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Showing posts from September, 2022

Spotlight on flat lay photography and how to incorporate it in your commercial portfolio

It’s a trend you’ve seen all over your social media feeds, initially popularized by brands like Sephora, Apple, and Gap and proliferating under hashtags like #flatlay, #flatlays, #flaylaystyle, #flatlaytoday. “Flat lay photography” is exactly what it sounds like: a straight overhead-style shot of objects arranged neatly on a flat surface. The curated Instagram page @flatlays has 234,000 followers; elsewhere, the classic Tumblr site Things Organized Neatly launched a popular photobook of the same name. Sometimes called “knolling,” it’s a style that can be found in fashion blogs, the pages of food magazines, and product advertising—making it an evergreen and versatile choice for commercial Licensing Contributors. The art of the flat lay is accessible—and you can tap into it on any budget—but it does take some planning and foresight. Here are six steps to follow for your next shoot. Step 1: The shot list Like many commercial shoots, a good flat-lay session begins with a de

NFT trends: Poetry’s resurgence through NFTs

Late last year, the poet Arch Hades joined forces with the digital artist Andrés Reisinger and the musician RAC to create Arcadia . The nine-minute video sold as an NFT for $525,000 at Christie’s, and it also revealed the ways in which NFTs (non-fungible tokens) could foster a new way of consuming poetry beyond the page. The poem defies the rules of space and time, taking us from imaginary bedrooms and auditoriums to fantastical cloudscapes and arid deserts; books fly from trees, and ripe apples fall, hovering mid-air. It’s worth noting that the recent emergence of NFTs comes on the heels of a larger (and slower-brewing) surge in interest in poetry in the digital age. Arch Hades has been a key figure in a new wave of writers publishing on Instagram, along with pioneers like Rupi Kaur and Lang Leav. These poets went on to publish chart-topping books. The idea was, in a way, revolutionary: by self-publishing online, talented poets could ultimately make a living and build a career r

Tips to build a great landscape photo

In 2006, Edward Steichen’s 1904 picture of a pond in Westchester County, New York, bathed in moonlight, fetched a whopping $2.9 million at Sotheby’s. In 2011, Andreas Gursky’s photograph of the Rhine river sold for $4,338,500 at Christie’s. And in 2020, even at the height of the pandemic, an Ansel Adams print, created at Grand Teton National Park, sold for a record $988,000; a larger collection of rare Adams photographs, as a whole, sold for $6.4 million at Sotheby’s. Landscape photography is timeless, and it’s a genre that’s encouraged countless artists to pack up their belongings and gear, hike into the wilderness, and set up camp beneath the stars. While unforgettable landscape shots require dedication, patience, and planning, they continue to inspire us to explore the world—and appreciate its hidden treasures. In this quick guide, we’ll share our top tips to help you create a stunning landscape photo. Essential gear DSLR or mirrorless camera Any DSLR or mirrorless camera wi

Our evolving connection with food and how to visualize it in commercial advertising

According to research recently released by Oxford University , vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian diets aren’t only healthier, but in countries like the US, UK, Australia, and parts of Western Europe, they’re also cheaper. What’s more, researchers found that it would be possible to make sustainable and healthy eating affordable everywhere within the next ten years, as the result of economic development, reduction in food waste, and climate-friendly food pricing. With awareness of unsustainable agricultural practices, food and land justice, human rights and animal welfare violations, and food insecurity growing, our relationship with food has shifted dramatically. What we eat affects not only our health but the health of our planet, with consumers, notably Gen Zers , advocating for an overhaul of our global food system, with a focus on sustainability and inclusivity. “In recent years, we have enjoyed a range of foodie trends, such as rainbow bagels, kombucha, fermented foods, cold

Free ways to market your photography

$20 for a stack of 50 business cards. $9.99 per month for graphic design tools for social media, plus $13 for a social media planning tool. $39 for client management software, and $79 for search engine optimization (SEO) tools. The costs of freelance life and marketing your photography business are real—and they can add up quickly. But there are some simple steps you can take to expand your reach while staying within your budget. From taking full advantage of social media to cultivating the perfect email list, here are five free (or almost free) ideas to help entrepreneurial creatives promote their photography businesses in 2022. Refine and update your website A professional website is the cornerstone of your online presence, so curate your portfolio with potential clients in mind. It’s okay to be ruthless in your editing process; only include work that represents who you are at this stage in your career—and where you want to go in the future. It’s also worth brushing up on the b

Take your back-to-school photography and kick it up a notch

Earlier this summer, GapKids captured the imagination of parents and kids alike with their Everybody Belongs back-to-school campaign. Inspired by the children’s book of the same name, written by the author and Down syndrome advocate Heather Avis, the campaign celebrates the interests, abilities, and talents that make every kid unique. As part of a “digital talent show,” the brand also invited families to share their own photos and stories using the hashtag #GapKidsBelong. The days of cheesy back-to-school campaigns are over. In 2022, brands (like Gap) are celebrating the diversity of their audiences, telling true stories that resonate with families far and wide. These days, there’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach to BTS advertising, and every company owes it to its followers to produce content that reflects their real-life experiences. In turn, commercial photographers are looking beyond the clichés, widening the lens of inclusivity, and showing us the importance of proper repre