The Early Days
Image from Sassy Magazine by Michael Lavine
I received an abundance of GREAT questions. To answer all of them is going to have to be spread over a few posts. But Thank You All for the great ideas. Can I just say it here: you guys really inspire me! And yes, this will keep me inspired and busy over the next few weeks! I will answer each and every question here.
Jakk Says:
Did you go to college/university, apprenticeships?
Okay, so how did I get started? Well, I graduated from The Art Center College of Design in 1987 with a degree in photography. Art Center was an incredibly great college because it really educated it’s students on what it was like in the “real world”. One of the things it really enforced was that you need to leave college with a kick ass portfolio and the last two semesters were all about portfolio building and business classes on how to market and what to do to get yourself established in the commercial photography world. The good news in that is that I was somewhat prepared to enter the commercial world. The bad news? NOTHING prepares you for the “real world”. It’s an education in and of itself. It’s an education based on experience and trial and error. Just like learning lighting. You learn the techniques, the basics. But it isn’t until you do it over and over again that you really truly LEARN lighting.
On a portfolio/test shoot related question…
Peter Williams Says:
how do you know when your ready to go to model agencies and ask to shoot their new faces. How many pictures do you need to show them, or how do you know if your work is ready or good enough to show them?
20 is a good number of photos to show the agencies. If your photos look like the photos in the magazines on your newstand then you should be alright, but again, do YOU think they’re good enough? If you are doubting yourself, they probably aren’t good enough. Believe in your work!
Neil Walton Says
how do you go about organizing clothes for shoot when you are just starting out? I seem to find a stylist that works well and gets the clothes together and then they disappear, then find another one, and then the same thing will happen. Is it possible to go direct to the designers PR people???
In this case, you really need to network and be resourceful. Speak to boutique owners about using their clothes for photo shoots, go to schools and speak to fashion students who have their own lines or are working to become stylists/designers, go to events and meet people in the fashion industry and make the connections and relationships to facilitate your styling for shoots! It is possible to go straight to the designer, you just need to make the contacts, it’s A LOT about networking. Start out small and local. Or find someone with a high credit card limit 
Ayden Says:
Did you submit the spreads for magazines when you were starting out? Or did they always come to you [unlikely, but still curious]? How did you first get started in being published?
I started out making cold calls. Cold calling is a horrible, humiliating experience but we ALL have to do it in the beginning. And here you go, kids: I STILL MAKE COLD CALLS. You have to. The only difference between making cold calls now and back then is that now, I just don’t care as much. Back then, I was so devoted and starving and desperate to get a gig. Nowadays, I’ve learned that none of that matters. I just want to get in the door now. I’m more detached.
I did a few cheap editorials for a local newspaper called the LA Weekly. The LA Weekly had a two page fashion section. And Gloria Ohland gave me a shot. I did a few of those and got my name out there. I went in to see Apparel News. To this day, I’ve seen them at least 6 times since 1987, and they’ve NEVER hired me. But other people have. Haha….hey it’s my blog, I can say what I want. When I was cold calling, 9 out of 10 just didn’t give a damn. But what does that leave you with??? The one who does. I met an art director named Stephen Kamifuji. He owned an ad agency and he liked my work and he liked me. He hired me to shoot a few ad campaigns for small little companies like Honda, Bugle Boy and B.U.M. Equipment. How did I get that break, honestly? Well, Stephen really liked ME. Part of getting a break in the business is that your personality will sell you more than your work. Real world shit. And often times, not what you want to hear. But it’s the truth. People will end up hiring you because they basically just like YOU and want to work with YOU. Stephen and I just clicked. Who knows why. And I never questioned it, even back then. I got my first ad campaigns under my belt. I met Stephen through cold calling. Do you recognize his name? He’s the owner and publisher of Genlux magazine. Yep, that’s right. The magazine that I shoot for on a regular basis is owned and published by one of my very first clients. That’s how it works! 22 years later, he is still working with me.
My first big huge break was in 1989. I really wanted to get into a magazine called Sassy. Sassy isn’t around anymore. But back then it was a really hip teen mag like 17 Magazine. I actually created a portfolio that was totally in the style of Sassy. I packaged it in this great little box and sent it off to Neil McCutcheon, the art director. Lo and behold, he called me. I will always remember the day! He called me and I spent my own money to fly to NYC to meet him. We clicked. He liked me. And hired me. I shot a few editorials for Sassy Magazine and that was my first big break. Two years out of college. I landed my first big national fashion magazine assignment.
kozeth Says:
is this what i want? So when you come and share the experiences,your life not just through the lens but your personal perspective and your feelings towards the environment and the business it really makes me question myself, if i have what it takes? if i want it that bad? Am i doing what i should be? etc…
Dave Shiel Says:
What I need advice on is what I should do, say over the next year, to help me make up my mind whether or not fashion photography is for me, or whether I even have the talent for it.
As much as I’d love to help you answer this question, it’s a question many of you out there need to answer yourselves. The question is not only whether you have the talent to take photos, but whether you have the passion and LOVE for fashion and are willing to do just about anything to be in the business.
After I graduated from Art Center, everything that I owned fit into a duffel bag and I carried it, along with my passport, with me wherever I went. I was ready and willing to be anywhere an opportunity was offered. I was given the chance to shoot an editorial, by an ex-model who became the Men’s Fashion Editor of Spanish Elle, in Barcelona one day and I caught a flight and was there the next day. My boyfriend at the time was furious but I didn’t let anything stand in the way of moving my career forward. Is this something that you’re willing to do? I’m not saying it’s the be all end all but it’s a matter of the lengths you are willing to go, to get to where you want to be.
I persevered. I never let the 99 rejections in a row keep me down. In fact, with every rejection I just grew more determined and even more belligerent that I was going to make it no matter what. I kept shooting in the meantime, kept honing my skills, kept practicing my lighting, kept updating my portfolio, kept cold calling and kept keeping on. Nothing stood in my way. No relationship, no personal crisis, nobody telling me I should “get a back up plan”. I didn’t have a “back up plan”. I HAD to shoot. I HAD to make it. Failure was not an option.
Does it always take this kind of determination? I am pausing now while I think about this. Let me have a whiskey. I’ll be right back.
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Hey Melissa,
Great post! Lookin’ forward to the next one! And thanks for the advice
Enjoy the weekend (and that whiskey),
Cheers,
Dave.
Not only did Sassy get me through those lovely awkward teen years, but the fashion spreads in Sassy were definitely what gave me the “bug” and made me want to shoot models nearly a decade and a half ago now. I still have a stack of them in storage.
And the questions had been answered!!! THAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK YOU.
Cool. I like. Hope the whiskey doesn’t take long.
Melissa,
This is fabulous! Of all the blogs available your’s is direct and to the point. Rarely do we get an elaboration like yours. Very helpful! Looking forward to more Q&A.
I just adore your blog!
you always hit the nail. And looks like i got lots of work to do 
Your answers are appreciated much!
Your work, your experience, your life is an inspiration and it really gives me that push to keep working on and look forward that goal.
It’s so great when you realize everyone who got there, started where we might be stuck and its not easy to move on but if you willing to make it you can! Thank you for the great post
Pure genius! Makes me feel alot better about my journey.
i have a confession to make…..
i visit your site several times a day… is that wrong?
plus… i leave your videos on…it makes me feel like im just 2 secs away from a photo shoot…..lol
so inspirational…. thanks for all of your posts.
you rock!
Tom
whats cold call?
So inspirational…As Always…… Thank You…for taking the time to write all this……..Maria~
Your website and work continue to inspire and encourage me to keep going!!! However, personally, I need to feel financially secure in order to truly let go (if this even make sense?). Therefore, I don’t mind dreading the awful day-time job to save up the money now, until I hone my skills and break into the photography world/business.
I have to admit, I don’t handle rejection as well as you do..but now that I see how successful you are and where you’ve been, I truly admire your determination and will try to remember what you said when the road gets tough!
Thank you so much for being so selfless to share your experience and images, you are definitely making a difference in the photography community!
Oh Melissa, yet another inspiring post! There’s so much encouraging words that suddenly I feel like I’m ready to take on the world! Enjoy your whiskey, you deserve it.
Thanks for answering my question, Melissa!
So, I now have conflicting opinions. Do I believe the art director I met who told me ‘don’t bother with college or degrees, it won’t get you anywhere’ or do I go with the actual photographer working on fashion shoots who says ‘I did university’? Hmm, I think that answers that question.
inspiring, educational and reckognizable as usual.
Catch up soon (damn that´ll be nice that whiskey, just to many miles in between to have a quick glass)
Big kiss
Cold calls are basically when you are contacting someone without prior association or a planned appointment with them to do so. Basically you are calling them with no previous agreement that you would be working with them but you are inquiring if your services are needed or if you can basically get your foot in the door to show your book.
In regards to the comment above about university or not, it really depends on the individual I think because there are a great deal of working pros who did not get a degree in photography. I hope that Melissa chimes in on this one.
Hi it’s Melissa here, chiming in!
Thanks, Karim, for answering the cold call question. I actually wrote Herbs back personally through email to answer his question. But I should’ve commented here so everyone could see the answer. So thanks for helping out the other readers on here. You rock.
And NO. You don’t need to have a degree from a college or University to become a successful fashion photographer. I was fortunate enough to have a father who agreed to pay the tuition at a college. And I really wanted to go because I knew I had the eye but I didn’t have the skills to produce what my eye wanted to capture. I wanted a very disciplined, structure school so I could learn and eventually master the technical side of photographer. HOWEVER: You don’t need college for this. You can assist, intern, read blogs like mine, take workshops, read magazine articles, go on forums, browse the internet and keep testing on your own.
I hope this insight helps! Let me say right here that no client has ever asked to see my diploma or asked what GPA I held during school. They don’t care. All they care about is how great your images are!
Keep on shooting! xoxo
Wow Melissa, you’re one tough cookie
I’ve got a lot of admiration for you, your work and your determination. I very much agree with the point that you musn’t be afraid to sell your self and take every rejection personally. I’m glad that you’re not sugar coating the facts and are laying it all out as it is. Your blog is a real gem. Thank you for sharing your experience
Thank you so much for answering my question. I need to go gather my guts and get out there. =]
Fantastic!
Now you say it, Melissa, I know what you mean. Talent speaks louder than fancy qualifications, and so, it is a case of personal preference. That helps a lot, thank you very much!
Thank you Melissa for writing this, it was something I needed to read for sure! I do love your blog!
Rejection is the thing that I think most human beings fear the most, regardless if they want to admit it or not. I know I fear rejection on various levels, both personally and professionally! LOL
So its good to know that regardless of how long you have been in the business, acknowledging rejection, being willing to accept it and still willingly pursuing your dreams regardless of it, is something I have to accept. And being afraid to take my portfolio to people in fear of rejection is something I just have to get over, when I know my portfolio is ready of course.
Thanks again Melissa! Great blog like usual and I can’t wait till the next one! ;D
I am so grateful for the inform here…
I think i just lost all the questions i wrote and click submit and it gone.
i will try again.
thanks for everything Melissa
CIAO
Tru
http://www.truferguson.com
I had a feeling you’d be doing this post.
your postings give me hope on days when I just feel like hanging it up.
thank you.
Awww Melissa,
Thank you so much for writing such a wonderful blog! I can relate to everything you are saying and because of you, I will keep going :)! I dread those cold calls…lol. Now I won’t. Thank you! Thank you!
BTW, how do you go about getting representation? Or do you have to wait to have a couple of famous gigs like a fashion spread in some known magazinesbefore those agents want you?
Again, I cannot thank you enough!
Orada
Wicked wicked post! Good information and love how hard you went for what you watned. Cold calling people about shooting photos. I never even thought people did that haha. Im on it though! Keep up the good work!
-Rob
very inspiring post =)
Melissa,
Your website and blog look and function so well. I’m highly impressed, you lured me over from flickr and I was like woooh ooh ahhh, this girl is amazing and I bookmarked your site on my delicious but I’m not sure why because I’ll be here to stay anyway. Great site and advice.
-Tracy
Great post, I’m so glad I found your blog. You’re such an inspiration.
Hey there! I have a question about cold calling. Well, actually, it turns out that it’s several smaller questions under the heading of “what is your objective when making a cold call?”
So… What do you say when you make the cold call itself? Who should you be talking to? What is your goal in making the call (a meeting, having them ask you to send your port over, landing a gig)?
For a bonus question, what is the worst cold call experience you’ve ever had? (I think that knowing a “worst case scenario” for what can happen when you make a cold call, and knowing that you lived to see another day, would make the idea of cold calling less scary). Thanks!!!
-Nick
I’m sure that I just pour over your photos that were published in Sassy. I absolutely loved that mag as a young teen and still miss it..the same feeling as people are up in arms still over Domino folding.
However,
With cold calling..isn’t it becoming more and more diffcult to contact them, including email cold calling. It seems they never make an effort. Would you advise any person starting out to at least drop of a portfolio at the times they accept them?
Amazing insight Melissa. Your blunt views have made a big difference to me. Rejections are part of this world..which we need to take it strongly and still push ourselves.
Really interesting, thanks. I love this photo of Kurt and Courteney, it’s actually rather sweet.
I had this cover hanging on my bedroom wall as a teenager. I lived for Sassy magazine! What a brilliant flashback for today. Thank you!
Melissa,
I was inspired by your story and about your inner fight. No one can take
those accomplishments from you such as your new found gift, your strength
from it once you have it. I am in the midst of a “mental” fight every day.
My home was almost taken from me and I continue to struggle out of debt
as my husband left me holding the bag after running his practice for 20 years. I hope that I can endure like you did while keeping my sanity.
I recently graduated with some honors in a commercial photography
program. Still, I know that I have a long way to go to become somewhat satisfied and have something to settle within myself with my photography even starting over at my age.
(I trust I will be anonymous to others)
I’m so glad I came back to this post Melissa. This post reminds me of how determined I am to make it in this industry. I am being extremely patient, I’m contacting agencies, testing, gaining experience, updating my book, and I’m not letting any rejection discourage me. I’m also blessed to have a wife that backs me up 150% (she’s also my make-up artist which is a big plus!).
Can’t thank you enough for what you do. You are inspiring, and one of the coolest photogs in my book.