MATT TIMMONS BLOG

12-13-2011

I recently had the rare honor of spending time at the studio of one of my favorite photographers and philanthropists, Russell James.  I have followed his work ever since I got into photographing people.  For anyone unfamiliar, he’s the photographer who shoots all those iconic Victoria’s Secret images we’ve come to know and love, as well as countless magazine covers and the whole lot.  Here and there over the past few years he’s seen and sometimes evaluated my own work online through his photo contests as well as engaged in conversations regarding charitable efforts.  It was he that inspired me to actively participate in whatever way I could find myself useful toward helping organizations that help others.

I was at the studio one day and met him passing by.  Expecting a normal friendly hello, I was surprised by his marked enthusiasm.  I greeted him with, “Hey Russell, I’m  Matt Timmons, it’s an honor to finally meet you.”  His face lit up with a big surprised smile once recognizing me and his response was, “The honor is mine!  Do you have a few minutes?  Can you come into the studio and take a few photos with me?”.   Again, I was blown away by his kindness and generosity.  He and the team were shooting the 2012 Victoria’s Secret Valentine’s Day ad campaign (yes, six months in advance) and he was inviting me in to take a few pictures as well as meet the folks that make all that beauty so perfect.

I saw a couple of familiar faces that I had met before, and met a few new ones.  Alex, his first assistant, is one of the first people I met upon moving to New York and is always ready with a genuine huge smile and sincerity in his handshake.  I was soon surrounded by crew members all shaking my hand and gathering around for pictures.  His digital tech Andrea was there.  She’s so sweet and so very skilled at managing thousands of those all-important photos that in a few months will be gracing the catalog covers and huge store displays around the world.  I also got to meet and have my picture taken by the legendary Muz, the Aussie assistant who operates those uber-expensive Briese lighting systems as well as handles countless other responsibilities.  I have to admit, it was incredibly cool to have my picture taken on the same set with the same lighting and the same camera that was being used for the shots with professional model and VS Angel, Lais.  Although I somehow don’t think that my shots are going to turn out as good as hers, but we’ll see in February.  These folks are all so nice and they love talking to anyone who appreciates their work, plus they all get along so well.  Alex described them as, “We are all just like a family.”  We chatted for a little bit about photography as well as Russell’s personal project Nomad Two Worlds, and then Russell had to shoot the next look with VS Angel Miranda Kerr.  He invited me to hang out and leave when I was ready.

I can attest to the level of responsibility that it takes to work in this environment by observing the crew first hand.  Russell will tell you himself that he’s only one factor in the equation of these shoots, and after observing these folks at work you can really understand why.   When it’s time to shoot they are busy in an instant.  The sets are pre-readied, the lighting is perfected, everything is metered and ready to rock.  When the model steps onto the set, there’s no waiting around- she walks onto her mark and the show starts.  These folks are and have to be so on top of what they are doing because millions of dollars are being invested to get the results of these shots.  They have to have their job done right, slack delays can cost tens of thousands of dollars per hour.  The studio is enormous, more like a movie sound stage.  The sets are constructed specifically for each campaign with multiple sets made for all kinds of different shots.  The being the Valentine’s Day campaign, there were lots of giant red hearts, huge fluffy ‘lip’ shaped couches, and general ‘love’ themed sets.   The crew works long hours, and can work over 25 days in a row with no days off.  However, the environment is conducive for long days with gourmet catered meals, lots of relaxation areas and a frequent amounts of down time to catch a break.  All in all there’s about 25 people performing specific tasks each day.  It was eye-opening to see such professionalism, and I’m thankful to have been asked in.  Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, yes the models are absolutely gorgeous in person.  Tall, in perfect shape and of course look incredible in those bras and panties.  I think everyone would agree that their part is the easiest to set up- they just put on the garments, a little hair and makeup and voila, they’re perfect.

That’s the typical scene in the Victoria’s Secret studio.   It’s comprised of some great artful set construction and some of the most skilled and professional people you can ever meet, as well as being so welcoming.  My warmest thanks to the entire crew for being so nice, to Andrea for taking the time to send me these pictures, Alex for all his helpfulness and advice, and of course to Russell who’s kindness and generosity (as well as quick humor) is known by so many and now known by yet another.  It was a great day and I’m thankful for the hospitality.

October 23rd, 2011

You might have seen my earlier post about watching the Express Holiday 2011 Ad campaign being shot in Times Square.  I just saw the November issue of Vogue and the ads are finally starting to run.  I thought it would be fun to show what it looked like from my perspective.  So here’s the official ad shot by Greg Kadel, and my shot from the sidelines.  Express holiday store window displays always get me in the Christmas spirit, and it’s funny to me now seeing these ads come out knowing that it was over 100 degrees outside and something like 90% humidity when these were shot.  I remember how the models were baking in those clothes!

September 6th, 2011

January 2009. I had just finished having lunch at the Olive Garden when one of the employees caught my attention. Blonde super curly hair, high cheekbones, graceful face and neckline. I always hate walking up to women and asking if they would be interested in trying modeling because it seems like such a schmuck thing to do, but when you are trying to build a fashion and beauty portfolio in Albuquerque, NM you have to seize any opportunity to find subjects that have “the look”.  Amy was very nice, with the standard amount of apprehensiveness that any smart young woman should have when a guy walks up and asks if she would be interested doing a photo shoot. I gave her my contact info and she called me a few days later with interest in shooting. She was still cautious, waiting for the part where I either bushwhack a way to charge her money or some other “catch”. But there was no catch. I just had this idea for a shot where a model is holding the moon and Amy really had a great, very unique face that I thought would capture well. From there she didn’t need experience, just the ability to follow direction.

We scheduled the shoot and she came down along with her Dad for support to the studio I was renting. I remember how nervous but willing to try she was. The shoot went great and she seemed to really enjoy the creative process. She was very easy to work with, had enough confidence and a great look on camera. I was quickly interested in working with her more in kind of a developmental way. The only problem was, she wasn’t interested in modeling. Amy was a decorated high school varsity athlete who’s scholastic sports career was abruptly ended due to a broken back injury. She’s a person who is focused and driven toward goal achievement, with her strongest competitor being herself. You tell Amy she can’t do something, you better prepare to be proven wrong. I think she was mostly interested in doing this shoot to test herself to see if she could do it. Even her Dad didn’t watch one minute of it and couldn’t care less about this silly thing his daughter was dragging him away from Sports Center for. Her sights were set on a useful career in nursing, with no interest in prancing around in front of a camera or on a runway. But that all would change.

A year and a half later I called Amy to see if she would help me update my swimwear portfolio. I didn’t think she would be interested in this one iota, but I had to try. To my surprise she was cool with it, as long as it was classy. There was no problem there- if it’s not classy and sophisticated, I don’t want anything to do with it either.  We set up a test shoot to try it out, and again she was able to get past the shyness and produce the expressions that I was directing- just like acting. We set up the real shoot in the Jemez mountains a week later and it went really well. We shot some beautiful island-style looks in the waterfalls, and even when I wanted to have her completely covered in mud, which grossed her out entirely, she allowed it and proceeded to hit some of the most beautiful and perfect looks in my work to date. I could sense that again, she was looking at this task from a challenge point of view, and that’s how it was working for her. It may look easy at a temporary glance, but it’s not, especially when you are inexperienced. When a photographer casts you to model in his project and needs you to think and feel a certain way so that your eyes and body language can tell a story, it becomes more far difficult than a portrait session. Many hours are spent on getting the right shot, so for Amy, this was a new level to achieve. I discussed with her that I really thought that she had the ability to do this, and that a modeling career is not only a great job but also a great way to pay for the expensive education that the medical field requires. Even if not in fashion, then definitely in swimwear. But again the answer was the same- no interest in modeling.

In December of that year, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show made it’s annual appearance on TV and one can’t help but be entranced by it’s production value, beauty and positive energy. The very next day, I got a call from you know who. Amy was a re-invented girl on the phone. She was obsessed with becoming a model. She wanted to know where to get started and what to do. I could hear the drive in her voice and it was even inspiring me. “You saw the Victoria’s Secret fashion show didn’t you- and now you’re hooked!”  I said, laughing.  But you know what?  Amy is someone I could see doing it.  My standards are high, and if I think she can do it, maybe someone else out there will too.  So we took some simple no-makeup test shots for agencies and I helped her with a few online resources of what agencies to contact and how to go about it- and better yet, how not to go about it. Now there was a new problem. At 5’7″ and 3/4″, Amy is 1/4-inch below most of the the pro/legit agencies’ height requirements. That’s like trying to get into medical school with a 4.0 average but without a degree- close but not enough. It was going to be hard for her to beat that. During the same time I had a client that I was shooting a jewelry ad campaign for. They didn’t have a big budget for pro models and asked if I could recommend two girls from my experience who might be interested in shooting it. I immediately recommended Amy and told them that I believed in her ability to pull off a great shot, plus she could use some good ad tear sheets for her portfolio and as well as experience shooting for a client- something that is more critical than a portfolio shoot.

Again, Amy did quite well and I could see a maturity in her movement, her understanding and her ability in front of the camera- she had been studying modeling. The client was pleased and the ads ran. However, the 1/4 inch was keeping Amy out of agency interest, and therefore her own interest was starting to fade. Growing taller is a goal no one can achieve through any amount of hard work or study, and when girls that are competing for the same job are 5′ 11″, it’s even more bleak. But Amy’s key aspect is not her height, it’s everything else. Features, fitness, personality and intellect are the first things that come to my mind- and that goes a LONG way with an agent who needs to send over a girl to a big client who’s looking for someone new- someone unique. So we talked a few times, and I just encouraged her not to give up. If you want something, you have to pursue it, not wait for it.

This summer I moved to New York City and kept in touch with Amy with small nudges of encouragement so that she would still at least continue to submit to agencies. One night I had a dream that she came to NYC and went running around to all the agencies here. That was a weird dream because when I told her about it, she replied with a plan to actually do it. A couple of weeks later I met her and her Dad again, fresh off the plane in the heart of NYC in the pouring rain- a long way from the Jemez mountains. Over a slice of pizza, her Dad asked me, “Do you really think she has a shot at this?”. “Absolutely”, I replied. “I wouldn’t advise you to have spent a lot of money to come to New York of all places and run around here for a week if I thought it was just a lucky shot.  You’re going to get turned down by a lot of agents here, but you don’t need a lot, you only need one.” She did see a lot of agencies, and as it turns out, one of them called her back. They obviously saw more potential than a quarter-inch deficit could affect. After months of trying with no results and only a fading glimmer of hope of ever becoming a working professional model, Amy was signed with Major Model Management in New York City.

That’s what believing in yourself applied with an intelligent approach can do. I wished I could have just picked up the phone and told my agent colleagues to make it happen, but I can’t.  She did it on her own with no help. I think that’s really cool, and a testimonial for anyone who doesn’t believe in themselves enough to try- you should. Even when you don’t necessarily fit the rules, then break the rules.

Now the journey begins. Getting signed is just the first real step, developing a career is the next maze to navigate. But as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quoted, “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the next step.” I have all the confidence in Amy now as I have before to find her way to success.  It takes the kind of person that doesn’t believe in the odds, only in themselves. Welcome to the next chapter Amy, now show us what new goals you’re capable of reaching.

August 14th, 2011

I should have posted this about a month ago, but in my desperate method of dropping myself in here and hitting the streets to find a place to live, this blog post got moved to the waaay back burner.  What I thought would only take a few days to find a place ended up taking a month.  I’m a deal shopper and I learned quickly that there aren’t a lot of deals to be found on places to live in Manhattan (they’re out there, but you have to leave no stone unturned).  Basically what you can get for a mortgage payment in New Mexico will get you a closet space here- in an old building with bad water pressure.  So I searched and searched until finally two weeks ago I moved in to my new, really cool apartment with a nice view.

A change of venue like this means a change in my productivity as a commercial photographer.  One doesn’t just show up as the new kid on the block in the most competitive and high-standards photography market in the world and just start taking over photo gigs.  It’s a world of difference in how things work here, but I knew that coming in.  I’m here to learn and reach a higher level as a photographer, and to work with other professionals to create visuals that I could not achieve in New Mexico.   I still have my clients that I earned before the move, but now it’s more of a commute schedule to work out.

On any given day there are more than 30,000 working photographers here doing photo shoots for various commercial and editorial projects as well as video.  Some would see that as a glass half empty, but I see it as a good thing- it means that there are clients here and an economy for good photographers.  Just need to jump into the mix and start somewhere.  New York is a fashion photographer’s playground anyway, so at the very least it’s a great place to shoot for portfolio- just ad models, makeup, hair, styling…..wait what’s that?  Where does one get those people?  Well, if you want professionals or at least people who know what they are doing, that indeed is a task in itself.  If you want to see what a professional set looks like, see my previous post on the Express label shoot in Times Square that I attended.

Here’s a few shots that I’ve taken along the way during my first few weeks in Manhattan.  Some are touristy post card shots, but some took quite a bit of late night subway rides across town to some dodgy areas, and a few with a special photo rig I had to use because tripods aren’t allowed on tops of certain buildings.

Here’s to new beginnings, cheers.

July 24th, 2011

Walking down 42nd street the other day I saw a runway show being set up in Times Square for the label ‘Express’.   I came back for the show, which was in conjunction with a photo shoot for their fall catalog.  I love how productions are done in New York.  Everything is perfected- the sound, the lighting, everything is made to impress.  And that they did.  I’m not the most savvy of fashion experts, but I was very pleased to see the effort in designs for the fall season women’s line.  There was a large crowd, and overall the energy was there; with people clapping and cheering for various different models in styles that hit the mark.  I took some shots to show anyone who wasn’t there what they can expect to see in the malls in only a couple of months.

The thing is, the summer temperatures that night were around 95 degrees with ample humidity.  I mean it was hot.  The crowd was wearing shorts and T-shirts and wiping the sweat out of their eyes.  Most of the models were wearing coats, wool scarves and basic full winter gear.  They were absolutely baking but still kept their cool on the runway (in December there will be another outdoor show with the models wearing skimpy summer clothes in near-freezing temperatures).

Big ups to Express and the production crew for putting on a great show and for allowing the public access to view the set and to take photographs- which is something seldom ever allowed.  I’ll be looking in the mail for my catalog to see what shots made it in (as well as checking the stores for that 3/4 length mens wool jacket that the model was wearing in the shoot)!