Standard commercial portraits are typically business portraits, family, graduations, weddings and so on, yet I am more interested with the more high end commercial portraits; the expensive world of celebrity branding.
Celebrity branding and endorsements take form in different ways, which can be a celebrity appearing in advertisements for a product, service or charity, or creating their own line of products or service which bears their name.
In regards to what Rebecca has previously posted (in particular your Sally Mann post – “unless you photograph what you love, your not going to make good art”) the idea of celebrity branding portraits is quite comical. Although there is an insight into their life – depending on what brand or charity they are endorsing – but does this type of portraiture display expression, personality and the mood of the subject?
Does Beyonce really use a $20 L’Oreal home job dye pack? Does this portrait give an insight into her as a person? Does it capture a moment of time in her life? On a literal level, yes, she would’ve been in a studio modeling for this photograph. But as a portrait, it is simply a celebrity endorsement to make the masses purchase a product based on their loyalty, appeal or desire to look and be like Beyonce or any other celebrity.
As I want to make a career in the commercial photographic industry, this blog has made me question the reasons I want to do it, or what is appealing about it. Through this discussion, I know that Rebecca, you are so in love with documentary photography and how raw and real it is. This has made me question the authenticity of the commercial practice, and am I just in it for the money?
This is something that I've really struggled with myself as well, since I'm wanting to be a fashion photographer.
ReplyDeleteI can't really identify the reasons that I want to do this- I figure that usually it can be the most creative branch of photography (in my opinion only!) which was why I was initially attracted to it. Recently I've been wondering if it's what I really want to do though. There's no doubt I like creating something beautiful- but I tend to get sick of those images within a few weeks. Perhaps it's because there is no real emotion- because it is a staged moment in time crafted especially for the camera.
Really interesting discussion Kate.
From my experience with fashion photography, the photographers who last the longest in the business are the ones who are highly adept at incorporating a message or an underlying theme in their images. They are the ones who are memorable or make an impression. If they're lucky, they get to do it in an advertisement too.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you do a L'Oreal ad because you care about Beyonce or get to see what her life is like from that photo, you just do it for the money. There are always those jobs in every niche of photography where you do it for the money like an advertisement or catalog work. Those are the bread and butter of commercial and fashion photography. You make your money there and then you get to do your celebrity portraiture in editorials and fashion spreads in the magazines to see into Beyonce. That's where you can go all doco on them or whatever you like to do your way. The problem is that editorials doesn't pay enough for you to buy new equipment and pay for your mortgage.
The way fashion photography works is that you do editorials for your portfolio to make a name for yourself but you'll be broke as hell. Then you use that port to get the commercial jobs that will enable you to support yourself but you'll be bored as hell.
Hopefully then one day you get to do what you like in the commercial work so that you can have a healthy balance =D
Hi Tristan welcome to the blog. Kate this is very honest of you to question your motives as a photographer. In relation to your question "No" Beyonce would not use a $20 bottle of hair dye. It is all about the money. I think if a celebrity is giving back or making a difference in the world with their fame and branding it is definitely warranted. But as you mentioned it is mostly about mass production. What is it that drives you to do commercial celebrity branding? The $$ does ring bells and at the end of the day this is important to survive in this world.
ReplyDeleteGeorgia what you mentioned with the fashion/commercial industry being staged. For me it is all about false advertising you have anti-aging skin care ads where the models are 20 years old?? How does this work.There is no sense of reality and you look at the mixed messages it gives out. In my opinion it causes more harm then good. Go with what you love, with what makes you happy and as Tristan said you can have that healthy balance.