How I Work,
and who, what, where, when, why, and how you may fit into all this.
WHO AM I: My name is Ophir Palmon, and I am a fine art photographer. My passion is photographing people in their element, using their emotions and personalities as ingredients in creating the photograph. I have been working on my craft since 1990.
WHAT I DO: I photograph individuals, groups, and families as they go through their life experiences. These stories range from an ordinary day to a special celebration. I minimize my influence on the moments unfolding in front of me to maintain the scene as natural and authentic as possible. My goal is to create a visual testimony of the experience, free of pretense and artificiality, and maintain the individuals in their element, their time, and their spirit. The finished images allow my clients to relive those scenes emotionally and spiritually. Samples from such projects may be found under Life Cycle and Portraiture on my website’s top menu.
WHAT ELSE I DO: I develop and produce projects for the public interest. They range from abstract work to history and education. Samples from these projects may be found under Projects on my website’s top menu.
HOW A PROJECT IS DEVELOPED: I meet with potential collaborators to learn about their plans and expectations to understand mutual expectations and the creative process. We discuss the prospect of the project and devise a tentative work plan. I explain how I would artistically approach the project, and estimate a budget for the project. Once we decide to collaborate on the project, we sign a photography commission agreement. In pre-production, we discuss and review the project in detail, including who, when, and what to concentrate on, times and locations for the different legs of the project, and other relevant details to the story. This process continues until the project’s start time.
PRODUCTS: The primary product is digital images, which are released to the client with full copyrights. Framed prints and books are optional, and are available separately. Many are happy with digital files, while others prefer a physical product they can hold and cherish.
Note to past clients: If you are interested in purchasing the originals from your project (negatives/digital media), please contact me for details about this option.
My commissioned work is priced based on the project’s time, size, and scope. The fee includes all pre- and post-production time, actual photography time, and the release of digital images to the client. I can provide a cost estimate for a project once I have a reasonable grasp of its scale. The agreed-upon price is entered into the photography commission agreement and is due before the start of the project to effectuate it.
LOCATION: I follow the story and its subjects wherever they may be. Travel requirements, if applicable, are discussed and agreed upon beforehand. Over the years, my projects have taken place at numerous locations around the world. If your project takes place at multiple locations, note that having one principal photographer for it will give the entire project a consistent voice and solid look.
PAYMENTS: The project fee is due when signing the photography commission agreement. These funds act to secure the dates of the project for the client and as credit for later billing. As such these funds are non-refundable. If a final purchase amount exceeds the available credit on the client’s account, the difference will be due at the time of placing the order.
I accept checks and PayPal payments. Credit card transactions are available through PayPal. You must be an established client with Artistic Visions to make a PayPal payment.
HANDLING MY WORK: I customize each project to the specific vision, needs, and wishes of the client. I do not release images from a project to outside parties (i.e. image banks, other unrelated individuals, or companies). You may share my work with others at your discretion, and hopefully recommend me to them (I always appreciate a personal reference). I update my website periodically with images from recent works but only do so with the expressed approval of the client. The same rule applies to my projects (see Fine Art/Projects on my website’s top menu).
ACCEPTING PROJECTS: Artistic Visions is a privately-owned studio, and I perform all the photographic work myself. I do not employ other photographers or assistants, and always do the work I took upon myself to do personally. My clients choose me for the quality of my work, my passion for art, my unique creative vision, and my reputation. If I find that I cannot complete a proposed project to the standards which I hold myself to and am known for, or if a project contradicts my convictions or artistic taste, I will politely turn down the request.
MY REPUTATION: I have over thirty years of experience as a photographer and artist, with many life story projects and a dozen gallery exhibits to my record. In case you wish to check out recommendations, I will be happy to refer you to individuals I have worked with in the past, who could share their experiences and opinion of me with you.
CONGRATULATIONS! You have read this long article to the end, and I thank you for your interest and patience. If you have a question on these or other issues, please contact me, and I will be happy to answer.
Rev. 2-22-2021