Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Conversations and Collaborations…or How to Win Friends and Influence People

_MG_7944_edited-1Charlotte Rose.

Copyright Stephen Bennett 2014

 

 

Received a message from a make up artist…

 

MUA: HI! I just finished my makeup course, and I am keen to collaborate with fellow creatives.

 

That was enough to put an end to it there, but as her Facebook profile had half a dozen , very poor and grainy selfie pics, obviously taken with a phone, of her work , I persevered.

 

Have you had much experience yet?

 

MUA: Just a started up my business: done a friend’s wedding and do all my girlfriends nails. What experience have you had?

 

Agghhh!

 

Over forty years in freelance photography, specialising in model work, and internationally published.

 

MUA: Oh wow…cool

 

So you want to do photographic makeup. Did your course cover it? And have you worked with any photographers yet?

 

MUA: Yeah my course was three months, and covered everything, but wanna work with photographers and video, and get some experience. Cause that’s where it’s at!

 

Teeth beginning to grind

 

Well take a look at the pics on my website, and see if that’s the kind of thing you’d like to do. (URL forwarded)

 

Thirty second silence from other end.

 

MUA: Who does your makeup? Those photos are dreadful!. Makeup is all wrong! The models look ugly!…

 

And wait for it…

 

MUA: I look forward to working with you in the future, so that I can lift the bar on your photography, and elevate your work to a much needed high standard of quality.

 

Then followed a pre-prepared advertising screed (no doubt a handout from the makeup Course) about the benefits to photographers and videographers about using a makeup artist “skilled” in the use of fake tans, artificial nails, and a well known very cheap and nasty brand of thick oily foundation.

 

Needless to say I and most other “creatives”” are being bombarded with this kind of nonsense on almost a daily basis. The conversations with anyone of the legions of so called “models” , proliferating on Facebook and modelling sites are even better.

 

Whatever happened to humility, humbleness, respect and a willingness to learn…to actually walk before you try to run?

 

 

©Copyright: Stephen Bennett, MMXIV
Except as permitted by the copyright law applicable to you, you may not reproduce or communicate any of the content on this website, including any  photographs  and files downloadable from this website, without the permission of the copyright owner.
The Australian Copyright Act allows certain uses of content on the internet without the copyright owner's permission. This includes uses by educational institutions for educational purposes, and by Commonwealth and State government departments for government purposes, provided fair payment is made. For more information, see www.copyright.com.au and www.copyright.org.au.
We may change these terms of use from time to time. Check before re-using any content from this website.

Interesting Links:
My Photography Webpage
Facebook page for Professional Photographers and Models
The Definite Article Photography and Video on Facebook
My Pond 5 Page
The Definite Article at Publicise Me

No comments:

Post a Comment

Comments are always welcome, as are alternative views...