Creating a Global Photo Library
7/17/2020
It’s said that you prepare for a photo shoot like you are planning a wedding. Try to always anticipate all the unforeseen circumstances, or as a result, many awkward, ridiculous, exhausting and unexpected things can happen.
I am a traveling creative director. While working on a “big client” annual report, I went to Hong Kong (during monsoon season and the SARS epidemic!) to photograph a major computer factory. Upon arrival, the CEO insisted that we only photograph him and his team in the windowless reception area. Try and explain that situation to your “big client” when you get back.
On location shoots, be prepared for the occasional wardrobe malfunction. One hot summer in Georgia, we arrived at our location site which unexpectedly turned out to be a freezer warehouse that was 10 degrees below zero. My photographer came wearing her Keds without socks. We had to borrow enormous freezer jumpsuits and gloves. Of course, while we were shooting, my photographer's lens fogged over and froze along with her feet.
In Kentucky, I was ankle-deep in thick red mud and had to throw out my shoes before I got on the plane. I wore my bedroom slippers home.
Another shoot in Texas the facility manager asked if we brought our “steel-toed boots which are required at the facility”. We had to borrow from the company closet enormous (well-worn) boots in which we climbed the scaffolding of a “vibrating oil refinery”. Equipped with hard hats and protective glasses in the heat of a 90-degree day, my photographer hissed, “The vibrations are making the image out of focus”.
1. Always be prepared with a snack, or go hungry.
2. You must be agile, resourceful, spontaneous and lively; having good people skills never hurts.
3. Hire a photographer who not only has talent and technical skill, but who also is a good navigator that likes to drive, and is strong enough to lug all the equipment. They must be calm and unflappable.
4. They should also be a Photoshop expert because post-production and retouching will be necessary.
Much like today’s pandemic, there are many unpredictable factors at play that should be considered. Things you can’t control:
• Travel time to and from the location, possible flight delays, picking up the rental car and returning flights.
• The weather—light is everything and it is always changing.
• The building security restrictions.
• The lighting in the facility— you can't balance the light in an enormous warehouse.
• The people you will be working with on-site (and their schedules).
A photograph, unlike an illustration, reflects reality. Like cooking, the quality of ingredients affects the outcome. Regardless of the situation, the creative director must always find the beauty in all things. Contrary to what you might think, creative direction isn’t always glamorous work; there are long, tiring days and lots of frustrating challenges. Try to think it through and be prepared for different scenarios.
Unlike vacation travel, these trips gave me the opportunity to experience a different kind of world. A world of enormous logistic centers, warehouses and places where robots fabricate machine parts, hospital laundry is sterilized, and pies are frozen and shipped. I witnessed how things work behind the scenes. I witnessed real people and the places they work. In this time of isolation, I miss the excitement and surprises related to the travel part of my business. I can’t wait to go back and do it again.
By Janet Odgis
Read this article on LinkedIn.
Odgis + Co is an award-winning brand design studio based in New York City. We Make Business Beautiful.
I am a traveling creative director. While working on a “big client” annual report, I went to Hong Kong (during monsoon season and the SARS epidemic!) to photograph a major computer factory. Upon arrival, the CEO insisted that we only photograph him and his team in the windowless reception area. Try and explain that situation to your “big client” when you get back.
On location shoots, be prepared for the occasional wardrobe malfunction. One hot summer in Georgia, we arrived at our location site which unexpectedly turned out to be a freezer warehouse that was 10 degrees below zero. My photographer came wearing her Keds without socks. We had to borrow enormous freezer jumpsuits and gloves. Of course, while we were shooting, my photographer's lens fogged over and froze along with her feet.
In Kentucky, I was ankle-deep in thick red mud and had to throw out my shoes before I got on the plane. I wore my bedroom slippers home.
Another shoot in Texas the facility manager asked if we brought our “steel-toed boots which are required at the facility”. We had to borrow from the company closet enormous (well-worn) boots in which we climbed the scaffolding of a “vibrating oil refinery”. Equipped with hard hats and protective glasses in the heat of a 90-degree day, my photographer hissed, “The vibrations are making the image out of focus”.
Lessons learned:
1. Always be prepared with a snack, or go hungry.
2. You must be agile, resourceful, spontaneous and lively; having good people skills never hurts.
3. Hire a photographer who not only has talent and technical skill, but who also is a good navigator that likes to drive, and is strong enough to lug all the equipment. They must be calm and unflappable.
4. They should also be a Photoshop expert because post-production and retouching will be necessary.
Much like today’s pandemic, there are many unpredictable factors at play that should be considered. Things you can’t control:
• Travel time to and from the location, possible flight delays, picking up the rental car and returning flights.
• The weather—light is everything and it is always changing.
• The building security restrictions.
• The lighting in the facility— you can't balance the light in an enormous warehouse.
• The people you will be working with on-site (and their schedules).
A photograph, unlike an illustration, reflects reality. Like cooking, the quality of ingredients affects the outcome. Regardless of the situation, the creative director must always find the beauty in all things. Contrary to what you might think, creative direction isn’t always glamorous work; there are long, tiring days and lots of frustrating challenges. Try to think it through and be prepared for different scenarios.
Unlike vacation travel, these trips gave me the opportunity to experience a different kind of world. A world of enormous logistic centers, warehouses and places where robots fabricate machine parts, hospital laundry is sterilized, and pies are frozen and shipped. I witnessed how things work behind the scenes. I witnessed real people and the places they work. In this time of isolation, I miss the excitement and surprises related to the travel part of my business. I can’t wait to go back and do it again.
By Janet Odgis
Read this article on LinkedIn.
Odgis + Co is an award-winning brand design studio based in New York City. We Make Business Beautiful.
