A bridge to nowhere, or the way forward to opportunity? This concept stock photo is the result of a collaboration between the photographer and his stock agency.
A Rickety Bridge,
Concept Photos And A “Supply Chain”
A couple of weeks ago Blend Images asked me to work on some
concept stock photos. One concept they asked me to undertake was that of
“Supply Chain”. As I thought about what I could create to illustrate that
concept this bridge image that I had captured on a trip to Myanmar sprung to
mind. I liked that the bridge was
rickety and near failing and could represent the adversity and challenges that
face most supply chains.
A Bridge In Need Of A
Location
I went through my archives and found the image. The existing
background was very uninteresting so I decided to strip the footbridge out and
put it in a much more dramatic setting.
I decided to create a clipping path using the pen tool and have the
isolated bridge on a separate layer. Then I could simply try differing
backgrounds till I found the one that worked the best. It took me about an
hour, give or take a few minutes, to create the clipping path and put the
bridge on it’s own layer.
Fog Banks,
Cloudscapes
I went back to my archives in search of just the right
background. It didn’t take me long to realize that having the bridge simply
disappear into a cloudbank would be great. I used a combination of San
Francisco Fog banks and high-altitude cloudscapes to create my ideal
scenario. The whole effort from
clipping path to finished image only took a few hours. I was pretty excited
with the image, which I realized had a compelling drama as well as enough
flexibility to apply to a wide range of concepts.
Editing And A New Direction
Next I sent a low -resolution jpeg to my art director, Jim
Dougherty, at Blend. He quickly replied that I should try adding a person to
the image, perhaps a figure crossing the bridge. Looking back it seems like an obvious option, and yet
without the input of my editor I wouldn’t have tried it...I was pretty darn
happy with the image the way it was. In fact, when Jim first suggested that I
try it I was a bit doubtful. I figure it might actually limit the sales opportunities...I
really like how the bridge without a figure seemed so open to a wide range of
concepts. But one thing I have learned from thirty years of being a
professional photographer is that I don’t have all the answers.
Crossing The Bridge
The next morning I went in to the studio, set my camera up
on the camera stand and used the self- timer to photograph myself in a variety
of standing and walking positions. I ended up silhouetting myself out in three
different positions. I began with having the model (me) just about to enter the
fog bank, and then I began trying different scenarios. None of them were really
working for me. Finally, I just added myself in the foreground to look as if I
am contemplating an attempt at crossing the bridge. That was it!
Rights Managed, Or
Royalty Free
Originally I was thinking this would be a Rights Managed
image. A lot of work went into it...a full day of photography and imaging not
even counting the original bridge image shot in Myanmar. And yet, I could see
so many potential uses from the risks and dangers of “Cloud Computing” to such
tried and true concepts as “The Way Forward”, The Future, and “Journey’s”. Add to that the fact that as an RF
image I can also include the original bridge photo sans model, and I decided to
go Royalty Free.
Working With An
Agency And The Big Picture
This is just one example of how working closely with an
agency can pay off. Every photographer works differently with their editor or
art director, but however one works with them, it is important to take
advantage of their knowledge. As photographers we see only a very small part of
the big picture. Art Directors such as Jim have the advantage of knowing what
the gaps and needs of the agency collection are as well as having access to a
ton of market research. They see the work coming in from numerous other photographers
as well, which helps them understand where an individual photographer can fit
in and maximize their own strengths.
Honing In On Market
Needs And Fine Tuning Photography
As stock photography continues to get increasingly
competitive it becomes ever more important for photographers to hone in on the
needs of the market and to minimize wasted efforts that are duplicating
existing work or aimed at non-existent needs. Working closely with an agency
can help photographers make the most of their time and resources and help them
fine-tune their photography to make it the most effective it can be.
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