Using Gimmicks

[TraceyHill3]

I did a great photo-shoot for a coworker and when I showed her all the finished pictures, she asked me to use selective coloring on at least one of the photos. She's seen me do this before when I just bought Photoshop. I did it to make her happy, but I really don't like doing that to pictures. This was one of my first family photo-shoots so I really wanted her happy so she'd spread the word. How do you handle it when someone asks you to use a "gimmick"? Or do you ever use them?

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by TraceyHill3

I did a great photo-shoot for a coworker and when I showed her all the finished pictures, she asked me to use selective coloring on at least one of the photos. She's seen me do this before when I just bought Photoshop. I did it to make her happy, but I really don't like doing that to pictures. This was one of my first family photo-shoots so I really wanted her happy so she'd spread the word. How do you handle it when someone asks you to use a "gimmick"? Or do you ever use them?

if they want that...then that would make them happy... mission accomplished! A lot of photographer people think selective color is overdone (and it probably is) but to joe customer it still looks cool!

[karen_s]

Well I'm not in business so I tell them no. If I were in business, I would probably still tell them no. But I am kind of a PITA when it comes to my personal illustration and photography work, hence why I am not in business.

Anyway, if you do not want to offer the gimmicks in your photography, do not show those images in your portfolio. I checked out your site (listed in another thread) and you have a lot of images in there that are selectively colored. Take them out if this is not something you want to offer. Only show the kind of work you want to do. If you want to do selective color and other gimmicks, by all means show them. Like Bruce notes, some of those gimmicks will make your customer happy, just be sure you are happy creating them.

[kevingeary]

Originally Posted by zona5101

if they want that...then that would make them happy... mission accomplished! A lot of photographer people think selective color is overdone (and it probably is) but to joe customer it still looks cool!

And this is why you shouldn't always do what joe customer wants. Because in the end, your name is on it and you'll start to be known as the gimmick photographer. Or worse...the photographer who will do anything to appease anyone and thus lacks any sort of original style.

[Niresangwa]

Karen makes a good point. If you offer this service by proxy of displaying it prominently within your portfolio, and more over, if you've done this work before for her, I'd be inclined to curse myself quietly and do it again.

Once I'd done that, and made her happy, I'd remove those shots from my portfolio, and in the future try and steer clients away from making that choice.

You may have a resurgence of the issue, but it will peter out over time, worst case scenario. In the meantime, you can work on not including it ever again, and the taste quotient of the human race will be elevated ever-so-slightly for your decision.

[TraceyHill3]

Yeah, you're right. I need to remove those. It's just at that time (a year ago) I thought the gimmick worked for these particular photos. I didn't think I needed to use gimmicks for the photos I took for this client because everything looked so good with just a few tweaks from Lightroom. I'll remove them when I rebuild my portfolio.

Also, do any of you use these gimmicks? Would you if you were just starting out and the client asked?

[jamesev]

doesn't this pull into the question as to what is a gimmick in PP?

various B+W applications could be construed as gimmick as could vignette?

[kevingeary]

Originally Posted by jamesev

doesn't this pull into the question as to what is a gimmick in PP?

various B+W applications could be construed as gimmick as could vignette?

I could see vignette making its way out and in like flare jeans. It's one of those things that's great, then "played out", then resurrected.

Selective color, however, is rarely done right and almost always looks cheesy. At least vignette can be sexy.

[jamesev]

Originally Posted by kevingeary

I could see vignette making its way out and in like flare jeans. It's one of those things that's great, then "played out", then resurrected.

Selective color, however, is rarely done right and almost always looks cheesy. At least vignette can be sexy.

True for anything n'est pas. Over do the subtlety of vignette and it can kill a photo.

Isn't that kind of the point though, if you can provide selective colouring in your portfolio as a product you can provide albeit not overly used does that not enhance your reputation.

Any technique if done badly can be a disaster

[TraceyHill3]

You've all made great points! I hear on these boards about gimmicks so it's great to read a discussion on what qualifies as one. I agree that sometimes a vignette look bad, but used right can bring out the best in a picture. Thanks for helping me learn!