thank you all very much for your assistance.
Include, but are not limited to:
MODELS:
zzander 802184
LyndsayW 848967
Michelle143!
Southern Sweetness!
Samantha St. Aubyn!
Jennifer
Adam
Jordan
Stephanie
Hannah
Calista
Jen
Olivia
Two pairs couples coincidentally both Jen and Matt.
Melody
Nika
Kourtney
Adam
Allison
Bonnie
MUAs:
Boundless Spirit
Chastity
HAIR:
Anna Murdoch
Ashley F
PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Ken
Max
Amber!
Bill B
Frank
Jesse
Richard
Herb P
Herb M
Heather R
Tony W
Bill R
Johnnie W.
Richard B.
Tony
Art
WARDROBE:
Frank Pompey! :-)
ACCESSORIES:
CONSULTANTS:
Jeff M
Jordan
Kim
Max, organizer Atlanta Photography Event Group
"I was going to cancel but thanx to the Hard work of JT Shim, a member of this group, we had a successful event!"
n_r_v photography
Photographer 2009-11-08 15:43:04
"Thanks for putting together a wonderful shoot and allowing me to be a part of it! Great to work with you!"
southern sweetness
Model 2009-11-08 15:07:36
"It was a pleasure and a hoot working with you today. I had a lot of fun in all our crazyness of the day
now u will have to come back to the Atlanta so we can do it again sometime
"
Tony Blankenship
www.tonyblakenshipphotography.com
Photographer
Not yet on MM but expect by EOY.
" "
[Positive comment under construction.]
FR (FRIEND REQUESTS):
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/friend
Haven't figured out how to diplomatically articulate a friend policy BUT I'll say that the threshold is on the higher side of the mean and a failure for an invitation to be accepted is definitely not intended to provide offense.
COMPLETED SHOOTS (sample):
* Damsels in Deep Distress--unique train track shoot with draw bridge. Safety while getting dramatic shots was major concern. Gaining access to vantage points--water and roof. Plus moving the structure :-) Several legal and logistical issues. [06:45-20:45, Thursday, May 28, 2009.]
NO SHOWS with NO RESPONSE aka FLAKES (topic previously touched on in "Bio" above):
With a business background, I find it surprising how many models who I confirm by e-mail and phone yet fail to show without notice of any kind. They don't answer the phone nor e-mail during the time they should be in studio. Amazingly they don't have the courtesy to make contact after the fact to make some excuse such as "I got in a car accident," "My grandmother fell ill," "My cat died," "My water broke," etc. May be I'm being too harsh--may be they died and couldn't respond. However, the statistical odds of such an explanation being plausible explanation for the observed phenomenon are so low as to be in the rejection region.
LIST OF NO SHOWS: [We list credits but hide debits?]
On Wednesday, May 20, 2009, a model advised me to maintain prospectively, a public record of models who agree to show but who don't show up in the studio without warning and who subsequently don't show up in e-mail, voice mail...nor in the obituaries. [I know, long sentence.] I'm a nice guy but this sounds like good advice. BUT a model-photographer advised against it, bad karma. So I'm currently opting for a compromise that lists first name but no number :-) e.g. Breanne. [Flakes prior to that date are granted amnesty.]
CONSULTANTS:
Many, multitude. Through e-mail or phone calls and even personal meetings you've coached me through so many myriad details, nuances, refinements.
They share in the success; I retain all rights to the failures.
INDEBTEDNESS:
After teaching/coaching/advising/mentoring one worthy, hard-working student weekly several hours pro bono for months, he asked "Why do you do this?" My response was "You don't think I got where I am by myself, do you?"
The generosity of many to collaborate in so many ways on my photographic adventures...and misadventures...is astounding--and GREATLY appreciated.
This is NOT by any means comprehensive nor should it be misconstrued to be complete.
CONGRATS--If you've actually read the entire profile, congrats! Many SOPs are stated here so that it doesn't have to be restated in e-mail.
"Follow your passions but pay your bills."
"A workman works with his hands;
a craftsman works with his hands and mind;
an artist works with his hands, mind and heart."
"It is with the heart that one sees rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." Antoine de Saint Exupery, "The Little Prince" in Daniel Goleman's "Emotional Intelligence--Why it can matter more than IQ," p. 3.
