Images copyright Michael Anthony. All rights reserved. Please Note: If you saw this post earlier in the day, there were some different images being shared. My apologies to another "Michael Anthony" in professional photography. The original photos were from his work. He's based out of Ft. Lauderdale, and in putting the post together his URL was pulled by mistake. Over the last few years, Profoto's technology has consistently been a "game changer." So, I wanted to have some fun with a series of very short podcasts to not only introduce you to some outstanding artists but to share how Profoto's changed the way photographers light their subjects. EDU10 is sponsored by ProfotoUSA, who never slows down on their focus to help you raise the bar on the quality of your images. Today you've got the best and most number of creative tools in the history of photography. With the help of some incredible artists and educators, we're sharing more ideas to help you expand your mind's eye visions on all the possibilities in lighting. Michael Anthony joins me on this new episode. He's an award-winning wedding artist, educator, business owner, and writer. Profoto's Off-Flash System has created an environment for him with virtually no limitations on any event or portrait he photographs. While I don't usually share video's with EDU10 podcasts, check out this short video with Michael talking about three different sessions with a bridal client. I shared it recently as a stand-alone post, but there's so much solid content here, and if you haven't seen it, you can learn a lot watching another artist in action. There's an outstanding contest going on right now as well. Here's your chance to win $10,000 of Michael's Profoto gear and registration at his two-day workshop! And, check out more of Michael's work with a click on his image above.
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There's an old line I've heard over the years and it's been modified numerous times, but essentially it goes, If you do what you've always done, you'll never get more than you ever got! For many of you it's time to make some changes in your business if you intend to grow. I've shared several posts on this topic over the years, but each Spring, just after convention season a lot of photographers start thinking about two areas of their business. First, if they're part-time, they start thinking about going full-time. Second, if they're established full or part-time they start thinking about what they need to do differently. While the timing would be so much better earlier in the year, it doesn't matter. Building a more successful business is something you should be doing ALL YEAR LONG! Let's start with dealing with fear, especially if you're part-time and thinking about going full-time. If you've developed a solid skill set, that's the first thing you need on your side, but it's not enough by itself. You have to think about marketing. Remember, any moron can get their first client. The key is getting the second, third and fourth ones and then getting that first one to come back. This isn't a career path where you can fake it 'til you make it! Getting out on your own is supposed to create a little fear - if it didn't then everybody would be doing it. It took me most of my life to finally get out on my own, and I was terrified when leaving a great job as President of WPPI and Rangefinder Magazine What was I afraid of? Failure! This is where my wife, Sheila, played such an important role and it's something everybody needs when you make a change like this - a good support network, whether it's just one person or a whole bunch of friends and family. Time to get specific on business building ideas:
It's logical to be nervous about stepping things up, whether it's revitalizing an older business or giving up your day job to go full-time. Most important of all stay focused on your dream and don't let the "negators" in your life get to you. They're only jealous of your passion! "Success in life comes when you simply refuse to give up, with goals so strong that obstacles, failure and lost only act as motivation." Author Unknown Good luck - you know where to find me if I can help.
Intro by Skip Cohen Mark Toal is back for "Mirrorless Mark Monday," and when I got to the last paragraph, I started laughing. There's a national campaign on to get people to stop texting and driving, but nobody ever said anything about photography and driving! Knowing Mark, I know he wasn't putting anybody in danger, but there is something to be said about the safety of auto-focus and program mode while driving! LOL Mark's a big fan of infrared and his episode of "Why?" and a previous "Mirrorless Mark Monday" were both infrared images. In the second post he shared a lot of great information about how to convert a camera to shoot infrared. Follow Mark and the LUMIX Ambassador team and put their Facebook page on your radar. And, if you're interested in finding out more about LUMIX cameras, just click on the banner below. by Mark Toal
Anybody who knows me knows I love photographing trains. My fascination with trains started when I left Miami, Florida for Reno, Nevada when I was 22 years old. I decided to take the five-day train trip, so I could get a sense of how far I was moving across the country. I’ll never forget the adventure of riding that train. Years later when she was near death, my mother told me the sound of a train always made her sad because it reminded her of taking me to the train station for that trip. I was recently in Fresno, California. As I prepared for my drive to San Jose, I noticed the big fluffy clouds against a blue sky as a storm moved in from the west. I grabbed my Infrared converted Panasonic Lumix GX7 with the Lumix 7-14mm lens and put it in the passenger seat. I choose the Infrared camera because it records skies and clouds very dramatically. A few miles out of Fresno I noticed a freight train out my passenger side window going almost the same speed that I was. I zoomed the lens to 14mm and held it as close to the car window as possible to avoid reflection and shot a few frames as we both passed a row of old houses. I had the camera set to the Program mode since I was going 60 miles an hour while trying to watch the road, hold the camera and press the shutter.
Portraits Heirloom 00 Title Photo – Effects Pack Portraits
Intro by Chamira Young
Did you know taking stellar portraits is just one way to serve your clients? The way in which you present their precious portraits to them can be just as important -- and powerful -- for making a lasting impression. Offering a slideshow of highlights from their session can be a great way to help them ride the "emotional wave" that often results from a session well done. ​Additionally, if you're looking for a creative way to present highlights from your portfolio to potential clients, then a beautiful slideshow is a solid way to do your past work justice. Photography and storytelling go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly, so if you're in need of some great inspiration for putting together your own photo slideshows, then you're in the right spot. The folks at Photodex have rounded up some highlights from their Portraits Effects Pack to give you some ideas. Let's take a look. Be sure to watch the Portrait Effects Pack Demo Video at the end! It'll really get your creative juices flowing.
By Photodex
Portraits Heirloom 00 Title Photo – Effects Pack PortraitsWe recently posted a round-up of 9 Portrait Photography Blogs, Tips and Inspiration, plus much more to help you capture the best portrait photo. Now…take all those photos and make a ProShowslideshow to share your creative work that came from that. Or maybe you already have some amazing portrait photos…either way, we’d love to see them! Get the Portraits Effects Pack for ProShow Gold, ProShow Producer, and ProShow Web. From Art Deco, Holidays, Vintage, Wall Frames and much more…you’ll be sure to find the perfect effect for your photos. Still want more? We have some already built-in effects and a collection of 15 ProShow effects pack for an even wider variety. ​ To get you started we’ve rounded up a few of our favorites from the Portraits Effects Pack to make your photos pop and look great. Your slideshow can be a fun keepsake or used as a great promotional asset for your business. 1. Portraits Vintage ​ ​This vintage fx adds a small frame to your photo and creates a black and white duplicate in the background. A classy and simple effect to showcase those images. Not a fan? There’s also a ton more to choose from like title photos, just the frames, and even the option for 2 or 3 photos per slide style. ​ 2. Portraits Scrapbook ​ The scrapbook section is full of vibrant colors and playful designs that are perfect for children’s portraits or any family occasions. It also comes with title slides, multi-image options, and more. ​ 3. Portraits Glam Add one of these subtle but elegant effects if you’re using fashion, weddings, or engagement photos. The gold trim and light chevrons in these effects will add a little burst of fun to make your photos come to life.​ 4. Portraits Geometric ​ ​The geometric styles are full of light colors and shapes that add a cool twist to your photos. These are perfect for any of your casual portraits or anything else you feel that works out just perfectly when they are combined. 5. Portraits Minimal ​ If you’re looking for very minimal effects that aren’t distracting from your photos then check these out. Gradient lines on solid backgrounds will give your photos a very sleek and clean feel. Watch the Portraits Effects Pack Demo ​
Photodex is all about the tools to help you become a better storyteller. They never slow down on their focus to help you raise the bar on your business, presentations and finding new ways to help you streamline the creative process. Visit their blog where you'll find outstanding new content being shared every day.
The SAVE20WITHSKIP code is still active - so, put it in the code box when you purchase any Photodex product for a 20% discount. ​​ On Sunday mornings I always step away from photography and hit on something more personal. With today being Mother's Day, there's plenty of material to write about. At the same time, I've written about my mother on plenty of other occasions, so I've been sitting here thinking about how to make today's post different. Well, here's where I want to go this morning. Growing up I was always closer to my Dad than Mom. Mom was the disciplinarian in the family and Dad just wanted to be the good guy. As I got older, the gap widened and then at some point, well into adulthood, the relationship changed. My mother didn't have kids around and took care of Dad. The older I got, the more I appreciated their relationship. We moved to Florida in 2011 to help Dad, who by then was taking care of Mom. She had Alzheimer's, and Dad was 89 - it was a lot to manage. Moving down here was the best thing in my life I've ever done, and it gave Sheila and me quality time with both of them. I remember going out with Dad for lunch one day after our meeting at the Thursday morning Caregiver Support Group at the Friendship Centers. We were quietly arguing over his need to take a break from caregiving, because he would not leave her side except for these short excursions. He ended the discussion with, "Look, your mother has taken care of me all these years. Now it's my turn to take care of her!" As you get older, you see the world differently. You start to understand things you couldn't comprehend when you were younger. The older I got, the more I appreciated how much my mother and father were dedicated to each other, and yet still found time for their family. They built a life on love, honesty, and commitment. I'm not a rear-view mirror guy, and I rarely look back. However, I wish I had told my mother how much she meant to me. I wish I had taken the time BEFORE Alzheimer's to sit and talk with Mom more often. So, here's my point: Live your life with no regrets, especially where your mother is concerned. Take the time regularly to let her know how you feel about her. Life is full of surprises, not always good ones. Life is too short, and you don't want to be looking back saying, "I should have..." or as Sheila puts it, don't should on yourself. For all you Moms out there, Happy Mother's Day. For most of you, you're the mortar that holds the bricks of your family together. You wear a long list of different hats as a mother, wife, friend, lover, business owner, photographer and the list goes on and on. No role compares with your never-ending commitment to motherhood! Mothers hold their children's hands for a while, but their hearts forever. Anonymous Wishing you a day with no regrets, time with your family, time to be appreciated for everything you do and lots of love. Add a few more seconds onto those eleven-second therapeutic hugs and make today a memory-maker, especially for your Mom.
Happy Mother's Day! Photo Credit: Cantrell Portrait Design I started this series and called it "Fast Food Friday" because so many of you are focused on your creativity and don't pay enough attention to the operational and marketing side of your business. What good is working so hard to create the most beautiful images of your career if nobody's buying; they don't know who you are, or you've done nothing to grab their attention? So, I went off on a quest to find one thing every week you could focus on and start thinking about - relatively short, fast ideas often easy to implement. And, just like a great diner, some of the "blue plate specials" are light while others might take more time and a stronger commitment. This week's Fast Food special is all about getting involved in your community. Unlike many of the previous specials, this one takes a little more time, but it's also got one of the strongest paybacks! You're looking for the community to be good to you, so you better make sure you're good to your community. Stumped on Ways to Get More Involved in Your Community?So many of you over-think the process and find yourself in analysis paralysis! This is such a simple concept. It doesn't matter what you're doing, as long as you're giving back to your community, with or without a camera in your hands. From working the refreshment stand at a Friday night football game to helping kids on the yearbook capture better images - no matter where you live there's an opportunity to be more involved.
Here's another aspect to why being involved is so important. Years ago I heard Jay Conrad Levinson, the father of Guerrilla Marketing, speak. In his top one hundred things guerrilla marketers needed to do was be involved in their community. Why? Because people like buying products from companies they perceive as giving back. So, what are you waiting for? Missed any past Friday Fast Foods? They're all still being served!
Intro by Skip Cohen "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care!" Building a strong, consistent reputation for excellent customer service is one of the very best marketing tools you have, but it doesn't happen by accident. Yes, there's a degree of common sense involved, but you have to see the world through your client's eyes and pay attention to each relationship. I met Shep Hyken in cyberspace. Chamira Young and I had him as a guest on the "Mind Your Own Business" podcast, and later I was a guest on his podcast. Shep is all about helping business owners build a strong customer service presence. Find out how you can sign up for his free newsletter by clicking on the banner above. In the meantime, I love this gem he shared yesterday! "Sorry" Shouldn't Mean "Too Bad"The other day a buddy shared an experience he had with a company that sold him mulch for his yard. When the truck arrived, he asked the driver and his co-worker to put the mulch in the backyard. The driver said, “I’m sorry. Dropping the mulch off in the backyard is considered white-glove service. You needed to let us you wanted the mulch in the backyard when you ordered it.” In this case, sorry had a double meaning. Maybe the driver was saying he was sorry to apologize, and at the same time, he was also saying, “Too bad. Pay more money if you want the mulch delivered an extra 50 feet to the back of the house.” I had a similar “I’m sorry” experience when I went to check out at a hotel. There was a $35 resort charge that I didn’t know about. I was there for three days, so that added up to over $100. I asked the front desk clerk what I got for that $100. She said, “Free internet, access to the workout room and a newspaper.” Hmm… most hotels I stay at don’t charge for any of these amenities. And, she added, almost ashamed, “I’m sorry. They should have informed you about the resort fee when you made your reservation. Once again, the word sorry was more of a “Too bad,” than an apology. Lesson One: The words we use are important. And, if we use a phrase like “I’m sorry,” what comes after that needs to be part of the apology versus a “too bad” type of explanation. Even if it is “too bad,” the way you say it can include some empathy and caring that makes the customer know you feel their disappointment. Lesson Two: The surprise resort fee wasn’t a big deal to pay. Yet, at the heart of the issue is that I felt the hotel was “nickel and diming” me. So, I asked the front-desk clerk to do me a favor. I told her that I wasn’t mad at her about the resort charge. It wasn’t her fault, and she was just the bearer of the bad news explanation. She immediately seemed to relax. Then, I told her what I did for a living, and asked if she would share how she felt about this situation. She told me that almost every day several guests complain about the resort fee, and she feels she has to defend it, and that makes her feel uncomfortable. When you know that your customers are regularly disappointed with a part of your process, figure out a way to eliminate that disappointment. In the case of the resort fee, it seems simple. It’s fine to charge it, so when the guest makes a reservation, if it’s online the fee should be made clear and be included on the confirmation receipt. If the reservation is made over the phone, inform the guest, and in the process, “sell” the benefits of that fee. For example, the reservationist could say, “Make sure you take advantage of the workout room. It’s more like a spa with the latest equipment. It’s part of your resort fee. You’ll love it.” Then, at check-in, go over the room rate and resort fee and “sell” it again. Make it a benefit, not an ugly surprise at the end of the trip. Isn’t that so much better than having to say, “I’m sorry!” There are many ways we can turn negatives into positives. There are many words we can use to show our customers we care. The powerful words, “I’m sorry,” shouldn’t be abused. They shouldn’t be part of a too bad explanation. They should convey empathy, care and concern. And, if you have to utter those two powerful words more often than you should, figure out why, and do something about it! Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling business author. For information, contact 314-692-2200 or www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs, go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken (Copyright © MMXVIII, Shep Hyken) Chamira Young and I, together with PhotoShelter, for the last four months have been hosting a podcast series called Beyond Technique. The response has been terrific, and there's a new episode each month. In a world where great content is "King," each guest has shared some remarkable and candid insight into their careers, the industry and the challenges of running a business. About the same time as the launch of Beyond Technique, I had some fun of my own and started wandering through the websites of PhotoShelter's members. I found a hidden gem in their New Member Shoutouts. Each Shoutout features a new member of the family, and it's the perfect reminder of how much they all share the passion for the craft. This week I was looking at the work of Mariah Tauger, a Los Angeles based commercial/editorial photographer with amazing diversity. In fact, I had a hard time picking just one representative image, so I picked three! But it wasn't just the variety of work she shared that grabbed my attention, but the quality of the images themselves - whether being whimsical or serious, photographing people, food or still life Mariah never compromises on the final presentation. I especially liked the simplicity of her "About" page, which surprised me. She's completely moved away from the usual background information or exclamations of passion for the craft. Instead she shares a piece of her soul with the following poem by Rupi Kaur, followed by a small list of impressive clients. You tell me to quiet down cause my opinions make me less beautiful but i was not made with a fire in my belly so i could be put out i was not made with a lightness in my tongue so i could be easy to swallow i was made heavy half blade and half silk difficult to forget butnot easy for the mind to follow Click on any one of Mariah's three images to see more of her work. And check out PhotoShelter's website! They're the leader in helping artists present their work. Every website is clean, functional and always easy to navigate. The PhotoShelter team never slows down building relationships with their members. They've grown to be a pretty remarkable resource helping artists build a stronger business model and in turn a more powerful brand. When you have questions, the PhotoShelter team is just a call away at 212-206-0808. There's always a live body to help if you can't find the answers in their extensive Q&A. No robots in this house - just a group of people committed to help answer your questions - LIVE. Click on the banner below to find out more and best of all, start your free trial and take PhotoShelter out for your own test drive! Start your 14 Day FREE trial of PhotoShelter with a click on the banner above.
Plus get 20% off a Standard or Pro Account for a year. Use the coupon code PHOTOFOCUS20 It's the perfect Throwback Thursday image. Before there was IUSA, we just referred to the convention as PPA National. That's my Dad on the left hanging with his old buddy, Don Blair. But this image, thanks to Sunny Sommers, brings back one of my favorite Don Blair stories. And, if I've shared it before in a post and don't remember, it's all due to aging...LOL
This was taken at one of the early PPA Charities events. It was an auction with a long list of collectibles that included sports memorabilia, photographic products, workshops, etc. You name it, if it had value we had it up for auction. Well, I had an idea and got one of Don Blair's 14EEE shoes. I mounted it on a walnut trophy stand and had it engraved and into the auction pool it went. The night of the auction my Dad was sitting with Don and several of his "nieces" in the bar. Before the shoe came up for bidding, Don turned to my Dad (who was not a photographer) and said, "Pay attention Ralph - I'm a big guy in this industry, and my one shoe is going to bring some BIG bucks!" The shoe came up for auction, and the bidding went nuts, finally hitting $1000 for the trophy. The woman who bought it was so excited to win the bid that she actually outbid her own bid twice! Don couldn't stop smiling and looked at my Dad and exclaimed, "My man - what did I tell you?" The next day at the trade show, my Dad was helping Don in the booth. We were waiting for a shipment of the book we wrote together. Don's daughter, Kathy, was checking the receiving desk at the hotel all morning and finally came to the booth to get Don's credit card to pay for the shipment. She told my Dad the books were in and since Don was in the middle of teaching in the booth, she asked him to grab Don's wallet to get his credit card for the books. NOT! She needed the credit card, but not for the books! She had to pay for the Don Blair trophy she had bought the night before and was determined to nail her Dad with the bill. So, Don did raise a lot of money for charity, but it was out of his own account! Dad never stopped letting Don know how "impressed" he was with his popularity! He'd kid Don every time they saw each other and "Big Daddy" would just look down sheepishly and shake his head! And there you have it - throwback photographs bring back memories and along with them come the stories that make our friends and family immortal! Dad and Don have long since passed away, but that doesn't change the smile on my face right now! So, whether you're sharing images on your blog as a marketing tool or taking a personal walk down Memory Lane - take the time to find a few old photographs today. It'll help remind you how unique the career path you chose really is and the important role photography plays in everyone's life. Happy Throwback Thursday! Although many of you haven't met Chamira Young directly, you certainly know her voice. A little over a year ago, Chamira and I started co-hosting the "Mind Your Own Business" podcast which is part of Photofocus. She's a kick to work with, and if you've listened to any of our podcasts, it's pretty obvious we have fun and thanks to so many of you get a lot of terrific feedback. I started SCU in January 2013 with a goal to build a resource center primarily for aspiring and working professional photographers. Today there are several thousand blog posts covering marketing, business, technique and here and there, life in general. SCU keeps growing, and last week Chamira joined the SCU team to help keep up with the demand. So, in addition to the two podcasts we produce for Photofocus and PhotoShelter you're about to start seeing her name on bylines for posts. She's a talented writer, photographer and a self-proclaimed "Tech Nerd." And, there's no doubt in my mind that as SCU continues into its sixth year, you can be sure you're going to be seeing a lot more of her, along with plenty of new relevant content. If you haven't checked out the latest podcasts, click on either of the two below. Chamira doesn't just produce each show - her interviewing skills are terrific and with each conversation she brings out the best in all of us. She's helping to build some of the very best content in photography podcasts. And, stay tuned for a new Mind Your Own Business at the end of this week with our guest Scott Kelby! Chamira might be new to contributing to SCU, but she's certainly no stranger to blogging and podcasts. Click on the link below to listen to her series of content-rich conversations with artists, photographers and business people all sharing two common denominators - a love for business and photography. Great content, blogs, podcasts and educational programming don't happen without the support from some pretty remarkable companies. A BIG thanks to PhotoShelter and their never-ending focus on education and Photofocus.com for giving us an opportunity to not only do something we love, but to share it!
For years I've written about the best part of our industry having little to do with photography, but the friendships that come out of everyone's love for the craft. Well, it's a kick to be working with Chamira, and she's become a friend I hope you'll get to know better! Hey Chamira - welcome to team SCU! For me the one thing I hope to capture in every shoot is people's passion for what they do. My passion is telling stories and I really appreciate innovative gear that makes my job easier and pushes my work to be better. Charlie Voorhis
Tamron never slows down on developing outstanding optics and simply making great glass! They also never stop on their support for the photographic community, especially with their new education series, Tamron Tours. To visit Charley's website and get to know him and his work even better, click on any of the screen shots of his from the video above. And, put Tamron on your radar with a click on either of the thumbnails below.
Last year Profoto launched a fantastic series of short videos, Tiny Talks. I've shared a lot of them but recently discovered a few I missed. One of them is this four-minute piece with editorial and advertising photographer, Clay Cook. Clay's based out of Louisville, KY, but he spends a good portion of his life traveling all over the world. Together with Profoto, Clay packs a lot of good content into this short video. Bobbi Lane, when the B1 first came out, referred to the system as "The Game Changer." Well, here we are a few years later, and Clay's making the same point. He shares some terrific insight into the ease of traveling with a B2 Off-Camera Flash everywhere. Clay couldn't do a better job in explaining the beauty of the simplicity of his lighting setup as well as how he likes to enhance the ambient light. Check out more of Clay's work with a visit to his website. Just click on either of the images above. Profoto never slows down in developing new products to help photographers build a stronger skill set and raise the bar on their creativity and quality of their images. They also never slow down on education and you'll find an incredible resource of information on their YouTube channel.
Isn't time you checked out the lighting gear that sets the standard for quality and performance? Click on any thumbnail below for more information! Intro by Skip Cohen One of the most fun aspects of social media is the friendships that come out of Cyberspace. This post is an example of one of those friendships. While Simon King from the UK and I have never formally met face to face, we share the same passion for the industry and have stayed in touch since he wrote this guest post almost five years ago. This morning on Facebook, Simon shared a post expressing his frustration at being in the hospital the last few days. Well, catching up with him for only a few seconds this morning got me thinking about this post he wrote about pricing. Simon compared professional photographers to needing to adopt the attributes of a great head chef and the challenge of clients wanting to price shop the difference between top shelf and lower end restaurants. But, I want to take the comparison one step further. Think of a wedding album as the ultimate meal with various courses, each requiring a slightly different skill set. Each course has to be a component of an entire outstanding meal, just like each image in a wedding album is another piece of very special and unique story. So, Simon, as president of your US Fan Club I hope you're feeling better and thanks for your never-ending support of an industry we both love! By Simon King Recently I have seen a number of photographers asked for the RAW files from a wedding or asked to match someone elses price because the client likes your work, but the other photographer's pricing. I wonder what other profession attracts this kind of behavior. A lot of photographers blame the advent of the camera phone and social media for devaluing our collective brand. But, on the flip side there are many photographers out there building a decent business from what they do. Sometimes I like to compare our profession to others to see if I can understand people's thinking. Take the idea of customers asking for the RAW files. Most of us deal in providing a customer with the finished product. Much like a fine dining restaurant. When I go out for a nice meal I expect the head chef to know his art and I've chosen the restaurant based upon the menu and the establishment's reputation. I don’t, on entering the premises, start negotiation on my meal and ask to chop and change the menu. I don’t suggest I go into the kitchen take all of the RAW ingredients and make the meal myself using their ovens and utensils. I have an oven at home, which makes me a chef right? Also, my oven makes pretty good food. The point to this is we need to stay in control of what we offer and what the boundaries are for customization of our packages. If we start giving RAW files out to the customer we have no control over the editing and therefore no control over our reputation. Your name will be on those photographs no matter how they end up looking. So when asked, who was the photographer, the customer will be giving your name. The second comparison is the one on price, there may be two very similar restaurants in the area, but one is twice as expensive as the other. So would many of us go to the high end restaurant and state that the other one is similar and much cheaper and then ask for a price match? The response you would get to that is "NO, just book the other restaurant!" Pleading that you really want to eat there isn’t going to help either. If you really want to eat at the top restaurant you have to pay the asking price. It's as simple as that. It’s exactly the same for us; if a customer is working this angle tell them to use the other photographer. Keep that line throughout all discussions, if they really, really want you they’ll pay what you ask. If the higher end restaurant isn’t busy then they have priced themselves out of the market. Again, the same goes for us. None of the above logic prevents you from running promotions, agreeing bespoke packages with customers and most importantly good old customer service. Once we start to let customers treat us like a commodity we’re on dangerous ground. Sometimes we may let a customer dictate to us because they are well connected. The issue then is that any referrals coming from that contact will expect the same. Remember most head chefs cook because they love cooking but they would never consider being dictated to by the customer. Most photographers love what they do first and foremost, but maybe we should all behave a little more like a head chef! Images copyright Simon King. All rights reserved.
“A blog is only as interesting as the interest shown in others.” Lee Odden It's Marketing Monday, and I can't think of a better topic, because so many of you are missing the point! I've written a lot about ideas to help you strengthen your blog as well as your website, but it's so important the two work together. It's your strongest marketing tool, and it deserves a few more reminders.
Your website is about what you sell, your specialty and your services, while an excellent blog gives you an opportunity to share your heart. Your blog gives you a chance to be helpful to your readers and supportive of your community. Here's a batch of tips to consider in establishing a more effective blog. Continuity in Design: Look for ways to make your blog reflect some of the branding elements of your website. The logo should be the same; stay with the same color theme and look for simple design elements that can be shared on both your website and blog. Consistency: If you're not going to post at least twice a week, then hold off on your blog. You're working to build readerships, followers and feed the search engines with new material. Posting now and then just isn't going to get you the momentum you need. In fact, a client visiting your blog and seeing the newest post was a month ago, might even think you're no longer actively in business. Length of Posts: You can find an "expert" to pick any number you want, but for the most part everybody seems to agree that 200-400 words are plenty. You can go longer if you're making a point, using bullets and it's easy to read. Also, remember to always include an image or illustration with every post. Stay on Topic: The theme of your blog should be helpful to your target audience, but remember to stay relevant to your readers. You can go off topic now and then, but not until you've established your reputation and brand. Build a Stash: Every post doesn't have to be written fresh each time or be related to something you did earlier in the week. With the underlying theme of everything you post should be about "being helpful" it leaves you a lot of room to write posts in advance. For example, under the umbrella of being helpful, publish tips for better picture-taking, locations in the area beautiful for photographs, a calendar of community events or announcements of fund-raisers you might be involved in and profile features of key people in the community, etc. Don't Respond to Trolls: Sooner or later you'll get somebody who feels entitled to take shots at you, criticize what you wrote about or attack you for taking up space in the universe. The bottom line, is don't bother to get in the confrontation. Don't take the bait. Trolls hide behind the anonymity of their computer screens and say things they'd never say to your face...so, hold back the urge to play defense and don't engage them! A great website and blog work together to build your reputation and a stronger brand. Be helpful and generous with your time and work to build loyalty with your readers. Most important of all, be patient and work to produce good solid organic content. Before and After Bob's PhotoSynthesis Intro by Skip Cohen As I've written so many times in the past, the best thing about our industry has nothing to do with photography, but the friendships that come out of everyone's love for the craft. Well, one of those great friendships over the years is with my buddy Bob Coates. Based out of Sedona, while there's pretty much nothing Bob hasn't photographed, his passion is definitely in the fine art arena. I've shared a number of his images along with his never-ending support for education over the years. Recently I completed a pretty amazing project with Panasonic's LUMIX Ambassadors and Marathon Press. We created an oversized Bella Art Album featuring double page spreads from all twenty-five ambassadors. It's a stunning presentation since each Ambassador has a different profile and core specialty. The book was first shown in both the Panasonic and Marathon booths at the recent WPPI convention. One of my favorite images is part of Bob's double-page spread in the book. It's the image the leads off today's post, but I wanted to share more about the technique. by Bob Coates I have been working at building images that hopefully transcend photography and call this process PhotoSynthesis. Just as the sun helps flowers transform into the beauty they ultimately become, multiple layers of texture, color, blend modes, shadow and highlights move a base image into another form. Adobe Photoshop is my main tool of choice for processing images. Additionally, I may use plug-ins such as Luminar and NIK filters to help with the enhancement. Starting with a subject I usually make an extraction to enable applying different effects selectively throughout the image. Using masks on texture layers make for more fine tuning of various additional color and texture effects. Take a look at the Photoshop’s Layers Palette for this image to get an idea of the process. Shuffling the layers and changing Blend Modes or adding Adjustment Layers add to the infinite possibilities. I’ll usually end up with anywhere from three to ten variations with different color and tonal ranges. Note: I've spent a lot of time over the years with Bob, usually when he's on the road teaching. He's built an extensive archive of texture shots, specifically for the purpose of his PhotoSynthesis technique. Check out more of Bob's work on his fine art website and to keep tabs on all of the LUMIX Ambassadors put the LUMIX Facebook page on your radar. This is one of the most talented and diverse groups of artists in professional photography! And, if you're looking for some great help in marketing, business as well as technique, check out Bob's blog, Successful-Photographer.com. Intro by Chamira Young We're into that glorious time of year again: wedding season. As a photographer myself, I understand how dangerously easy it is to become hyper-focused on technical details, such as the latest camera and lighting equipment. However, just as important (and dare I say more important!) is to put yourself in your clients' shoes and understand your photographic services are just one part of a multi-faceted machine. This is especially true with weddings. Understanding what your clients are going through during their hectic wedding process is key, and it can give you an advantage over your competition. This great post from the good folks at Photodex presents some interesting facts about wedding season that can help your wedding photography business. I'll bet there's a stat or two in there you didn't know. Also, make sure you read to the end, as they give some very useful tips on how to best present your photos to your clients in slideshow form. Revealing your finished work to the couple is an art form in and of itself, and can easily make or break sales. It's time to put yourself into your clients' shoes. Let's get to it. By Photodex Wedding season is in full swing! Have you ever wanted an inside look at numbers and lists of everything that can possibly go into a wedding? Here are some pretty interesting fun facts and numbers for anyone trying to get an idea of what goes into a wedding. You can also find all this information and more directly from the 2018 NewlyWed Report from WeddingWire. From social media announcements to planning to couples information, the list just goes on! Good luck to everyone working or attending a wedding, and congrats to those getting married!
Wedding Slideshow Tips and FXWe’d love to see those beautiful wedding photos and memories put together in an awesome ProShow slideshow. Follow these helpful tips and tricks to start making your best wedding, engagement, or rehearsal dinner slideshow. To make your photos pop even more try adding a few of our creative ProShow effects or a simple theme.
Photodex is all about the tools to help you become a better storyteller. They never slow down on their focus to help you raise the bar on your business, presentations and finding new ways to help you streamline the creative process. Visit their blog where you'll find outstanding new content being shared every day.
The SAVE20WITHSKIP code is still active - so, put it in the code box when you purchase any Photodex product for a 20% discount. There are dreams of love, life, and adventure in all of us. But we are 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 Now and then I sit down to write on a Sunday morning, and I have no idea what I want to share. Well, this morning is one of those times where I started out without a topic but thinking back over recent events, it became obvious. Being older than many of you, I've become acutely aware of my body slowing down. I don't feel any older except for my body creaking for ten minutes when I get up in the morning! At a time when so many of my friends are retired, I'm just having too much fun to slow down. There's that old line about if you love what you do you'll never work a day in your life. That's me! I love what I'm doing and the way our industry keeps creating new products and projects for me to sink my teeth into. And, that brings me to my point this morning, age is just a number, and often it works both ways. I've met young photographers with so much passion and creativity their images grab me as if they're an old master. At the same time I've worked with people older than I am who look at each day as a gift and an opportunity to accomplish something new in their life. The bottom line is that "age doesn't matter unless you're a cheese!" This is also the title of the book where I found this morning's quote. The authors, Kathryn and Ross Petras have bailed me out more than once on a Sunday morning. Recently a new friend from Facebook commented on something I had written and asked me how I keep coming up with things to write about. I didn't have much to say except that at this point in my life, it's thanks to my readers, friends, and associates. My passion for this industry is about my love for what we do - help people capture memories, and I've shared hundreds of images over the years both personally and professionally that all lead to one point, and it's right there at the top of the page. I've got a bike to ride and people to love...and I've got no intention of slowing down on either one! And what keeps me feeling young? Sheila, my friends, all of you and a wonderful industry. Don't let anyone stand in the way of your dreams. Don't let excuses come into your life for why you shouldn't be doing something you love. Trust and love those people most important to you and let them know you're proud to have them in your life. Wishing all of you a day of peace, love and time to ride your bike! Go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs and don't slow down until you have to! Happy Sunday everybody! Note: My "bike to ride" shots are a few years old, but they were fun to use to help make the point. Both are thanks to Cantrell Portrait Design. The busy season is back and in full swing for many of you. And, while I understand time is at a minimum, that doesn't mean you can ignore the critical elements of building a stronger business. So, I've put together the Fast Food Friday series, and just like a good diner, there's a "blue plate special" almost every week. Here's my hope - we're all too close to our own business, and so often we can't see the forest through the trees. We do things out of habit; manage by the exception, and often focus on more significant projects and miss the small ones. Each Fast Food selection is meant to help you fine-tune another aspect of your business. This week's special, and number eleven the series is all about one of the saddest and easiest challenges to fix in your business - understating the value of what you offer. I accept you're all artists, but no excuse for you to ignore the use of adjectives when you're describing your services. It's time to stop understating your products!Most of you describe your products/services in a way that could put a rock to sleep! This is your business, and NOBODY can provide the magic you do - you help people stop time, capture priceless memories and see all the emotion around them they usually miss. So let's beef things up a little and go back to seventh grade English class - the one many of you cut! Here are some examples:
I know I'm using a lot of wedding descriptions, but it's the one specialty we all understand and easiest to share examples about. However, every service and product you offer, regardless of your core specialty has the potential to be more appealing in the description. Many of you also offer too many packages. I still believe you only need three, a low, mid-range and high-end. And, regarding consumer buying habits, just like buying a car, we all tend to migrate towards more "accessories." No car salesman has ever shown you the bottom of the line first! Personally, I like coverages that have a descriptive word that denotes value. An easy example is using Platinum, Gold and Silver. And, if the best word to describe your low end coverage is Aluminum - then it's time to hang up your camera! Here's an example of how spicing up the description might sound with a wedding photographer's top level package. Platinum Coverage Our Platinum Wedding Coverage has been created to make sure you don’t miss one single moment of your special day. It’s about capturing the love without the interruption! A romantic engagement session anywhere you’d like us to be. Two outstanding professional photographers on the day of your wedding. Coverage starts with the excitement and anticipation captured at the rehearsal dinner right through to the tear in Mom and Dad’s eyes as they watch the last dance. Online hosting of an unlimited number of stunning images, posted online before you’re back from the honeymoon. Two designer handcrafted all leather 50 page albums custom designed to share with your grandchildren years into the future. Two smaller family albums which are complete replicas of your final album, capturing all the memories of your special unique day. A complete set of deluxe first edition prints. The two sentences highlighted in purple are just added frosting on the cake. I wanted to bring a little emotion into the mix. Every bride's biggest fear is based on stories she's heard about photographers taking so long on the traditional bridal portraits the couple missed their reception. Most of the time it's an urban myth, but I thought I'd jump right in and address it. The second highlight hits on the emotion of the day. And if you hate what I just wrote, that's fine, but I've read so many descriptions from photographers who have entirely understated their services. I want you to put a little more thought into what you write in your brochures, websites, and blogs. Whether a wedding, an event, a family sitting or just a business headshot, nobody can provide the magic of a great professional photographer. As Tim and Beverly Walden have shared so many times in their workshops, you're not doing a portrait sitting, but creating an experience! And, to take it a step further, they don't create a portrait but a priceless family heirloom to be handed down to future generations. On a descriptive writing site for teachers I found the following: "The primary purpose of descriptive writing is to describe a person, place or thing in such a way that a picture is formed in the reader's mind. Capturing an event through descriptive writing involves paying close attention to the details by using all of your five senses." This is from a site helping teachers with their students. You don't have to go back to school, just think about the advice above and the next time you're trying to describe what your services are in writing, think about what you're trying to say. You know how to capture a picture in your camera, now how about paying attention to the one you're creating in your reader's mind! Missed Any of the Past Fast Food Fridays? We're still serving!"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"... Charles Dickens It always sounds so sappy when somebody talks about the people they work with as a "family." When I look back on this Throwback Thursday, nothing could be more accurate about the Rangefinder Publishing family. Although the experience of working together was hardly as lofty as Charles Dickens' Tale of Two Cities, we worked hard and played hard. And, in the process set some pretty amazing record-breakers for the magazine, once reaching 350+ pages in 2009, the WPPI convention hit attendance of 15,000+ one year along with the number of WPPI volunteers who became our extended family each year in Las Vegas. Every year at Christmas time the "family" headed to a local restaurant in the area for an extended holiday luncheon. We did a "Secret Santa" exchange, laughed over the challenges of the past year and the upcoming convention, just a few months away and in general, just hung out for the afternoon. This particular year we headed over to a place on the water in Marina Del Rey. The two images at the top are of Bill Hurter and Marlene Gourlay. Both have passed away in the last few years, but nothing changes the memories or the honor of having worked with both of them. Gennie Kiuchi on the right is still on the masthead for Rangefinder Magazine as the Production Manager and is one of the most talented production designers I've ever worked with. In 2005 we were still putting the magazine together manually, page by page, moving ads and editorial around on two walls of magnets in the production department. While I don't have pictures of everybody that year at the holiday party, it doesn't change the pure fun of looking back and being amazed at what this "Dream Team" accomplished year after year! So, it's Throwback Thursday and whether you share your memories on your blog or not, take the time to wander through an old album, file or shoebox! As you look through those old photographs pay attention to the power each one has to send you on a voyage through time and as I've shared so many times in other posts... "This is what I like about photographs.
They're proof that once, even if just for a heartbeat, everything was perfect." Jodi Picoult Last Fall I started working with a pretty remarkable startup company, Illuminati Instruments. Like so many companies, projects and events in our industry we often get involved because we know the players, believe in the technology or there's just something that draws us in. Well, for me it's a little of everything. First, I've known the "players" for years, and in fact, Rudy Guttosch and I worked together back in my Hasselblad days. Second, I have incredible respect for the technology, and third, this is a product designed for efficiency and affordability! Most of you know I don't make a living as a photographer - my love for this industry is helping you with the business and marketing side of life. Yet, here I am passionate about a product that can help you become better at your craft with an investment that isn't going to break the bank. Check out the two very short videos below, and remember, when Tony Corbell, the "King of Lighting" steps up to the plate to support anything in our industry it's based on his passion for the craft and integrity. You'll find more great information and have the ability to order your own Illuminati Meter with a click on the banner above. And a BIG congrats to the Illuminati team. I couldn't be more proud to be hanging out with you guys! |
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