This blog series is about fine-tuning your website, blog, and business. There are so many little things that require a little touchup. They're usually easy to fix, but they can have a significant impact on making your Internet properties a better experience. 

It's human nature to be too close to your own business and miss how some of the things you do might be perceived by your target audience. Fast Food Fridays focus on things to give you a stronger presence.

You know how to focus your camera, but what about everything else?

This is the tenth "blue-plate special" in the series. And, just like a diner, there's a new one every Friday.

On the menu today is one of my favorite pet peeves which is so easily fixed - let's get your policies OFF your website. Policies are important, but they belong with your contract discussion, not in the spotlight the first time a potential client visits your site.

There's an expression in business I learned years ago called "managing by the exception." It's most often used in reference to a company's policies when there's no extensive history behind a particular procedure, except a single incident that happened in the past.

Here's the perfect anecdotal story:

A little girl is watching her mother cook a roast beef, and she cuts two inches off the roast and throws it away. She asks her mother, "Why?" Mom says, "Because that's the way my mother used to cook a roast beef."

The little girl goes to the grandmother and asks, "Why do you cut two inches off a roast beef before you cook it?" The grandmother replied, "Because that's the way my mother taught me to cook a roast beef."

The little girl has one more shot at understanding the mystery and asks her great-grandmother, "Why do you cut two inches off the roast beef before you cook it?" The great-grandmother held her hands about 8 inches apart and said, "Because I only had a pan this big!"

So many of you have policies with little or no contemporary justification. For example, I see a lot of websites with policy statements about deposits and cancellations, apparently the result of somebody getting "burned" and making sure it never happens again.

I'm not against policies and procedures, but they don't belong on your website. 
​

• Your home page tabs are your most valuable real estate. Don't waste space with policies and procedures that can be discussed after a client has contacted you to book a sitting or an event date. I've read a few deposit policies so strongly worded they'd scare an IRS auditor! Let's make a visit to every corner of your website a great experience. ​
• Keep it light! Your website is your storefront and should represent your creativity and skill set. Don't bury your talent under an abundance of text and disclaimers.
• If there is a procedure or policy you feel people have to know about before contacting you, then write it in a way that's helpful and reflects a positive spirit.
• If you have a policy that absolutely has to be on your website, put it under an "Information" or "About your Event" or "About Your Session" section. You don't need a tab called "Policies."
• Don't let your website sound like the disclaimer of possible side-effects of a new drug advertised on television.

Most important of all, wherever you do have text on your website, keep it short and to the point. Remember a picture is still worth a thousand words and the purpose of your site is to get people excited about your work. The best way to do that is to dazzle them with great images.

Welcome to our fourth podcast in the "Beyond Technique" series. Working together with my co-host, Chamira Young, we're very excited to be sharing some terrific content thanks to great guests and PhotoShelter's never-ending passion for helping you raise the bar on your business.  

​Kristina Varaskina joined us on this new episode. She's all about people and capturing human emotion and the psychological impressions of her subjects' mind – permitting the characters to project their internal reality. Works undertaken are keen to explore a female and child perspective, evoking their thoughts, dreams, and hopes.   

In this new episode, Kristina shares a lot of great advice/insight, especially about being your own art director, developing a unique style, professionalism and communication with clients. A big part of the fun of this series has been each guest's willingness to share their experiences and some of the key points of their journey as a professional artist. 

Kristina also talks about how her PhotoShelter website has played a role. Click on any of her images to look at her website. Pay attention to how clean the site is. It's easy to navigate, and right from the beginning, she's sharing her images!

A big thanks to not only Kristina but PhotoShelter for the services and products they offer each client. The PhotoShelter team makes it so easy to show your images the way they deserve to be seen - in an excellent presentation. 

Click on any link below!

It's a perfect Throwback Thursday share with a trip down Memory Lane and a BBQ challenge from 2008. Here's the scenario, and it's all thanks to one of my favorite children and family photographers, Carey Schumacher from San Diego.

I have no idea who started it, but somehow it was trash talk in a phone conversation about who could grill the best steak. Carey Schumacher had previously visited the Rangefinder Magazine office in Culver City a couple of times and photographed Molly and me. In fact, I shared her image and the stationery she sent me in a post a few years ago.

A few months later it was game on!  It was Skip and my Molly vs. Carey and her Molly! In a park somewhere in the San Diego area Carey had two grills set up, a picnic table for the judging panel and that's all it took. We were off and running.

I lost the challenge, but I still argue she stacked the deck by knowing all the judges. However, after years of therapy, I've gotten over the loss and managed to live a fulfilling life! LOL

Seriously, here's my point for this Throwback Thursday. There are memories you naturally capture with your camera and then there are those you work to create. Carey's friendship over the years means a lot, and even though we don't catch up that often, it's her effort ten years ago that puts a smile on my face every time I look at the images.

Carey's also responsible for a portrait of me that I've shared a few different times. But it's her comment on a past blog post that makes it even more special.

I started this series of short podcasts to not only introduce you to some outstanding artists but to share how Profoto's technology has continued to change the way photographers light their subjects.

​There are more creative tools for photographers today than at any time in the 175+ year history of photography, and Profoto has certainly contributed to those tools.  Edu10 is sponsored by ProfotoUSA, who never slows down on their focus to help you raise the bar on the quality of your images.

Ana Brandt joins me on this new episode. As one of the industry's leading maternity and newborn artists, she sets the standard for everything from her images to the relationships she builds with her clients...and more. It's not just her images that capture the personalities of her subjects, but her role as an educator, business owner, and innovator who sets the standard for an industry she loves dearly both as a photographer and a designer.

"Ana Brandt was the first photographer in the world to design, create and market Maternity gowns to the Photography Industry 13 years ago. She revolutionized the Maternity Photographer industry by setting the design standard for Maternity gowns and use of fabrics for client sessions. Her store www.shopanabrandt.com has shipped her gowns to over 100 countries worldwide."

Earlier this year I shared an outstanding Profoto video of Ana working with her clients. It's just a click away. In less than five minutes Profoto and Ana share a lot of excellent content, along with an opportunity to watch the B1X Off-Camera Flash System and Ana in action.

​Ana's also responsible for one of my favorite quotes:

Recently I experienced another one of those stellar memory-making events, co-hosting "Mind Your Own Business" with Chamira Young and our guest, Anne Geddes. We all know her work, but I'm not sure very many of you know how much the Geddes Trust has given back. 

From Anne's "About" page:

Since the release of Anne’s first calendar, her work has been coupled with the desire to give back. The Geddes Philanthropic Trust was created to raise money for the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Since its inception, the Trust has designated funds from a range of Anne Geddes products totaling more than US$5.7 million, which has aided programs around the world. The upcoming 2018 calendar marks the 27th continuous edition.

Click on the banner below to listen to this new podcast. Anne shares some wonderful insight into her career and the number of different non-profits she's involved with - all of which benefit the well-being of children.

Anne never slows down in her efforts to make the world a better place, especially for children. Together with Kay Jewelers she recently launched a jewelry line inspired by her deeply held belief that all children must be protected, nurtured and loved. 

"Every piece in the jewelry collection includes a pearl with a bezel-set diamond. Pearls are the only gemstones in the world with a natural gestation period, representing innocence, transformation and the creation of new life.  The bezel-set diamond in the pearl represents the individual spark within each new life."
   
We're part of an amazing industry with artists like Anne Geddes willing to take her time to inspire us, not just with her images, but her philosophy on life and love. I hope you'll listen to the podcast and simply be inspired.

​And, if you're looking for a great gift idea for Mother's Day, click on the banner to the right.

Intro by Skip Cohen

It's "Mirrorless Mark" Monday, and my buddy Mark Toal is back with a terrific way to expand your skill set and make some of your work look different. Mark's taken one of his older LUMIX cameras and had it converted to shoot infrared.

At a time when so many of you are working hard to make our work look different, infrared adds a dimension of drama and fine art to your portfolio. Plus, it's fun to shoot in infrared - remember that word "fun?" It's one of those very special words too often lost in business today.

Mark chose one of his favorite infrared images for his episode of "Why?" a year and a half ago. If you'd like to hear him talk more about infrared and that image, the very short podcast is just a click away.
 
Mark's never without a LUMIX camera. Check out more of his images and follow him on Facebook and Instagram. ​

by Mark Toal

​A few years ago, it was time to retire one of my favorite Panasonic cameras, the LUMIX GX7. The GX7 fit my hand perfectly, and the image quality was beautiful, but as it always happens, another camera caught my eye. I didn’t want to part with the GX7 so my friend, Joe Farace, suggested I have it converted to shoot infrared.
 
The first question people ask is if the camera can now shoot in the dark? The short answer is no. The conversion involves removing the filter on the camera’s sensor that blocks infrared light and replaces it with one that lets in some infrared. For more details and examples of the different conversions check out the site of the company where I sent mine to be converted, Life Pixel. There are a lot of companies that do the conversion. You can find more choices using Google. Keep in mind that once the camera is converted, you can’t go back.
 
I chose the 720nm conversion because I liked the black and white look. The first thing you’ll notice is that grass and leaves on trees all turn white. My favorite effect is how it makes skies much more dramatic as you can see in these two images I took in Tucson, Arizona just a few weeks ago.
 
The image that comes out of the camera won’t look this dramatic. I apply a filter effect to the image using Nik Silver Efex on my computer or the App Snapseed on my cell phone or tablet. You can get a similar effect using Lightroom, Photoshop or a similar program. There are a lot of tutorials online with tips for processing IR images.
 
Another great thing about infrared photography is that IR loves mid-day light when normal photos can look dull and lifeless. If you have an old digital camera sitting on the shelf think about converting it to Infrared and open your eyes to a whole new world of photography.

I've written a lot over the last few years about marketing from social media, to promotional ideas, partnerships and even website/blog content and design. Just like many of you have a passion for helping clients capture memories, while I love actively shooting, my first love for photography is helping you build a stronger business.

Whether you believe in right brain vs left brain concepts or not doesn't matter - most of you are right-brainers with high creative skills and have little interest in the operational side of being a professional photographer.  What good will it do to fine-tune your skill set to capture consistently stunning images if nobody knows who you are; people aren't looking at your work, and nobody is paying for your services? 

And there you have it - Why I love Marathon's Marketing Advantage Program! For a minimal monthly fee, you've got your own assigned facilitator and Marathon's entire team as a resource to plan, design and implement marketing programs that not only help to build your brand but bring in business! Best of all, your facilitator is there to help you stay on track.

We're halfway through April, and many of you are already starting to see business ramping up. And, so many of you still need help in developing a strategy to make 2018 your best year yet, as well as into the future. Help from Marathon is just a phone call away, and it costs you nothing but a little time to find out more about the program!

Call Marathon at 1-800-228-0629, Ext 283 and click on the link below for more information.

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air…
work, family, health, friends and spirit.
You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball,
But the other four balls – family, health, friends, and spirit - are made of glass.
Brian Dyson, former vice chairman and COO of Coca-Cola

It's a typical Sunday morning, Sheila's asleep, Molly's sleeping at my feet, it's still dark outside, and I'm typing away after finding the quote above earlier in the week. It got me thinking about how often I think the work "ball" is made of glass. I get so wrapped up in being pulled in different directions by the business; I forget the other balls I'm juggling in the air. And, I know I'm not alone.

Years ago I met Ed Foreman, an outstanding motivational speaker who presented a program at a Polaroid meeting I was attending. He gave a scenario that went like this - it was over thirty years ago, so my apologies for paraphrasing a little.

One spouse turns to the other and says, "Honey, just wait until the kids are older and then we're really going to have some fun and take that vacation we've always wanted!"

A few years go by, and they have the same conversation, "Honey, just wait until we move into a bigger house after my promotion and then we're really going to have some fun and take that vacation we've always wanted!"

Ten years later, "Honey, just wait until the kids are out of college and then we're really going to have some fun and take that vacation we've always wanted!"

Ten more years go by, "Honey, just wait until I retire and have more time and then we're really going to have some fun and take that vacation we've always wanted."

Then, a few years later, that same spouse, is in a coffin on the way to the cemetery and realizes, "Oh my God, I forgot to have fun!"

So, here's my point this morning. Your health, family, friends, and spirit all deserve to be at the very top of your priority list - starting with taking care of yourself and your spirit.  Pay attention to the signs of burnout. There's no excuse for missing them because down deep you know when you're about to hit the wall. Having a great life is all about relationships, starting with your own heart. Learn to listen to it.

Stop making work the "glass ball" and focus on everything that's more important. You know how to focus on your subjects when there's a camera in your hand - well, the essential components in your life are no different - just that there's no auto-focus - it's all manual, and you have to be the one to keep everything in the image sharp!

Life is for laughing, loving and living!
Ed Foreman

The purpose of this series is to keep sharing easy to fix ideas to help you raise the bar on qualities related to being a professional.  We're all so close to our own business that sometimes we miss the most obvious challenges. 

I started Fast Food Fridays to help you focus on things to give you a stronger presence. You know how to focus your camera, but what about everything else?

So, just like a diner with a daily blue plate special, I'm breaking things down into small "plates." There's a new one every Friday, and this is the ninth in the series.
   
On the menu for today are easy-to-implement tips to be more accessible for your customers. Why make it hard for your target audience to contact you?  And, when they do find you, let's make it an experience they smile about as opposed to shaking their heads and contacting your competitor!

Here's a fun quality of Facebook. The image above was shared on Royce Chenore's page over a year ago. Recently somebody commented and the thread became active again, coming up on my page this morning.

Royce originally wrote:

This is Circa 1995... it was a publicity photo for the "PORTRAIT 2000" teleconference.... this was in the VERY early days of "electric imaging" now called digital retouch... the photographers submitted "selfies" on FILM of all formats brands and speeds....(selfie...another term that didn't exist) and ACI composited them into one image.... this was EXTREMELY INNOVATIVE AT THE TIME!! Feel free to share and tag others if you wish....

Well, I picked up the phone and called an old friend who I hadn't talk to in a lot of years, Ed Pierce, (front row, second from the end.)  What a kick it was to talk him about this event. Here's what so many of you don't know.

• ​This event actually led to the launch of PhotoVision, which many of you subscribed to over the years.
• There were four events in the series with the smallest being 58 viewing locations and the largest at 80+.
• While some of the locations were in theaters, over half were in hotel ballrooms with satellite trucks. Just the logistics alone, which included a few snow storms, was an incredible accomplishment.
• Ritz Camera had the studio for the production, but Ed Pierce had to help them rig it for the event.
• Each speaker was interviewed live during the event and then there was a 25-30 minute video of them working/teaching, and then back to the speaker live again.
• There was a full panel of operators standing by to field phone-in questions for the speakers - much like a telethon.
• The program was eight hours of live content for each event.

Now, take a minute and think about online education today. This is where it all started! There was no Creative Live or Lynda.com or for that matter ANY online programming. There were no webinars, even YouTube wouldn't be founded for almost another ten years!

But this is also another example of a fun aspect about Throwback Thursday. While in one respect I can't believe how old I am to have been around for this stuff - on the other hand, I couldn't be more proud to have been a very small part of it. Hasselblad was one of the sponsors and Tony Corbell, and I flew to Washington D.C. and were in the audience all day at the live event.

It's hard to imagine a more fun trip down Memory Lane when it comes to photography. To Royce for sharing over a year ago - thank you! And, to my old buddy Ed Pierce, who answered the phone just a few minutes ago, it really is time for you to write a book. You're the one who blazed this trail into video education and helped change so many lives in photography!

Happy Throwback Thursday everybody!

Regardless of what gear you shoot with, the Tamron Tech Team is hitting the road again to help you raise the bar on the quality of your images and expand your skill set. Having worked with many of the members of the team I know from firsthand experience this is one of the most skilled and diverse groups of artists in the industry and they're back on the road with Tamron Tours Presents.

Coming up this month Erica Robinson and Ken Hubbard will be doing a two-day series including a trip to the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island. Please note - you must be registered to attend.

             April 27/28        Hunt's Photo & Video

Click on the banner to the right for more details.

They hit Brick, NJ and Baltimore, MD in May.  So, if you're not in the area, check out the calendar to date with a click on the Tamron Tours van above. And, make sure they're on your radar for the rest of 2018 - the team is going to be all over the country!

 Intro by Skip Cohen
  
Many years ago I heard Jay Conrad Levinson speak about the top one hundred things guerrilla marketers need to do to build their business and brand awareness. Right near the top of his list was community involvement. I remember him saying, "People like buying products from companies who give back."  The reality is, you're looking for the community to be good to you, so you have to find ways to be good to your community!

I've shared a lot of stories about Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (NILMDTS) over the years. I used to think NILMDTS wasn't for everybody, but the longer I've been one of their ambassadors, the more I realize it is for everybody! I've heard so many stories from photographers who panicked over the idea of their emotional involvement photographing a dying or even deceased baby, and later describe their experience as life-changing.
 
The NILMDTS video below is still one of the very best ways to understand how you can help, and at the same time start to learn how NILMDTS will help you. You'll grow as an artist and more importantly a member of your community with a more significant passion for family values, love and yes, photography.

I wanted to share the short post below by Jennifer Smith about her experience as a NILMDTS volunteer. She does such an excellent job of describing her involvement, especially her last sentence: "I think it’s important the parents know I’m honored to be a part of their child’s life, I’m grateful to have met them and photograph them. I will remember their child, and I was impacted by them."

NILMDTS needs volunteers at all levels, not just photographers. To find out more about how you can help click on the thumbnail to the right.

Intro by Skip Cohen

It's another "Mirrorless Mark" Monday, and my buddy Mark Toal is back with a perfect example of the need for so many of us to expand our skill set. And, to Mark's point, I'm no videographer either, but all of the LUMIX cameras I'm shooting with give me the ability to switch from still images to video and back again - all with the push of a button.

And, whether the video I capture is strong enough to stand on its own or be included with still images and music in a hybrid slideshow, I'm becoming a better storyteller. That's every artist's goal whether sharing one image, an album or a video.

I had some fun with Mark's post and pulled a few of screenshots from the video. Although these are from the video below - if Mark shot in 4K then he's also got the ability to pull single frames to further enhance his storytelling.

He's never without a LUMIX camera. Check out more of Mark's images and follow him on Facebook and Instagram. ​

​PS Happy Birthday Eliza!

by Mark Toal
​
I doubt I’ll ever think of myself as a videographer, but I have more than 100 videos online between Youtube.com and Vimeo.com. Until about 10 years ago you needed to use a dedicated video camera to shoot good quality video, now every cell phone and camera can shoot amazing video and the Internet makes it easy to share.
 
This video of my granddaughter’s birthday party is a perfect example of why video can capture a moment better than a still photo. This was made using a small Lumix LX10 point and shoot camera.

As her mother walked in with the cake, I picked up the camera and pressed the red button to start the video. This was all shot handheld using auto-exposure and focus, basically, point and shoot video. Mirrorless cameras make video easier since you have a direct path to the sensor allowing you to shoot quickly without a mirror to get out of the way, and an electronic viewfinder to make it easy to see what you’re shooting in bright light.
 
Laptops, tablets and cell phones almost all have built-in software to trim the beginning and end of the video if you begin too early or have extra at the end of the scene. If you need software, try something easy to use like Adobe Premiere Elements for Mac or PC’s. Then go to Youtube.com and press the upload arrow in the upper right corner. When your video is finished uploading share the link with friends and family or post in on social media. If you’re worried about privacy, you can hide the video so only people with a password or link can see it.
 
Three tips for getting good videos: Keep your videos short, move the camera as little as possible, and don’t zoom while shooting.

When you're ready to learn more about video, cameras like the Panasonic Lumix G85 and GH5 are there with all the features you need to make your own independent film, but for now, just have fun learning a new way to photograph your world.

In my program this past weekend at the Professional Photographers of Ohio conference, I talked about Riptide Marketing, an expression I coined many years ago. 

Well, there's another aspect to riptide marketing and it comes from over-discounting in one promotional offer after another. For example, the ad concept to the right is from an email I got years ago from Levin's Furniture in Akron, where we used to live. Being back in Ohio this weekend, their ads repeatedly came up on the radio.
 
They've done so many promotions they can't get out of the cycle without risking a serious drop in business. They're stuck in a riptide. They have to come out with a new promotion every few weeks. 

Many of you have the same challenge in your own marketing efforts, especially how you use your blog. You started posting client images from recent events or sittings and now it's a popularity contest. Just like Levin's, your clients expect they'll be featured on your blog and if you don't post their images you're afraid of dealing with hurt feelings and their disappointment.

Let's get you out of the riptide!

Two of the most important tips to get out of a riptide are to stay calm and then swim parallel to the shore until you're out of the current. I'm going to suggest the same in your marketing efforts. Let's work on changing client expectations of their images being showcased on your site.

Stay Calm... You know how to focus our camera, so let's apply the same discipline to staying focused on the challenge. This isn't something you can change overnight, but it starts with creating better content for your blog.

Many of you got into this mess because you couldn't think of anything to write about and showing client images was so easy. To make a change from what you've been doing, you need to start adding some good content. Build up a stash of 15-20 posts, 200-400 words each of picture-taking tips for your readers. This is all about being helpful.  Once you've got enough content in the pipeline, start a new feature on your site and once a week share "Skip's Tips" - obviously use your own name!

If you don't like the idea of picture-taking tips, then find something else with longevity. It could be great locations to photograph in your community, profiles of members of the community, even a review of upcoming events of interest to your readers.

Run the new feature for a month, and you'll be ready to start reducing your client images. We're going to be changing the feel of your blog a little but it's no different than a restaurant adding new things to their menu.

Swim parallel to the shore... Just like getting out of a riptide, there are two ways you can start to make a change with your clients. Instead of showing a lot of images from a client shoot and I've seen a few of you who show ALL of them, just pick two images. The first image is your favorite and the second demonstrates a "how-to" point. It might be about fill-flash or wardrobe, back-lighting, time of day, location, etc.  You're still going to feature an image of your client, but it's going to be featured in a way that supports a new role you're building for yourself - being a mentor to  helping your readership with their photographic skills. Most important of all you're going to show fewer images and set the stage to not show every client in the future.

Another idea, which to me still perpetuates the problem is to build a "Client Showcase" into your blog and simply call it what it is. Personally, it's not my favorite solution, but if you've made your blog into a community feature that seems impossible to break, then moving client images into their own section could be a good solution.

Why change at all? 

​While your website is your storefront and about what you sell, your blog is about sharing what's in your heart. I'm convinced a well-done blog is your greatest tool for promoting your website. It's an opportunity to build trust with your clients and show your personality, but it can't happen if your heart is hidden under tons of images from past shoots. I'm not against sharing client images unless they become the only thing you show on your blog.

Your blog should be about who you are and why you're a photographer. Together your website and blog should compliment each other, but when your blog starts having as many images as your galleries, you're missing a fantastic opportunity to build a stronger brand.

It's just a short post this morning, and not as off the topic of photography as I usually share. For years I've written about the best thing in our industry being the friendships that come out of everyone's love for the craft. Well, here's a prime example:

I'm in Ohio and spoke at PhotoBlast 2018, PPO's annual event this weekend. It's a great little conference, and if you're in Ohio and missed this year's convention, you blew it. It's a solid lineup of speakers, a terrific little trade show and with 300 people in attendance, it's a boutique conference worth putting on your calendar for 2019, but that's not why it's been such a good trip.

This industry is built on friendships. I watched with incredible pride as my good buddy Brent Watkins, president of PPO received PPA's National Award last night. I was sitting with Robert Kunesh at the time, who I hadn't seen in at least ten years and at our table were several photographers who I'd never met, all being recognized for their contribution to the craft. 

Earlier I caught up to Bob Coates, who I've been hanging out with for years. I've grown as an artist thanks to his influence.  

Plus, my good buddy Mark, AKA "Hoss," who's not in the industry drove down with me - what a kick connecting a friend from one part of my life outside of photography with friends from another!

And that brings me right to my point this morning:

It's those friendships both new and old that's the "mortar" that holds all the "bricks" of our lives together. And, this weekend I've met a lot of photographers both new and old to the craft. Each one has sparked the potential of a new friendship.

If you've ever seen an old building, it's the mortar between the bricks that decays first. In life, but more specifically our industry, it's the new friendships that keep the mortar solid. It's the passion of people you meet at a small conference like this that keeps photography growing, and for me, it's where the love I have for this industry comes from.

Roll your eyes and call me sappy, but I can't imagine any career choice that could keep me smiling every day like this one!

Wishing everybody a terrific weekend and one filled with the possibility of new friends, and appreciation for the old ones. Go for those eleven-second hugs and if you're a photographer, give yourself a big pat on the back for the contribution you make to the world every time you click the shutter!

Happy Sunday everybody!

If you're in the NJ/NYC area here's a program you shouldn't miss. Even if you're not doing a lot of travel photography, Tamron never compromises on the quality of the information they're sharing and the help they're giving artists to raise the bar on their images.

"It’s a big world out there, and we want to help you capture it! Join us to fine-tune your skills on how to photograph your travels, whether they be weekend jaunts, family vacations or the trip of a lifetime. Learning how to create the right exposure, how to approach your subject, how to compose new angles and perspectives, and how to pack your bag with the right lenses, are all layers to creating a better photograph. Open your eyes to the world of travel photography and bring home photo memories like never before!"

Regardless of your specialty in photography or your main interest, this is an evening workshop that will not only add to your skill set, but expand your network. Tamron's tech team is one of the most diverse groups of artists in photography.  No matter what your skill level they're an amazing resource to have in your network.

Plus, this isn't just about your skill set - it's one more way that Tamron gives back to the community! 

​There are so many relatively easy things you can do to fine-tune your business, but you get busy, and suddenly everything seems like a major project.  

So, I started Fast Food Fridays to help you focus on things you need to do to make your business and presence stronger. After all, you know how to focus your camera. Why not your skills as a business owner?

Each week is a new brand-builder to help you build a stronger reputation and make 2018 your best year yet. I get that you're busy, but I also know just working on your skill set as a photographer isn't enough to make you a success.

Just like a diner with a daily blue plate special, I'm breaking things down into small "plates" of fixable challenges. This is the eighth "lunch special" in the series, hitting another easy to fix component of your business.
   
On the menu for today is a series of tips to improve your follow-up and develop a stronger sense of Customer Service, one of the very best ways to outshine your competitors. 

​Anyone who contacts you, whether they're a client, potential client, vendor or associate, judges you on your response time together with the accuracy of your response, hopefully with a delivery that should match the sincerity of The Three Tenors!   

Phone Calls: How quickly do you return a call to a client? A few years ago Gene Ho, a wedding photographer in Myrtle Beach, told me how his system works for responding to clients. If he's on the road and unavailable, an assistant catches the message and texts Gene or gets back to the potential bride directly. Often his studio has locked in the client before his competitors have even opened their email.

Checking Your Email: Things really do get lost. Remember to check all your email boxes. Some of you not only have exclusive business email addresses but you're on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. Messages can sit there for weeks with many of you. Also, don't forget the "other" box on Facebook messages. Plus, don't forget to check your spam folders. Remember people will always assume the worse when you don't get back to them promptly.

Email Templates on Your Website: I wrote about this in a previous Fast Food Friday. They're meaningless if you don't check them regularly. Also, give people every possible way to contact you. I understand if you work out of your home and don't want to publish your address - but you can still give them an email address and phone number.  What's most important is how quickly does a potential client get a response?  

Customer Service Problems/Challenges: Do you resolve challenges quickly or let them drag out? The key to great customer service is to handle each problem as quickly as possible. It's so easy to build a strong reputation. When there's a problem, all you have to do is call the customer and say, "The buck stops here. How can I help?" Then, kick back and listen.

Appointments: Are you always early, just on time or a few minutes late? There's a story I heard years ago about author, Tom Peters. As the story goes, he was speaking to a room full of airline executives and arrived ten minutes late. They were aggravated that he wasn't on time. He stepped up to the microphone and said, "By all of your standards this was an on-time arrival." Every client has to feel like they're your most important account.

Product Deliveries: Are you early, on time or late? Nothing beats delivering early and exceeding client expectations, but nothing can hurt your reputation more than having a client wait longer than anticipated.

Your Attitude:  This is a tough one for all of us. It's hard to be upbeat all the time, especially when you're flat out trying to catch up and the phone rings.  Remember one easy pointer I was given years ago...if you smile on the phone, it comes out in the tone of your voice. The same goes for face to face meetings. Now and then I meet a photographer who forgot how to be happy. It seems so basic, but we all have to be a little Hollywood now and then when we're dealing with some of the challenges of running a business. It's like the old Ban deodorant commercial..."Never let them see you sweat!"

This video is in Spanish with English subtitles, but before some of you roll your eyes and think you're not going to learn anything here's why I'm sharing it.

• It's been said that photography is the universal language and without question Profoto and Mara Saiz proves that point in this short video featuring her work and the A1.
• Telling a story with photographs is also universal. Every portrait artist is a storyteller and Mara's images tell a story.  

• What each of us like is all about personal taste. Well, I love her work and the style of her images. Developing your own unique style is one of the biggest challenges for every artist.

 Click on either of my two favorite screenshots from the video to link to the Profoto blog and the complete story.

• Pay attention to the way Mara and Profoto tell the story. Obviously it's about the A1, but in the process you've got a chance to watch another photographer at work. So, how would you tell your story?

There's so much great content on YouTube on both ProfotoUSA and Profoto's channels. Take the time to wander over and take a scroll through their archives. They're always sharing information to help you raise the bar on the quality of your images and especially to expand your skill set in lighting.

And, take the time to wander into a Profoto dealer - just click on the banner below and find the retailer or rental house nearest you. Isn't it time you found out what all the buzz was about?

​"Why?" is all about the favorite images from some of the most respected artists and educators in photography today. I started the series almost two years ago after teaching a workshop and being surprised how many attendees didn't know so many of the leading artists in contemporary photography. 

Well, here we are, 101 artists, later with a new episode each week. With every backstory has come your introduction to an artist you may not have known before, along with some terrific insight.

Going back to my Rangefinder Magazine publishing days, one of the most powerful cover images we ever had was a senior shot of "Fuzzy" Duenkel's. It was a high school senior holding her violin with half of her face vertically cropped. It was one of the strongest portraits I'd ever seen, and it's still clear in my mind all these years later.

Fuzzy joins me in this new podcast to talk about photographing seniors. Although there's probably nothing, he can't photograph, his passion is clearly in portraiture. Click on his image above or a few of my favorites I pulled from his website to see more of his work.

And, if you're looking for help to raise the bar for your portrait work, check out Fuzzy's section for photographers where he offers both private tutoring and small group sessions.