A World That Others Can't See... with Zula Rabikowska

Our role as photographers is to capture a world that others can't see, and in this process, we leave a little bit of us in every photo that we take. In a way, every single one of our photographs is also a portrait of ourselves.

In this series, A World That Others Can't See, I ask fellow photographers to talk about an image from their portfolios in order to discover the stories behind their work and to learn about the person behind the lens.

For the twelfth post of the series, social documentary and commercial photographer Zula Rabikowska shares with me her most recent work, from her self-portrait project "Becoming Herstory."

Zula says: “This image is part of my most recent series entitled "Becoming Herstory." This is a personal project which explores the idea of home, belonging and migration. I moved to the UK 20 years ago as a child and this move created a physical and cultural rupture with my family and Polish society. Using self-portraiture, I wear my ancestors’ clothes, connect with my family heritage, and highlight the war-torn complexity of Eastern Europe. I created this project during the 2020/21 winter lockdown and was my own creative director, stylist, assistant, model and photographer. The images were inspired by a personal need to reconcile parts of my family history and conversations with my mum.

My mum spent years bringing clothes and glassware from Poland to the UK, as these enabled her to maintain a physical bond with Polish culture, and helped us create a feeling of "home", something that we have always found difficult since moving to the UK. Holding onto these items facilitated a connection with the past and our family in Poland. In the series, I use various items, and amongst others, I include my mum’s first kitchen curtains, a handmade sheep coat, my grandma's special swimsuit and Coca Cola towels won in a radio competition. I “wear” and “perform” my family history and reflect on how the memories of women in my family have shaped my identity.

This self-portrait is called "My Mother's Dowery" and I wear my grandma’s special New Year’s Eve outfit, known as the “Nefertiti Collar” which was smuggled from Thailand. During Communism in Eastern Europe cash was largely worthless due to high inflation, and people invested in crystal, which was passed down through generations. It was quite normal for people to set up their own garden crystal productions and sell such items from their homes. The glass in this portrait was bought from my neighbours in Poland, which was part of my mum’s dowry. My grandparents, like a lot of of people at the time, invested in crystal, which was commonly referred to as "glass" (szklo in Polish), as a way of financial security, The background is created from a sequin fabric, which my dad used to sell in his clothes shop the 90s.

"My Mother's Dowery" from the series Becoming Herstory @ 2020 Zula Rabikowska

At the end of 2020, I found myself living back at home in London with my mum and my step-dad, and I started this series largely in response to my living situation and a way to stay busy during the winter lockdown. Since almost everything in the UK was closed during the winter months, and households were not allowed to mix, I became my own model and creative crew. I bought a studio lighting kit and in my mum's office set up a temporary studio for five weeks. She was using the room during the day for work, so the only time I could shoot was at 6am-9am and then after work and during the weekend, which created quite a strict shooting schedule for me. During the day I was looking at old family photos for inspiration, and sorting and compiling outfits from bags of clothes I found in the basement and the loft. My bedroom pretty much transformed into a dressing room full of clothes, makeup and wigs.

This was not the first time I was working with self-portraiture, as I developed an earlier project in the first 2020 lockdown called "Untried Realities", where I spent numerous hours behind and in front of the lens. This proved extremely useful, as when I started "Becoming Herstory" I was already comfortable with being the photographer and the subject. I created "Becoming Herstory" by placing my Nikon D800 on a Manfrotto tripod and used a self-timer, which gave me 10 seconds to move from pressing the shutter and arranging myself in front of a camera.

I am hoping that in the near future I will be able to organise an exhibition to show this work, and my plan is to exhibit the photographs alongside the clothes and objects that I used.”

Thank you so much, Zula, for sharing with me such a beautiful project and the story behind it! You can see more of Zula's amazing project at zulara.co.uk or her social media @zula.ra.

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If you haven’t read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here.

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

I Wish I Had Known... About Fashionable Dumplings!

This is the Twentieth-First post in my series of posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that “I Wish I Had Known” when I started out as a creative myself.

This week, I had the delicious pleasure of talking to Jessica Ly, a food entrepreneur slash fashion stylist slash marketing guru, who at the beginning of the pandemic started her own food service called Fashion Bake. We spoke about reinvention, immigration and how vulnerability is not a weakness but a superpower:

1- This year has taught us how brilliantly resourceful and resilient we can be. You lost your job at the start of the pandemic but then started an incredibly successful takeaway service. How did the idea come about?

It really has! Before this, I was working at an FMCG food startup (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) working in marketing. When I was made redundant in March, I threw myself into my first love, food. Growing up at home, we’ve always gathered around the table and made dumplings as a family and as a coping mechanism (I was going through lots of emotions at the time - fear, anxiety, rejection).

I started making and testing dumplings recipes for pleasure. Creating and making dumplings became my therapy and meditation. I started posting photos of my creations on Instagram and people were asking if they could buy some... I’ve always been a feeder and the penny dropped... maybe I could sell frozen dumplings?! We had 5 weeks of our tenancy left at our flat in London and I was “jobless”... so I decided to go for it and test out the market in our neighbourhood to see if there would be any interest. I sold out every week for 5 weeks!

2- Your life story represents the success of the immigrant. Your family left home and established in the UK during very difficult times and were able to make a living for themselves and raise the entrepreneurial machine that you are. Do you think about your family’s history when you are going through challenging times like these?

Every day. When my parents came here, they had nothing and couldn’t even speak English. Not only did they manage to survive, but managed to thrive. They are my daily inspiration. They created something from nothing. They’ve made so many sacrifices i.e pursuing their own dreams and ambitions (my dad wanted to be a mechanic and my mum wanted to be a hairstylist) to put food on the table and survive.

I’m a proud daughter of immigrants. Our story is a journey that represents resilience, grit and survival.

3- I am also a descendant from immigrants, and an immigrant myself. I often say that immigrants might be the only people with sufficient skills to navigate such difficult times. I’m a proud immigrant son of immigrants and something that I like from your brand is that you are proud of your heritage as well. Did you know that this was going to be an important part of your branding right from the start?

Yes definitely! I don’t think you can decide where you’re going until you know where you’re really from. Fashion Bake is me telling my story. Being a daughter of immigrants is part of my identity. I’ve always been a storyteller - first it was via my blog (Fashion Bake started off as a blog years ago!) then it was via fashion styling, now it’s via food. We ALL have stories to tell and I think it’s so important to tell our stories because you never know who you might inspire and how much somebody might have needed to hear your story - we never know who we’re giving hope to!

4- Did you have a business background before you came up with the idea for this venture?

I used to make bespoke cakes - it started when a friend asked me to make 100 cupcakes for a charity event. At the event, everybody loved the cupcakes and asked if I travelled around selling cakes and I laughed because I didn’t think it was possible. The next day I made a website, wrote out my brand mission and started off selling cupcakes.

I didn’t expect it to take off the way it did - people started ordering cupcakes, birthday cakes, wedding cakes. I then got a job as a Fashion Stylist at Harvey Nichols full time and I started making cakes after work in the evenings. I just love creating! I think my entrepreneurial spirit comes from my dad - he’s always finding new ways to create and even now at 59, he’s always thinking of the next business idea and venture.

5- Which skills do you think were transferable from your previous industry?

Every single skill I learnt has been transferable! My eye for detail as a fashion stylist. In my roles in marketing for the two food start-ups I worked at, I dabbled with food styling, branding, marketing, social media, content creation, community management. Relationship building. I’ve taken all of those experiences and skills to build and create my own business. Every single one of those skills I’ve needed to create my own business and brand. From my branding to the messages I deliver and the way they’re delivered, to the customer experience.

6- And do you think that has been the secret ingredient to your success?

What is success?! I mean I’m nowhere where I want to be yet - everybody’s definition of “success” is different. Success to me is the number of lives you have impacted and touched and contributed to. It’s loving what you do, how you do it, and who you are.

I give a shit. I love what I do, I am authentically me and I show the good, bad and ugly. I think authenticity and vulnerability are really important, that’s what people really connect with. People think vulnerability is a weakness but it’s a superpower! I would also say compassion and gratitude.

7- Speaking of success, it must have been scary to see that so many people opted for selling food during the lockdown. What made you keep going?

I really believe in my products (I truly believe every household needs frozen dumplings in their freezer) and I am uniquely me, and that is my superpower! What keeps me going is seeing how happy it makes people and hearing amazing feedback and making people smile, that is the biggest reward!

8- Any advice for other people thinking about starting their own businesses?

Make sure you really love it - don’t just do it because you’ve seen somebody else do it with success. There will be long nights and days and you’ll have to make sacrifices to build your business.

9- Just when you started your business in London, you made the decision to go back to your hometown. How has moving north impacted your business?

I was worried that nobody would buy dumplings here or get it - but my Northampton community here has been so supportive! COVID-19 has really changed people’s behaviours and for me, the challenge was to change people’s eating behaviours. Most people here hadn’t really cooked dumplings at home, but I think delivering clear messaging and content really helps!

My dumplings come with simple cooking instructions, you can scan a QR code which takes you to a video cooking tutorial and I have lots of content on Instagram.

10- I am a big believer in supporting the local economy because I’ve seen entrepreneurs like you who, with our support, have the power to change people’s lives. Keep calm and buy local, the slogan should say. How can people buy your tasty creations?

We’re currently only available locally in Northamptonshire, but watch this space! World domination is the plan ;)

Follow our journey on Instagram @fashion.bake !

Website: www.fashion-bake.com.

Jess, I have tried your delicious dumplings many times and they were always a success at home. I'm sure that soon they'll be in every home in the country! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions and for sharing with me what your fashionable dumplings are all about! It’s everything that I Wish I Had Known!

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If you haven’t read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

Photo credit: My portrait by Wayne Noir.

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

I Wish I Had Known... About Making A Photobook!

This is the Twentieth post in my series of posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that “I Wish I Had Known” when I started out as a creative myself.

This week I have a lovely chat with Yan Wang Preston, an artist exploring the poetry and politics of nature and landscapes. We spoke about her photobook Forest and the 7-year long project that resulted in this fascinating photographic work:

1. Forest is a beautiful project that addresses issues such as the environmental impact of massification in the housing construction industry in China and the contradictions of their ecology recovery programmes. You do so brilliantly, using images that look both like Tableaux Vivant and Nature Mort at the same time. What came first, the story or the image?

Well, ideally the stories and images should always come together. But in reality, they often don’t. So for me, there is always a balancing act. Some of the ‘balancing’ happens during the shooting: some scenes are simply not photographed because they don’t work visually, even if they tell brilliant stories.

Some happen during the editing. A photograph might be visually very strong and telling a great story. But it may not work with other images or their colour palette. But overall the story is very important to me. I wouldn’t like to dwell on the images too much without the story, that is too self-indulgent.

2. You began your story with a tree that you named Frank. Throughout the project, you followed Frank’s journey from the place where it stood for 300 years to its new location on the other side of the country. Did you ever think that Frank’s journey would take you on a 7-year journey of your own that would culminate on having your project printed on a book?

No, at all. The story only came together after my third visit. But I always knew the significance of Frank’s story, ever since I met it for the first time.

3. Forest tells us the story of trees that are removed from their millenary locations and are taken far-away where they will be replanted to become part of the man-made landscapes of new housing developments for wealthy people. But, it is also a commentary on the incongruences of the ecology recovery programmes that are put in practice to repurpose disused quarries and the economic impact that these new man-made landscapes have over the local authorities. With such an ambitious scope, how do you know when the project is finished and it’s ready for exhibition and print?

Ha! Well, the project could have just gone on and on. In fact, I have already been back to China and photographed the re-purposed disused quarries again. But there was a moment when I felt that the one stage of the stories could be told sufficiently. And that’s when the book and shows came out. It’s actually really important to have these ‘endings’, even if they only serve as a new beginning.

4. You and I met back in 2018 during a portfolio review event. We sat next to each other in the waiting area and we shared our experiences thus far with the different reviewers. It turned out that we both had our portfolios reviewed by the same person and that person told both of us something very similar: that our work was soulless and lacked personality. But, judging by the international success that your project Forest has had, that reviewer was completely wrong. How much do you think artists should let their work be influenced by the reviewers during these portfolio reviews?

Yes, I do remember our bitter portfolio reviews experience. I have done a few reviews and in general, I think that you should work with people who appreciate your work. It’s a waste of your time trying to persuade people who don’t like your work. And you know, people have opinions and we can’t have all of them to like our work. So be strong and be persistent. Above all, believe in yourself.

5. Did you plan for the project to end up in a photobook or was it something that happened organically? Looking back, would you have made different decisions when you started photographing the project had you known from the beginning that it would end up in a book?

Forest ended up being a book organically. At first, I was just responding to what I saw and felt. But after some time, I began to ask what platform would be the best to tell these stories. I’m a huge fan of photobooks, which I learn most of my photography from. Photobooks can’t satisfy everything, but it can serve as the central storyline.

6. What was the most challenging part of the photobook-making process?

It’s to give up some of your favourite pictures because they don’t fit.

7. The book is beautifully printed and the images look like fine art prints stitched together in a book. How involved were you in deciding the design and the quality of the materials?

I’m involved in every stage of the book, from photographing, to editing pictures, to sequencing, to designing the layout, choosing materials, proofreading, and to overseeing the printing in the factory.

I’ve heard that some photographers would give the editors a bunch of photographs to make the sequence and design. I don’t work like that. Of course, I share ideas and take into suggestions. But essentially it’s my work, so I have to be responsible for it.

8. For someone thinking about making a photobook of their project and who is struggling with all the decisions such as crowdfunding vs self-funding, the number of images, the sequencing, printers selection, number of books to print, size and dimensions, number of pages, or shipping, where can they find help? How did you answer these questions yourself?

I suppose that trying to imagine a book and to make a dummy would be the first step. After that, you’ll know the story of the book, the potential audiences, the budget and the publisher. Then you can work out how to fundraise. And of course, talk to people who have done books for real advice.

9. Do you have any additional advice for those thinking about starting a project and making a photobook?

Stop thinking and start making.

10. Forest has been exhibited all over the world over the last few years and I can’t help but look at you and your work in awe. What other projects are you working on at the moment?

I am exploring the ideas around invasive species, the politics of ecology and conversation, and the notions of national landscapes. Basically, I go to a lot of my local areas in West Yorkshire and Lancashire, to study the post-industrial landscapes occupied by a cosmopolitan ecology.

I also talk to lots of people, particularly ‘foreigners’ like myself, in order to get a different set of perspectives on a lot of things, such as belonging, national identity and migration. I’m also beginning to collaborate with musicians and ecologists.

Yan, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to answer my questions and for sharing with me what making a photobook entails. It’s everything that I Wish I Had Known!

You can learn more about Yan Wang Preston's work at yanwangpreston.com or on her social media: @yanwangpreston

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If you haven’t read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

Photo credit: My portrait by Wayne Noir.

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

A World That Others Can't See... with Ameena Rojee

Our role as photographers is to capture a world that others can't see, and in this process, we leave a little bit of us in every photo that we take. In a way, every single one of our photographs is also a portrait of ourselves.

In this series, A World That Others Can't See, I ask fellow photographers to talk about an image from their portfolios in order to discover the stories behind their work and to learn about the person behind the lens.

For the tenth post of the series, portraiture and documentary photographer Ameena Rojee talks about an image that she took during a surreal lockdown moment. Ameena's work explores community and culture focusing on people, places, and living, delving into our relationship with the natural world.

Ameena says: "The photograph I’ve chosen to show is a black and white photograph of a magpie flying to freedom and my mum’s hands. This photograph comes from a series of photographs I’ve taken as a lockdown-inspired study of my garden. It has largely become a space associated with relief and calm and was my only consistent source of sun and fresh air these days during the lockdown itself.

Although lockdown has been lifted, not much has changed for me; I live with my mum who is high risk and so I've been staying at home as much as possible. I’ve been forced to truly look at this space which I thought was so well-worn and each corner known to me. Instead, I’ve found unfamiliarity and magic.

View fullsize

Untitled © 2020 Ameena Rojee

This was one of those surreal moments; back in March, at the beginning of everything, this curious bird somehow ended up in our house one gorgeous blue-sky day and got stuck. My mum rescued the bird from our living room and set it free again.

It was such a timely real-life metaphor - a moment of struggle and panic, but with some help and kindness, the magpie was able to fly away to freedom again. It was a spontaneous moment and I’d had to run to get my camera; a reminder that sometimes our best work comes without planning, foresight or indeed any idea of what’s about to happen.

Four months on and this photograph still has so much immediate meaning. Every day I look at it and can’t help but hope for the day that we’ll all be free again."

Thank you so much, Ameena, for sharing this image and such a unique experience with me! I can almost feel that sense of regained freedom when I look at it.

You can learn more about Ameena's work on https://www.ameenarojee.co.uk/

If you haven’t read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here.

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

I Wish I Had Known... About Ethical and Sustainable Brands!

This is the nineteenth post in my series of posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that “I Wish I Had Known” when I started out as a creative myself.

When you speak to Sabinna Rachimova, founder of the fashion brand SABINNA, her calming presence and her wealth of knowledge and expertise are the perfect combination for a very educational conversation!

We had a lovely chat about sustainability and ethics in the Fashion industry and how she is contributing to shaping the new generation of people coming into the industry:

1. I’ve known you for years, since the days of your first shows at Fashion Scout during London Fashion Week. These days, you are not doing catwalks anymore and, instead, you present your collections at your own pace. How has your brand changed throughout the years and what lessons have you learnt?

This is a very good question! We changed a lot of things in the last 5 years and we keep adjusting our business concept, always listening to the demand of our customers as well as keeping in mind how our industry evolves.

We want to lead the change and be part of it rather than follow existing trends and concepts. I think change can sometimes feel like betraying your values but that's actually not the case. It's the opposite - our values and the vision that we stand for were the main reasons we rethought the way we showcase, the way we communicate with the customer and the way we want to shape this industry in the long term.

Being a pioneer is never easy but it's important and worth the effort.

2. Before starting your brand in 2016, you made a long journey from studying Slavonic languages in Austria to coming to London to study at Central Saint Martins, and later interning for Dior and Mary Katrantzou. These are opportunities that you created for yourself, but still, not everyone has access to them for geographic or economic reasons. Looking back, do you think the brand Sabinna would exist if you hadn’t followed this path and, if so, how different would it be?

It's very important to be aware of the privileges you have in life. I was born in a little place that back then was still part of the USSR. My parents worked really hard so that we could move to Europe and my sisters and I could have a better life. I am incredibly lucky that my parents gave me this opportunity.

The fact that I got to grow up in a safe environment, to get access to free education, to have the opportunity to apply for university gave me a headstart compared to a lot of other young people who are not that lucky - and I'm very aware of that privilege and never take it for granted.

It's difficult to say what life would look like today if we would have stayed in my place of birth. But what I know for sure is that I am always ready to give 100% and take every chance I get to grow, learn and take the next professional step. I owe it to my parents and I owe it to myself.

3. There is this misconception that if you study Fashion at uni, your goal should be to become a fashion designer even if there are so many other roles that are just as important to keep the industry running. Do you think that there should be more resources for people coming into the industry or perhaps expectations should be better managed by the academic institutions?

I totally agree with you! Everyone I met during my studies wanted to become a fashion designer. There is still a lack of understanding of the industry while studying. There should be more interaction between academia and the industry, this would help to manage expectations and give a more realistic picture of how the industry actually works. Internship and gap years are a great start but not enough.

4. You have said in the past that you don’t consider yourself a fashion designer…

it is true! I don't see myself as a fashion designer. When you run a fashion brand, design is only a small part of your daily tasks. A lot of it is logistics, management, leadership, trying to find balance in everything you do and of course product development.

Don't get me wrong - I am not saying that design is not important - I just feel that the term fashion designer doesn't describe my job accurately.

5. You are a woman who designs for women. One would presume that this fact would have you part of the success guaranteed in your career. Yet, most of the biggest names in Fashion design history are of men designing for women. Is this historic lack of representation still an issue today?

70% of the workforce in fashion is female, yet less than 25% are in leadership positions. There are way more male founders than female founders. This has many reasons and one of them is the patriarchal structure of the society that we live in and we see this problem across all industries. Leadership positions are often designed for men, women have it more difficult to progress in their careers, they get fewer opportunities and a large part of the society still has difficulties to see women in positions of power.

This is a very complex topic and there are many things on different levels that we can do. I see a lot of responsibility as a female founder to contribute to a shift in our industry. We need to get vocal about it and call out everyone in leadership positions and ask about inclusion and diversity within their companies.

7. The Fashion industry has been named as one of the biggest polluters on the planet, raising awareness of an issue that many small brands have been trying to tackle for years. Nowadays, it has become trendy to be sustainable to the point where you see many brands jumping on the sustainability wagon without really understanding what sustainability means. What does it mean for SABINNA?

The biggest problem is that everyone can define sustainability however it suits them - there are no rules, no regulations, a lot of space for greenwashing and this can get really frustrating. Sustainability became a buzzword and with it part of everyone's marketing strategy.

As an independent brand, we want to educate our customers but also learn from them by getting feedback. We need to start defining sustainability and call out brands that are making wrong claims for marketing reasons. Being sustainable is more than just using green materials or paying your workers properly.

Sustainability has to be part of your business concept. If your business model requires the production of tons of clothes every year then your business will never ever be sustainable. We need to rethink business models as a whole. Not only the processes that are part of it.

8. Our industry has also been called out over unethical practices many times, but things really escalated after the incident at Rana Plaza that cost the lives of so many people. When I’m asked how come I work in such an unethical industry, I always reply that I believe that change comes from within and that we are the ones trying to change the industry from the inside. How can the people working in the industry, and the new ones coming into it for the first time, contribute to making this a more ethical industry?

To everyone who is about to start a fashion business: If consciousness is not at the core of your business, then please don't do it. We don't need another brand making unnecessary products made out of plastic and produced in horrible conditions. This seems super harsh but I think we reached a point where it has become inevitable to understand the urgency when it comes to sustainable practices and an overall shift in this industry.

And for everyone who is already part of this industry: It's all a process and we are constantly learning new things. Stay informed, don't ignore innovation, introduce better practices, look out for each other, create a working environment where everyone feels heard and welcomed. And please pay everyone for their work. I can't urge enough that we have to stop offering free internships and expect people to work an unacceptable amount of hours.

9. And, speaking of ethics, being ethical and being sustainable are two very different things. Yet, many brands are using these two terms interchangeably. SABINNA, as a brand, explores sustainability aiming to create ethical fashion without compromising aesthetics. How do you achieve this balance?

I learned handcraft from my grandmother and the only way I knew fashion for many many years was through the eyes of a maker. I always had a lot of respect for handcraft and the ability to create such beauty with your very own hands.

When starting SABINNA, I wanted to focus on local production so I could be close to everyone who makes our clothes. I want to be part of this process, I want to see it and I want to constantly improve it whenever I learn new things. With everything we do, we make sure to always stay up to date on what the best solutions are and see how we as an independent brand can introduce them into our daily practices.

10. The industry has been going through economic hardship over the last few years, one that affects the high street in particular. How do you navigate fluctuating demands while still offering your community innovative and sustainable collections?

Nowadays, it's more important than ever to build a community that knows and appreciates your product for its quality and contribution to a better future. Being authentic, transparent and honest helped us a lot to build a great relationship with our customers.

We deeply care about everyone who shops with us and we always make sure to provide the best customer experience. For us, it's important to know our customers, to listen to them and to grow with them.

11. Our community is only as strong as its weakest link and this is something that you take very seriously. You lecture at the University of the Arts London where you teach your students about entrepreneurship and innovation in fashion. Why is it important for you to contribute to the new generation of people coming into the industry?

We have to see the bigger picture in everything we do. I have the amazing opportunity to share my experiences with the next generation of creatives and help them to avoid some of the mistakes that I have made.

Plus, let's not forget how much I get to learn from them! My students are really inspiring, fierce and have beautiful mindsets when it comes to rethinking the future of this industry. It always gives me hope and I see it as part of my job to connect the past, the present and the future of this industry in order to reshape it.

12. Finally, running a fashion brand these days is so much more than just selling clothes. How can people new to the industry prepare themselves better to understand the needs of the industry and its consumers?

That's a difficult question! I wasn't prepared at all when I started. I had no business background but a lot of passion and grit. And I strongly believe that there is no secret recipe of who will make it and who won't. It's super individual.

For me personally, it's a mix of understanding your privileges, luck, hard work, opportunities, network, blood, sweat, tears, grit, passion, flexible thinking, strong mindset and most importantly the ability to communicate what's on your mind.

I am beyond grateful, Sabinna, that you took some time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions. It’s everything that I Wish I Had Known!

You can learn more about SABINNA on her website https://www.sabinna.com/ or her Instagram @sabinna_com

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If you haven’t read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

Photo credit: portrait of Sabinna © 2020 JC Candanedo. My portrait by Wayne Noir.

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

I Wish I Had Known About... Content Creation!

This is the eighteenth post in my series of posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that “I Wish I Had Known” when I started out as a creative myself.

A couple of weeks ago, I sat down with the fabulous Leena Norms, online video creator, podcaster, producer and storyteller with over 4 million views on her YouTube channel, and we spoke about creating a career out of the skills that you have and her advice for those who are just starting with their own channels.

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Note: As I was editing the interview for the blog, the world was going through one of the most challenging moments of our generation: the Covid-19 outbreak. For those of you reading 100 years from now, it is the year 2020, and a pandemic is putting humankind to the test. But, even in our darkest hours, there are people like Leena who, using her platforms and her online reach, is dedicating a couple of hours every day to help people cope with this new reality. Leena, you are one of my sheroes.

Other people doing their part in keeping hopes high who are worth mentioning are Erin Bolens with her #pennedup initiative or Linda Bloomfield with her campaign to support creatives in these uncertain times. One day I wish I could be half as amazing as you guys are!

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1. To me, you are the Quintessential content creator. You have a YouTube Channel, you have a Patreon, you are working on a book, you are Social Media Producer, you work in the publishing industry, and you are a self-published poet. To the question “what are you?”, is the answer “what are you not?”

I’m not a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker - no, seriously... there are lots of things I found early on I wasn’t great at, so I set about clearing a little space for myself where I could be useful to the world. I think by accident I’ve ended up creating a job out of the mish-mash things I am good at, all the things I at could work to be better at and things I love doing. Among those things are: overthinking, making friends, writing scripts, being gobby, persuading people to buy books, public speaking, noticing weird things, being outraged about injustices (this showcased itself early in more of a domestic, sibling-rivalry way, but I managed to redirect it to social justice), telling lies (I’ve now found out you can call these ‘stories’) and rhyming.

I am not: a driver, an athlete, a person who enjoys group work.

2. You recently celebrated 10 years on YouTube. Congratulations! And you celebrated in what I think is a very Leena way: you created a video where you shared all your learnings from those past 10 years. How has YouTube changed Leena from your first video to where you are today?

It’s made me more confident, but not in the way you might expect; I don’t think it’s people watching or others' praise... more the thousands of hours I’ve spent looking at my own face whilst editing, and all the time I’ve spent in my own thoughts writing. No one can tell me something about my face that I don’t already know, and I’m used to it now, it’s like an old friend. I also think having a long-term project that involves spending a lot of time alone making videos (for someone who has a lot of extrovert tendencies) has been really good for me; it’s helped me get to know myself independently of others and be really comfortable in my own company. I don’t think that would have happened without YouTube.

I’m also much more eloquent now than I was... my first videos were basically ten minutes of me going ‘yeah this book was good... sort of. And this book was not good. I don’t know why.’

I think that simply comes with practice.

3. How different is the medium today than when you started? Do you think it’s an oversaturated medium? Are there still opportunities for people who want to start their own channels?

Yes, definitely there’s still always room! Poetry has been going on thousands of years, and no one is turning around and saying ‘Carol Ann Duffy, we know you enjoy it, but I think we already have a lot of poets, don’t you? Have you considered TikTok?’

I’ve seen that it might take longer to grow than it might have before: but it’s also important to remember whilst there are more channels there’s also much more of an audience; millions more people are using the platform than they were ten years ago - you’ve actually probably got an even better chance of finding your tribe.

4. What is a Vlog, and how does it compare to creating content for a Blog?

A vlog is just a blog in video form; I guess for the viewer it’s easier to consume because you’re essentially being read an article aloud? But also most of the time vlogs are tougher round the edges and presented as more of a stream of consciousness than a blog? Maybe. Unless you have a lot of time and resources, it’s definitely harder to go back and edit - even if I script my videos, once it’s filmed there’s only so much you can go back and change. You can’t add more stuff in neatly really, without going back and re-filming. With a blog, the editing and how much of it was done is invisible to the reader.

© 2020 JC Candanedo

5. As if all these weren't enough, you also make podcasts!

Podcasts are my life’s joy, I listen to my favourites over and over again. They do something completely different from video, so I’ve always been interested in them. My first venture into making them was about 5 years ago with a joint project, The Banging Book Club. I then went on to launch my own one (which is coming back soon!) and currently I also produce two other podcasts for others - The Vintage Books Podcast and Mother Ship. For me, podcasts are an opportunity to go more in-depth on topics, to make more relaxed, conversational content and a great excuse to get to chat with incredible people.

6. Should content be created for monetisation, or should we be creating content for the love of content creation? When did you start monetising it?

So I started my Patreon about three years ago, but I’ve always collected the ad-revenue on the ads google runs on my videos. I think it’s possible to create content people really want and would pay for (which is what makes it monetisable) and make something that you love - sometimes I either manage that in one video, or you can manage that within a channel. So, for example, my Positive Panic series about climate change is something that I love that I wasn’t sure other people would, but made anyway. BUT I’m able to continue to make it and give it more time because it turned out that people did like it. If I hadn’t made the first one I’d never have known. I think to produce regular content you have to produce some light-hearted stuff as well

7. How different is it working with Patreon than YouTube? What is the business model?

Patreon is essentially a ‘tipping’ system with a bit more faith - I’m saying ‘I’ll give you this thing for free, if you like it, pop some money in the hat!’ and becoming a patreon is like are saying ‘I WILL tip you - and I’m SO sure I’ll like the next 3 things you make, that I’m going to pledge to tip you for those too so you can depend on me.’ That frees me up to not promise my time elsewhere, to give more time to the stuff I make and be more ambitious with the scope of my videos. And I even get to sleep a bit now too!

YouTube essentially use my videos to run ads on them - once the ad has run, they give me a small cut. There’s no dependability about how much they sell the ads for, how much of a cut I’m getting and if they will promote my video/show it to people at all.

So Patreon supporters are the ones that make the channel happen; YouTube Ad-sense make up about 5% of my total income from my channel.

8. Are you sponsored and, if you are, is there a clash between patronage and sponsorship?

The channel isn’t generally sponsored by anyone, but every now and then I’ll work with a brand to make a video, and they will sponsor that specific video. Because my patreons pay per-thing, there’s never a charge for patreons on videos that are funded a different way. In ten years I’ve done a grand total of... five sponsored videos, which means of the 585 on my channel, 580 were either sponsored by patreons or made by me without payment. I’m super fussy about sponsors - I generally only accept digital products, experiences or book promotions, and I check out how squeaky-clean a company’s ethics are before I sign anything. No one is perfect, and I will always judge it on a case-by-case basis, not worth it to me to work with an organization which totally contradicts the values of the channel and the other videos I put out.

9. On average, how many hours a week do you spend on your channels?

Between 15-20, but in the past if I’m working on a big video or I’m making multiple videos it can be much more - and obviously it’s a how-long-is-a-piece-of-string kind of situation - if I had 40 hours I’d be able to cut less corners and write more complex scripts, make more intricate stuff, etc etc - as I’m sure is the case with any project!

10. Do your channels pay for themselves?

Because I’m a one-woman-band (I research, script, shoot, edit, upload and do all the smells and bells around promoting a video), the biggest overhead historically for my channel has always been my time; for about 7 of the 10 years I’ve been working on it, I worked for free. Now I’m super honoured to have about 800 lovely patreons who ‘tip’ me per video, cheer me on from the sidelines and generally give me the resources to be able to spend more time on my videos. And of course, as the channel has grown, I’ve been able to work with a few sponsors too. That means that any equipment I’ve even bought to work on it has been covered, and now increasingly my time is being covered too, which feels like a dream and also a wonderful relief!

11. People say that one should write about the things that one wishes one could read. Do you follow this mantra when you work on your channels?

Definitely - my style has changed gradually depending on what I’m watching at the time and what gets ME engaged as a viewer. There’s so much out there, and it’s impossible to cover a completely new topic, but I try and cover it in a different tone or come at a topic from a different angle. When I’m explaining a concept in a video, it’s often drafted directly from the way I explain it to myself in my head.

12. What is the youtube channel, the podcast, or the blog that you wished existed?

This is such a good question! I would 100% watch a channel that just did film analysis exclusively of old musicals. I would devour that. There are loads of stuff about Marvel and Pixar films and new Oscar winners... where’s MusicalTube?

13. Lastly, any word of advice for people out there who are starting to think about Vlogging, Blogging or Podcasting?

Get stuck in, expect to get it wrong, enjoy the process and don’t be a slave to the algorithm! If making something is a chore, it will feel like a chore to the audience too. If you make something with love, it will show through your work, and that’s what really makes an impact.

I am so honoured, Leena, that you took a few minutes of your busy creative schedule to answer all my questions. It’s everything that I Wish I Had Known!

You can follow Leena and learn more about her impressive work on Instagram, Youtube, Patreon.

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If you haven’t read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

Photo credit: portraits of Leena © 2020 JC Candanedo. My portrait by Wayne Noir.

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

A World That Others Can’t See… with Gabrielle Motola

Our role as photographers is to capture a world that others can’t see, and in this process we leave a little bit of us in every photo that we take. In a way, every single one of our photographs is also a portrait of ourselves.

In this series, A World That Others Can’t See, I ask fellow photographers to talk about an image from their portfolios in order to discover the stories behind their work and to learn about the person behind the lens.

For the eighth post of the series, documentary and portrait photographer Gabrielle Motola talks about her work in Iceland, where she produced her first book entitled An Equal Difference (2016), in which she explores the modern search for gender equality and shared humanity.

Gabrielle says: “I travelled to Iceland in 2013 and over the course of three years, photographed and interviewed one hundred residents from many walks of society. Politicians, educators, artists, scientists, people of different gender identities and lifestyles. About two and a half years in, I decided to consolidate my efforts into a book.

"A collection of essays, portraits and landscapes exploring the Icelandic mindset, An Equal Difference was published in 2016. It is inspired by our modern search for gender equality and shared humanity. It analyses Icelandic society, but it seeks to understand how we all could build more equal and benevolent societies that encourage us to be healthier in ourselves and towards each other.

"I was inspired by Iceland’s reaction to the financial crash of 2008 and wanted to understand more about a culture which sought to examine the over-masculinised behaviour that led to the crash, without blaming men. After all, women were involved in the crash too.

"Afterwards, Iceland called for measures like the feminisation of banking, Those responsible for the economic crash went to jail, and an openly lesbian prime minister was elected to lead a parliament that was 52% female. This parliament then proceeded to make prostitution illegal – by criminalising the buyers, not the sellers.

"Sounds ideal, right? But rather than project my utopian fantasies and idealise the country, I sought instead to get under the skin of Iceland through my network. I worked with locals to connect to, photograph and have conversations with what turned out to be a “who’s who” of Icelanders.

"My criteria for subjects was esoteric. I wanted people who could think for themselves. We tend to call it thinking differently, but in a monocultural country of 330,000 there isn’t that much room for difference. What I found in Iceland were humans. And human problems. No country is perfect. No system. Perfection exists only in the mind, and it is our pursuit of it that is most human of all.

"Idealism aside, I wanted to know about the kind of society Iceland had cultivated. Why was it topping gender equality charts year after year? Why did it have one of the Greenest energy programs on the planet? Was it because of gender equality that these models co-existed? What makes gender equality work on a practical level, and did it really exist in Iceland in a way that the people benefitted from it? More importantly, how might equality influence the way individuals think and operate in society and ultimately construct it?

"How did women and men see each other – and themselves? What was their character like, compared to other countries I had lived in? Were women more confident, men more open-minded, children better cared for? Was life there more balanced?

"We are all much bigger than our cultures, yet our personalities take the shapes of them to some extent. I did not find absolute equality, however, I did find a high concentration of evolved ideas and perspectives.

"The two images you see here are of two totally different kinds of imperfection, striving for perfection.

"Ólöf Arnalds is a singer/songwriter and indie musician. She is classically educated on the violin, viola and self-taught on guitar and charango, but it is her voice which makes her music stand out. Her distinctness may be thanks to the fact that she is a self-confessed weirdo. I had this even confirmed by a childhood classmate whom I also photographed who could never understand why she asked the complicated questions she did in bible studies. Ólöf was in her back yard in Reykjavik when I met her, explaining her eyes and how they do not perfectly point in the same direction. Neither do mine.

"Héðinn is a senior government policy analyst advising on mental health. He has the hard-won advantage of first-hand experience of the Icelandic mental health system, about which he wrote a book entitled Vertu Ulfur (Be a Wolf). He would not use the term bipolar to describe himself. He uses cold-water therapy to work on his mind. I trained for three weeks in Iceland’s cold pools to get up the stamina and courage to step into this near-frozen lake near Borgarnes in late November. It was 2 degrees centigrade.

"I still swim and shower in cold water and enjoy its many benefits. Whenever I am told I am weird – which is not an infrequent occurrence – I think of Ólöf."

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Ólöf Arnalds © Gabrielle Motola

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Héðinn Unnsteinsson © Gabrielle Motola

I couldn't be happier and more inspired, Gabrielle! I have no words to express how grateful I am that you shared the beautiful stories behind your images with me.

You can learn more about Gabrielle's work at www.gabriellemotola.com and if you want to purchase a copy of her beautiful book, you can visit https://www.anequaldifference.com/

Gabrielle is also on Patreon and her Instagram and Twitter handles are @gmotophotos

For more information about Ólöf and Héðinn:

Ólöf Arnalds www.olofarnalds.com Héðinn Unnsteinsson www.hedinn.org

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If you haven’t read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different photographer each month!

Photo credit: portrait by Sean Tucker

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

A World That Others Can't See... with Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz

Our role as photographers is to capture a world that others can't see, and in this process, we leave a little bit of us in every photo that we take. In a way, every single one of our photographs is also a portrait of ourselves.

In this series, A World That Others Can't See, I ask fellow photographers to talk about an image from their portfolios in order to discover the stories behind their work and to learn about the person behind the lens.

For the seventh post of the series, London-based documentary, portraiture and travel photographer Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz (pronounced Yen-drosh) talks about an image that she took on the border between Poland and the Russian enclave Kaliningrad for her project The European Green Belt.

Hanna-Katrina says: “There is a moment near the beginning of every project when I experience the rush of being on a roller coaster at the moment where it tips over the first drop. It’s frightening and exciting. This photograph was taken at one of those moments.

On the border between Poland and the Russian enclave Kaliningrad, I took this image in a deserted spot deep into the nature reserve which creates the northern banks of the Vistula Lagoon in Poland. It is one of the many fringes of the European Union, and at the moment the photograph was taken, I felt as though I was on a personal edge. The wind had been sucked out of my sails and I was trying to find my way again.

Days before, as I arrived in Poland, my maternal grandmother died, back in England, at the age of 97. Simultaneously, my paternal Polish aunt was admitted to hospital with a life threatening infection. I had been offered a last minute assignment which had delayed the start of the trip. Tensions were high, and there was a pervading sense of forces playing out beyond my influence. Everything was budgeted for and planned, and time itself now convulsed, an origami time-shifting sense of loss, of life feeling suddenly smaller.

I try to coax myself to see the land rolling out in front of me with engaged interest.

I walk on my own along the forest road. Pine forests, mossy floors and bird song hold me on either side. My instinct is to lie down in the moss, fold into the land and sleep. There is a tension between finding the moment to photograph and the strong desire to disappear. As I walk towards the border, a border I know will be there, I feel a sense of prickling solitude. Left right left right, my thoughts do acrobatics into the canopy.

I reach the national boundary, look along its straight fence up and over on either side to my left and right. I am in a shallow dip in the land and the road goes no further. Suddenly visible up to my left I catch sight of a patrol vehicle on the crest of the dunes before the beach.

Carrying a large Mamiya slung across my body, I have a spark of paranoia that a border guard might mistake my old camera for a gun. My Polish grandmother’s stories are present - of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 and her covert Underground Army operations. This is where my imagination often leaps to. I walk towards the beach with the camera in plain sight, hands at my sides, and smile as I step past the vehicle. I gesture a friendly wave towards the border guards who sit inside. They stare at me, no particular smidge of authorisation or foreboding.

My heart is racing as I go past, to the beach.

I am blasted by sub-zero Baltic winds and dazzling sunlight. A cold shimmering paradise, the navy waters of the Baltic roar.

To my right is the fence.

Stop.

I take some photographs and walk towards the tideline. Turning back, my eyes follow my spiralling footprints up the beach, to the dunes. The guards now stand high in the marram grass watching me.

I lift a hand in a still wave. I take a few more photographs to show I am busy and am no trespasser.

The walk back seems shorter.

A few weeks later, as I arrive at the last stop on my route before turning West and homeward, the news comes that my Aunt has died. It has all gone horribly wrong.

Two matriarchs, not known to each other, living in different spheres, both held their ground until they could not. I experience a sense of my familial architecture being reorganised.

There’s an image of a forest and a sprawling family nestled amongst roots.

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From the project The European Green Belt © Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz

Hanna-Katrina, I can’t thank you enough for sharing with me such personal and beautiful anecdote of the moment when you took this image. I’m breathtaken! If you want to see more of Hanna-Katrina’s work, visit www.hannakatrina.co.uk.

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If you haven't read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different photographer each month!

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

I Wish I Had Known... About Graphic Design!

This is the twentieth post in my series of posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that "I Wish I Had Known" when I started out as a creative myself.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of having a conversation with Ruby Lee, the Creative Director of London-based Studio 77, about graphic design, the role of creative directors these days and how can design studios contribute to making this a better world:

1. What is graphic design, and why is it important?

It’s written words’ better-looking sister.

Graphic design is a visual form of communication, a story-telling aid if you will, and it’s everywhere and impossible to escape. In fact, I bet if you look up right now, you can see at least 3 types of graphic design around you? Adverts? Signs? Posters?

Graphic design is such a prevalent part of everybody's day to day life, it has the power to communicate a story, emotion or feeling, so it’s important that it’s executed properly.

2. What skills do you need to become a graphic designer?

From a creative perspective, you need to have a willingness to explore ideas and do things a little bit differently, nobody likes a copy-cat designer.

From a more technical standpoint, I think an understanding of space (#ilovewhitespace) and layout skills are important too, as well as making sure what you’re trying to say with your design is clearly communicated.

However, the most important thing you need to be a successful creative is patience. Sometimes ideas can take a while to populate and form in your head, and other times, let’s be completely honest, clients can be an absolute nightmare with changing their minds. It’s important to be willing to satisfy your clients’ creative ventures as well as your own.

3. What fields can graphic designers work in?

If you’re freelance, you can work from any field as long as it has wifi (I am a dad joke person…).

Graphic design is a pretty wide market and opens up doors to all sorts of creative roles in the future. It’s totally up to you! From exploring illustration to creating brand identities to designing websites or crafting advertising campaigns, there’s a lot of specialisms to choose from.

I would say explore a few different strands of design before jumping into your chosen specialism, as it’s really useful to have a knowledge of how different areas of design work, especially if you’re looking for a creative director or art director role.

Knowledge is power!

4. You mention brand identity. What is the difference between graphic design and branding?

Graphic design is mainly a visual-focused form of communication, whereas branding is a mixture of both visual and strategy.

Most people think of just the logo when they think of branding, but it’s a lot deeper than that, think colour palettes, brand positioning, tone of voice, photography etc. A branding designer has to think about all of these things when starting a branding project.

In most cases, a graphic designer is given some sort of ‘brand guideline’ to adhere to, which will outline the visual elements of the brand itself.

5. After finishing their degree, do you think graphic designers should work for someone else before venturing into freelancing?

This is a completely personal decision for each and every designer! For starters, I didn’t go to university, I just went straight into work experience, then in-house, then agency side, then freelance and then eventually started my own design studio.

But I do think in order to be a good and adaptable freelancer, prior agency/client experience is really beneficial. Agencies are a fast-paced (and somewhat stressful) environment, quick turnarounds are expected, the ability to decipher the most scrambled briefs is a talent within itself, and if you can learn these skills within the comfort of a full-time job, I would recommend you do so.

Once you’ve successfully mastered some, or all of the skills above, if you’re feeling ready to freelance, go for it!

In the freelance community, everybody knows everyone, so word travels fast. If you’re doing a great job, your recommendations will snowball, and you’ll be swatting away work left, right and centre; but similarly, if you’re not doing a great job, it’s not good for your reputation.

The other thing I would say before embarking into the freelance world is to save up three months worth of rent and bills. It’s a pretty unpredictable market, some months you could be fully booked up, and in others, you could be twiddling your thumbs, so it’s a sensible idea to have a safety net to fall back.

6. What has been your evolution since the days when you were an in-house designer?

Geez, that was a long time ago! How long have you got? The journey from in-house designer to starting my own design studio was fairly slow and logical (which is very off-brand for me…), with an injection of impulse and ‘I’m just going to f***ing go for it’ mixed in.

As I said before, I skipped university and went straight into work experience, to in-house, then to agency side, then to freelance and then to Studio 77, my website design studio.

The biggest evolution of my design journey was somewhere between working for an agency and quitting to go freelance, and then starting my own business.

I’ve learnt a lot of lessons along the way, I didn’t know anything about how to run a business, but I knew how to design things. I guess my biggest evolution was throwing myself into the deep and learning about the business side of things!

7. What is Studio 77?

We are a website design studio based in London, we work with a breadth of different clients across a multitude of sectors, but they all have the same goal - to bring moments of joy to their customers.

Each and every client gets treated like the unique entity that they are. No box templates, no quick fixes, we take each website from original sketches through to a fully-launched, functioning bespoke digital masterpiece.

We really care about not only our clients but also our clients’ customers - as they are the ones that will ultimately keep our clients going!

We start off each website with a discovery and strategy session, where we get deep into the minds of our customer’s customers, and imagine how they think and how they’d use the website from their perspective. Then, and only then, can the visually creative process begin.

We only work with a select number of clients at a time, meaning that we can focus on their websites. This not only means we can get our creative juices flowing, but that we can take an idea, and turn it into a live website in as little as two weeks.

8. In your role as Creative Director of Studio 77, how are your responsibilities different from when you started as a Graphic Designer?

As a creative director, you not only design things, and give your creative input, but you oversee the whole creative process. My job as a creative director is to make sure that nothing leaves our studio that’s not as ‘perfect’ as it can be.

I oversee the freelance team members we have and make sure the work is up to standard and is creatively pushing boundaries. No-one wants a boring design, not us, not our clients, no-one!

9. As a client, when would I need to hire a Creative Director?

I think a Creative Director is really important for projects where you have more than one creative working on your brand.

We are essentially ‘the brand police’ and make sure that everything that goes out the door is on brand, looking good and to a high standard.

10. How involved are Creative Directors in the final outcome of the project?

We work closely with all of the creatives, copywriters and artworkers to, well, direct the project.

Any creative project is a joint effort (and if it’s not, it should be!), but Creative Directors have the ability to steer the creative outcome in one direction or another. We are the brand ‘guardians’ for projects, and we ultimately have the say whether something is approved or not before it gets sent to the client.

11. When you talk about your clients, you say that you handpick those clients who bring joy to the world, which sounds to me as if you were trying to have social impact through your work.

All businesses should have a social impact!

We only have one planet, we should treat it, and everyone on it, with respect. We like to mix up our work with the high budget luxury clients with work with charities and start-ups, think of us at the Robin Hood of design…

We also donate £150 of each website project we do to Friends of the Earth to help tackle global issues such as climate change.

12. How do you think design studios can contribute to make this a better world?

Stop using comic sans. I joke (kind of.)

In all seriousness, design is a form of communication, so just make sure what you’re saying with your design is impactful.

I think if you’re at a place where you financially and time-wise can, reach out to charities or partner up with those in need of a graphic designer with no budget.

13. How can anyone interested in your work get a hold of you?

Digitally, we exist at www.wearestudio77.com and @wearestudio77 on Instagram. Physically we’re housed in the lovely Second Home in London Fields.

Pop by and say hello!

Thank you so much, Ruby, for sitting down with me and sharing what graphic design is all about. It’s everything that I Wish I Had Known!

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If you haven't read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

Do you like what you just read? Subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

I Wish I Had Known... About Twerking!

This is the eighteenth post in my series of posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that "I Wish I Had Known" when I started out as a creative myself.

Today, I have a chat with the power-machine that is Bami Kuteyi, founder of Bam Bam Boogie, a London-based Nigerian-Canadian fitness instructor who turned her fitness frustrations into a global movement:

1. You and I share a common past because we both worked in corporate before becoming freelance creatives. What made you quit your job and embark on this journey?

I knew that I had something bigger that I could give to the world - I never wanted my dreams to die at my desk, so I took the leap of faith to leave my job and start my own business.

2. How was the transition from financial security to freelancing?

I started working full-time at 22, so I was never really financially secure [she laughs], even though I was making a lot of money I would spend it frivolously on holidays and partying in order to escape the reality that was working full-time in a role I was not passionate about... Nevertheless, not having a monthly pay-cheque didn't affect me as much as I thought it would.

I planned to leave for some time, so I saved enough money to last me for a whole year, after which my business started to pick up enough for me to live. I read somewhere that after the basic necessities of life are met any income above that only increases happiness marginally. I really learned that this was the truth when leaving my full-time job.

3. Your business is not just a regular fitness business like others because you also aim to have a social impact. Why was that important for you when you came up with the concept?

Yes, 100%! It's always been top of my priority list to give back to my community. That was important for me because I didn’t come from a particularly wealthy family growing up but was around other children who did. Seeing that difference, I knew I wanted to give back to those who had less than me in any way, shape or form.

Apart from empowering people via twerking, I've been involved with supporting refugee children and fighting period poverty here in the UK and Africa. Also, in the future, I would like to have my own social enterprise which focuses solely on helping young girls from low-income homes with high potential to get into the creative industries from a young age.

4. It seems to me that you are trying to fill the inclusiveness and empowerment gap that exists in the fitness industry. Have you found any resistance?

To be honest, not really. I truly believe that your vibe attracts your tribe... and everything always works out in the end. Even if I have ever encountered resistance, it hasn't impacted me or my business enough to remember it! My business is growing and glowing with all the right people joining and supporting this movement.

5. What has been the most challenging aspect of running a creative business?

The most challenging aspect for me is doing the stuff that I really don't like doing or want to do. When you sign up to run a business, no matter how much you love the craft, creativity and freedom, there will always be parts that are needed but aren't so interesting. For me, some of these things are admin, sales and accounting, so I find those areas the most challenging and I’m planning to outsource them sometime in the near future.

6. What made you choose twerking as your focus?

Twerking, as it's called now, is and has always been a part of my culture. I'm Nigerian, so I remember my Grandma "twerking" as a child at parties, and I always loved it and thought it was so much fun. As I grew older, I realised that there really is something so empowering for women to twerk and move their bodies in this way.

7. What inspires you when you create your routines?

I think it really depends on what I'm going through at the time I create them. I tell stories through my routines, so it depends on what I'm feeling or what I feel like the girls really need at that point in time. For example, during International Women’s Month, all my routines were really strong and powerful.

8. Who is twerking for?

For everybody! Literally, everyone can twerk! They just need to embrace their body moving in ways it hasn't before.

9. Where do you see Bam Bam Boogie going in the future?

WORLD DOMINATION ... I See it being surpassing Zumba one day, with everyone knowing a BBB Instructor or having tried a class before.

10. How can people learn more about you, about twerking and about Bam Bam Boogie?

They can pop to my website bambamboogie.com or follow my crazy twerk adventures on Instagram @bambam_boogie.

Bami, you rock! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions about what twerking is all about. It is everything that I Wish I Had Known! Keep inspiring!

Thanks a mil for this JC!

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If you haven't read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

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I Wish I Had Known... About Writing A Cookbook!

This is the seventeenth post in my series of monthly posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that "I Wish I Had Known" when I started out as a creative myself.

On this post I speak with the fabulous Dina Begum, a Bangladeshi-born/East London-bred food writer about her passion for Bangladeshi food traditions and stories and her book Brick Lane Cookbook, in which she celebrates the diverse cultures and flavours of this much-loved area of London:

1. Where does your love for cooking come from?

My mother. I grew up seeing her prepare delicious meals from scratch almost every single day, using fresh produce. It seemed magical to me that she created feasts out of a few bags of groceries - that made me fall in love with cooking. My extended family are huge foodies and my maternal grandmother is also an amazing cook and this further inspired me, as I spent time with her during school holidays while growing up.

2. How does one go from writing down recipes on a notebook to actually writing a cookbook? Did you ever see yourself as an author?

I wanted to be an author before I even knew what an author was. I remember writing my first poem at the age of eight or nine and receiving a compliment from my teachers. In fact, my writing career began with fiction, poetry and narrative non-fiction including an essay on the shipbreaking trade in Chittagong, Bangladesh. While I loved to cook and write down recipes from a very young age I actually began focusing on food writing about five years ago. The two things I love are words and food, so I decided to combine the two!

3. What challenges did you face when you set yourself to writing the book?

Writing my debut cookbook was a tremendous learning curve for me. I learned how to write and format recipes properly, create delicious sounding yet relevant headnotes to accompany the recipes – which are crucial as they not only describe the dish but give helpful hints and tips. As a Bangladeshi cook, I learned through observing and helping. My mother and grandmother, like the majority of women of those generations never used measures, or wrote things down. It’s a very intuitive way of cooking. This made recipe testing a challenge at first as it was all new for me to measure ingredients exactly and time things. It’s so much easier now!

4. Did you work with a publisher or did you self-publish?

I was lucky enough to find a publisher through a friend who loved my blog and forwarded it to my publisher Kitchen Press. They’re an award-winning independent publisher and specialise in market cookbooks so it was a perfect fit for Brick Lane Cookbook. A blog is a wonderful way to highlight food writing, especially if you’re in the early stages.

5. How difficult is it to promote and sell a book? Where do you sell them?

My book is sold via my publisher and a distributor who deal with the business side of things. There’s also a PR to handle a lot of the promotional side. It’s available on Amazon, Waterstones, Foyles, Oliver Bonas and independent bookshops – one of which is the fabulous Brick Lane Bookshop on Brick Lane. As an author, I also consider it my responsibility to promote the book and I do this via social media posts, where I engage with my audience with regards to cooking and also promote any events I do. I also welcome press and promotional interest and do interviews where possible.

6. It has been said that people publish books nowadays for self-promotion rather than for profit? Is that your case?

I believe writing is a part of me and my life’s main purpose. Since my teens, I’ve published poetry, short fiction and wrote and edited articles for a magazine. This gave me a real sense of what it feels like to write for a living. To me being recognised for writing something interesting and producing good work is key. Self-promotion and profit is, and can be superfluous. Of course, if what you love can help you earn a living that’s a real bonus! My freelance food work is an essential part of my life and I try and connect it to my book as well as long term career goals.

7. Are there any other books in the pipeline?

Nothing concrete at the moment but I am working on a second book with more of a focus on Bangladesh. My book is split into Bangladeshi recipes and other cuisines which reflect the lovely diversity of Brick Lane, but it would be amazing to give Bangladeshi food 100% of my attention for my next project.

8. In your book, you publish recipes from your own kitchen but also from restaurants in Brick Lane. How did you get them to agree for you to publish them for all to see? How did you get their trust in the first place? Were they protective or happy to share their knowledge?

Through sheer power of persuasion and perseverance! Many businesses were easily convinced and keen to include their recipes in my book as they could envision how important it was to document the diversity in the food of Brick Lane. I think people love sharing their food stories. Some were protective of their recipes, especially ones they’d spent years perfecting or family recipes. I totally understood that as these are treasured recipes. I made it clear from the onset that they would be given credit and I would love to share the stories behind their dishes so they were happy to come on board and loved the process of chatting to me and showing me how to cook certain items, which was a real treat.

9. Have you ever worked in a restaurant? Have you thought about opening your own restaurant?

I haven’t worked in a restaurant as such, however, I have worked in them to host supper clubs and pop-ups, most recently at Darjeeling Express, which gave me a little taste of how restaurants operate. I also have some knowledge of them from family members who run their own restaurants. I would love to open some sort of eatery one day serving Bangladeshi food, with my own spin on it.

10. What are your thoughts on cooking robots like the Thermomix? Have you heard about the MIT robot restaurant that just opened in Boston last month?

I’ve literally just googled Thermomix! And to be absolutely honest this kind of cooking has never appealed to me. I’m sure it works for many people and it has its benefits but I just couldn’t imagine cooking this way. I’ve not heard about the robot MIT restaurant and find that very bizarre. I’m an old fashioned cook and not a huge gadgets person either.

11. On the day that we met, you were doing a demo on how to make one of your recipes using what you already have around in your kitchen. Do you try to apply the same concept to all of your recipes?

I believe in zero waste as a basic life philosophy, especially when it comes to food. So I strongly believe in utilising what you have lying around in the fridge or pantry first before buying more groceries. I love to create most of my recipes with that in mind. Use what you have and try and use substitutes. For particular recipes, substitutes don’t work but so many recipes are flexible. It’s all about adaptation.

12. Apart from the book, I know that you have also had your recipes published in many publications and that you host brunches where you share your delicious cooking with your guests. Have you ever considered giving cooking classes?

I love cooking for people and hosting pop-ups and demos. My teaching is currently available on Yodomo.co for whom I’ve filmed a Bangladeshi spice blend and recipe series. However, I’d love to give cooking classes and it’s something that’s on my list of things to do.

13. Where can we find out more about your book and your recipes?

You can find out more about my book and my recipes on my website (which has a recipes blog) and also follow me on Twitter & Instagram @dinasfoodstory to see what I’m cooking and eating and also find out about upcoming events.

This is wonderful, Dina! I really appreciate you sharing with me your tasty recipes and what being a food writer is all about. It is everything that I Wish I Had Known!

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If you haven't read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

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A World That Others Can't See... with Chloe Rosser

Our role as photographers is to capture a world that others can't see, and in this process we leave a little bit of us in every photo that we take. In a way, every single one of our photographs is also a portrait of ourselves.

In this series, A World That Others Can't See, I ask fellow photographers to talk about an image from their portfolios in order to discover the stories behind their work and to learn about the person behind the lens.

For the third post of the series, Chloe Rosser talks about her image 'Function 5, 4'. Chloe is a photographic artist based in London represented by L A Noble Gallery who has just released her new book Form & Function, available at Stay Free Publishing.

Chloe says: "This image is from my Form & Function series. In this work I hide all the identifying features of the figures - the heads, hair and hands. When seeing a body like this, you can't make the usual assumptions or judgements about a person that you normally would. Instead, you're able to focus on the details of the structure of the figure.

For these works, I try to use natural light whenever I can. I was usually shooting in people's homes, which means utilising window light as much as possible. This image doesn't get shown very much when the project is featured or exhibited, but it's actually one of my favourites. That's because of the quality of the light and how it falls beautifully over their shoulders, spines and muscles. They look so statuesque to me.

The other aspect I love about this image is the angle at which one of the figure's leg rests. It looks so strange, almost amputated. It rests there heavily and relaxed, but in a position which looks so awkward. Almost painful, but so calm.

The sole of that figure's foot is dirty from the floor. I see that as a little pop of humanity. We're looking at this pile of body parts, but right there is evidence of the human act of walking. For the same reason, I leave all the marks on the floors and walls - because it's proof the space is lived in.

I shot this image on a Canon 5D Mark III with a Canon EF 24-105 mm lens using natural light. The image is featured in my new book, Form & Function"

'Function 5, 4' © Chloe Rosser

Thank you so much, Chloe, for sharing with me such beautiful image from your breathtaking work! You can see more of Chloe's amazing work on www.chloerosser.co.uk.

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If you haven't read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different photographer each month!

Photo credit: portrait of Chloe Rosser © 2019 JC Candanedo

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I Wish I Had Known... About Contemporary Poetry!

This is the sixteenth post in my series of monthly posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that "I Wish I Had Known" when I started out as a creative myself.

Being a big fan of Erin Bolens, you can imagine what an honour it was for me when she agreed to have a chat with me about what it is like being a contemporary poet, about her inspirations and about where in the UK can poetry enthusiasts and fans go to enjoy good poetry:

1. We met in 2017 during your beautiful performance at the Thames Festival's Boat Poets session at the The National Poetry Library and since then you can consider me a huge fan! Why do you think we need poetry?

That's so kind. I think my favourite part of doing this is meeting people along the way, so it's always great to come across those who are curious about poetry.

For me poetry is like a kaleidoscope - it's a small space with such a lot of detail in. Each read of a poem is a bit like shaking the kaleidoscope - you see a different pattern, a different colour and I love that. Poetry is a great shapeshifter and rises to lots of challenges so well. We turn to it both in times of sadness and celebration and I don't think that's ever going to change but I also love it when someone discovers poems that speak to their everyday life.

If it's something you relate to then it's a mirror that makes your perspective feel seen and if it's something you have never thought of then it's like seeing a new view or a door opening on a sight you weren't expecting. I love both.

2. How does one become a poet? Is it something that you study for or is it a talent that you are born with?

I think the habit and love of writing regularly is something some people develop very early on of their own accord and you can definitely create some brilliant poetry that way. You certainly don't have to study poetry in the formal sense to be a poet but listening to and reading a broad range of writing will definitely help to keep you experimenting and will fuel a useful curiosity about how words can be used.

3. What are the career opportunities for poets today?

I think this is a really exciting time for poetry. Perhaps it always feels like that when you are immersed in a particular world, but I do think there is an increasing number of spaces and platforms for readers and writers of poetry which is very exciting.

There isn't one thing that makes it possible for writing to be my job. I have worked with children since I was a teenager so doing that through poetry was a natural step for me and I really love it but it isn't for everyone. I do a mix of teaching, performing and writing commissions both for individuals, events or companies and organisations.

4. Do you remember a time before writing poetry?

Um not really. However, I don't think I would ever have called it poetry until much later on because for a long time I saw poetry as a very structured, quite old fashioned thing. For me, it was dictated by rules and it took a long time for me to discover how fluid and varied and expansive that label can be. That's not to say those structures can't be exciting but they're definitely not the only definition of poetry.

5. How has poetry changed your life?

Oh massively. It's always sort of been there because I've written for ages but I think discovering the world of performed poetry was pretty life-changing for me. I've always enjoyed stories and talking with other people and this combined the two for me.

I have a background in acting and at that time I found the autonomy of being able to write something true and perform it yourself really liberating. It became my favourite thing to do very quickly.

Aside from it being my work, just writing for myself is something that I get a lot of benefits from. It helps me to clarify my thoughts and feelings and is just a big source of calm and joy for me. Also frustration of course, but it's the positives that are always heavier.

6. Who inspires you?

This is a really tricky one and something I'm always adding to. For me, it's a big old melting pot that includes brilliant people from history to people I've met once at a bus stop who tell me something which changes my way of thinking or encourages me to do something.

I regularly work with The Poetry Takeaway which is a mobile space where Poets chat to people and turn those conversations into poems which are taken away and often treasured for a long time. It's a really beautiful thing and last year I wrote for a brilliant woman called Enid. She is one of the biggest poetry fans I have ever met and since then we have become friends. She has given me such incredibly kind and well thought out encouragement and advice. Recently, she told me not to deny myself any pleasure and not to over analyse poems.

For that and many other reasons, I would say she definitely inspires me.

7. When most people think about poetry, they think of the classics. But, like you, there are many contemporary poets out there that are equally as good as the classics, if not better. Do you have any contemporary poetry heroes or sheroes?

Yeah definitely. So many poets I admire and know are constantly reshaping my understanding of poetry and how it can be used.

• Hollie McNish is a modern poetry Goddess and played a big part in me not feeling embarrassed to use rhyme if I wanted to.

• Caleb Femi was the first Young People's Laureate for London and does incredible work with poetry in film.

• Vanessa Kissule is doing brilliant things as the first City Poet for Bristol.

• Toby Campion is one of my absolute favourite writers, performers and people and keeps everyone on their toes with how brilliant each new piece of work is.

• Harry Baker is one of the most joyous poets and people ever. His love of playing around with words is so infectious and is always my go-to cynicism antidote.

8. Prose or verse? Or both?

Oh, both. Everything, all of it. Like with music, I think there are space and time for all ways of making and presenting any form or style of writing. I don't think it is possible for the existence of one to dilute another. You can have favourites of course, and for me, they change all the time, but I don't think anything is ever unworthy just because it doesn't speak to me today.

9. You contribute to shaping the young generation of poets through your workshops and your involvement in programmes like the Boat Poets residency. How can aspiring poets take part in these activities?

Projects like Boat Poets have been such a big part of my writing and life. They provide time, support and connections which expand your opportunities, help your confidence to grow and your work to develop and to be influenced by things other than your immediate thoughts and surroundings.

There are absolutely loads and I'll probably remember the best tomorrow but here are a few that I have taken part in or that I know have been a big part of the journeys of writers I know.

• The Roundhouse in London. If you are under 26 you can enter their slam (usually takes place in early summer each year), apply for their poetry collective or to be a resident artist.

• Apples and Snakes - they regularly put on brilliant workshops across and master classes for all ages and levels of experience across the UK. Their project 'The Writing Room' is another excellent collective based writing course.

• SLAMbassadors - The Poetry Society's national youth poetry slam championships for 13-18-year-olds.

• UNIslam - annual poetry slam bringing together teams from universities across the UK for a mixture of workshops and performances.

• Barbican Young Poets - annual poetry course for young writers at the Barbican Centre in London.

10. Where can people find out about your schedule and performances?

I keep up most things on erinbolens.com

Thank you so much, Erin, it’s been a pleasure speaking with you and learning about what being a poet is all about. It is everything that I Wish I Had Known!

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If you haven't read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

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I Wish I Had Known... About Photo Editors!

This is the thirteenth post in my series of monthly posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that "I Wish I Had Known" when I started out as a creative myself.

This week I am thrilled to chat to Raffaela Lepanto, Photo Editor and Photographers Consultant, about what it is like to work as a Photo Editor, on how should Photo Editors be approached by photographers and what can photographers do to produce portfolios that stand out:

1. You have been working in diverse roles in the photography industry for more than two decades, from the editorial desk and picture research to Photo Editor and working as a photographer yourself. How did it all start?

It started by pure chance, really. I had been working part-time for an independent publishing house while studying at the university and had loved the environment; talking with photographers and sorting out the photography archive was what I liked the most about my job, but I guess I didn’t realise it until much later.

I had studied International Political Sciences, and I really liked writing, so I thought that I wanted to do something related to journalism... but I didn’t know exactly how. I didn’t have any real experience and I didn’t know anybody in the field.

I also loved photography and had been taking pictures all my life, but I had been raised with the idea that I had to find a “serious” job. What was exactly that “serious” job that I could actually do, I didn’t know. Waiting for a magical answer, after university I took one year off to travel; when I came back to Europe I was penniless, jobless and still clueless.

So one weekend, I was trying to use my time constructively and give a serious direction to my future while reading Cosmopolitan on my sofa (she laughs). And on that issue of Cosmopolitan, I found this interesting interview to a famous Italian travel Photographer, and I really liked the interview and his photos and I thought it would be awesome to have him as a teacher. So I mustered the courage to call him. He actually answered the phone, and took me onboard to teach me!

This is where, retrospectively, I think I’ve been very lucky: the photographer wasn’t just a photographer, he was also running a very small Photo Agency specialised in Travel Photography. After the photography course finished, I offered my self as an intern and asked him if I could help in the agency for a few months. Now I’m making it sound like I was very wise and smart, the reality is that I absolutely didn’t know why I was doing it, I just felt that I needed more time there. So I worked there for 3 months as an intern, and then another 6 as a part-time photo-researcher and learned so much not just about photography but also about researching and editing.

So yes, Picture Editing really “happened” to me as a way to be as much in contact as I could with Photography. I didn’t even know it existed before then.

2. For nearly a decade, you were a Photo Editor at Grazia Neri, probably one of the biggest photographers agencies that ever existed (representing big-name photographers from Herb Ritts to Annie Leibovitz). Now, you coach photographers at universities, colleges and work with private clients as well. How was the transition from Photo Editor to Photography Consultant?

Yes, Grazia Neri Agency was the biggest Photo Agency in Italy, and one of the leading Photo Agencies in the world. It was the dream Agency to work for!

At the end of the 90’s, when I started working there, the archive of Grazia Neri, and I’m talking about an analogical archive here, was counting 20 million pictures between slides and prints. Can you imagine?

20 million physical pictures. It was totally mind-blowing.

And yes, as you say, the agency represented the best photographers and agencies of the whole world. From Annie Leibovitz to Helmut Newton, from Robert Doisneau to James Nachtwey, to Tim Hetherington, if you could think of a famous photographer or a prestigious agency, they were there...

That was my school, those photographers and their amazing pictures literally shaped my photographic education and for that, I will feel forever grateful.

I always felt that it was a much bigger opportunity than working as a Picture editor for a single magazine, that I learned much more that way.

Also, working in the super fast-paced Editorial Sales Department forced me to keep things very “real”. It was the humblest, no frills, no nonsense part of the otherwise high-end world of photography, and what worked and what didn’t work was pretty vital to learn there. It wasn’t much about “talking photography”, it was more about making photography happen, and getting it published!

Meeting new photographers, commissioning them new projects and working with them was again the part of my work that I liked the most. I guess that there has always been an element of empathy in there, as I felt that their dreams, their hopes, their problems were very similar to my own...

So the “transition” hasn’t been a real transition, after all. What changed was the “external shape” but it feels like my work has always been more or less the same. I don’t feel like I’m teaching anything to photographers, today. I still feel like an Editor, who has the chance to share what she’s learned.

Paradoxically, I’ve recently come to realise that working with non-famous photographers and students is, in fact, the “advanced” level of my work. Working with someone not used to a portfolio review and unaware of their potential, competition and market is something that took me a while to learn but for which today I feel very lucky. It gave me a much wider perspective, and it keeps me away from the haughty, condescending world of Art Critique.

3. What would you recommend photographers to focus on to develop their careers and make themselves a place in the industry?

Being a photographer is not easy: It takes a special kind of discipline, stubbornness, and courage.
If I think of the young photographers that I met during my career who really “made it”, three things come to mind:

• They were all very kind: often more listeners and observers than talkers, so I’m not thinking just about extraverted PR people, here. I’m actually not thinking of them at all.

• They all had a very personal style, one that I could recognise across different projects: something very difficult to achieve.

• They had a deep, passionate interest in their projects. You could see it in many little details, such as their well-researched text, their relationship with their subjects, their captions... In my work you learn to read through the lines of a photographer’s work and you’ll just know how much time they have spent on it, how aware they are of other photographers’ work, if they have studied what’s out there, if they are trying to emulate what is trendy or they are really offering a bit of their soul... You learn to respect a truly personal vision because you see in “transparency” the huge work that it takes to get there.

4. What's the best way to contact Photo Editors? What are the first things that Photo Editors want to know about photographers and their work?

Well, you know, Photo Editors belong to the very same species as photographers, so they are drawn to the very same things; pictures.

A special, unexpected light in a portrait, a bold perspective, an uncommon colour to tell a story in a different way... as all visual people, they will look at images first and will make a thousand small evaluations in a second, deciding if they like them. If they do, they will read your intro text. Never the other way round.

As for how to introduce yourself, I can’t speak for all Editors in the world, of course, but I can share what I personally like to find in an e-mail. I like personal, short messages, where I can see that who writes me has taken the time to know my work and my company and introduce themselves briefly. You don’t need more than 5 lines for this; what type of photographer you are, your location, that’s it.

When I’m reading, I will have seen your images already: even one picture in an e-mail is enough, it generally tells me everything I need to know. From there, I like to be able to access the photographer’s website, and possibly see and read more.

What do Editors want to know? Photo Editors pride themselves on discovering emerging talents, so you don’t need to be an established photographer with dozens of exhibitions, awards, and publications. Of course, showing a good publication or award helps, but you don’t need to write this type of info in an email. If you have them it’s better to keep them on your website.

For your projects, again, in my view, pictures speak a thousand words; in those cases where an intro text is absolutely needed, Editors normally look for the 3 journalistic W's: who, when and where. Something I’m personally not very fond of? If someone has to explain too much the “vision” behind their photography, or if they use the third person to talk about themselves, as if they were someone else (how weird is that?).

5. How often should a photographer contact a Photo Editor? Do Editors keep records of photographers that have got in touch with them?

This is a difficult question. It’s always a matter of finding a balance, isn’t it? Between being persistent and becoming... too persistent.

I personally respect persistence very much, I see it as an achievement, a quality belonging only to photographers who went through the hard initiation of rejections and have been ignored already and didn’t give up. There is nothing more deafening than the silence after a well-crafted newsletter, one that took the photographer days to prepare, not to talk about the months spent working on the project he’s trying to promote... It’s disheartening. And it makes Editors look like cruel, evil people, I know.

The reality is that a photographer seldom knows the amount of very similar newsletters and promotions Editors receive in one single day. “Very Similar” is the key, here. It’s disheartening, too. Because you really wish to get back to (almost) everybody, but you can’t because you just don’t have the time. Unless - I’m honest - you have a glimpse of something so special that makes you jump on your chair and it becomes a priority.

For a first contact, I would write a very short personal e-mail rather than a newsletter, showing the best of my work and also showing knowledge of the Editor’s magazine, agency, whatever...I would then ask for an in-person appointment. If you don’t get a reply, I would be persistent, until, hopefully, I get one. How often? It could be... a few times, leaving a few weeks in between.

For direct marketing and keeping in touch with old clients, it all depends if you have the right project to offer, if you are looking for an assignment, what is the reason for your campaign...there is no right frequency, really. I would write down the reason, the why, first of all, for each group of clients. When I know exactly why I want to contact them, I would.

Periodical, general, impersonal newsletters or mailers don’t work much, in my experience.
I’d rather focus on building real relationships, and when you do have one, you normally also know when to call, right?

As for Editors and Agents keeping records of photographers, of course, they do. Not all of them, but the ones who emerged as somehow different, or especially talented, they sure do keep them.
I’m still doing it now, as I often use a special project as a reference in my work with photographers.

Back when I was working for the agencies, I had endless lists of websites that I actively researched, looking for a single picture that I remembered, for a whole body of work, to assign new projects... again, Editors pride themselves on finding hidden talents, it’s just something they do, so yes, perhaps they don’t answer to all e-mails but they are like elephants, they don’t forget (she laughs again).

6. What kind of relationship do you like to have with photographers, and is it one that you'd like to grow over time?

Photographers have always been “my people”, the sort of people that I feel comfortable around; perhaps because as a photographer myself, I went through the same rejections, the same insane joy seeing my pictures published. And I know we share the same obsessions, that pale light on a dark background, a perfect coupling on a book page, a moment that just the eye of a photographer can see and doesn’t make for a normal conversation with normal people. Those details. You know what I mean...

In most cases, the working relationship becomes a very friendly one; I like to be updated on their success, and I genuinely share their happiness when our hard work pays off.

7. In your opinion, what makes a Photographer's portfolio stand out from others?

• A deeply personal vision

• Style consistency, all through

• Courage

8. When you are editing a project/portfolio, what criteria do you use for selecting or discarding images?

Editing is a very complex process. You have to keep in mind so many factors that I often don’t have a clue myself what the result will be until I finish. Artistic and technical merit are just the tip of the iceberg; you also have to take into account style consistency, patterns, colours, type of light, final usage, type of public, type of layout, and of course the meaning of the project, what the photographer really wants to convey and who they want to be... It’s indeed an alchemic process, one that is very hard to describe and almost has a “life” of its own.

If I have to summarise it in two words, though: no matter how long is the project and how many pictures I have to work with, I normally do a first edit which is purely emotional and instinctual, meaning that I literally just pick the images that I like without thinking twice or having other thoughts. From the second edit onwards, rationality takes charge again; here I start thinking about all the elements above, about the sequence, about avoiding repetitions and so on... eventually, I just take out what just doesn’t work.

9. What advice would you give to a photographer who is transitioning from working as an assistant to working as a full-time photographer?

Working as an assistant is an exceptional experience for a photographer; it’s not just about learning the technicalities, it’s having a chance to be in touch with the whole photography business from the inside. My best advice is to keep it as a side-job until your solo career is on (very) solid ground: this is, having enough clients, established relationships but also a good, realistic strategy.

10. Finally, what can photographers expect from your services and how can they get a hold of you?

I keep my services as much product-oriented as I can.

I do help photographers also in the medium and long-term through coaching, but I normally start with a focus on short-term results; an edit for their new book, print portfolio, homepage, a full web edit, a new website.

I believe that offering ready-to-use tools and dividing the work into practical steps works better than offering endless consultations on how to market themselves.

All my services and contacts can be found on my website www.raffaelalepanto.com

This is fantastic, Raffaela! Thank you so much for your time and for helping me understand what being a Photo Editor is all about. This is everything that "I Wish I Had Known"!

Thanks, JC, speak soon!

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If you haven't read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

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I Wish I Had Known... About Modelling In Your 50's!

This is the twelfth post in my series of monthly posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that "I Wish I Had Known" when I started out as a creative myself.

Today I have the honour of chatting with British model Nicola Griffin about how opportunities arise when you least expect them and about what is it like to pursue a career in modelling after a certain age:

1. When we met a few years ago, you had recently started modelling at a very unconventional age. Can you tell us a bit about your story?

I first started modelling when I was 53. A lady asked me in the bank if I would do a photo shoot for a new shampoo product called white hot hair. This launched me into the modelling world and I was approached by an agent to be represented. Not long after, I was lucky enough to get a job with a company called Swimsuits For All in the USA.

2. From the cue at the bank to being flown to the Caribbean for a photo shoot with the one and only Ashley Graham to be featured together on Sports Illustrated! And then the cover of Bazaar, and countless advertising campaigns, editorials and catalogues. How does it feel to be part of this new pro-diversity movement in the industry?

It is really inspiring to be part of this as I represent older women in the fashion industry. I was the first woman to appear in Sports Illustrated magazine at the age of 56. Which I'm very proud of! It's a wonderful feeling to be part of this movement showing diversity in every age, size and race.

3. What sort of opportunities are there in the industry for models starting out later in life?

I think they're all sorts of opportunities out there now for older models. Things are improving all the time and I do believe anything is possible and anything can happen. I am living proof!

4. Modelling is a tough job that requires a strong will, very thick skin and a heck-of-a-lot of self-confidence. Still, people, in general, have the misconception that modelling is an easy job where you just have to look pretty. Can you describe what a career in modelling is about?

Trying to describe what modelling is all about it's quite difficult. What I would say is it's really fabulous when you're on a shoot with wonderful people in a beautiful place and it's really the most wonderful thing to be actually making a living doing something that is truly amazing. However, it's lots of hard work. The downsides, of course, are the travelling, the delayed flights, the arriving at your hotel at midnight and having an early call at 4 AM. It's hectic and you're under pressure.

5. How much of making it in the industry is about working hard in promoting yourself to modelling and casting agencies and how much is it being at the right place at the right time?

I think that to make it in the industry involves a lot of good luck and a lot of hard work and being in the right place at the right time. Promoting yourself on Instagram and Facebook and all the social platforms is important in today's industry. Castings can be tough, the feeling of rejection when you've not been chosen can be quite upsetting but you have to move on quickly, pick yourself up, dust yourself down and tomorrow is a new day.

6. What would you suggest to starting models on how to start their careers? How does one become a model?

I think if you are starting out as a model today I would suggest getting some good photos together and start looking for an agent and agency that would suit you and your style and your strengths. Work hard and believe in yourself, stay true to yourself, be brave and be strong because you're going to need it.

7. You are represented by some of the biggest agencies in the industry, both in the UK and the US. What is the role of an agency for a model?

The role of the agency that represents you is to guide you and nurture you, to get you the best deals from the client and look out for you. They take care of your travel arrangements, check your tickets and check your hotel, check you got everything, they make sure that you're getting the jobs that suit you and the client is happy. And, most importantly, that you're happy. That's a lot for the agency to do to look out for you so picking the right agency is very important.

8. As a mother yourself, what message would you send parents whose children are interested in modelling on how to navigate the industry?

As a mother of two daughters, I always pushed for them to finish their education when they showed interest in modelling. It was very important to me that they were not distracted from their studies. I did tell them many times that when they finished their A-levels we would all get a shoot together by a photographer. But that never happened. They then went off to university and now they are in full-time employment. But, had they have been interested in the industry I would've given them all my support.

9. We are living in times when models careers are longer than they ever were. Where do you see your career going?

I do look forward to being in the industry for a very long time! I'm hoping I can continue working well into my 80's, maybe even 90's... how wonderful would that be!

Thank you so much, Nicky! Thank you for being so fabulous and taking part in my column to help me understand what modelling in your 50's is all about. This is everything that "I Wish I Had Known"!

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If you haven't read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

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I Wish I Had Known... About Alternative Processes!

This is the eleventh post in my series of monthly posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that "I Wish I Had Known" when I started out as a creative myself.

As I explained on a previous post titled I Am An Immigrant, early this year I had the opportunity to meet Almudena Romero, a London based visual artist from Spain, and with whom I had an amusing discussion about art, immigration and alternative photographic processes:

1. On the day that we met, I posed for you for your Growing Concerns project using the Wet Collodion technique, and your enthusiasm and passion for your craft captivated me. When did you first know that you wanted to become an artist? When did it all start?

I think when I signed up for an MA in Photography with a fine arts focus is when I made that choice. I was working as a photojournalist in Canada, and I think I gradually became more interested in the artistic possibilities of the medium rather than the documentary ones.

2. You create beautiful pieces and portraits using both early and contemporary photography techniques. Why did you decide to create your art using photography?

I find photography very powerful. We consume and produce images constantly. From my point of view, knowing how to analyse and create an image is like knowing how to read and write, but with visual content instead of words. I find surprising how poor visual education we have in Spain. Not having the tools to analyse the critical context of an image, what it signifies, makes us very vulnerable. I think that the more I read and work with photography the more I like to explore the medium.  

3. As a photographer myself, I know how the industry is always looking for ways to label us into preconceived types of photographers. Do you consider yourself a Portraits Photographer, a Fine Art Photographer or don’t even consider yourself a photographer at all?

I consider myself an artist, but if someone describes me as a photographer I am perfectly fine with it.

4. You combine your practice with teaching at the University of the Arts London, doing talks and running workshops in the UK and abroad. Is this the life of the contemporary artist? Do you do it out of passion or to make ends meet?

I work with photographic processes that are very little known, and therefore, to engage people with these processes is to engage them with my practice too. I consider teaching part of my practice, and I don't think teaching is less cool than selling pieces or taking commissions.

People always like making distinctions and hierarchies. Photographers vs Artists, Technicians vs Academics, Artist selling through small commercial galleries vs Artist working with public institutions, etc. These categories are not helpful, so I don't really worry about them. Everything has advantages and disadvantages.

I see the benefits of teaching very clearly. First, it pushes me to be precise and consistent and then it helps me enormously to expand my network.  Teaching has the same effect as when you are cooking for someone else, you put so much more effort than if you were doing it just for you, and in the end, you end up being much better at it.

5. Speaking of your practice and your business model, when you sell your art do you sell the originals or do you sell prints? Do you do limited editions? Who are your clients (collectors, museums, galleries, private clients)?

I only sell originals to other artists that are also collectors (this happens very often, and I see myself collecting pieces soon too) and other people in my network including relatives, friends, art collectors, people working in the arts.  

6. I was lucky enough to visit your recently opened studio space in London. How long have you had your own space? Do you think it’s important as an artist to work in your own private studio? How did that affect your practice?

I have this one since October. I think it depends on the work. Some people need interaction and feedback, but I need to control the light and the ventilation conditions. It's easy for me to work 8/9 hours non stop, and this complicates a lot sharing the space.

7. Affordable spaces in cities like London are rare and in very high demand, with waiting lists that sometimes go for years. What advice would you give to other photographers and artists who are looking for a space but haven’t been able to find an affordable one yet?

Sign up for those lists now. Use artists studio finder website. Avoid companies managing spaces, go for charities or artist-led spaces like ACAVA, Bow Arts, SPACE, Cubitt, Acme- There are so many good space providers!

8. Your projects deal with issues relating to identity, representation and ideology; such as the role of photography in the construction of national identity, or the link between photographic archives and colonialism.  I tend to go towards this sort of topics in my personal projects out of my own experience as an immigrant coming from a family of immigrants. Is it also a personal journey for you? If not, why do you feel attracted to these topics?

Having lived over the past 10 years in the UK, France, Canada and Italy, I have a strong sense of belonging to the immigrant community rather than to any nation. I want to use and share my knowledge to work with one of the most archival processes and leave a legacy of a contemporary understanding of colonialism, identity and photographic archives.

9. Your work is exhibited in galleries across the globe, and your most recent project, Growing Concerns, will be at the Centquatre Gallery in Paris from March 17 until May 6, 2018. For those who don’t understand the exhibitions circle, how does exhibiting your work come about? Do you get commissioned to do a project for an exhibition space? Do you pitch a project that you have in mind and that you want to work on? Do you create your work and then the exhibition spaces come for it? Do you submit to competitions?

I create work I want to create, then I research who can be interested in the work and then I apply to open calls and other opportunities within that network.  I tailor my applications to the space/facilities available. It's crucial to tailor your proposal, otherwise, the juries might not visualise how they could bring it to their own space/platform.

10. As a visual artist, what do you consider is the role of the artist in our communities nowadays? Why do we need artists? Why do we need art?

We need art in the same way we need science. It enriches us, it gives us perspective, a different angle, it helps us to understand. I see the role of an artist very similar to the role of a scientist, it's an everyday job that you do in conjunction with other people working in the same field that ultimately facilitates understanding and generates engagement.

11. What is in store for you in the future? What sort of new projects do you plan to work on?

I am now working on a series that focuses on the deregulation of goods and capital and the environmental and social impact of this, forcing communities to migrate. I have started to use plants which are originally from Asia, Mexico and the Caribbean Islands, and nonetheless widely available at daily markets in London, to alter the photosynthesis process and print images that relate to the migration history and context in their native countries on the leaves of said plants.

Beautiful, Almu! Thank you so much for answering all my questions and helping me understand what working with Alternative Processes is all about. This is everything that "I Wish I Had Known"!

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If you haven't read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

Photo credits: behind the scenes images by Chelín Miller.

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I Wish I Had Known... About Wholesale!

This is the ninth post in my series of monthly posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that "I Wish I Had Known" when I started out as a creative myself.

A few weeks ago I had a really interesting conversation with Jessica Morera, the Wholesale Sales Manager for Iberia at Guess Europe, about her career in sales in the fashion industry and on how being proactive can open many doors:

1. You have an extensive career in sales in the Fashion Industry, working for companies like Calvin Klein, Inditex, Desigual and currently Guess. What made you go into Fashion? And why Sales?

It was actually pure luck. I had never looked into fashion as a career option, but right after I moved to New York I was offered a temp job as a receptionist at Calvin Klein. Since there was little to do at the reception and I like to keep myself busy, I asked all the departments around me if they needed any help with any projects. They started giving me little things here and there, which increased in quantity and complexity over time. After a few months, there was an opening in sales and I got a recommendation from one of the people whom I had been helping.

It was love at first sight. Attending fashion shows, presenting the collection, building relationships with my customers, but, above all, learning about the business from professionals with many years of experience.

I was extremely fortunate, but I must admit that my proactivity got me that opportunity.

2. Usually, when people think of the Fashion Industry, they think of designers, models, photographers, hair stylists, makeup artists and editors, but they forget about all the supporting roles that keep the industry alive. What exactly does a person in Sales in a Fashion brand do?

That is true, often people think that their role is what really makes the difference in this industry. Creatives think that without the “magic” that they make a product would not be attractive or have a demand in the market. Salespeople think that without them, the product wouldn’t make it to the point of sale and the business would not be able to survive. The truth is that one without the other would not have a future, both sides of the industry are equally important and need each other to exist. Those professionals who acknowledge this have a higher chance of success.

In my opinion, the main objective of anyone in sales (whether is Retail or Wholesale) is to promote the brand as if it were their own. It is important to do that by building relationships with your clients and understanding what they need. In the case of Wholesale, you go one step further as you must create a healthy alliance with your clients. They are the experts in their business and you are the expert on your brand. Combining those two and working with your client as a partner is one of the keys to success. Their business is your business.

3. Would you say that to work in Sales you have to study a career? Are there any studies that would help someone who was already born with selling skills?

It certainly helps to understand the basics of the business. Often people think that as long as sales are growing the business is healthy and they forget that what makes a business sustainable over time is having healthy margins. It is crucial for anyone in Sales to understand the basics of how to achieve “healthy sales”. You can learn this with a Business or Economics degree, even though I would always recommend a Business degree as it usually includes learning about Marketing.

But I think that the key to being a good Salesperson (no matter the level you are at) is mostly about common sense and being able to build relationships and trust with your customers and colleagues.

4. As someone working in Sales in the Fashion Industry, you must have some sort of understanding of fashion. What would you advice someone who wants to go into Sales in Fashion to learn before embarking on this career?

No matter the industry you work in, having some knowledge about the product that you are selling is a must. Nobody expects you to be an expert from day one, but some sort of understanding about the product that you are selling is required.

When I started out, I was quite uninformed about fashion. I guess that working as the receptionist, I was not expected to know a lot about it. But, because I was working in the reception of the Design and Product Development floor, I became curious about it. All the little projects that I was given were related to sales, sketches, fabric samples, etc… This is how I got acquainted with fashion and found out how much I enjoyed it. I was very lucky!

By the time I started in the Sales Department, I had made sure to be as informed as I could about Fashion. This was back in the year 2000 when researching information was not as easy as it is now. The rest I learned through experience and thanks to a great team that was willing to be patient with me and teach me as much as I was willing to learn.

To someone who has a real interest in a career in fashion sales, I would recommend getting as much experience as possible. Real experience. Working in a shop, for instance, is going to give you a lot of real experience about what the business is all about. You will learn about fashion (patterns, fabrics, and trends) and you will do so in a practical way, meaning that you will learn by doing, which I find to be the most effective way of learning.

5. Designers present their collections on the runways, in private shows or in their showrooms a few times a year. What happens next?

Many things!! The moment the samples reach the showroom is one of the most exciting times of the season. You open boxes with the same excitement a kid has on Christmas morning. But it is also hard work! Ironing and hanging the garments, pricing them, learning the collection (fabrics, fits, the moods within the collection…), creating a visual that provides a nice flow to ensure that the first contact that the clients have with the garments has a lot of Wow factor, etc.   

You also need to prepare each appointment as thoroughly as possible. How was your client’s season? Was your brand key for them? Why? Or Why not? What type of garment and which price point worked best for them? These are a few of the key points that you need to have prepared before the meeting starts, not only in order to be able to have a successful meeting but above all in order to help your client make the most efficient order possible. If you manage to do that, it is much more likely that your client will have a good season and allocate more space and budget for your brand.

It is also important to work on the marketing activities for your region. Each season, the Brand will work on a strategy as broadly as their DNA and resources allow. Media (Print, Social, TV), Press Events, Product Placement, etc. It is important that, as a Salesperson, you transfer that strategy and its message to the point of sale level and allocate your resources wisely. There are many resources such as brand images and logos, gift with purchases and even some events, but these are limited so it is important to try to allocate those resources in a productive way.

There are many additional steps that will go into the sales process: commercial conditions, payment terms, shipments, product exchanges and returns, etc. These tasks are undeniably more administrative (and unattractive), but they are just as important!

6. What avenues do designers have to make their creations available to their customers? What is the difference between all these channels (e.g. wholesale, retail, e-commerce, etc.)?

We live in a world that has almost endless options for designers that are just starting out to make their creations reach their target. Like everything in life, each formula has pros and cons. Retail offers direct communication with the consumer but very high fixed costs. E-commerce offers high exposure with low fixed costs but a lower emotional connection with your consumer and high returns.

A priori, Wholesale offers the best balance for newcomers; margins are higher than in Retail; you have a closer relationship with the consumer than in e-commerce; and you have your Brand in stores where they sell others brands that you might have established as your benchmark, which will give you visibility with the target consumer that you have envisioned.

It is easy to feel a bit overwhelmed with the business side of the industry, in which case it’s good to partner with an Agency. They can help you to get started and provide the contacts that you need.

7. You have been working closely with department stores for almost your whole career in Sales. Can you tell us what exactly is a department store and how is it different from other channels?

Back in the day, department stores were born as shops in which you could fulfil all your needs in one place. Hence the name, department store, a store divided by departments. For many decades, this model had the upper hand as it provided convenience by offering everything one might need in one place, offering also exclusivity by always being the first to have any novelty that reached the market.

Nowadays, these advantages are not exclusive to department stores and many of them are struggling to attract consumers. Many people have shifted to online shopping, which is the epitome of convenience, or shopping malls which have all the benefits of a department store but its setting is normally more appealing than the one of a department store, including larger and more open spaces, family-oriented activities and a larger food offer.

Department stores that are thriving in today's economy are doing so by differentiating themselves from competitors (whether these are other department stores or a different channel altogether). Some of them are doing it by providing exclusivity through high-end brands or small labels that are hard to find; others are doing it by offering certain benefits to their customers (extended return dates, payment plans, promotions, additional services, etc). There are many ways that they can differentiate themselves and it is key to choose the best option according to who your consumer is.

8. Apart from the different sales channels, there are also different markets with their own particular characteristics. You have worked in Iberia, Europe in general, the UK, the US and Canada. How would you say the peculiarities of each market affect the selling process?

The base of most markets in Europe and America is basically the same, even though each region does have different needs that need to be acknowledged.    

Some markets are more professional than others in terms of how business is conducted, and it is important to adapt to that. Things like being on time for a meeting, being accurate on your communications, having a polished image are extremely important in some markets. So my recommendation would be to try to have standards as high as possible in order to be seen as reliable and trustworthy by your customer no matter what market you are working with. Even if you conduct your business under higher standards than those in your market, it is unlikely that anyone will have a negative perception of you for being too correct.

In regards to other relevant aspects of the industry, such as fashion, marketing trends or competitors, I think it is important to specialize in the market that you are managing, but it is also very important to keep up with what is going on in those markets that are close or connected to your own. Back when I started out, each market was an “island”, with its own set of rules and timings. Nowadays, everything is linked due to globalization, so having an interest in what’s happening in other markets will give you a competitive advantage.

9. If you were to hire someone to work for you as your junior today, what would you look for in them?

For me, attitude is the most important asset. Almost anything can be learned as long as the person is willing to do so. But finding a person with enthusiasm and passion for what they do is not as easy as one would hope.

10. What is in store for you in the near future?

Honestly, I’m not sure. For most of my career, I always thought a couple of steps ahead. I was a Regional Coordinator working towards being a Key Account Manager. I started my first Master's Degree because I wanted to move into international sales. I went onto Product Management because I wanted a broader view of the business so that I could have a more relevant position in the company where I was working.

For the first time in 18 years, I’m just enjoying my job and it’s quite refreshing. I have goals and ambitions of course, but these are short-term goals and ambitions related to the role that I currently have. Such as reaching my sales target, getting a big account that’s been an objective for a while, etc. And I must say that my job is much more rewarding than it has ever been because I can stop and appreciate each accomplishment instead of rushing off to the next thing.

Fantastic, Jessica! Thank you so much for all this amazing information and for giving us an insight into what working in Wholesales in Fashion is all about. This is everything that "I Wish I Had Known"!

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If you haven't read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

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I Wish I Had Known... About Makeup Artistry!

This is the eighth post in my series of monthly posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that "I Wish I Had Known" when I started out as a creative myself.

I recently chatted with Oscar and Bafta nominated makeup artist Tina Earnshaw during her masterclass at the Delamar Academy, about her career in the film industry, her beginnings and on how aspiring makeup artists can follow their path:

1. By going into your IMDB profile or your Wikipedia page, one can see that you have had an extensive career in some of the most iconic movies of our times. But, like many other makeup artists, you had very humble beginnings working at a makeup shop in London. Did you ever imagine your life would follow this path? Did you ever dream this big?

Well, you know, I was 16 when I started in the Max Factor salon in Bond Street. I’ve always loved makeup! I’d never thought about movies and I was looking forward to working in TV. I never thought that far ahead to movies. I did think far ahead about fashion and beauty, though. I loved all the pretty stuff. When I trained at the BBC I learnt all the grotty stuff, too. The 7 years training from the BBC put me in good stead. I was good with wigs and I loved beauty makeup. I did fashion and TV commercials for years. I didn’t want to be a film mummy and be away from my children for months on end. I did wonderful commercials for brands like Chanel. So I didn’t think I would be where I am today at all! I suppose I had a lucky break!

2. How did you end up working in film and tv? Did you ever consider fashion or other creative outlets?

It was all through Carole Hemming who designed Cinderella, and Murder on The Orient Express. She took me on my first film to design makeup. I owe my film career to Carole! We did many films together. The first film I worked on was with a young Gwyneth Paltrow, and then it went back to back with films after that. I absolutely loved it! My children were more grown up then. With young children, I wouldn't have concentrated so well. I had some experience designing with War & Peace but it was Carole who gave me my break. I did lots of commercial work prior to this and worked with some of the best fashion photographers

3. What did you do back in the days and what would you advice makeup artists to do today to put themselves at the right spot at the right time? Did you test a lot? Did you network much? Did you assist other makeup artists?

I was very lucky with my career path. I never assisted any make-up artists. I didn’t have assistants and I didn’t do testing. I never did any of that working for free. Barbara Daly was a few years ahead of me at the BBC and she made a way for makeup artists. She was the one who started getting paid for photographer’s fashion shoots. Barbara was really brave. The fashion industry I found intimidating. I did a lot of stills with David Bailey, whenever he was over here. Fashion was scary and not my cup of tea. I stuck to high profile commercials, even Fairy liquid ads! Fashion is a different world to film and you do have to work for free sadly.

4. How can aspiring makeup artists manage having a day job to pay the bills and also trying to pursue their dreams? I have sometimes heard how they miss out on opportunities because they have to work full-time elsewhere to be able to make ends meet.

With hard work, lucky breaks and commitment. If it’s right for you, you won’t spend too many years struggling and you should always say yes to the job that will improve your makeup career. If you need to work in a store or something like that, make sure it’s as flexible as possible. Your employer needs to know your makeup career comes first and places like Space NK are quite good at respecting that.

5. What do you think about jobs that promise exposure to justify low payment or no payment at all? Did you ever encounter these types of jobs while you were growing in the industry? What about working only for expenses?

I didn’t have this experience, but the world of film and TV is very different.

6. Are you represented by an Agent? Do you think representation is something that makeup artists should aspire to? Or are there other ways to get the jobs?

I do have an agent! Film agents take on people with experience who they can get work for. I don’t have an agent for private work. I just have them to take care of the money. I know some people without agents! Morag (Ross) has the same agent as me. They are helpful and definitely something most successful make-up artists in my field have, but they don’t always need.

7. Do you have assistants? How do you pick them? Do you always work with the same team?

I try to work with the same team because they are brilliant – about 8 people I’ve worked with for ages. Maralyn Sherman, I’ve worked with for such a long time because she is so clever – she can do Prosthetics, hair and make-up all so well! I stick to the same people mostly because you get a good team spirit. I work in a slightly different way – I don’t have an ego, I can’t bear the people who operate with the big egos, they terrify the trainees and the juniors!

8. Do you do hair? Are you often expected to do hair on set? I know a lot of makeup artists complain that they are always asked to do both makeup and hair. Is this a common practice in the industry?

I don’t do hair anymore! In film, it's important to have lots of skills, especially in the UK.  In the US you are not allowed to do both, the unions won’t allow it. When I left the BBC I often did both makeup and hair. I get the good hair people to help me now. They are much better than me! I know exactly how it all works and this is why I’m a designer. It all comes down to money and the more you can do, the more cost-effective you are. I prefer to have everyone sticking to their particular skill.

9. As a makeup artist, how do you feel about society’s obsession with perfection? From the abuse of Photoshop in the industry to the “beautify” options in our smartphone’s cameras, it seems like we live in a Retouching-thirsty world. What goes through your mind when you see one of your makeups in a photo that has been completely photoshopped?

It’s a bit annoying, to be honest. Sometimes it’s necessary to remove that extra chin. A little bit of help is fine, but it’s gone too far where people look 22 who are actually 50 and it’s not real.

10. Finally, how does an aspiring makeup artist start a career in the industry? Do they attend an academy, do they learn from youtube tutorials, do they practice on their mums and friends?

All of them! Do everything and never stop learning or practising.  Delamar Academy is truly one of the best places to start or top up your skills.

Beautiful! Thank you so much, Tina, for taking the time to answer my questions and giving us an insight into what being a makeup artist is all about. This is everything that "I Wish I Had Known"!

To learn more about Tina Earnshaw, make sure to visit her website www.tinaearnshaw.co.uk and discover her line of brushes and accessories.

To find out about the Delamar Academy and their makeup, hair, special effects courses and masterclasses, visit their website www.delamaracademy.co.uk

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If you haven't read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

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I Wish I Had Known About... TV Adaptations!

This is the fifth post in my series of monthly posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that "I Wish I Had Known" when I started out as a creative myself.

Today I chat with Kenza Yarhfouri, a BBC Development Executive based in Paris, about what a career in TV Adaptations is all about:

1. When we think of people working in TV, we think of actors, presenters, and producers, but we forget about the thousands of possible career paths in the industry. In a few words, can you explain what you do?

I'm laughing at this question. First, when I told my family and relatives that I was working in TV, they were expecting to see me on screen or to at least read my name on the initial credits! But no one waits until the very last credits... You won't see me on screen, but I'm definitely part of the TV world. I work for BBC Worldwide as a Development Executive where I deal with content creation. My job consists on adapting English TV programs to the French market. We have access to a huge catalogue of titles from different genres (game shows, factual, shiny floor, talk...), and we spot the more relevant ones to our local market. For the lucky titles, we think of a French version and introduce them to the local broadcasters. Once we convince them, we start producing our own version which won't be far from the original one but will have a French touch. Since I started working in BBC, 4 years ago, I have worked on various big hits like Dancing with the stars, Great British Bake off, Top Gear, The Weakest Link...

2. When we met in New York six years ago you were working for Nickelodeon in the US and also writing for a magazine in France. Now you are living in Paris and working for the BBC. Was this the path that you had set out for yourself or did you just let the chips fall where they may?

Already 6 years, time flies... If I have to look back at my life, it was a series of opportunities that came to me. New York was a dream come true. I went there to finish my Master degree for a semester, but I did want to have a professional experience. I was fortunate enough to get an internship at Nickelodeon. I was working in Times Square (at that time I was convinced that I was part of a TV series since it felt too big to conceive...). I loved the experience there. I worked with amazing people and had great missions. I started my career in the Kids area where I was in charge of buying youth programs for channels. Then, I came back to Paris and did a more specialized Master degree at La Sorbonne. At the end of the year, I had to do an internship and wanted to discover a new field in the TV area. I left the children content for a more adult one and got hired after my apprenticeship.

3. How much of your work is sales-related and how much is actually production?

Actually, 99% of my work is sales, the 1% left is when I go on set to attend the recordings. My main occupation is to make the content that we have in our catalogue attractive. We work hard to find the perfect fit between our titles and the channels' needs. For every format, we must highlight convincing arguments to sell it. We'll usually be looking at the local trends, the success of the original format, the hosts and talents... Once this is done, then the production part begins.

4. Do you only work with BBC content or do you buy from other networks?

Besides the development side, I'm also in charge of finding new shows from other catalogues to adapt to our market. I get in contact with several independent companies all over the world and start shopping. Our catalogue is very rich with hundreds of titles, so you may think that we don't need to look elsewhere. However, we are always paying attention to the international market because we don't want to miss any hit. Therefore, I source content for our own market and look carefully for TV programs that can be relevant to invest in.

5. Does your audience include only channels in France or any French-speaking channel worldwide?

Our clients are mainly France-based companies targeting French audiences, but most of these channels are also available in French-speaking territories (Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, etc.).

6. How do you know if a show is adaptable to a French audience?

All the shows are adaptable, the main question is; is it relevant to the local market. Will the viewers be interested in this program? For instance, the audience in the U.K. has a different taste than here in France. For example, you have a lot of success for Antiques shows in England which wouldn't be appropriate for other markets.

However, most markets, including France, are very sensitive to bigger markets like the US, U.K., or Australia. If something is doing great in those territories, you can be sure that you won't have to contact the channels, they will be the first ones to get in touch with you. This is how we can see all over the world big hits like The Voice, Survivor, or Got Talent. Those key formats have an international radiance that makes them easy to adapt.

7. Growing up in Panama, I remember as a child watching Japanese or German game shows on TV and not really understanding what was going on because their sense of humour and their culture was so different to mine. How do you deal with this when sourcing content for the French audience?

It seems like the people who bought those programs in Panama didn't do a good job! From the broadcaster's point of view, the idea behind an acquisition is to buy content that matches the local needs and mentality. It's more difficult when you are investing in ready-made titles, but when you acquire the program's rights, it's easier to perfectly fit the needs of the audience since you are producing locally.  For example, when we sold Great Bake-off, we knew that because of our heritage our challenges would be more complex and our amateurs' creations would be more stunning. I'll let you compare the two versions and you'll see the differences. That's the aim of the adaptation; producing a local show that matches the viewers' needs.

8. How would you say the audience in France is different to the audience in the UK? How about the audience in the US or in your birthplace, Morocco?

We are all different and similar at the same time. Thanks to the internet, international contents can easily be watched wherever you are. So the audience is relatively the same, everyone watches content for the same reasons; to be entertained, to challenge their knowledge, to be informed, to get help... the difference is more about our societies, and traditions. Everybody knows the success of The Apprentice, it's a huge hit in the US and in the UK, but it failed in France. The local adaptation didn't convince the French viewers who weren't familiar with this kind of management. France is a country where social rights are very inlaid, so the idea of having a big boss firing you was unacceptable.

Therefore, you can notice that some topics are easily discussed in some countries while they would be inconceivable in others. In Morocco, for instance, the blood in TV series will be blurred and some scenes censored. In the US, their puritan society can easily be shocked so not all the themes would be covered.

9. Do you think that adapted programs have actually influenced cultural changes in different countries?

Indeed, I believe that TV can have an impact on the society and the viewers habits. When we launched a sewing competition, we noticed that more and more people were interested in the topic, and some even invested in sewing machines and started making their own creations. There was also the very controversial show aired on Channel 4; Benefits Street. I won't express my personal opinion of the show; however, it did make people react and deal with this topic that is usually eclipsed.

To go further on this question, as a photographer, you are aware of the images' impact on people. TV is part of numerous households, and the content is a reflection of our current society. We currently see the success of the news channels which are airing live and covering all sorts of events. It reflects the immediacy of information; thanks to the Internet we are instantly informed, so TV has to adapt and offer the same service.

10. In a world saturated with reality shows, do you think networks react to what the audience wants or are all these programs pushed to the audience to see how they respond?

Both answers are correct. Reality shows are a real trend in our current world. It's cheap, easy to produce, and moreover, it's attracting the young audience.

When a channel schedules a show it's in order to attract the maximum possible number of people; at least that's the aim of the commercial channels. Therefore, the broadcasters will match their viewers' wishes. From this statement, you can easily understand ITV2's schedule which is mainly targeting a young audience.  However, you won't imagine The Only Way is Essex aired on BBC One; it wouldn't fit their audience's needs. Besides, as a public service, the BBC group will be more inclined to produce very original shows so that everyone is able to find on the TV Grid something suitable for them. Thanks to this strategy, the audience can still be surprised and be pushed outside its familiar consumption.

Merci beaucoup, Kenza! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me and answer my questions about what working on TV Adaptations is like. This is everything that "I Wish I Had Known"!

Thank you! À vite! Gros bisous!

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If you haven't read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

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I Wish I Had Known... About Fashion Journalism!

This is the third post of my series of monthly posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that "I Wish I Had Known" when I started out as a creative myself.

Today I speak with Olivia Pinnock, Fashion Journalist, Copywriter and founder of The Fashion Debates, about what fashion journalism is all about:

1. I met you through the Fashion Debates but you are also a copywriter, a lecturer at London Metropolitan University and a fashion journalist. Who is Olivia Pinnock?

Oh I ask myself that all the time! I trained as a journalist and I do still really believe I’m a writer at heart but I’m very fortunate that I’m able to channel all of my skills and passions into many different areas.

2. What exactly is Fashion Journalism? Is it related to Fashion Critique?

Yes, all fashion critics are journalists, though not all journalists are critics! Fashion journalism is the reporting of news and trends related to what we wear. This can be interviewing designers, writing catwalk show reports, announcing changes to key staff in fashion companies, forecasting trends for the coming season, reporting sales figures for brands, and many more things! Fashion criticism is deeper analysis of these things. It could be putting a fashion collection into context and offering thought on whether it is a successful or unsuccessful. It could also explore why certain trends are popular right now, or what changes in the industry mean for business.   

3. How do you become a Fashion Journalist? Is it a separate career from journalism?

There’s not one path to go down. I studied Journalism at university and built up a portfolio of fashion writing to specialise and I believe that my training in traditional journalism skills has been very helpful. However, some people study fashion journalism and other people don’t study at all, they just train themselves through experience. I didn’t know I wanted to work in fashion when I studied so it was the right route for me.   

4. What is the role of the fashion journalist today in this day and age where a photo posted on social media is worth a thousand words?

Well we all know that what is posted on social media is not necessarily factual never mind good quality. While it can be even harder to stand out amongst all the noise on social media and the internet, I think we need top quality, trustworthy journalism in all fields more than ever.   

5. With great writing comes great responsibility. Do you think that a fashion journalist should actually know about fabrics, pattern cutting, design, and the basics of the fashion industry to be able to do their job?

Absolutely! You would expect a political reporter to understand how government works, you would expect a war reporter to understand the history of the conflict, you would expect a football reporter to know the rules of the game, so you must educate yourself as a fashion journalist to understand every aspect of the industry and its history.

The module I teach at London Met is called Fashion Branding & Journalism but as part of our classes I give them quizzes on current fashion news, names of fabrics, shoe styles, important figures in the industry, etc. We also take a trip to a factory to see how clothes are made. I feel very strongly that this is something that is very important and yet often missing from fashion journalism education.  

6. I know that you are also a copywriter. For the rest of us: what is copy?

It is any writing that is done for a brand, and therefore has a commercial purpose. It’s a very broad term that covers anything from product descriptions, to press releases, to advertising slogans, to e-newsletters and social media posts, to company information on a website or catalogue.  

7. Is it right to think that sometimes the copy on the cover of magazines or in advertisement is trying to exploit our insecurities?

Of course it is. It’s not necessarily so obviously at the forefront of editors and advertising executives’ minds when they write them but it is a very long-standing technique in order to get people to buy things and it’s very effective. However, we are now much wiser to this and there is quite a backlash to the negative impact the constant bombardment of messages that tell us we are not good enough unless we buy things to solve all our problems has. This is very slowly heralding a new age of advertising and media.  

8. How about fashion brands? How honest is their message? What can we do as consumers?

Well, that really depends on the brand! I think we should always be aware that any brand’s ultimate purpose is to sell and make a profit, but that doesn’t necessarily make them evil. Of course, sometimes they cross a line and we have an awful lot of power as consumers to boycott brands we disagree with and to hold the brand’s we do like to a higher standard when they miss the mark by using our voice. It’s important to think critically and always be aware of the motives behind the things you see, read, and watch, and while brands can have an amazing impact on raising awareness or money for certain issues, don’t expect them to be saints. Expect them to be companies who need to make money in order to survive.

9. What are the Fashion Debates and when and where do they take place?

The Fashion Debates is a series of panel discussion events in London which explore ethical issues facing the fashion industry. Our past topics have included sweatshop labour, environmental pollution, racism, the health of models, and unpaid internships and work. And there’s many more to come! You can find out when the next one is coming up on our Twitter and Instagram accounts, or on our Facebook page and there’s also a newsletter sign up form on our website.  
    
10. How can people from outside London take part on the debates?

We stream all our debates live on Facebook, make sure you’ve ‘liked’ our page! And by sharing your ethical fashion style every Wednesday with our hashtag #OnWednesdaysWeWearEthical.

Amazing! Thank you so much Olivia for taking the time to answer my questions and for explaining with such care what Fashion Journalism is about. This is everything that "I Wish I Had Known"!

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