Two weeks ago, a photographer that I chat with on a photographer web forum announced that he accepted a job as photo director at an important Quebec magazine. Got a call today. Guess who doing a shooting for that magazine this Friday?
I also got a cold call for a another job thru my website. Again, it paid off to have a beautiful and Google-friendly website. The editor wanted me for an editorial job, but he also wanted to know if I could recommend a local studio photographer, for a side part of the same assignment.
Since I am an editorial photographer, I don’t really hang out with studio and commercial photographer. However, a couple of times I worked side by side with a guy that I never had a chance to chat with. One day, I stumbled into him while taking a walk, so we took the time to introduce ourselves and chat a bit. I learned that he has a studio in his apartment, and he gave me his business card.
So of course, that’s the guy I recommended to my client. However, that photographer do not have a website. Did he end up having the job anyway, without the ability to show his work to this potential client? I don’t know yet. But a small investment in time and money would have helped a lot. As a freelance photographer, you ARE a business. Do you know any store that did not invest money for a front sign, some decoration, and maybe some advertising? Invest in good gear, but also invest in self-promotion too!
During Montreal’s riot, a La Presse photographer was attacked, and 20000$ worth of gear was stolen.
La Presse editorialist Yves Boivert:
C’est devenu une routine: du grabuge dans les rues de Montréal et, le lendemain, des policiers débarquent dans les salles de rédaction pour saisir les images captées par les photographes et caméramans. (…)Il est déjà périlleux pour les caméramans et photographes de s’aventurer au milieu d’une émeute afin d’en être les témoins pour le public (…) Si en plus les manifestants en viennent à identifier les médias comme le bras électronique de la police, cela deviendra carrément dangereux. Ils ne pourront pas faire leur travail.
La Presse Robert Skinner audio interview about the incident
A full page on the Globe and Mail today on the St-Joseph street. A couple of photos in the print edition, and 12 online.
Here is some that did the cut, and some that did not.
Lire la suite
Sometime, it’s fun to go over the top in Photoshop. It’s totally not editorial-kosher, but when it’s just for fun, why not?
So I was driving by the Rothman plant in Quebec city, stop at a trafic light. I see the beautiful light and the dramatic sky. I crank down the window, shoot a couple of frames. Here is the result.
Technical: Canon EOS 1D mark II, 1/100 at f2.8 with a 50mm prime lense – ISO 400, no flash
Olivier Jean presents in a neat video his photos of the Quebec athletes that will take part in the 2008 Olympics that was recently published in a special section in the Journal de Montreal and Journal de Quebec. And with cool behind the scenes, too!
