This is some of the best advice I've ever heard, from Art Streiber!

Art Streiber’s advice for emerging photographers

Diego Cuevara, a Miami-based art director, designer, and photographer, recently did a Q&A with Art Streiber for his TheeBlog that covers how Art fell in love with photography, his approach to celebrity portraiture, and collaborating with clients, among other subjects. Clickhere for the full interview, which also includes the following—Art’s advice to aspiring photographers.

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TheeBlog: What would be your advice to all those photographers out there trying to get discovered and featured by big publications or studios?

Art Streiber:

• Immerse yourself in the genre of photography that you’re interested in pursuing.

• Go to bookstores and stare at the photography section.

• Go to the newsstand and open EVERY SINGLE magazine that is of remote interest to you.

• Make a list of your dream clients, your nearly accessible clients and your easily accessible clients.

• Tear the mastheads out of your target magazines and put them on the wall.

• Focus your energy and break up the big tasks into bite-size pieces.

• Do incredible work.

• Make 4×6 or 3×5 prints of that incredible work and put it on the wall so you can see what you’re up to and how your work is developing.

• Keep your website CONSTANTLY updated and fresh.

• Remember that you take yourself to the next level and it’s up to you to figure out what that next level is and how to get there.

• Make sure that you have a strong sense of your own aesthetic.

• Self assign.

• Take advantage of your downtime. It’s a gift.

• Ask for help. Ask for other opinions of your work and then weigh their merit.

• Surround yourself with incredibly supportive and hardworking people and then support them in return.

• Custom Print your digital images the way we used to custom print our negatives in the darkroom. The Canon jpeg algorithms are excellent, but they shouldn’t be the last word on how you present your photograhy to the world.

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TheeBlog: Any tips on what NOT to do?

Art:

• Don’t let your website get old and musty.

• Don’t be a pest to your potential clients.

• Don’t make excuses.

• Don’t beat yourself up for an extended period of time.

• Don’t make the mistake of including an image in your portfolio or on your website that isn’t AMAZING, just because the process of creating that image was exceptionally difficult.

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Shooting in Florida!

I'm not sure how people in sweltering, humid places do it really, all the time.  We are lucky here in Southern California near the beach, because it never really gets too hot or sticky.   I recently spent a few days in Tampa shooting outdoor lifestyle work.  The work itself wasn't toooo labor intensive as most it required very little, if any, extra lighting.  

The issue was the hot, sticky weather.  Don't get me wrong, I had a great time and met some amazing people, but I think I also lost about eight pounds in sweat equity!   By the time you start your early to late days, it's already over 90 with 100% humidity.  Good times.  We spent most of every day outside, going place to place, shooting a wide variety of the neighborhoods lifestyle.  

In the end, I think we got some fun work out of it and I was happy for it.  I can handle most any situation on a shoot, get through it and keep a smile on my face for a few days, but arriving home here in San Diego makes you realize just what a great city we live in.    Thanks to my clients at Newland Communites, the people of Mira Bay and Fishhawk and all the people that did the little things to make the shoot run efficiently and smoothly.   I'd love to come back!

Your Local Union 101

We recently completed a shoot for the Union Kitchen and Tap, a great new restaurant here in Encinitas, CA.   By combining exposures and layers,  we try to create a sense of motion and action in the restaurant, while still having some of the people remain crisp and sharp.  This technique allows natural looking people in the space and still gives a feeling of the place being busy and full.  Isn't digital great!

Busy!

The first ten days of a busy three weeks are in the books.  Although, not without a certain amount of stress, they were very successful.  I'm looking forward to the next ten days!    Being busy is so much better than not being busy!  In the early part of my career, I never had to market at all.  Work just showed up on my doorstep.   In the last couple of years, it's become very evident that, there is still work out there,  you just have to hustle more to get it.  

New promos set to hit the streets tomorrow!

Here are my two latest promotional mailers.   The emails go out tomorrow and the snail next week.  Enjoy!   The top two going to all my architecture/interior designer contacts, from the Peak 8 Penthouse job in Breckenridge, CO.   The bottom are front and back for all hospitality contacts from the Marriott Gaslamp job here in San Diego, CA

Classic San Diego!

I've always wanted to get this classic shot of downtown.  It has to be shot on a crystal clear night to get the mountains in the back.   After 12 years here, I finally got in the car and found the spot!  Enjoy!

The photographer's conference in L.A. by ASMP

I just returned from a photographers conference in L.A. presented by ASMP, (American Society of Media Photographers) called SB3.   The conference, known as Strictly Business Three, will be happening two more times this year in Chicago and Philadelphia.   Here is the link  http://asmp.org/content/strictly-business-3.

This is truly an amazing event.  The amount of information given at this thing is almost overwhelming.  Everything from video production and sales to SEO, blogging and copyright, to reinvention and seeing outside your comfort zone.   It is an exceptional event for photographers at any level of their careers.   Learning from these industry leaders and having the chance to ask questions face to face is invaluable.

The cool part about the event, however, and something that I feel is almost more important, are the personal connections you make.  Whether it's by the elevator, at the cocktail receptions, in the meeting hallway, you'll meet so many new people.  Everyone there is eager to meet others, so it's very easy to strike up conversations.

Getting to know your competition is great on many levels.  The ability to discuss your business in an open environment like this is fantastic.  No one is there to steal your clients, but simply share ideas.  There is a lot of respect.  No matter the level of photographer you are, you can still learn something from others in the industry.  There are also many programs geared toward emerging photographers, so if you are just getting into it, this is the place to be.

I had great conversations with two guys that would be considered my direct competition on a national level, but there was never any feeling like that.  We discussed pricing, techniques, copyright, and future trends among other things.  Many times, these people have already been through what you're dealing with and can give great advice, or perhaps you'll be the one giving advice.   It's all about advancing our industry as a whole, and not stepping on the other guy getting there.

ASMP creates a network of peers that allows you access to an amazing amount of information.   If you get the chance and make the time to attend one of these events, you will not be disappointed!

Breckenridge, Colorado Property by Architect Michael Gallagher

I recently had the opportunity to photograph another spectacular home in Breckenridge, Colorado.  The architect was Michael Gallagher, www.michaelgallagher.com based in Breckenridge and the designer was Donna McAlear of New Mood Decor, based in Atlanta, GA. www.newmooddecor.com  We shot here for two and a half days and had a great time.  The weather, unfortunately, didn't really cooperate for some of the better views that were available, but we made it work.   I thought it was a great combination of modern decor in a mountain setting, although all the reflective surfaces definitely made it more difficult to shoot.     Here is a selection of some of the work.