Needing clients for a series

[kdthomas]

I am thinking about a series doing high-key shots of the dirtiest, sweatiest, grubbiest possible workers. Plumbers, house framers, concrete guys, sheet rock, painters, etc. I want them exhausted and worn out. Thing is ... how to find them. I've thought about simply touring construction sites, but that would probably get weird quick.

Anyone ever do this kind of thing? Any ideas? I think probably craigslist, and hanging some fliers around town. I'll need them for about 1 hr, and was thinking I'd pay them $40. I'd really like to approach this intelligently.

Also many of these workers don't speak english, or don't speak it very well. And many of them (justifiably?) are suspicious of dudes with cameras. I want to reassure them that it's just art ...

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In the same vein (haha) I want to do a series with heroin addicts, macro-shooting their needle marks (no faces). Where the hell do you go to find heroin addicts?

 

[snowbear]

Go through the foreman / site supervisor. Bribery (cold drinks like sodas, ice tea, beer) may help.

 

[snowbear]

In the same vein (haha) I want to do a series with heroin addicts, macro-shooting their needle marks (no faces). Where the hell do you go to find heroin addicts?

Baltimore.

 

[KmH]

You think the workers would be the clients?

For a series I think your best hope for finding trades workers willing to pose/model at the end of their work day would be to pay them for their time.
You could 'pay' them by giving each 'model' a good sized print.

Wouldn't your clients be people who buy photos/prints from the series?
I would recommend you contact an art gallery/art association that could/would show your series.
Of course you would have to promote/market/advertise the series if you want people to see it/buy from it.

You could try contacting the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

 

[pixmedic]

just come by my station about 4 hours before shift is over.

 

[Designer]

I am thinking about a series doing high-key shots

Any particular reason for "high key"?

 

[imagemaker46]

Try checking with local machine shops, welding, the smaller ones are more likely to give you a chance to work with them, nothing hotter than working indoors at machine shops. I would also consider sitting way back and shoot with a longer lens, this way they continue to work without posing. It may mean you having to spend a long time in a very hot shop, but that's what it will take. Blending with the scene will get you more great images than being an addition to the scene.

 

[tirediron]

I am thinking about a series doing high-key shots

Any particular reason for "high key"?

Yeah... what he said! I'm trying to picture tradesmen done in high key, and it's not really working. TradesWOMEN, maybe, but (and call me traditional) I see this more of a low key scenario.

 

[tirediron]

... It may mean you having to spend a long time in a very hot shop, but that's what it will take. Blending with the scene will get you more great images than being an addition to the scene.

While this would make for some neat shots, it's probably not likely to happen, mainly for insurance reasons. OHS takes a very dim view of "civillians" wandering around the job site. You might get lucky and find a small shop that doesn't worry about such things, but I wouldn't count on it.

I started a similar project a few years ago (which never went anywhere, but that's another story), and I simply walked onto job sites at lunch/coffee-break, introduced myself, explained what I was doing, and handed out cards. There was actually more interest than I expected.

 

[kdthomas]

I am thinking about a series doing high-key shots

Any particular reason for "high key"?

I'm kind of inspired by Avedon these days ... he did some of these(oil field worker, rattlesnake butcher, etc.), and I'm gonna see if I can put my own style on it.

You think the workers would be the clients?

Not so much really. I was thinking I'd pay them $40 and get a full commercial release.

OHS takes a very dim view of "civillians" wandering around the job site.

Ohhhh no. They would come to the studio. That's a must-have, since I want all the shots to be consistent.

 

[Designer]

They would come to the studio. That's a must-have, since I want all the shots to be consistent.

Uh huh. You might as well do it with makeup then. Hire the models, get some props, hire a MUA, and go for it!

For instance; I just got done sawing down a tree, so I was covered in sweat and sawdust, and the first thing I did was strip to my skivvies and hose off some of the sawdust. And that was just so I could get a drink of water. I had sawdust in my eyes, so I was anxious to get some eyedrops too.

Getting somebody to "keep his dirt on" for a couple of hours and drive to your studio is asking quite a lot, IMO.

 

[vintagesnaps]

If you expect them to take time to come to your studio after work, I don't know, maybe think about having some information to give out, with a link to your website, so they can see what you do as a photographer, and think about how you'd compensate them. They may wonder what it's for, so it might help to have an end result in mind (what you intend to do with the series).

As far as heroin addicts, there's been a good bit of that happening in the major city near me, and it mostly seems to be incidents where the person is desperate and unpredictable. I don't know how you'd find people dealing with that or how you'd approach them or how potentially unsafe it could get. From what's been on the news here it seems like they're out of control when they're using and will do anything to get money/heroin (and are bold about it, in daylight, with people next door, etc.).

 

[pixmedic]

if you want some good needle shots, just come on over.
ill grab some 3ml syringes and a few 25g needles and u can get all the shots you want.
I have no trouble hitting my own antecubital vein. I can even throw a little saline in there and you can get some macro shots of some blood return into the syringe. would probably be pretty cool.

 

[kdthomas]

if you want some good needle shots, just come on over.
ill grab some 3ml syringes and a few 25g needles and u can get all the shots you want.
I have no trouble hitting my own antecubital vein. I can even throw a little saline in there and you can get some macro shots of some blood return into the syringe. would probably be pretty cool.

Well actually I was looking for the scarring and tracks from heavy addicts (preferably former)

@vintagesnaps you are exactly right ... Safety would be a big deal ... Do I want people who are desperate for money showing up to treasure trove of expensive, pawnable gear? I would have to rent a studio, no question.

 

[tirediron]

What about on-location? Let's say at a welding or machine shop outside of working hours, preferably right after closing... you bring in your gear, set up, shoot, and skedaddle. You get great atmosphere, and much less out-of-pocket cost. You could also offer to shoot some commercial work for the shop at reduced/no cost in exchange.