The act of creating a short form documentary can be a tricky process, especially when most topics worthy of a film can be so complex. Fortunately, in the case of Michael Artiles’ Nothing to Something, he created a fully developed profile of photographer Keith Major in just 12 minutes. While it may be brisk, the film is expertly shot and gives the viewer an inside look into the dedication and passion of one of New York’s biggest fashion photographers.
Taking place in Major’s crowded studio, the film looks at everything one needs to consider when deciding to become a freelance photographer. From the various types of equipment, to more obscure things like renting props, this acts as the perfect blueprint for anyone thinking about getting into the business.
Along with exploring the day-to-day aspects, a significant portion of the film is spent with Major talking about his career, how he got into photography, and some of the sacrifices he had to make in order to dedicate himself fully to his art form. Not only is he an amazingly talented photographer, but he also proves to be a fascinating documentary subject. The interviews were insightful, interesting, and to the point. There’s no time wasted on filler or extraneous content.
Artiles uses his time wisely, packing in a ton of great information within the very short runtime. This is a film that could easily be expanded into a feature-length documentary, but it’s perfectly effective as is. There was never a sense that there are pieces missing or omitted, which sometimes happens when given time constraints. It all fit together in a nice little package.
Although the topic was simple- talk to this photographer and learn about his life and his process, the film is incredibly well-shot. Rather than simply set up a traditional talking-head style interview, we see Major through a mirror in his studio. This coupled with some great close-ups of various items within his workspace give the film an added stylistic flare that proves to be very effective.
Nothing to Something is a must watch for anyone considering becoming a professional photographer. After the credits began to roll I was left wanting more, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing at all. This is a film that makes me want to go drop an obscene amount of money on a camera and begin dabbling into photography myself, so be forewarned before taking a look.
You can watch the short here:
