january 2007 - Professional Photographer Magazine

PORTRAITURE
and classes. But also look outside professional
photography to figure out what the
buying public is looking for. Search for
alternative endings for your work that will
help you move in new directions.
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Next, grow your toolbox. Push aside the
obsession with pixels and pay more attention
to your five senses. Look for
inspiration in new places. Discover new
methods of making images.
Last, take the time to appreciate your
potential. Stop looking at photography from
a monetary perspective. Most photographers
got into this business because it was
fun. That’s when most photographers were
doing their best work. Then somewhere
along the line it became a job, and the fun
went out of it. Try to find a way to get back
to that original state of mind.
Where do you think professional photography
is headed from here?
Over the next 10 years, it’s going to be critical
to develop a distinct personal vision and style.
The buying public wants to know you have
something to offer that they can’t produce
themselves or get anywhere else. This approach
could represent a complete revamping of how
we present portrait photography.
The approach of getting people in front
of our cameras in the hopes of selling them
lots of prints at inflated prices is going to disappear.
It’s probably going back to the model
of getting one fee for a commissioned work.
This is the way my business is going,
because I believe that a picture is of somebody,
where a portrait is about somebody. ■
To see more from Arthur Rainville, visit his
Web site at www.studiorainville.com.
Arthur Rainville presents “The Creation
of Ecstasy: Celebrating the Genius of
John Singer Sargent” at IUSA 2007 in
San Antonio, January 14-16.
For details, call 888-260-0016 or visit
www.imagingusa.org.