Welcome to Through the Photographers Lens,

In this week’s post I thought I share a rather interesting trend I’ve noticed and wanted to know if I am the only one to notice it. “Cookie Cutter Rappers!”

In the last few years I have been contracted to shoot album/mix tape covers, posters and “Red Carpet” events that featured some of your favorite rappers and many you don’t know. I was cleaning and archiving some of my photos from the past to keep things fresh and clean in my office and I noticed all of the rappers seemed a little too similar. So much so that I found myself filing a couple of them in the wrong folders because they looked so much alike. I then went back through the work I had already done to make sure that I had not made the same mistake more than once. In clicking through the photos I saw the same thing over and over again. Sagging pants below the reason (we all know how I feel about that), $200+ T-shirts, horrendously expensive sneakers, fitted hats, the same 10 tattoos (you know them all), dental applications (Grills) and the belly button length chain (reminiscent of those of the early 70’s) with shiny ornament dangling from the end.

I feel the need to clear something up at this point. I have nothing against owning nice things and trust me I have done enough interviews with artists and I have heard the same excuses for the purchase of such things. One of my favorite answers was “I buy all the gold and diamonds to replace the chains of oppression heaped on my forefathers heads.” I am not even going to go into neither the whole blood diamond nor the ecological ramifications of strip-mining for gold and platinum. And I will bite my lip in an effort to not speak on the murder and modern slavery that is going on today to acquire these minerals (these are fodder for future articles). I do however want to address one answer I keep getting when I ask the question, “Why spend these huge amounts on things that will only depreciate in a short amount of time when you could change lives FOREVER with those same amounts?” The answer I get more so than any is “this is how I express who I am and my individual tastes… I am different from all the other rappers because…” Sadly, I have to admit when I hear this preamble, stop listening or start mouthing the words because I have heard them so many times.

I remember when hip-hop started, you heard The Sugar Hill Gang and you knew you were listening to the Sugar Hill Gang and not Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five. You knew that Run-DMC was the “King of Rock” and you didn’t question it. LL Cool J “Rocked the Bells” and the dance floor flooded with party goers who didn’t want to hold up the walls and nurse drinks until a fight broke out. Stevie Wonder said “I wish those days could come back once more cause I loved them so!” AMEN Brother!!!

We now live in a world, and maybe I am just showing my age, where I turned on the radio in my car (a rarity indeed) and couldn’t tell if I was listening to Lil Wayne or Drake or any of the other sound/look-a-like’s. It seems like the only thing that is getting played these days has to fit into a very narrow marketing formula and not true individuality. God forbid you learn something from a rapper about current events and /or history that is verifiable other than they have been wearing Louis Vuitton since the early days of slinging rock in the PJ’s. Now we’re a generation of the tough guy, the killer, the dealer and the baby daddy. And the ladies are not exempt from this by any means. I remember the toughest thing you heard a female rapper said was “If it aint rough it aint right…” now they too are packing Lugers and lying in court. Yikes!!!

Now while I understand the need to have a cool story to tell your friends, I don’t understand why all those stories are the same. If you want to be individual then just be who you are. If you come out with a song create your own music (article coming soon!), if you are going to produce your own clothing line please make sure that people from the PJ’s you came from can afford it and for God’s sake, FIND SOME NEW TATTOOS!!!

Hip-hop got its start the same way gospel music got its start. An oppressed people needed a way to cry out and let the world know the pain and struggle they were going through during their particular point in history but they also gave a sense of hope, strength that didn’t come at the barrel of a gun and faith that whomever they called God would always be there for them and bring them through triumphantly. When did Hip-Hop make that sharp left turn down the wrong street and become the very thing it stood against? Come on folks, let’s not let the marketing department decide what good music is anymore!!!

What are your thoughts?

Rahim Baskett
Photographer
MindSoulVision Photography
Url: http://www.mindsoulvision.com/
Email: Rahimb@mindsoulvision.com

Welcome to Through the Photographers Lens,

In this week’s post I thought I’d talk about “Surviving the Casting Call”. The Do’s, Don’ts and what your casting agents and directors are expecting from you and what you should expect from them. As a photographer I get the privilege of working as casting agent for several different production companies and advertising agencies. It is my job to review each subject head to toe (in some cases quite literally) and visualize how if at all that person can be used in the project at hand. I am also charged with the task of seeing that person in other casting situations and projects that may be a good fit for everyone.

There is a saying that goes “Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance” also known as the 5 P’s. I’d like to take some time to explore these in an effort to help you the reader better prepare yourself for any casting situation. Using these tips and trick will not guarantee you’re getting every role you apply for but it will keep you from getting put out and embarrassed at your next casting. Preparation, like in all facets of life is one of the keys to success. “You can’t unlock the door if you don’t have a key,” and getting in is what casting is all about. There are many things you can do to prepare yourself for a casting call that will help you land a job.

Let’s start with finding the casting call. There are several methods of finding castings, from reading your favorite trade rag to online sites and casting databases to casting agents. All highly effective if and when used properly, but you must use them properly. Read any casting call carefully and investigate those who are advertising for their particular roles. Remember your safety (not your comfort) should come first. Check out the websites of anyone holding a casting call to see what other projects they are or have worked on and if there are any references or reviews on them read them as well. Check with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) website and make sure that there are no complaints against that business or casting agent that are legitimate. ( I have heard horror stories of casting agents that have complaints against them that ultimately came from angry past cast members and potential talent because they didn’t get the part)

Be mindful of where the casting call is being held. If you are not comfortable with where the casting call is being held then you have three options. Take a friend; ask if there is a location available that might be more comfortable for you or just don’t go! Of course not going means not getting the part so be careful how you wield that last option. I work with one production company that has its offices in a very prominent hotel and I get calls all the time from young ladies especially, saying they are not comfortable going to a hotel to meet with anyone. In that case, there are conference and meeting rooms, ballrooms, and if all else should fail the lobby where there is plenty of security to make you feel all warm and fuzzy. I also encourage anyone that is uncomfortable with a location to bring a friend with you to the casting.

Now that we have gotten you to the casting safely, we have to make sure you have everything in your attaché case that will help you to impress and convince the casting agents of your worthiness of their time. Remember that a casting agent has to see many other people before and after you and have very little time for long drawn out stories and presentations. They also don’t have time to wait for you to look in your bag for your CD/DVD, props, and shoes or even lip gloss. I have asked many people to leave the casting room and join the end of the line and get themselves together because of time wasted because the subject was not prepared to be casted. Many get upset and just leave walking away from what could have been an otherwise good opportunity for them had they been just a little bit more prepared and professional. When you walk into the casting room you should have your resume (no matter how limited it is) and headshot in hand along with any performance materials you will need. (Music CD/DVD/MP3, instruments already in tune, voice clear and audible, performance props of whatever kind clean and ready to go with fresh batteries already in place)This way when you walk in you can introduce yourself, hand your casting agent your “Package” and begin. Remember casting agents are paying for the time you are wasting looking for any missing materials or “Getting Ready”. A good tip for castings is you should be ready for an 8am casting call at 8pm the night before.

Don’t be shy! This is the entertainment business. Your job is to be outgoing and ready to ply your wares at a moment’s notice. I tell potential cast members all the time that you can’t be shy in front of 27,000 people at Madison Square Garden so you can’t be shy in front of the 5 of us. You have to be committed to your craft to the point where it doesn’t matter who is around or what you are doing, you should be prepared to perform anywhere and everywhere, RIGHT NOW!!! “It’s Your time, it’s Showtime!!!”

All right! You’ve gotten to the casting safely and there are plenty of people on line before you. Your attaché is prepared with all of your performance and reference materials, but what about your physical? What is your state of mind? How are you feeling? What do you look like? What do you smell like? Most casting calls give a detailed description of what the casting director wants your appearance to look like. Some are very specific but many are unclear. The safest thing to do if a casting call is unclear is to wear what I like to call the casting uniform (Clean blue jeans, clean or even new white t-shirt, black shoes, heels for the ladies (sorry)). As one of my mentors used to say “You have to come in Snatched up and Ready to go!” From head to toe you must be neat and eye catching. The first thing we notice about you when you walk into the casting office is the way you walk into the casting office. You can’t walk into a casting call looking like you’ve been at the club all night and just stopped by “to see what’s good.” Manicures and pedicures are a must. Trim the claws. I couldn’t tell you how many times I have met people that I could not use for the project they casted for but I knew of another project that would be perfect for them because they had nice well maintained hands or feet or their makeup was clean, fresh and not over done. (We’ll get back to that in a minute) Bare in mind that casting photographers move from project to project to give our opinions on what a person would look like as part of a particular production but if we can use your talents in some other project AS WELL, then we will make note of it on your application and contact you for it.

Make sure your face and hair are not over done! Remember you are not going out to the club; you are going to a job interview. Professionalism is an absolute must and begins with what you present to us visually. I have to be able to see you in different situations and scenes from the project and it becomes hard to do if your makeup looks like a drunken drag queen did it or if your lace front is showing on your lace front wig. Clean fresh makeup is your goal. I have to see what condition your skin is in, so I know if you can be used for close up shots and what you will look like in different styles of makeup. President Obama was once quoted as saying in all my years as a politician I never thought as president I would have to tell people to wash their face and hand. I now understand what he meant. As a fashion photographer I work with a lot of fashion designers who put a lot of work into the garments you will be wearing. I can’t tell you how many models have arrived at casting calls smelling like farm animals. They do not want your body odor trapped in their $5000 haute couture gown. They will make you buy it at that point.

Wigs and weaves (I know I am going to catch hell for this but truth is truth), are a big risk in casting. My personal opinion is stay away from them for the casting call. Take the time and style your hair or get it styled for the big day. It’s worth it! Having a wig slip off while you are performing, having a track come out or my personal favorite standing too close to casting lights with synthetic hair, will bring comedy to your casting whether you like it or not. While we will all get a good laugh about it for weeks to come, it will not get you the job if I have to worry about your hair melting on set. Keep it clean and natural, if you get the role you are casting for you are going to be put into hair and makeup anyway and again we need to see what we are really working with.

Clear your mind! Be focused when you come to castings. You will find as I have that there are a great deal of competition in the entertainment field and it shows most during the casting call. There will be people singing and dancing and going through all manner of preparation methods to get the same part you are trying to get. FOCUS!!! Don’t be distracted! It’s been said that the most important person in any meeting is you, because if no one else is there on time or no one even shows up you were there prepared and ready and that is what gets you hired!!! Clear your mind of everything that is going on in your personal life, the ride on the train on the way to the casting call, the weather, what your lover did to upset or pleasure you. Check all of that at the door, you have work to do.

Be prepared to stay the day in many cases. Call backs are common. Sometimes we want to pair you up with a previous artist to see how you perform together or we may have information that is important to you and the future of your career. Don’t just leave right after the casting (unless otherwise informed) because your boyfriend is double parked.

Sex doesn’t sell! If you have sex to get the job, what will you have to do to get a promotion? Beyond the personal ramifications’ to reputation and health, one must understand that you are treated the way you present yourself. A woman in a very tight and low cut outfit came to a casting and told us that she was upset because someone was staring down her shirt while talking to her on the elevator and she didn’t like being viewed as a piece of meat like that. My only response to her was well if you hold up a sigh people are going to read it! On the other side of the same coin, if you are asked for sex the answer is “NO!” If it costs you the role then it was not the role for you. You should remain professional at all times with all people at the casting as you never know who you are talking too and most of the time you don’t know who you are talking to until it’s too late. Flirting is a dangerous road to walk as is fraternizing. A good safe bet is if anyone at a casting tells you they want your information so they can contact you later take their business card and contact them after investigating them first. Remember if you give someone you don’t want calling you your number, YOU GAVE IT TO THEM!!!

We are running a business! Bare in mind that the producers of the show are running a business and don’t have much time to dedicate to the unprepared, the shy, poor or unprofessional attitudes, and lateness. We are not interested in anything other than the facts and the answers to your interview questions. Keep your answers short and to the point. Make sure your appearance is up to par when you enter the casting room. Have your materials ready for presentation at your audition. Make sure you are clean and ready to slip into costume in a moment’s notice. In most cases you only have 10-15 minutes for your entire casting interview, if that much and you need to make every second count. There are many candidates before you and after you and you have to stand out in a positive way in order to be remembered and most importantly hired. Don’t take the casting director or agents shortness personally, they have to interview many people and don’t have time to get personal with you. Remember it’s a job interview and not a coffee clutch.

SHOW UP ON TIME!!! Show up on the date and time specified by the casting call. If the casting call is for November 9^th 2010 from 1pm until 7pm you need to be there November 9^th 2010 at 12.30. I can’t tell you how many emails I get from candidates asking if they can have a special casting date or f they can come on another day to cast. NO YOU CAN”T! Someone who showed up on time on the correct date will get your part. Also, do not show up 6.45pm that day for the same reason. The person that shows up at 6.45pm when a casting closes at 7pm will more than likely be sent home without an interview because in the eyes of the casting directors and agents the casting call was not important enough to you to make it a priority in your day and will wonder about your reliability and consistency. Get there on time we are not waiting for YOU!

I believe with these simple understanding in place you should be far more prepared to conquer any casting call with confidence.

It’s your career, take it seriously!

What are your thoughts?

Rahim Baskett
Photographer
MindSoulVision Photography
Url: http://www.mindsoulvision.com/
Email: Rahimb@mindsoulvision.com

Welcome to Through the Photographers Lens,

In this week’s post I thought I’d talk about “Dream Killers!” I’ve heard it said that the cemetery is the richest place on earth because that is where all the unpublished books, cures for diseases, music, poetry and art are all buried. Buried there because the people who had these much needed works of art and science did not follow through with their potential and dreams. I asked myself, why would those who have been blessed with a gift let it be buried with them and not share those gifts with the world and I realized that those souls let something or someone Kill Their Dreams. With that I thought, well, what are the things that kill dreams and what can I do as a photographer and writer do to help stop this madness, and I started to devise a list. I could only come up with three things that can kill dreams. Family, Friends and peers and YOU!!!

When I started out as a photographer, I had many people in my life that said ok great you want to be a full time photographer but what else are you going to do? I kind of looked at them sideways at first but then I had to understand that they were just doing or saying what they thought would be right and supportive and realize that these opinions and advice came from the point of view of people that would also tell me that they had no artistic abilities at all (which I never believe).

Pursuing a career in the arts take far more dedication and discipline than most people outside the artistic community would understand and easily forget that being a full time artist is still a business and needs to be treated as such. Sadly many people inside the community forget that it is a business as well and end up having their careers end shortly after they start.

So, I thought I would take a little time to cover some basics of being a full time artist. First and foremost it IS a business and the day you forget that is the day you fail yourself. Let’s face facts, no matter what your career path is you still have living expenses and bills to maintain which means that everything you do needs to show profit. That said you should take some sort of business management class to help you better understand and navigate through setting up and running your artistic business. But beyond the financial there is your support base. You have to have a support base that understands what it is that you are trying to accomplish with your craft. If your support base does not understand its role in your life then how can they support you? How can your dream come true and who are the biggest dream killers in the artist’s life? Well, the biggest is family!

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing like family. The love and support that an understanding family can provide can make champions of us all, but when the family does not fully understand your heart’s desire or the passion you have for your craft they can be very hurtful even if it is not their intention. How many artists out there can say that Mommy and Daddy and the Grand Parents completely understand your need to be an artist? How many times have you heard, all that music stuff is nice but you need a job with some benefits? What’s gonna happen when you have to go see a doctor? How are you going to pay your rent when you don’t know when your next gig is or if your next job is a few weeks or even months away? There has to be a point in the life of the artist when you will have to sit down and explain your passions to your family and hope they understand. Sadly this conversation usually leads to some arguing, exposed repressed feelings about you and your craft and how you are throwing your life away. I urge you all, when this comes about don’t take the easy road and just turn your back on them. After all they are your family and they mean well even if they don’t know any better or just won’t listen. At the end of the day you have several choices to make especially where your family is concerned. Make them wisely and love them anyway!!! Not everyone is going to understand the mind of an artist so stop thinking they will and stop thinking that you are going to be the exception to the rule that makes them fully understand. There comes a point where you just have to re-evaluate your dedication to your craft and examine your methods and use their unwillingness to understand as your inspiration to go farther and do better. Learn this line: “ Mom, Dad, I love you but you just don’t understand and I can’t force that on you, but I can’t let it stop me from being who I am.”

The second set of Dream Killers is your friends. They have many of the same view points as your family will have only but your friends will be a little more cynical about it. Some may even show some form of jealousy. “How are you going to make money at that?”, “Why don’t you get a regular job and do that on the side?” is what I have heard many of my friends say. They will be the first to point and sneer when you fail but will also be first in line when the royalty checks come in. Odd, isn’t it? I guess there is something to be said for persistency. Nevertheless, after a while the pressure coming from them gets to be a bit much and you start to evaluate the people you are keeping around you. You start to think “are these people conducive to me reaching my goals?” “How are they going to look at me if I should fail”, “how are they going to look at me if I should succeed?” Either way, I say again, love them for who they are. Listen to them, but make sure that your drive and determinations toward your craft are strong and true because your friends will be first to test them. Don’t let them stop or even slow you down!!! This is your dream for your life.

The last and most deadly opponent your dreams could have comes from within. That’s right, you are your biggest dream killer. Think of how many times things have gone wrong in your artistic career and you just wanted to give up. Sell all your gear, close up shop and go home and get a regular 9 to 5 and live a normal life like everyone else. Well this is the new millennium and there are no more normal lives. If you don’t stand up and own your own business then you have to work for someone else, those are your options. At least in owning your own business, you have a little more “Say so” in what happens and if your 401K plan vanishes it’s because you didn’t keep up the payments not because someone was fooling around with your benefits package to save a dollar. Sure everyone likes to know that every two weeks a pay check is coming in, it’s a comforting thought, but knowing that you can control how much that check is because of your own hard work and skill feels so much better. Be careful listening to the advice of the ill-informed. Advice coming from someone who has no affiliations with the arts other than you can cause you to second guess yourself. Criticism will come, that is why we are artists, so expect it from everyone and anyone. Don’t let it stop you, take the information and “eat the meat and spit out the bone and fat” as my Pastor once taught me. Incorporate the information that helps you grow and the information that is hurtful or hindering let it go. Ultimately, you made the decisions to become an artist and you need to develop a powerful relationship with what that means, because if you don’t believe in you then no one else will.

Stay strong and artistic, the world needs to hear from YOU!!!

What are your thoughts?

Rahim Baskett
Photographer
MindSoulVision Photography
Url: http://www.mindsoulvision.com/
Email: Rahimb@mindsoulvision.com

Welcome to Through the Photographer’s Lens

In this week’s post I thought I would talk about something I observed while leaving a business meeting. I was leaving a rather promising meeting with a very well known producer and waiting to get on the elevator. When the doors opened I noticed that there was a nice looking young lady dressed in a cat suit and opened over coat. Now, because I was able to record the entire image and outfit in one mental shot, I noticed that above one of her breasts, through her outfit I could make out a small rectangle which seemed to have a thin rubber band around it. I thought back to when my grandmother and great grandmother used to keep large sums of cash stuffed into their bras. Naturally I found this to be funny and began to smile publically and laugh out loud internally. Not so much because this seemingly young lady was stashing enough money to require a rubber band into her bra, but at the fact that she chose to do so while wearing a cat suit. Did she not think that it would be seen by people as they walked by in the streets? The intellectual in me said well maybe she is conducting a social experiment to see how many people would notice the large wad of cash waving hello to the oncoming masses from the top of her chest and compare the number to how many people would notice she was wearing a cat suit and open over coat in 14 degree New York weather. Whatever the case I hope she only got the responses she was looking for.

I realize that for many fashion and/or the need for attention can drive your fashion choices, but do you believe that what we wear in public determines what people think of us? What do you think?

Rahim Baskett
Photographer
MindSoulVision Photography
Url: http://www.mindsoulvision.com/
Email: Rahimb@mindsoulvision.com