The RetroKitten Blacklist

Finding people to work with is usually hard enough. Sometimes, it helps to know who to avoid as well. We generally don't like bad mouthing people, but in exceptional circumstances, we feel its prudent to warn people off potentional collaboration.

Chip Willis Photography - chipwillis.com
Columbus Ohio

Preface

To be completely honest, we like Chip as a person. As a photographer, he has managed to capture some compelling images. However, he has demonstrated a lack of professionalism, and a disregard for people's time that we find disturbing.

Background

From 2001 through 2002, Chip Willis worked with a number of Models, including a number referred by the Editor Daniel Hamil Goode. There were a total of at least four shoots, involving a total of more than 20 hours, and the time and talents of three seperate models (Sydney Grey, Black Widow, Josephine Parker) and a Make-up artist, that Chip never delivered on. To make matters worse, he did not reply to ANY of the people who contact him regarding the status of these prints, though multiple attempts were made by everyone involved. Several offers were made to Chip to actually pay for production of these shoots, or at least to request an explanation of what went wrong to no avail.

Conclusion

Even though he can occasionally create some compelling photographs, his inability to provide content, combined with a general inability to communicate at all lands Chip at the top of our "Do Not Call" list.

Justin Phillips Photography - justinphillipsphotography.com
Columbus Ohio

Preface

Our first clue that something might be wrong was when Justin raved on about how great Chip Willis was. He talked about how an artist who isn't happy with their work might not want to show it. Fine, but you have to remember that TFP is exactly that. Time for Prints. If a Model spends her time, she deserves prints, even if the "artiste" isn't happy with them.

In all likely hood, this was a brown nosing exercise for Justin anyway. Let's hope it scored him some brownie points with Chip because it didn't score any with us.

Background

Aside from being late, and poorly prepared, Justin managed to waste around four hours of the models time. Then, when he ignored repeated phone calls and emails to get the prints, he rapidly descended the food chain.

Conclusion

Justin thinks he's an artist, and therefore, above common courtesy. Sadly, his work is nothing more than bad David La Chapelle rip offs. That would be fine, but wasting a models time and giving her nothing in return lands him squarely on our blacklist.