|
Forums >
General Industry >
Obese Photographer
Hi, This maybe a touchy subject, but I am just curious on how some of you handle it. Life changes and weight changes. I am no more the thin guy in my earlier years. I am of course working on my health and weight loss journey, but that isn't the point of this post. My question is as a fat photographer how do you promote yourself online? Many photographers personal website have their photos or photos of themselves during their shoots. This is fine when you are a photogenic male or female photographer. What do you do when you are overweight and don't look good on camera? Do you simply exclude this part from your website? Do you rely solely on your port without images of yourself? Any thoughts much appreciated. May 24 21 05:47 am Link Enmerkar Zedek wrote: it's all about the pix I take and not what I look like at all May 24 21 09:47 am Link Enmerkar Zedek wrote: The same way skinny and pretty photogs do, we show the unique mix that is our history, skills and passions through our art. May 24 21 10:05 am Link Enmerkar Zedek wrote: That's why I'm a photographer. May 24 21 10:50 am Link I don't think anyone would want to see pics of me. They want to see the pics I take. May 24 21 01:42 pm Link I think everyone’s aim should be staying at a healthy weight. Your body doesn’t have to work harder and your stamina lasts longer. I have lost weight staying in a diet plan and some walking at least. It’s not impossible. May 24 21 04:19 pm Link I just do what some of the models do and use a photo taken twenty years ago. Actually, I stay the hell out of the front of the camera as much as possible, not so much because I might be overweight but more because I'm just ugly. May 24 21 05:40 pm Link I once tried to take a selfie with my camera but it refused. May 24 21 10:28 pm Link I try not to take pics of myself as I value my equipment way to much!!! As they say, I'd probably break the camera and wouldn't really want to have to buy a new one! No seriously, I doubt anyone would care. All of my models know what I look like which is what really matters. I send all of them a pic of me a few days before we shoot while there's still plenty of time for their grandmother to pass away...., again! I guess it's a self-conscience thing if you feel comfortable putting yourself out there or not But you're right, if you're a hot enough hunk, even if your pics seriously stink, you'll still probably get shoots just so they can drool on you!!! But have you not learned a thing from your models??? BODY POSITIVITY my man!!! LoL John May 24 21 11:15 pm Link Answer:Photoshop fakes...lol May 24 21 11:39 pm Link I've not once looked at a picture I appreciated and thought to myself, 'Great image. Sure hope the photographer is good-looking.' May 25 21 06:02 am Link ROUA IMAGES wrote: I have, but the photographer was me! 😂 May 25 21 12:27 pm Link Don't take pictures of yourself, then. Post more good pictures of your results. May 25 21 03:03 pm Link When I'm seeking new clientele, the last thing I would want to do is send them a picture of myself. Crikey, they'd probably start thinking I'm a bit of a flog ...or worse. Just stay polite, informed, positive and realistic during your interactions with customers, and providing your work is of their standard, you can't really go wrong. And besides, I'd like to consider myself as being a good looking guy  lol, but that has absolutely zero to do with my service and what I produce for clients.May 25 21 07:28 pm Link Aisbarika wrote: this. May 25 21 09:29 pm Link DespayreFX wrote: So what was the answer?1?1 LOL May 25 21 10:31 pm Link Catfish! May 26 21 06:26 am Link Be confident. 🙂 Jun 01 21 10:26 pm Link Not a "touchy" subject, but a good one. You should shoot a selfie of some sort to post on social media. You can take a shot that is a fairly close up of your face with camera in hand like I did. Don't worry about your weight as for your appearance to others. The vast majority of people care about your photography, not your looks. Be less critical of yourself because as we get older, we look back at the older pictures of ourselves and think "dang, I wasn't half bad back then .. what was I thinking?" At least that has happened to me. What you hinted at but is what I wish to mention is HEALTH! Please take care of yourself! While working as a photographer, I have gotten sick One time I was shooting for The Taco Bell Corporate Christmas party. I ate something quickly before leaving to shoot the party, then whatever I ate .. I threw up right at the entrance to the mens bathroom. In other words, I didn't make it in before launching puke. That was embarrassing! I didn't get hired back for that gig. There were other times where I did not feel well, but I kept going. I nearly died from congestive heart failure, but I had to finish the photo session. Think of the horror of dying of a heart attack during a photo session! My primary photography work is with musicians, and it is a fact that some have died shortly after making it off the stage. A few have even died while on stage. I'm sure that there are at least a few cases of the photographer dying during or shortly after a photo shoot. I'm just lucky I wasn't one of them. I've since had surgery to replace a valve, and I have a pacemaker. There are locations in the parks and on beaches that are wonderful places to shoot, but it takes being physically fit enough to hike to them. I try to walk 30 minutes a day to keep in good enough shape. After years of photographing models with never having one get sick during or shortly after a shoot, it sadly happened. The weather was cold, and foggy at the beach. After we'd shot, she suddenly got very sick, throwing up, chills, weak and cold .. like the flu. We were in the car and I heated it up quickly as I could. Although I wanted to take her to the hospital, she wouldn't let me as she had no insurance. She was traveling from Arizona, and I have not had the good communication that we once had ... this was the third time we'd shot and she is someone I consider a friend. I really think photographers, musicians and models need good health insurance. Don't take yourself to the edge of death like I did! Jun 02 21 01:25 am Link Your physical appearance as a photographer is not nearly as important as your ability to physically shoot the camera. Stay healthy! Jun 08 21 08:03 pm Link I keep a gallery of photos on my studio wall—pics I take of the models as they enter the room for the first time, registering the look of disappointment and distaste that comes over their faces as they take in my countenance. It keeps me humble. Jun 09 21 02:29 am Link aquarelle wrote: Stay healthy my friend! Some of these models could cause a heart attack! Jun 10 21 01:58 pm Link Funny, all this advice is the "Girls All Dressed Up for Each Other" !!! None of us MALE photographers feel it makes any difference what we look like...., BUT not ONE model has actually weighed in, which are the only ones that actually count! They're way to afraid to come in and tell us how it REALLY is!!! LoL John PS, I used to know a photographer in photo school who was very morbidly round and smoked like crazy. Two steps would make him chug like an old choo-choo train going uphill and sweat profusely. Not a pretty site. Nice guy but awkward as all get out! All of his model pics were of older women and I always though they were related. Not sure he ever got beyond Gwac! Jun 12 21 09:49 am Link "This is fine when you are a photogenic male or female photographer." Somebody needs a refresher on which way the camera faces. The model goes in front of the camera. The photographer goes behind it! What the photographer looks like is irrelevant! Jun 17 21 03:17 pm Link I can't imagine why this would even be an issue. Jun 19 21 09:06 pm Link Honestly, You put your best foot forward. You get a haircut, trim your beard, dress in a nice shirt and smile for the camera. And you use all the posing tricks to help reduce the size of your face. You Photoshop all blemishes. No one is perfect, but you just have to put yourself out there. https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=102 … 9853120300 Jun 27 21 09:35 pm Link I’ve never met a model who could give two shits about how fuckable the photographer is. I’d say 90% of the people I shoot have little to no idea what I look like beforehand. I’d suggest working on your confidence which will affect how a model responds to you a hundred times more than your physical appearance. Jun 29 21 12:34 pm Link Enmerkar Zedek wrote: The same thing you would tell anyone else. Hire a MUA and a professional photographer to do a professional shoot for you and get some good portraits or headshots. Easy/Peasy. Jul 08 21 10:29 pm Link Concentrate on disciplining yourself not to be "Oh beast photographer" and everything will be good. Jul 09 21 02:47 am Link You can invest in a shoot with a strong photographer to have a pic to showcase yourself. But the reality is shooting is not dating, they are models interested in your work, not in your physicality. And there should never be that level of judgement from anyone on your team to begin with. Jul 16 21 05:10 am Link Can't believe this has not been commented on? It's NOT about what others (models included) think of you appearance as much as it is about your own health! They will shoot with you because of your work, not what you look like. If you die, then it doesn't matter what others think. I damn near died of a heart atttack while shooting, so I know! Patrick Walberg wrote: Jul 16 21 12:40 pm Link Only time I would bother sending a photo of myself to the model is if we were meeting in a public place or at a group shoot where it would help us to find each other. Models don't care what I look like. Preparing to go to a shoot, I'm only concerned with looking presentable as I would for meeting anyone for any business purpose (clean clothes appropriate to the setting, don't smell bad, etc.). Jul 27 21 10:56 pm Link Enmerkar Zedek wrote: 3 words, "Don't be creepy". You can be fat and look happy. You can be skinny and look happy. You can also be skinning or fat and look creepy. Your body of work also tells a lof about your character (not entirely 100% because people with skill can also be creepy; i.e. Terry Richardson). But skinny or fat, good looking or not, if your portfolio has nothing but crappy images of women in various states of undress, no amount of weight loss or weight gain will persuade serious models that you're a serious photographer. Jul 28 21 07:13 am Link Just use a Head Shot! Jul 28 21 12:21 pm Link Ryan G Tan wrote: I agree Jul 31 21 05:34 pm Link Enmerkar Zedek wrote: Quite easily, thanks. Aug 09 21 12:36 pm Link Michelle Genevieve wrote: Weight Discrimination: A Socially Acceptable Injustice Aug 09 21 01:15 pm Link Mark C Smith wrote: I introduced a model to a buddy of mine who hosted us in his studio. Aug 09 21 01:21 pm Link DespayreFX wrote: John Silva Photography wrote: Vote was split, jury deadlocked. 😂 Sep 13 21 06:30 pm Link Get a photographer to shoot a photo of you. Don't use a selfie, its unprofessional. Your wight doesn't matter, get some confidence and stand next to your work. Like it or not, people are going to want to see who the Photographer is before they book. Oct 28 21 06:22 pm Link |
