Be Honest © Frank Chimero [visit Frank's site / buy the poster]

One of the biggest parts of what I do is trying to persuade certain people — art directors, art buyers, designers, photo editors, creative directors, marketing execs, etc. — to hire me.

It goes beyond that, though. I’m really trying to convince them to trust in me enough to do an outstanding job so that they may keep theirs.

How I undertake this persuasion varies. I send emails, make visits with my portfolio, buy cocktails and lunches, use Twitter, go to networking events — that kind of stuff.

I started thinking the other day: why do I have to do all the convincing?

Sure, I have to earn their trust but shouldn’t the people I want to work with (and who, I assume, want to work with me) have to convince me that I really want to work with them? Shouldn’t they convince me that I can trust them as well?

Now I know art directors, art buyers, et al. are in the driver’s seat most of the time. When it comes to hiring photographers they have a big pool to choose from and often get to have their pick of the litter (so to speak).

Here’s where my head is at (and having just read the “Make Your Own Game” chapter of Chris Brogan and Julien Smith’s book Trust Agents got my mind going).

We both know I want to work with you. We both know I love making photographs and would love to do so with you. We both know you have a hundred other shooters to choose from.

However, my question to you dear art director, art buyer, designer, creative director, photo editor, marketing exec is:

Why should I trust and want to work with you?

I recently photographed Social Fresh, a social media conference here in Charlotte, and I had such a good time. Here are some of the photos.

Welcome to Social Fresh © Armando Bellmas

Social Fresh volunteer Christa Hanson © Armando Bellmas

Wray Ward’s oranges © Armando Bellmas

Social Fresh being all about the social web I decided to post as many high res photos online just minutes after they were made.

I did this using lots of CF cards, a card reader, a MacBook Pro surfing a sketchy wifi network, a Tumblr account with direct-to-Twitter posting, the #sofresh hashtag, great subjects, and a top shelf assistant.

Jessica, my assistant © Armando Bellmas

I’d shoot a small round of posed and session shots, download the images to Lightroom on the MacBook Pro while Jessica loaded a new card into the camera, find the best one or two photos, post them to Tumblr, which automatically posts them to Twitter with the #sofresh hashtag, and puts the images out there for the conference and everyone on Twitter to share, comment on, and enjoy.

The social web.

A Charlotte Observer photographer and keynote David Armano © Armando Bellmas

Nathan Richie got his orange crush © Armando Bellmas

Social media — Twitter, in particular — has been a great way to get myself out there. What fascinates me most is how easy it is to connect with someone if you just have patience and good intentions. It takes me directly to people that need to know about me. It introduces me to some great minds and motivated people — much like Social Fresh bossman Jason Keath (thanks, man) and others that I’ve gone on to meet or work with in person.

And many that I have had the privilege to photograph.

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See all the fun in the whole Social Fresh set and follow the conversation.

This is what life is like as a photographer/vendor.

You know it’s true.

A recent issue of STOP SMILING magazine featured a tribute to poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti through an interview with photographer and filmmaker Chris Felver.

Lawrence Ferlinghetti – Fuck Art, Let’s Dance / Photo © Chris Felver

Felver recently directed and is currently screening a documentary film about his long-time friend and collaborator called Ferlinghetti.

From the interview:

“Some people never want to meet their heroes,” says Felver. “As a photographer and documentary filmmaker, you have to. That has been my mission from the beginning: to find a thread to connect all these people I admire by photographing them or making films about them, their lives and their work. The camera became my welcome wagon.”

The camera is his welcome wagon into the lives of his heroes — or anyone else he photographs, for that matter.

I feel the same way much of the time. Meeting, photographing, and getting to know people — even if just for the few minutes we spend together as photographer and subject — is one of my absolute favorite parts of what I do.

This is the email promo going out this week to creatives and decision makers everywhere from yours truly.

© Armando Bellmas

I love how some of my fellow photographers choose to warn you about the pending delivery of our promos to your inboxes.

The best, however, comes from good ol’ Thomas Broening in a blog post titled Brace Yourself:

If you work in advertising, used to work in advertising, or if your neighbor’s dog worked in advertising then brace yourself because you will probably get this spam from me in the next 48 hours.

Honest. Necessary. Classic.

Forgive us our spam and hire us.

This is Adam.

© Armando Bellmas

I photographed him for a magazine a couple of months ago.

© Armando Bellmas

Both these images were made at the wonderfully awesome Federal in good ol’ Durham, North Carolina.

I’ve been showing my book to ad agencies and magazines for years now and most everyone has been nothing short of gracious and hospitable. It’s one of my favorite parts of being a photographer.

I traveled to Atlanta recently to visit and meet with a few agencies. Met a bunch of wonderful art buyers, art directors, and designers that were very receptive to my visit and my work. I’m so grateful to each and every one of them for making the time.

One agency, however, went a little further in welcoming me to their offices. Sitting on the receptionist’s desk was this sign:

© Armando Bellmas

Made me feel like a VIP. Very nice touch. (Thanks Chris.)

Take a look at this photo I made of Julie a few weeks ago.

© Armando Bellmas

This photograph makes me happy for a bunch of reasons. The main one being that it’s a shot in the right direction.

As an artist you get this vision of where you want your work to go, where you want it to take you, of what you want it to look like based on the ideas in your head. Sometimes it’s hard to put it into words. This shot, however, does all the talking — it just looks and feels right to me.

This pride in my work jives perfectly with this quote from Kurt Vonnegut (via The Onion’s A.V. Club):

I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.’

Yep, this is one of those moments.

I love photographing people. I’m constantly fascinated by the way people dress and carry themselves; by their faces and body shapes; their expressions and mannerisms. Most times, I’m not shy about going up to a person I find interesting and asking if I can make a photo of them.

Which is why this project by photographer Simon Hoegsberg looks and sounds so cool to me. It’s called Faces of New York.

© Simon Hoegsberg

Hoegsberg writes:

Once in a while I see a person on the street who immediately attracts my attention. I’m fascinated by the appearance of the person and feel a strong urge to walk over and say hi.

I know that impulse well. Check out Hoegsberg’s whole Faces of New York series.

Here’s a tearsheet from a recent assignment for Travel + Leisure Golf. This was published in the September/October issue and was a very fun assignment.

Photos © Armando Bellmas

My assistant and I spent a couple of hours in Pinehurst, North Carolina — a golfing paradise — with the “Lord Mayor of Golftown” Tom Stewart.

Tom owns a place called the Old Sport Gallery which has become a museum of rare golf memorabilia and art. Tom regaled us and shop visitors with story after story about “the old sport” and the people he has met through his love of the game.

It was a wonderful way to spend the morning and I’m so grateful to Travel + Leisure Golf for the assignment.

When my Photo Editor sent me copies of the magazine she included this note.

Always a great thing to hear. Thanks, Moira!

© Armando Bellmas

This is an outtake from a project I worked on this summer for the Charlotte School of Law. Twenty images, twenty different locations, eight days, lots of work, and a huge blast! A big thanks to the MODE crew for bringing me on for this one.

This shot was created inside Zada Jane’s Corner Cafe here in Charlotte. Owner Roger Raymer and the Zada Jane’s staff were the best hosts we could ask for providing biscuits, coffee, space for us to spread out, and all-around good hospitality.

A perfect way to spend an afternoon.

© Armando Bellmas

A few weeks ago I photographed Jason Hausman of HOT SAKE here in Charlotte.

I made the photographs for a local group of young media professionals called Ad2 Charlotte. They’re featuring Hausman in the first of their “I’m Kind of a Big Deal” talks. The main shot, seen here, was a straight-on number to be used in all the promo pieces for the event. Done.

The second shot (above) was where I let my style truly take over.

We had a few minutes to spare at the end of the shoot and, never letting a good combination of subject and location go to waste, I asked Jason is he would stand by the window for a few more photos.

Everything fell into place: the perspective, Jason himself, the window bars, the brick wall, the indoor lights hitting just the right spots, the little ukulele hanging in the back window, and the good ol’ sun itself giving me the lighting that I love so much. Done.