199: Celebrity Photographer and Film Director Jeff Vespa Discusses Being Proactive and Making Every Gig a Success

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Start your 14 Day FREE trial of PhotoShelter, plus 20% off a Standard or Pro Account for a year

PhotoShelter gives people and organizations easy ways to manage their photos  – from delivering, storing, selling, sharing – all from one place. Their platform offers simple and smart ways to share, store, deliver and sell your highest quality work. They handle the biggest files and solve some of the biggest business challenges for professional photographers.

Get social! Follow PhotoShelter online:

Experienced celebrity photographer and film director Jeff Vespa joins us in today’s info-packed interview!

Jeff Vespa is a celebrity photographer and film director living in Los Angeles. He is one of the co-founders of the photo agency WireImage. His photography has been featured in numerous publications, including Vanity Fair, The New York Times, and Vogue. He was previously the Editor-at-Large for LIFE Magazine’s LIFE.com and the West Coast Special Projects Editor of Los Angeles Confidential Magazine.

In 2018, Vespa directed his first feature film, Paris Song, starring Abbie Cornish. He also directed the short film Nosebleed, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival. He also produced the documentary $ellebrity, which focuses on the history of publicity, gossip and paparazzi in Hollywood.

In this interview, we tackle the following topics:

  • How Jeff got his start in film and photography
  • What Jeff struggled with as he got his business up and running, and how he overcame these struggles
  • The importance of being true to yourself in business
  • Why Jeff treats people the way he wants to be treated
  • His philosophy when it comes to covering events
  • The importance of being proactive, and why making excuses serves no purpose
  • Why you should be mindful of the story you’re trying to tell with your photography
  • Why you have to take responsibility when things go wrong
  • The role PhotoShelter plays in Jeff’s business
  • Practical tips for wedding photographers
  • The difference between being a “freelancer” and being a “professional”
  • The most effective techniques he uses for getting clients

Check out Jeff’s work on his portfolio site

On March 30, 2019   /   Interviews, Photography Business, photoshelter, Podcast Episodes