I don't know how many times I've shared this in past blog posts and workshops, but after looking at a few hundred photographer's websites over the last few months, it's time to post this again.

This video by Justin and Mary Marantz at this point is at least seven years old. I consider it the best marketing video I've ever watched. I'm hoping it plants a seed with many of you who still don't get it. With or without a video you have an opportunity to take future clients on a journey of who you are and why you're the best choice for whatever photographic needs they have.

Stop talking about your gear - they don't care what you shoot with. Stop talking about your awards from WPPI and PPA, etc. - most clients don't know anything about the associations. Stop talking about how you got started - they don't care that your grandfather gave you that first camera.

What they do care about is your passion. They want to know why you're a photographer not what you do or how you do it. Here's your chance to show your romantic side and talk about your love for people, memories, and relationships. This is where you demonstrate how much you love being a photographer and the importance of making time stand still with each image.

I post this video every year or so because it's one of the best that's ever been done targeting bridal clients. If Just in and Mary hadn't done a video, their "About" section would have followed the same theme and still been effective.

So, kick back and just enjoy this piece. Then, think about your own message. You don't have to do a video, but you do have to tell the right story!

Check out the most recent podcast with Justin and Mary, which just aired on August 11. Just click on the banner to the right.

In this new podcast they share a lot of terrific insight into their business, their love for photography and working together.

And, if you're looking for some great educational opportunities, visit their blog.

If we put a hundred photographers from 100 different cities in a room together and asked how business was, we'd get two basic answers. Half the room would say it's been great, while the other half would be doom and gloom. This isn't exclusive to artists, but any business owners.

I've written about this many times in the past, but owning a business is hard work. Nothing comes easy and building your brand is a never-ending process. Sadly there are too many photographers out there who got the gear, developed their skill set and then put it all on cruise-control! They wake up every morning thinking today's the day the Success Fairy or at the very least FedEx is going to leave them a box of success!

Well, I'm back again with the same topic and a reminder to get your business out of the "P" mode and start mixing things up. Success is relative, and the only person who matters is YOU!

• Start by defining success. What is it you want this business to be and bring to you?  One thing I've learned as I've gotten older - success is constantly redefined. For me today, it's about being happy. I wake up every morning excited about the day ahead, things I'm working on, meeting new photographers and expanding my skill set. For example, the longer I'm involved in social media, the more I realize how much I still have to learn, and it's exciting!
• Set some goals. All of us have aspirations about our lives, but just living day to day and relaxing in complacency, thinking things are going to happen randomly, won't help you reach the level of success you want. Take the time to write down a few of your goals and put them on a timeline. Then review it now and then and see how you're doing.
• Progress isn't always obvious. Remember that Algebra class you first took in high school? If you were like me, you looked at the back of the textbook first and thought, "Holy crap, this is going to be hard!" By the end of the year, I understood it. My guess is while many of you still don't consistently produce/capture the kinds of images you want if you look back a couple of years you'll see a vast improvement. Pat yourself on the back for your growth as an artist, and don't slow down in your efforts to keep expanding your skill set.
  
• Take care of yourself! Success is about paying attention to yourself physically as well as mentally. Pay attention to your mood swings and recognize when you need a break. Owning a business is frustrating, and you'll often be battling things completely outside your control. Learn to know when you need time off and walk away from the business. Have respect for the need to recharge your battery.
• Establish your priorities. Owning a business and being successful means nothing if you lose the people you love in the process. The word "balance" is so overused, but it fits with what I'm talking about here. Most of us wear several different hats, and they all involve finding a balance between being a business owner, artist, friend, spouse, parent and don't forget lover!
  

Here's the bottom line - your success is about feeling good about what you're doing. If you're not, then nothing you're doing has to be forever. Take the time to think about what's missing in your life and business.  Make the adjustments you need to appreciate the face looking back at you in the mirror each morning.

"Success is a journey, not a destination.
The doing is often more important than the outcome."
Arthur Ashe

I've written a lot over the years about the important role photography plays in helping us savor the past. I've shared just about every poignant quote I can find about memories, old photographs, and even friendships. Well, this morning I'm stuck finding the words to describe everything I feel after Sheila and I attended a high school reunion last night.

It started with a little get together on Friday night, followed by an alumni picnic and ending with the grand finale, the actual reunion. There's an art form I have yet to discover when bombarded with people you haven't seen in years. The plethora of feelings compares to a little kid on Christmas morning not knowing which package to open first.

I went to sleep last night thinking about the people I missed saying goodbye to. Then came the ones I never had a chance to talk to, followed by a list of wondering what's going on with old friends who didn't attend the event. But here's the fun of it all - it just doesn't matter. It's a time when superficial conversations reign as King, and it's okay because the clock is ticking.  You're caught in a super market sweep game show, fighting to see how many old stories you can pack into your cart!
 
So, here's the point this morning - every year each one of you gets an invitation to a high school reunion. You'll wrestle with the idea of going. The older you get, the more you'll wish you had stayed in shape. You'll use whatever excuses you have to measure your success or lack of it, as a reason to go or not. In the end, many of you will rationalize you weren't that friendly with that many kids back then anyway.

Well, take it from this old fart - put all your insecurities away and just go. You'll be surprised to find the number of new friends who come into your life and how kids you never hung out with become friends years later. The common denominator is simply living life and surviving the challenges that randomly come our way.

One of my favorite quotes is from Tennyson, "I am a part of all that I have met!"

I've got a big smile on my face thinking about all the people who were in my life so many years ago. Each of us are one brick in the foundation of everyone who's been in our life. So, the next time you're trying to decide whether or not to go to your high school reunion, follow Nike's slogan and JUST DO IT!

Wishing everybody a terrific Sunday and a day of peace and here and there fun reflection. Go for those eleven-second hugs and cherish those people most special in your life. And to Terry, Denny, Don, Mike, Bill, Adolph, Ed, Dave, Jim, "Sam," Neal, Karyn, Linda, John, MaryLou, and Greg, along with everybody I'm forgetting this morning- what a kick to get together - even if it was just for a few minutes!

Happy Sunday everybody!

A storm followed by some serious rip currents combined with the number of people in the ocean is an obvious link to stupidity. However, the benefit is that it got me thinking about the signs in sales/marketing so many of you ignore.

                          "If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always got."

From Tony Robbins to Mark Twain, there's a list of people who get credit for that line, but the importance is how it's translated. So many of you want to grow your business, but you don't want to change the process. You keep doing the same old things, but anticipating different results!

Let's start with your website and blog.

• Clean up the images. Are you showing your very best work or just playing the quantity over quality game?
• Do all your images look the same? Vary your technique and use your images to demonstrate your skill set.
• Are you posting to your blog at least twice a week? If you're only posting every full moon or so, then you might be hurting your business more than helping it!
• Are your website and blog easy to navigate? Don't make your audience work to find what's most important.
• How's the design and feel of your online real estate? For most of you, your target audience is female. Don't get too caught up in a high tech look, if you need something softer with more feminine appeal.

Relationship building is your strongest marketing tool!

• Everyone is looking for new clients, but so often forget about their own database of past customers. Stay in contact with your database. Pick up a phone now and than and call a favorite past customer just to see how they're doing. Communicate with past clients about new things you're doing and special promotions.
• Be involved in your community. This is all about giving back. You're looking for the community to be good to you, so you better be good to your community.
• Own your zip code! Regardless of your photographic specialty, get out and knock on some doors. Even a wedding photographer walking into a realtor's office can say, "My specialty is weddings, but if there's anything I can ever help you with in photography, just give me a call."

What good is working to create the greatest images of your life if nobody knows who you are? 

• Email and direct mail are all part of expanding your reach, but they mean nothing if the pipeline is always empty.
• Social media gives you a level of reach today which just a few years ago was exclusive to magazines and newspapers, but so many of you are either barely involved or over-involved. Or, you spend too much time working to impress your peers. Remember too, there are no erasers on the Internet, so be careful what you post, stay relevant and be helpful to your target audience.
• Publicity and editorial are ongoing, but you're the only one who can make it happen. Publish a new press release each month and don't forget to send it to the Chamber of Commerce, various associations in your community and opinion leaders.
• If your "About" section is all about your gear, history or awards you've won, then you've completely missed the boat. Your target audience doesn't care what you do or how you do it - they want to know why you do it. This is your opportunity to be a romantic and talk about why you love being a photographer. Potential clients want to know if you can be trusted to capture the kinds of images they want.

There's a lot more to building brand-awareness. This is just one "seed-planting" post to get many of you thinking about things you've been ignoring. You might not have a sign on your desk suggesting your complacency is creating a marketing rip tide, but if you're disappointed in your business that might just be your warning.

But here's the best thing about being an artist - everything is fixable!

A few weeks ago I shared a Throwback Thursday post from "A Day in the Life of WPPI 2008." Kenny Kim was in the spotlight. Well, it's time to bring back more images from that Graphistudio album and put one of my favorite photography couples in the spotlight, Alisha and Brook Todd.

What better place to start than with the shot they did of Kenny Kim? It was in the 2008 album following his section of "Young Guns."

Alisha and Brook's business and reputation have grown along with their family since then. I remember one WPPI where I took the baby off their hands for a little while. Seeing me walking around the show with a baby definitely raised a few eyebrows. LOL

The only thing more impressive than their work is their passion for the industry, friends, family and each other. I'm sure they have difficult days, like we all do, but I don't remember a single time where I've seen Brook not smiling.

They caught a great silhouette shot of one of my favorite speakers as she was setting up for a shot. Two minutes later she was on the floor. That's Vicki Taufer in action during one of her 2008 programs.

I loved the collages they did on some of the pages, further telling the story of WPPI. (My apologies for the cutoff on the scans, but it's an oversized album being scanned on a standard size Epson flatbed.)

These images and the album bring back so many wonderful memories. Bill Hurter, bottom left corner of the image on the left, above, passed away a couple years ago. He was always behind the scenes with every awards program.  He might no longer be with us, but that incredible spirit of his will always be watching over the industry, especially at WPPI awards programs.

I've shared this before, but Author Jodi Picoult is responsible for what's become my favorite quote about photography...

One of the wonderful things about social media is the way it expands what we experience. 

The video below is a perfect example. Shared in the ShutterFest Forum on Facebook by Connie Mason Etter, I never would have known about it had I not run across her post. I ran across this in May, but it got buried on my desktop and was never shared. Even though it's had almost a million views on YouTube, I'm betting most of you have never seen it.

I was under the impression the life expectancy of a latent image was at best 10-20 years. Obviously my information was wrong, since these are over seventy years old. Now, think about everything from the mystery of who the original photographer was, to finding the rolls and seeing the images for the very first time. It's an exciting project.

Go one step further - think about the power of your own images. You're each client's personal historian documenting a moment in their lives. It's a heavy responsibility, but an incredible opportunity to leave a mark on your world.

Being a photographer isn't about taking pictures, it's about capturing memories and NEVER compromising on the quality and effort that goes along with each click of the shutter. Paraphrasing my good buddy Scott Bourne from a presentation years ago:

Intro by Skip Cohen

It would be so easy if we just had a gauge to monitor our self-esteem, and a dial to turn, like setting the temperature on a thermostat!

Sadly there are negative things that happen in our lives we barely catch. We weather little storms every day and never notice the accumulation of damage. Then one day we get an overwhelming concern for not achieving a goal and start worrying about failure.

My good buddy Scott Bourne shares some terrific insight into things to do to build your confidence and in turn your self-esteem. This post may be out of the archives, but the topic is so relevant for many of you.

We're coming up to the fourth quarter and some terrific seasonality in photography, but you won't be ready for it if you're not confident and comfortable trusting what you feel in your heart. You can't create images that tug at people's heartstrings if your own heart isn't in it!

by Scott Bourne

One Of The Things Pro Photographers Need, But Cannot Buy Is Self-Esteem!

When we are starting out as professional photographers, we believe that buying the right camera, lens and lighting kit, will make us a hit. Oh if only it were that easy. There are so many things we need to succeed that we cannot buy. One of them is self-esteem.

In my travels to various photo workshops, conferences and conventions, I am often struck by just how low the self-esteem of some emerging professional photographers has gone. They listen to great teaching and advice and then go out of their way to describe why that won't work in their case.

Self-esteem is very important in ANY business, let alone one where you are the boss and it's a creative endeavor. 

It's easy to build your self esteem. Start by removing negative influences from your life. For instance, never, ever, ever read YouTube/Facebook comments. There - you're already on the road to a better life. While I am of course kidding, you get the drift. Negative people, places, things, habits, etc will drag you down so remove yourself from them NOW. Not next week. Today! 

Another step toward building self-esteem is taking stock of your positive attributes. Make a list and read it aloud to yourself every day. Replace the negative stuff with positive stuff. Believe it or not this will improve your photography dramatically. It will also improve your business. 

And if me saying this doesn't influence you, maybe Ghandi will. He understood that self-esteem is valuable.

"Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn’t have it in the beginning.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Be like Gandhi. Expect good things to happen. Or as my dad used to put it. . ."Be too stupid to know you can fail." 

Go ahead. I'm rooting for you!

I'm a big fan of playing offense versus defense and right now, even if you haven't done anything yet, you've still got time for some great offensive marketing plays, especially if your skill set is in portraiture. It's August, and there are so many opportunities in the fall, but you snooze you lose.

It's Marketing Monday - take the time to think through your plans for the rest of the year and let's get you carrying the ball instead of chasing it!

1) Holiday Portrait Gifts:  There isn't a mother on the planet who doesn't want new pictures of her family, but you've got to plant the seed for fulfillment.  Even more important there isn't a grandmother who doesn't complain about not having up to date images of her grandchildren!  When was the last time you did a holiday promotion?  When was the last time you did a mailing or a blog post to get people thinking about how outdated their family portraits are?

Making it even easier is Marathon's Family Marketing Program, which I just wrote about in a post this morning. They'll help you create the marketing program with up to four different mailers. More info is just a click away.

2) Add-on Sales:  Remember to position your holiday promotion with new ideas and products from your lab, album company and other vendors you work with. Don't just sell somebody a print - promote a framed print.  Check out canvas wraps, metal prints - things that people don't see very often. It might be old hat to you, but not to most of your customers. How about a second album of that wedding you shot for the grandmother?  Or, a large signed print of the bride and groom as a Christmas gift from Mom and Dad.

It's also the perfect time for video holiday cards. Whether it's goodwill saying thanks to an excellent customer or a new revenue stream, don't let the season slip by without video presentations. Here's a link to some great help from the "Queen of Hybrid," Suzette Allen.

3) Back to School and Homecoming:  I'm always amazed how few photographers go after this segment of the business. I know it's not big bucks, but it isn't always about the direct revenue - sometimes you have to focus on the publicity you can create to build brand awareness. Here's where it would be great to team up with a couple of partners like the local limo company and a florist. Put together a homecoming package with the limo, flowers and two 5x7's.  The three companies can share the cost of the mailing, and each partner becomes an ambassador for the other partners.

4) Halloween: Sure it's an obvious opportunity, but if that's the case then why don't more photographers tie in promotions. It's kids and family time.

5) Who's doing the Kiwanis holiday party this year? Every community has a group like Kiwanis, Rotary, Exchange Club and Lions. Each year they typically do a holiday party. Why not suggest portraits of the guests as part of the actual event? Then, work with your lab on a folio with the group's logo on the front and yours on the back.

6) Giving Back: Don't forget to look for charitable opportunities to tie in photography as a way to give back to your community. It's another promotional opportunity to remind people who you are in the community and your desire to give and not just take.

7) Your Blog: Your website is about what you sell, but your blog is about what's in your heart. Don't miss opportunities for content about the importance of capturing memories and the experiences that fly by during the next few months. The seasonality of the fourth quarter offers so many different opportunities for family-centric images and posts.

Creating awareness for concepts like these, especially if you've never done them before, takes time. You might not hit one out of the park your first time at bat, but remember to get a few shots of you working with clients for your own press releases. Build a stash of images of you being involved in projects like these so you can create awareness in the community with more press releases in the future.

And don't forget to look for partners!  This is consumer bundling at its best, and you've got limo companies, florists, venues, caters, tux and gown shops, salons and even other photographers to help you absorb the promotional costs and create the excitement! You don't have to pay for everything on your own. Plus, when you bring in partners for a direct mail piece, for example, you not only reduce the cost, but you all become ambassadors for each other.

Over the next few months, you've got dozens of opportunities to plant the seeds for photography as this year's number one holiday gift, but it won't happen by itself. You've got to market the concept and look for partners to help you stir the pot!

It's Sunday morning and I read something the other day that stuck with me.

"There are dreams of love, life, and adventure in all of us.
But we are also sadly filled with reasons why we shouldn't try.
These reasons seem to protect us, but in truth they imprison us.
They hold life at a distance. Life will be over sooner than we think.
If we have bikes to ride and people to love, now is the time."
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Yesterday I was on my way home from running a few errands and I called Sheila. I had this big smile on my face, the top down, the radio blaring and I said to her, "It's one of those days when everything is right in the world!"

When she asked me why, I really had to think about it. The answer is the foundation for today's Sunday Morning Reflections.

• Sleep: It starts with getting a good night's sleep. I've finally accepted I'm an eight hour guy, and when I come up short, my reasoning skills are at a minimum. Little things aggravate me and big things are intolerable. We've been trying to go to sleep a little earlier and I feel terrific.
• Exercise: We've walked for thirty minutes every morning since June 30, and only missed one day. Exercise is a key. We've all heard it for years, but so many of us procrastinate and let work get in the way.
• Friends: I'm in touch with more of the people who matter in my life. Last week I caught up to a half dozen long time friends who I just hadn't talked to in awhile. Those friends are why I love Throwback Thursdays. Even if I don't post about it, looking through old images makes me smile. Each old photograph takes me back to good times with some very special people, and it pushes me to take the time to create new memories.

But the truth is there's a bigger reason...I simply choose to be happy. The clock is ticking and one thing I've learned as I've gotten older is how precious every day is. We make the decision every morning on what the "weather" is going to be for the day.

I lost the month of June fighting a battle with a 9mm kidney stone. The event was instrumental in appreciating everything I have; my health, my relationship with Sheila, good friends and without question an industry I love dearly. It shouldn't take a crisis to make us appreciate everything we have, but that's life.

So, to follow the directions in that quote I shared, I've got a bike to ride and people to love, and I'm taking the time to appreciate them!

Wishing all of you a wonderful Sunday - and time with the people you love. Put your heart into those eleven-second hugs. Remember, whatever today brings is up to you, so you might as well go crashing into it with a smile on your face and a little rock 'n roll in your heart.

Happy Sunday!

Intro by Skip Cohen

In a couple of weeks Suzette Allen is teaching a special program at Bay Photo. If you can be at this workshop, here's the link.  AND if you act today you can get in on the FREE seat giveaway Suzette is offering via Bay Photo's Facebook page here.

While I know many of you aren't in the area to attend, I love the way Suzette teaches. She needs to be on your radar. Having attended a number of her programs over the years, one workshop with Suzette really is a "growth spurt" for your skill set. 

And, if slideshows aren't in your list of services then you're missing an incredible opportunity to increase both goodwill and revenue. Just to give you a feel for what Suzette is all about in a workshop here's the description of her upcoming program and three short demo videos.

Join the fun of a beach photo shoot on Sunday Night and then a full day class held at Bay Photo Lab in Santa Cruz CA, on August 13-14! Suzette Allen will be teaching a small hands-on class on filming short video clips along with stills and them putting them together to create short Live Portraits, that play the video off the print.

Bay Photo offers this exclusive [Augmented Reality] product that is a fabulous value-added feature to Prints! Check out the link below to see some of the videos and cinemagraphs she created in the class a few months ago, and sign up to learn how! Only a few openings left! Class is $175.
 

Every now and then a unique project comes along to remind me of the strength of images, technology and storytelling. The new Hall of Heroes Memorial at Fort Bragg is just that. It's a short video and a powerful reminder of the impact of photography and video.

"The U.S. Army Special Operations Command unveiled it's new digital, interactive, multi-display "Hall of Heroes" memorial wall during the 2017 Memorial Day observance ceremony. The wall pays tribute to the 341 special operations Soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice since 9/11. WE INVITE FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO SUBMIT PERSONAL PHOTOS OR VIDEOS to history@socom.mil for us to add to the digital wall display."

Our son is based at Fort Bragg where the new interactive display was recently unveiled and our daughter-in-law sent me the video. As I watched it, I realized some of you may have images and videos of "Fallen Soldiers" who were members of Special Operations, which could be added to the stories.

The memorial wall is also a solid reminder of the importance of never-compromising on the quality of the images you capture. There's no room for artists with a philosophy of "that's good enough." Every subject deserves your very best skill set, because you never know how an image or video is going to be used later on...or how valuable it might become to the families who are your clients.

Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles!
Steve Jobs

Since starting this series last year, over and over again I'm surprised at the power of the images and backstories being shared. I started "Why?" to introduce you to some of the movers and shakers in the industry, but it's become so much more.

Paul Ernest is in the spotlight and definitely somebody who should be on your radar. Based in Dallas, Paul's work is all about fine art imaging. Like so many artists on "Why?" there's probably nothing Paul can't photograph, but he's chosen fine art because it's so in line with his passion for storytelling.

"We live through stories... stories that are handed down to us through seasons and generations. We are inspired by stories and live to write our own narrative and our own contribution of life to tell." 

Check out more of Paul's work by visiting his website and galleries. Just click on his image above. And, if you're interested in a terrific online educational series to help you further develop your storytelling portrait skills, here's the link. He's launching a six week series later this month.

Intro by Skip Cohen

Over the last few years one of the fastest growing segments of professional photography has been boudoir. It's also one of the most difficult segments to do well.  Stunning boudoir images are the result of trust and the relationship between the artist and the subject. They're also the result of photographers who have worked hard to build their skill set, especially in understanding lighting.

Jenn Bruno Smith is back with a terrific guest post helping artists make the transition from family photography to and including boudoir. Like building any aspect of your business in photography it's important to do a little planning and make sure you have the skill set before you embark on a new journey!

The backstory regarding my friendship with Jenn, which I shared in her previous guest post, goes back to my good friend, Erin Zahradka of AIBP (Association of International Boudoir Photographers.)  Erin asked if I had an interest in building content about boudoir at SCU and my answer was obviously "YES!"  She put the word out on the AIBP Facebook forum, and Jenn responded. To see more of Jenn's work, click on her images. Her image above connects to her family website, while the two below to her boudoir site.

A BIG thanks to Jenn and Erin for sharing some great content and building blocks for establishing a stronger presence in boudoir photography.

Being an established family photographer is one thing, but boudoir photography is a world of it’s own. Looking to make the leap? You’ll want to take a good look at your overall business structure—from social media, to your portfolio. By following these five insider tips you’ll be well on your way to joining the world of boudoir photography.
 
1. Separate Websites & Social Media - but make them cohesive.
If you’re going to make the jump from family to boudoir photography, your client pool will be different (even if a few clients overlap). Make sure to have separate social media and website pages for your different photography styles. This will keep clients who are interested in one, from being distracted by the other. Trust me, someone who is 37 weeks pregnant does not want to see a client in lingerie. It will help if the two brands are cohesive though.  My websites, brands, and logos are different but have the same aesthetic look.  Potential clients can move from one website to the other seamlessly.
 
2. Have A Consistent Portfolio
The key to a good photographer is finding your style, and sticking to it. One of the biggest mistakes I see new photographers make, is putting up work that’s inconsistent. Find your style, and own it; whether your photos are warm, cool, matte, or sharp. Once you find your style you’ll find more clients will inquire and book. Clients want to know exactly what they’re getting when they’re booking you. It’s a win-win!
 
3. One Size Doesn't Fit All!
Marketing is vastly different for boudoir photography, compared to photography targeted at families. Make sure you gauge your target market for each, before you move forward with your marketing strategy. This means making sure you pinpoint your tone, message, and any promotions to fit your audience. And speaking of...
 
4. Do Your Damn Homework!
Whether you’re trying to reach brides who want to give a glamorous gift to their loved one, or reaching out to that soccer mom who wants to invest in some self-care; take some time and really do your homework on who your ideal client is. This will help better target your marketing, and will help you place your business in the right environment to attract new clients.
 
5.  Shoot Your Bliss, but don’t forget where you came from!
In order to be successful at boudoir photography you do not have to stop shooting everything else. After all, brides can become moms who then have families and children who need photos taken and your family clients may become your boudoir clients one day. Don’t forget your most powerful marketing tool is word of mouth, and every client has the potential to bring you more business.
 
If you are thinking about transitioning or not, as a photographer, remember that it ultimately comes down to you taking the time to get to know your client. Whether that’s before, with targeted marketing, or after they’ve booked a shoot, your ability to connect with people is what will make your business thrive.
 
Boudoir image: Model: Madeline Rivera https://www.facebook.com/MadelineRiveraModel/
Makeup Artist: Liz Martin https://www.nocheazulspa.com

So often, when a group of photographers gets together if the topic of finding new clients comes up, there's silence because too many people either have no idea what to do, or they think they've found the secret and don't want anybody else to know about it. 

Marketing Monday is the perfect time to help you develop a list of things you should be doing NOW, before the rush of the fourth quarter's seasonality hits! This list is only meant to be a beginning and certainly isn't all-inclusive. I'm hoping it will plant the seed for some of you to be more active in building your business!

Just remember, if your skill set sucks, finding clients and getting people to trust you means nothing. Any moron can get their first customer. The challenge is getting them to come back a second time, and tell all their friends. This is a word-of-mouth business, and nothing spreads faster than horror stories. But, at the positive extreme, if you've done an excellent job and exceeded client expectations, nothing has more influence than past clients talking about you and sharing your work.

Today finding clients is better described as making sure clients can find you! What good is working hard to create the finest images of your life if nobody knows who you are?

• Your database: Obviously if you're just starting out, you don't have much of a database. However, for those artists who have been established at least a couple of years, I'm always surprised how everyone forgets their past clients. First, come up with something you want to share - maybe it's a new style or technique, new services, a new blog or a special promotion. Second, put it in a personal letter with your signature. You've got to remind people who you are and create top-of-mind awareness whenever they think about photography. And, while email is great - a personal letter with your signature is going to get through the noise far better.
• Own your zip code!  Get out and pound the pavement! Get to know every business within your zip code. Offer your services. You might be the most focused wedding photographer on the planet, but that doesn't mean you can't help a business owner in the community with a new head shot; capture images at an event for the Chamber of Commerce; or post stories on your blog about vendors in your community, etc. You only need to introduce yourself and offer to be helpful whenever it comes to anything under the imaging umbrella.
• Be active in your community!  The best way to get people to know you’re out there is through personal contact! Get involved in a charity or two, the local school system, your church, community centers, etc. And, it doesn't have to always be with a camera in your hands - this is about being helpful and giving back.

• Social Media: It probably should be first on the list, since it represents such a huge vehicle to help you expand your reach. Be active on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, with topics targeting your customer base. A few years ago my pal, Scott Bourne, picked up a huge commercial job, just because he chose to follow somebody interesting on Twitter. That “follow” led to his new client seeing his images and hiring him for a specific project.

• SEO and SEM: I can’t proclaim to be an expert, but I certainly do respect the people who are! Make sure you’re working with somebody who knows how to develop your website with the appropriate tags to bring you to the top of the search engines where your target audience can connect.

• Advertising: It’s still important, even in the age of social media! You don’t need to spend a fortune, just be consistent. You need to be in the same spot of the local paper, magazine, whatever the vehicle is in your community. If you plan on running a couple of times in a week and then stopping to see the results, you’re wasting your money!  You need consistency for a couple of months, and advertising alone isn’t enough, but needs to go hand in hand with other vehicles both in print and online.

• Develop a promotional schedule.  I've written a lot about Vicki Taufer over the years. She created a complete promotional calendar with more picture ideas for Mom than Hallmark could ever think of! Develop your own calendar of events and then keep your community up to date with each promotion. And the fall is loaded with potential for Halloween, back to school, Thanksgiving and the December holidays. Plus, images from these events becomes terrific content for your blog.

• Have a blog! I've shared so many posts on blogging, including topic ideas. This is a reminder to fill your blog with posts about topics of interest to your target audience. If it’s brides, then start to develop content of interest to them. If your target is Mom and the kids, then start writing about tips to get the kids to relax in front of the camera or better yet, talk about what makes a day-in-the-life shoot so special. Give clothing suggestions, times of day, etc. And remember, if you're not blogging at least twice a week - then give it up until you have a stash of posts to help you be more consistent.

• Know your target! At least 95% of the purchase decisions to hire a professional photographer, in the portrait social specialties are made by women! So, if you’re advertising in Guns and Ammo, it’s a mistake! If you know your target, then you can design a look and feel of your site that appeals to that audience. Fill it with content equally appealing.

• Publicity doesn’t happen by accident! You need to publish publicity releases that get your name out there. Sometimes it’s as easy as publishing an image of you working as a volunteer on a project with the local Chamber of Commerce. Maybe it’s a program you did for career day at the local elementary school on being a photographer. The point is that you have to take the initiative to talk about you! And publicity isn't exclusive to print media. Build an email base of key people of influence in your community, organizations with a connection to a need for photography, online targets like forums and websites of interest to your target audience. Check out companies like newswire.com for their expertise to help you spread the word.

• Network, network, network! You’ve got to talk to other vendors in the community and work together to hit your target. Look for partners who might want to share the cost of a direct mail piece for example. A wedding photographer together with a florist and travel agent make perfect partners.
• Set up a networking luncheon. I've repeatedly written about this in the past. Find a good solid cheap place for lunch that has a private or semi-private room. Then invite every business in the community having an interest in the same target audience. If you're a wedding photographer, for example, then it's going to be anybody in the wedding business, which includes, bridal salons, caterers, travel agents, florists, limo companies, bakeries, music promoters, tux shops, wedding planners, venue managers, and salons.  Come up with a flat fee for lunch and then invite them to join you once a month. Imagine the network you can build sitting between a florist and a bridal salon!

• Direct mail is back with a vengeance. Design a postcard and then mail it once a quarter. Check out Marathon Press for any of their marketing continuity programs. For example, here's the link to their program for seniors, which I just wrote about recently.

• Buy a list and keep building your own data base up to date. There are hundreds of companies selling lists all sorted by lifestyle topics and zip codes! And, keep your own data base up to date. Every wedding you photograph has the potential to provide children and family clients down the road. Keep in touch with your past clients! 
• Thank your past clients: Follow David Ziser's idea and do a free portrait sitting on the first anniversary of a past wedding client. Imagine the word-of-mouth horsepower when a bride tells her friends about her photographer remembering her anniversary. Dean Collins used to do something similar. For example, he'd contact the president of a company whose annual report or catalog he photographed and as a "thanks" do a free family portrait for the holidays. This is all about relationship building - your strongest marketing tool.

I started this by writing it's not an art form, but it does take work. No deep thinking rocket science - just time and planning. The customers are out there, but you’ve got to make sure they know who you are, where you are, and how to find you!

The goal for your business should be to thrive, not just survive!

"You can't helping getting older, but you don't have to get old!"
George Burns

It's Sunday morning, and I rolled out of bed knowing exactly what I wanted to write about:

What does it mean to "grow up?"

We spent a good part of yesterday at the beach, and I'm paying for it in aches and pains this morning. I played in the waves for over an hour. The waves were big enough for the lifeguard to put out the yellow caution flag, and like a little kid, I body-surfed one after another, each time trying to ride them all the way in until I scraped the sand and rocks at the shoreline.

Sheila took a shot at joining me, but the waves knocked her over. My height gave me a big advantage, so I stayed in the water. She did the next best thing and put her beach chair at the water's edge. With her feet in the water, she laughed through my entire performance as an old fart relived his childhood one wave at a time.
 
Well, this morning I woke up and immediately grabbed the Tramadol, fully knowing why I was in so much pain, but it wasn't enough to change the smile on my face. You'd think Alfred E Neuman and Peter Pan were both in my gene pool.

Here's my point this morning: Who said we have to act our age?

A few years ago Sheila and I were out with good friends, and another couple joined us for dinner. The new couple, who were our age, did nothing but complain about their aches and pains, talk about the medication they were on and pretty much whined about getting older through the entire evening. Listening to them they could have easily been twenty years our senior.

Growing up is a mindset, and for me, part of the process might even be genetic. My Dad lived to 93, and while he obviously slowed down, it wasn't until his body started to fail him at 92! He loved life, and whatever he could still do, he did, including double onion rings at Burger 1 on Wednesdays.

So, this morning's post is a tribute to all of you who still embarrass your kids with your behavior; who push the edge of the envelope in your passion for life, friendships and experiences and most of all who laugh loud and smile at the most inappropriate times.

My good buddy Terry Clark put his love for life into a quote that's his philosophy about life and business...

Wishing everybody a wonderful Sunday, and a day filled with love, laughter and the pure joy of being alive, no matter how old you are! Take the time to laugh, go for those eleven-second hugs and cherish the people around you who help to make your life special!

Happy Sunday everybody!

"You don't stop laughing when you grow old. You grow old when you stop laughing!
George Bernard Shaw

Intro by Skip Cohen

I ran across this post in the SCU archives from my good buddy Scott Bourne. It may have been written in the past, but it couldn't be more relevant RIGHT NOW!

When I read it I started thinking about the challenges with some of the vendors in my own community. We had a contractor whose work was outstanding, but he was never on time. With another vendor, found through HomeAdvisor.com for gutter cleaning, he never showed up as scheduled. Then there are restaurants who don't live up to expectations and the list goes on and on.

Five years ago I wrote my first review on Trip Advisor. Today I have almost 80,000 reads about restaurants, hotels and various locations around the area as well as when we've been traveling. Whatever our experience, I share it on TripAdvisor. And, there are other forums like Yelp, Home Advisor and Angie's List, along with smaller more local forums all over Facebook.

Here's my point: We're a word-of-mouth industry and all it takes is one upset customer to influence hundreds, if not thousands of others.  So, the next time you make a promise to a client, even it's something as small as returning a phone call - be on time. Follow through and deliver on your promises and make great service part of your brand!

Loyal customers, they don’t just come back, they don’t simply recommend you,
they insist that their friends do business with you.
Chip Bell

 by Scott Bourne

If you pay any attention to media (social and other) you will note that the world is full of unhappy customers. Does this mean that people have all of a sudden become bad at their jobs? Does this mean companies don't care about their customers? I don't know. But I do know one certain way to make sure YOUR customers aren't mad at you. Always deliver. Period. No excuses. Just deliver. 

WHAT you deliver has mostly to do with a customer service discipline called expectation management. Under promise and over deliver. That's what Disney does. They say the parks open at 9:00 AM, but in fact the gates open at 8:50 AM. When Disney says you can expect a 20 minute wait to experience one of their rides, they usually mean 15 minutes. 

The secret here is that they under promise and over deliver. They manage their customers' expectations by telling them they will get XX and instead they get two times XX. This leads to happy customers. 

Note that doing this doesn't require you to be quick, speedy, fast, etc. It requires you to know what your product delivery schedules are, then under promise the delivery date and time. You'll look like a hero when you come in ahead of schedule. Everyone will think you are fast. But you really just set yourself up to deliver. 

And a photographer who gets the reputation of delivering consistently, on time, with a good product, will get all the free marketing in their community they can muster. 

Always deliver. Try to do it with flair. Try to do it with the customers' needs in mind. But no matter what DELIVER. That is the recipe for a great marketing strategy that will get your customers singing your praises so you don't have to.

Back in March I shared an image of Kenny Kim's I ran across from WPPI 2008. The program was called "Young Guns" and it was a panel discussion featuring eleven of the movers and shakers in the industry at the time. Ryan Schembri and I were the moderators and it was simply a kick to do.

Recently I ran across another Day-in-the-Life of WPPI album from Graphistudio - the 2008 book. Photographers for that year were Brook and Alisha Todd, Terrell Lloyd, Garrett Nudd and Kenny Kim. I'll share more images from the other artists in a future Throwback Thursday post, but for today, it's Kenny Kim in the spotlight with "Young Guns."

There's a great line by Alfred, Lord Tennyson I've shared before, 

Everybody who comes into our lives, even with the smallest impact, becomes a part of us. Well, "Young Guns" and a trip down memory lane to that evening program clearly became a milestone moment in my life. Like Tennyson's quote, they became a part of my life.  Even today, I never know when I'm going to bump into one of them at a conference or convention, and it's ALWAYS great to catch up.

Throwback Thursday is about memories and storytelling. It's a terrific subject for your blog and a great way to remind "Mom" of the importance of capturing memories. And, if you decide you don't want to do it for blog content then at least take a few minutes for yourself and enjoy the memories.
​
​Happy Throwback Thursday!

​PS So who do you recognize?

It's just a quick thought to kick off the week. Between print competition at most of the major shows and comments over posted images in the Facebook photography forums, I'm always amazed at those people who take it too seriously.  Whether your print did well in competition or people like an image you posted isn't the issue.

Print competition and sharing images is a valuable step in your learning process.

Entering print competition is a learning experience. It teaches you discipline and helps you refine your operational skill set in the same way a commercial client would have you shooting a job on "spec".   You have to follow the rules.  Examining the work you enter and deciding on composition, cropping, manipulation and even the name of the print come into play. Is it good enough to demonstrate your very best work?

The same thing applies to images you post in the various forums. I'll be the first to admit I'd have a hard time staying calm over the rudeness some people display when they comment. They hide behind the anonymity of their computer screens, but that doesn't change the potential validity of some of their comments.
 
But a group of judges who didn't find your submissions as wonderful as you did means nothing about you as a person or even as a photographer. The same applies to people who critique your images online. Take their comments as solid suggestions. Implement them when you agree and ignore them if you honestly don't, but don't let them crush your ego or your dreams.
 
The bottom line to how good an image is, still goes back to my favorite timeless one-liner from my old buddy Dean Collins over 20 years ago:

                                                            "Beauty is in the eyes of the checkbook holder!"

We see hundreds of images every day, but rarely hear the stories behind them. Often an artist has a photograph with a story that blends together technique and relevance, resulting in a much more unique message.

Shiv Verma is in the spotlight with a great image and back story. Shiv is a photographer, author, educator and regularly involved in various aspects of new imaging technology.  He believes in being involved in the industry and is often a speaker and competition judge at various conferences/workshops in photography. 

"After a lot of debate I decided to title this image “Refugees Welcome”.  In the past 6 months the topic of refugees has been dominant in the news. With Canada as one of the countries that has openly welcomed refugees, I felt this image represented the statement appropriately.  The concrete totems can be viewed as either emerging or going into the St. Lawrence river in Northern Quebec."

As a member of the Lumix Luminary team, Shiv is an obvious fan of Panasonic's mirrorless technology. Refugees Welcome was captured with the new Lumix GH5. As stated by Panasonic, the camera's "splash/dustproof construction is thanks to weather sealing on every joint, dial, and button." Shiv shares in this backstory the challenge of shooting in the rain, but in the end, he got the shot!

To see more of Shiv's work and follow his speaking and teaching schedule, just click on his image above.