Have questions you want to ask a creative industry professional, but wasn't sure who to turn to? I've been writing for Fstoppers for over a year now. I've been able to share my own BTS shoots, those of friends, reviews, tutorials, and more. I've had the chance to interact and meet some great people through here, and I really want to do something more for you folks. Rather than do a fresh article this week on something I find interesting, I am leaving the content completely up to you. Want advice or curious about something photo/video-related? Ask below!
For those that are not familiar with my work as a photographer and filmmaker: I went to RIT for my advertising photography degree, graduating in 2004 to pursue a full-time photo career. In the early days of my career, I did photojournalism work in places ranging from The White House to living life as a rock and roll tour photographer for the top 40 bands. As time progressed, I found that I loved working with on-location lighting and environments and began to shoot more magazine editorial work, ad campaigns, album covers, celebrity portraits, etc (photos with more pre/post production and controlled lighting). I've shot campaigns for clients like Apple, Ford, Jeep, Rolling Stone, National Geographic, Time Magazine, and Universal Republic Records.
About 5 years ago, I co-founded a video production company called 8112 Studios. We produce, direct, and edit music videos and ad campaigns for TV and web. We started with one camera and a lumber cart and have progressed to some pretty large productions with multiple grip trucks, large crews, etc. I also started a charity site called www.NotaBully.org with some great support from National Geographic with hopes to change some of the negative stigmas towards bully breed dogs that need rescuing. I've also been a Photoshop World / Kelby Training instructor and have given speeches all over the world about photography. The above is not meant as a boast, it is intended to give you a framework of understanding of my experience in the industry so that I may better assist you when you ask your questions.
From photography to video, it has been a wild and educational ride with lots of adventure. I am very thankful to do this for a living all over the world over 100k miles a year. If it at all interests you, here is a short video about the kind of things I do on set.
I know it can be a challenge in this very competitive marketplace to survive as a creative. Feel free to ask me any reasonable question in the comment section below about the creative industry, opinions on technology, and even questions on things like business and marketing. I'll do my best to answer every question posted before midnight (East Coast/New York City time) of March 24, 2104.
I won't be able to do portfolio reviews because that takes a lot of time to do properly, but maybe sometime in a future post! Please keep it clean. I know I open myself up to possible monkey business in the comments section, but my full intention is to spread the love and help my fellow photographers and filmmakers where I can. If this goes well, we will get some of our talented friends in the creative industry to do more of these "ask anything" guest posts!
Thanks for a great 1+ year with Fstoppers and I look forward to answering your questions!
Keep Connected With Me:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sondersphoto
Twitter - https://twitter.com/douglassonders/
Instagram - http://instagram.com/douglassonders
yes, but there is already a photog with my name.
your first name middle name or initial and last name photography?
not a bad idea
Doug,
Hello! Thanks so much for this! I've started to finally find my style and my 'niche' as a photographer so I have been updating my website quite a bit to try and reflect this. However, I think I may have too much work on my site. I saw a few comments back you told someone to kind of minimize their portfolio and I agree.
So my question is how often do you update your site? Do you give yourself like an "expiration date" on removing old work? Thanks!
-Iris
www.irisbonetphoto.com
I try not to update it all the time, but I try and add new tearsheets and photos every few weeks. Everyone has their own style. I admit I've been adding too much and need to cut down my portfolio online a bit. It's too much, but thankfully thats because i've been shooting a lot! That being said, I have a few REALLY old photos on there, but I keep them up there because I still think they represent my style today. When images start to become irrelevant or insignificant to what I like to shoot or how I shoot today, then I remove it
That makes sense! Thanks so much! :)
Doug,
It looks like my original question didn't go through so I'll ask again. I saw earlier you told someone to minimize their portfolio. That is my struggle as well. How often do you update your website? Also, do you give yourself an "expiration date" to remove old work?
Hey Doug,
Thanks for doing this! I'm just finishing up my first year going full time freelance and it went great, but I would like this year to be better. Being at least a few hours away from the largest metro area, what would you recommend to do for advertising to get work? I'm using Agency Access and have a list - it was recommended that I do an email blast and then some direct mailers. What's worked in your experience?
www.leclair-photography.com
Sure that all works if you are consistent with it and have a good strategy with your mailers. Have you spoken to a photo career consultant yet?
I'm currently working with Wonderful Machine, just became a member last month - hope to be talking with them as far as consulting very soon!
Suzanne Sease is the best
I saw her name pop up a couple of times! I'll check her out - thanks!
How important do you feel your geographical location has been in the success of your career? Do you feel that you would have broken through all of the other obvious barriers photographers face had you lived in another area? I mention this in regards to my own situation, battling with my love for small town life and how I can break through the "noise" without sacrificing too much of what makes me, me.
Thanks,
-Dusty
Many talented shooters have succeeded being in smaller towns but stood out as specialists in their fields. Special enough that people would fly to them. This mainly applies to still life shooters and famous portrait photographers. Otherwise, you should be able to dominate your own market to the best of your ability but be aware that you will have to travel for shoots.
I was lucky to stand out where I started my carer. Washington DC didnt have a lot of photographers that shot the content that I did, so I was able to stand out in my niche a bit more than I would have in say, nyc. I also let clients know my willingness to travel for work. So if you can stand out in your town, be the one others look up to or talk about, then there is hope yet!
Many young rock bands trying to be signed are told by labels: "sell out venues in your home town, then we can talk about sending you on tour." I suppose that sort of applies to photo
Thanks for the input. I've found success in my town, only that's not much to brag about... "big fish in a small pond" deal I guess. I forget the most important thing a lot of times - the time I need to put in to build a solid portfolio.
On another note, the travel aspect is one of the most appealing parts to me at the moment.
Thanks again,
-Dusty www.dustywooddell.com
Hi Douglas, First let me say I love fstoppers and your work. I have followed this site for ever. I have a question that maybe you can help guide me to some videos or discussions. I teach photography mostly to new photographers and have been teaching for the past five years. Most everyone who places how-to videos on line or teaches photography classes do a great job with the technical aspects of photography. For example, camera settings, rules of composition, lighting, and posing.
But what seems to be missing is discussions or tutorials on how to develop as a photo artist. To find art in simplicity. Photography as an art form. Many master it or have developed it or was born with it but few if any can explain it. It being what makes a photography stop you in your tracks. Makes you cry or ask questions or gives you a feeling. A photo that you love but can not really say why. I think a lot of photographers reach the point where they have the technical issues down pat. But still can not figure out what is missing. Kind of the old question, "Is this all there is?"
I want to learn to teach people to see. To truly transition from the technical copy cat photographer that copies someone's methods or figures out the rules of composition and how to progress as a photo artist. I tell my students it is ok to learn to copy someone's style you like and to try to perfectly mimic what that person has done. But at some point you need to learn to see beyond what others have done. You need to learn to create. Any suggestions? Does fStoppers have any interviews that tackles this subject? The more that I can learn about this the better I feel my photography will be and the better job I can do teaching others.
Thank you for your time and look forward to more fStoppers interviews and behind the scene videos.
I suspect you have been overwhelmed by the response to Ask the Professional. Or my question actually supports my theory that photography as an art is hard to address or explain.
been on some fun but busy shoots this week. ill respond shortly
1) what do you think about posting your prices right on your website? 2) how often do you update your prices?
I dont really do anything like family portraits or weddings, so I have no standard rates for flying into LA, Florida, Iowa, and Montana for 1 project in a given week if you get my drift. My clients usually tell me the project scope, and I just have to put together an estimate based on that information. Unless you are dealing with consumers where you are selling packages of some sort, I would not post rates on a website. Ad or magazine photographers shouldnt do that IMO. Looks amateur hour. Wedding photogs and portrait/headshot photographers, by all means!
Thanks again! I am trying to get more into the commercial scope of things and do less of the wedding/family portraits thing. I'm doing it now to make ends meet. Did you ever do the odd jobs like weddings and what not until you go to where you wanted to be?
oh sure! totally. I did anything that paid. From covering a creepy swinger party to kids portraits at the picture people. No shame. I knew I had a goal in my mind and was not going to let embarrassment, long hours, hard work stop me
whoa a swinger party? haha! Talk about paying your dues!
Hi Douglas, I've been following your work for some time now and saw that you did a fun shoot with my buddy, Joe C... Great achievements!
My question is more about finding a mentor. Have you worked with and studied under a mentor? How would you go about finding one that gravities to the style you want to fine-tone? Also, how would you go about approaching these individuals to work along side with them?
Thank you so much!
Never had a mentor personally. Always had people that inspired me and I looked up to. Im sure that would have been awesome to have someone take me under their wing. Everyone I have known that had a mentor usually assisted for those people. Id recommend trying to get an assisting gigs for those photographers you look up to
Hello there,
I'm on a BA (Hons) Photography course at the Arts University Bournemouth. Our course is very much conceptually and research driven as opposed to technical. Do you think there's a way of combining both and do you find commercial photography more profitable and, therefore, satisfying?
I'm also wondering if you'd be willing to give me a short interview, because we have a unit called Professional Enquiry running at the moment. Its aim is to gain an insight of the photo industry via work experience or interview(s). It is supposed to be ambitious in nature and I think that I would benefit a lot from interviewing you because of the impressive client list that you have (Apple definitely stands out the most for me, I know how rigorous their requirements may be).
Thank you very much for your time and I apologise for the lengthy post.
Please get in contact with me, if you're interested- zakhotshoe@gmail.com
Best
Zak
How does one get a job as a still photographer for movies / television? I have over 16 years experience as a professional in the sports industry and would like to change my career focus. Thank you.
i mean where are you based? If you are in LA or some town where they shoot a lot of tv/films, there are actually labor unions for movie photographers. you could also call some production companies directly and offer your services.
this article may help: http://www.editorialphoto.com/resources/filmotography.asp
Hi Douglas - at one point were you confident enough in your abilities to know you were absolutely ready to start charging? Did you just wing it a lot and let the chips fall where they may at first or did you have a definitive point where you drew the line and said - "I am ready to charge now, and this is what I am charging"? I know that I prefer to always be a student but at what point do you 'know' you're going need x number of dollars for y? I have made a few bucks so far but is there really a line in the sand you have to draw in order to cross over?
honestly? you have to just believe in yourself. at some point you have to set a value for yourself. Start small obviously, but work your way up. if you have the talent and people desire to have you photograph with you, then you deserve to charge for their right to work with you, if that makes sense. Its why luxury brands survive. They may seem really expensive, but they created a value for themselves in the market. Applies to you as well with your photography
Thanks Douglas :)
When you do album covers for bands, do you take on the post production? I don't mean retouching and color correction and all that because that's somewhat obvious, but more like adding the text, like the band name/name of the album etc.. sorry for all the questions, I figure I'd take advantage of the opportunity. :)
most major labels have their own graphic designers so I don't normally touch layout after my image(s) are submitted, but I have helped design an album cover for smaller artists in the past
I'm a 39yr old with aspirations to become a Commercial / Advertising /Editorial photographer. What advice can you give as to Literature, guides, tips to get started in this market?
I've been on some shoots, will respond soon!
its never too late to start. check this out: http://www.sondersphotography.com/blog/2012/06/15/here-it-is-12-career-t...
read it. let me know if you have more questions in regards to what you're trying to accomplish
Can you discuss how you license your photographs? Is this discussed before or after the shoot? Do you include the license agreement on your invoice or do you have a contact meeting before the shoot where all paperwork is discussed and signed by all parties? Thanks! Mike
I've been on some shoots, will respond shortly!
yes. licensing usually discussed before a shoot. i use blinkbid.com for invoicing and legalese help on usage terms. check it out. it also has a signature section in the estimate so everyone is confirmed they agree on rate and terms.
Hello Douglass,
I am interested in becoming a Commercial Photographer.
I have been doing some research.
I wanted to ask you:
1) what are the skills and requirements for this industry?
2) can you give me a description on how do you get into this industry? (I mean: what is the step by step process)?
3) what is one professional association you should join to participate in this
industry?
4) what are some trade publications (magazines or newspapers) I should subscribe to in the Commercial Photography industry?
I would really appreciate your help
THANK YOU