We have always been a bit curious what it means to be a photographer for Getty Images is like: what sort of assignments do you take on, the procedure and process that goes into Getty Images photography. We sat down with Thomas Barwick, a Seattle-based photographer and filmmaker who shoots creative stock imagery for Getty Images, to learn a little bit more about what being on assignment for Getty really means.
Juxtapoz: Can you talk a little bit about your background and how your career sort of took off? How did you become a contributor with Getty Images?
Thomas Barwick: In some ways I became a photographer by default. I graduated with an English degree from Syracuse University, but I had spent a fair amount of time in the Communications School taking photography courses. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, so decided to see if there was a way to make a living being a photographer. I told myself as long as there seems to be an upward trajectory in being creatively satisfied and it offered an economically reasonable proposition, I would continue. Not sure if there was ever a “take off” in my career; I see it more as a flightless bird being able to run a little faster by flapping it’s wings. I started with Getty Images in 2002, via an introduction by a friend of a friend. In the early 2000s, I was becoming much more interested in creating imagery than trying to woo clients.
Since you are selling your photos on Getty Images, do you have to think about the end use of your images when planning a shoot? What do you need to consider?
When we produce imagery, there are a number of different factors we consider. I think the foremost question is, do we find it interesting and challenging enough to be creatively fulfilling? I have no interest in simply creating an image because I think it might sell. As photographers, we try to pay attention to current trends and let that inform what we try to shoot, but there are a number of other factors to consider; Is it economically feasible to shoot this project? Do we have some connection to what we are shooting? Is the subject matter interesting, are the models people we want to be around, will the images connect to the viewer and engage them? Are we doing something new, or are we getting a new take on something? I don’t see a lot of reason to repeat what we or others have done, and yes, I do think about the end user, but that is one of the last pieces of the puzzle.
What are some of your memorable and favorite shoots or photos and why? What were some of your more challenging ones and why?
I think my favorite shoots are the ones we’re not sure we can pull off. Sometimes it's because of something technically challenging, like shooting underwater. Sometimes it's because of the size of the shoot. We recently did a football shoot that took almost a year of planning, custom uniforms, 20+ ex-pro or collage athletes, 20+ extras, a crew of 18 and several weeks of retouching.
Traveling also brings its own challenges; shooting on the Bonneville Salt Flats while it was flooded was very cool.
What sort of camera kit do you use?
I’ve used a number of different kits, Phase One and Canon for stills. RED and Panasonic for motion; I’m currently shooting with a Canon 5Ds.
All images Thomas Barwick/Getty Images
