www.thephotofield .com
JK: When did you graduate from SCAD?
DF: Spring 2005
JK: Could you summarize what you’ve been up to since you graduated?
DF: After SCAD, I moved directly to New York City and became studio manager for photographer Joyce Tenneson (I interned with her the summer before). Simultaneously, I was working as a freelance assistant to a few other photographers. This was possible because I only worked for Joyce 3 days per week. On the weekends, I would try and shoot my own photographs for my portfolio. By 2006, I decided to quit working for Joyce and go 100% freelance. Since then, much of my income has come from freelance retouching work that I do on the side to support my beginnings in photography. I’m slowly weaning myself off retouching as my photography jobs increase
JK: How would you describe your style of photography?
DF: Conceptual, moody, and somewhat sinister.
JK: What was your favorite class at SCAD, and why?
DF: Probably Intro to Photography. Up until that point, I was intending to major in graphic design and illustration. The intro class (taught by Rebecca Nolan) really inspired me and is the reason why I’m doing photography right now!
JK: Besides me (of course), who was your favorite SCAD Professor, and why?
DF: Oh, this isn’t fair because they’re all so great for their own unique reasons. I loved David Mackie because he was such a genius. Andy Moxon was truly inspiring for his gung-ho attitude. Liz Darlington, Larry Dixon, ahhhh the list goes on and on!!
JK: Who are your favorite contemporary photographers?
DF: Eugenio Recuenco, Erwin Olaf, Nadav Kander, and Eric Ogden.
JK: Have you had any nightmare assignments? If so, tell us.
DF: Well, most of my personal shoots are nightmares. This is because I tend to think big and get in over my head. When I do client work, everything goes much smoother during shooting, but the nightmare element usually involves money. Every single job involves lots and lots of haggling because people expect so much for so little. Arguing over money can really damage the client / photographer relationship. Luckily, I now have an agent that can be the “bad cop”
JK: Are you currently making a living exclusively through photography? If not, how do you supplement your income?
DF: I wish I could say yes… Truth of the matter is that I make at least half of my money through retouching for other photographers. I treat it as my “bread and butter” and invest everything directly into my own photography expenses. It’s a hard balancing act—the money from retouching is so good, but I have to prioritize my shooting career. I just always make sure I limit the amount of retouching jobs I take on.
JK: What’s the best thing about living in NYC?
DF: Anything is possible. You have unlimited resources, and the sky is the limit.
JK: What’s the worst thing about living in NYC?
DF: Facing true disillusionment. You lose your ego in this town.
JK: If you had $10,000 to spend on gear, what would you buy?
DF: I guess it would be nice to actually own a camera for once! I’ve still been renting everything up until this point. Truthfully, if someone gave me an extra $10,000 right now, I’d probably put it towards promotion costs. Either that, or production costs (I’ve spent $10,000 on a single shoot). Buying equipment is low on the priority list.
JK: What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten from a teacher or mentor?
DF: I guess it was from Craig Stevens who explained the difference between “making” a picture and “taking” a picture. I apply this principle to my creative process every time.
JK: What advice can you give to current SCAD Photography majors?
DF: If your goal is to become a freelance photographer, realize that it won’t happen overnight. Starting any business requires lots of time and tons of money. It is very smart to begin assisting and working for other photographers. You’ll learn a bunch, and you’ll make lots of contacts that will be useful to you further down the road. Not to mention, you’ll actually make money to support yourself. It’s hard, but try not to settle down into a full time job. Once you adjust to a certain level of comfort, it’s very hard to go back.
Oh, and read these books:
Best Business Practices for Photographers by John Harrington
Starting Your Career as a Freelance Photographer by Tad Crawford
The Real Business of Photography by Richard Weisgrau
