preaching to the choir

[johnielvis]

see:

http://streetcarnage.com/blog/photography-is-for-rich-people/

 

[hoffy]

I agree with Kyria's sentiments. The photo used in the article to show what Jasmine produces is utter tripe. If that was my wedding, I would be very unhappy. But To me the article just reads of "My photography is better, why am I not rich?"

But, it appears that many like it and are happy to part with their hard earned to employ Star's services. Whether this is good marketing or dumb luck, I am not sure, but if she is making it, good on her.

 

[Pioneer]

Go Jasmine!

...oops, wrong girl

Go Kyra!

...wait a minute, I don't think I care for either one.

 

[hdeyong]

I KNOW I don't care for either one. One is full of s**t and one is full of venom. Nice choice.
The picture that Jasmine took has so many basic mistakes in it, I assume she uses it in her classes how NOT to take a photo.
But, the fact of the matter is, it's not Jasmine that's dumb, it's her clients and students who pay her.

 

[adelorenzo]

[video=vimeo;77555936]http://vimeo.com/77555936[/video]

Some food for thought.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Bitter much? While I agree with Kyria's point about the one image being bizarrely focused/blurred, the better thing to do would be just suck it up and BE better. As it is, it looks like a thinly veiled attempt at self-promotion, with all the images SHE shot tacked on to the end of the article, many of which are NOT really good advertisements for her work - what's with the squatting pregnant woman on the beach with a look on her face like her contractions are now four minutes apart?

 

[mgb74]

... what's with the squatting pregnant woman on the beach with a look on her face like her contractions are now four minutes apart?

I thought it was a water birth.

 

[blansky]

To a pro, we see this all the time. Jasmines have been around since I started and I'm sure long before. In fact we see Kyras all the time too.

We see the mediocre photographer but great marketer make a fortune, but we also see the Kyra's bashing around the photography world, undercutting in price, talking about finding her lighting style, but at least trying.

Photography is a tough business. No license required, no talent required, but if you can sell yourself you're in.

The Jasmines usually burn out because they move on to be a star somewhere else. No commitment.

But if you are looking for a fun easy way to make a living, photography in this era is not gonna happen for you. Too many cameras, too many amateurs undercutting prices, and too many people buying anything that is hyped to them. On top of that portraits on a wall are not even a top priority to many people any more. They can buy an 8x10, illegally scan it, make prints or just put it on their phone or ipad or computer and who needs a wall portrait.

The times have changed.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

It's a mentality I choose not to buy into. Photography is not about how much money you have to participate , but how much fun you have doing it, creativity and vision. It's like I can't play basket ball well until I have to $500 sneakers.

 

[eddie]

The internet is rampant with people who demean others for their own lack of success. Kyria needs to look inward, rather than outward, to see why she isn't as successful as others.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

+1

As a photographer what can you do to be a better photographer?

1. Bitch about the rich.
2. Practice your craft with passion and get better.

I'm just a working class Joe and have no power over the 1% but I can pick up a camera a shoot and work in my darkroom and improve my art.

Which do YOU choose? Btw. Take a look here.

http://petapixel.com/2013/10/25/professionalism-photography/

 

[MattKing]

The really irritating experience is when someone points to another photographer's work that you think is terrible and asks you why you aren't doing work like that.

 

[Trask]

It's a mentality I choose not to buy into. Photography is not about how much money you have to participate , but how much fun you have doing it, creativity and vision. It's like I can't play basket ball well until I have to $500 sneakers.

This struck a chord with me -- I grew up with Keds, or Buster Browns, or maybe Converse, probably like Jerry West or Rick Barry or Dr. J or anyone else who's over 50 now. Didn't stop those guys from becoming basketball legends -- unlike myself! It isn't what you have, it's what's in you.

 

[analoguey]

[video=vimeo;77555936]http://vimeo.com/77555936[/video]

Some food for thought.

yup, yup, yup.
Pretty much how it works.
One look at any fb photography page and you know whats going on.

 

[blockend]

To succeed in any profession you have to differentiate yourself from the norm. Jasmine has succeeded in this goal, clearly, or she wouldn't be able to charge top prices. You can learn pretty much everything you need to know about the craft of photography in six months intense immersion in technique, and be skilled in human nature and make a go of things. Conversely, you may have an encyclopaedic knowledge of studio lighting and have zero people skills and barely scratch a living.

In the world of gallery photography, the great image rules. In commercial work, the one who gets paid most wins.

 

[johnielvis]

wow. the reactions certainly do indicate that there is something to the article.

The main point of the article was that, in general, people do judge books by their covers. They are more concerned with how something is presented, and, these days, WHO presents it, than what is actually presented. Case in point of hot girl photographer. She talks the talk and looks pretty and has the confidence, therefore she succeeds, where other people who work and don't do a good job of self-promotion do not get the same recognition. People buy the confidence, as was stated by others. They are buying getting photographs taken by HER, not because they think that her photographs are excellent quality, but because they think that others think that her photographs are excellent quality. Even if they don't believe it themselves, the sales pitch works on them because the sales pitch has worked on others--they want to go along with the crowd and actually see the emporer's clothes so that the others must back them up that they did the right thing in their decision to go with the hot chick wedding photographer.

This is how a lot of advertising works--people aren't actually fooled by advertising claims, but they pretend that they are fooled if other people pretend that they are fooled--mass hypnosis.

 

[Fixcinater]

I find it humorous that someone that doesn't understand what a 50/1.2 or 85/1.2 lens can do in regards to DOF is harping on techniques of someone who is clearly successful in the business of making images, who *does* understand what it can do.

She wasted entirely too much time and energy writing that post instead of practicing her craft (which she should do a whole bunch more of if she wants to be taken semi-seriously) or practicing how to get people to like her like Jasmine does. If she spent just a little bit of time looking at what Jasmine is actually about, she's pretty damn smart and figured out how to play the game to win...not to struggle and bitch about how bad the industry is right now. All the fluff and "hey look at me" rock-star attitude works on a specific clientele, who is exactly Jasmine is interested in booking. The folks who don't have the techy knowledge (or desire to acquire said knowledge), but sure care that their friends in Orange County, California know who they went with.

It's an investment in their outward success, so why *wouldn't* they change venues and dates of the wedding to get her to shoot it?

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

I don't care for her style, but a professional photographer is not just a technician. She is a celebrity and folks with a lot of cash will pay for her services because of the hype she creates. The rich folk that will pay for her photography will most likely pay for a celebrity chef to cater their weddings. Is there a difference in competency between other photographers and chefs that are less known? It's in her interest to create a greater perceived value of their product. There are so many great photographers that are not financially successful because they don't promote themselves well. Love her or hate her, she's working and getting paid a lot. Personally, I don't shoot weddings any more because I don't want to be part of the Wedding Industrial Complex.

 

[Cheryl Jacobs]

Not sure if you all know who Jasmine Starr is. She's the product of a great PR and marketing firm who made an "international photography teacher and lecturer" out of someone who was not a photographer. She's been caught plagiarizing and stealing images multiple times. She was barred from speaking at WPPI, along with Doug Gordon, for the same reasons.

She's not someone to take seriously as a photographer. I do understand peoples' frustrations at situations like this, but it does no good to be bitter and post angry blog comparisons.

 

[cliveh]

But she has that Colgate smile.

 

[Pioneer]

Not sure if you all know who Jasmine Starr is. She's the product of a great PR and marketing firm who made an "international photography teacher and lecturer" out of someone who was not a photographer. She's been caught plagiarizing and stealing images multiple times. She was barred from speaking at WPPI, along with Doug Gordon, for the same reasons.

She's not someone to take seriously as a photographer. I do understand peoples' frustrations at situations like this, but it does no good to be bitter and post angry blog comparisons.

It is a good thing you pointed that out Cheryl. You know us guys, some pretty gal flashes her pearly whites and we'll sit for a picture.

 

[tron_]

Marketing/image > talent for many people in today's world.