Ask Maven: Art & Advertising

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 Maven your questions: maven (at) thefstopmag (dot) com

Now, onto our question:

Tim.O. asks:

Does shooting fine art photography make a photographer more or less attractive to the advertising industry? It seems like lots of ad shooters don’t do much fine art but the ad industry at it’s best likes to showcase artistic work. Why the disconnect Maven?

Hi Tim,

Thanks for your very good question. I think now more than ever fine art is pervasive in commercial work. The lines are pretty blurry in fact. Obviously it makes a heap of sense to show the commercial clients you have worked on, as well as your work in finished ads (a lot of photographers don’t like to show finished ads in their books, and I’ve never understood why, unless the finished ad is complete crap. But if you’ve shot for Microsoft and it was all over the subway station, show that and then show it again. It has real legs for commercial endeavors).

But back to the question at hand — many fine art photographers have transitioned into commercial work and vice versa. There are no real rules there except you have to tell a compelling story with your imagery – and that’s the most important thing. That’s what makes a photographer attractive to the commercial industry. And now with web based portfolios you can really show your range – I would encourage that, but will say I would hope your fine art is somehow connected to the commercial work you take on – if there is a huge disconnect, it may feel like a disjointed presentation. For instance, Gregory Crewdson’s commercial work is linked closely to his fine art work. That’s why he is able to market himself commercially – because clients and galleries are all buying into his incredible point of view. There’s a lot of equity there.

In terms of fine art though, it’s totally possible the Midwestern health care client doesn’t want to see pictures of naked chicks or your series of nude bodybuilders that are in your fine art work. It’s totally possible – and provocative work is not right for some clients. If you feel strongly as an artist that your fine art work tells the story you want to spread to the world, then display with pride. If it’s great work, it will take you where you want to go commercially. I think most art directors like an artful approach anyway. That seems to be the trend nowadays as opposed to a straight up commercial photographer. I’ll end this column by saying it seems the reps, not the ad agencies, are the ones most afraid of fine art work- they sometimes don’t get how that will translate to money and marketability, but I beg to differ. A great photograph is a great photograph – fine art or not.

All the best,
The Maven

Image © Gregory Crewdson. Untitled, Summer 2006. Available for purchase at Gagosian Gallery.