Ask Maven: Why We Do What We Do

Ask Maven is a new column created to answer your questions about anything related to advertising photography. Questions about self-promotion, production, estimates…you name it and Maven can help. Maven has fifteen plus years of experience in the advertising world and for the last six years has been an art buyer at a highly esteemed international ad agency.

Email your questions to: maven (at) thefstopmag (dot) com. If picked, your question and Maven’s answer will be published on this blog along with a link to your work!

We haven’t had many new questions since Maven’s last post so she’s whipped up an inspirational piece for us:

Once in a while, you get thrown a curve ball of a project that makes you remember why the bloody hell you got into this here photo game in the first place.

Case in point- a few weeks ago, I was in Brooklyn shooting a fashion story with some friends for a magazine till the wee hours. It was beyond fun- the crew was up for anything, the hair was over the top, and the models were beautiful. Not to mention a huge wink to the 80s and Michael Jackson, which was just awesome. And not a single person complained as the clock ticked away the hours of a very long way. We all dug in, ate pizza, and made something beautiful. We were not worried about obsessive clients, the placement of a product, or if middle America would understand or relate to what we were trying to do.

© Achim Lippoth

Sometimes when we do what we love for “work”, the passion gets diluted by bureaucracy, monotony, and insanity. We forget what we love about the process, whatever that may be. I have always loved photography and adore the
camaraderie that takes place on a set when people love what they do. We shot the most insane fashion story and nobody made a dime- from the incredible photographer to the models to the insanely talented wardrobe stylist. Everybody was there for the love of it.

Where am I going with all of this you may ask? I’m saying the following: do something for free once in a while- an editorial, a cutting edge pro bono ad, or simply a cool piece your portfolio is aching for. You are fortunate enough to be working in a field that indulges your passion, so go something for free and have some FUN for crying out loud. When you are doing something for the love of it, the rules change. It’s incredibly liberating. And even if you are a commercial photographer but would secretly like to be a trapeze artist, go do that once in a while. It’s very important to reach out to what makes you tick or else you kinda stop ticking. As children we love to play, and as adults we need to play too. I’m not suggesting you quit your career and work for free, I’m saying just play once in a while. It’ll make you breathe again. And we all need to breathe, right?

If anything, you will come away from the experience re-energized and remembering what it is you love about this business, at its core. Let’s not forget to play once in a while.

The Maven