21 — Self-Revelation and Sales

Many artists come to me asking variations of this question: how do I photograph people who are emotionally available?

They may state it as “how do I ‘get’ clients who want my work?”

Well —

One part of the answer, broadly, very broadly:

Become emotionally available to your own life (this is not easy — this is a hero’s quest)

Make exceptionally beautiful images from that process & share them

The people on their own gritty, redemptive, engaged quest will find you

It is not really the person who loves your work who hires you (though it is)

It is the person who loves what they have created in their lives so much, has worked so hard for it, is so proud of it, that they are ready and need to have it captured

It is then that Photography is possible (not just “pictures”) and the client arrives with the emotional availability you seek

So: believe in your life & reveal yourself

Two of the hardest & best things one can do

This is the essence of what you’re asking them to do in front of your lens

You first

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Examples of Self-Revelation

Sonja Stich on lost and found personal lore

From a Younger Mother to an Older Mother by Claire Dam

Dos Mas En La Mesa takes over COUNTERPART PHOTOS

Sara Weir’s 3600 Hours chronicles resentment to revelation (we discuss the project on MULTIVERSE here)

Yan Palmer goes viral in 2012 for being openly sick of it