Response to Inquiries about Photography Assistants, Joining Me on Shoots, and Advise

My friends and family have urged me not to provide a page like this, fearing I will give away my trade secrets. I look at it differently - if it helps one photographer to further his/her passion for photography, then I have done some good. Besides, there are no mysterious trade secrets. Becoming a professional photographer is a process, a means of developing an eye for composition.

Most often I'm asked why I work alone. When shooting a model whom I've never worked with before it generally takes a while and a number of "throw away" shots for me to build a rapport. I enjoy taking time to get to know the models first, discovering their eccentricities and quirks, along with their beauty, so I can capture what makes them unique and accentuate their best qualities. I relish that moment when a calmness and sense of trust washes over them, as if they internally sigh relief. It's at that point in which they smile from the core of their being, their true personality shines through, and the magic begins. I haven't been able to achieve that rapport when others are looking over my shoulder.

When I had my faux mid-life crisis in 2003 (yes, I'm sure the real one is yet to come because I didn't buy a "Z", date a 20 year old, or get a trendy haircut), and made the decision to pursue photographing models instead of products, I wanted to be sure I was making the correct decision. I lacked the luxury of borrowing a professional camera from work so I went to Best Buy and picked up a digital Sony DSC F717 (which is already generations outdated) for a $1000. By no means was it a professional camera, but it looked more professional than others on the consumer market. I made no excuses or apologies. Some models may have thought I was amatuer or a hack; if they did they didn't voice it to me. Really, I didn't care because I did what I had to do. Besides, anyone with enough monty (or credit) can purchase a professional camera but that doesn't automatically instill professional mannerizisms.

I had no idea where to begin so I sent an email to all of the legitimate agencies in Dallas announcing that I was offering TFCD. None of the agencies responded, and I refused to let that get me down. I knew that I was one of thousands of unknown photographers in the area. Next I searched Google for the words "model portfolio" and "model TFCD". That's where I found the online model sites and many of the models I worked with. I also joined "singles" sites, and in my profile I noted that I was looking for models, that it was professional, and I was not looking to hook-up. I was kicked off many of the singles sites and on others I found individuals who were willing to pose. I learned that if I wanted to nail a shot within two or three images that I should pursue models who have worked for years in the industry. I also learned that there is something special about the rawness and freshness of someone who has never previously modeled.

The most difficult decision I felt I had to make was what kind of photographer I wanted to be. Later I realized I had already made that decision - photographing people. What I meant to decide upon was a photographic style - a style in which someone could look at my work and say "That's an Athen Grey" like people could pinpoint an Ansel Adams, a Ritts or a Lebowitz. Other than saying, "I won't shoot 'pretty' images in parks and by flowers" I made no conscious decisions. That led me to my former stomping grounds - industrial backgrounds and warehouses with steel, rust and concrete. I realized that a style was not so much decided upon as it was based on my preferences. I prefer to shoot on extremely sunny days because it offers high contrast and the most dramatic light and shadows. Also, I prefer shooting location because I've shot just about every interesting pose I could think of positioning a model in front of a scrim. Besides, natural light adds a dynamic flare to photography that studio lighting will never match (I agree that we could debate that point until the end of time; I'm merely discussing my preferences).

In September 2003 I went live with a lack-luster one-page web site, and in December 2003 Athen Grey Images was founded. From September 2003 until April 2004 I shot over 150 models, all TFCD, working more than 80 hours a week between my full time day career and the TFCD sittings. Immediately after the sittings I would upload the images onto my laptop and burn the models their CDs while they filled out their model releases. I gave them all of the images from the shoot, including imperfections, with no copyright mark. The models were responsible for touch-ups, rotating, cropping, resizing and printing. Okay, honestly now, how many of you photographers gasped and shook your heads, thinking I'm nuts because I had no control over my images? That is still my approach today - no watermarks, no touch-ups, etc. on the CDs I give the models that I shoot TFCD. Frankly, I don't have the time to be putzing like that.

The greatest learning tool I allowed myself was to make mistakes without beating myself up, and I made MANY mistakes. I shot from the ground, the ceiling, though widgets, casting shadows of widgets on models, models on widgets, low lighting, extreme lights and colored lighting. Photography has always been about light, shadows and camera angles. I needed to shift the principles I had learned while shooting products and apply them to people. When I made mistakes, I was brutally honest with myself, asking, "How can I correct this and make it better?" I'd try the shot with the next model, and the next until I nailed the image. When I started photographing people I told myself I would be happy if I captured one usable image from each shoot, and that I should be estatic if I snapped one "money shot" from every ten sittings. With God's grace, I exceed those expectations. Now, occassionally I look at the images from Fall 2003 and laugh (and often cringe). Of the 40,000 images I took during that time, with good reason, a majority will never be seen by anyone except me and the model. At some point in the future, hopefully, I will look back at my work from this timeframe and cringe, because that will mean I've continued to learn and grow.

During Spring 2004 I knew that I was passionate enough about photographing people that I purchased a studio, reworked the web site so it was dynamic and database driven, and purchased a Kodak Professional DCS Pro 14n digital camera. Why Kodak? Because I have used Nikkon SLRs my entire career and I could use those lenses on the Kodak. Why purchase a studio if I prefer location shoots? Because the weather doesn't alway cooperate, and occassionally I need controlled lighting in order to nail a shot. As for the the static HTML web site, it became to difficult to update and manage. Also, it didn't allow for areas like the model search or an online store.

The only true adivse I can imagine giving is to follow your heart and dreams, promote-promote-promote, allow yourself to be human, which means you will make mistakes (luckily, these days, most can be corrected in PhotoShop), and remember that nothing is perfect except imperfection, iteself.