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Interview with Trevor LushJohn interviews leading stock photographers regarding current trends and the future of stock photos. |
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  Interview with Trevor Lush
Q.
Trevor, you've shot bloody-faced polar bears, pristine operating rooms,
women in Vegas, winter camping and Olympic athletes in your studio. If we
were going to hang a label on you as a photographer, what would it be?
Years ago I was showing my
work to some photographer reps in NYC and one of them said, "I'm not sure
what to do with you - you're a Generalist! You shoot everything.
Just pick one thing, and then I'll know what I could do with you." Being
called a Generalist was like some sort of foul language. Maybe
that's why I gravitated towards stock photography. I really enjoy being
able to shoot lots of different styles of photography, it keeps things
interesting, and I love being able to draw on all those different
experiences. I think shooting one particular style or subject matter would
bore the hell out of me.
Q. How
did you get into photography?
I freelanced for newspapers
while still in high school. Then worked with a studio in my home town,
before heading off to photography school. After graduation, I assisted for
several years with a variety of studios, and freelanced for a number of
photographers as well. I really tried to expose myself to as many different
types of photography as possible. I truly feel that assisting was the best
education I could have given myself, and I eventually started taking on more
of a shooting responsibility with those studios.
My first experience with
stock photography was working with a studio on a contract they had to
produce custom stock for Microsoft. I spent a summer shooting table top
stuff in their studio. Interesting to start learning about the pressures
cost-per-image and return-per-image can put on you.
Next, I was hired by Hemera
to be the Lead Photographer for their in-house photographic production
team. I worked with that company for about two years, producing about
15,000 images for their Ablestock brand.
After that I realized how
much I loved shooting stock. I set out again on my own. The first agencies
I signed with were Iconica , Uppercut, and Jupiterimages.
Q. You
shoot a really wide range of subject matter, both in the studio and on
location. What do you enjoy shooting the most?
Every shoot brings its own
set of challenges and unique energy. I think that's what I love about a
career in photography - the variety! I love being in the middle of a huge
production with lots of locations, models, and crew! At the same time, it
can be equally rewarding to be shooting food with my wife on our kitchen
table. Plus there's always something around the corner that will test me in
new ways, like photographing a surgery for a healthcare client or winter
camping for a book publisher.
Q. For
you, what is the most challenging aspect of being a professional
photographer?
The biggest challenge for
me has always been trying to find the time to work on all of the different
projects I want to work on - and of course, balancing it with a busy family
life at home.
Q. I
know you shoot stock for Blend Images. What percentage of your business is
stock and what agencies do you work with?
The majority of my business
is stock. I think Blend Images is doing some great things right now, and
they have a fantastic relationship with their contributing photographers.
I've really enjoyed working with Veer as well. Also, I've kept myself very
busy with Jupiterimages in the past. Great relationship with them over the
last 4 years - producing about 6000 selected images a year. Plus, I have
images with a handful of other agencies as well.
Q. How
do you determine which agency to send work to?
I don't spend a lot of time
shooting unsolicited images and trying to find a home for them after the
fact. I work closely with my editors at each agency, so that I focus my
efforts on producing images that the agencies have a need for.
Q. Do
you do any direct sales?
I've never done any direct
sales. I think that will change in the near future.
Q. Does
Micro stock have any allure for you?
I've been approached by a
few different agencies, but I've never shot Micro. Maybe that will change
if the right scenario presents itself. At this point I'm focusing my
efforts on Rights Managed and direct sales.
Q. Do
you have any plans to move into video?
Yes. At the moment, I'm
looking for the right project to collaborate on, with a friend of mine who's
an incredible cameraman.
Q. What
are some of the challenges facing stock photographers these days?
I think the biggest
challenge is deciding where to put your images. Will there be a resurgence
in Rights Managed? Has Royality Free become too bloated? Is there still
time to make money in Micro? Will I recover my investment before the
industry shifts again?
Q. Do
you see your involvement in stock photography changing?
I see me moving away from
the high-volume work I've been doing in the past, towards a much more
targeted approach. Less images with more added value.
Q. What
currently is your favorite image?
I'm so bad for this... I
think I may have ADD or something because I'm always flip flopping on new
favorites, then I see older images and I get excited by them all over
again. I was in Mexico a few years ago with Willie McElligott, a friend who
was teaching a photo workshop. While driving to a location for the morning
shoot we came across a farmer herding sheep along the side of the road. I
made an image of a lamb being carried by one of the horses. It became one
of my favorite images from the trip. No production, just a simple
photograph.
Q.
Getting back to the assignment world, how do you market yourself?
Most of my assignment work
is spin off from subjects and locations I've sourced for stock photography
productions. Other than that, it's a mix of good ol' cold calls and
introductions from editorial shoots. I wish I had a better answer. I think
I just like getting in the same room with people and selling myself. I
enjoy building relationships.
Q. What
role does the internet play in your marketing? Do you have any plans to
expand that role?
I'm still very new to the
Social Media scene, but I love it and I see amazing potential! I have a
presence with the usual suspects like a website, blog, Twitter, Facebook,
Flickr, LinkedIn, etc. At the moment, most of my existing clients are not
very involved so I'm looking for the best Social Media to reach them. An
editorial client of mine has been discussing building something more
interactive that I would have a large presence on. I'm pretty excited by
the initial conversations, but we are still in the early stages.
Q. Any
photographers that have influenced your career?
The earliest inspiration I
can recall is in 1988 when I was still in High School. Sports Illustrated
ran a story of Muhammad Ali and his entourage shot by Gregory Heisler.
Beautiful black and white portraits. I had never seen anything like that.
Years later I heard a talk he gave to RIT called The Appropriate Response.
He spoke of the virtues of being a well-rounded photographer, and being able
to draw from a diverse pool of photographic styles and techniques. It stuck
with me for a long time.
More recently, I've been so
damn lucky to be able to call so many incredible photographers not only
influences, but friends as well. The photographers who make up Blend Images
are probably the most open, encouraging, and inspiring people I've been
fortunate enough to sit in the same room with.
Q. Can
you tell us about a memorable shoot that you have had?
Hard to narrow it down...
but I will say that I've been fortunate to have been a part of some Arctic
Expeditions with a group called Students On Ice. An amazing organization
that brings students from all over the world to the Polar regions to provide
them with an intimate educational experience at the ends of the earth.
Documenting the expeditions has been a unique challenge for me, as I've
never really considered myself a documentary photographer. I'm so used to
being in control of the situation when I'm on set, and making great images
as they unfold all around you is an excellent way to reexamine your skills
as a photographer. Besides the experience of working in such close
proximity to Polar Bears, Walrus, Bird Colonies, Whales, Glaciers, and
Icebergs - it's the people you get to share this experience with. The team
of scientists, historians, artists, authors, educators, polar experts, and
the Inuit community, are incredibly open and passionate about sharing their
knowledge and experiences with everyone around them. These are excellent
virtues that I think we should all adopt into our daily lives.
Q. Do
you do personal work?
No personal projects at the
moment - maybe this is the year!
Q. Do
you do your own digital work?
When the stock production
has been really high-volume I would send the retouching to a great
freelancer in Montreal I've worked with for years.
Q. Do
you have a staff?
No staff - just me. Some
great freelancers help out from time to time when the workload gets too
heavy. But for the most part, I just don't sleep a heck of a lot anymore!
Especially with a 3 year old and a 1 year old at home as well!!
Q.
Optimistic or pessimistic about the future?
Even though it may seem absurd at times, I can't help being really excited by all of the changes that are happening in the industry. New technology in imaging equipment... new developments in web 2.0... the shift in the industry of being more open and community focused... We're on the verge of some truly important times in image making and storytelling. Trevor's website: http://www.trevorlush.com |
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