Imagine a photographic life where others choose what you photograph , when you photograph and even dictate how the final photograph should look , this is not a dystopian photo-nightmare this is the reality of commercial photography !
It’s not all bad though , if you can swim in such turbulent photographic waters you will have adapted to the most demanding of photographic practices , being all things to all clients consistently is a big ask , your ability to wear many (Hard) hats and adapt to changing priorities each day is a prerequisite !
General practice commercial photography requires great camera technique , lighting technique and strong social skills and that’s before we get into highly developed entrepreneurial instincts !
My photo world never lived up to my Antonioni inspired “Blow-Up” aspirations , no , no , no ! Antonioni's 1966 movie has a lot to answer for …
I frequently photographed the underside of Super Tankers in a dry dock or Steel Works that resembled the bowels of hell, don’t get me wrong I’m not complaining, I loved the sheer scale of industrial photography, although Shipyards and Steel Works could be dangerous places !
I wonder how many photographers would know how to shoot the dark wet underside of a ship in dry dock nowadays , not that there’s much call for this sort of work in the UK now , it never really mattered to me what I photographed, it was all just another days work !
All manner of things would turn up in front my lens, accompanied with strict instructions and a multitude of unusual client requirements , cars , caravans , buses , fashion , corporate portraits and annual reports etc , etc !
This work wasn’t highly creative as most of the clients gave one specific instruction , “As Supplied Visual” !
Truth be told Commercial Photography is little more than supply to demand and I happily exploited my hard learned photographic technique for cash. Everything was always needed yesterday and surprisingly the deadlines were always met , big budgets fix most problems !
I worry that modern photographic education does not prepare students for commercial practice as it once did , the vocational photographic education I enjoyed is vanishing , we are all photographic “artists” now ?
I shot this billboard AD for the NUFC car sponsors back in the day , “As Supplied Visual” ,remember Rover cars ?
Art Directed by Graham Dobson for Chapman , Stewart Advertising .
Photograph David Barrett
Inspired by my “Blow-Up” illusions or should that be delusions, I developed a personal photographic manifesto , . all I wanted was to photograph my way through life, with one camera , natural light and a little imagination , only then could I discover the photographer within , or so I thought ?
Somewhere along the way my photography became hard work , I got stuck with banks of lighting , heaps of cameras , a mobile phone and demanding clients , this is where it all went wrong ?
Thankfully the digital workflow that disrupted my “Old Skool” analogue practice actually facilitated my escape which in turn created the photographic “freedom” I always craved and still enjoy today !
I’m still seeking the “Photographer Within” and the elusive “Perfect Picture” although I sincerely hope that I never find either !
“How Did I Get Here” ?
One picture at a time , just one picture at a time …
It could happen to you too if your not careful …
My most recent pic , Ladder , Nov , 2021
David Barrett shot the pandemic crisis during 2020, The Testing Times project is coming to a end, hopefully ? It can be seen by clicking above .
The State Of Britain series is complete, it explores everyday life during the Brexit era and gives visual insights into British identity, aspirations and post-truth uncertainty .....
Check out the new UK Street Shop on this site to buy the print of the month , other Prints, Walks & More …
He is based in the South West of England .