Q&A with Andy Patrick

MJ: Do you still see that change coming through photography and how?

AP: I see the language of photography as being a major part of that change. But I don't think we need to put the pressure on ourselves that photography's going to change the world. I think it is a language that can provide great transparency and honesty and truth about situations that are going on in the world, that bring about awareness, that lead to change. And that's why I say I think this needs to be a kind of holistic approach.

I gave a talk to the Hewlett Foundation a few months ago; this is a huge organization, I think it was $380 million they distributed last year. They're doing incredible work and their understanding of the language of photography was at a first grade reading level. So that's not a criticism, that's a challenge for us in the industry to improve their reading skills, and get that language up to PHD level or whatever. So they understand that no, [photography] isn't an expense, this is an investment that bears HUGE returns. I gotta tell you, with the photography of Borges and related photographers that CARE has used, I don't know the numbers but I know the results -- they're huge. It's completely re-branded CARE. So that's what I mean by language.

At liveBooks I can look at our support team and I can see, wow that's a big expense, but you know what, I'm going to pull out my iPhone and read you and email I got sitting at lunch about two hours ago, because I can't say it any better, it's beautiful. "Hi Andy, I've been with liveBooks for over a year now. I had a technical issue and changes to my site last week. I just wanted you to know by making one phone call at one o'clock to liveBooks on a Monday I had three phone calls from your company by four o'clock to help solve the issue the same day. Everything was solved brilliantly by three o'clock the following day. Site changes were up and running. Way to go by hiring great talented people." I sent him a response immediately thanking him and saying, you know, like most things in life, liveBooks is not going to be 100 percent 100 percent of the time. But knowing that, if you have great people that you're kind of in it with, whatever the experience might be, it's a better experience. And that investment in support pays off ten-fold, it's what makes liveBooks this nice experience. Likewise, an investment in photography and in photographers pays off ten-fold for organizations. And the really smart organizations have figured that out and are continuing to figure it out.

MJ: You know so many nonprofit organizations and photographers. I wonder if you have any insights into funding routes that photographers are overlooking or funding routes that are changing that may become more important in the future.

AP: A lot of people say, I've sent my stuff there and I don't hear back from them. Well, you have to cultivate a relationship; it goes back to that language I was talking about. Hewlett Foundation gave $380 million last year, so they have tremendous resources, REALLY smart people, really well-traveled people. So there has to be a relationship that's developed. They don't really know how to talk to photographers. They just think, well, could you send us some of your photos? So the really good photographers build a good relationship and they get to a point where they can sit at a table and they can start brainstorming a little bit. This is about how are you and I going to collaborate and create something that's magical? You have to find those people that you can create magic with. And when you do, they don't just hire you by saying those are really great photos, we'll take three of those for our annual report. They hire you on an ongoing basis; they give you projects because they believe.

At National Geographic with the All Roads winners, we bring them in and all the editors from National Geographic and the other magazines come in and start talking. And I remember one of the editors saying to the photographers, you know, when you send me a portfolio, or your website, that is part of it. But ultimately I need to figure out a way that I can trust you with $40,000 to go out with a writer for three weeks, and I'm on deadline and I need to know that you're going to have something. So how do I get to that trust level with you? So you know, is there money in the hills of NGOs and do they have opportunities? Absolutely. But that takes cultivation.

You need to take some risks as a photographer. Not just in your photography but in your approaches to people. I've heard photographers say, that's really great but I don't have those ideas. Ok, then I would suggest that you start to talk to people. Get with people that are writers, people that are journalists, people that are artists. Get with people in the colleges that are doing policy kind of work. Chat 'em up. I heard Salgado, you know he was trained as an economist; he's looking at macroeconomic global statistics. That's how Migrations came about. It's not just that he's got great connections and he's Salgado . . . he's smart as hell. And he really does his homework.

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