Photography Industry Leaders Share Their Top 3 Tips For Getting Ahead In The Industry

Hey there FashionPhotographyBlog.com readers. Our friends from the Dots return to join us on our site to share great tips they have uncovered from their recent masterclass in London, UK. The Dots is a community of creative professionals, designed to connect creatives with collaborators, companies and commercial opportunities. They are just as passionate about collectively building a stronger, more profitable and diverse creative sector as we are and we are very excited to have them featured here again.

 

For those of you who may not know, The Dots hosted a Photography Portfolio Masterclass at the incredible Spring Studios to give talented emerging Photographers the chance to have their work reviewed by some of the UK’s most prominent Picture Editors and Photographic Agents.

 

With such a wealth of experience in the room, The Dots team took the opportunity to ask a few questions on how to get ahead in the hugely competitive Photography industry. Here’s what the industry representatives had to say:

 

Getting Ahead In The Industry – 3 Top Tips

 

1. Be original

 

Photography industry leaders are primarily on the hunt for originality and a unique perspective because, “in the end if you’re presenting a book that looks like someone else, you better be a cheaper version of them, because there’s no reason to hire you just to be a copycat” (Robin Derrick, Executive Creative Director, Spring Studios).

 

Matt Davey (Co-Founder & Director, Probation London) told us that he looks for “ originality – an ability to express ideas in their work and create something other than just a pretty picture.”

 

2. Have a ‘Can-Do’ attitude

 

Never underestimate the importance of having an upbeat and ‘go-getting’ character. If someone thinks you’re going to respond to a difficult brief with enthusiasm, they’re more likely going to want to work with you.

 

Dalia Nassimi (Deputy Picture Editor, WIRED) told us “If they have that easy going, very can-do personality and are up for a bit of an adventure you get real magic.”

 

Similarly, the main thing Jamie Klingler (Publishing Manager, Shortlist/Stylist Magazine) looks for in a photographer is “someone that will do anything and that are part of my team on the day. These are the people who I wanna work with again and again and I wanna have a drink with, and who I’ll hire a million times over.”

 

3. Be personable

 

You’re going to have to work with lots of people throughout a shoot and if you’re unpleasant to be around, chances are noone is going to want to work with you again. “You need to be personable, you need to get on with people, you need to be able to chat and work around an idea.” (Steve Peck, Picture Editor, WIRED Magazine).

 

It may not seem that important, but as Nicola Kavanagh (Editor in Chief, Glass Magazine) points out, if it’s a toss up between two photographers, “and they both have a really strong portfolio, I’m gonna go with the one that’s easier to get along with, because everyone likes a nice, easy life!”

 

So it seems that being nice really can help you finish first, hurrah!

 

 

To find out  more about The Dots’ next Photography Portfolio Masterclasses here: https://the-dots.co.uk/about/portfolio-masterclasses

 

You can also check out The Dots’ Vimeo channel for video interviews, tips & highlights from the Photography Portfolio Masterclass here:  https://vimeo.com/album/3444505

 

Finally, if you have any tips for getting ahead in the industry that you want to share, that hasn’t been mentioned in this post, feel free to share them in the comment section below.