Most people who walk their dogs always have a poop bag with them. Wherever your dog does his/her business, you respect your neighbors and pick it up. However, now and then there's one fool who thinks if the dog poops in the street, it's no big deal and we've got one of those in our neighborhood. Well, the analogy of pet owners and poop got me thinking about business owners and how, instead of taking responsibility for the problem, point the finger the other way. If it's not their fault then why try and fix it? Here are some typical scenarios:
Well, let's solve all three scenarios, with or without a poop bag!
It's only a little rant this morning, but the comparison between photographers who blame every challenge on somebody or something else fits right in with people who don't pick up after their pets! Responsibility finds a way. Irresponsibility makes excuses. Gene Bedley Photo Credit: Cantrell Portrait Design
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A few weeks ago Profoto announced a new member of their Off-Camera Flash System family, the new B10. There's a lot of buzz out there about this remarkable new light. Creating all the noise are some of the most diverse artists in the industry, and I love the way Profoto announces a new product to build the backstory. One aspect of the new launch is a series of short videos featuring photographers from all over the world taking the B10 for a test drive. Over and again, the work being shared is pretty interesting, and you can learn so much watching other photographers work. In this new video, French photographer, Little Shao takes the B10 to Seoul and spends a day with a group of epic breakdancers. In under three minutes, he shares several of his favorite images together with some good solid narrative of what's in his mind's eye each time he clicks the shutter. Find out more about the new B10 with a click on the banner below. And, finding a Profoto dealer is just click away. To see more of Little Shao's work click on any of his images. Profoto never slows down in their product development to provide photographers with the very best tools to raise the bar on the quality of their images. Today photographers have the most creative tools in the history of photography. And, Profoto is helping you take control of the light to a new level! Image copyright Suzette Allen. All rights reserved. Intro by Skip Cohen There's so much great content I've stumbled upon taking a daily scroll through the Internet. Suzette Allen shared this image over the weekend, but it deserves a little backstory from an outsider's perspective on the creativity of a terrific friend. "Ms Bubble Trailer" has become an important part of Suzette and husband, Jonny's life. Although I've never met her personally, she could easily be a character in a book series, because she's been a part of one adventure after another. She's been all over the country including two trips to Burning Man, but that's only part of Ms Bubble Trailer's story. Suzette's love for imaging is unstoppable. She never slows down in letting her mind's eye visions run free. Put a camera in her hands and, she's the equivalent of a kid who just can't sit still. And, be along with her when the creative juices are flowing, and you can't help but catch the "bug." I've written this so many times in the past, the best part of the industry has nothing to do with photography, but the friendships that come out of everyone's love for the craft." Suzette, Jonny, Sheila and I have hung out a lot together, and every time it's a kick! I'm not a tennis player, but they say when you play with somebody better than you, your game improves. Hanging out with Suzette and Jonny, their passion for life, creativity, and spirituality have had an impact on me, my photography and even my love for the craft. Suzette's shooting with the new LUMIX G9 and the LUMIX 7-14 mm lens. Just click on either thumbnail below for more information. And, when I asked her for the okay to share this image, she told me she was doing a blog post to share more of the detail on how it was created! Her blogs need to be on your radar. Suzette and Jonny are LUMIX Ambassadors, and part of one of the most diverse and creative teams in photography. Keep track of what they're working on, along with their adventures. You'll never be disappointed! by Suzette Allen Finally processing some of the amazing images we took in the last month on the road. I have to confess this on one of my favorites--not just of Ms. Bubble Trailer, but the City of Rocks and the Milky Way! What a stellar night, and unforgettable starry sky! This one is heading to Bay Photo Lab ASAP for a gorgeous #MetalPrint... maybe #acrylic ? Can't wait to hang it on the wall! (I processed this earlier on my iPad, but this one is a little better and ready for print.) #ShoottoShare #PrinttoPreserve @bubbletrailer on IG. This was created from two images, one was light-painted with a flashlight to edge-light the rocks. #WhereLumixGoes #LumixG9
It's Marketing Monday and the perfect time of year to share a post out of the archives about selling prints. I'm still surprised at the number of photographers who claim they can't sell prints, especially when we're got such a great selection of unique materials and technique available through the professional labs.
For example, two months ago I shared a post about Bay Photo's Performance EXT Metal prints. It's been outside my home in the hot sun and rain since then and still looks like it just came out of the box. It doesn't need to even be hosed down or cleaned and continues to be a talking point every time we've got friends over. Well, it's October and the seasonality of the fourth quarter is on your doorstep. You've got an opportunity to sell more prints, increase revenue and bring the close of 2018 to a stunning ending by offering your clients new opportunities and ways to display their images. But, it won't happen if you don't put in an effort to help educate them! It's up to you to help your clients understand the power of a print.
A few years ago at PPE in NYC, I got into a discussion with Bryan Caporicci and Rob Nowell of Sprouting Photographer. The topic was the importance of printed images. Bryan hit me with an idea that's brilliant. Listen carefully, because he's sharing it and invited all of you to steal the idea.
When Bryan works a bridal fair, he hands each bride a floppy disk, labeled with his contact information and says, "I'd love to show you some of my images. Here's a collection of some of my best!" The brides look at him like he's from another planet and ask, "What am I supposed to do with this?" They have no idea what to do with a floppy disk. **POOF** Bryan's got an instant connection to explaining why printed images are so important. After all, who's to say a DVD is going to play on anything twenty years from now and who knows what a jump drive will look like. In fact, if you were to receive anything on a floppy disk right now, what would you do with it? Need another tool? I've shared this in other posts in the past, but it's time to remind many of you again. Michele Celentano has offered every photographer the right to reprint "I Believe." She wrote it at least five years ago. She uses it as part of her presentation package. It's printed on nice stock and tucked into each folder she gives her clients. She talks very openly about why she believes in printed images in her "Mind Your Own Business" webcast. Just click the screenshot of Michele from the webcast if you haven't heard Michele talk about the importance of printing your work.
So, here it is, you've got Bryan's floppy disk idea; Michele's "I Believe," which you can print and share with clients and the idea of framing a jump drive, which started as a joke to make the point. Here's another idea. In support of the whole concept of printing images, Bryan put together the one minute video below a long time ago, which again makes the point. All of you can make your own demo video, just frame some DVDs and jump drives!
And for those of you who like everything either black or white - it's never going to happen. Clients are always going to want digital files for their Facebook pages, websites, cell phones, etc. The Internet has changed the way we share images, but we don't have to give up on prints. Printing images is absolutely NOT dead - everyone just has to do a better job of planting the seed with their clients. It's Sunday morning, and as usual, I have no idea where this post is going. I love staying away from the topic of business, taking the time to write about something outside photography. This post each Sunday morning is often more for my benefit than you, my readers. It's therapeutic to step away from the business and write about something different. What always surprises me is how much Sunday Morning Reflections hits on things you're all feeling. Sheila and I are having a spectacular weekend but there's absolutely nothing particularly unique; we just wanted to spend time together. In fact, it's an entirely boring weekend by most of your standards. It's the appreciation for our ability to slow the world down and savor our time that makes it unique. If I listed what we've done over the last couple of days it would put a rock to sleep! And that brings me right to today's point - when was the last time you took time out to enjoy whoever that very best friend in your life is? When did you last shut off the outside world and savor time with that one person who's most special in your life? The best kind of people are the ones who come into your life and make you see the sun, where you once saw clouds. The people that believe in you so much, you start to believe in you too. The people who love you simply for being you. The once in a lifetime kind of people. Author Unknown Time is our most valuable commodity, but as I shared last weekend, it's not wasted time if you enjoy wasting it. So, take the time today and block out everything that pulls you away from that person or people most special in your life. Make today's schedule boring by everybody else's standards but yours.
Clear your head of everything to do with business. It will all be there tomorrow. The same way you can block a troll on Facebook - block all those thoughts that get in the way of your smile. Celebrate your life, your friends and family. Let's make this a day where we do nothing except smile and cherish somebody special. Wishing everybody a perfect day defined by whatever definition is in your heart exclusively - nobody else's. Go for those therapeutic eleven-second hugs, and appreciate the deafening smile and twinkle in your eyes when you take the time to appreciate those people most special in your life. Happy Sunday everybody! "You don't become what you want, you become what you believe." Oprah I don't usually post on Saturday, but while doing a little work for next week, I ran across the quote above. Just recently I've had a couple of conversations with photographers who are frustrated with success not coming fast enough. They're thinking about making a career change, and the issue is purely timing and they're ready to give up. Whatever your goal in life, short-term or long, you've got to believe in yourself, and to believe in yourself you have to love the journey. You have to recognize the importance of patience, and at the same time NEVER slow down on building your skill set. Last but not least, get rid of the naysayers in your life and surround yourself with positive people. Which brings me to another great quote I found from Oprah: "Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher." Note: #MadeWithLuminar I'm having a blast with Skylum's Luminar 2018 and keeping it very simple. This was shot on an iPhone5 three years ago on Siesta Key Beach. I used one of the presets, the clarity booster, keeping the image very close to the original but tweaking the contrast/clarity a little. Sometimes the best part of the sunset is looking east, after the sun has dropped
Fast Food Fridays are all about things to help you fine-tune your business and create stronger branding and awareness in your community. And, we're at the very beginning of the fourth quarter with great seasonality to close the year. There are so many things you can do to create strong awareness for your business and in turn, not only close this year with a good finish but set the stage for 2019. It's time for another entree from the new menu at the SCU Diner. I want to focus on promotions, but with a very different approach. Let's look at some of the things photographers think about when it's too late, after the promotion is over. We all do it - We "Monday Morning Quarterback" our disappointments. Although every promotion can be done better, it accomplishes nothing to "should" on yourself. Focusing on PromotionsWe'll never completely get away from realizing things that were missed and playing "Monday Morning QB," but let's see if today's "blue plate special" can help you become a little more proactive on the front end. I'm hoping by thinking about what you might miss before you even do the promotion it'll help you create a stronger concept, right from the start. Did the program have value? Recently I got a direct mail piece from one company offering a $5 off coupon and another with 10% off. Does $5 or 10% off anything these days get you excited? Think about the value of what you're going to offer. Within photography, I've seen photographers offer something free from their lab. The concept would be fine, except the target audience doesn't know the product. You have to create promotions that get people excited, and they have to recognize the value of your offer. If you're thinking about offering free goods, then spend a few months in advance with the product in your price list. Use your blog to talk about what it is and show examples. Establish value on the promotional product BEFORE you share it as part of a campaign. Did people understand the concept? One of the most difficult challenges we all have is explaining/describing something. Here's a good example. I took a speech class in college, and the assignment was to explain to somebody how to put on a coat. We had to assume they knew nothing about what it was, what sleeves or a collar were or what was the inside or outside. It was almost impossible. Sadly, that's the way many of you write up a promotional offer. You assume your clients understand what you're talking about. The best way to resolve a challenge like this is to write up your offer and then read it out loud. Next, have somebody else read it. Then, read it again and last on the list, get another person to read it. Most effective of all, get your "proof-readers" from outside the business. Did you price it right? There are sensitive pricing thresholds throughout the consumer world. There is no specific formula in photography because every market is different. You need to pay attention to the demographics of your audience and then price things accordingly. Do a little research before you launch and as I once heard Denis Reggie say, "Don't price things on what you can afford. It was years before I could afford myself!" You've got to look at your target audience. Pricing in itself is a challenge, and you might want to read this post from my buddy Bryan Caporicci several years ago. He did a great job of talking about pricing in general, but the same principles apply to promotional offers. Did people know about it? This is one of the most common problems. You created a promotion but did a horrible job of getting the word out. Remember you have to keep getting your message out there again and again. Utilize every vehicle at your disposal including email, direct mail, advertising, your blog, partnership marketing and publicity, just to name a few. You have to use all of them at the same time to get your message out to your target audience and get through the noise. What were your competitors doing at the same time? You can't avoid this because you don't have control over your competitor's business, but look at the community when you launched your promotion. Then, do your best to find windows unique to your reach with minimal noise. Check out this guest post from Bruce Berg on the Lane County Children's Contest. It's five years old and still completely valid! Here are three studios working together during the first quarter to create excitement at a time when the market couldn't be slower. How did you present the idea? It's a combination of design, timing and with printed material, being a wordsmith. Think about things from the perspective of your target audience. Did your presentation get their attention? There's a great line I heard thirty years ago from Ed Foreman, a motivational business speaker from Texas. I've shared it many times in previous posts. "if I can see the world through my client's eyes, then I can sell my client what my client buys!" I guarantee somebody out there just rolled their eyes and said, "put yourself in their shoes." You don't need to be in their shoes - it's only going to make your feet hurt. For most of you, your target audience is "mom" - that means you need to see the world through her eyes. You need to understand what's important to her; where she needs help; and the things she worries about regarding her family, children growing up, etc. "Moms" wear multiple hats and it's your job to understand the importance of each one. Successful promotions don't happen overnight. It's a process, often of trial and error. The days of just putting together a great two-for-one offer and then sitting back and waiting for consumers to charge through your doors are long gone. You have to create excitement, have value and above all have a product people want! Be patient - keep trying new combinations of offers with value - pay attention to how your message is received and keep fine-tuning your process. Fast Food Fridays are brought to you by: Need help better utilizing your time? Click on the banner above to visit the Excire website. Take Excire Search Pro for Lightroom Classic CC for your own FREE 15 day test drive. And follow us on Facebook for the latest information on this exciting software and time-saver. Check out the special Photokina promotion just launched on September 26 - Excire Search is just $49 and Excire Search Pro is $99. "Age wrinkles the body - quitting wrinkles the soul!" Douglas MacArthur Every morning on Twitter, usually at 7:30, I share a quote generally about something related to the challenges of being in business. The idea of sharing quotes started years ago when it was a great way to build followers on Twitter, but today, it's become part of my morning routine. Reading a quote that's inspirational helps charge my battery for the day ahead. For those of you who can't start the day without a cup of coffee, my scroll through cyberspace, and reading great quotes has become my Starbucks! Each quote gets me thinking about some aspect of my life and business. And, the inspiration gets me in the mood for whatever the day ahead is about to bring. A few years back I spoke to a group of photographers at a local association and was excited to catch up to an old friend who I'd met years before through PPA. He was a great photographer specializing in portraiture, mostly seniors. Well, I was shocked to talk to him and found out he'd given up on photography as a career and gone back to working for a local retailer, completely outside imaging. When I read today's quote, it took me right back to talking with him and sensing his loss of creativity and definitely an aging soul. I know there are times when we're all faced with situations we need to walk away from, but when it's something you're passionate about, you need to weigh all the alternatives. I have looked in the mirror every day and asked myself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I'm about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something!" Steve Jobs There's nothing more I can add to Steve Jobs helping me make the point. Wishing everybody a terrific Wednesday and a day filled with projects and people who help make your life richer.
"So the next time you're traveling and the conditions aren't ideal, don't get discouraged. Keep shooting, take chances and embrace the unexpected." Ken Hubbard That's Ken Hubbard's closing comment in the video below, as he and Armando Flores hit Glacier National Park in Montana. A lightning strike ignited a small part of the park, and the fires added a layer of haze over every location they go to photograph. This video is one of the best in the Tamron series to date because it's loaded with good solid, helpful content. There are so many things outside a photographer's control, leaving artists with the need to draw from their skill set. With each image, Armando expresses a little frustration with the scene not being what he was expecting but then shares his mind's eye vision in how to salvage the moment. The images included in the video are stunning and the perfect reminder that great artists never give up on capturing beautiful images. Armando's working with Tamron's SP 15-30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 lens. For more information click on the banner below. And, check out the schedule for all the upcoming events/workshops this month. There's a lot to choose from, and each program gives you an opportunity to expand your network with Tamron's Tech Team, and check out what all the buzz is about with Tamron's family of outstanding lenses. Image copyright Mark Toal. All rights reserved. It's Monday and "Mirrorless Mark" is back hitting a couple of favorite points about photography and working with LUMIX cameras. Right out of the blocks I love the fact he shot in black and white, setting the camera to Monochrome D mode. So many of us have our roots in black & white. I love the richness of the tonal range in the image above. Second, comes Mark's point about traveling light. The G9 body only weighs 1.5 pounds, and with the lens Mark chose he was just over two pounds. That's light enough to literally NEVER be without a camera. The last point I love about Mark's guest post is he shot everything on auto, making a point about the reliability of Panasonic's technology to make sure you never miss a moment. He could have chosen a dozen different ways to capture the image but went with simplicity in a moment of limited time. Check out more of Mark's images together with his blogs by clicking on the image above. You'll never be disappointed in the content he regularly shares. And check out the LUMIX Ambassador team. This is one of the most diverse groups in photography. Click on the G9 body or the 12mm F1.4 LEICA SUMMILUX high-performance wide angle lens for more information. by Mark Toal
It’s been hot, and smoky from forest fires for weeks in the Northwest. When I can’t sleep because of the heat I’ll get up in the middle of the night and read or watch YouTube. YouTube videos seem to have reduced photography to a battle of sensor size, lens quality, ISO, anything but the image itself! No matter what camera you use there is somebody to tell you you can’t take good photos unless you use something other than what you have. Hardly any of these people show you images they have taken. The beauty of Micro Four Thirds cameras is the small size that allows you to always have a camera with you. I was reminded of this again when I decided to stop by the Portland waterfront on the way to my son’s house. I was carrying my Lumix G9 with the Leica 12mm lens. I had set the camera to shoot in the Monochrome D mode. As I walked up to the railing of the walkway over the river a young man rode up on his bike, took off his shirt and pants and jumped into the river. As he climbed the railing I turned on the G9 and took three quick photos with everything on the camera set to auto. Maybe the image would have better if I had used a larger camera and lens, but I more than likely wouldn’t have been carrying it especially on a 90-degree day. #WhereLumixGoes #LumixG9 I've added a new step to my morning routine, EVERY morning. I make sure I'm never too busy to take a scroll through my Facebook "Home" page and catch up on what everyone has been sharing. Last night Ed Heaton shared the image below from Grand Teton, and I loved it so much I wanted to share it as an SCU guest post this morning. Ed is no stranger to SCU, and I've shared a few of his images over the years. What I loved about this one was the stunning image combined with the point he made about arriving on the scene early. Ed and his son are award-winning landscape artists, but it occurred to me that "arriving early" needs to be every artist's mantra. For Ed and Zach it was about securing a good spot without the crowds, but for many of you, especially wedding photographers, it's about being prepared and just possibly capturing those first special emotion-filled moments of a couple before they officially start their life together. Click on Ed's shot of Grand Teton below to see more of his work and Zach's. And, check out his workshop schedule. Whether a workshop or private instruction, Ed Heaton Photography offers some of the finest educational support in photography. by Ed Heaton
One might say “there’s no need to get there early, we have plenty of time before the sun rises”. Well, anyone that knows Zach and I will tell you that we always arrive early to capture slightly different images and to secure a good spot. I’ve done this since I’ve been teaching workshops and I will continue doing it because I do not like fighting for a good spot in line 😊 Here we were first to arrive which allowed us to capture the stars over the Grand Teton with the full moon lighting the scene. Not long after we got our shots, people and headlights started showing up polluting the scene. I’m not complaining about other photographers per say, the problem I have is the lack of courtesy and common sense. Don’t walk in front of other photographers and don’t keep shining your light around the whole scene (someone certainly could have the shutter open). It’s just a fact of life these days and I’ve learned to deal with it but that doesn’t mean I like it! - Singh-Ray Filters - OP/TECH USA - Really Right Stuff - HoodmanUSA - X-Rite Photo & Video - Asolo |
Our Partners"Why?"Check out "Why?" one of the most popular features on the SCU Blog. It's a very simple concept - one image, one artist and one short sound bite. Each artist shares what makes the image one of their most favorite. We're over 100 artists featured since the project started. Click on the link above and you can scroll through all of the episodes to date.
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