Earlier in the month we released the first part of four posts on putting up your first art show. In part one we talked about creating an outline so that you can juggle all of the elements of a show without anything important slipping through the cracks. With part two, we will dive into the [...] Read more – ‘The First Show (2/4): Editing’.
It’s likely that at some point in your career, you will have an indecisive client. Maybe they have a hard time making decisions, or maybe they’re just not getting around to it. In any case, it may mean that you’re waiting on feedback from them before you can finish (and bill) the job. Today I [...] Read more – ‘How To Prod Your Clients To Get Things Done’.
I recently met with a documentary photographer and had a long discussion about a project she is developing. While trying to figure out how to convey a specific aspect through images, we started talking about what other media could better bring the ideas across. This is something I’ve been thinking about more and more in [...] Read more – ‘What Came First, the Medium or the Message?’.
With this interview, we look into another behind-the-scenes job. Many times, it’s the photographer who gets all the glory, when in reality, a whole team of people were involved in creating the shot. On a food shoot, one of those members can be a food stylist; a professional who makes everyone one the team look [...] Read more – ‘That’s A Job! (Food Stylist)’.
You’ve worked hard for a number of years, pulling all-nighters, and scrambling all over the city to get the pieces together for your final project, meeting deadline after deadline. Do you deserve a break after graduation? Sure you do. But I’ll give you a few reasons why you shouldn’t take an official break. Don’t get [...] Read more – ‘Do You Deserve A Break After Graduation?’.
One of the exciting things about this time of year, is getting to visit various schools’ end of the year shows. It can be a bit overwhelming seeing so much new work in such a short period of time, but there are definitely many gems to be found. Today we’ve got a selection of some [...] Read more – ‘Students to Watch: Image Arts, Ryerson’.
Starting today we’re launching a four part feature on putting on your first show. I’ll be writing this from the perspective of a photography show, but nearly everything applies to any type of art show. I’m going to assume you already have a body of work and a gallery that you’ll be showing at, and [...] Read more – ‘The First Show (1/4): Create an Outline’.
For long, long time I held to the belief that a camera is a camera and a phone is a phone. Then, late last summer, I got an iPhone. I was able to justify it by telling myself that I’m a busy entrepreneur, out and about and needing constant contact with my computer. (All true). [...] Read more – ‘Making Pictures Pretty: The Camera Awesome App’.
Last year we received a lot of great feedback on our CONTACT Walking Guides so we’ve brought them back for this year’s festival! CONTACT is an amazing opportunity to see good photography, but can be overwhelming with so many good shows. There are two guides – one for around Queen & Spadina and the other [...] Read more – ‘Free CONTACT Walking Guides 2012!’.
May is almost here, and that means it’s time to get your photography-marathon on! The CONTACT photography festival, an event that turns Toronto into one huge photo exhibition, launches tonight. Though it was definitely hard to narrow the list down, we’ve put together a list of five events we think you should have a look [...] Read more – ‘Events: May 2012’.
Until very recently, the thought of Life Drawing conjured images of beret-clad artistes sitting around a classically plump woman, painting canvasses with hand-held palettes. One of the things we feel strongly about at Knock Twice is life long learning, so last week Eugen and I attended the bi-monthly life drawing session at ARTiculations, and there [...] Read more – ‘Try It: Life Drawing’.
Later this week I’m heading off to New York and Atlanta for a couple of shoots, so I thought it would be apt to do a post on traveling for work. I’ve been lucky to travel quite a bit the last few years, even a trip to photograph a private villa in the Turks and [...] Read more – ‘On Traveling for Work’.
Today we’ve got a new Flightpath Artist Talk for you featuring Goh Iromoto. From swimming with whale sharks to working on The Cove, shooting cowboys to snowshoeing in the north, Goh is a self taught photographer and director that has been on some amazing assignments. In his talk he goes into depth about how to run a [...] Read more – ‘Flightpath Artist Talk: Goh Iromoto’.
We really appreciate all of the feedback we’ve been getting on this feature; feel free to keep it coming. Today we profile Roberto Nascimento, an expressive arts therapist at MukiBaum Treatment Centre. “Art therapist” is actually one of the jobs that inspired this feature because I feel like it’s a career that a lot of [...] Read more – ‘That’s a Job! (Expressive Arts Therapist)’.
Last week it was announced that Facebook bought Instagram for around a billion dollars. Not a moment later, I started seeing articles along the lines of “how to become the next Instagram”. All of us doing creative work, by that I mean creating new things, be it developers or painters, entrepreneurs or designers, have heroes [...] Read more – ‘Ignore the Outliers’.
I first became aware of Bernard Faucon’s work while I was still a student. We were looking at ways text and image can coexist, and this guy took it farther than you’d probably imagine: He had large words cut out of wood, then covered them in reflective tape so they would bounce back his flash [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know… Bernard Faucon’.
Remember producer Dan Montgomery from this post a few weeks ago? Well, Montgomery and his business partner, director Kazik Radwanski, have had great success screening their films at prestigious festivals. Their 2008 short film, Princess Margaret Blvd., has generated numerous awards and accolades including the Best International Short Film Award at the 2009 Edinburgh International [...] Read more – ‘Film Festivals and Grants’.
It’s our 200th post! So first off, thank you to all of you for reading Knock Twice, commenting, sharing posts, and attending our events. You’re awesome! One of the things we want to do more of on the blog is share great, inspiring books, and give them away! Both Erika and I are big readers [...] Read more – ‘Steal Like an Artist (Book)’.
We’re excited to share a new video with you featuring Leila Ashtari. Last year she worked as a photographer on CBC’s cooking show In the Kitchen, shooting all of the show’s food stills. Leila sat down with us to share her experience, how she got the job, the challenges of working on a TV set, and more! Please [...] Read more – ‘Leila Ashtari on Photographing for TV’.
I am all about affordable art. (I am also all about somewhat unaffordable art, but it’s nice to have some good things within reach….) I recently attended a talk at RyersonUniversitythat coincided with a group exhibition of student work. Let’s just say that I went in for the lecture and came out having purchased an [...] Read more – ‘Awesome Art Online’.
April is here, and that means that Hot Docs is quickly approaching! For those who’ve never been, Hot Docs is Canada’s International Documentary Film Festival which takes place in Toronto and runs from April 26th to May 6th. It is a great place to see new documentary films from around the world, many of which [...] Read more – ‘Hot Docs is Coming!’.
The sun is out and, though you may need a jacket, it’s time for walking around and experiencing some art. There are some great exhibitions and events in April; I’m especially excited about the two painting shows. And we’d love to hear what you’re looking forward to seeing this month. ELEGY Artist: Deborah Samuel Runs: [...] Read more – ‘Events: April 2012’.
Thanks to everyone who came out to last night’s Flightpath Artist Talks. We love that so many of you are interested what we’re doing, and the industry in general. It is our pleasure to feature MDFF‘s Dan Montgomery in today’s post, providing a little insight into his job as an independent film producer. Name: Dan [...] Read more – ‘That’s A Job! (Independent Film Producer)’.
One of the things that is often left out of discussions around the value of going to art school is all the classes that are in no way related to art. This is probably truer for university programs than colleges (correct me if I’m wrong), but I had to take around two courses per semester [...] Read more – ‘Beyond the Art in Art School’.
Today we’re excited to share our second Flightpath Artist Talk with you. Amanda McCavour is a Toronto based textile artist, who creates installations by sewing into water soluble material. She covers a variety of topics such as how she came to her working process, her experience at various residencies, and how she develops projects. Topics [...] Read more – ‘Flightpath Artist Talk: Amanda McCavour’.
Though we’ve kind of been having spring for months here in Toronto, yesterday it became official. And while things like gardening and beer on patios come to mind, I also love to throw open the windows and shake the dust out. This goes for my business as well as my home. Here are some ideas [...] Read more – ‘Spring Clean Your Business’.
Last week, with the release of the new iPad, also came the announcement of iPhoto for the iPhone / iPad. Different from iMovie, which is only capable of basic editing, iPhoto is closer to a full photo editing suite similar to early versions of Lightroom. There are brushes for dodging and burning, automatic horizon correction, [...] Read more – ‘Will iPhoto Steal Your Job?’.
We’re all for people creating informed work, seeing new things , and being inspired. Eugen and I both attended Kiana Hayeri’s opening last night at the I.M.A. Gallery; and if you’re inToronto, we suggest you check it out. (Obviously, we also suggest that you attend our Flightpath artist talk with Kiana herself). If you can’t [...] Read more – ‘Roundup: A Few New Blogs’.
A friend of mine is new to business, and to the business-side of the internet. She knows she needs a website (because everyone needs a website), but is a little stuck on anything past that. I ran into a great visual analogy over on ProPhoto that I found helpful for breaking down the different parts [...] Read more – ‘“A Man Without Land Is Nothing” – Web 101 (and a 50% Clamorate Deal)’.
A couple of weeks ago we had our first ever Flightpath Artist Talks and we’re excited to say they were a great success! Today we release the first of these talks online and will have the second one up in the coming weeks. In this video, wildlife photographer Amanda McNaughton talks about photographing wild horses [...] Read more – ‘Flightpath Artist Talks: Amanda McNaughton (Video)’.
You will either love or hate Martin Parr’s work – it has oddly, given its content, been the target of a lot of controversy. When going through the process to join Magnum, Philip Jones Griffiths (a former president of the agency) said “Let me state that I have great respect for him as the dedicated [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know… Martin Parr’.
We’re friendly, charming, and sometimes even funny; want to be our friend? We use the Knock Twice facebook page to spread the word about job opportunities, internships, workshops, and exhibition openings. We’re also working on posting more photos of the things we’re seeing when we go out and about. We want you to ‘like’ us [...] Read more – ‘Win A Free Clamorate Membership!’.
Pinterest has been receiving a lot of buzz recently and I’ve had several people raise concerns about copyright infringement of their work on the site. After poring over countless articles, it’s clear that the majority of discussions revolve about various technicalities in copyright law and interpretations of fair use. Rather than adding to the noise, [...] Read more – ‘Pintrested in Copyright?’.
I want to thank our readers for all the great feedback about our interview with food photographer Maya Visnyei. We’re excited to keep this feature going and help you discover more of the jobs that exists in and around art. Our second profile is Josh Morden, preparator at Stephen Bulger Gallery. Never heard of a preparator? [...] Read more – ‘That’s A Job! (Preparator)’.
Thank you to everyone who came out to join us last night for our first Flightpath artist talks. We had a great turnout, and both of our speakers were really well received. Our second set of talks will be on March 27th, and we’ll be posting the details as we get a little closer to [...] Read more – ‘Events: March 2012’.
Whether you want to or not, eventually you will have to share your work with the world. It could be with your parents or partner, you class at school, or a potential client – at some point, someone will critique your work, there’s no way around it. Depending on the feedback critiques can leave you [...] Read more – ‘How to Get the Most Out of Critiques’.
We’ve received several emails from readers who are frustrated with approaching galleries and getting their proposals for shows stonewalled. It can be tough to get a show when you don’t have an exhibition history and your work is fairly unknown. Something young artist don’t often consider is finding an event space and curating their own [...] Read more – ‘Laid Bare on Curation (VIDEO)’.
We love to be able to shed light on interesting projects. There are a lot of photographers in the world, so sometimes it’s nice to be able to focus in for a moment on one little project at a time. I came across Theron Humphrey’s ‘This Wild Idea’ recently, and I love it. If it’s [...] Read more – ‘This Wild Idea’.
It takes a long time to start doing freelance professionally – there are many stages you have to go through before you can even consider doing client work. At first you have to become proficient on the technical end. This can take a few years but it’s fun, you’re learning new skills – illustration, design, [...] Read more – ‘Making Them Pay’.
With nearly 200 posts under our belt, we thought it might be time to round up a few of our faves so those of your who are new to the site don’t miss out on all of our earlier content. One of the main topics readers ask us about is money; how to negotiate for [...] Read more – ‘Roundup: The Money’.
As we’ve been talking to emerging creative professionals, it’s become apparent that there are a lot of jobs out that may not get the recognition they deserve. I know when I was in art school, everyone assumed that they would be “an Artist”, largely because we didn’t know how many jobs there are around art [...] Read more – ‘That’s A Job! (Food Photographer)’.
For both Erika and I, a big surprise upon graduating was the wealth of jobs available to fine arts majors. There is an idea that if you go to art school you should become a capital ‘A’ Artist and be a professional photographer, painter, illustrator or what ever else you majored in. In reality, most [...] Read more – ‘A Wealth of Jobs’.
I am excited to finally announce one of the projects we’ve been working on for the last while – we are launching a new lecture series called Flightpath. On the last Tuesday of every month, we invite two young artists/creatives to share their experience, speaking about what they do and how they got there, in [...] Read more – ‘We’ve Started a Lecture Series!’.
Ok, I promise this is the last post about Diane Arbus for a while. But I received the book Diane Arbus: A Chronology as a Christmas gift and have enjoyed it so much it seemed selfish not to share. I knew as soon as I saw the beautifully-typefaced cover that this book could be great, [...] Read more – ‘Diane Arbus: A Chronology (book)’.
The more openings and artist talks I attend, the more I’ve come to realize that there are two distinct approaches to presenting one’s work to viewers. On one side, there are artists that talk at length about the meaning of their work and why they made it. On the other, are artists that hold back [...] Read more – ‘The Artist Vs. The Viewer’.
Most well known for her awkward photographs of people on the fringes of society, Diane Arbus is an example of someone who worked hard at her craft, pursuing commercial jobs alongside her personal work. You may recall that we mentioned her last week, with regards to getting permission and support. She photographed some of New [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know…..Diane Arbus’.
Can you get in touch with the people who are interested in you and your work? Eugen and I have been meeting with a number of people for some upcoming projects (stay tuned!), and we’ve been gleaning all kinds of ideas from them. Our talk with Alice Zilberberg included a conversation about mailing lists, and [...] Read more – ‘How to Start a Mailing List’.
I was recently talking to a friend, who is also a fine-art photographer, about print sizes. His prints are quite small (in the 5 x 7in range) and he expressed his annoyance at how the market value of photographic prints, paintings as well I’m sure, is so closely tied to their size (larger works cost [...] Read more – ‘Does Size Matter?’.
From YouTube star / artist Hennesy Youngman giving a talk to Jesse Louttit’s amazing project - No Roads, I’m really excited for several events in the coming month! I’m also trying to plan a trip to Montreal to see some of Taryn Simon’s work in person at DHC/ART. It’ll be a busy month, can’t wait! Hennesy [...] Read more – ‘Events: February 2012’.
It’s not good enough to approach a photo editor and tell them to trust you, that you’re sure you’ll do a great job if they’ll give you an assignment. Good work begets more good work, and you need to be able to show people that you can do the job. It’s hard for people to [...] Read more – ‘Show The Work You Want To Do’.
You’ve probably heard of photographer collectives or at least seen them pop up online. In a new video post (we’re trying to do a lot more this year), we talk to photographer Jonathan Taggart – a founding member of the Boreal Collective, about what a collective is, why he is a part of one, and [...] Read more – ‘Jonathan Taggart on the Boreal Collective’.
Lately I’ve been reading a lot about effective networking and asking people for help. I pride myself on my independence and ability to ‘just get stuff done’, but I also think about something I read a while ago. The idea was that people want to help you when you’re in your twenties – you can [...] Read more – ‘A Permission Letter For Diane Arbus’.
Most freelancers I know view health insurance as a luxury, rather than a necessity. You would insure your gear, why not your body? I understand that money doesn’t grow on trees, and insurance is something your don’t need until you do. But think about the situations when you’d need health insurance, and consider whether you [...] Read more – ‘Understanding Insurance – Part Two’.
As the deadline to submit my HST starts to loom, I find myself dreading the day when I have to spend several hours sorting through and making sense of all my expense receipts. There are many tasks, usually quite small on their own, that we tend to always push to a later date. The problem [...] Read more – ‘Saving Time in the Future’.
I’ve held off talking about Taryn Simon for a long time because she is so recent. I’ll be honest, she is my favourite photographer and upon receiving her newest book – A Living Man Declared Dead and Other Chapters, I can no longer keep quiet. Simon’s work should definitely be on your radar! The Big [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know… Taryn Simon’.
In my grade eight science class we were charged with designing and executing an experiment. My partner and I decided to test the effects of different beverages on bean plants; one would get tap water, one would get bottled water, and one would get green tea. So, for example, all the plants were kept on [...] Read more – ‘Don’t Feed Soda to the Bean Plant (or “The Scientific Way to Get Feedback”)’.
I am constantly consuming content. Whether it’s reading blogs on my Google Reader, listening to podcasts on my iPhone, or reading books on my Kindle, it seems no matter where I am or what I’m doing I will find a way to take in new material. However, once in a while I come across something [...] Read more – ‘Consuming Valuable Content’.
It’s the new year; a time to ride the feel-good momentum to do the things you should be doing. So let’s talk about insurance. You may have health insurance ( if not, there’s a post on that too). But today is about insuring your business. If you have any type of work, gear, or space [...] Read more – ‘Understanding Insurance – Part One’.
If you’re the kind of person who trolls the internet looking at other people’s homes (and I certainly am that kind of person), you may be familiar with Design*Sponge. Founded by Brooklyn-based writer Grace Bonney, the site features house tours, DIY projects, interviews, before + afters, great decor finds…you get the idea. If you’re thinking [...] Read more – ‘Biz Ladies: A Resource by Design*Sponge’.
Thank you very much to everyone who has ever read Knock Twice and told others about it! It’s been a really exciting year for us, getting into the flow of things, launching projects, and holding giveaways. As we move into 2012 we have a lot of great things planned. Here is a look at some [...] Read more – ‘The Year in Review / The Year Ahead’.
As you’re finalizing your New Year’s plans and figuring out how not to break all your new year’s resolutions the first week of January, be sure to pencil in a few gallery visits into your schedule. There are some great shows going up, one I’m really looking forward to is “Suspension” by Joshua MacDonald. We [...] Read more – ‘Events: January 2012’.
As we draw closer to the beginning of a new year, I hope everyone has had some time to relax, rejuvenate, and reflect on the current year. I feel like now is the time to start thinking about what changes one would make for the new year, not just in terms of personal growth (won’t [...] Read more – ‘Thinking About Changes for the New Year’.
As the end of the year approaches it’s a good idea to look over various aspects of your business and do a sort of annual report. When you’re working day to day it’s hard to see the big picture so it’s important to step back once a year and make any necessary changes to how [...] Read more – ‘Where Does the Money Come From?’.
It’s a bold move to place oneself in art history. Yasumasa Morimura takes the most famous works from the history of art and digitally inserts his own face and body into the pieces. Morimura appropriates everything from the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh to Cindy Sherman’s photographs in the creation of his own work. The [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know… Yasumasa Morimura’.
Today’s post is really more of a question, or poll. I know it’s holiday crunch time, but if you can spare a minute, I’d love to hear what you have to say. A few years ago, I gave one of my friends a photograph for Ghristmas. As he was unwrapping it, another friend piped up [...] Read more – ‘A Holiday Question for Artists…’.
There has been some sad news in the photo community lately. Heather Morton, an art buyer and a constant inspiration for young photographers here in Toronto (and worldwide I’m sure) through her blog, has developed a tumour – Fibromatosis to be specific. As a result she will be undergoing chemo treatment for two years! To [...] Read more – ‘HMAb: The Fundraiser’.
A while ago we talked about Lynda tutorials in the post Knowing What You Need to Know. While Lynda is awesome, not everyone has the money to spend nearly $40 a month for a subscription and sometimes you just need to learn one specific skill so subscribing doesn’t make sense. There are many other tutorial websites (free [...] Read more – ‘Roundup: Online Photoshop Tutorials’.
My father worked in retail for years. He is an excellent salesman. He says that one of the secrets to being successful is never saying ‘no’. When a customer asks “do you have this in blue?” the answer is never “no,” rather “we have it in this great shade of red.” I don’t know if [...] Read more – ‘Never Say No’.
A couple of weeks ago I talked about why you should consider starting a side project over the winter break. While side projects are a lot of fun, they can quickly take a turn for the worse if you don’t keep them in check. I want to address a few things that will make the [...] Read more – ‘Keeping Side-Projects Painless(ish)’.
The work of Robert Mapplethorpe is as famous for the controversy it caused as for its technical and artistic achievement. His sexually charged images stirred serious discussion about censorship and public finding for the arts when he began a traveling exhibition funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. The Big Deal: His photographs depict [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know… Robert Mapplethorpe’.
One of my guilty pleasures is reality tv. I’m not a huge fan of the “follow people around while they lead their lives” type of show (with the exception of Teen Mom; it’s like a car crash and I just can’t look away!) I prefer the “set up challenges and watch people learn” kind of [...] Read more – ‘How Reality TV Schooled Me’.
There is a book store called TYPE near me that always has awesome window displays. Over the course of a couple of weeks one book kept catching my eye, it was called Art & Fear: Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of Art Making. Something about the title resonated with me and after passing it [...] Read more – ‘Art & Fear (Book)’.
With the holidays approaching, you may have some time to rest up and refresh. You might even have some time to do a little reading. Though there are many photo blogs worth reading, we’ve rounded up five we think you should know about (if you don’t already). But if you have any suggestions to share, [...] Read more – ‘Roundup: Five Photo Blogs to Follow’.
If you’re someone who starts thinking about holiday cards as soon as the calendar flips to December, you may have already started a list of people you’re planning on mailing out to; your nana, your aunts, your best friends, your buddy overseas. But what about your clients? A holiday card can be a good way [...] Read more – ‘Five Tips for Holiday Cards’.
I’m a huge fan of personal projects. I’m not talking about personal fine-art work (though I like that too), I mean projects you start on your own or with friends – that you do, not for payment, but because your passionate and find it interesting. It can be a blog (Knock Twice!), organize a weekly [...] Read more – ‘Why You Should Start a Personal Project’.
December is fast approaching, along with a break from school and work! We’ve got a good selection of events including shows, an art store opening, and a print sale. So whether you’re looking for art related gifts, need new supplies for next year, or just want some inspiration, be sure check out the following events. ARTiculations Grand [...] Read more – ‘Events: December 2011’.
Hey, Toronto West-Enders, great news; we’re getting our own art supply centre! Opening December 1st in the Junction, ARTiculations is part art supply store, part workshop, part gallery, and part artist resource centre. I got a sneak peak of the renovated space this week, and, let me tell you, it’s going to be good. In [...] Read more – ‘ARTiculations is coming to The Junction!’.
I often hear the same complaint from students and others that often consume educational content. It goes along the lines of “that lecture wasn’t that useful” or “I only learned a few things at that workshop, I really wish they covered…” Sure, sometimes the speaker, workshop, conference, book, whatever, really is bad, but most of [...] Read more – ‘This Post is Not Made for You!’.
We want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out our survey and share your thoughts. Your input will go a long way to helping us decide where to focus our energy on in the next year and what special projects to undertake. As we move forward we’ll [...] Read more – ‘Contributing to Knock Twice & Prize Pack Winner!’.
I recently brought a new piece of art into my home. It’s a piece I love, by an artist I respect. And the best part? I didn’t pay any money for it! I did some web-work for the artist, in exchange for the painting. Bartering can be a great way to get products or services [...] Read more – ‘How Many Paintings Equal an Oil Change? – Bartering Your Services’.
Both Erika and I recently received honorable mentions in Magenta’s Flash Forward 2011 photography competition and book. I’m a big fan of entering competitions that have multi faceted prizes, such as an award, show, and publication. They let you add several lines to your CV and get your work out to a larger audience than [...] Read more – ‘Magenta’s Flash Forward’.
Contemporary photographer Juergen Teller is an example of blurred boundaries between the worlds of fine-art and commercial photography. His unusual style crosses back and forth, shooting advertising campaigns for major fashion houses, as well as exhibiting work as a gallery-represented artist. The Big Deal: Teller’s gritty style is his signature. He uses harsh, unflattering light, [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know… Juergen Teller’.
Knock Twice isn’t quite a year old yet, but we’re getting there. And we want to make sure that we’re growing in the direction that you want. We have a short survey so you can give us your feedback. And, in exchange, we have a Canadian Art prize pack to give away to one lucky [...] Read more – ‘Canadian Art Prize Pack Giveaway’.
In saturated markets such as photography, you have to pick what you are going to compete on. What is it that makes you different? Why would a client want to hire you over the hundreds (thousands?) of other photographers out there. There seem to be three main ways with which a freelance can compete – [...] Read more – ‘How Do You Compete?’.
It isn’t uncommon for artists to fund projects or exhibitions through grants. We’ve had a few readers ask us where one can find listings for grants and granting bodies. We’re lucky in Canada as we have a pretty good granting system that is accessible to artists at all levels in their careers, from what I [...] Read more – ‘Roundup: Finding Grants’.
When I stumbled on Fraction Magazine, David Bram and Joshua Spees’s online publication dedicated to contemporary photography, I was reminded of what it’s like to look at portfolios of images. While blogs and the likes are great for one-off imagery, there’s something exceptional about viewing a crafted body of work, in it’s entirety, in context, and [...] Read more – ‘Fraction Magazine’.
There seems to be a lot of confusions surrounding gallery representation and what it means to be a gallery represented artist. How involved is the gallery? Do they have any say in your work? What are your responsibilities? What are theirs? Who would benefit from having a gallery rep? Who should avoid it? The artist [...] Read more – ‘The Artist & The Gallery’.
If you’re a student, by mid-November you’ll be up to your eyeballs in work. So why not get out and take advantage of all that free time you haven’t realized that you have yet? This month’s features include installation art, painting, sculpture, and a zine launch party. 273@345 (BRUSHING INFORMATION AGAINST INFORMATION) Runs: November 5 [...] Read more – ‘Events: November 2011’.
I believe in manners, following the rules, and that there is some kind of ultimate fairness in the world that means cheaters don’t prosper (even if I can’t see it…). So I can be a bit of a wimp sometimes. But have you heard the saying “it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission?” It [...] Read more – ‘Do You Do, or Do You Ask?’.
It often seems that there are certain people that get all the opportunities. One thing after another comes their way without any seemingly direct effort from them. They win awards, get shows, and are interviewed on popular blogs and in magazines. Why is that? It might seem like luck or some elusive talent, but most [...] Read more – ‘Creating Opportunities’.
In the most recent You Should Know post, I mentioned that Edward Steichen appointed John Szarkowski as his replacement as the Director of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Szarkowski held that post for 29 years and in the process helped elevate photography’s status in the art world to unprecedented heights. [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know: John Szarkowski’.
Today’s post is short; a little meditation. I recently worked with a photographer who gave me some really good advice, not just for photographers, but for any freelancer in a creative field. It’s a simple rule to help you decide weather to take on a job. We dubbed it “the big three”. The big three [...] Read more – ‘A Simple Rule: The Big Three’.
I recently had to choose between potentially losing a fairly lucrative job and attending a party. During initial talks with the client we had agreed on a set of dates for the shoot, but in the week leading up to it, they asked to move the shoot earlier into the week. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, [...] Read more – ‘Forget About Money, Lets Party!’.
I’ve been in the same house for two years now, and I still feel like I’m settling in. Especially when it comes to my work space. It’s kind of ironic that the place I spend the most time has gotten the least attention from me. It’s important to have a space to work that is [...] Read more – ‘Roundup: Work Space Improvements’.
I spent this past weekend photographing on location in Washington, DC. The job was somewhat last-minute, and it was my first time travelling that far for business on my own. Luckily, I’m pretty organized, things went smoothly, and Washington is a beautiful city. But as I watched the baggage handler chuck my bag roughly onto [...] Read more – ‘Traveling for Business’.
I recently met with a new client and it got me thinking about how to best handle first time clients. There are a lot of elements at play and a good first impression goes a long way to turning them into repeat customers (the ideal). I wrote a bit about this in a post about [...] Read more – ‘Handling New Clients’.
Edward Steichen was one of the great photographers of the first half of the 20th century and was highly influential. His practice resembled rather closely what is that standard today – he would do commercial work to pay for his fine art. He also curated one of the most famous photography exhibitions in history. Additionally [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know: Edward Steichen’.
Applying for jobs online can be really disappointing. Hiring from a posting online can be equally bleak. This past week, I’ve had the opportunity to look through submissions from about 50 job applicants, all for the same position. There were some great applicants, there were also a ton of very poor submissions; such is the [...] Read more – ‘Help Me Hire You’.
A few months ago, my friend Andrew Williamson told me that he and a few others were renting a loft and converting it into a studio / gallery space. While several people from my program have done this, it seemed like this group was taking it up a notch with consistent programming and even public [...] Read more – ‘Interview: Studio 407’.
Of course Toronto’s big event this month is Nuit Blanche, the all-night arts festival. But there are lots of other great things going on as well. If you’re a photo nerd (or just someone who’s always wanted to own a daguerreotype), I highly recommend the Photo Historical Society’s fall fair. I found this guy last [...] Read more – ‘Events: October 2011’.
As much as I complain about the TTC system being unreliable, I should really count my blessings. At least we have a somewhat comprehensive transit system. I grew up in the suburbs where the buses were few and far between, so everyone drives everywhere. Living in the city, I am able to get around relatively [...] Read more – ‘Need A Ride?’.
There is a strange concept among visual artists – many seem to think they don’t need to write well. The idea is that their work should speak for itself, after all, had they wanted to write, they would have become writers. I’m sorry, but that is bullshit. Writing is one of the most important skills [...] Read more – ‘The Importance of Writing’.
It seems it’s getting harder and harder to find places that develop film in the city if you’re looking for anything other than regular 35mm C41. At the same time, there is still quite a bit of demand from artists and art school students. Luckily you can still get almost any type of film developed, [...] Read more – ‘Roundup – Developing Film in Toronto’.
We at Knock Twice really want to be helpful, and useful, and inspiring. We have great readers, and love getting feedback, comments, mail, and updates about what you’re working on. As a back-to-school check-in of sorts, I thought it might be helpful to give a tour of our media empire…..rather, the different ways we’re trying [...] Read more – ‘The KTB Media Empire (*ahem*)’.
Everyone will eventually find themselves needing to hang art. It’s a must have skill for artists, but it is often the cause of hours confusion and frustration. I’m not sure how many pieces of art I’ve put up for critiques, shows, and in my own home, but it’s probably well over a hundred. Over the last few [...] Read more – ‘Hanging Art, A Guide’.
American photographer Gregory Crewdson is best known for his elaborately staged and lit photographs. Referencing cinema, the vignettes seems as if there were taken right out of a film, depicting twilight moments that often feel supernatural. His work has been exhibited internationally, including solo exhibitions at MOMA and The Guggenheim. [Bonus: His Sanctuary project is [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know…Gregory Crewdson’.
It’s great to be busy. At least, it’s good for business. And we’re all about maximizing profits, but at a certain point, you can’t invent more hours in the day. And when you’ve reached the limit of what you can handle, and then taken on a few more things, it might be time to find [...] Read more – ‘Get Some Help’.
Sleep is a scarce resource for freelancers. Because of last minute jobs, inconsistent hours, and clients in other time zones, we often cut our sleep time without giving it a second thought. It’s only after pulling several late nights and early mornings in a row, that our body takes over, we crash, and after 14 [...] Read more – ‘The Science of Sleep’.
One of the great things about art school is access to expensive equipment – DSLRs, lenses, 4×5 cameras, strobe kits – it isn’t cheap. Once you graduate and that access is gone it really hurts. Often times you need a specific piece of equipment for one shoot or something is just too expensive, enter equipment [...] Read more – ‘Round Up: Renting Equipment in Toronto’.
I love words, and came across a new one recently. To CALENDERIZE something is to put it into your schedule for a future date. It makes sense, I’d just never heard it before. With this being a back-to-routines kind of time for people, it seems appropriate to talk about calenderizing, planning ahead, and flipping back [...] Read more – ‘Calendarize It’.
Erika and I recently met with an artist who mentioned trying to distance her art work from her commercial work. This is something that I often think about in my own life. Should I have a separate website for my art work? Is my commercial work having a negative impact on my personal work? Will [...] Read more – ‘Drawing the Line’.
This is it, folks: September. Along with muggy rainstorms comes the desire to turn over a new leaf, start new projects, and get serious. I often see September as a mini-new year, and so resolutions abound. How about “try to see more art, and get to more exhibition openings”? Sounds good, eh? Here are some [...] Read more – ‘Events: September 2011’.
A little while ago I read an article on mono-tasking. As you may have guessed, it’s the opposite of multi-tasking. It doesn’t mean that you aren’t capable of taking more than one thing on at a time, it just means you choose not to. The article suggests that by focusing your energy fully on one [...] Read more – ‘On Monotasking’.
Congratulations you’ve been commissioned your first job! Now before you hang up the phone or close your email to revel in celebratory bliss, there are a few things you should ask your client that will help the shoot run smooth and give them the final product they need. Because there is often a shortage of [...] Read more – ‘Questions to Ask Your Client’.
Lauren Greenfield is an American photographer and film maker whose work focuses on youth culture, particularly in regards to wealth, body image, gender, eating disorders, consumerism, and more. Her access to families and kids is unbelievable, resulting in fascinating images. On top of that, she is an eloquent and intelligent speaker making her lectures a [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know… Lauren Greenfield’.
My mom has a website. She understands that by now, there’s no excuse not to. Facebook and Flickr should not be your only web presence. If you’re serious about what you do, you need a website. (Did I mention that we’re giving one away, with free hosting, for life?) As author Mordecai Richler writes in [...] Read more – ‘Why You Need a Website’.
Last Friday we reached a major milestone here – our 100th post! Thank you to everyone who has read a post, wrote a comment, and shared the blog with others. To celebrate we wanted to give away something both useful and awesome. Erika and I racked our brains to figure out what is essential to [...] Read more – ‘Win a Free Website for Life!’.
As Ryerson Alumni, Eugen and I often feel somewhat biased towards their student work. To be fair, Ryerson fosters some talented photographers (you can see some here), but so do other institutions. Sheridan College has it’s own share of creative talent (and illustrators, and painters…..), and their student magazine, Travis, is amazing! It’s well written, [...] Read more – ‘Roundup: Sheridan College Creatives’.
I’m not going to lie, even though she’s a national treasure, I’m not fond of Margaret Atwood’s fiction. I am, however, a fan of the woman herself (she is very, very bright – do you follow her on twitter?) and I’m a fan of her non-fiction, lecture-style writing. I came to Negotiating With the Dead: [...] Read more – ‘Book Review: Negotiating with the Dead – A Writer on Writing’.
Protecting your data is key when you work in a digital environment. So you back up your data regularly and think everything is safe, right? Wrong. You can also run into serious issues during a power outage if you don’t have a UPS (uninterruptible power supply). Let’s take a look at what can go wrong [...] Read more – ‘Is Your Power Safe?’.
I was first introduced to the work of Kara Walker in university while watching PBS’s great series Art:21. She immediately stood out from the many other artists because of her medium and scale – large silhouette cut-outs – and the sublime imagery with which she explored her subject matter – power struggle involving race and [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know: Kara Walker’.
Whether you’re a commercial photographer, fine artists, or writer, anytime you produce something, the ultimate goal is usually for your work to leave the nest and go out into the world. Maybe you’ve shot an ad campaign, maybe your thesis project is going to be part of a group exhibition…. Whatever the case, you should [...] Read more – ‘Documenting Your Work’.
Last week we went over when you need a contract, how detailed it should be, and who creates it. This week I want to take a look at specific things a contract should cover. It’s important to remember that I’m talking about contracts for commissioned jobs – editorial work, product photography, etc. While each contract [...] Read more – ‘Contract Basics: What’s Inside’.
Education is obviously one of the best benefits of being a student, but one of the bonuses is the student discount. Often taken for granted by those to whom it is available, the student discount can save you hundreds, maybe even thousands, of dollars. If you’re a student, you should get in the habit of [...] Read more – ‘Roundup: Student Discounts’.
It’s summer time, and you’re the friend with a camera. You’re the buddy who’s “into” photography. It’s likely that you have, or will be, asked to photograph a wedding. When I was in school pursuing my artistic passion (*ahem*), I scoffed at wedding photography. My thinking was, “if I can’t get a real job, maybe [...] Read more – ‘Some Things For Your Wedding Kit Bag’.
Every professional will have to deal with contracts sooner or later. Today let’s look at when and why you might need a contract and next week we’ll take a look at the things a contract should include. I’m going to focus on contracts for commissioned work (not gallery representation or anything else), although there is [...] Read more – ‘Contract Basics: Thinking About Contracts’.
For those going back to school August marks the last month of freedom before plunging head first into assignments and projects. Be sure to get out, look at some work, and attend talks to get you inspired! Also, remember that we post events throughout the month to our Facebook page, additionally we’ve started posting calls [...] Read more – ‘Events: August 2011’.
We believe that when you start a business, there is a tool-box of people you should have available to you. (Ok, some people just call them consultants.) A lawyer is a key member of the consultant-team you should build for yourself, and you shouldn’t just wait until you’re in the middle of a legal bind to [...] Read more – ‘Interview With A Lawyer: Jordan Nahmias’.
When you’re just starting out, it’s difficult to get the exact type of work you want. People often end up taking whatever they can get, but are left wishing they could do a specific style of shooting. To get that work, you need to build a targeted portfolio that reflects the work you want. The [...] Read more – ‘Don’t Wait for Clients to Call’.
Husband and wife team Christo and Jeanne-Claude are sculptors of a kind. They have wrapped the German parliament building in aluminium fabric, installed a white nylon fence in California, and covered a Swiss forest in polyester. Through wrapping, some of the most basic features and proportions of the object are revealed, by concealing the actual [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know…..Christo and Jeanne-Claude’.
Following on the heels of Eugen’s post last week about co-working, I wanted to talk to someone who’s worked through it all. Jessica Blaine Smith is a Toronto-based portrait and wedding photographer. Originally, Jessica met with clients in coffee shops. She graduated to a shared studio space in 2005; using a common area for meetings, [...] Read more – ‘Starbucks to Studios: Establishing a Workspace’.
After a photo shoot, it is common practice to send the client a set of image to choose the final image(s) from. The initial set are called “selects” and the final images are called “final selects”. Several things affect the number of selects you send in and there can be competing interests at play. A [...] Read more – ‘How Many Selects to Send Clients?’.
Regardless of how great working from home is made out to be, many people have trouble staying focused when working on their own. For freelancers it can be even tougher because you have to manage yourself and it’s easy to move tasks on to the next day. Renting an office on the other hand is [...] Read more – ‘Roundup: Coworking Spaces’.
Camera formats varied according to the needs of film photographers, but have continued on through the digital revolution. Camera-phones aside, we’ve put together a primer on three of the main formats. You may already know this, but if this is the first time you’re seeing these terms, hopefully you find them helpful.35mm SLR: The term [...] Read more – ‘Camera Formats 101’.
Many business books claim to have the secret new formula for running a successful company. Most end up regurgitating the same advice we’ve read for years. Written either by a “business guru” that’s never run a business or by an ancient CEO that sounds so drab you wonder who actually wrote the book. Rework is [...] Read more – ‘Book Review: Rework’.
Today we feature the work of our first non-photographer. However, the work of German artist Gerhard Richter is so technically perfect, one could often mistake his paintings for photographs. Richter’s paintings are based on photographs, and the detail is blurred through his painting technique. The Big Deal: Using print media and photographs as his source [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know… Gerhard Richter’.
I took an advanced studio lighting class in university. The professor gave us a list of things we should have in a studio kit, and explained a lot of tips and tricks I would have never thought of. For example, would you have thought to polish fruit with car wax for a photographic shine? (Or, [...] Read more – ‘Is Old School Ok?’.
Making mistakes sucks. That’s the truth and no number of motivational posters is going to change it. What’s worse than making a mistake, is making it twice. Today I want to talk about how I screwed up recently and the steps I’m taking to ensure it doesn’t happen again. If you live in Canada, you [...] Read more – ‘Making Mistakes Sucks – A Case Study’.
As I mentioned in one of our early posts – The Idea Machine, podcasts are a great way to stay current and have fresh ideas and interesting news flowing your way. There are hundreds of podcasts, both video and audio, on every topic imaginable, just hit the Podcast tab in the iTunes store. I often [...] Read more – ‘Roundup: Awesome Podcasts’.
It seems that many people just type notes into their phones these days, but there’s something different, and dare I say, better, about keeping a journal (or notepad, or sketchbook, or whatever you want to call it.) I believe that taking the time to write something down makes it more important. I think it fuels [...] Read more – ‘Do You Journal?’.
So you want to be an artist? Spend your days creating work, live by your own schedule, painting when inspiration hits, and take in life the rest of the time? The plan is to go to art school – where you’ll spend four years in creative bliss? Get a studio when you’re done and then [...] Read more – ‘So You Want to be an Artist?’.
The summer’s moving quickly; we’re almost into July! September will be here before we know it, so in addition to swimming, heading to cottages, and hanging out on patios with cold drinks, consider hitting up some of the following July events here in the city. That’s So Gay: The New Queer Artists: Cecilia Berkovic, Team [...] Read more – ‘Events: July 2011’.
It’s no question that with the current state of the internet, “to creep” is a commonly recognized verb, usually meaning to search out online. But have you creeped yourself recently? It can be an important tool in your own marketing research. If you haven’t googled yourself recently, you should. Go ahead, we’ll wait……. You may [...] Read more – ‘Creep Yourself Out’.
Recently, a friend’s mother told me that the ONLY way to make money as a photographer is to photograph weddings or babies. While I have heard some stupid takes on the photo industry, the matter-of-fact nature with which she delivered this sentiment made it quickly rise to the top of the bullshit list. However, this [...] Read more – ‘Photographing Babies and Weddings is the ONLY Way to Make Money’.
So far we have focused on fine art and commercial photographers in our You Should Know posts. Today I want to take a look at Lewis Hine – an early social documentarian who attempted to incite reforms through his work. What is interesting about Hine is how “fine-art” his images seem. If he was working [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know… Lewis Hine’.
If you have the opportunity, invest in art. especially in these formative years when you are working to network with other emerging creative professionals. Buy, barter, and trade. Art is not just an inspiring thing to have around your home, it can be a serious investment. Art dealing is a complicated market, but to start [...] Read more – ‘Get An Art: Starting Your Collection’.
I want to talk about taking care of one’s health from the perspective of a freelancer. Erika has addressed the subject of burnout and the importance of time off in an earlier post, but I want to look at health on a day-to-day basis. When work gets busy, it’s very easy to get caught up [...] Read more – ‘Watch Yourself’.
As an emerging photographer, entering competitions can be a great way to get your name out there. Even if you don’t win, competitions give you a chance to get your work in front of people you might not have access to otherwise. Many juried competitions have entry fees, but what’s a mere $35 compared to [...] Read more – ‘Roundup: Photo Competitions’.
We’re in the process of switching over to using Capture One (software for tethered shooting) at the studio where I work. I’ve used Capture One a couple of times in the past, but have never really dived in deep, so it’s all very new to me. To fix my lack of knowledge I’ve started doing [...] Read more – ‘Knowing What You Need to Know’.
Interviews are tricky. To be pulled off successfully, the interviewer needs the right balance of knowledge on the subject, connections to get access to the interviewees, and a knack for posing the right questions in a way that elicits deep and honest responses. In her book Image Takers, Image Makers, Anne-Celine Jaeger interviews “leading curators, [...] Read more – ‘Book Review: Image Makers, Image Takers’.
You could argue that I’ve chosen Rineke Dijkstra for this week’s You Should Know… post because I really like saying (and typing) her name, but you would only be part right. The truth is, Dijkstra is one of those rare photographers whose work you come across and are immediately stopped in your tracks. Seemingly simple [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know… Rineke Dijkstra’.
We’ve all got work that we love, but sometimes that one image doesn’t fit in with the rest. Every image you bring into the world is going to be your baby, but just because you shot it doesn’t mean it’s worthy of inclusion, and just because you like it doesn’t mean it’s good. When everyone [...] Read more – ‘Sometimes You Need to Kill Your (Metaphorical) Babies’.
There are a lot of factors that go into converting a first time client into one that gives you repeat work. Beyond the obvious – do good work – there is one strategy that gets thrown around a lot in the business world – under promise, over deliver. It makes perfect sense, if a client [...] Read more – ‘How to Win Clients Over’.
While June seems to be a month of festivals, we’ve chosen a few events that have a very limited engagement, including Doors Open Toronto, where our own Eugen Sakhnenko will be giving a talk. Anyone in the Boston area should definitely check out the Flash Forward festival, and if you’re sticking around Toronto, be sure to [...] Read more – ‘Events: June 2011’.
If you’ve ever looked for a job on Craigslist, you know that most of them try to sell you on the idea that you need them as much as they need you. Phrases like “will be great experience”, “gain exposure”, or “will be awesome for your portfolio” didn’t used to bug me as much as [...] Read more – ‘Traipsing Through The Minefield: The Online Job Hunt’.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how to deal with growth lately. As things pick up in various aspects of my work – editorial, architecture, and fine art – there are certain things I think I need that would make shooting and day-to-day life much easier. Things such as a set of PocketWizards, storage space [...] Read more – ‘The Time Between Needing and Getting’.
As someone who loves watching movies of all kinds, I’m always on the lookout for films about photography and the art world in a broader sense. Because of the niche market for movies about art, they’re often screened for a limited time – perhaps at a film festival or in conjunction with an artist talk [...] Read more – ‘Roundup: Films on Art & Photography’.
I’m not sure if I agree with the saying “No man is an island”. I work very well with myself; I’m reliable, I’m always available to brainstorm with, and I make a mean cup of coffee. But there are definite benefits to working with another person. For example, earlier this week when I was having [...] Read more – ‘Please Stop Crying In Meetings, You’re Making Me Look Bad’.
Today we post our second video interview. We’re happy to share a talk with Contact Photography Festival Administrator Sabrina Maltese. We spoke with her about the Festival’s Open Exhibition category, in which any artist can participate, as well as how Featured Exhibitions are selected. We hope our emerging artist friends will consider participating when registration [...] Read more – ‘Video: Sabrina Maltese on Contact’s Open Exhibitions’.
The work of Canadian contemporary photographer Edward Burtynsky is instantly recognizable; large, colorful, and richly detailed images of a landscape that explores the link between industry and nature. The Big Deal: Burtynsky’s large-scale prints show removed views of the landscape altered by industry. Many works focus on the spaces we use to fuel our existence, [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know…Edward Burtynsky’.
Eventually, if you want to get paid, you will have to write an invoice. As I mentioned in a previous post, I use FreshBooks for invoicing. But regardless of how you do it, all invoices are made up of the same basic elements. I’ve created an imaginary invoice to use as a reference when going [...] Read more – ‘Anatomy of an Invoice’.
In a previous post we talked about a few online backup options. Those are a great first step, however, there are many problems – long upload / download times, similar services have been known to close down, ease of retrieval, etc. If you’re working professionally, loosing images has real consequences beyond your own disappointment. It’s [...] Read more – ‘How to Backup Your Data!’.
Inevitably, art school graduation shows are a bit hit and miss. Thus, it was refreshing to see so much great work at this year’s Maximum Exposure – Ryerson’s School of Image Arts’ annual grad show. Nearly all the work was technically superb and there were so many interesting and unique projects that everyone I spoke [...] Read more – ‘Roundup: Emerging Photographers’.
I believe in well-printed promos; something that tells me the person who made it cares about presentation. After all, we are visual people. Business cards, postcards, books, exhibition catalogues, I’m a total sucker for print. Which means I was thrilled when Nicholas Kennedy gave me a tour of his Toronto-based letterpress studio, Trip Print Press. [...] Read more – ‘Trip Print Press’.
Having gone to Ryerson’s photo grad show – Maximum Exposure – last week, I was reminded that it has only been a year since I graduated. The past year has been an amazing learning experience and has made me realize the main benefits of school weren’t the technical skills or all the history and theory. [...] Read more – ‘Thoughts on Graduation’.
We’re obviously excited for the Contact Photography Festival here at Knock Twice, but the month of May has a lot of other cool stuff going for it too. (That being said, do be sure to check out as much of the Contact Festival as you can….) Hot Docs Film Festival Artists: Alan Zweig, Eric Strauss, [...] Read more – ‘Events: May 2011’.
Having gone to the Contact Photography Festival for several years, we know firsthand how tricky it can be navigating the largest photographic event in the world. With over 200 venues involved it’s impossible to see everything, so where do you start? To make things easier, we’ve created two walking guides – one for the Spadina/Queen [...] Read more – ‘Downloadable CONTACT Walking Guides!’.
If you live in Toronto, the month of May means the CONTACT Photography Festival. This annual event transforms the city into a gigantic showcase of contemporary images. We’re counting down the days until the festival launch, but in the meantime, we feel a brief introduction is in order. Founded in 1996, the month-long festival has [...] Read more – ‘CONTACT is coming!’.
Swiss born photographer Robert Frank is a photographic legend whose inspiration can still be felt today. His book The Americans broke many photographic rules of the time and created a new standard for social documentary photography. He is also responsible for the romanticised idea of the photographic road trip, which continues to crop up as [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know… Robert Frank’.
It’s always internship season somewhere; either it’s a class requirement, or continuing education project, or a summer of figuring out what you want to do. In any case, applying for an internship should be approached like applying for a job, and being an intern should be taken seriously. First impressions matter and when the mentor [...] Read more – ‘Don’t Have Your Girlfriend Call Me’.
We’re excited to share our first Knock Twice Video with you today. We interviewed National Post photographer Brett Gundlock about his most recent personal project Prisoners, in particular, how he used crowdfunding to finance the exhibition. The idea behind crowdfunding is that you pitch an idea and how much money you need to complete it. [...] Read more – ‘Video: Brett Gundlock on Crowdfunding’.
There was always someone in my class whose laptop gave up just before a major assignment was due. The computer would have to go in for repair, and they would be left with nothing. (Those people became the first kids on the block to run out and buy external backup drives). Think about it: right [...] Read more – ‘Roundup: Online Backup Services’.
As mentioned last week, HST stands for Harmonized Sales Tax. In Ontario, it is a 13% tax that applies to all goods and services. As a vendor, you may be required to charge HST to your customers and then pass the money* on to the government. Let’s continue that talk, but with a few more [...] Read more – ‘Tax Talk – Part 2: How our HST Works’.
Regardless of your industry, level of experience, money, or goals, there is single resource that stands out as the most important tool you need to succeed – the people you know. Simply put, no one does it alone, no one. The best advantage you can give yourself is to start building up a network of [...] Read more – ‘Building Your Most Valuable Resource’.
Canadian photographer Jeff Wall is largely responsible for shifting photography to being accepted as a true art form, equal to painting and sculpture. As a result of his deep knowledge of art history and theory his work is rich in meaning and is meticulously constructed. His large back-lit photographs have influenced many generations of photographers and sell [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know… Jeff Wall’.
If you live in Canada, your taxes are due at the end of this month. If you’re getting money back, this can be a great time of year. If you’re going to owe money, it’s a time to remember how lucky we are to have government-funded health insurance. The topic of taxes can be huge, [...] Read more – ‘Let’s Talk About Taxes: Part One’.
Every year as school winds down, internship season kicks in. For many students this will be the first time they are working professionally in their fields and can be an invaluable experience. At best, internships can lead to great jobs and at worse – you will become the resident barista. More often than not, your [...] Read more – ‘Making the Most Out of Your Internship’.
Equipment and accessories will come and go, but your feet and back will be with you until you die. I think people often forget what a physical job photography is; you can be walking, standing, crouching, and kneeling for long periods of time. Not to mention hauling your gear around (don’t get me started about [...] Read more – ‘Roundup: Bags on Wheels’.
It can be hard to produce new work, especially if you have tight deadlines and it’s not a project you love. But at the end of the day, the work you make is the work you will have to show. If you rush through a shoot just to get it done, you might miss out [...] Read more – ‘Kick It Up A Notch’.
In a perfect world, every photo editor, art director, gallery owner, and media person would make their personal contact info public. Alas, we do not live in such a world, so several times a week I find myself trying to track down the email of someone I wish to reach out to. Over time I [...] Read more – ‘Detective Skills for the Digital Age’.
It’s hard to think about shows in April when CONTACT is just around the corner – they’re releasing all the info April 1st! However, there are great shows aplenty until then, so be sure to get out there and have a look. I am especially excited to see the Function Exhibition, run by the team [...] Read more – ‘Events: April 2011’.
Exhaustion and burnout are real and serious. It’s especially easy to let them sneak up on you if you’re a student or an entrepreneur (or both!). I’ve lived the student life, and I’m still about as thrifty as they come, but I believe there are ways to incorporate little luxuries into your life that have [...] Read more – ‘Little Luxuries’.
A problem I struggled with everyday (and still do) is following through and finishing projects. I have hundreds of ideas for business and marketing strategies, art projects, companies – I get excited, start working on them, and then promptly relegate them to another day (that never comes). While this makes me feel busy and productive, [...] Read more – ‘How to Finish Projects and Set Them Free’.
Best known for her series ‘Untitled Film Stills’, Cindy Sherman is a woman of many faces. She appears in most of her own work, but uses costume and make-up to depict anonymous women. The Big Deal: Sherman presents characters for the camera to explore cliché female ‘types’ like “The Actress”, “The Sexy Librarian”, “The Damsel [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know…Cindy Sherman’.
American music and portrait photographer Zack Arias is pretty funny. He’s really honest. And he’s incredibly generous with what he knows. The OneLight Field Guide is the first issue of Arias’ independent photography magazine, Dedpxl, that focuses on how to use off-camera lighting. Imagine sitting down with a coffee and having a pro explain flat-out [...] Read more – ‘Dedpxl – OneLight Field Guide (Book)’.
Last week I wrote about the importance of a CV and how to put one together. However, it’s likely that your first CV looks like mine did – sparse. Over the last few years I have been building up my CV one section at a time using a strategy I call active achievement. This can [...] Read more – ‘Active Achievement’.
It’s incredible how many great web apps there are today to help run your business. As freelancers, we are extra lucky because nearly all of them offer free full-feature accounts for smaller companies. Below is a list of my favourite apps – I use them almost every day to help me work smarter, faster, and generally [...] Read more – ‘Web Apps to Supercharge Your Business’.
It’s naive to think that people will beat down your door with job offers as soon as you begin life as a creative professional. In a market saturated with so many photographers, graphic designers, illustrators, etc, you will likely have to make or find a job for yourself. Having a degree or a certificate does [...] Read more – ‘Map-Making for Beginners’.
If you’re interested in being an artist you will be asked for a CV over and over again. A CV (or curriculum vitae) is similar to a resume, but more detailed and is as much about your achievements as your experience. It’s best to start your CV early on because as time passes you might [...] Read more – ‘The Anatomy of a CV’.
The German husband and wife team are known for their systematic photography of disappearing industrial structures. If you’ve ever shot a project based on typology, or presented in a grid format, you should be aware of their work. (Everyone else knows them, you should too). The Big Deal: Bernd and Hilla made their life’s work [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know…The Bechers’.
In recent years I have become a big fan of having things delivered to me. Office supplies, groceries, daily doses of imagery, you name it. I’m pretty sure it has to do with me finally realizing that my time is a commodity, and identifying my priorities. So in the spirit of having things brought to [...] Read more – ‘Good Things In One Place: Akimbo’.
The biggest problem people have when trying to do personal or fine art work, is focusing in on an idea for their project. This makes sense because when you are without restrictions, it is easy to become overwhelmed and paralyzed with choice. This post will elaborate on some of the points discussed in the Who [...] Read more – ‘The Idea Machine’.
Wow, February flew by, it’s hard to believe it’s time for another events post already. This one is extra exciting for me as it features my first solo show! Additionally, there is work by Stephen Appleby-Barr (I love his paintings), Ron Teranda, Travis Shilling, and Meryl McMaster. We also put up new events we come [...] Read more – ‘Events: March 2011’.
Last May I participated in my first official photography portfolio review. I prepared my work, arrived at the event, and waited nervously for my first session. By the end of the weekend I had met with six very different reviewers, had a notebook full of (sometimes conflicting) feedback, and was excited to move forward with [...] Read more – ‘Portfolio Reviews: The Basics’.
I’m quite certain that most creative freelancers don’t read business books, especially when they’re just starting out. It’s strange, photographers read books on lighting, designers read books on type, and everyone has a stack of old Adobe guide books. However, when it comes to our key activity – running a business, it seems that no [...] Read more – ‘Book Review: It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be’.
If, after reading last week’s post, you spent some time designing business cards, and they’re on their way to you from the printer, consider this your next step. A business card holder is a way to look professional, and show some personal style. It’s also a way to protect your investment; you don’t want to [...] Read more – ‘Roundup: Good Looking Business Card Holders’.
Working from home can have a lot of advantages (case in point: I’m wearing slippers as I write this.) However, one of the greatest disadvantages can be burnout. When you work from home, you never really get to leave the office. There’s always one more email, a few more files, a client to call back [...] Read more – ‘Savouring Sundays Off’.
I’m currently in the middle of sending my work to various blogs in preparation of my first solo show next month. I thought it would be good to share the process I use to approach bloggers in hopes of having them feature my work. Getting your work out there is great for many reasons. Your [...] Read more – ‘Getting Your Work Featured Online’.
Having been raised a Roman Catholic, Andres Serrano rose to fame with his work Piss Christ. The large colour photograph showed a small statuette of Christ submerged in Serrano’s urine. Much of his other work explores controversial topics such as death, race, sex, and bodily fluids. Censorship, death threats, and hate mail are all in [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know… Andres Serrano’.
I’ve had a post about business cards in mind since before we started this site. One of the goals of Knock Twice is to educate about professional practice, so I think this is a basic but important topic to discuss. Having a business card immediately makes you more credible than the guy who scribbled his [...] Read more – ‘Do You Have a Card?’.
As a freelancer, you have to wear every hat in your company. The result is that the worker you, has to live with the decisions the CEO you has made. For a long time, I had a chronic problem of agreeing to take on every opportunity that came my way. The CEO me thought, “Great [...] Read more – ‘Let it Ring: a Guide to Decision Making’.
Here at Knock Twice, we’re not huge fans of pink and red pre-valentines day gift posts. We are, however, big fans of gifts. For any reason. Especially the nerdy kind. This is an online-gift-source round-up for those of us who can celebrate our inner photo-nerd, those of us who want to deck out our homes, [...] Read more – ‘Better than Roses’.
Having a bio on your site, or blog, or in your submission package, is important because, obviously, not everyone knows you. It can be difficult to write about yourself, but your bio is the only way some people will ever “meet” you, so you want to make sure it leaves a good impression. These are [...] Read more – ‘Writing a Professional Bio’.
Being an assistant is one of the main ways those interested in working as photographers (and many other professions) get started. We will have several posts on the topic, beginning today with taking a look at what qualities a potential assistant should have. This list shouldn’t be taken as hard rules since everyone has their [...] Read more – ‘The Qualities of a Good Assistant’.
Thanks for checking out our very first events post. Going to shows, lectures, and seminars is a great way to get inspired, learn more about your practice, and meet others in your industry. This is something Erika and I have been trying to actively do more as well. Thus, on the last Friday of each [...] Read more – ‘Events: February 2011’.
Though the saying goes “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” I disagree. Kind of. I believe it is often a combination of both what and who you know that help you succeed. Jobs don’t always go to the most qualified candidate; sometimes they go to the person who was in the right place [...] Read more – ‘Etiquette for Using Your Connections’.
Erika and I fancy ourselves budding art collectors so we thought it would be great to help you start your own collection. For our first giveaway, we have a fine art print by Toronto photographer Mark Peckmezian. This is a gorgeous original 5 x 7 inch fiber-based print in an 11 x 14 inch window [...] Read more – ‘Win a Fine Art Print!’.
One of most frequent complaints I hear from people is that they have no free time. Let’s be honest, you have free time. In fact you have a lot of free time. Very few people are so busy that all their time is taken up – new parents, the president, etc. I know this for [...] Read more – ‘The “No Free Time” Myth’.
Getting her start shooting for Rolling Stone magazine, Leibowitz is likely the most famous portrait photographer of the 21st century. She has photographed actors, musicians, dancers, models, and presidents. Her work can be seen in The Museum of Contemporary Art, and on magazine covers in the checkout line at Loblaws. This woman’s work is everywhere. [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know…..Annie Leibovitz’.
It’s important to stay refreshed. There are some exceptions, but most of us don’t create in a vacuum, and I’m a firm believer that you have to see good work to make good work. I’ve had days where everything I see is an inspiration, but I’ve also been burned out and idea-dry. Luckily, the internet [...] Read more – ‘Flak Photo: Daily Inspiration On The Go’.
In my note app on my phone I keep a list of Rules for Life. These are small ideas that help me in work and life in general. Sometimes I come up with a rule after making a big mistake, perhaps I read it in a book, and every so often one comes to me [...] Read more – ‘Rules for Life’.
I doubt I have to sell you on how amazing smart phones are. For freelancers, the smart phone is the device we’ve been waiting for. Easy access to email, contacts, calendar, documents, THE INTERNET – it’s a miracle. I jumped on the iPhone bandwagon when the 3G came out and have upgraded to the iPhone [...] Read more – ‘The Best iPhone Apps for Freelancers’.
Because I was a poor student at the time, and of the “any-money-is-better-than-no-money” mentality, I took the job for $100. That’s how I ended up in a park, two hours away, shooting an anniversary portrait for the parents of a friend. It wasn’t until I was processing the film (yes, film) that I did the [...] Read more – ‘Money Out in the Open’.
Welcome to Knock Twice – a blog dedicated to assisting and informing budding creative professionals. Created and run by Erika Jacobs and Eugen Sakhnenko, two Toronto photographers, who have come to realise that school (art school in particular) doesn’t prepare you for working in the professional world. As a result, we’ve created Knock Twice with [...] Read more – ‘Welcome!’.
We love to dream about the future. Every year towards the end of December people sit down and write out their resolutions for the next twelve months. Then comes January first, they promptly forget about them and move on with their lives. Dreams on their own are worthless, you need to have a strategy to [...] Read more – ‘Making Dreams Come True’.
After immigrating to Canada from Armenia at age seventeen, Yousuf Karsh became one of the world’s most accomplished portrait photographers. His subjects include everyone from Fidel Castro to Queen Elizabeth II, Audrey Hepburn to Pope John Paul II. The Big Deal: Karsh photographed the most respected and recognized personalities of the 20th century. Life In [...] Read more – ‘You Should Know….Yousuf Karsh’.
There is a problem – from kindergarten up, our success in school is measured through grades. Achieving high marks often results in both emotional and physical benefits furthering the illusion that grades are a useful metric. However, the skills that chasing grades teaches couldn’t be farther from what is needed to truly succeed in today’s [...] Read more – ‘Who Needs Grades?’.
