Montréal-based photographer Cody Caissie has an experience of over 8 years with commercial photography. His works include portraits, still life, marketing imagery and more. Cody is dedicated to taking both his artistic side as well as his business man side with the same seriousness. His works have made him to be considered as one of Montréal’s most promising product and luxury item photographers.
Originally published in the first issue of InCompany by Attire Club, here’s our Q&A with Cody:
AC: Who is your main role model when it comes to photography and creativity?
In general I look up to a St. Louis photographer named Salvatore Cincotta who consequently doesn’t even specialize in the kind of photography I do but his courses on CreativeLive changed my business from being non-profitable to profitable, which in turn has made him my role model for photography and creativity.
AC: How do you interact with your subjects?
How I interact with my subjects is on a casual basis. Whether I am photographing a $50,000 Hermes handbag (no pressure) or a highly confident model, I like to keep the studio and the atmosphere relaxed. I make it a point to follow up with everyone on set and make sure they feel the shoot is going the way they want. I get the feedback all the time saying “That went easier than I expected it too.”
AC: In what way does the medium in which you publish an image change the way you do it?
My medium is 9 times out of 10 for the web which means I don’t get to use large format cameras and powerful lights. How this changes the way my published image and how I do it is again keeping the process simple and affordable for my clients.
AC: What is one of the biggest lessons when it comes to photography you have learned?
One of the biggest lessons I have learned when it comes to photography is truly understanding that if I want to be a full time independent photographer, I need to be a businessman and entrepreneur at the same time. The industry changes so fast and clients are slowly being conformed to the idea that photography can be free or cheap due to a lot of factors a.k.a. everyone and their dog has a camera these days. I’ve learned how to combat the clients’ mentality of free and cheap while educating them on the process.
AC: How do you balance the artistic – commercial aspects of photography?
How I balance the artistic to the commercial aspects of photography is simple, I am myself. Looping back to what I mentioned in my last answer, “I’ve learned how to combat the clients’ mentality of free and cheap while educating them on the process.” Simply put, my clients don’t come to me because I am the cheapest photographer in town (because I am not). They come to me because they like my work and will pay my rates because I take away their fear away which is “will I be wasting money if I use his service?”
AC: What is the key element you need to have to create a good photograph?
The key element to creating a good photograph in my opinion is light. I know that sounds simple but I’ve work with too many new photographers and seasoned photographers to notice the key difference, which is their skill in lighting a subject. You could have the biggest diamond or a beautiful model in front of you but that doesn’t matter if you don’t light them correctly. The resulting image will look weak and unprofessional. That ties into what our medium is as photographers. If painters use pigment for their medium, then photographers use light for theirs and that means we need to become masters of it.
To discover more of Cody’s work or to make an appointment with him, go to codycaissie.com
P.S. We want to hear from you ! What do you think of Cody’s work ? What do you think makes a good picuture ? Share your feedback, questions or thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!