how hard is it to become a well known photographer

[Pieter12]

I have noticed that in today's art (gallery) photo world, there are a number of themes that stand out as the flavor of the day:
Deeply personal work--illustrating one's personal or family situation, present or past. Often delving into personal psychological issues.
Socially relevant work or work that documents and usually criticizes social/ethical situations.
Staged photos, sometimes with models, illustrating of either of the above.
Multi-media, manipulated, collaged, painted, mutilated photos, either originals or found photos, once again often illustrating the first two themes above.
"Novelty" lensless photography--cyanotypes especially.
To a lesser extent, obsolete processes such a tintypes, daguerrotypes, colloidon where the process takes priority over the actual artistic character.

Very often execution and technique are secondary.

 

[awty]

If I have to see another photo shoot on an endless highway I will vomit.
Unfortunately diversity is rarely popular.

 

[warden]

If I have to see another photo shoot on an endless highway I will vomit.
Unfortunately diversity is rarely popular.

Aww man, that was my next big project.

 

[awty]

Aww man, that was my next big project.

Well I'm sure you could do something more original than a photo of someone walking away on the long white line or riding a motorbike with out stretched hands.
Been watching tictoc clips lately, short video from people of different cultures throughout the world doing the exact same thing. I find that troubling.
When I was little the only thing I had to keep me entertained was my imagination.

 

[removed account4]

I find that troubling.

IDK. people have been copying other people's work and style forever, painters too. they say its the ultimate form of flattery to rip someone off.

 

[NB23]

IDK. people have been copying other people's work and style forever, painters too. they say its the ultimate form of flattery to rip someone off.

Bob Ross

 

[removed account4]

Bob Ross

?

 

[NB23]

?

Bob Ross came to my mind

 

[removed account4]

IDK. Bob Ross was pretty good. he was influenced by Bill Alexander who used a renaissance painting style called alla prima ( wet on wet ). I don't think Ross ripped anyone off, but he was a great teacher. If you are interested, there's something on the Netflix about him right now...

 

[NB23]

IDK. Bob Ross was pretty good. he was influenced by Bill Alexander who used a renaissance painting style called alla prima ( wet on wet ). I don't think Ross ripped anyone off, but he was a great teacher. If you are interested, there's something on the Netflix about him right now...

Come on dude, Bob Ross was the one being ripped off and copied, not the other way round.

Besides, as a teenager I loved watching Bob on TV. Watched him for one minute and fell into deep sleep for the remainder of the show. No kidding, he was a magical man. I thought I was the only one getting hipnotized by him until I learned that a loooot of people were like me.

The siesta with Bob. Was unmistakable.

 

[Don_ih]

The siesta with Bob.

Happy little zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[removed account4]

Come on dude, Bob Ross was the one being ripped off and copied, not the other way round.

not sure that he was ripped off while he was alive, the documentary I mentioned didn't say anything about that, although his publicist &c seemed to have boilerplate the plant painter's work and passed it off as her own... after his death his work was being forged .. I think there is a difference between stealing someone's style they have honed while they are living and still working, and forging their work after they have died.

 

[Pieter12]

not sure that he was ripped off while he was alive, the documentary I mentioned didn't say anything about that, although his publicist &c seemed to have boilerplate the plant painter's work and passed it off as her own... after his death his work was being forged .. I think there is a difference between stealing someone's style they have honed while they are living and still working, and forging their work after they have died.

Not that I think Bob Ross really deserves discussion here, but I was under the impression he never sold any of his paintings, just gave them all to a couple who were basically his only collectors. And why on earth would anyone make the effort to forge a Bob Ross painting except as a joke?

 

[Arthurwg]

Bob Ross aside, I also think it helps to be OCD, constantly photographing, never going anywhere without a camera, constantly printing pictures (is that obsolete?). I have a friend, quite a successful photographer who has published several books, teaches, runs travel workshops and is quite well known. He always has one or two cameras around his neck and shoots everything he sees.

 

[removed account4]

Not that I think Bob Ross really deserves discussion here, but I was under the impression he never sold any of his paintings, just gave them all to a couple who were basically his only collectors. And why on earth would anyone make the effort to forge a Bob Ross painting except as a joke?

I have no idea if he sold his work or not, he had a television program and he taught people how to paint in person too.
im not sure if it matters how many works he sold, van G sold 1 piece (and his brother bought it out of sympathy ).
the couple who run bob ross enterprise (or whatever it is called) have made millions from his work and estate, me doesn't seem like a joke to me considering for many people "success and fame" are equated with $$$.

 

[CMoore]

Depending on what you want to do..............Being a photographer is often the last reason you become Well Known or Successful.
Excellent photographers are a dime a dozen.
You need to have another talent.

If National Geo needs somebody to film Sharks, they need a guy that is an experienced diver.

If your family owns The Beacon Theater, you will be WAY More attractive to Rolling Stone Magazine than just a good photographer that loves/wants to shoot concerts.

If you raced cars for 10 years and know some of the drivers and mechanics, you will be WAY More attractive to Car and Driver Magazine to send to race tracks than just another good photographer that wants to shoot the F1 season.

If war breaks out in the Peruvian Mountains, and you have family that lives there, you are going to be way more valuable to Time Magazine than some great photographer that wants to cover the war.

I would think a separate talent can help you get in with a clearing house like
Black Star
Contact Press
Magnum.

They probably get deluged with membership enquirers from people that are simply an excellent photographer.

 

[choiliefan]

Before Bob Ross there was John Gnagy; the ball, cone, cube and cylinder guy on daytime TV.

 

[Pieter12]

I have no idea if he sold his work or not, he had a television program and he taught people how to paint in person too.
im not sure if it matters how many works he sold, van G sold 1 piece (and his brother bought it out of sympathy ).
the couple who run bob ross enterprise (or whatever it is called) have made millions from his work and estate, me doesn't seem like a joke to me considering for many people "success and fame" are equated with $$$.

Depending on what you want to do..............Being a photographer is often the last reason you become Well Known or Successful.
Excellent photographers are a dime a dozen.
You need to have another talent.

If National Geo needs somebody to film Sharks, they need a guy that is an experienced diver.

If your family owns The Beacon Theater, you will be WAY More attractive to Rolling Stone Magazine than just a good photographer that loves/wants to shoot concerts.

If you raced cars for 10 years and know some of the drivers and mechanics, you will be WAY More attractive to Car and Driver Magazine to send to race tracks than just another good photographer that wants to shoot the F1 season.

If war breaks out in the Peruvian Mountains, and you have family that lives there, you are going to be way more valuable to Time Magazine than some great photographer that wants to cover the war.

I would think a separate talent can help you get in with a clearing house like
Black Star
Contact Press
Magnum.

They probably get deluged with membership enquirers from people that are simply an excellent photographer.

This makes no sense. A good documentary photographer or journalist should have knowledge of the subject he or she intends to cover, but only having that experience or connections does not qualify as a good photographer. I don't know of anyone whose connections to the field really helped them that much. Didi Linda McCarney have great success as a music photographer because of her connection to the Beatles? Jeff Bridges is a major actor, is he a well-known celebrity photographer? Leonard Nimoy shot nudes, not stars. Lartigue, maybe. Being a member of a social class allows easier access to that class.

 

[Pieter12]

I have no idea if he sold his work or not, he had a television program and he taught people how to paint in person too.
im not sure if it matters how many works he sold, van G sold 1 piece (and his brother bought it out of sympathy ).
the couple who run bob ross enterprise (or whatever it is called) have made millions from his work and estate, me doesn't seem like a joke to me considering for many people "success and fame" are equated with $$$.

I think it's time to bring Keane into this discussion.

 

[CMoore]

This makes no sense. A good documentary photographer or journalist should have knowledge of the subject he or she intends to cover, but only having that experience or connections does not qualify as a good photographer. I don't know of anyone whose connections to the field really helped them that much. Didi Linda McCarney have great success as a music photographer because of her connection to the Beatles? Jeff Bridges is a major actor, is he a well-known celebrity photographer? Leonard Nimoy shot nudes, not stars. Lartigue, maybe. Being a member of a social class allows easier access to that class.

I never said it qualifies you as a good photographer. I said being a good photographer is not enough.
If Jeff Bridges were not a famous actor, he NEVER would have taken the frames he did and you would never have heard of him.
Nimoy, again, if he were not famous, would you know about or discuss his nudes.?
I have no idea about Linda before she met the Beatles. AFTER.........how many of her famous shots are after she married Paul.?
The OP asked about being well known for your photography.
My simple point is that it HELPS to be more than a good photographer. It helps to have another talent or have a family in a unique situation.

 

[Pieter12]

I never said it qualifies you as a good photographer. I said being a good photographer is not enough.
If Jeff Bridges were not a famous actor, he NEVER would have taken the frames he did and you would never have heard of him.
Nimoy, again, if he were not famous, would you know about or discuss his nudes.?
I have no idea about Linda before she met the Beatles. AFTER.........how many of her famous shots are after she married Paul.?
The OP asked about being well known for your photography.
My simple point is that it HELPS to be more than a good photographer. It helps to have another talent or have a family in a unique situation.

The examples you presented presented the theory that a photographer's success at getting assignments would be directly linked with their connections in the field. My examples point out that connections in the field do not necessarily turn into assignments or success in that area. It depends on talent, interest and luck, mostly.

 

[removed account4]

I never said it qualifies you as a good photographer. I said being a good photographer is not enough.
If Jeff Bridges were not a famous actor, he NEVER would have taken the frames he did and you would never have heard of him.
Nimoy, again, if he were not famous, would you know about or discuss his nudes.?
I have no idea about Linda before she met the Beatles. AFTER.........how many of her famous shots are after she married Paul.?
The OP asked about being well known for your photography.
My simple point is that it HELPS to be more than a good photographer. It helps to have another talent or have a family in a unique situation.

who knows what would have become of these people's photographs if they hadn't already touched fame.
we do know what happened when George Bailey never existed though.

 

[CMoore]

who knows what would have become of these people's photographs if they hadn't already touched fame.
we do know what happened when George Bailey never existed though.

Well........ Mary Hatch was an old Spinster.
And brother Harry died, as a kid, when the ice broke open.
Wish i had a million dollars....... Hot Dog..!!!

 

[removed account4]

Well........ Mary Hatch was an old Spinster.
And brother Harry died, as a kid, when the ice broke open.
Wish i had a million dollars....... Hot Dog..!!!

"I'll have a flaming rum punch heavy on the cloves light on the cinnamon ... "
... we serve hard drinks to people who want to get drunk fast and we don't need character's like you hanging around to give the place atmosphere.. these two pixies out in the snow ... look at me, I'm giving out wings! ...

 

[Arthurwg]

Unfortunately the "Heroic Age" of photography is over, and so is the age of the "Heroic Photographer."