Just like any of the other professions, the field of professional photographers brings its own sets of challenges. Undoubtedly, the job of a professional photographer is one of the best in the world. It involves capturing some of the most beautiful, unexpected, impactful, and exciting moments. Besides this, a professional photographer can enhance the images even more using his or her creativity.

However, the challenges that they encounter during their journey and how they overcome them greatly determines their future. Here are some of the challenges that professional photographers need to overcome:

1. Health

Photographers need to have a good amount of awareness about the spaces they’re about to work in. They need to keep thinking all the time. Sometimes, they’ll have to work in dangerous environments that can have some adverse effects on their health. Working outside the studios might require transportation of equipment. If they do it themselves, it can lead to physical exhaustion.

At the end of the day, they might end up with all sorts of aches and pains. To deal with such challenges, they can consider hiring assistants to help them in transporting their equipment. It’s always better to pay for their services than to refuse a lucrative assignment owing to ill health.

2. Marketing

Today, almost all the photographers use social media to attract the potential clients. Very few of them make use of relevant media to proactively pitch themselves. Traditional media such as magazines and newspapers can be excellent channels to gain visibility. A good amount of investment needs to go towards marketing in the times that we live in.

They can also take the help of consultants who help professional photographers with content strategy and PR. Professional photographers can also approach experts in social media marketing to formulate a highly effective content strategy.

3. Know what the client wants

Many of the professional photographers need to know what exactly their clients want. They often come across clients who say that they only want a certain portion covered in the shot. They have to figure out the rest of the things themselves. Every client has certain expectations that are not communicated in detail before the photoshoot.

As a result, the client is not happy when the photographs have been taken. This is not always the fault of the photographer. So, one thing that the photographers need to do is ask their clients for the details. It must be absolutely clear to the photographer what the client really wants before taking the photographs.

4. Insurance

There’s always a risk of the photography equipment getting damaged while shooting outdoors. Most of these locations involve crowds of children or animals. Whether the photographer owns the equipment or it’s hired, they might be quite expensive.

So, it’s always recommended to have the equipment insured. Some of the insurance companies might also cover things like media liability and public liability. For photography works that involve static subjects in a studio setting, an insurance might not be necessary.

5. Photography permissions

Photographers who are just starting out in their chosen field of endeavor are mostly unaware of certain aspects. They usually think that they can turn up anywhere and start clicking photos. Unless a photographer is on a public land, permission for taking photos needs to be secured.

The photographers can also ask their subjects to secure the required permissions. The photographers also need to make sure that they obtain the permission in writing.

The post 5 Challenges That Photographers Need to Overcome appeared first on douglaskirklandphotography.com.

In order to improve their craft, photographers need to study how cinematographers and filmmakers capture moving images. They present these moving images on the screen in a truly captivating manner. In a way, photography and movie-making go hand-in-hand. Still photographers can learn to depict the art of photography by watching certain films made in Hollywood.

They can also get some inspiration by watching some of the films and documentaries about photographers. So, here are some of the movies that continue to inspire many photographers across the world:

1. Hand Held

Through this film, documentary photographer Mike Carrol tells some heart-wrenching tales of Romania. The intention of this film is to make the western world aware of the conditions of the helpless people in the country. Carrol travels to Romania right after the fall of the communist regime in 1989. While he is there, he captures some of the most horrifying and shocking scenes from the 20th-century Romania.

2. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Walter Mitty leads a simple life, but sets out on a mission one day to find an important negative. He works for the Life magazine as a negative assets manager. His mission is to complete the work of his partner and save the magazine’s new issue.

This is a must-watch movie, especially for the budding photographers. It is a captivating depiction of the dreams and fantasies of Walter Mitty. As he sets out on this journey, an adventurous spirit is awakened in him.

3. Fur

Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus came out in the year 2006. Nicole Kidman plays the role of an eccentric photographer in this movie. She is also a shy housewife in the film, which is partially based on a true story. It is about a part of the life of a renowned photographer, Diane Arbus. The main character photographs people who don’t really fit into the realms and borders of the society.

4. The Bang Bang Club

Based on the book The Bang Bang Club: Snapshots From a Hidden War, this movie is about photography. It follows the journeys of four photographers on a mission to document the Apartheid in South Africa. The movie explores a heavy topic that would make you emotional while watching it. The characters get to extreme ends for capturing the events in a torn country.

5. One Hour Photo

In this film, Robin Williams plays the character of Sy, who runs a photo processing department in a store. He is the main character of this film. Sy is quite proud of the work that he does. In the movie, you’re introduced to a happy family with a young boy. They’re his favorite customers.

What this family isn’t aware of is the fact that Sy is fascinated with them. This fascination goes beyond all the reasonable boundaries. This movie is a thriller that the photographers would enjoy watching.

6. William Eggleston

The complete title of this film is William Eggleston: In The Real World. It is about one of the greatest photographers in the United States, William Eggleston. There are some artists who don’t like talking about their work at all. Perhaps, this is what makes this film so interesting and valuable.

It also gives you a glimpse into the personality of Eggleston and his contribution to the world of photography. He is a man of a few words. However, he acquired an impressive title of ‘The Father of Color Photography’. Eggleston is truly an icon and an inspiration for artists in different corners of the world.

The post 6 Movies That Will Inspire Photographers appeared first on douglaskirklandphotography.com.

Celebrity photography falls within the fields of portrait photography, fashion photography, and photojournalism. The focus is on the chosen subjects, who are famous personalities from different fields. Since the second half of the 20th century, the world has produced many talented celebrity photographers. Many among them are skilled in different genres of photography.

The photographs that these individuals have shot greatly influenced the perception of the general public. These photographs have also changed public perceptions about certain celebrities. Such photos also serve as a collective memory. After all, they’re iconic pictures of the leading personalities in art, fashion, music, sports, and politics. Here are the three most talented celebrity photographers:

1. Annie Leibovitz

Leibovitz entered the hall of fame of the celebrity photographers, when she clicked the last photograph of John Lennon. She was the first woman to exhibit photographs in the National Portrait Gallery. Her active participation in raising awareness about the war in Bosnia is also commendable.

Leibovitz was the first among the game-changing photographers in the long history of Pirelli Calendar. In 2016, she made the calendar socially engaging by projecting a more positive image of the body. She refused to make it a calendar that was all about nude female models. Leibovitz was in favor of dressed women, serving as role models. They were women with outstanding professional, cultural, and social accomplishment.

The career of Leibovitz began with music portrait photography in the 1970s under the Rolling Stone magazine. Many describe her style as personal reportage, which created a visual narrative through portraits.

2. Douglas Kirkland

Over the years, Douglas Kirkland had the opportunity to work on the sets of more than a hundred films. The most notable among them were Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Sound of Music, Titanic, and Moulin Rouge. His famous books include the best selling James Cameron’s Titanic.

Born in Toronto, Canada, Kirkland joined Look magazine when he was in his early twenties. He later joined Life magazine when photojournalism was at its peak. Kirkland was sent on assignments in Greece, Japan, and Lebanon. During his career, he has photographed many globally renowned celebrities, such as Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor.

He is well-known for his exhibition of Freeze Frame. It is now a part of the permanent collection of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Besides this, his works are also in the permanent collections of Smithsonian and Canberra’s National Portrait Gallery.

3. Richard Avendon

In his minimalistic compositions, Richard Avendon focuses on vulnerability and hypersensitivity of the subject and the photographer. He has worked with many famous celebrities, such as Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles, Ezra Pound, and Andy Warhol. He has also done supermodel campaigns for Calvin Klein, Versace, and Christian Dior in the 1980s and 1990s.

This American photographer was raised in the tradition of fashion magazines. He has worked for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar for over two decades. Avendon pushed the boundaries of motionless editorial photography and thus built a unique artistic expression.

He is especially famous for photographs that offer close insights into the personality of his subjects. Many of his photographs taken during the late 20th century are now a part of his photography classics.

The post 3 Most Talented Celebrity Photographers appeared first on douglaskirklandphotography.com.

Born in Ontario, Canada in 1934, Douglas Kirkland is well-known for his 1961 photographs of Marilyn Monroe. When he took these photos, he was working for the Look magazine. He was working as a staff photographer for this magazine at the age of 24. Later, he joined the Life magazine as a staff photographer. Over the years, Kirkland has worked on the sets of more than one hundred films.

Among them were Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Sound of Music, Titanic, and Moulin Rouge. His works are in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Today, his home and studio is in Hollywood Hills. He lives there with Francoise, his wife and business partner.

His first picture

Kirkland’s father worked for a small clothing business in Ontario. Once in a week on Fridays, he would bring home Life magazine from his store. This magazine is what fueled the dreams of young Douglas Kirkland. The first picture that he clicked was with a Brownie box camera. At the time he was nearly eight years of age. As film wasn’t available widely during World War II, taking the photo was something really big.

On this camera, there were eight exposures. Kirkland had one opportunity to photograph his family. He was quite small at the time. So he had to push the box camera into his stomach for holding it steady. Kirkland said during one of his interviews that he heard that magic click for the first time.

The beginning of his career in photography

While attending the Seneca Vocational High School in Buffalo, Kirkland learned about the New York Institute of Photography. He had seen the advertisement of the institute in magazines. He stayed in the YMCA in New York while he went to the New York Institute of Photography.

While studying photography, he learned everything that he had seen in several issues of Life. He came back to Fort Erie after school. The reason for this was that his parents’ concerns about him. If he stayed in the United States, he could’ve been drafted in the Korean War.

After coming back, he got a job at the Fort Erie Times Review. Later, he ended up working for the daily, Welland Tribune. While he was there, he learned how to think editorially. He says in his interview that every time he was sent on assignment, they expected a picture from him.

On photographing the American icons

His career took off to greater heights after he shot the photos of Elizabeth Taylor in Las Vegas. Before he took these photos of her in 1961, she had been ill. Despite being an unknown photographer, he walked up to her after her interview with Jack Hamilton ended. He told her that he was a new photographer and wanted an opportunity to photograph her.

She told him to come back at 8:30 pm the next day. He photographed her in a simple way and it was the beginning of his career of photographing celebrities. Later, he got the opportunity to photograph many famous celebrities of Hollywood. He also had the chance to photograph Marilyn Monroe on one occasion.

The post Excerpts From the Life of Photographer Douglas Kirkland appeared first on douglaskirklandphotography.com.

A renowned portraitist, Douglas Kirkland has photographed countless celebrities and models since the mid-20th century. During his career, he has worked with different magazines, such as Look and Life. He also did some photojournalistic projects for these magazines during his assignments in Japan, Greece, and Lebanon.

Kirkland has captured many Hollywood celebrities in their different moods in photo studios as well as outdoor locations. Here, we’ll take a look at some of the famous personalities whom he has photographed over the years.

1. Marilyn Monroe

She was an American actress, model, and singer who achieved great popularity in 1950s and early 1960s. Monroe became one of the most famous sex symbols of the mid-20th century. Born and raised in the city of Los Angeles, she was married at the age of 16.

While working in a factory, she met a photographer and began a successful career in pin-up modeling. This led her to Hollywood, although she had a few short-lived contracts with Columbia Pictures and 20th Century Fox. She acted in a series of minor roles until she signed a new contract with Fox. Starting from 1950, she rose to popularity with roles in several comedies.

Monroe was among the most marketable stars of Hollywood by 1953. Kirkland had clicked her photos for the 25th anniversary issue of Look magazine. At the time, he was working for the magazine as a staff photographer.

2. Audrey Hepburn

An immensely popular British actress, humanitarian, and fashion icon, Audrey Hepburn was born to an aristocratic family. Starting in 1945, she studied ballet in Amsterdam with Sonia Gaskell and with Marie Rambert in London. After performing as a chorus girl in West End musicals, she appeared in minor roles in many films. With the release of the romantic comedy, Roman Holiday, she achieved stardom.

For her performance in the film, she won an Oscar, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award. This made her the first actress to win these three awards for a single performance. Hepburn was nearly 40 years of age when she met Douglas Kirkland. He clicked her promotional stills for the 1966 movie How To Steal A Million.

3. Coco Chanel

Founder of the Chanel brand, Coco Chanel was a French businesswoman and fashion designer. She popularized casual fashion wear that was simpler, easy to wear and remove, more comfortable, and less expensive. Chanel is the only fashion designer who appeared among the 20th century’s 100 most influential people. She had designed her famous interlocked ‘CC’ monogram herself in the 1920s.

It has been in use ever since. In 1939, her couture house had to close down following the outbreak of the Second World War. She was criticized during her stay in France for collaborating with the Germans and the puppet regime. According to her critics, she had done this to give her professional career a boost.

The Look magazine had sent Kirkland to photograph Chanel in 1962. He was only allowed to photograph the outfits as she didn’t want him near her initially. It was only after he showed her the prints that he got the green light to photograph her.

4. Oliver Stone

Most of the films of Oliver Stone are focused on controversial political issues of the United States. The critics had even accused him at one point of promoting conspiracy theories. This Hollywood director, screenwriter, and producer won an Academy Award for his screenplay in Midnight Express. He achieved worldwide fame with the release of his war drama, Platoon, in 1986.

Stone had graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from New York University in 1971. He had made a request for combat duty in Vietnam after being enlisted in the US Army in 1967. He now lives with his wife Sun-jung Jung in Los Angeles.

5. Michael Jackson

Famed across the world as the ‘King of Pop’, Michael Jackson was a globally renowned singer, dancer, and philanthropist. His career spanned four decades. During this time, his contributions to dance, music, and fashion made him a global figure in pop culture. Through numerous stage and video performances, he gained immense popularity for his complicated dance moves.

The most famous among these moves is the ‘moonwalk’. He was Jackson family’s eighth child. His professional debut was in 1964 with his elder brothers Marlon, Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine. His solo music career began in 1971 and he became a star with Off the Wall. This music album released in the year 1979.

His music videos Beat It, Thriller, and Billie Jean broke the racial barriers. All these songs were from his album, Thriller, which came out in 1982. It became the best-selling album of all time. During the making of this album, he was photographed by Kirkland.

6. Morgan Freeman

Known for his distinctive deep voice, Morgan Freeman’s career spans more than five decades. He is the winner of an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Freeman was born in Tennessee and raised in Mississippi. He started acting in school plays when he was a child. Before appearing in stage productions during his early career, he was a student of theater arts in Los Angeles.

He became famous during the 1970s for his role in The Electric Company. It was a television series for children. Freeman played a hustler in the 1987 release, Street Smart. This proved to be a breakout role for him. The role also got him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

7. Arnold Schwarzenegger

In 2004 and 2007, Arnold Schwarzenegger was one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. He also served as California’s 38th governor between 2003 and 2011. Besides being an immensely popular actor, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. He has also written several articles and books on bodybuilding.

His breakthrough role was in the box-office hit of 1982, Conan the Barbarian. He achieved global fame with Terminator series, beginning with the first film The Terminator. He got the nickname ‘The Austrian Oak’ during his bodybuilding days. During his acting career, he was called ‘Arnie’ or ‘Schwarzy’.

The post 7 Famous Personalities Photographed by Douglas Kirkland appeared first on douglaskirklandphotography.com.