The Eyes of Portland Monk :: Official Blog of Award-Winning Commercial Advertising Photographer Benjamin Reed » Advertising Photographer

Thom

Benjamin Reed — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 04:23:29 +0000

Thom Stevens

Abandoned Penitentiary

Donegal County, Ireland

Greasy

Benjamin Reed — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:47:36 +0000

Assignment: Get in a time machine and go back to the 50s. Find an emerging artist and create a portrait with the technology you find available.

Meet Marten:

Meet Merrick

Benjamin Reed — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:54:15 +0000

Music is a big part of my life.
I’m kind of quirky, kind of a dork.
I like to read.
I’m pretty laid back.

Album Cover: Finding Emo

Benjamin Reed — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 01:56:59 +0000

The Beer Ad

Benjamin Reed — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 01:57:54 +0000

For That One Beer Company That Shall Not Be Named – Cheers!

Advertising Photographers of America – The Art & Strategy of Estimating

Benjamin Reed — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:50:45 +0000

This looks to be a good event. I know some Seattle photographers are making the trip down.
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Join APA|NW on May 13, 2009 in Portland, for an informative, educational and entertaining evening. Discover how you can become far more confident, efficient, and creative in the estimating process. Learn how to make your estimates more competitive and realistic so you can land more lucrative jobs.

To many photographers, the estimate is a complicated unpleasant chore, full of confusing variables — similar to solving math class word problems back in school. Just as some people were good at word problems, some photographers truly excel at estimating. Strategic estimating is one of the most important skills required for a successful photo career. As soon as you rise above the tediously stressful spreadsheet approach, and stop simply plugging in numbers, you’ll discover there’s a whole other world of creative thinking and deal-making. The Art of Estimating actually can be an interesting, even fun step to getting more work.

The Art & Strategy of Estimating will feature Lou Lesko, Founder of Blinkbid and Author of "Advertising Photography: A Straightforward Guide to a Complex Industry."

APA Members & Students – $10
ASMP, AIGA, PPO, PPA, PMPA – $15
Non Members – $20

Location:
Smile Station
8210 SE 13th Ave
Portland, OR 97202 US

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See you there.

Reportage

Benjamin Reed — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:58:41 +0000

I recently met with an art buyer at one of the premier agencies in Portland, Weiden + Kennedy. I wanted to get a feel for some recent trends in advertising work and was pleased to hear reportage was back in the mix. I’ve been inspired to return to the gritty realism of reportage I developed as a documentary photographer while keeping the same cinematic style that has defined my work over the past year. A new gallery awaits you on the portfolio site.

http://www.benjaminreedphotography.com/

Thom Tries To Quit

Benjamin Reed — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 02:08:02 +0000

I’d like to thank my friend Thom for sitting on the other end of a live television feed while I placed him in a rat infested attic without a lighter. The patch didn’t work but we’re thinking this immersion method will.

Nestle and The Seven Deadly Sins

Benjamin Reed — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:36:17 +0000

I recently partnered with Nestle to use one of my photographs in their advertising. Oddly enough the image is from my Seven Deadly Sins project last year…they used "Sloth" to promote their Stouffer’s line. Here’s a screen shot of the video:

You can see the video in it’s entirety here: Stouffer’s

The Monk’s Business Series Part 3: How To Bid For Commercial & Advertising Work – III

Benjamin Reed — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 03:09:17 +0000

So what happens when you’re the photographer for the job but the bid isn’t “exactly” what they’re looking for?

More likely than not, you’ll be asked to take a second look at the numbers that don’t seem right.

The important thing to remember during this phase of the process is to leave your creative fees alone. That’s your money, how you value your skills for the job at hand. The more you touch your fees, the more likely they’ll stay down in the future.

Many photographers will look at other line items: stylists, extra assitants, supplies when they need to cut for a particular job. And if you’ve done your bidding correctly, you will have padded these expenses up front just in case you were asked to cut in the future.

I’m not insinuating that you pay your crew cheaply, far from it. You should always pay your people well. You wouldn’t be where you are without them and they should be rewarded. But if you’re operating too heavily, look at streamlining your costs. Maybe there’s a stylist who knows hair and wardrobe. Maybe you can do the photoshop on this job.

There are many tricks of the trade, some I’ll keep to myself, but if you retain the concept to keep your fees untouched you’ll do fine.

The Monk

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