Today’s image…Retired Roping Steer. Boulder County, Colorado, 2013
For those of you who may not recognize his name, he is a 58-year old New York-based photographer famous mainly for his superb portrait work. He has photographed countless celebrities, politicians, and other big names, and his work has appeared in many a magazine including over 70 covers for Time. (You might recall the controversy over a Time cover photo of a “two-faced” George H.W. Bush–that was Greg.) In most people’s ledgers, what he has accomplished as a photographer would count as quite a success story.
Anyway, a few days ago, I ran across a short video interview with Greg in which a few things he said banged the bell with me. If you are looking at going into photography as a business, you might want to watch the 8-minute video in its entirety (link here), but these are the three key points that touched my little artistic gray cells:
1) Just “worry about your next picture…your career will take care of itself.”
Most excellent point. Yes, it is probably a good idea to sort of have a general “master plan” as to where you are headed in life and with your photography, and even a back-up plan in case it doesn’t work out, but life has a habit of throwing you curve balls–and even a few knuckleballs–when you least expect it. If you just concentrate on doing the best you possibly can with the next image you make, the opportunities will be there. I totally agree.
2) “If your only expectation is the satisfaction of making a picture, [photography] will never let you down.”
What he is getting at is that many people have unrealistic expectations about a career in photography–get famous, get rich, travel the world, White House press corps, high-class gallery exhibitions, etc. But, if what really turns you on is simply that tremendous satisfaction of creating a wonderful image, then you will never be disappointed.
3) “Your heart and mind need to be open to making pictures.”
At this point, he mentions a photographer friend who left New York because he couldn’t find any pictures there. Imagine that! Greg follows up by saying that even Stevie Wonder could find images in New York…and that a competent photographer should be able to find a good image within a five-foot circle of wherever he or she might find him/herself. Hmmm…sounds like an interesting photo exercise…draw a five-foot circle, and… Anyway, well said once again (even if the Stevie Wonder bit might have been in bad taste).
Yes, listening to what the “masters” have to say about photography, the philosophy thereof, about the art of seeing, and so on, is always a good practice.
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