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From Art Buyer to Photographer: Moya McAllister

Tuesday August 9th, 2011

New York-based photographer Moya McAllister has a somewhat unique perspective on the photo industry. Before striking on her own as a travel and food shooter, Moya spent 15 years working at various ad agencies and publications as a photo editor, art buyer and photo director. I recently caught up with Moya to chat about her experiences as an art buyer/photo editor and her transition over to the photographer side of the fence. This will be the first in a series of interviews of clients turned photographers. Enjoy!

- Jess Dudley

Can you give us a brief background on yourself?

My parents emigrated to the US from Ireland in the late 1950’s with three small children already in tow. I was born in Brooklyn—I’m the middle girl but the sixth child from a final total of eight kids. So I’m a first-generation American, raised with a very strong work ethic. We moved to a suburban area in Nassau County on Long Island when I was little. The most interesting thing about my childhood, I think, is how much we traveled as a family. Even with so many kids, my father and mother would pack us all up early for fishing, picnicking, camping & hiking trips; whether it was for a day, a week or longer. We took a month-long road trip to Montana when I was seven or eight, driving and camping through Amish country, the Badlands and on through the Rockies. We camped on a horse ranch along the Yellowstone River so my father could catch rainbow trout. I will never forget it. My parents loved this country. They wanted to see as much of it as possible; I think this is where my love of travel comes from. I’m happy to pick up and go whenever, wherever!

What sparked your interest in photography and how long have you been shooting?

From the time I was very young, I remember drawing, painting, and writing almost constantly. My first camera was a Kodak Instamatic 110 when I was perhaps twelve. I spent most of my babysitting money developing pictures of my dog, my friends, the sky. Fortunately, the public high school I attended had a large art department and I was able to take studio arts for all four years.

In my first year of college, I pursued a BA in Fine Art. During that year, I really discovered photography—I fell in love with taking pictures and being in the darkroom, watching images appear as if by magic in the developing tray. After that, I knew I wanted to pursue photography professionally; I was accepted as a transfer student to the School of Visual Arts, BFA Photography program with my black and white portfolio from the previous Fine Art class. I graduated SVA with the intention of being a magazine and newspaper photographer.

How did you become a photo editor?

Becoming a photo editor seemed to be the best option open to me, especially after a few lean years of assisting and trying to get freelance assignments to happen on a regular basis. At the time, the economic situation was somewhat similar as it is now and young photographers were having a hard time getting work. The attraction of the job as a photo editor would allow me to use the some of the skills I learned at SVA (how to look at and speak about photography) and still pay my bills. Since then, my career as a photo editor and art buyer has spanned many different kinds of photographic production and licensing—from news and magazine publications, television and cable broadcast, documentaries, fine art, books, PR, marketing and advertising. I’m not sure if there’s some type I haven’t done. I always knew I would go back to shooting full-time; I just didn’t know when that would be, exactly. So I never stopped shooting for myself, to keep my eye sharp and to keep learning—I have a whole body of work on film (still to be edited, of course) from those years. Someday, I’ll know what to do with it.

Do you think most art buyers are capable of crossing over into photo editing? I would think the photo editing would require a slightly different skill set.

Sure, why not? I think you’re right, there is a slightly different skill set for those job functions but they are very similar. An art buyer or art producer is usually a separate function from creative, they fulfill creative vision through direction and their emphasis is usually on procurement of talent and licensing the best deals for the client. They are not limited to photography, either. They need to know illustrators, CGI, flash animators, storyboard artists, all kinds of visual arts.

The photo director/editor role, on the other hand, may be more story-driven and more photography-heavy. Illustration buying may take up a much smaller portion of their time. They will most often be a creative collaborator with the editorial and art staff at the publication. Journalistic integrity is also needed to fulfill the role of a photo editor. They understand the story and accurately report captions, names, and information about the images. This is not usually as needed in an advertising model.

What part of your job as a photo editor did you like the most?

My favorite part of the job was talking with and directing photographers, either verbally or on-site. It was my job to be a conduit for the creative direction and the goal of the shoot, whether it was a magazine story or a web campaign or an annual report. I loved being on-location, collaborating with image makers and on-site producing amd problem-solving to make the best pictures happen.

What did you like the least?

Long meetings, paperwork, that kind of stuff. But I enjoyed being a photo director. it’s the next best thing to being a photographer, definitely.

What was the catalyst that started your transition from art buyer/photo director to photographer?

It was something I had always planned on, so I can’t say there was a specific catalyst, just slowly working toward that goal every year as I could.

Did you shoot while on staff as a photo director?

Yes, I had been shooting stories and campaigns for different clients the last three or four years while on staff. It wasn’t the main part of my job, but I really enjoyed shooting whatever was needed, from employee portraits to product shots to travel stories. Especially the travel stories! I felt enormously happy to be able to do both for a time. It slowly dawned on me that I could have a second career by going back to my first career, so to speak. When I graduated from art school, I didn’t understand how a photographer gets hired. But now, I think I have a pretty good idea of how it works.

What’s been the most difficult part about establishing yourself as a freelance photographer?

I think establishing a professional history and legitimacy is very important, and that takes time. Photo editors, art buyers and art directors need to trust that the photographer can deliver, which I understand first hand. I’ve been a freelance photographer full-time for about six months with a business plan that should take me through the next two years. I have started to build up a client base and know that my current clients will hire me again plus also refer me. After the meetings, and the portfolio reviews, and the e-mails, the most difficult thing for me right now is waiting for the phone to ring.

Have you learned anything as a photographer that you would have liked to have known as an AB/PE?

Putting together estimates is not easy! I often worked with photographers who had an experienced rep—those estimates can be put together pretty quickly because they have all that info already at hand. A photographer on his/her own has to check and recheck a lot of numbers to ensure they can accomplish the shoot within budget and still make a living.

As a former art buyer, what advice would you offer other photographers?

There are a lot of talented photographers out there. Often buyers are faced with very similar choices, with very similar fees. So what’s the difference between the one that gets hired and the one that doesn’t? It often comes down to this: who does your client want to work with? A pleasant, easy-going, collaborative photographer that makes them look good? Or a demanding, complaining or (even worse) disorganized photographer?

As a photographer, what one piece of advice would you offer art buyers working with photographers?

Try to give photographers as much background information as possible and as much freedom within the direction to interpret that information visually. Creating a great photograph with impact and meaning requires an understanding of the objective and the story behind the image.