Finding the right photographer is key to complementing your campaign and/or product. Insight into how to work with a photographer can help produce the best results, which is key to creating work that keeps both you and your client happy.
Mark Peterman graduated from Kansas City Art Institute with a BFA in Design. He’s been shooting professionally for over 10 years. Moving to Arizona in 2004, he has become one of the go-to photographers in the Phoenix area.
Why did you choose to become a professional photographer?
My father had a darkroom in the house while growing up so I was introduced to photography at a young age. I had done photography since high school and it was basically a minor when I was in college. After graduation, I pursued a career in design until I went on a job interview for a graphic design position. The interviewer told me the photography portion of my portfolio was stronger than the design work, and passed on a list of contacts who might help me get started in photography. I believe my background in design allows me to understand both sides of the process better and aides me in being a more effective photographer.
How do you approach working on an ad campaign vs. shooting personal work?
I always try to implement my style on a project, be it an ad campaign or personal work. I would say that the approach is similar but it’s carried out differently. With an ad campaign you have to keep in mind the overall goal of the campaign. A campaign usually involves a team of many and there are other influences that shape the outcome because the photography is only one element of the bigger picture.
With personal work I look at everything that I would like to do and narrow it down from there. Since you don’t have to meet the expectations of clients and advertisers, there is more room to let it grow and morph into something a bit different from the original idea. I generally try to be more free with personal work and see where the initial idea takes me.
Do you prefer specific instruction/art direction on what is desired for the end result, or prefer less tangible direction (desired mood, feel, emotion to be derived from the shot) and allow the shoot to be organic?
I prefer collaboration, which is often a mix of the two. I do enjoy less tangible art direction as long as the creative director can have confidence in my work and appreciate the direction I have taken. Being over directed can lead to problems. If every single aspect of a shot is planned beforehand there is no room to be creative and you can feel like just a monkey pushing a button. You should get hired for your creative vision and you always want the opportunity to bring your personal touch to a photograph.
How do you handle it when various people on a shoot are giving you different direction?
It’s tough when you get conflicting direction because the end result always gets watered down. Ultimately you want to please everyone but at some point the direction needs to come from the top. Often the Creative Director needs to be the go-between and make their client understand that they should trust the creatives to be creative.
I know you work both locally and nationally; do you feel there is a difference in expectations, process and end result between the two?
I see less of a difference between local and national and more differences between where an agency is based and the size of an agency. A larger agency that does higher profile work may have higher expectations because the work gets out there to more people on a larger scale. It doesn’t necessarily mean that a smaller agency would have lower expectations or be any less professional however they may come across as being less concerned with the bottom line and more open to creative ideas which I see as a huge positive.
What is the biggest obstacle you run into during the job process?
Budgetary restrictions for hired and personal work. I have learned by self-producing shoots for my own promotional materials that it costs a lot of money to produce really great photographs that have a high production value.
What was your favorite campaign or agency you have you worked with?
I have shot several times in the last few years for Imre Communications. The campaign was for their client Arclin, who produces materials that are used in building products. We shot over a 10 day period in a number of factories in Oregon, Washington and Quebec, Canada. It was under challenging conditions and difficult covering a lot of distance between locations but I worked with a great Creative Director who really understood how to handle all aspects of the project.
Mark’s client list includes Rolling Stone, Conde Nast, New York Times, Arizona Foothills and Phoenix Magazine. You can view his portfolio at his new site, www.markpeterman.com. He is located at Vermillion Studio, 124 W. McDowell Rd., Phoenix AZ 85003
Nice work Mark!
Mark is a great photographer. Local agencies would do themselves a favor by knowing him. There’s plenty of great talent in town and Mark is proof.