NCEC in the News!
NyghtFalcon: Innovation in the Art of Photography
Researched and written by Michelle Lampley
In 2003, Falcon and The Maru Consortium founded NyghtFalcon Photography. On their web site, NyghtFalcon identifies what makes them a unique firm in the world of photography: “Artistic vision coupled with vibrant colors, intensity of contrast, rich detail and emotional impact make the firm's work easily distinguishable.” NyghtFalcon has seven US locations and one in Basel, Switzerland. The work of NyghtFalcon photographers has appeared in such highly regarded places as The Wall Street Journal and Studio Photography. As senior partner and founder of NyghtFalcon, Falcon makes the final decisions. While he assures that NyghtFalcon does not have the “typical autocratic structure” of a traditional photography business, he is the head of NyghtFalcon’s council of photographers, and he sets their artistic vision.
Falcon explains that even in his early childhood he had a passion for art. “From three or four I only wanted to be an artist, but this was not acceptable.” He went on to spend twenty-two years in what he calls “the prison known as the corporate world.” Then his life changed drastically seven years ago when he decided he “had had enough of making everyone happy,” and he set out with fellow senior partners, JD and Rayn, in embarking on a life grounded in art. While he had “never picked up a camera before six years ago,” Falcon explains how he found photography “immensely important” in understanding himself, and he “resolved not to go back to the corporate world.”
Falcon is also a published poet and holds a PhD in Biblical Theology. It is no surprise that his inspirations include a wide range of well reputed scholars and artists: “Rembrandt is our most driving influence. Intellectually we’re influenced by Dostoyevsky and Heidegger. Eugene Smith and Henri Cartier-Bresson are among the most driving influences behind our photographic style. They were models for us in the beginning.” The photographers of NyghtFalcon studied the works of these influential people and grew a fondness for “the raw emotion one can gain from an image.” Falcon found value in a number of art forms, including literature such as The Odyssey, and carried themes of what it means to be human into his photographic style. “The key to the NyghtFalcon style is that in everything we do we try to understand that which is fundamentally human.”
Senior partner JD explains that during NyghtFalcon’s early development “The first year consisted of a lot of going out in the middle of the night shooting for the fun of it. We were getting into the field. During the second year we started making money.” As the photographers of NyghtFalcon discovered a unique style, they studied the workings of most other photography businesses and agreed there were two things important to avoid: single person firms and overwhelmingly large studio firms. The photographers of NyghtFalcon all share core values of mobility. They decided to never specialize in only one area. They value innovative work ethics by which employees have what Falcon calls a “seat of the pants” attitude and a willingness to “knock on doors.” NyghtFalcon has twelve employees. There are four senior photographers: Falcon, JD, Rayn, and Dakota. “It’s all about the team,” says Falcon. “We have many people, but the same unifying style. It’s very much a democracy.” Employees are compensated in a variety of ways: “If a photographer sells a print, twenty-five percent goes to that photographer.” And portions of the money go to pay for the cost of making the print. The concept of employees having no set salary is important to their firm because “it tells [them] about the person and whether they’re intellectually invested. [NyghtFalcon is] not interested in thousands of people with a camera.”
The photographers of NyghtFalcon refer to the firm as “le maison de NyghtFalcon,” which translates as “the house of NyghtFalcon.” The core model that NyghtFalcon uses for the firm comes from the fashion industry. Falcon explains: “In 1997 Versace was murdered, but products are still Versace. The ‘houses’ of Versace continue to deliver products consistent with his style.” The hope is that NyghtFalcon can continue a tradition of style. “We try to create fans, people who will sell us.” NyghtFalcon shaped their logo and began making logoed apparel. “We’re careful on how we present ourselves.” While working, NyghtFalcon photographers wear their apparel. “Our idea was to build the brand, and now the brand is paying off. . . . A photo on DeviantArt of a model in NyghtFalcon shirt made people go crazy. People in Paris recognized the logo.” Now they’ve succeeded in becoming a globally recognized brand. Half of their website guests are from outside of America: “Most are from China, then India and Pakistan. Branding is extremely important. It’s not a photograph, it’s a NyghtFalcon.” Their stylized focus is not only in making distinct photos, however, but in their work ethic and understanding that “Nyghtfalcon is first. . . . . When recruiting a photographer we are aware of their perspective on life, they need backpack by the door.” On the sleeves of “Senior Photographers” are the letters “SP,” which have been teased as representing “Severe Punishment.”
NyghtFalcon photographers at times take on the role of designers. “We have knowledge of Photoshop, but depending on the project sometimes send our work to a graphic artist.” NyghtFalcon uses a ten point scale to determine the relative value of a work and therefore how much time and money they are willing to spend making it. “Most photos have immense value, but after it’s in the paper the value is gone.” A photo that is a ten on their scale “has value over time. We will spend six or seven hours of work for a photo, but will spend more for a ten.” NyghtFalcon photographers use DXO Labs Optics Pro for film processing along with FilmPack. They use Nik software, and OnOne Phototools. They also use OnOne Genuine Fractals to resize images: “Genuine Fractals is good because it uses high end algorithms.” And they use Imagenomic to “clean up” portraits: “This picks up skin tones and fixes skin without losing detail.” NyghtFalcon is as much about technology and engineering as it is the industry of art. Eighty percent of their work is for immediate profit while twenty percent consists of fine art projects. “Our yield-rate is better than ninety-five percent in all areas.” This means that even in a hectic event such as a wedding ninety-five percent of their photos are not just acceptable but up to the high standards of a quality NyghtFalcon photo: “Most of what we’re doing is intensely intellectual. As soon as we get out of the car our job is to figure out where the sun is, what day it is, and where the sun will be . . . . A wedding is a dance. Most humans have eight to twelve facial expressions, and in ten minutes you can see them all and start to expect them.” Training employees to have the kind of intuition needed to “dance” in this way normally takes about three years. In NyghtFalcon it takes three years before someone can become a senior photographer and two more before he or she can become a partner.
While NyghtFalcon has obtained a great amount of success, the photographers admit that “The field is dwindling. It takes a lot to survive right now.” NyghtFalcon photographers have no offices or land lines.“Everything is virtual. It makes us more competitive to be adaptable.” They acknowledge a lot of error in traditional professional photography; “The sheer overhead of space is wasted by most people on work that is too specialized.” Many big photography businesses are not thriving because of what Falcon identifies as their “immense hierarchy.” Falcon has acknowledged since the inception of NyghtFalcon that in order for the firm to succeed, “We have to do everything.” For this reason, NyghtFalcon shoots everything from fine art to weddings to architecture.
The difference between professionals and “guys with cameras” began to diminish with digital photography. “The web devalues anything, lessens the difference between quality photographers and those that are not as good,” Falcon concludes. “These are the challenges we face every day.” Falcon claims, however, “There really is a difference and we prove it. What people fail to understand is that photography is not objective, the choice of film and way it’s used is both subjective and interpretive.” NyghtFalcon backs the importance of their work with their technical and artistic abilities: “In saving an image to a camera card as a jpeg file as much as eighty percent of the camera sight is lost. We spend eight thousand dollars on the camera body, and twenty-five hundred on a lens, rather than buying cheaper products. The other aspect of that is we continue to find ways to leverage the technology that ruins other professionals.”
Balancing art and commercial work has been a challenge for NyghtFalcon. One of their first shoots was for a restaurant. According to Falcon, the owner asked, “Can’t you hold that camera straight and square?” Falcon explained his artistic interpretation and the man replied, “You’re one of best photographers I’ve ever known, but can’t you?” Falcon began to understand the importance of providing what the client wants. “It’s sometimes difficult to understand why a bride will only spend five hundred dollars on a photographer and two thousand on a dress, when the dress ends up in the closet.” In order to sell their product, NyghtFalcon photographers had to learn how to articulate their value. “We save our photos in the camera in a format called RAW. This is the native format for the camera, and it contains all the data that the camera was able to capture. Working RAW images takes more time and skill. If you can’t explain why this yields a good photograph, you lose business. We’ve developed a unique selling position, ‘See the world again for the first time.’”
With this new position on photography, NyghtFalcon accepts that “sometimes what you do today won’t bring fruit in a year.” They are always looking ahead to anticipate changes in the market. Change is an important concept to NyghtFalcon It applies to the theme of humanity they identify in their photos: “If you stop changing, you stop being human. Within photography, which will outlast us all, we’ll continue to evolve.” This ability to adapt to the changing market of photography has given NyghtFalcon photographers the gift of moving along with the subjects they’re photographing and capturing the emotion of the moment: “Every moment is unique, it comes only once and you can never go back. Give people your trust. Be there without having anyone know you’re there. One of the reasons our work is different is because we’re not there. Most photographers are too intrusive, we just want to watch.” A NyghtFalcon photo that illustrates this ability in their photographers is a shot of a couple in New York actually in the middle of ending a relationship. The real emotions that the couple experienced are captured and strikingly conveyed in the NyghtFalcon photo.
JD cites his beginning work in photography as pivotal to how he interprets it as a business now: “In working with the Rhino Times and Spotlight magazine I learned to be flexible.” Now JD and Falcon have moved past working for the Rhino Times, but they sometimes help it out and in return the Rhino Times runs their ad free of charge. JD does, however, recommend doing nonprofit work in early stages when gaining experience is key: “In the mode of experience nonprofit is viable. If I get one person who recognizes me it pays for itself.” In beginning their work, a heavy emphasis was placed on visibility: “You don’t learn until you’re out there. You have leeway to mess up in free jobs. With the right clients we still do this type of work because we have formed relationships with them, and know they will open us up to new clients.” For instance, without any initial pay JD organized a bridal fair in which NyghtFalcon wedding photos were displayed along with bridal gowns and other wedding necessities from the “best of the best in wedding vendors.” During this fair JD was able to book NyghtFalcon as the photographers for more weddings than they’d ever been able to book at one time in the past. In addition to this, JD created the fair to also act as a charitable fundraiser earning around seventeen hundred dollars for breast cancer. JD organized the event by opening up the idea to the gallery owner where it took place, talking with wedding vendors he’d met at another bridal event and calling Brides Against Breast Cancer to collaborate.
Falcon identifies five things that are essential to anyone attempting a career in photography: “First, study the people who have been successful, learn from their mistakes and successes. Second, all the talent in the world without discipline and perseverance is useless. Third, see the business you want to be, and find out as much about them as possible. Fourth, don’t reinvent the wheel. And lastly, if you don’t bleed, don’t do it.” NyghtFalcon’s long-term goal of being recognized as one of the top hundred photography firms within six years was met, and their new goal is to be within the top ten firms in five years. The firm’s photographers have been asked to shoot in various intoxicatingly beautiful areas and have been in many different countries. Although they would love to explore the scenery for themselves, they understand that “Unfortunately you can’t walk away from the job. Neither of us [JD and Falcon] is at the point where we can walk away. We’re trying to make sure chaos doesn’t happen when we leave.” NyghtFalcon is beginning what they call “Photo Safaris” in which they take people out into the field of photography. This is surely an opportunity for enlightenment to anyone hoping to enter the art of photography. As JD describes the depth of NyghtFalcon photos: “We have a story behind all of our signature images. When I go back and look at them I can feel what I felt then.”