Technical Excellence vs. Emotional Impact

[TSGCo]

First, Thanks alot Jimmy for giving me some lighting package advice a few months ago. I am now set up and working diligently.

We sell a product and the competition is fierce from coast to coast to say the least. Last year I paid a very well known Photographer thousands and thousands of dollars to have a well known model shot with our Jewelry. He told us that he had the concept and she was as beautiful as the morning sun! Not to fear, we would love the final product.
I received the images and an invoice that was equal to the price of an inexpensive compact car. We also were only able to really weed out 5 images that were unique and usable from a two day shoot.
Lots of hip shots with rings and bracelets about 900 and chest and pendants about 900. Same chest and same hips.
The images we selected are awesome to say the least, but for the money, My little company would not even come close to being able to afford finishing the job or adding more images to our campaign, while he tries to find his creative edge?
So I am at a dead stand still. He said that the quality equals every penny he is asking for. I ordered it and will pay it. Simple.
I need to get some attention for my jewelry over the competition on a regular basis, not once every 5 years.
Flash them, get your emotion and response and go to the next customer!
In my main line of work it is all about emotion and what makes the heart excited enough that someone wants to adorn themselves with Jewelry.
Lighting, set-up and technique is important but creativity is going to make them remember the company name when they walk out of the store.
My customers have very strong feelings about this image. I like it, they dislike it=they are finally talking about my company "Ciera Jewelry, the one with the extreme and questionable advertising campaign." but after we deliver their order and get paid. For technique? I have lots of time to improve.
My input.
Respectfully,
Marc Brunon
TSG

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or is it just better to say, "fuckit" and nail down one lighting setup and some posing standard that will, for the most part, almost always satisfy the masses.

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You know better, you'd get bored really fast. Thats where Im at right now..

[jimmyd]

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Technical ability and creativity are the yin and yang of photography

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yeah. you're right.

glad to hear you're whipping the bug. sorry to hear it it whipped you for a bit.

[jimmyd]

email those freakin' rules to me again, will ya please greg? if i read them more often i probly wouldn't have to be asking these questions.

[jimmyd]

great perspective from a client's POV with the added bonus of you also having an understanding of the shooter's POV.

[gregkdavis]

That is why you have "Art Directors" to help visualize what you would expect
in a photo-shoot. It's planned out in advance on paper. Then you hire the
photographer with the "technical" expertise to put those concepts to final
imagery/ergo: your advertising campaign.

So the math should be
(at least in my book: Creativity X technical excellence/Budget = Emotional Impact).
The closer your bang for buck ratio reaches 1 to 1, the better your result.

Greg.

[grsphoto]

One of the most difficult questions in photography! I used to struggle with it all the time.

The way I answered it is to concentrate on the tech before the model gets on set... one or two test shots to see that everything is OK, then forget the tech and just deal with the model... work the model, see the light and get the shot!

If I need or want to make changes to the set-up, the model gets a break ( make-up or wardrobe change) I make and test the changes, she comes back on set and off we go again.

During "play" sessions ( TFP ) I will do a set for the model ( known, safe lighting) and a set for me ( try something new and different). Once I have it nailed then it becomes part of my "bag of tricks" that I know works, so I can pull it out when I need it and concentrate on the model.

Glenn

[stevenD]

love trying new stuff, even if it is a paid shoot, I try to tweek things and come up with something different. today I revisted my mylar stuff form last week, with different gels from different locations, I came up with a shot that reminds mind of your Green high-lighted shots, I love how the red edge hi-lites her neck area and the blue softly kisses across the other side...

[j4m3z]

Hmmm, I may be mistaken but I think there are two main issues here, time management and perfectionism. In each of my model shoots I try to set aside time for something proven and something different. I tell models to plan on the shoot being at least four hours. Sometimes the different works out and I skip the proven, sometimes the different takes a while to work out and the proven saves my stupid looking @$$.

If the perfectionism bug bites you too hard it's easy to get consumed in trying to get the different look to appear in life as it does in your head. Sometimes you just have to say screw it give it up for the time being, then look at what happened later when you're a bit more removed. Of course the more time and energy you've dumped into the idea the harder it is to walk away.

I think a balance can be struck between innovating and consistantly (yet monotenous) good work. Plan the inovation first, if it works out, kudos, if not you have a contigency plan.

[isaiahbrink]

Excellet topic Jimmy, I'm glad you brought this up. My basic approach is to get as close to 100% right in camera to eliminate as much post production as absolutely possible. I look at technology only as a tool to reach my artistic and/or emotional impact. I have no doubt that you posess the technical skills required to do this.

Isaiah Brink