The Thank You Note
Recently an assistant from my region wrote me an email asking if he could call me and discuss the possibility of working together. He mentioned the name of a former assistant who is now shooting in Pennsylvania plus he also had aerial experience. That was enough for me to respond and to talk to him. I liked his phone manner and his in-depth understanding of what I shoot and how I shoot. Actually, it surprised me a bit. I kept his name on file and thought, yeah; I’ll give this guy a chance.
Often times I get long letters for prospective assistants that feel like they are half-resume and life story combined into a charming essay on why they want to be a fashion/Geographic/advertising/documentary/still life shooter and how much they love my work. I am always a bit suspect about these letters because they tend to follow a formula that most likely started out as an exercise in career development for students about to graduate. They always contain too much information and not enough genuine interest.
Two weeks ago, an assignment for a Fortune 100 annual report came up that called for an available light sunrise shoot with a very little gear. The call time was O’dark early, as in 6:15 am. The weather forecast called for severe clear skies and a brisk 21 degrees. When the assignment was scheduled, I phoned the assistant and asked if he was available. He was. He lives an hour away and I needed to make sure he could be at my house by five in the morning. He said no problem and arrived promptly the next morning with the appropriate cold weather clothing. We got along great, the shoot was smooth and most importantly, we produced the images that my client needed.
A couple of days later, I received a hand written thank you card from him. Something I rarely receive from vendors or clients. That impressed me and I have now suggested this assistant to other photographers.
I keep the thank you notes I have received from clients and vendors. One of the national magazines I shoot for has been on my wish list for quite a few years. When I started shooting for them I was pleased that they were happy with my images and that was enough for me. A few days after I turned in my match prints with files, I received a hand-written note from the Director of Photography. That was a pleasant surprise. A year later, I shot another story for this magazine and received a thank you note again from the Director of Photography and additionally from the Editor. These personal touches in an increasingly digital world always stand out and I am grateful to receive them.
I try but don’t always remember to thank everyone on the shoot for a job well done. On large projects, I often create a shoot book of behind the scenes images that I give to the client, vendors and crew. The book is a simple gift given to everyone to as thanks and to remember those few days together.
This fall has been a bit on the crazy side. I was on the road for the better part of two months and fell behind in my reading. I often catch up on business books and novels while flying to assignments. My friend Julian Calverley suggested “Let my people go surfing~ the education of a reluctant businessman” by Patogonia founder and owner Yvon Chouinard. It is an excellent book on his life and how Patagonia conducts their business. I just started P.M. Forni’s “The Civility Solution” along with “Baseball – A Literary Anthology” edited by Nicholas Dawidoff.