Monday, July 20, 2015

The GWC and Me

I've always held the belief that no creative should ever speak ill of another. We should all let the results speak for themselves. The fruits of my labor speak louder than anything I could possibly say. But a recent occurrence with a GWC really tested my patience. 

First let me define GWC for those in the dark on what a GWC is. GWC stands for "Guy With Camera." In the case of a woman it's "Gal With Camera" - or "Girl..." If you wish. The phrase is not meant to be an esteemed title for all photographers. It's meant to be largely derogatory to summarize everyone with a camera that believes themselves to be a photographer but really aren't. The type that literally photographs anything, anywhere or anytime without an inkling of prep, motive or attention to detail. The GWC person takes 1000 images of the same thing but doesn't really know what or why they're shooting at all. Maybe they like taking pictures. Nothing wrong with that. That same person that photographs bugs, flowers, cars and people without any real direction or consistent quality. I've heard models use the phrase to describe the "creepy guy" that wants them to meet him in the woods for a photo shoot without any idea of what they're shooting, where it will be or who will be there. Others define GWC as "spray and pray" photographers because they literally take thousands of shots in rapid fire mode in the hope they'll get a few keepers for their website or Facebook Page. Maybe it's for fun or maybe it's for some other reason but highly skilled photographers generally try to differentiate themselves through high quality consistent work. For everyone else, they say that describes a GWC, a time waster or as some might say, an "amateur." If you didn't know they are EVERYWHERE! They're on the streets with prospective models. They're sending you emails begging you to shoot with them. They're taking pictures of flowers and in a second they spin around and photograph an airplane. Or in my recent case they became a stalker of sorts. 

Now the story on our GWC or "stalker." It's a gloriously beautiful day. The sun is scorching but the sky is breathtakingly blue and there is a breeze albeit a damp and warm one. I have our fabulous MUAH, a one of a kind stylist and as minimum gear as I can carry. But the most commanding member of our entourage was our 6'4" (taller than me in heels and I'm not a short guy by any measure) Goddess of a model dressed to the 9s thanks to our stylist and she was insanely stunning thanks to our incredible MUAH. Amid gasp, several verbal Wows, Holy Sh**ts and a whole lot of staring we proceed to our destination. People literally stopped to watch our model simply walk by. They made a path for us with the rest of the team flanking her sides. I admit it was something to see. She was impeccably dressed and had I not known her, I may have thought her a celebrity. We might have been her entourage or her support staff and I her bodyguard from the looks of things to an outsider. But I'm the Photographer and I have a shoot to direct and a team to lead. 

Along the way we managed to pick up a few tails. Those are the people following along to see where you're heading and who you are. Naturally most are male onlookers while the few female onlookers simply took cell pics and swiftly moved respectfully on. Others just found an excuse to walk by and simply circled the general area to steal a few looks. But the most conspicuous member of our crowd was a GWC. He carried a camera of a brand I didn't bother to see with a zoom lens. He came closer and closer and soon I realized we had passed this guy on the way in. He'd been stalking us for awhile.

The largest segments of the crowd eventually thinned out but it didn't take me long to understand what this GWC was trying to do; what he wanted to do. He wanted to shoot our model over my shoulder. He wanted to watch me direct her, listen to my instructions, watch her move and shoot exactly when I shoot. He wanted to essentially rip me off. He wanted to take our highly stylized fashion concept for his Facebook Page (I'm assuming) and make it his own. I could see it in my mind; "look what I shot today" posted on his social media. That was my thought anyway. 

I tested my theory with the GWC. I verbally told the model and stylist what I was about to do. I pretended to frame the shot thru my lens. He lifted his camera at the same time. I lowered mine and so did he. I was more upset than I immediately realized. With as much respect and professional courtesy as I could muster, I turned to him and said why are you trying to take "My Shot (emphasis on My Shot). Surely there must be other things you can shoot?"  He had the audacity to ask me if she was a hired model. So as not to further test my own patience I simply said yes she is and essentially implied in word and body language that should he choose to be around that he might exercise some degree of professional decorum and at least be inconspicuous about his attempted piracy. 

In his defense, it was a public place and he can shoot whatever he wants within a certain degree of expected privacy for a passerby. But this GWC had absolutely nothing to do with the styling, choosing the model, the location nor working with perfecting the makeup and hair with the MUAH. He was the purest embodiment a GWC. He doesn't want to orchestrate his own production. He'd much rather rip it off with a spray and pray tactic he had obviously been employing for some time. It was clear he was walking around photographing whatever caught his eye.

He lingered for quite some time before my delaying got the better of him. I'm sure he managed to get off a few lucky captures. Given how gorgeous our model is and how beautiful a day it was, anyone would be hard pressed to screw that shot up even for a GWC. But it was his blatant disregard for the process that irked me the most; the long hours of planning, scheduling, organizing and orchestrating he didn't have to do. 

I'm sure he calls himself a photographer and that's fine if he chooses to misrepresent his level of skill that way. That's on him. I feel sorry for the people that may see the pic he likely pirated and think that somehow it represented his level of skill. As far as I'm concerned he's a parasitic opportunist. Photography is so much more than aim and click. It's a process. It's about respect and trust, creative vision, inspiration and collaboration mixed with technical skill. 

He might have asked for an audience. Or better he could simply have asked me, the MUAH, the stylist or model a couple of brief questions.  He might have asked if he could tag along or stand by to observe; not out of necessity but just out of respect. But the second he mimicked me so blatantly to steal my vision is the second he lost my respect. 

It's not my first on location shoot so I'm accustomed to drawing a few onlookers and even a camera or two that pops out. But this guy was gonna setup shop and stage an area in line of sight with my scene to pirate it. What he had done I found detestable and disrespectful. 

We weren't doing a commercial production that day. We were just a few professional collaboratives out doing a well styled project together and having some creative fun. In many ways, I probably left home not unlike this guy. I wanted to do some photography that day as well. What differentiated us is that I choose to have a higher quality product that starts with careful and deliberate planning, a project that was team casted and beautifully crafted by a small group with similar creative ambitions. Had he not been a parasitic leech then he could have chosen the same process. 

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