My son has a funny/cleaver T-shirt from Threadless called the “i in Team”. I find it very humorous and great design but the “Team in I” is way more important.
I recently was told of a very prestigious architectural design competition where the jury was very turned off because the Design Architect kept talking about himself and not the group of individuals it would take to make the design happen. The jury is still out but I will be curious if they select the Design Architect who was obviously the “I in Team”.
Anyone who is an artist, has an ego. Whether photographer, architect, graphic designer, painter, etc., we all have ego. Your ego is integral to who you are and what you do. I think it is important as an artist to have a point of view, to have perspective and be willing to express you opinion in a tactful and persuasive manner. That said, one does not work in a vacuum. To create something special, it sometimes requires a group of people coming together to make magic happen.
I often find myself talking of “we” and not “me”. I recognize that there are a team of individuals involved to help create a great image. Yes, I am composing the image, framing the image, determining time of day and the lighting necessary to do the image and so, in essence, the image is mine but there are certainly other players. I have always worked with an assistant. An assistant serves many roles, an extra set of hands so much primary focus can be on image composition, an extra set of eyes to see a trash can or something else I may have overlooked, an collaborator with whom I can bounce ideas off of and, in more recent years, a digital tech. There is also my fabulous Retoucher who has worked with me for over 12 years, knows my shooting style, knows what I like and takes our muddled notes and creates magic. There is my wife, who holds down the fort when I travel and my two boys who have often offered their talent to race through a building at dusk to manage the motion sensors and thus keep the lights on. There is my Associate who covers things in my absence and the building owners who grant access and help with coordination and last but CERTAINLY not least, you have the wonderful Designer/Architect who has created this wonderful project to photograph. It is very obviously a “Team” effort and one should not forget it.
So, be more cognizant of the “Team in I” instead of the “I in Team”.
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Your “team of we” reminds me of an experience I had many years ago in L.A. I was dating a woman who was one of the prominent names you might see on the movie screen following a Hollywood blockbuster. I had mentioned to her when we started dating and went to a movie together that I liked to remain seated when the movie ended and read the credits…ALL the credits. I had no idea how many points I had just made. A short while later we attended the “crew premier” screening of her latest blockbuster. The theater was filled with over 500 people ALL of whom had participated in the making of the movie, and for the first time in my life I realized I wasn't about to watch a movie and then watch the credits roll…I was going to watch the movie WITH the credits. It was a very moving experience to witness the pockets of cheers amongst the audience when his or her name rolled by. And it was truly a tear-jerker when the screen came to–and PAUSED, with a listing of all the babies who had been born of crew members during the two years of production for the movie.I agree whole heartedly with Brad that the “Team in I” is what makes our world a better place. Take this to heart the next time you make a photograph…or go to the movies.
Dan, great story! Thank yiou for sharing and adding to my blog!