Career Mirror -- by Mark Sproxton

Chad Johnston sits with a work in progress.

Two hours of set preparation are complete. Lights and props are in place. The team of clothing stylist, makeup artist and hair stylist send the models to the photographer. The hive of activity in the studio finally slows somewhat. Photographer Chad Johnston knows the shot list and the look the ad agency wants to project.

Flashes explode, filling the room with light. Then another light goes off. Looking through the viewfinder, a wave of inspiration hits. Models are rearranged, props are moved and the commercial photographer's creativity takes over.

"They're paying you to expand on (their ideas) and make some interesting photographs," Johnston explained. "You forget what the technical part is at that point. You know it all and then forget it. But some photographers focus on technical perfection at the expense of freedom of creativity." There's much more to photography than being behind the camera, however.

"The taking pictures part of the job is 40 per cent," the self-employed photographer said. "Really, you spend a relatively small amount of time doing that. As a commercial photographer, if you can do two days of shooting a week, you would be doing very well financially." Bidding on jobs, talking with his assistant, art directors, working in the dark room and ensuring the business-side of the job runs smoothly takes up the rest of his time.

Johnston, who shares a studio with two other photographers, wouldn't have it any other way. "The thing I like the most is the balance between a creative mind and a business (mind). I was in the sciences before and that left a gap on the creative side." Always taking pictures as a hobby, he left a steady job and a steady pay cheque to pursue his passion. Not having any formal training in photography, lighting or in the dark room, he started as an apprentice.

"I worked for photographers from Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, LA, and Calgary as a photographer's assistant. You do what needs to be done, like making coffee, running film to the lab, setting up lights, but it's a chance to be there doing it and studying it." Initially working in exchange for time in the studio or dark room, Johnston's skills developed and he started full-time work as a commercial photographer four years ago. (Other photographers have taken two or four year photography programs at colleges or universities to develop their technical abilities.)

"It's nerve-wracking at first to decide to do what you dream of doing because you give up what you know is solid. You have to be prepared during the busy times to work hard and during the slow times force yourself to relax and not worry there's no money coming in. Although that become less of a down-side over the years."

In addition to artistic abilities and technical skills, confidence remains a key factor in determining who succeeds and who fails as a photographer, Johnston said. As the industry is very judgemental -- more so of people's work than of people themselves -- he says those who are timid and can't handle rejection often take up other pursuits.

Now his work days vary. A fashion shoot will last about 10 hours. That includes the setup and shooting for four different images. That's right, four shots. Johnston says there's a huge misconception about the number of images captured during a photo shoot. While he'll use an average of five to six rolls of film for each image, about two hours is spent getting each of the four main images the client wants captured on film. These shoots are usually developed from sketches laid down by art directors at advertising agencies. Other days will be less structured, and being his own boss, means he can work his own hours, dress however he likes, and listen to the music he wants.

While few will ever compare Calgary with Paris, the growth of Cowtown means continued regular work for local photogs. "Calgary will never be a fashion centre," Johnston said, "but the level of work will definitely increase." With tens of thousands of dollars invested in cameras, lighting equipment and computers, the long-time shutterbug recommends those just starting out keep their investment to a minimum and utilize camera shops' rental programs to pick up equipment they don't own.

"It's a fairly competitive market," he explained, adding that much of the local commercial work depends on his clients' (mainly ad agencies) bottom-line budget, as opposed to working in Toronto where money flows more freely. "And that relates to the business skills of a photographer understanding how to price things and be competitive."