Reflecting On a Recent Assignment

The garbage lady was ringing her bell as she pushed her cart down my small neighborhood ally. I was packing my belongings and preparing to move into a new house the following day when my phone rang. It was a familiar number, a writer from The New York Times that I often work with.
He was in the country covering a recent typhoon that swept through the Philippines then hit Vietnam. The damage in Vietnam wasn’t as devastating so I wasn’t assigned to cover the story. The writer however decided to stay an extra week and do some stories.
He asked if I could get on a plane that night or the following the morning to Ho Chi Minh City. I love working with this particular writer and didn’t want to miss the opportunity so I called on some favors to have my stuff moved while I was away.
The next morning I was on a plane leaving Hanoi and headed to HCMC. He picked me up at the airport with his assigned government minder from the ministry of Foreign Affairs and I was briefed on our stories.
We were headed straight to an orphanage for children who are HIV positive. Our story was about an incident a month prior when these 15 HIV positive children started attending a public school. The first day they showed up the parents of the other children pulled their kids from the school.
I didn’t really have time to process the story as I read the brief on the 30-minute ride from the airport. We had plans for another story later that afternoon so I only had a small window to get enough pictures for print and for an online slideshow.
I’m a goofy person and it’s my nature to be silly around children, but I needed natural shots so I had to restrain myself and try to bore them enough so they would forget about the tall bearded white man.
I floated around the orphanage and did my best to capture a small part of their everyday lives in the few hours I had. Halfway through the shoot I felt really sad when I thought about how it must have felt for them to be turned away from school. They were probably so excited about their first day at a public school.
No child should feel like an outcast like that and it just saddened me. I sort of felt bad thinking that me being there photographing them would just be a reminder to them of their experience at school.
I tried to be silly and goofy with them after that and I just shot what I saw and we all had fun. We left after a few hours and my focus switched to our next story on golf course leases.
I’m not sure what to make of things but I must say I felt kind of strange looking through my edit a few days later before filing. I couldn’t help be afraid that I approached both stories the same way, looking for nice light, moments, and composition in the environment I was presented with and at moments losing a bit of my humanity.
For my long term projects I’m very attached and I’m really there mentally when I shoot. I guess it scares me that when I’m only given a short time for a serious story that I can turn off that attachment if only for a little bit.

HIV Chidlren Not Allowed Into School-For The New York Times

I've been working more than ever and not posting as much as I'd like to. I'm also working on a new blog for my commercial photography so I've been busy doing that. Here is a story I shot last week for the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/10/14/world/20091014ORPHANS_index.html

Thanks for looking,
Justin

Our Collective is finally live!!!!

We started this process months ago and now we are finally live with our collective.
Introducing Razon
http://www.razoncollective.com/
Jared Moossy
Sarah Elliott
Brian L Frank
Justin Maxon
Justin Mott

It's a pleasure and an honor to be associated with these dear friends and amazing photographers.

Join us on facebook and feel free to leave comments.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=130225118449&ref=ts#/group.php?gid=130225118449&ref=ts

The Italians Like My Work?

An Italian web journal about art culture and photography took an interest in my NGO work and traveling exhibition in Italy. I don't understand Italian but I hope they had some good things to say. Hopefully my Italian friend can translate for me.

I can't say enough about how much of a true pleasure it was working with Barbara and her colleagues from the Italian NGO GTV Trento. I was inspired by her passion for her work and the projects GTV have created. I sat down with Barbara and she thoroughly explained their water project in a small village a few hours from Hanoi. It was a special and rare experience for her to give me full creative freedom in documenting their project. This happened by her not only trusting my ability to tell a story but also her trusting me to be graceful working within the community that she has built a strong relationship. This is so important for photographers to respect that trust and understand the privilege we are often give to document lives.
Thank you Barbara for trusting me, I hope I did your project justice. I'm so happy they have turned this into a traveling exhibition.

http://www.giornalesentire.it/2009/agosto/1228/justinmottraccontailvietnam.html

Mott Visuals Grows and Goes to Africa

I've been shooting commercial photography at some level since I started my journey with a camera at San Francisco State in 2003(I think that was the year). My commercial work has always come second to my work in photojournalism. It was only this year that I decided to get my commercial business organized and I launched Mott Visuals.

I was sitting in my house in Hanoi with my laptop lit up and sort of sulking because I wasn't deeply involved in a project like I love to be. My friend Cam popped up on Skype and we began to chat. I needed someone to spark me and Cam was the perfect person. She's a wonderful human being and great listener. I always enjoy our chats. I miss the days of working as a team and as a freelancer you are always on your own. No one is really there to share the triumphs and pitfalls of your work. Of course you can always share with friends and family but there is something special about sharing with someone who is actual involved with the work.

Cam joined the Mott Visuals team and is our sales representative in Singapore; she is also my informal consultant on many aspects of the business. It's great to have someone to get excited about assignments and the whole process that goes into them; I'm truly lucky to have her.

Since our launch business has been truly amazing both locally and worldwide. From a referral we landed a great client in Tanzania and I spent most of July there shooting. I've been back in Hanoi 2 weeks and our work in Tanzania landed us another gig back in Thailand. I feel we have a great product and I'm proud of our little business.

I have a new office in Hanoi and I'm about to embark on another joint venture with my talented friend and photographer Tung whom I share an office/studio with. More about my venture with Tung soon.
Thank you for reading my blog and it feels good to be writing again if anyone is listening.

Working With a Great Writer

I've worked with New York Times staff writer Seth Mydans quite a few times over the past year and a half and each time it's an honor. Seth is based out of Bangkok and covers SE Asia for the Times. He is a veteran writer with decades of experience yet he still approaches each story with a childlike curiosity. His energy is infectious and wherever we end up working Seth is full of story ideas and even listens to my inferior attempts to contribute with a polite enthusiasm. Seth's father was a quite a famous photographer for LIFE Magazine and he is always thinking about visuals for me. He is a true professional and genuine inspiration, thank you Seth.

Here is our most recent story about counterfeit art in Vietnam.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/01/arts/design/01copies.html?scp=1&sq=Vietnam%20art%20justin%20mott&st=cse

A Stranger in Singapore

About a month ago I shot a wedding in Singapore for a lovely couple, Felicia and Rob. It's always odd and interesting doing destination weddings. I've typically talked to the couple beforehand on the phone but I'm usually meeting them for the first time the day of or the day before their wedding. It's kind of strange when you think about it. One of the most important days of their life and a complete stranger is shadowing them for all the intimate moments from start to finish. I'm there in the brides hotel room while she gets ready and then hanging out with the groom and his best friends while they wait for their cue.

I always have to feel out the level of interaction each couple is comfortable with and I adapt accordingly. While all couples are different, it always seems to work out. Rob and Felicia were extremely easy to work with and very accommodating. In fact Rob is a photographer as well and was actually a ham for the camera. It was a pleasure to meet another lovely couple and to be a part of their special day!!!

Proactively Marketing Your Archive

Sales of your archive images here and there add up at the end of the year and I don't know too many photographers who don't need a few extra dollars. Whether you are represented by an agency or not it helps to be proactive in keeping up with current events and marketing your archive accordingly.
The photo industry is hurting which means less people in the newsroom or your agency to keep tabs on your stock so it helps for you to keep tabs for them. I've also noticed a big switch this year with more image requests than ever and less traveling assignments. Lets hope this trend doesn't last, but while it going on it can't hurt to be prepared.

When I worked with WpN (before their assignment division went under) I use to give them a heads up if I had images in their archive or sitting on my hard drive that went along with a current event. They typically featured it on their front page after my email. Now I'm working with Redux Pictures and the same model applies. I'm not a pest emailing them for every little story but I do keep mental tabs on my archive and the news and it pays off. I'm not saying your agency isn't trying to push your work but they have a whole roster of photographers with thousands of images to sort through, so a little communication can't hurt.

The attached image was published pretty big in Newsweek after the swine flu story broke. I took that photo in Hanoi years ago and all it took was a quick email to Redux. A few hundred dollars per image adds up to extra cash at the end of the year. Also, never underestimate exposure and keeping your name fresh and synonymous with region you are based out of.
I hope you found this helpful and good luck selling your archive.
Justin Mott

Working in Africa :)

I'll be in Kenya and Tanzania from July 10th until July 26th, please reach me by email if you need me.
Justin