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I met a fellow yesterday named Zach Gold. Apparently a photographer from New York City here is his site http://www.zachgold.com/.

If you've hit the link, please pick your jaw up off the floor. He's friends with my best friend growing up. We chatted (the three of us) about life, religion, and a little bit of business. But I honestly can't think of photography related things to ask him. His stuff is so damn great, so far beyond anything I could ever conceptualize, that I have no idea where to even start.

He's extremely cool and nice and down to earth and funny etc. Easy to laugh, to talk to etc. But for the life of me, all I could say was "man I checked out your site, and your stuff was totally bitchin (yup, I said that). He makes 100's of thousands per project gross. What do you think? What should I ask him?

Some green bills

Tell him to stay away from his website's art director's coolness. The constant Flash animation thing is annoying and a real pain in the posterior.

Looks cool if you're an advertising or marketing dweeb, but it gets totally lost on many of us mere mortals, and gets in the way of being able to see his work.

Just my opinion.

And just between you and me Dave, his work (what I saw of it before I became too annoyed with his animations getting in the way) seems (to me) to be too commercial in its style, and your work is far better!

Dave,

Everything that Gary said .... plus: keep in mind that the commercial world of photography has little in common with the recreational world of photography beyond the aparatus and its function.

Working to a commercial brief there are many external influences ranging from market expectation to the directions given to the shooter by the creatives at an ad agency or magazine. I would start by asking (in the nicest possible way, off course) where the images and the ideas for the images begin. Yes, there is a certain degree of skill on his part but that is only part of it, the skill quotient may also include the skills of designers, stylists, make-up artists and so forth. I must say that so far as the basic photgraphic skills go Zach is not really pushing the envelope. His lighting and framing are an interesting proscenium in which performances of varying style and interest are being acted out. Understand, this is not to knock him, it is a very important part of his creative process (think of Avedon whose portraiture removed all accent from the scene in order that the subject be framed in a void contained within the rebate of his negative).

So, there are two questions:

How much of the content of the pics is devised by him and how much is presented as a layout to follow?

How does he address the above photographically? Is it primes, zooms, light-banks, softboxes, flash, hot-lights?

Be careful how you ask, there is no reason to offend him or to appear to be probing for trade secrets.

I love the site and the photography... the movement section is what did it for me. The flash artwork is a little obtrusive I agree Gary, but the nav was easy, and I guess the web guy wants to promote himself!

i know i've seen a few of those in ads, Levis maybe? Personally I don't care for the style as it feels a little staged(?) and not so spontaneous or natural. However, there is no debating his skills as a photog. I would also question how he approaches a storyboard or idea that is forced on him. It seems it would limit the process as I like to have the flexibilty to shoot as I see fit. Guess thats how ya pay the bills though...


Andy

Yeah I didn't find anything to obtrusive about the site either, though for some reason it won't let me see the entire thing on my screen (window goes off the side, no scroll bar). It was the motion part that sold me too. I mean the commercial stuff was impressive, but the motion bit (his own stuff) is pretty awesome I think. I found there to be a lot of energy in it.

He's very cool and there was nothing to be worried about as far as offending or sensitivity or whatever. I think the commercial thing is valid, he shoots commercially for the most part, and some of his own stuff on the side and does the odd show.

I actually did ask him already about the concept thing. He told me that it depends on the client. He's doing a deal with Motorolla right now and it's boring. They handed him the concept, and he breathes a little life into it but not doesn't change the comp (storyboard rough sketch whatever). Some fashion places in London will simply send him the clothes and the money and say Do it your way and make it cool. He obviously likes those the best.

Thanks Gary for the compliment.

He also needs to consider that not everyone has broadband. The webpage is still loading as i write this, even after i have read this entire thread. I'm not going to wait 10 or more minutes to look at a website. It's bad design.

'Take a leaf out of the book of http://www.google.com', i say. Keep it simple.

(PS Even as i have finished correcting my spelling, grammar and typing errors, it's still not loaded. Unless the web page is just a black page )

Pity really, coz i am interested now after reading this.....

I’m with Heath on this - I like the simplicity of the flash and had no problems with viewing the images. Although the images are commercial, in the main, there is a degree of creativity that is superb. Whether or not an art director supplied storyboards, it is still the photographer that creates the image.

In my own experience I can remember one art director who presented me with a storyboard and I had to tell him the shot was impossible. He argued with me until I let him look through the different lenses - we scrubbed his storyboard

Doodles,

At the end of the day, you are a man, he is a man.
You both breathe the same air, wash, eat & go to the toilet a lot.

There is probably only a little pixel seperating your creativness in taking a good picture, there isn't that much except maybe some experience & $$$ to get you to be a better "Bitchin" Photographer than he.

Get creative, design you own website & beleive in yourself.

I have a feeling you will do well.

Mic.

Thanks.

I really dig his stuff. There is an energy there that sort of lacks in other artsy commercial mediums. Most of the stuff that is really out there is his idea and his execution. The boring stuff with no creative control he doesn't bother posting on there. He is the designer and director and hires students etc that are just starting out to do makeup and point the lights etc.

Mic, I decided a little while ago that I wasn't going to go this way. If I could make a go of it doing my own thing that would be great, but I would end up taking weddings and peoples portraits with their dogs or their naked pregnant wife and pretending to love it and think they're beautiful. Then at the end of the day I'd hate my camera. But perhaps I'm reading into it too much, and perhaps I really should get a website and design and put stuff up and promote it just to see if it would sell.

We went cliff jumping today, and we're hiking a river tomorrow, so I plan on maybe picking his brain a little.