I was just wondering about the term:’ photographer.’ Its not exactly the same as a engineer now is it? I was reading a book that pretty much covered all the important photographers of the 20th century. Fashion, journalism, portrature, architecture, nudes… At least half of the photographers I marveled were selftought. Chase Jarvis is 100% selftought and he is the comercial photographer on the planet right now. Needless to say one does not have to have a degree in art or in photography to claim the title ‘photographer.’
Then again ownig a camera and knowing how it works does not help you either nore does your ‘passion’ for photography. Not Every holiday snapper out there with their 400Ds are photogs. Chase likes to say he is a ‘photographer slash director.’ Sure he direct short clips here and there for their own purposes and co-directed a music video for the Blakes. I do not think that makes him a director..
So when can I say: “hello, Im jussi Im a photographer?”
Im not sure but I do it already with slight itch in back of my head.
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By the way I updated my portfolio.. still it needs some work, but it close to be ‘up to date.’ You know.. photogs and portfolios..
Personally I think the fine line of being a photographer is somewhere between doing something with a daily, weekly or monthly basis, trying to evolve in your own art, and shooting to give pleasure to others.
When you’re snapping those shots at wedding, to have some memories for yourself, not really concerned about how the shots look, what the others will say etc – you’re just snapping shots, not photographing.
I’d definitely say that Chase is a photographer / director. If you take the basic meaning of director, giving directions to someone in order to achieve something, you pretty much there.
As Merriam Webster dictionary states:
Director, a person who supervises the production of a show (as for stage or screen) usually with responsibility for action, lighting, music, and rehearsals.
So practically I could call myself a director too. Lighting, music, editing, production, that’s 4 things that are in my field every once in a while. But personally I think I’m still missing a few aspects of the whole director thing – right now I’m just toying around with HD, lighting and cranes and cable cams, DoF, trying to achieve the “that looks cool”-effect on every shot. I’d need to use all that knowledge in lighting and camera control together to achieve something bigger, a goal in my mind – then I might start considering calling myself a director.
Chase has got dozens of behind the scenes clips on his site – he’s been involved with at least two music music videos with artistic vision and power, and he’s got a big bunch of people helping him to achieve something bigger – not money, not a new client, but something beautiful, cool, wonderful, thrilling. And after all this thought, that’s where the secret lies – if you can make your staff share the same enthusiasm, same motivation, same (or similar) artistic vision and intuitionas you – then you’re a director.
Oh, Antti the #1 ChaseJarvis fan in Finland.
Your points as usual are very valid, but I don’t think most of those behind the scenes clips are nothing more than snapshots if a analogy to photography is used.
I cant help but to think that these ‘purely artistic’ projects are practise in disquise. Industry is in a change and the video will take bigger part in billboard adds. On Chases part is wise to go video, Im sure it will be one the strong points of his business in the future.
But now we digress.
Best answer I’ve got was in a ‘kind a photoforum” it said. “In my opinion: after one puts kids to bed”
Trying to envolve is a fundemental criteria I guess. Consistensy is another. Hows quality of work? When beginger turns to photog?
Useles questions thou. This troubled my mind when I thought about making business cards. Can I put the word ‘photographer’ in it..
Sure you can, that is what you do!
It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be.
I like his work mostly because he shares his information and knowledge – giving out the guidelines to a certain technique doesn’t donate the creative vision for the viewers and readers. I wouldn’t call myself the #1 Jarvis fan in Finland – I believe it was you who brought up Chase in the first place :P
Shooting a behind-the-scenes clip doesn’t make you a director – but shooting a behind-the-scenes clip can’t make you understand the amount of work that a music video etc takes to get done… Two (or three, can’t remember) music videos, Laura’s story, and god knows what is to come. Actually the latest The Blakes video, Ramshackle Hearst was shot a long time a go – just watched Chase’s bio video and it had a clip from Ramshackle Hearst… So there must be a whole lot of stuff going on right now in his studio.
It’s true, behind-the-scenes as a concept isn’t going to make anybody a director – most of the behind the scenes stuff we can find is mediocre, not too surprising stuff, ugly in fact. But some have a lot of vision, and look really good. I’ll use Chase as an example, again, his BTS videos look great, you can’t argue with that – just check out the older ones and feel the progress he’s been doing. Then watch those vids again and put them on a timeline, and add all his longer videos to the same timeline – Laura’s story, The Blakes, Songs for eating and drinking etc.
‘Songs for eating and drinking’ is tearing apart that thin line between a short film and behind the scenes video – just as Chase is taking down the barriers between commercial and personal jobs. Being a director isn’t about making a Hollywood blockbuster, but it’s not about playing around with that 200$ mini-sized videocam or point-and-shoot either. It’s somewhere in between, and there aren’t a lot of people that are entitled to say that someone ISN’T something.
Okay proved your point and me saying Chase is not a director is bullshit.. I think I hit some nerve here?
Tried to use him as example that couple of videos does not make anyone a director nore picking up a camera makes anyone a photographer. Whether or not he can be refered as a director is of course irrelevant, when the question was WHEN the change happend and why..
..Or in our case, when do we earn the title: photographer.
I dont think that we need to be ‘entitled’ to be critical to anyones work. I don’t mind if someone who shoots flower macros with a point shoot comes and shouts the shit out my work. He is just as entitled to talk about my pics as a ..lets say .. Annie Liebowitz would be..
started to think could you call yourself a photog after the talk about what to write on the business card? ;P hehhe. i think you can
One has the right to express their opinion, but unless there are some grounds, facts, arguments, I don’t want to hear it. Being entitled to critique someones photos, videos, paintings or music is earned by constructive criticism and the ability to behave – just yelling and telling people ‘I don’t like it’ ain’t gonna cut it. It’s not that hard to add one word, ‘I don’t like it BECAUSE…”
You could’ve hit a spot for me, but not because of your opinion on Chase’s work, but in general – video/film is just as difficult form of art as photography, and saying that someone is not a director because he/she has shot only a couple of behind the scenes videos, is a dangerous path to take. Because that same principle works everywhere – “Renny Harlin isn’t a director cause he hasn’t done a successful Hollywood movie in ten years.” or “Steven Spielberg is not a director because his latest movie wasn’t seen by every single person on the planet.” “Jussi is not a photographer because he doesn’t shoot 50 000 frames a year, get free gear from Nikon or hasn’t had a photo published in Time Magazine.” You catch my drift…
There’s a reason for the old finnish saying “Try everything atleast once.” Driving a big truck has made me respect for the guys driving semi trucks on a daily basis, surviving a storm on a sailing boat makes me want to pay homage for every sailor in the history and modern day, and giving a few tries on video caused me to respect every person in the world who humbly tries to make a video.
Photography isn’t about taking a picture, it’s capturing the moment, surroundings and the feelings attached to it. And with video that moment is moving, and you have to walk run crawl to stay up with it, because that moment doesn’t wait – it keeps oon going, and it demands respect and vision for itself before you can get a grip of it and truly reveal the chain of the events in a artistic manner.
PS. I do think you’re a photographer. A good one – better than me at least.
PPS. I’m not that serious with this talk. Take it out of its context.
PPPS. I think we’re off-topic.
There are no facts in art..
Capturing the moment.. shit.. Im here to make pretty pictures..
ohhoo didn’t read careful enough, “This troubled my mind when I thought about making business cards. Can I put the word ‘photographer’ in it..” but still, i definetely think you can, just asked back then would jussi lopperi photography sound better.. :D your card, you deside what it says.