Brian Ach has shot for just about every big-name publication you can think of. Rolling Stone, The New York Times, People and Time are all on his resume, and he's photographed his share of A-list celebrities, including a stint as Prince's official tour photographer. In short, he knows how to get the shot. But he argues there's an important distinction between getting a shot and getting the right shot, and it all comes down to context.
Take a look below at his PIX 2015 keynote in which he discusses his take on what makes a great shot, and click the gallery above for more detailed information about a sample of Ach's portfolio.
@Kawika. I agree and am familiar with Dennis Stock, who spent days -- not a few fleeting minutes -- with Dean when that shot was taken (and you are right, it's terrific and irrelevant who the subject was). But, no one said that Ach was "the best" (certainly not me). He is good at what he does, and what he does is hard to do, notwithstandig the belief by so many gear-focused here to the contrary.
I would like to post a photo of a young James Dean, by Dennis Stock, which is a great photo because it doesn’t matter who the subject is. It speaks volumes yet evades definition. I used to be able to post images on threads but now I see no way to do so. Here is a site where the photo may be viewed. It's the one where Dean is holding a cup of coffee.
As everyone else says, watch the video. What he does is very hard to do well and consistently, particularly during those times where he literally has just a couple of minutes to shoot. The respect he has in the industry from those he shoots (and those that hire him) says a lot -- he's really good at what he does, notwithstanding the predictable criticism here from a few.
"The respect he has in the industry from those he shoots (and those that hire him) says a lot -- he's really good at what he does" No, it says that they are familiar with him and they like him; he fits in. Good, yes. The best, no. I will try to post an image by Dennis Stock that demonstrates the quality/interest gap. It's an image of James Dean, and it's powerful precisely because it doesn't matter who the subject is; the picture itself speaks volumes and implies a backstory about the subject. Whereas the picture of Taylor Swift, for example, says nothing.
Very inspiring talk! With a well-chosen title; the "right" shot, not the "best", or "technically superb"; it's about creating opportunity, getting the most out of the 60 seconds you get, and make the image that tells the story of the day.. I am glad I watched it, I reallly learned a lot.
yes, a gallery, with pictures, that everyone can see, so people can judge me by my work; I am an amateur photographer, doing more and more payed assignments from people that approach me, not the other way around (I have no ambition to make it my full time job, it is a nice breakaway from my daytime job behind a computer).
The difference is: I am not embarrased by my pictures. I am in a process of learning, and every month I am getting better. And that is why thiis video is so valuable to me. In a few weeks time I have a big assignment on a jazz music festival, where I have to talk my way in musician's dressing rooms, trying to get permission to photograph on stage/back stage. This video is a treasure in terms of tips and tricks to get the most out of that.
You, on the other hand, simply do not show pics, and rather critique those that do. And that is why your opinion don't matter much.
This is assignments. You do what you could on assignments, you come with ideas, you adapt to reality, you do your best, it's not always perfect or even great, but any time, you do your best.
I won't judge him by these shots, for the above reasons. Maybe the guys on the band are fighting each other 2 minutes before the shoot, maybe the weather was imperfect for others, maybe. We don't know and we never will : because it's a professional photographer.
Right on, but why dpreview would choose to run this feature is a mystery. As you say, you do what you can. The fact that he has access should really be enough to let him come up with something a bit better than what we are shown here. Or maybe we are supposed to be impressed by the fact that he has access, or by the celebrities themselves.
..."but why dpreview would choose to run this feature is a mystery."
Not really a mystery. Brian spoke at an event sponsored by DPReview that drew photographers from all over the world, both in-person and online. It would be more of a mystery if we didn't publish it.
Brian doesn't get to photograph celebrities because he has some kind of 'special access' to them. It's the other way around. He gets access to them because he consistently delivers the shots that clients want, often in less time than most photographers take just to set up their lights.
I don't know the body of brian ach's work - so I try not to lash out in harsh critique based on a few photos... but if the chosen photos are any bit representative - IF ... then the work is very mediocre.¨ I've been photographing for many years and I've seen countless exhibitions ... but honestly rarely something by a "professional" as un-inspiring as the presented photos. and the Lambo? is this a joke? or is it "good" because it has a Lambo in it? or a bit of panning?...
Snapshots... fine - but publish grade work by a pro? no.
The Lake for example - even googling the subject will lead to countless more interesting pictures, from more interesting perspectives, with better lighting, composition, etc. Same goes for "Barcelona"... a city that has so much to offer not just photographically, but that shot looks like a snapshot. fine... but bland and not something I'd put on a portfolio or publish.
It's probably a poor choice of photos to have included in the gallery. They are photos from the linked presentation, and they make a lot of sense when taken in the context of the presentation because Brian uses each photo to illustrate a specific point. As on-off standalone photos they don't have the same impact.
I've seen a lot of Brian's 'stand-alone' work and his stuff is really good. That's why he keeps getting called back by top publications and artists to do work for them.
The presentation is entertaining however few of the pictures he is showing there have a context in them. The context is simply given by his explanations on how he took the shot. Very few images are compelling, in my view; the most intriguing part remains understanding how he managed to get all these high profile jobs.
People have often spoke about context, but I've never really understood what he meant. Brian in the video said, "The ultimate fantasy shot is the Pope next to a Yellow cab in front of the Brooklyn Bridge". Finally I get it.
Out of all the PIX2015 videos I've watched, I enjoying this one the most. Brian has a keen sense of humor and is an entertaining story teller. Like any good pro photographer, he has the knowledge and experience to make the quick decisions so he doesn't miss the critical shot.
Well, not sure I'd say the right shot. But that's subjective. That's the best he could get from Prince? Is the singer formerly known as a symbol on cold medication?
For my taste, the group of rap singers? Cliché. Cheesy.
Right shot depends on context, and I totally agree on that. The pictures in the DPReview slide show are shown out of context. So it's hard to judge them. Watch the video, where the photographer uses that Prince picture to make a point. That is context. Possibly the picture was also published as part of an article where the picture supports wording or graphics design, again context.
Felix is correct - it is about context. Brian uses that shot of Prince in his talk to make some specific points. Short of putting a transcript of his talk into the news story the photo as a stand-alone is a bit out of context.
It's a great presentation, and as Prince's tour photographer he has some fun stories to share.
I should add that the same is true of the other photos in the gallery here as well. They are all from Brian's talk, and in the context of the talk it's easy to understand why they are included.
Man, before judging a photographer watching only 6 on his pics, you should ask yourself why he works with the greats one and take a look at his work over his website.
Really? I don't mean to be rude but the Taylor Swift portrait makes her look ugly which is remarkable, the Lambo photo is totally meh, the Lake Tahoe shot is ordinary and the Barcelona shot looks like an iPhone snap taken by a tourist. Nothing particularly impressive. I am sure he is a great photographer, but the pics are unimpressive in terms of lighting, posing and composing to me...
looking at these samples of this guy's photos, I'd say that he could teach You how to light people if you like really harsh, tacky lighting with no Feeling whatsoever. And/or just how to shoot landscapes "like a beginner". So much for being Well Known.
When the Fujifilm X-T2 arrived, it was more than just a modest upgrade to the already impressive X-T1. While the new X-T3 hasn't changed the overall design of the camera, this model is way more than an upgrade; rather, it's a quantum leap.
The Movie Maker is a compact, motorized slider designed for phones, action cams and small mirrorless cameras. We think it's a fun little kit and a good value proposition for the cost, provided you can work around a few of its weak points.
Nikon's Z7 is the first camera to use the all-new Z-mount, the company's first new full-frame mount since 1959. We've put together our first impressions based on quality shooting time with a pre-production camera - check out what we've found.
We got some hands-on time with a pre-production LX100 II to get a better feel for the improvements Panasonic's brought to the table. Here's a rundown of what's new – and what we think.
The instant camera market is heating up, and with four formats and 15+ cameras to choose from, we felt it was high time to examine them all and pick our favorite.
Whether you're hitting the beach in the Northern Hemisphere or the ski slopes in the Southern, a rugged compact camera makes a great companion. In this buying guide we've taken a look at seven current models and chosen our favorites.
What's the best camera for a parent? The best cameras for shooting kids and family must have fast autofocus, good low-light image quality and great video. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for parents, and recommended the best.
What's the best camera for shooting landscapes? High resolution, weather-sealed bodies and wide dynamic range are all important. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting landscapes, and recommended the best.
What’s the best camera costing over $2000? The best high-end camera costing more than $2000 should have plenty of resolution, exceptional build quality, good 4K video capture and top-notch autofocus for advanced and professional users. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing over $2000 and recommended the best.
There's no mistaking the Nikon Coolpix P1000 – with a 24-3000mm equivalent zoom, it really is in a class of its own. It's a conspicuous-looking superzoom with one main job: getting you really close to far away subjects. We've put together a gallery showing the kind of results you can expect from it.
GoPro has announced its HERO7 camera lineup. The updated action cameras feature new HyperSmooth and TimeWarp modes, as well as improved video and photo specs.
The Sony 24mm F1.4 is the latest lens to join the company's premium G Master lineup. We've been shooting with one for a couple of days - here's what you need to know.
Camera bag manufacturer Lowepro has introduced mark II backpacks for its ProTactic AW range with models that are said to feature an improved handling experience as well as a collection of accessories that can be attached to the outside.
Canon has announced its latest superzoom camera, the PowerShot SX70 HS. Compared to the SX60 that came before it, the SX70 has the same lens but offers a higher resolution EVF, 4K video capture and support for Canon's new CR3 Raw format.
Sony has taken the wraps off of its new 24mm F1.4 GM full-frame lens, which the company claims is the lightest in its class. Despite its fast aperture, the 24mm F1.4 is remarkably light, weighing just 445 grams (15.7 ounces). The lens will set you back $1400 when it ships next month.
In this episode of DPReview TV we take a look at Sony's brand new 24mm F1.4 GM lens, a desirable focal length for many photographers. How does it perform? Chris and Jordan give us their first impressions.
We've had a little time to shoot with Sony's new wide/fast prime, both close to home and on the water in San Francisco. Check out our initial sample images.
Fujifilm released a firmware upgrade for its X-T3 mirrorless camera that addresses issues with distortion compensation and the mechanical lock on SD cards.
British photographic engineer MTF Services is claiming the world’s first third-party lens adapters for the new Nikon Z system with a collection of four units designed to allow cinema lenses to be mounted on the mirrorless full frame bodies.
The X-T3 is our first opportunity to analyze what's likely to be Fujifilm's next generation image sensor. Take a look at how it performs next to the competition in our studio test scene.
Nikon will cease offering Brazil-based customer service and technical support, though the company stresses that it will still offer technical assistance and warranty repairs for valid warranties.
Two years ago, CatLABS of JP announced a plan to save Packfilm from the dead. Now, it's announced it's giving up its efforts to better focus its resources elsewhere.
The GoPro Fusion is designed to make it easy to capture 360-degree video and stills. We took it out recently on a typically hot Seattle summer day to see what it can do.
Canon and Nikon finally entered the full-frame mirrorless market this summer with the brand-new RF and Z mounts. Now that we've had some time with the cameras, we wanted to revisit our earlier predictions and take stock.
Blackmagic Design has announced the public beta of its new Blackmagic RAW video codec. The company says the new format combines the benefits of shooting Raw video with the ease of use and smaller file sizes usually associated with non-Raw video files.
The Atomos Ninja V external video recorder and monitor will be ready to ship at the end of this month. The 5.2in Ninja V is designed to provide a smaller option, while still offering many of the features of the larger 7-inch models.
Comments