Charles Gupton

Photography

Portraits of Children & CEOs

I now enjoy the challenges of photographing children.

Years ago a creative director I worked with kept urging me to promote my work with them. But I resisted because I didn’t want to be branded as a child photographer. I thought it would take away from my ‘serious’ corporate work. To be honest, what I was afraid of was their unpredictability. I couldn’t tell a child what to do and have them follow direction. They did what they wanted to do or they quit. Push a young child too hard and they cry. Although it was wonderful when everything fell into place, it was far too risky to build even part of my reputation on photographing children and then fail. Working with young children involves an entirely different set of skills. Or so I reasoned.

I love seeing a CEO this excited!
I love seeing a CEO this excited!

Then on one assignment it clicked with me. Photographing young children required many of the same qualities I used when photographing executives. That’s not intended to be demeaning to executives (or young children, for that matter). It’s just that there are a lot of similarities. For instance:
– Both have a very short attention span, maybe a 3-5 minute window of opportunity.
– Both respond poorly to ‘bribes’. Executives control their time and let you know it. Children focus too much on the reward and lose their spontaneity.
– Both require a genuine emotional connection and interest in them. In truth every human wants that, but most folks will fake their way through to save face. Some CEOs will, but not any of the children I’ve met.
– Neither will remember you unless the experience was bad. Or extremely good.
– Both respond better to women touching them when under stress. I always like to have a female stylist to make adjustments to either men or women executives when possible. Young children also find women more nurturing and safe.
– Both, interestingly, respond well to a mix of serious interaction and off-the-wall silliness at the moment of shooting.

The one major difference is that executives are very concerned with how their image is perceived and young children don’t care as long as their comfort needs are met. Neither group fakes this. At all.

Once I reasoned through the qualities and mind-set I needed to bring to a session with children, my entire attitude changed. It’s still a challenge and there are no guarantees that a melt-down won’t occur, but my enjoyment of working with children has risen exponentially.

So, what have I missed? What would you do to make the experience better for the people you’re photographing?

Charles

http://www.charlesguptonphoto.com
On Twitter @ http://twitter.com/CharlesGupton

Competition vs. Winning

081026_tennis
My doubles partner, Art.

I enjoy playing tennis. I have a standing date every Sunday afternoon with a group of regulars to play doubles. What I enjoy most is the competition to play my best, even more than winning. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy winning. But I’d rather play my best game and lose a set than play wimpy and win. Although there are different guys who show up each week, there are certain combinations of players that are going to make me rise up and play my best. Those are my favorite days.

It’s the same with my work. I love the jobs that make me a little uncertain of what I’m going to encounter on a location when I arrive. What are the challenges of communicating the message I have to convey for my client? They force me to rise to the occasion, to be “on game.” I enjoy looking for the best image, not just the first one we find. Getting a solid, safe photo can be considered a “win,” but getting a tougher image that better conveys a client’s message pushes me in a more satisfying way.

What pushes you to be your best?

Charles

http://www.charlesguptonphoto.com

When using a right may be wrong

Over the past week or so several of the photography forums I read have been abuzz over the story of Jill Greenberg’s photographs of John McCain shot on assignment for Atlantic Monthly magazine. As news of this story has crept into the more public realm I wanted to share some thoughts as a photographer. If I were in the position of a client hiring a photographer for an assignment, I’d want to know if this was the simply the case of a well known photographer’s approach to her ‘art’ or the wider perspective of an industry.

What concerns me as I read the some of the contributions to the discussion is that much of it centers on Greenberg’s ‘right’ to create and use images she made on assignment to photograph John McCain instead of whether she used her access responsibly. As professional photographers, we are given access to people and locations based on an unspoken, unwritten trust that we will use that access to do the job we were hired for without bringing a personal agenda into the situation, especially if it denigrates or endangers our client or the subject. I believe a fair question to ask is ‘Would I like what I’m about to do, to be done to me or one I love?’ If not, then I would need to question my motive and the consequences that may ensue.

A maxim I learned early in my career was ‘always try to leave every situation I work in better for the guy (or gal) who may come behind me on the next assignment.’ Having followed in the wake of a number of photographers who ran roughshod over the trust of the people they were working with I’ve learned that the additional effort expended to do ‘right’ by my clients and subjects brought a far higher return on my investment. The ripple effects of a lack of integrity can be far reaching.

I believe Greenberg’s decision to show John McCain in a bad light is a reflection of her poor judgment, lack of personal integrity and professional hubris. It appears she entered into the assignment with mal-intent. Just because one can do something – is it legal, is it a constitutionally protected right, will our contract allow it – doesn’t necessarily mean one should do it. Much of the impact of her decisions may not be apparent in the short term.

Our profession needs all the support and all of the friends we can muster on the corporate, editorial and political fronts. Many of the barriers and objections we must all deal with on a regular basis are put in place behind closed doors by powerful people we can not individually reach. APA, ASMP, PPA and other organizations are marshaling forces to ensure our rights and abilities to work in an unfettered manner. When one of our colleagues fowls our collective nest in a high profile way, we all may have to deal with their crap. When a client – whether it’s a corporation or an editorial publication – calls upon a photographer to create an image on their behalf, they have a right to trust that he/she will do so in a manner that leaves them pleased, if not proud, of their decision to contract that individual to represent them.

I fully respect Greenberg’s right to disagree with and dislike anyone she chooses. But to denigrate any individual because their views are different exposes a fundamental fear that one’s own belief doesn’t hold up to scrutiny nor debate in an open discussion. I believe that when a person defines themselves by who and what they hate, it’s a good indication of their shallowness and ignorance. And fear. When a weak person doesn’t have a strong argument to back their view, they tend to make personal attacks as a means of diverting attention away from their own faulty judgment. Our profession, our economy and our nation are in dire need of workable solutions. Personal attacks at any level take our attention off the issues and possible solutions. If we allow that to be the case then we will find that in the famous words of Pogo, “WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY AND HE IS US”

The following site has a good explanation of the actions Jill Greenberg took and has all the images:

If you want discussions that might be relevant go to 
http://aphotoeditor.com/
or 
http://www.burnsautoparts.com/blog/

Photo District News article:

http://www.pdnpulse.com/2008/09/how-jill-greenb.html

Charles Gupton
www.charlesguptonphoto.com

To begin a beginning…

It seems that the beginning of a new venture – this blog- should be marked with something profound. Something more profound than ‘this is the beginning’. But that’s what it is. Actually it’s my second beginning. My first attempt was marred by the pressure to try to sound more serious and profound than a blog is, I’ve come to believe, meant to be. I’m not yet sure what I want this one to be either.

What I hope to do is post more frequently than I did before with less pressure to sound profound. I hope this iteration will allow me to share my musings on books I’m reading, snippets of shared conversations, thoughts on work in general and observations on photography and photographs in particular.

There is no way for me to know if I have anything to add to the stew of discussion already available on line. Who has the time to read this stuff anyway? Some of what I read on line truly inspires me. Much of it is tedious drivel. Who needs more of that?

If you have any thoughts or observations to share, I’d love to get them and possibly share them in this forum. If anything you see inspires, let me know. If it’s more drivel, lemme know as well. Thanks.

Charles