For photographers, making something appear to be simple can actually be pretty involved.  Here’s a 2.5 minute video from the above shoot where the object was to photograph some community members with the wind turbines they helped engineer and facilitate…caution, there is a soundtrack so you might want to adjust your volume settings!

Behind the Scenes with George C. Anderson Photography from George C. Anderson on Vimeo.

-by Jules

I saw a piece on the Today show recently which featured an author of a book I did not know. Apparently everyone else on the planet has heard of this writer’s book, which stems from his blog, but in case not, I wanted to share here. It holds some basic truths that I think can be helpful to creatives who own their own small businesses and sometimes suffer not only the economic challenges shared by all small businesses, but also the extra difficulties of staying positive and producing creative ideas when forces in life may seem to be conspiring against you.

The author was Neil Pasricha and his new book is called “The Book of (Even More) Awesome.” The way he tells it, he had started a blog just chronicling little everyday events that brought some kind of simple joy to his life. He didn’t think anyone would read it. His first fan was his mom and then his dad, then his dad’s friends and so on. ‘Til the blog had a ginormous following and now, he’s a bestselling author.

Why go on and on about this fellow and his story?

When we make our income by parlaying our creative gifts into tangible, communicative messages, it’s not always an easy path.  Yes, it’s all hunky-dory when you’re booked solid and budgets are ample.  But when the calendar is lacking and every budget feels parsimonious, we have to find ways to appreciate the small things in life.  The bigger stuff will work out.  It always does.  And in the meantime, it’s important to buoy yourself up, because the best creative comes from a well within each artist.  And feeling satisfied helps feed that wellspring.

For example, this morning,  I realized I was wailing away to a song I was listening to in my car.  I like to sing, and I don’t always even realize I’m humming along to something on the radio…but today, I actually took note of how much pleasure I was experiencing in the moment.  Plus I’m pretty sure the guy in the car next to me at the stoplight got a big chuckle from my antics, although he was probably thankful it’s not warm enough for open windows just yet here in Ohio…

In the fast-paced world we all live in, and the occasionally ego-crushing creative business we’ve chosen to work in, try to remember to stop once in a while and revel in something simple and fulfilling.  Maybe it will inspire your next photo?  Maybe that something little can be the start of your next big thing?

by Jules

There is no denying that texting can be efficient, emailing unobtrusive and smoke signals…well, uh…pretty?

But as visual collaborators, there is nothing to beat a good phone call or personal meeting to hash out the how-to’s in a shared creative endeavor. As photographers, it is typically our role to execute others’ vision, research and layouts. A good conversation can go a long way to making this whole experience more satisfying and successful overall.

When interpreting others’ aesthetics, can we really get the full description as quickly and thoroughly via text rather than talk? Let’s admit it, most creatives got into this business because they are image people, not necessarily word people (our friends, the Copywriters, aside of course). Many times, they are also hunt-and-peck keyboardists who struggle to scratch out a few lines of text. How dreary it must feel to attempt tapping out all the subtleties they could better describe in even a brief chat!

So, when you are working with someone and are going to be the photographer who ultimately stands with your trusty camera at that critical moment in time and “makes it all happen,” I hope you’ve been able to have a previous conversation with your client. There will be things you’ll discover that simply can’t be communicated and discussed any other way. And you’ll do a better job for having a better understanding of your client’s wishes.

I know we’re all pressed for time and the natural inclination now for so many entering the working world of the communication arts may be to reach for their inter-planetary mobile device and send a message, even if the recipient is just across the hallway.

I encourage us to seek conversation. Audio, visual, person-to-person. We can keep it short, to the point, and in the process, perhaps we may remember that in fact, the spoken word can be more efficient than we ever realized.

-by Julie

Our interns often look surprised when they read our list of “dos and don’ts” and just what activities are appropriate when nothing directly billable is at hand.  Item #21 is “Have fun and laugh.”  Many of them have never considered a work environment where seeking fun, laughing and sanctioned play time is not only accepted but encouraged.  Seriously  kids, lighten up!

Because what we’ve learned in our business is that being creative is fundamentally what it’s all about.  And having a wellspring of personal energy to dedicate to maintaining an at-the-ready-creative stance is worth cultivating.

And that toys help.

Fortunately, our friends and family understand this too.  Just this past Christmas, Geo received these totally nifty ExecuHelis. RC, with dual blades…pretty sophisticated engineering for $25 a pop.  Thanks, brother Don Anderson (and Best Buy).

The flight path in our hulking studio’s free space is ideal for unencumbered helicopter action.  (And boomerangs, and Red Ryder BB targets…not to mention the indoor swing hanging from our rafters on 12′chains …)

So- play is good.  We’ve got the toys, and when time allows, you bet we get serious about having fun.  It makes us happy, it inspires us to lofty ideas.  OK, well not always lofty per se.  But a playful mind is a resourceful mind and that’s what it seems our clients want time after time..brains in gear with good ideas to offer.

Pardon me, I want to get back to messing around with the ‘copters.  Just trying to properly get this New Year off the ground (excuse the pun)…

by Geo

This time of year, we often think about giving back and helping others with any special skills we may have. One way I’ve found to satisfy that desire is to offer my photographic services, pro-bono, to certain worthy causes. When it comes to entering into pro-bono projects, I remember some sage advice that a prominent designer once gave me. He basically said to work for free only if it’s your very best work. This is not to say that my attitude is “my way or the highway,”  but instead, to seek causes I feel strongly about and discuss an approach that will work for their needs as well as allow me creative freedom.  A pro-bono project should be seen as an opportunity to expand your creative horizons and do work that comes from the heart and goes straight into the portfolio.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana has allowed me to do just that. I believe in their mission, and they give me opportunities to make meaningful, compelling images. We are both grateful for the chance to work together.

As you may imagine, the Wish child’s family dynamic is quite different than the “norm.” I have seen some of the most touching moments between siblings on these shoots. Everyone realizes every second is special. There are few sibling rivalries as other families may have.

The Wish kids have also endured endless hours in hospitals, being poked and stuck, and told to hold still. They are the most compliant subjects I have ever worked with.  Their photo sessions provide a moment for them and their families to forget their troubles and be made to feel beautiful and special for all the “right” reasons.

Some of these images have won awards in local design and ad club competitions over the years. But the rewards are far greater than that.  I have had opportunities to meet truly fantastic families, immortalize moments in time, and express my creative vision in ways not always possible on commercial projects.

Many of these children go on to lead full, fruitful lives.  Sadly, some do not.  I feel lucky to have been a part of these kids’ lives if even for a few minutes.  One of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received was when one Wish family contacted me to ask permission to use my photo of their son on his gravestone.

Working on this pro-bono project has been immensely meaningful to me, personally and professionally.  Consider reaching out and do your very own special work.

This image was chosen to be etched on this child's gravestone. I can think of no greater honor.

by Julie

If I’d ever been a Boy Scout (mighty difficult since I’m a girl), I’d have been the poster child for their motto, “Be Prepared.”

I was the school kid with the burgeoning backpack loaded with nearly every classes’ book just “in case” I wanted to reference one once I got home, even if there was no imminent homework assignment.  Yeah, the spinal scoliosis was worth it.

I am also the international traveler who carries dry laundry detergent in a baggie (so liquid won’t leak and so much lighter), an index card with exchange rates and equivalents for USD $1, $10, $50, $100 for at-a-glance market negotiations, and pre-addressed labels to expedite the postcard writing process. All packed in my carefully researched mini pack with just the right pockets (and style quotient).

Some might call this OCD. Little did I know I was simply in training for my career.

As a producer, prop and wardrobe stylist, my job is to have anything anyone could need on a shoot, even if they have not requested it. Anticipating needs. And, it is also my job to have packed this stuff in a way that any of us can find “it” once we do realize we need “it.”  Because when the need arises, it will be immediate!

The same goes for my photographer. Forgetting a critical piece of gear can be a major drag.

When I get ready for a big trip, I make lists weeks in advance. When I wake up in the middle of the night with another idea for something I want to be sure to take, I simply grab my tablet on the bedside table, jot down the note, and return to peaceful slumber- with a clear conscience and trusty list.

So, when we are prepping for a big shoot, particularly when it’s a location shoot away from the studio, we keep lists too. Depending on how anal retentive you are by nature, you may want to prep some lists with the basics, have categories pre-designed, maybe even include an inventory list of sorts to jog your memory. You may be less likely to forget that extension cable if you have a box next to it on your list to check off?

Be prepared. Be ready. Be a good Scout. Once your ducks are in a row, your mind can be free to do your best work.

And have a great trip!

Here’s a few pix to illustrate just some of the “stuff” required on a recent shoot….what you don’t see is the photo van loaded with gear plus more “stuff” like you see in these shots!

Packed Up Day Before Shoot

Just a sampling of some of the props/wardrobe (photo gear unpacked elsewhere) that got hauled to a recent "fishing buddies/lifestyle" shoot.

Looking across just some of our production items to where the shoot was actually occurring at the lake.

I always laugh when asked this question.  As professional photographers, there really never is a typical day for us.  What needs to happen today?  What needs to happen tomorrow in order for that shoot next week to go smoothly? And what the heck is the weather doing outside our window right now anyhow? How will that factor into the day’s plans?

We relish the change from day to day and have even come to embrace the uncertainty that unscheduled days can bring. However, we realize this lifestyle is not necessarily the cat’s meow for other of our working brethren. The idea that you may not have to start your workday at a standardized daily hour, end the workday predictably, and often, may have no particular task that must be accomplished on a given day can be a little daunting to the uninitiated.

Sometimes, our day might start at 4am when our alarms go off…with a 5am studio crew call.    Sometimes the day may start that way and extend all the way through ’til the dusky, crepuscular hour of a summer sunset. Sometimes we might be shooting in a retail store all night long and wrap by 9am so we don’t interrupt the regular flow of daytime customers.

Recently, Geo had a shoot for an alternative energy consultant which required a very early morning 1.5 hour road trip to a couple agricultural sites in the NW part of Ohio…he needed to be there and be ready to shoot the first scene upon sunrise.

Check out this 2.5 minute movie to get an idea of what that day was like and what that shoot required…typical for us in this crazy business…but far from the norm in any larger sense!

Geo’s (not exactly) Typical Day from George C. Anderson on Vimeo.

We’d like to hear your stories; what is one of your more unusually scheduled work efforts, and what motivated that need?

-Jules

Working with Kids on Location

As a photographer of people and especially “Kids of All Ages”, I have found a few techniques to be essential. Most of these would be common sense to parents and Maîtré D’s, but as photographers, we can be somewhat techno geeky. We need to crank up our social empathy quotient.

1) Look people in the eye, and smile. You are a mirror to what you will get back from your subjects. If you’re going for the aloof artist look, then be one.

If you can get your subject to smile and or laugh in the first 30 seconds, you are on your way to a good working relationship. People want to be happy, and a smile is the first step.

2) Tell people what you want them to do, and how you’d like them to be. Generally, your subject is looking for direction. Give it in simple, clear, calm messages.

3) Talk about them, not about you. This would be common sense for a single person on a first date. Same goes for people you are about to photograph.

4) Use appropriate language skills for your audience. If you are working with Kindergartners, avoid big adult words. If you’re going to photograph the English Department art Yale, study up. Never swear, no matter who you’re with; it’s just not cool.

5) Tell jokes only when needed, and after you feel comfortable with the subjects at hand. And as many jokes as I know, I keep them at the 3rd grade level when on shoots. Everybody gets those. Only after someone on set “leads” with a sophisticated line of humor will I follow. Too much jokestering can upset a quiet mood on a shoot; so be judicious.

6) Patience, patience, patience with little kids. Many young kids are basically scared of us big folks and hide behind Mom and Dad. If so, talk to Mom and Dad, make them laugh and feel comfortable with you. The kids will follow. Same with dogs.

7) Watch your chimping! “Chimping” is when you look at the back of your digital camera just after pushing the shutter and go “Oooh, Ooohh, Ooooh!” I feel you have just broken a tie between you and your subject. They see you looking elsewhere than at them. Same thing happens if you’re shooting tethered and constantly turn to look at the monitor.

If you need to chimp, then tell your subject what you’re doing and why. Before shooting starts, I will often let a subject know that I will need to check the camera or monitor. I’m not ignoring them.

A final thought- keep in mind what it’s like to be your subject, surrounded by lights or whatever, with people staring at them. Keep it fun and make it seem uncomplicated.