Questions (that got the most valuable responses from this interview):

• Is this problem worth solving?
• Why has this problem not been solved yet?
• What are the biggest obstacles to solving the problem?
• What pitfalls should I avoid?
• Who else should I be talking to?
• What am I not asking or not aware of?

 

Interview Summary of Expert:

March 20, 2020, 6pm, Zoom meeting.

My expert interview was with a photography professor at GSU. He helps run 2 different equipment rental spots on campus. He said that while most students like to buy their own cameras/equipment and such for the different art/photography classes they take, the rental spots do see a certain group of 20 or so students always return to rent out equipment they cannot afford. This is the group the rentals help the most.  He noted that the university does a lot to help out students but said the students who do the best during and after college are the ones who did not have their hands held through out their schooling, those who do the work and really put themselves out there on their own. Unfortunately the more shy or meek photographers are less likely to do well after school. Because I was asking him specifically about networking within the photography field, he explained that this is because a lot of the creative industry jobs are based on who you know can do the job you are looking to fill. If you’ve worked with someone before and you know they are great at what they do specifically, you’re more likely to hire them (someone who is already in the industry and who you trust) rather than someone you don’t know (potentially someone new to the industry or not yet in it and you don’t know them or their skills personally). He acknowledged this nepotism and that from the outside looking in, the art scene it feels exclusive, snobbish, and unfair. However, he explained that the industry’s networking is like this solely because it’s just about who you know, what skills someone has, and trust that that person can do the job. We agreed that this is how most other job industries work too, only the creative industries are much more open and flow between each other from project to project and able to hire anyone they see fit for the job, rather than more structured companies and jobs in other industries that limit how you can work with based on positions, who you work with and other aspects.

The main problem that came up during our conversation is just that fact that even with a more clear solution, those who wish to get into any of the creative industries are rewarded by just putting themselves out there in every way they can think of. Repeatedly meeting and working with new people is really the best course of action, and it’s hard to make that easier for people if they won’t get out there and want to do the work for themselves. My expert explained that this is how the industry has become more or less on purpose. An independent artist who puts themselves out there during and after their schooling, someone who does the work without needing to be pushed to do so is exactly the kind of artist people will want to hire. Those who do not put themselves out there and are less independent when doing their work in and outside of school are more likely to not be as great of an asset to a project and usually don’t do the same quality or quantity of work a motivated artist will do for the same price.  I now see my solution to this problem would not solve it entirely but would make it an easier barrier to overcome. My expert said it’s all a balance between helping people get to where they want to and needing them to do the work themselves, however, he noted my problem is still a problem worth solving/helping make easier for those trying to get into such a close knit community.

I ran the solutions I had thought of already by my expert and he gave me some great feedback. Some of the solutions I thought of already existed, some have existed in the past but no longer do, and some just haven’t been done before because there are solutions similar to it that people just settle to use instead of move to something new.   After speaking with my expert, we both agreed that I should narrow my question for a solution even further. From all barriers of entry to photography, to the networking aspect of the industry, and now to which section of the photography to focus on. He gave me the advice of focusing on the editorial and commercial sides of the photography industry. He specifically gave me these areas because of their constant need for assistants, hands-on jobs/learning, and the ease of mentorships and climbing the latter. In this way, networking is just as important as the job you do and as the skills you learn while you’re working.