Versatility

**Kirk Gittings** · 12-Oct-2011, 11:29

When Qt saw my recent architectural video from a link I posted over ar Google+, he remarked about how versatile I was. It got me thinking. This month in particular is filled with allot of evidence of my very diverse career in photography. Too many links to post here-see the post on my blog.

All these activities have a strange kind of synergy-they build off of each other. At times when I am really busy it all seems like too much, but in this economy I have really appreciated the diversity. Its kind of like diversifying your investments to protect your retirement from economic problems (Retirement? Hmmm I have a vague memory of what that means....).

I'm curious about others versatility, FE I know Petronio does allot of diverse things. Maybe we can all learn something useful.

**Mike Anderson** · 12-Oct-2011, 14:41

In my experience, in a good economy being (or painting yourself as) a specialist pays off, but in bad times emphasizing your versatility pays off.

I'm not talking about photography just in general.

...Mike

**Greg Blank** · 12-Oct-2011, 16:19

I think you should always have a specialty and be willing to tell other people about it. I've been doing photo for 29 years. I don't show this often but I have another site its www.gregblankphoto.com & I have a local publication that pretty much only assigns me people shots. But I have been shooting 4x5 landscape and architecture since I was twenty. Weddings I had to work into and it was not my first choice. It sort of honed other skills like communication with groups of people- which is a good skill. After over 200 I sort of burned out on them, at least for a while. With a lot of diverse interests my take is it all works if your interest is in what you do.

**mdm** · 12-Oct-2011, 17:06

Even though Paul Strand made his living with his Ackley his motion looked like it was made by a stills photographer. Your video is very boring, like an invlountary slideshow on a flash site with music. Or uncle Joes interminable Hawaii slideshow from the eighties. Or Merinda's wedding pictures, all 1000 of them. Sorry to burst your bubble. A string of good stills do not make a good video.

**r.e.** · 12-Oct-2011, 17:12

At bottom, I think that this is a question of temperament. Some people are happiest being generalists and some are happiest being specialists.

**Vaughn** · 12-Oct-2011, 17:22

Excellent video, Kirk. Wonderfully done. True, it does not have the pace, quick jerky cuts, multiple images layered on top of each other, etc, that YouTube viewers have come to expect -- thank goodness!

I am not diverse, but then I am not a commercial photographer, with the needs they might have. As a professional artist, I keep fairly limited to the various types of landscapes and my kids in those landscapes -- and in a couple of photographic printing processes. I do stretch myself occasionally, but not to the extent of a commercial photographer trying to make a living in these difficult times.

**Kirk Gittings** · 12-Oct-2011, 17:29

Originally Posted by mdm

Even though Paul Strand made his living with his Ackley his motion looked like it was made by a stills photographer. Your video is very boring, like an invlountary slideshow on a flash site with music. Or uncle Joes interminable Hawaii slideshow from the eighties. Or Merinda's wedding pictures, all 1000 of them. Sorry to burst your bubble. A string of good stills do not make a good video.

Fair enough. I've been in this business for 30+ years and have a pretty thick skin .......but better yet I know my field and clientele. Fortunately for me the clients absolutely loved it, it paid well and the project has led to two more well paying projects for top national firms. It was my first effort and will get better, but not from the point of view your criticisms suggest (which fail to understand my clients needs). It was also shot and produced on incredibly primitive equipment and software which will change as volume and budgets for this type of work increase. I never believe in going into debt to finance photo projects-let the work pay for the equipment-especially true in this economy.

PS the Strand reference....you made me smile....exactly! The best architectural photographer, still or motion, ever.

**QT Luong** · 12-Oct-2011, 17:35

Here's my take on the subject: http://bit.ly/otXYab

**Kirk Gittings** · 12-Oct-2011, 17:49

Originally Posted by r.e.

At bottom, I think that this is a question of temperament. Some people are happiest being generalists and some are happiest being specialists.

.
I am by far happiest being a specialist, but economics are forcing me to diversify some. I also love (not always at first) a new challenge. It gets me out of my comfort zone and gets the creative juices flowing.

**jnantz** · 12-Oct-2011, 18:01

it used to be a running joke back in the 1980s here in rhode island ...
whenever you ran into a photographer you asked them what kind of
work they did ... " besides weddings " because no matter who you were
chances were you always had to pick up some side work and weddings
allowed for a little bit of everything .. product, architectural, editorial, portrait
and glamour photography ...
these days, with the slick $10K all digital + 25,000 proofs to choose from
and 2hour long multi media display it seems that most photographers
are doing other things to help make ends meet ... ...
i always enjoy picking up editorial portraits ... its hard to have a conversation
with a building