Brian Ach Photography, Inc.
About
About Brian
Brian Ach tells moving stories
with still pictures.
Blurring the lines between editorial and commercial photography,
Brian possesses a unique skillset enabling him to excel at both.
A portrait photographer at heart, his easy-going manner, generous personality and skill at connecting with subjects allows him to create the photographs that make him in demand by musicians, celebrities, PR firms and magazine photo editors from NY to Paris.
From traveling with Prince on his European tour to documenting James Gandolfini's family vacations, Brian's low-key presence allows him to dissolve into the story, to be on the inside looking out.
His work has been seen in People, Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek, TIME, NY Magazine, GQ, US Weekly, InStyle, Rolling Stone, The NY Times, Bon Appetit, Travel and Leisure, and many others.
Brian is based in NYC, but in 30 minutes can be on a plane headed to Egypt.
Brian teaches both privately and in group environments. Subjects include portraiture, event photography, and travel. His teachings are geared toward the advanced amatuer, a good working knowledge of your SLR is important in order to excel in the class environment.
www.BrianAch.com
Highlights
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Everything starts with a portfolio review of your top 30 images. This gives me some insight into your work and what you feel are your strengths and areas you need to work on. From there, you tell me what you would like to improve, and I create a custom ciriculum, based around assignment work and hands-on instruction designed to move you past issues that inhibit your growth as a photographer.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have been a working professional photographer for over 15 years in NYC, working with Wireimage, Getty Images, and Associated Press. I have photographed four Presidents, was on tour with Prince, made portraits of many major celebrities, and worked with the largest corporate clients. I have a BFA and MFA, but more importantly, I know what really works in terms of work practices and tricks of the trade.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Everything is custom priced based on the lesson plan we come up with.
A standard 2hr lesson is $150.
A remote portfolio review is $150 and includes in-depth critique and re-sequencing of your best work. This is best if you are working on a new website and need help in figuring out what work to post.
Lessons are based around instructions and assignments, which are then reviewed during the next lesson for progress.
How did you get started teaching?
My mom was a teacher, and it is just something I have loved doing since I was younger. I believe in paying it forward.
What types of students have you worked with?
Everyone from established professionals who want to shore up a part of their game to teaching James Gandolfini how to use a camera.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
Shooting the MTV VMAs is always fun. You have to bring your "A" game, things happen quickly, and the biggest moment of the night is not what you often think it will be.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
I would aim to try to find someone with the right experience and ability, of course, but really you want someone who can quickly assess your strengths and weaknesses and come up with a plan to rapidly improve them using their own experience and know-how. You need someone you can trust and connect with, who is objective but non-judgemental, and gets results. A lot of photography "Classes" and "seminars" are simply money-making ego diversions for the teachers. In my classes, you will work towards a goal and improve every single day. Guaranteed.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Definitely narrow down what your goals are and what you think you need to improve or learn. It is very important to have key mileposts––such as "I want to be totally comfortable with a 3 light setup for portraits" or "I want to be completely comfortable using my on-camera flash on manual at an event."
Things like this are achievable and concrete, unlike "I want to get better at photography."