jcdill
Dec-21-2007, 02:27 PM
I haven't found any posts here discussing VH1's reality series The Shot. (If there are other threads about this, please point me to them. "vh1" is a stopword - I can't search on it.) I just heard about this show last week. I have a friend recording the last 2 episodes for me, and I watched episodes 2-7 online (http://www.vh1.com/video/browse/index.jhtml?id=1755). I was unable to get episode 1 to play on my computer. :-( Oh well - the other 6 episodes are still really great!
This is a show about 10 photographers who want to be fashion photographers. They share a loft in LA, and each week they have 2 photography asignments and then one is eliminated and must go home. They come from varied backgrounds - some have a lot of experience with people (one is a wedding photographer), some have a lot of experience with lights and sets, some get along well with others and are adaptable, others are really hard to work with. The format of the show has a "teach" assignment where each photographer has just a few minutes to get Their Shot. The images are critiqued and the top images earn those photographers the role of "team leader" in the second part of the episode. They pick their team-mates, then they work together to shoot a fashion assignment. The winning team is "safe" and the photographer with the weakest shot on the losing team goes home - that was their "last shot". The winner wins $100k, and several top fashion assignments including shooting for Victoria's Secret and Marie Claire Magazine.
I've learned a LOT from watching this show. Not so much about photography (there is almost no discussion about f-stops, lens choices, lighting values, etc.), but about the photography business, working in a team with other photograhers and assistants, working with professional models, working with clients. I've seen some mistakes I've made in the past being made by photographers on the show, and seen the reactions of the client, the model, the other photographers, and especially the judges in a new light. (I'm not going to make those mistakes again!) I'm going to watch it all over again next week.
At the end of Episode 7 there were 3 remaining. All 3 are really strong and capable photographers. I'm very interested to see what assignments they receive, and who makes it to the end.
This is a show about 10 photographers who want to be fashion photographers. They share a loft in LA, and each week they have 2 photography asignments and then one is eliminated and must go home. They come from varied backgrounds - some have a lot of experience with people (one is a wedding photographer), some have a lot of experience with lights and sets, some get along well with others and are adaptable, others are really hard to work with. The format of the show has a "teach" assignment where each photographer has just a few minutes to get Their Shot. The images are critiqued and the top images earn those photographers the role of "team leader" in the second part of the episode. They pick their team-mates, then they work together to shoot a fashion assignment. The winning team is "safe" and the photographer with the weakest shot on the losing team goes home - that was their "last shot". The winner wins $100k, and several top fashion assignments including shooting for Victoria's Secret and Marie Claire Magazine.
I've learned a LOT from watching this show. Not so much about photography (there is almost no discussion about f-stops, lens choices, lighting values, etc.), but about the photography business, working in a team with other photograhers and assistants, working with professional models, working with clients. I've seen some mistakes I've made in the past being made by photographers on the show, and seen the reactions of the client, the model, the other photographers, and especially the judges in a new light. (I'm not going to make those mistakes again!) I'm going to watch it all over again next week.
At the end of Episode 7 there were 3 remaining. All 3 are really strong and capable photographers. I'm very interested to see what assignments they receive, and who makes it to the end.