For the month of September, I’m going to take some time off from blogging and doing personal work. I’ll be back full force in October.
Feel free to read any of the older posts or shoot me an email while I’m out.
I shall return! *disappears in a cloud of smoke*
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For anyone interested in learning how to retouch like the pros, I recommend an upcoming workshop taking place here in New York. The workshop is being sponsored by Hi-End Workshops, a new initiative aimed at bringing creative minds together.
The instructor will be none other than Natalia Taffarel, a retoucher I highly respect for her honesty and skills. I have no connection with them whatsoever. I don’t get a kick back nor have they asked me to promote the workshop here.
I honestly believe it’s a GENUINE opportunity for creatives to enhance their retouching skills. I saw Natalia’s DVD and was very impressed. So she’s “JAMIYA APPROVED”!
The workshop is 2 days long(October 2-3) and only $400. They’re taking deposits now so reserve your seat before it’s too late. Find out more here.
If anyone attends feel free to share your experience.
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Every now and then I get a request from someone looking to collaborate. It’s very flattering to know that people admire your work and want to team up. Whenever possible I try my best to schedule something allowing us to work together. However, some people don’t take the right approach when sending their request.
I generally dislike it when someone contacts me with a message like this:
Hi Jamiya,
I really love your work. Would you like to collaborate? I have this idea and a model I want to use. The idea is to shoot her with black tar on her face. The model is really amazing, trust me. I could really use this for my book. It’s such a cool concept! I’m thinking 6-7 looks. Let me know if you’re interested.
xoxo
MUA
The problem with this type of email is that the person assumes that they can just have an idea and I’ll shoot it. Kinda rude.
If you’re going to contact someone you’re interested in working with, ask how you can help them before thinking about your own ideas. After you work together a few times, then present your idea.
Here’s a better example:
Hi Jamiya,
My name is MUA and I really love your work. I’m looking to collaborate with other artists and trying to build my book. If you ever need a MUA for any projects/tests please keep me in mind. Here’s a link to some of my work: www.mywork.com
Hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks,
MUA
I’ll probably contact this person in the future about working together. So for all the artists looking to collaborate, I don’t mind working with you, just be courteous in your approach.
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Not all beauty images have to go through extensive retouching. I recently shot with a wonderful model named Katy from Q Management NYC. There really wasn’t a concept for this shoot, but Katy managed to get into character and give it meaning. The intense makeup combined with her ability to emote was a match made in heaven. Pardon the cliche.
Upon the suggestion from my makeup artist, Kelly Budd, I processed the images in Black & White (something I NEVER do) and they look amazing! Kelly and I discussed whether to retouch them or not, but decided that they look stunning natural. The images are raw, gritty, and convey lots of feeling. Some of my best work, IMO.
Visit the Beauty 2 gallery for the complete set.
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COMMENTS: CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHS
“I also share the opinion that any photographer ( good, bad, mediocre) who photographs celebrities will be considered good no matter what they create, simply because they’re photographing a celebrity. Especially, when it comes to documentary work involving celebrities. That is, if it’s even done today.
For instance (and this is just one example), Tony Voccaro’s newly discovered images of Jackson Pollock are not superb or memorable, and there are certainly far better images of Pollock that exist already.
However, since they’re pictures of Pollock that have never been seen by anyone (and there is a reason why they haven’t been seen by anyone or were never printed in Look magazine) someone, or as Daniel said, the oligarchic business system automatically thinks they’re worthy of praise and an exhibition. So let’s pump them up so everybody else thinks they’re great.
I went to an exhibit at Shepard Fairey’s gallery in Los Angeles one time to see the work of an extremely famous celebrity photographer. There must of been at least a hundred images hanging in this exhibit and out of all of these celebrity images I looked at, there was only one that I had wished I had taken. I usually measure the greatness of a photography by how jealous I get of their work. I was not jealous this day and just asked, “Why?”
Celebrity photographers do take bad pictures and not every photo of a celebrity is worthy of being shared, printed, exhibited, or receiving first place in a contest. And it would be nice if some people realized this.”
I agree wholeheartedly. I’ve noticed the same thing for years. It’s almost as if people have no mind of their own when it comes to judging pictures of famous people. You can shoot a picture of Brad Pitt that’s horribly composed, badly lit, and people would still praise it as amazing work. Crazy huh?
Don’t get me wrong, some celebrity photographs are REALLY good. Patrick Hoelck, Lionel Deluy, and John Russo are some of the photographers creating incredible celebrity work. If any of them won a contest, I’d understand!
You can read the rest of the post here.
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