For this series, podcaster and photographer Daniel Bedell interviews sports and lifestyle photographer Tim Tadder. In this episode, Daniel and Tim talk creative projects and if Tim sees social media influencers as job competition.
DB: “What is your strategy or thought process when you’re going to do these personal projects, or trying to figure out what your next one’s going to be? When I see them, they strike me as high quality and probably high production value, like you’re putting some money into this. How do you go about deciding what that personal project is? Is it just, ‘Hey, I’m interested in this thing?’ or is it, ‘Hey, this is a brand or a type of company that I want to go after, so I need to shoot something that is pretty directly [applicable]?’”
TT: “I have pretty strong opinions on that. And I think that’s where people get in trouble; they shoot a lot of personal work. They shoot a lot of personal work, like chasing a commercial kind of look or something, as opposed to shooting something that [they are really passionate about]. Shoot work if it’s personal work that inspires you, is authentic, is authentic to who you are, see the world, and how you want to see the world. So, that is what ends up getting you hired the most.
“I think we all ended up in this commercial business somehow by shooting work that really inspires us…by doing something that really inspires us. I think clients can feel that inspiration in [the] work. So, I think too many photographers chase somebody else’s work, and they end up with work that’s very inauthentic. And if it’s inauthentic, then the client is not very inspired and finds no reason to hire you when they could hire somebody else. It doesn’t mean that that strategy is totally ineffective.
“But I think that there’s some sensibility in being in the right marketplace. But for me, at this point in my career, I guess I don’t really worry so much about what other people are shooting, and I just shoot what’s authentic to me, because that ends up working the best to scratch my itches, but also ends up working the best to inspire other creatives to think about me for a job.”
DB: “You know one thing I’m interested in with you is you do a lot of stuff with athletes and the athletic world. I know it’s obviously only half of what you do. But that is a world increasingly being homed in on by influencers. I’m curious what your take is on where you fit with that? Do you just feel like nothing an influencer can produce is going to touch the kind of work you’re getting? Or do you see yourself as maybe trying to push, you know you have a pretty big following on Instagram, stuff that you are going to eventually be someone [that when a client] comes to you, they are kind of getting a market buy because you can push this stuff also out on your Instagram feed and other [social]? I’m just curious what your take is with your strong opinions…”
TT: “Can you give me an example of an influencer (so to speak) who has pushed out athletic content? Are you speaking to the actual subjects or photographers who are influencers?”
DB: “I’m thinking more of the subject. You know someone who is, say, a woman who is a yogi, and she’s doing all this stuff with yoga apparel and it’s crossing over, maybe Nike is hiring her because she has 2 million followers. I’m just curious as that space develops, where do you fit in that space? Is it not relevant to you at all? Do you see it as kind of relevant? Do you see it as a thing you really need to think about as you think about your marketing strategies moving forward?”
TT: “I mean I’m pretty shitty at yoga, so I don’t think that I’m going to do much about that (laughing). I’m just kidding. I get it. But, I mean, what are you going to do? Right? Like, you’re either going let what other people are doing consume you, or you’re going to go out and be someone who demands to be heard and seen and have their work used. So, it might look like there’s always going to be competition in the marketplace. There are always going to be jobs that are going here and there and somewhere. And if you chase them, you’ll drive yourself crazy. But if you stay core to who you are as an artist and produce work, constantly produce work; if your work is worth anything, and you’re good in any way, you’ll focus. And I think if you get too caught up in the strategy, you’ll be paralyzed.
“So no, I don’t care if influencers are taking my jobs, so to speak. I really don’t because I just make cooler shit, and eventually people hire me because they realize that the stuff that I make, there’s value in it, and they find a value for it and they find a place to use it, to move stuff, to create demand-generation on products. So I think I’m not a big enough voice in the Instagram world to garner my own social media following, so to speak, in that regard. Most of the people who follow me are not guys who are going to buy shit from Nike; they’re following me because they’re into my photography.
“So I get the idea that the micro influencer has a role in the market of social media, and we’re in this world where social media marketing and digital marketing is very important with brands because the eyeballs are cheap and the attention spans are there in that medium. And I think that could be problematic. For some people who are starting out, it can certainly be daunting. I feel like I want to create content that is so inspiring [it’s] not an issue. A lot of people do hire me to take pictures of social media influencers for social media campaigns.
“So, I’ll work with an influencer and make really cool images, and then they get used as social media; so that happens. But I don’t worry about social media influencers stealing my work because I don’t think…I think my work is different enough that if you’re confusing it with social media guys’ work, I think then you’d never hire me (laughing). You know? Because you don’t get it. And that’s fine. Again, if you try to be all things to all people, you’re going to end up with nothing.
“I don’t need a lot of people to like my work. I need like 30 people to like my work, and that’s a great year. If I have 30 art directors who hire me? It probably means I’m going to have a really solid year. And if I can create work that really resonates with 30 people and they find me to be the choice for their project? Then that’s a great year.
“So don’t try to worry about what everybody’s doing or what is the market in general: ‘Someone’s going to steal my job because they’re a social media guy.’ Like, that’s awesome. Let them do their thing. That’s great. I’m proud of them. I’m just going to do my thing and make my shit really cool and demand to be noticed. And if my stuff sucks, then I won’t be noticed! Then the market kind of speaks for itself, right? The guys who make inspiring stuff continue to get hired, and the guys who just kind of chase their tails continue to produce technically proficient, uninspiring work. And I think that’s the market truth speaking.”
You can listen to the full podcast episode below.
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See our Workbook video series on Tim discussing Passion and Sports.
Check out more of Tim Tadder’s work here.
Tim Tadder is represented by Heather Elder Represents.
