Essential The Official Photography Thread

[Kilgore Trout]

So I told you guys about the gig we got with the Navy....
We shot 10 videos for them last month and we presented them yesterday.
They loved the quality of the videos and were singing our praises for our professionalism and saying how glad they are that we're the ones doing the videos for them.
Then they proceed to pick out entire chunks of each video that can't be used due to their own staff having on improper protective equipment, improper grooming standards, the wrong uniforms. etc. The head guy representing the Navy looks at us frustrated and embarrassed and says "we screwed up. You guys have done a great job and this is 100% on us".
He then reluctantly asks if we would be willing to go back out and re-shoot some of the footage and re-do the edits if they pay us more.
He also reiterates that he would like us to develop more videos for them once we get through these.
At this point, it really looks like this time next year I'll be working for myself full time. This big contract along with the little jobs we've been picking up here and there have been bringing in more than enough money for me and my business partner to quit our day jobs. We're just being patient, but the time is coming much quicker than we anticipated.

Seriously, do not underestimate the power of networking. If you aren't getting the gigs you want you need to re-evaluate your circle. Even if you don't have a strong portfolio yet, get out there and do some free gigs and use it to promote your services and build up your portfolio. Get out on social media, google, etc. and start finding all the businesses in your area and start hitting them up. Don't sell them your pictures or videos, sell them the idea of how they need to increase their visibility online to increase their sales. If you aren't getting gigs, you may be chasing the wrong type of client for your area. Don't be afraid to ask questions and get around new people, even if you have to intern for an establish photography company, do what you need to do to get around more people who are connected. I can't stress enough that you have to stop trying to sell your pictures and videos. Sell the experience, and what it will do to improve lives. Whenever we shoot businesses their first instinct is to prepare a script that details their prices and services, and then explain why their prices are what they are. I ALWAYS tell them, "don't sell me the product, sell me the experience; show me who you are and why you as a person/company are different from everyone else. Tell me your story." We need to approach the way we market ourselves the same way. Tell people, anyone with a camera can take pictures, but when you book me, you get a person that _________________ and go into why you do what you do, tell them about your passion, and show them that you care about them. Don't tell them, show them. Maybe the customer mentions that they love Snickers, or maybe you see them order a coffee before a meeting. The next time you see them, show up with that snickers, or coffee, and say "Here you go, I was thinking about you." Little stuff like that will get you long term business.

 

[Kamikaze Revy]

Can’t you post the rough cut of the navy video?

Here's one. We actually don't have an NDA but we just assume that it's a professional courtesy not to make the vids public.
I'll share one here though. We're currently waiting for the contract to be modded to allow for re-shooting to go out there and capture some of the extra stuff they would like to see.
All of this content was filmed, edited, etc by me and my business partner. He's also the one doing the voice over/narration which we recorded in my home studio

 

[CASHAPP]

Can you guys tell if a picture shot by a photographer is raw or jpeg just from looking at it?

Like with modeling photos

 

[Point Blank]

Dumping some recent stuff

 

[Kilgore Trout]

racc4 by James Ellis, on Flickr


racc5 by James Ellis, on Flickr

racc2 by James Ellis, on Flickr

 

[MikelArteta]

Just set your camera for raw and jpeg

I only shoot raw because you can fix alot of stuff later on if need be

 

[8WON6]

this dude's work is insane. some of the shots are way too processed, but when he nails it. The shot with the water on the window is crazy.

 

[GoldenGlove]

@FruitOfTheVale

You mentioned that roundtrip from Premiere into Resolve to color grade. How do you do that process? Every time I bring my sequence (aaf file) into Resolve it never displays all the video clips. Does free version work with 4k footage? I'm using my A6000 and A7III, the A6000 clips show up but the footage I have in 4k isn't transferring in the sequence.

What's the best way to get it in here smoothly?

 

[FruitOfTheVale]

@FruitOfTheVale

You mentioned that roundtrip from Premiere into Resolve to color grade. How do you do that process? Every time I bring my sequence (aaf file) into Resolve it never displays all the video clips. Does free version work with 4k footage? I'm using my A6000 and A7III, the A6000 clips show up but the footage I have in 4k isn't transferring in the sequence.

What's the best way to get it in here smoothly?

Yeah the free version works with grading 4k footage, it won't export in cinema 4k though (it exports in UHD). If I know I'm gonna roundtrip a project, I transcode my footage to a 10 bit format that plays well in both programs before I edit it (i.e. dnx HD or Pro Res 422) and then I export an XML file from premiere to open up in Resolve.

 

[GoldenGlove]

Yeah the free version works with grading 4k footage, it won't export in cinema 4k though (it exports in UHD). If I know I'm gonna roundtrip a project, I transcode my footage to a 10 bit format that plays well in both programs before I edit it (i.e. dnx HD or Pro Res 422) and then I export an XML file from premiere to open up in Resolve.

I'm a try transcoding the footage next.

 

[CASHAPP]

Don't yall agree that shoots like these are easy as hell? This is by the well known photog AlColeStudios btw. I know alot of yall are familiar with the name

But do you agree shoots like this are a cheat code because you basically don't have to worry about the background at all, with it being a 5 star hotel setting? LOL

 

[GoldenGlove]

racc5 by James Ellis, on Flickr

 

[8WON6]

Don't yall agree that shoots like these are easy as hell? This is by the well known photog AlColeStudios btw. I know alot of yall are familiar with the name

But do you agree shoots like this are a cheat code because you basically don't have to worry about the background at all, with it being a 5 star hotel setting? LOL

that's hardly a "shoot". He basically od'd on the skin smoothing and clicked export. Just googled him, he's capable of alot better. This must have been some shyt she paid for specifically and knowing social media thots she's trying to copy some shyt she saw somewhere that was probably executed way better.

 

[CASHAPP]

that's hardly a "shoot". He basically od'd on the skin smoothing and clicked export. Just googled him, he's capable of alot better. This must have been some shyt she paid for specifically and knowing social media thots she's trying to copy some shyt she saw somewhere that was probably executed way better.

Not that I would know or anything but the bougie escorts/hookers like her basically all have that as their style of shooting for some reason.

They all want their skin to look like that

 

[8WON6]