I’ve been meaning to write on this blog for like…a year. But it always escapes me. However, now that we’re all in the house and practicing social distancing, and I thought it’d be the perfect time to recap some things from 2019, and develop some fresh content for you guys. I get a lot of questions about how to work with brands and festivals as a photographer, so here’s a little stream of consciousness about how I was hired by Netflix and Essence Magazine to work with both brands during Essence Festival last Summer.
So, last June (2019), I realized that Essence Music Festival was quickly approaching. And as a black creative in New Orleans, the fact that I had no gigs lined up wasn’t sitting well with me. Essence Music Festival, for those who don’t know, is one of the biggest celebrations of black culture and black excellence in the world. Hundreds of thousands of people come to New Orleans each Fourth of July weekend to take part in the many difference facets of the festival. The music concerts at the Super Dome. The brand activations and wellness retreats all over town. The speaking sessions from Presidential candidates and A-list celebrities at the Convention Center. It’s a massive event.
So with a few weeks left before 2019’s week-long festival, I was super anxious to figure out a way to get involved.
I knew of one person who had previously worked on Essence’s photo team, so I reached out to her with little expectations. She replied to me, and told me she wasn’t working with the Magazine this year. BUMMER. But, she tells me she’ll put a good word in with a current photo editor. THANK GOD.
So, I had a shot. A slim shot, but a shot. A few days went by, and I decided to do some research. Who was working on the Essence photo team this year? Boom – I found the photo director. After following them on Instagram, I decided to DM them, offering my photography services to shoot the music portion of the festival. Again, little expectations. I heard back surprisingly, but was told that they had already selected their music team for the festival. UGH. I thanked them for the response, and let them know that they could reach out to me if anything changed.
Damn, so what next? I didn’t really know where else to turn. I wanted to work with Essence Magazine, but if that wasn’t going to be an option, I needed to think of something else. And fast.
One day, I got an idea after scrolling Twitter. I follow Netflix’s @StrongBlackLead account (Netflix’s digital platform dedicated to black content and black creators). On top of following the account, I follow the account’s lead editor. A light bulb goes off in my head: I’ll DM her and see if Strong Black Lead is doing any brand activations in New Orleans during Essence Fest.
I had no clue if they were coming, but I knew that it would make sense for them to be here. Again, little expectations for a response, but low and behold I got one. And crazy enough, Netflix had JUST decided to do a 2-day shoot during Essence Festival and needed a local photographer to be on set for 2 days.
Two weeks before the biggest event of the year in New Orleans, I secured a gig with NETFLIX. Like, if that ain’t God looking out, I don’t know what it is. 🙌
At this point, I’m beyond content and excited to work with one of the biggest companies in the world. A few days go by, and I get an email from Essence Magazine. A photo editor reaches out and says that things changed, and they need another photographer to work with Greg Noire to capture all music performances for editorial coverage.
One, hell yes! But two, the team was going to be me, and Greg Noire. If you don’t know, Greg (in my opinion) is one of the greatest music photographers doing it right now. He’s ridiculously talented. So reading that email had me extra extra hype.
I never really called myself a photographer before that week. I was super comfortable with my camera, but never felt validated enough to call myself a photographer. But, that week gave me so much validation.
Here’s what my daily schedule was like during the festival:
I would be on set with Netflix all day (8am-4pm), take a quick nap in my car (it’s July in New Orleans…imagine…I had A/C blasting on high 😂), walk to the Mercedes-Benz Super Dome and shoot live music performances from 6-10pm, walk back to the Netflix venue to work with them until about midnight…and then shoot for about 2 more hours at Essence’s “After Dark” parties. I would get home at like 3am, eat Taco Bell and edit photos to be ready for Essence.com in the morning…fall asleep around 5am…and be back on set with Netflix by 8 or 9. Three days of this. When I tell y’all I slept GOOD once the festival was over…😂.
It was all so worth it though. So, so worth it. I got to meet and take portraits of comedy legends like Marlon Wayans and Mike Epps. I got to photograph Pharrell, Nas, Normani and more. I got to talk to Jojo and Luke James backstage before they performed with PJ Morton. Incredible times.
A lot of people ask me how they can work with festivals and big companies. Don’t be afraid to reach out to those in charge and offer your services. Do your research. Figure out who you need to be talking to. Send them a link to a relevant portfolio. And be professional.
For both of these jobs, I initially reached out via Instagram DM. Not ideal at all, but I didn’t know appropriate email addresses, so I took a chance. But I did so professionally. If you’re going to DM someone for professional purposes, do so in the same manner that you would if you were sending an email. Use punctuation and proper grammar. Ask for an appropriate email address to further the conversation in a more formal manner. Show them that you’re somebody they would want to hire and work with.
Had I not taken it upon myself to reach out to both Netflix and Essence, I wouldn’t have worked with either company. If you feel like you’re ready, it’s okay to take it upon yourself to pitch yourself. I’ve seen people in recent months talk about how you shouldn’t “shoot your shot” and that you should let your work speak for itself. That’s cool and all – I definitely agree with not being arrogant and cocky about your work. But if you don’t shoot your shot, you’re not scoring any points and you’re blocking your own blessings. The worst anyone can tell you is no. And once you accept that, you’re set.
Below are some of the photos from that epic week.
