How to Succeed in Commercial Photography : Insights From a Leading Consultant

PART2 / VISION

use for the cover, and what paper to print on. It seemed

as if I could make decisions on everything but the

content. When I finally caved in and called Selina, I

knew I needed help. She was gentle in her assertiveness,

and before long I had direction and a new sense of what

my imagery was about. It was pretty easy and after that

I just gave her tons of work to edit. We negotiated back

and forth until we agreed on a final image selection.

Ed’s comments reflect the difficulty that photographers have

seeing outside of themselves. It is often difficult for photogra-

phers to establish an initial direction for their portfolio, but with

help and ongoing effort on their part a direction is discovered.

How does it feel for Ed, a seasoned photographer, to have

a complete portfolio that speaks to his vision? Ed tells us,

Having a new book that represents everything

about me and my work so clearly is totally freeing. I no

longer have mad rushes prior to meetings where I am

trying to customize my book to the particular client.

The book is me and that’s what we are showing. I have

gained a ton of confidence with it, as every image

represents my vision, so if the client likes it, we are in. I

am not trying to be something for them that I am not.

How do clients react?

“Wicked, the whole thing is one strong package.

There is always lots of great dialogue about the book—

its construction and, most of all, our images. No one’s

said nice pagination yet, but you can tell they are caught

up in the flow of the book when they are looking at it.”

After all is said and done, what’s the best part for Ed?

“It is amazing how clients consistently identify their projects

with our work,” he enthuses. ‘The phone has been ringing

constantly. It doesn’t get much better than that!”

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