Justin wrote: My big photographic goal for tomorrow is to have the lens pointed in the right direction.
This is my daily motto.
A few years ago my goal was to have a studio with a full team of MUA, Hair, Wardrobe & assistants... and then reality kicked my hind-quarters. I get up every day and love being able to shoot things I feel confident about and admit that the mistake was mine when I botch a shot.
I think my goal now is the have every client leave feeling like they achieved their goals for that shoot. I'd like to have at least five good images from every 100 taken, but I am happy with just one if it is really a winner.
No matter what your goals are... make sure you work with people who value you as a photographer AND as a person. Don't sell your soul for your dreams. There are better things to do than have a wonderful portfolio and a staff that is making each other miserable.
*edit* I think my above statement was a tiny bit narrow. People should value you as a photographer/model/MUA/Hair-artist/designer/freaky-clown or whatever
Akelis Studios wrote: No matter what your goals are... make sure you work with people who value you as a photographer AND as a person. Don't sell your soul for your dreams. There are better things to do than have a wonderful portfolio and a staff that is making each other miserable.
Kozmina
Posts: 6,515
Colorado Springs, Colorado, US
I would like to reach a point where I am financially secure enough to not need to make money from modeling.I want to be able to do projects because I want to instead of because I have bills to pay.I want to build up a killer wardrobe,become part of a community of artists in CO so I have full teams to collaborate with,able to put together some of the outrageous concepts I have rolling around in my brain,create a port filled with unique and thought provoking images,rise to level of posing versatility of some of the models I look up to.
And thats not even the half of it.It's the first step that is the hardest.
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'
I've snipped this of course.
But...when I think about my ambitions in this industry I'm reminded of this poem. I'd just like to achieve Awesomeness with an equal measure of Humbleness.
For me the plan is to start training classes, I have been doing this as a wager for other people in between shoots and I want to move forward on my own as a make up artist.
Photography is something I do enjoy and I am planning to do more and build my portfolio up with new work and eventually exhibit and have some editorial and magazine credits as make up artist and photographer.
Your first cover is cool your 50th is just good business.
I find that I get back to the source, one thing that matters most is to take a shot that does justice to the integrity of the subject.
A model I hardly knew was killed in a traffic accident and her parents sought me out to get a photo of their daughter. It was a simple shot but it, unlike so many others that she had taken in her professional life, reminded them of who she was. That was pretty much the height of my career. It still stands as the bar I need to reach every time I shoot.
My next major goal is to gain such mastery over the ancient rites of the Necronomicon as to prevent anything from actually crossing over into our world when I do a photo shoot. Not all models enjoy spontaneously sprouting tentacles. Some do, but not all.
Other than that, selling a few glass, ceramic, or wood prints of my work might be a nice next step.
I just want to comment that I know an amazing young photographer who is only 19, and he will be published in next month's Vogue Italia. He's worked his butt off and kept sight of his dreams, and is accomplishing them. So, it does happen.
Eliza C
Posts: 7,869
Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom
Not in modelling.
I already did way over my expectations when I did a runway show with Silvia Dimitrova and made a living for a few years. I only did it to try to get a bit of extra cash as a student but took it seriously and committed to it and learned the craft; and got a fit job with the finest lingerie company in the world! Working with their design team was a real privilige; and I learned a great deal about fashion.
So that was it for me. Happy with that. Part time now but still get some interesting, nice and fun jobs but no ambitions to go higher.
My ambitions now are focussed on my scientific research.
But good luck; wish you and everyone else the best whatever their path. Make sure whatever it is you enjoy it; and appreciate each nice little thing that happens xx
Karl Johnston
Posts: 7,255
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
To make it a hobby one day: long term goal.
Short term goals are daily, and many. I try to complete one goal a day, and when I can't - take a breather till the next day where I can be as refreshed and productive to get 11 goals done that day
To have this be my full time living was my goal years ago and once that happened 6 years ago I felt like I could narrow that a bit to certain models on my bucket list. Once I shot Jewell Marceau, who is IMHO the top fetish model in the industry and a personal fav, I felt a sense of accomplishment that I never did before. Since than my goal is nothing more than to enjoy life, shoot a few times a month and walk to the mailbox and collect checks all month.
Hey it's not like Vogue.it isn't picky given how many profiles don't have any approve images. But I agree, for now/today it's just about happy clients.
Eliza C
Posts: 7,869
Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom
Drew Smith Photography wrote: I feel a Kipling moment coming on:
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'
I've snipped this of course.
But...when I think about my ambitions in this industry I'm reminded of this poem. I'd just like to achieve Awesomeness with an equal measure of Humbleness.
You'll be a MAN my son
Ha ha perhaps it is either harder for us or not so applicable. My partner is a Kipling fan. I have been reading some lately. He quoted that at me when I got pissed off having had a run of good luck betting on the horses one I had bet a lot on lost.
However my retort was I didn't care about the money; I was disappointed for the horse because I love him!
Ivanafox
Posts: 977
Healesville, Victoria, Australia
I am definately too fat, short, old wrinkly to have any aspirations for modelling, however I do have some goals.
Those goals involve being on the other side of the camera. I think I can take a decent still life photo now. Next step is to do a decent enough job of friends and family to invest in a model shoot not too far down the track. I expect to do reasonably well when I get to that point, after all I've got kick ass outfits, a million untried ideas, a superb idea of how to treat a model well and I've lurked on the forums long enough I think I should be able to avoid the common photographer pitfalls.
I want to work on more creative projects. I'm tired of just freelancing. I have no desire to just do wedding, prom and party makeup. It would be great to unleash some concepts rolling around my noggin. I want to work as a team with some bad ass creatives and in the process build my portfolio.
To be published in a off the rack magazine my friends and family could pick up almost anywhere.
To continue to learn, grow, and getting higher calibers of teams/work.
I would like to get into one big local magazine by the end of the year that can be picked up locally.
And in the next 5 years I would like to be in major magazines around the globe, not really sure on a number, just like the idea of my work out there globally.
| 
| 
| edu