An Interview With Mr Phillip Debs, Creative Director Phillip Debs ProVisual.

Visual Gluttony interviews Phillip Debs about his experience at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week.

VG : Goodmorning, and thanks for your time today. So you attended Rosemount Australian Fashion Week a few weeks ago. Tell me about the experience you had as part of the media.

Phillip : The experience of being a photographer, particularly as part of media coverage of an event like RAFW, is very competitive and poses lots of challenges. It is a fantastic experience though, and a steep learning curve - I've hit brick walls many times, but I strive to be part of the media and I am very aware of their competitiveness. Last year I went to RAFW as the first Deaf photographer to be included as a media delegate.

The vibes around the RAFW event are full on. The fashion parades begin from 9am, and run every hour with little or no break throughout the day until around 9pm (and usually later). The preparation of the photos for distribution and sale was a great highlight for me, but also an area that I realised I needed to improve on.

It was an invlauable experience, even though it was initially overwhelming ! In 2009 I was managaing to shoot all the parades, organise the photos, and network with people all on my own...Just a day in the life of a photographer !

VG : Wow ! With such a hectic pace, how do you go about organising yourself before RAFW even begins ? How do you organise yourself during the week to stay on top of it all ?

Phillip : Last year I had to experience RAFW first hand to understand how to organise myself and my workload. I had no idea what to expect really.....but I must admit, I loved it.

This year I had my Personal Assistant with me, which took production to a new level. This year was her first experience, but because she was there in a different capacity to just photographer, she became aware of more that we could do to improve our processes. We were as prepared as we could be, within our own limitations of experience and knowledge.

Before RAFW began, we had to register ourselves, make sure we had all the equipment we needed, and that it was in top working order. We also had to plan right down to our method of transport each day !

Working in the media room was crazy - packed and very noisy. I can say that even though I'm Deaf - I could hear them ! Most of the time we worked on the photos, ended up taking them home, processed selections with Adobe Lightroom until the wee hours and back to a repeat day of the hectic pace ! It helped me to understand what more needs to be done to prepare for next time. We are considering putting together a media crew for 2011, potentially including filming/interviewing the designers, models, and celebrities !

VG : So 2010 was your second year of RAFW. How did you build on last year's experience ?

Phillip : This year, it was a matter of trying to get the photos out fast (because first out, first bought) but I realised again that it takes a lot more preparation than I anticipated. I'm glad to have had the last two years' learning curves. Last year was just dipping my toes into the pool and it consumed me for a while. Of course it took time to think about, analyse and reflect on what ProVisual needs for future endeavours like RAFW. This year was more controlled with a little more know-how but still just as challenging. One big thing I noticed was how quickly other media pros got their images processed and uploaded to the world wide web. Next year ProVisual will be even better prepared and up to speed.

VG : Good to hear each year you're improving ! Did you have any expectaions for this year's event ? What were they ? And were they met ?

Phillip : I held myself to an expectation that I would have made more connections/contacts. The connections with Getty Images, who are IMG's (RAFW's organising body) preferred and official photographers, and others. But last year I had no connections and felt very much behind the eight ball ! The 2009 photos were too numerous, and I learned that I had to shoot more efficiently and more accurately. For me that equates to thinking like I'm shooting a camera with film and limited shots. As far as these points are concerned, the expectaions of myself were met.

One thing my PA had mentioned is that she expected the media room to be better equipped to handle the number of delegates using it. A lack of workspace was of most note, with approximately one third of the delegates having to sit on footstools or even the floor to work.

VG : A huge leap in your understanding of how the process works.....and you've said you'll give RAFW one more year. What might you do differently, if anything ?

Phillip : Next year will be much improved. We have all our contacts organised, connections in place, and we have our experience from the past two years to take forward into 2011. We have learnt how to use new editing programs, have in place somewhere to load and display them, and we have expanded our network of business connections. ProVisual itself will aim to be more visible next year, also. I'm pleased that we've raised the bar for ourselves, and will continue to do so. We're ready for next year, RAFW 2011 - look out for Phillip Debs ProVisual !

VG : Finally, reflecting on your own experiences across the last two years at this event, what advice would you give to independent/freelance photographers wanting to be a part of RAFW 2011 ?

Phillip : It's a dog eat dog world. Every photographer does things differently, and each photographer represents a different company or media group. They have neither the time for newbies, nor the inclination to assist them. So it's all about being proactive, learning on your feet, and projecting confidence. Do what you have to do to get your shot. Most importantly, know and understand your motivation for being there, because that's what gets you through Rosemount Australian Fashion Week !

VG : Thanks for sharing that with us, Phillip, and good luck for next year !