Tim Gruber and Jenn Ackerman use both photography and video to tell stories for editorial and commercial clients. 
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“Jenn, just remember you have different expectations for different situations,” Tim told me this morning.
He is right. Last night, sitting on the floor of the movie theater, frustration hit an all-time peak as I felt like I hadn’t shot a good image in a week.This came after a hopeful night of photographing Harry Potter fans. I had great expectations for the characters I would see and none lived up to that expectation. I foresaw lines of people waiting to get into the theater. But there was none.
After sleeping on it, I realized that I need to stop making excuses for the photos taken in these situations and make the most out of them. My expectations for those photos should not be as great as one where I am placed into a photogenic situation.
I need to be shooting my best for every situation given, but some cards dealt are not the most photogenic and I have to realize that instead of getting frustrated with myself. As an intern, you want to shoot the best you can for every assignment. I just have to remember that every assignment is different. And my expectations for the outcome of every assignment should be also.
I also realized that I was starting to shoot according to the safe image theory — making sure I have an image that is easy to read instead of looking and finding great light and giving the readers a reason to sit on my images for awhile.
This is my expectation for the rest of the week — to find great light and make good images in that light.
Jenn,
Yoda once said to the young Jedi, “Do, or do not. There is no try!” In that bit of wisdom can be extracted a number of nuggets. I have always taken from it that one must focus on the present, cast aside doubt and expectation and just DO. In the Zen-like act of subconscious thought comes the most pure and genuine creativity.
In the situation you were in with the Harry Potter fans you previsualized and created something that wasn’t there. You clogged your mind with images you’ve seen. I’ve always believed previsualization is a lot like masturbation, you only screw yourself. Clear your mind and DO!
With that said, another bit of advice I’ve been paying close attention to were some words from Ed Kashi. “Before you can become a better photographer you need to first focus on being a better human being,” he said. You are a great person, Jenn, and gosh-darn-it people like you. So the next step to take is focus on being pure with your intent in taking photographs. Don’t worry about whether you’re taking “good” photographs or contest winning images. This objectifies the subject as good subject/bad subject and taints a relationship before you begin (Long lines of fans= good subject, no lines=bad subject) Who says a photograph is good? Annah mentioned to me the other day that she was disappointed at how insular and self-congratulatory our profession is. A good photographer to me, such as Sabastiao Salgado, is irrelevant to most people outside the photography world.
We are often too hard on ourselves, and this often gets in the way of just doing.
For me lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the work of a photographer such as Salgado, a concerned photographer. His work connects with his subject in a purity of intent that is apparent in so many of his photographs. Salgado isn’t going to Harry Potter events to photograph fans, but his methods and thought process are universal.
Be well and keep up the good work.
Concernedly,
Jimmy “The Finn” Korpi
Hey Jenn,
I often find myself in the same situation as you. It is difficult to be on a daily rotation and create the level of imagery that we hold ourselves to. It becomes even hard when our self-esteem is so tied to what we do.
I went on assignment yesterday and had to shoot a portrait of John Silverman, a 97 year old man who was inducted to the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame. As I was putting up lights and fiddling with ratios, I became very frustrated and felt like I was wasting this sweet man’s time. After two hours, I left his home thinking to myself, ‘boy you really screwed that up.’ I went back to the office and filed my images, in the end the portrait I produced was okay, it spoke to his personality. And then, I found myself smiling for no reason.
I thought back to my shoot and realized that the experience was far greater than the image I created. As I was shooting John kept saying how he felt like he was a rock star because of all the attention I was giving him. He said, “This is the best thing that’s happened to me. I’m tickled that you would spend two hours taking a picture of me! This is the best day I’ve had in a long time.’ I listened to his words as I was working but I really heard them as I was driving home. As photographers just being there makes people feel appreciatd. My images might not always come out the way I would like but I try hard to make the people in them feel like they are being heard.
I think of people like John when I’m having a hard day. That and someone once said to me, “A bad day on the road is better than a good day in the office. Any day!”
Keep pushing. You have a great heart and if you follow it, the images will come.
Much Love
Kainaz