Category Shop Talk

Bridging the Gap

September 12, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Creative, Inspirational, Photographers, Shop Talk, Tips

In the classic “South Park” episode featuring the Underpants Gnomes, a straightforward but fundamentally flawed business plan is unveiled: Phase 1, collect underpants. Phase 3, reap the profits. This presentation humorously omits a crucial element — Phase 2.

Aspiring artists watching YouTube might hear similar-sounding plans: “Step one, buy this camera; watch this course. Step 3, get clients, fame, and financial freedom.” So simple, anyone can do it.

So why don’t they?

As with the gnomes’ plan, several vital steps are missing. True success as a creative requires identifying and filling these gaps.

For creatives, learning doesn’t follow a neat linear path — mastering one skill thoroughly before progressing to the next. It’s a more chaotic, but rewarding, journey: gain a foundational understanding, move forward, stumble, recognize a gap in knowledge or skill, then return to deepen your understanding. It is an ongoing cycle of growth where mistakes aren’t setbacks but signals, guiding you toward the gaps begging for attention.

The goal isn’t to avoid errors; it’s to engage actively and learn from them. It’s about embracing a dynamic learning process where missteps aren’t failures but opportunities to go deeper.

If you think you’ve addressed the gap but issues persist, you’ve dealt with a surface-level gap but not the true, core gap at the root of your problems. In other words, maybe the issue isn’t that the gnomes don’t know how to make stolen underpants profitable. Maybe the real gap is their decision to venture into the underpants business in the first place.

Gaps are the elusive Phase 2 on the path to genuine, sustainable success as a creative. Look for the gaps and let them lead you in the right direction.

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What’s Your Problem?

August 29, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Marketing, Shop Talk, Storytelling, Video

Clients hire me for all sorts of reasons—often to create content for an ongoing campaign or to make their websites look more appealing. These situations involve parameters that are already set, and my task is to execute consistently with an established look or direction. It’s a valuable service and a useful skill for any visual professional. I’m grateful for that part of my business.

However, when clients ask me to help create a new campaign, a new style, or tell a story about their brand, it’s an entirely different level of creation, involvement, and trust.

Initiating any new visual project involves an exercise that cuts to the heart of things—to establish the story that most needs telling. Once that is done, actually telling the story becomes straightforward. Without this crucial step, it’s impossible to create anything cohesive or interesting.

This is particularly true with video. No one wants to watch a 10-minute video listing a company’s services or products. However, they may watch a video that impacts them, relates to them, or shows them something new. I ask questions like, ‘What is the number one problem you’d like to solve?’ For non-profits, it might be needing more donations. For some companies, it might be brand awareness. For others, it’s to highlight something that truly makes them unique.

I always seize the opportunity to be involved in the process of telling a story and crafting an approach that gets to the heart of what is important. There are plenty of tactical problems to solve when it comes to telling a story. The most important thing is to ask the right questions at the outset to clarify the expected results.

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The Soul of Work: Unveiling Authentic Brand Culture

August 1, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Business, Marketing, Shop Talk, Storytelling

© Brian Fitzgerald

I’m not just a location portrait photographer. I’m a storyteller who crafts narratives that blend stills and motion. My interest lies somewhere even deeper: capturing the culture of work, the heart and soul that beats within every office, workshop, or studio.

It’s about more than just taking pictures. It’s about showing how people work in their environment, and revealing their authentic energy. Pulling back the curtain. Peering into the hidden machinery within, and revealing how the work gets done. That’s where the magic happens.

I thrive on telling the story of the ‘real’ company. No staged smiles. I’m talking about the laughter, the teamwork, the small moments that make a workplace come alive. The behind-the-scenes connections that feel real because they are real.

Brand image isn’t just about words or colors on a website. It’s far more profound and yet as simple as the feeling you get when you walk through the doors.

When you think about your brand, remember this: It’s more than a logo or a tagline. It’s a living, breathing entity. Don’t be afraid to show the world your company’s authentic personality.

© Brian Fitzgerald

Rituals That Preserve Energy and Creativity

July 18, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Creativity, Education, On Location, Shop Talk, Tips, Tools

Gear Checklist © Brian Fitzgerald

With years of commercial and editorial photography under my belt, I’ve learned that the devil is truly in the details. Never mind the big stuff, like bustling locations or fickle weather. It’s the little things that make or break a shoot. Like the old proverb goes, “for want of a nail, the kingdom was lost”, small errors can lead to big problems.

Photographers and videographers juggle a lot. From equipment to location details, timing to names—keeping track of it all is a Herculean task. That’s why experienced pros systemize their workflows to preempt surprises and minimize errors.

My pre- and post-shoot rituals are a must. Sure, they’re mundane and time-consuming, but not skipping them is a lesson I’ve learned the hard way. I always kick-off each location shoot with a gear checklist. Once packed, I tick off each item once more lest I wind up forgetting a digital card or battery. Post-shoot, the list doubles up to check off used items and note gear needing servicing.

My other post-shoot ritual is a comprehensive review—think of a military-style After-Action Review. This step is vital to noting both wins and areas for improvement. Only then can I truly learn and progress. This entire process adds about an hour, but it’s saved me ample headaches and led to constant refinement of my processes.

Over the years, I’ve used everything from journals and paper checklists to Evernote templates and now, Notion. The tech isn’t important—consistency is.

Challenge yourself to identify places in your workflow where you can add checklists and simple procedures that will free you up to focus on your creative (and more valuable) work.

Shoot Post-Mortem by Brian Fitzgerald

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First, Give Value

June 13, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Business, Inspirational, Personal, Shop Talk

Dairy farmer with cow and son — *© Brian Fitzgerald*

I was raised by Irish Catholics, which might explain why I have a deep-seated belief that anything good in my life must be accompanied by an equal-or-greater amount of suffering.

Not a great belief, as beliefs go. But here’s one that I’ve found is completely true: if you want to receive good value or get good results—satisfying assignments, great clients, a good paycheck—then you have to first give great value.

What does ‘value’ mean? It means doing your best to be remarkable in your work, your attitude, your professionalism. It means that before you offer help, you ask how you can help. It often means giving more value than others expect. For photographers, it means going that extra mile on a shoot: looking for an extra angle, taking creative risks and pushing for something different once you’ve satisfied your client’s stated needs. Sometimes you’ll end up with images that surprise you and delight your client.

If you consistently do this and have the attitude of giving more than you are getting, you’ll find—like I have—that you get an amazing amount of value in return.

It starts with you.

Hiring a Drone Photographer? Consider This First

April 25, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Drone, Marketing, Shop Talk, Tips, Tools

Casco Bay Tugboat — *The tug Peggy Winslow passes Spring Point Ledge Light near Southern Maine Community College. © Brian Fitzgerald*

In the ever-changing world of drone photography, regulations and requirements are constantly updated. The FAA’s remote ID rule, set to take effect in September 2023, mandates that most drones in US airspace possess remote identification capabilities for safety and compliance. Drone pilots can meet these requirements by operating a drone with built-in broadcast capability, using an add-on remote ID broadcast module, or flying non-compliant aircraft exclusively at FAA-recognized identification areas (FRIAs)

As drone operators adapt to these changes, it’s crucial to ensure your chosen drone pilot can legally operate commercial flights. But that’s just the beginning. Here are five essential points to consider when hiring a drone photographer:

FAA Part 107 Certification: Ensure the drone pilot holds a current FAA Part 107 Certification, proving their knowledge of airspace regulations and safety procedures.
Insurance Coverage: Accidents happen. Make sure the photographer is insured to protect both parties.
Experience and Portfolio: Assess the photographer’s experience in your project type and review their portfolio to evaluate their style and proficiency.
Equipment and Capabilities: Inquire about the drone, camera, and stabilization systems used to determine their ability to deliver the desired quality.
Safety and Compliance Procedures: A responsible photographer will obtain necessary waivers, follow local regulations, and prioritize safe operation, including having a safety plan and visual observers when needed.

Address these five points to minimize risks and find a drone photographer who expertly navigates both the skies and the rules that govern them.

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Looking to incorporate aerial video or stills into your content marketing? We’d love to help!

The magic of creative constraints

April 27, 2022 0 Comments read Blog, Editorial, Marketing, Portraits, Recent Work, Shop Talk, Storytelling

Parivash Rohani, @Brian Fitzgerald

One of the best ways to engage one’s creativity is to first strip away options. Constraint, not necessity, is the mother of creativity.

For portrait photographers, the focus of the image is the subject. Yet background elements and interesting locations help to tell a story and can result in a more compelling portrait. They can also be a crutch. One piece of advice I give to aspiring portrait photographers: learn to shoot portraits with no background.

The artist Platon is famous for his high-key white seamless black and white portraits. They are so simple—just the subject, often shot with a very simple lighting setup—but each one tells a story and compels the viewer to linger over every portion of the frame.

When you strip away all of the choices, you focus on the essential. When you strip away the excess background elements, the focus is solely on the subject.

The photographer is forced to focus on connecting with the person being photographed and helping them to carry the weight of the image through expression and mood, captured in fleeting moments.

Want Headshots and Portraits for your Brand? Consider This.

September 1, 2021 0 Comments read Blog, Education, Marketing, Shop Talk

Headshot treatment for Ecommerce marketing agency iBec Creative: bringing personality to the standard head-and-shoulder portrait.

You’ve long suspected that your company’s staff portraits are in need of updating (Ted’s skinny tie has gone in and out of fashion since his portrait was taken. Twice). Your biggest competitors on LinkedIn, have amazing portraits (is that a tiger in the backround?) and between the shame and the frustration, you’re determined to hire a photographer, now.

Hold on just a second.

If you’ve waited this long, it’s worth pausing a moment to reflect. ‘Everyone else is doing it’ is not a good enough reason. A well-done portrait is an investment in time and money. Chances are you’ll be using those portraits for years (or until Ted’s tie goes in and out of style one more time). So it’s worth considering what your goals are.

When to get new headshots

The single most important question to ask when contemplating a new headshot project is, simply, ‘are my current portraits working for me?’ Your brand portraits aren’t just a nice-to-have. As a business tool you should expect them to do some heavy lifting representing your brand to potential clients, around the clock. Your portrait, in effect, should work harder than you do. If your existing portraits are obviously outdated, are wildly inconsistent, or just have a style that doesn’t fit your brand (cool ‘tech’ style portraits wouldn’t inspire confidence if used for the staff of a venerable investment bank, but they may be a good fit for an online banking startup that offers services exclusively through mobile apps) then your portraits are actually working against you.

Branding Portraits

What makes a ‘good’ headshot

Your company portraits must be consistent in style and professionally executed in terms of lighting, of course. They also need to be purposefully thought out so that they reflect your industry and your brand in particular.

A professional photographer can help come up with appropriate and creative looks for your brand.

It’s true, a great portrait can help your brand communicate the message you want to your audience. But poorly-done and poorly-conceived portraits will absolutely hurt your brand.

What makes your headshots successful

Beyond hiring a professional photographer you ‘click’ with and who understands your brand, you need to have buy-in within your company. Everyone needs to be on board. Don’t attempt a headshot redo unless you can count on everyone to participate. Give yourself adequate time to do the portraits right—a two-minute assembly line approach will result in headshots, but they won’t be anything special. Set the tone that these portraits are a critically important component of your company’s image that you are invested in doing right. For many employees, having their portraits taken is a challenging or even downright scary proposition. Communicating why youre have them done, and giving them plenty of time to prepare, tells them that you care about their experience and want the best results.

Formal headshot vs. Environmental portraits

Formal headshots—i.e., a more typical head-and-shoulders portrait with a backdrop—is a traditional approach that still has its place. They are especially useful on platforms like LinkedIn, where seeing the person’s face (and not getting distracted by a background) can make them stand out.

Environmental portraits are those that are typically done in a way as to show elements of an office or other location in the background as a way of conveying contextual information or a certain mood. They may appear more visually interesting and can look less ‘formal’ and thus more approachable than a more formal headshot portrait.

Your photographer should work with you to suggest the best approach for your brand. Sometimes my clients will opt for both, so they have options that may work best for different uses.

In the end, portraits are a necessary part of doing business in an internet-connected world. Approach them as an opportunity to extend your brand and send a consistent message, and you’ll find the investment is a solid one.

After the Shoot

September 1, 2020 0 Comments read Blog, Business, Marketing, Shop Talk, Tools

construction silhouette — *© Brian Fitzgerald*

It’s a great feeling knowing that the shoot you’ve been planning for is complete. But just as the real work of planning begins long before the actual shoot date, there is still much work to be done after shoot day is over and the gear is packed away.

It may be days until clients get to see their images, but our job is just beginning. We start by archiving our precious files per our 3-2-1 system and scanning releases and other paperwork. Most critically, our post-shoot ritual involves a reflection on the shoot itself: the shoot post-mortem.

Post Mortem
The post-mortem is based on the After Action Report methodology used by the military and other organizations to retrospectively analyze our performance and improve it for the future benefit of our work and our clients. This is especially true when things don’t go according to plan (It’s important to note that this is a feature, not a bug; being flexible and able to pivot leads to often surprisingly great results). Discussing these unplanned events, as well as outright failures, leads to big leaps in understanding that help us when it comes to future projects.

We use checklists, write notes and have discussions about everything from subject interactions to shoot timing to gear performance. We’ll brainstorm how to improve in the future. These notes will be organized into actionable steps and to-do items that get added to our calendars and followed up on later.

Editing
Over the course of the next several days, we edit images using a multi-step culling process. First, we discard the obvious ‘bad’ images—out of focus frames, technical snafus, or closed eyes, for example. Subsequent editing rounds cull down even the largest shoots down to a manageable number that will in turn be toned and shared with clients so that they can make their final selections.

Post-Production
Once clients select their images, we process them for delivery and use. Our goal is not to make people look unrealistic and “Photoshopped”, but to apply toning and contrast, and clean up issues with skin, hair, or backgrounds. It may involve perspective correction and ‘merging’ multiple images together. More typically, it consists of mitigating skin blemishes, correcting skin tones and producing high-resolution image files that will reproduce well in print and online.

Image Delivery
Because our clients are businesses, agencies and creatives who utilize digital files for their own uses, we deliver high-resolution digital images optimized for their intended use.

We use Photoshelter.com for our client proofing galleries and also to deliver final electronic files to clients. We may utilize WeTransfer or Dropbox as well, depending on client needs. Photoshelter is a great, visual, easy-to-use system that works great for our clients in most situations.

Once files are delivered and in use, the shoot is over—yet the work of continual improvement continues. When we arrive at a shoot location, we bring with us the knowledge acquired from hundreds of previous shoots. Our clients benefit—as do we—from each part of our system having been tested and vetted through real-world application and use.

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Want to know more about our process? You might be interested in our posts on the right questions to ask yourself before hiring a photographer , what to expect once you’ve hired a professional photographer or what to expect when shoot day arrives.

Success on Shoot Day is No Accident

August 25, 2020 0 Comments read Assignments, Behind the Scenes, Marketing, Shop Talk

Policeman shoot

Shoot Day is finally here.

You’ve planned for success, arranged for staff, customers, or talent to be on hand. Your space is cleaned and you’ve gotten confirmation from all parties including the photographer. The day you’ve been planning for has finally arrived.

The adage, “failure to plan is planning to fail’ is an apt one when it comes to a shoot. Avoiding details and decisions until the day the photographer and crew show up means, at a minimum, leaving the success of your shoot to chance.

If you have a talented photographer working with you, you may get lucky. They will likely get interesting images that accurately show what is happening in your business.

What you won’t get—except by accident—is purposeful imagery that goes beyond the obvious and allows you to propel your brand visually. This kind of work only comes from planning and conscious decision making before shoot day.
An experienced pro photographer will not arrive without a plan (even if it’s a minimal, stripped-down one), formulated in communication with you beforehand.

It’s not the size or complexity of the plan that matters; it’s whether there is a plan at all, whether the right questions are asked and answered, and whether the plan is appropriate to the task at hand.

A portrait shoot requires different planning and approaches than an event shoot. But what unifies them is knowing beforehand what are the deliverables, the must-haves, and what would (in your mind) make the shoot a success. Assuming these are in place, your shoot day is on its firmest possible footing. The hardest work should already be done. Today is the culmination of the work done days or weeks before.

You can expect the photographer and crew to arrive at least an hour before the start of your shoot. If it’s a complicated production or involves video, this setup period could be several hours rather than just one.

The photographer will go over the basic shoot plan and will be in constant contact with you or a designated point of contact throughout the shoot. If you’ve planned to be involved in the direction of the shoot, or to view images as they are being created, there will be constant interaction as the shoot progresses. Otherwise, there may be short updates as the shoot progresses.
If changes occur over the course of the day—as invariably they do—the photographer will update you and if decisions need to be made, will be ready with recommendations and options.

What you should expect from your photographer, always, is great communication. If they are unclear about something, they will ask you rather than making assumptions that lead to reshoots later on.

Your photographer is also there to protect you. This means, among other things, managing the set and crew. This means not putting people or equipment in dangerous or damaging situations. This means having commercial insurance sufficient to protect you and their crew in the case of an accident. It also entails ensuring model and property releases get filled out by the necessary parties, protecting everyone in the process. On a less dramatic but no less important level, it means being a de facto member of your team; mindful of situations that are good for you and avoiding that which isn’t. On scene, we are your ambassador and act accordingly when dealing with your team members and/or customers.

At the end of the day, you can expect that the shoot location will look the same as it did prior to the photographer’s arrival hours earlier. I joke that our job is primarily to move stuff around and occasionally we pick up a camera. We want to leave behind a positive experience and not create extra and unnecessary work for anyone else. Your brand is our brand and on shoot day we’re all on the same team.

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