Summary: <br> Camera Work Podcast 47<br> <br> @johnricard<br> <br> @shettababy<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Marshetta worked with me very briefly on Black Girls Rock last year. When she saw an opportunity to work with me for this year’s BGR shoot, she quickly volunteered to assist me. I had asked BET to provide an assist of the shoot. As Marshettahetta describes it, the assignment was for me to photograph attendees in high energy expressions. We were also photographing curvy women at the event. We were set up in the area where the performances and awards were being held. We were positioned near the entrance to grab women as soon as they entered the venue. We wanted them while they were fresh and blamed up. The challenge was to photograph the women quickly -maybe 20 or 30 seconds.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> For me one good thing about this shoot is that we had BET staffers bring in the women and take care of the model release. I was able to focus 100% on capturing the right moments. It is mentally draining to talk to so many people in this high entry manner. I’m not really even aware of what I’m saying. I’m in a zone and I’m saying anything that will generate the reaction that I am looking for. <br> <br> I put myself “in state”. In my mind, the women are all going to pose like rockstars. I don’t even entertain the idea that they might be nervous or uncomfortable. My “reality” is that they will shine in fromt of my camera, and I allow MY reality to overpower their own. <br> <br> <br> <br> Granted, the women have chosen to do this session, so it is like that they will cooperate and I am also catching them at at time when they are dressed to the 9’s and that also makes them want to be photographed. I pointed out that Marshettahetta was a good assistant because it is easy for anyone on set to make one comment that makes the person uncomfortable and Marshettahettahetta seemed to instinctively understand that and she never said anything inappropriate.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> Instagram: Personally, I don’t use it view content. I create content there. After Marshetta took a photo of me at BGR, i looked for her IG to tag her. I discovered her profile is private. Marchetti said she was willing listen to why her IG should be public, but she has had conversations with people in the past about it, and she has her own reasons as to why she likes the account private. <br> <br> I explained to Marshetta, the following: Imagine I am an art director for Complex magazine, and you get on my radar. I might want to check out your work regularly, without you knowing that I am doing so. I don’t want you contacting me with, “Oh, I see you are following me. Can I shoot something for you?” <br> <br> Also, a male art director, or any given male may not be able to follow a “private” female without it causing problems in his personal relationships. He may not be able to explain to his significant other, why he wants to follow this female. Instagram is a public platform, there is no reason to make it private.<br> <br> Marshetta asks if a person should have a personal and a business account. For me, IG is so much work. You need to post every day, at the same time every day and the content needs to be good in both imagery and captions. It is so much work, that it is virtually impossible to maintain 2 accounts. Also, a good IG account can showcase both the personal and the professional work. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. Marshetta follows my IG and as a result she knows some of my professional work like my street photography, and she also is aware of my relationship with my daughter. Also, if the vision is consistent between the personal and the private, then its a beautiful thing to have both in the same account. Jeremy Cowart is a photographer who does an excellent job of combining both the personal and the professional on his IG account. Furthermo
