Intro by Skip Cohen This past August there was a special educational kick-off event by invitation only in Omaha. Sheila and I desperately wanted to be there but had another commitment in Ohio that interfered. So, we did the next best thing - with help from Billy Clark, Gary Box and Lori Nordstrom, hosts and educators at the event, we raffled them off to the applicant with the best write-up describing why he/she should get our invitations. The winner was Allison Russell from South Dakota. Her studio in Mitchell is often booked 3-6 months in advance specializing in family and children fine art portraiture, and edgy sports team portraits. She's a huge fan of continuing education to improve her business. After the event Allison sent me the guest post below, which should have been shared back in September. She called me to let me know it was on its way, just as "Irma" forced us into a mandatory evacuation. Her email was lost in the chaos of the week that followed. Well, great writing doesn't have an expiration date. While it might seem a little out of place in November, it's the perfect time for us to plant the seed for a terrific educational program in the new year ahead! There are no announcements yet for the 2018 plans, but if you follow Gary Box and his "Inside the Box Group" on Facebook you'll be in the loop for everything that comes along. And, in the process you'll pick up some great educational content from Gary, posted in the group each day. Guest post by Allison Russell The live classical music trickled over the warm August air as I parked my vehicle at the Omaha Country Club, home to the US Open years ago. As I walked up to the sprawling brick building, I saw the line of couples in evening gowns and suits waiting to enter the evening festivities. Greeting every single person as they walked in were Bill, Teresa and Billy Clark, of the incredibly successful Arnold Clark Photography. The evening event started with cocktails and networking with some of the most positive minded, successful people in our industry. From the social hour we moved to a beautifully decorated, deliciously catered meal, and then a live band and dancing. This was my introduction to the Clark Box Mastermind Elite Event and I thought I'd have some fun pulling together the three key reasons why it created so much impact on me and my business. 1. Successful, positive people mingling and SHARING. The future of any business isn't found in lamenting the way things used to be. Success is found in innovating, learning, and being positive. Educational events are just as much about networking as fine-tuning your business and technique skills. By surrounding yourself with folks who work hard and are successful, you pick up ideas you can put to use in your own business. The photographers who attended this event were leaders in our industry. It was refreshing to talk to them about how excited they were about the future. One of my favorite concepts was one that Sal Cincotta mentioned, which is Blue Ocean Marketing - putting yourself in an uncontested market space, so that you have NO competition. Then, create your niche and run with it! 2. Bright ideas work, but not without implementation. At every activity/program during the event new ideas continued to imerge. I was excited to incorporate these ideas into my business model. The photographers at this workshop shared ideas that have made them stand out in their markets. As Richard Sturdevant mentioned, he has reinvented himself multiple times through the years, to evolve with the changing industry and client needs, while still creating work that is personally fulfilling. 3. Create loyalty to your brand by providing an incredible customer service experience. I couldn’t help but start taking notes about ideas to keep my business fresh. Not only were there business ideas, but the way this workshop was hosted was one of the best customer service experiences I have had. It was well organized, well executed, and made us feel like we were a very special group.
From the dinner event opening night, to the catered meals during our education day, to the happy hour and appetizers at the end of the day, we were pampered from start to finish. The example set by Bill and Teresa Clark for customer service and business practice is one that any business would be honored to emulate. And as Teri Fode put it, “Brands need to be human, emotional, and authentic. And past clients need to hear and keep hearing from you, because they are your best bet for future business."
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This is sort of the perfect topic for a Throwback Thursday, only instead of sharing an image, I'm sharing some old memories from the past. About four years ago I hit the topic of taking a day off in a post. One of the comments requested I remind people earlier than waiting for Sunday morning. Reading my post yesterday on the Marathon Press blog about using the phone more and social media less, it got me thinking about some of those old standards. The truth is, so many of us risk a "crash and burn" because we don't take time off when we most need it. I'm not suggesting you need to regularly take a bucket list vacation, just step away from the business when you feel the stress coming on. Sometimes it's as easy as just setting things up in advance to NOT work at least one day a week, for most of you Sunday. I know this makes me sound like the old fart that I am, but I miss the kind of Sundays we had when I was a kid. NOTHING was open! No banks, no supermarkets, no Target, Macy's or malls. Even gas stations were closed. For those of you in the younger crowd who might think it's incredibly inconvenient, it forced us all to take a break. My Dad worked six days a week, but when Sunday rolled around, no matter what stress may have been on his mind, he didn't do anything except hang out with his family. For most people a quiet relaxing Sunday had nothing to do with religious beliefs, it was merely a day of rest because you had no other choice. Nothing was open, and in fact, of the three TV stations, on at least one of them, nothing was broadcast until after 8:00 am! Think about this for a second. What would happen if all the cell phones (email access) and computers in the house were just turned off on Sundays? Michele Celentano has a little different concept, but it follows the same family values - the kitchen is a NO Phone Zone! I don't know about your house, but the kitchen is the hub of ours, especially when we've got company. In Michele and Paul's house, nothing interferes with the focus on family and friends in the kitchen! So, let's start a couple of trends - First, let's do a few things to blaze a trail back to some solid/retro values, starting with Sundays. We're just going to enjoy our families, read a book, leave the TV off most of the day except for family time - forget about whatever it is we have to get done on Monday. The goal is to kick back and chill - smile more than we frown and make it a great day! Second, look at responses you're doing via email, are there a couple that involved associates, clients or vendors you truly care about? What would happen if a few of them got a personal call from you instead of just an email response? Or maybe it's somebody who's done something or said something nice about your work on Facebook? What would happen if you picked up the phone and called them? Third, take a half hour this morning and assess your needs. If you're feeling tired, stressed, pressured by the business, is it time to take the afternoon off and do something to relax? Or, at the very least schedule some time away from the business. My post this morning isn’t original – I’ve written about the same topic at least a couple of times in the past, but it’s a message we all need to be reminded about. Be honest with yourself - is it time you scheduled what Sheila calls a "slug day" with your family or friends? Are you overdue to step away from the business for a short or long stretch and recharge your battery? One of the best things about photography and the Internet has little to do with imaging, but the friendships that come out of everyone's love for the craft. Meet my good buddy Chris Fawkes from Australia. He's the perfect example of one of those friendships. Chris and I have never officially met, at least not close enough to shake hands or grab a bro-hug, but I consider him one of my best buddies. It's all thanks to the Internet. We work together at the wedding forum Chris started, Facebook Wedding Photographers. When we started together the forum had around 3000 members; it's over 33,000 today. From a vision, Chris had, to me joining the "party" and later Brian Malloy and Steffi Smith giving us four people on the Admin team, every day is a labor of love. This morning I noticed Chris shared this image of his in a Black and White Challenge on his Facebook page. Well, it's one of my favorites, but he added a little more to the story than I knew when I included it in a blog over three years ago. "An oldie but still a fav. this was taken at the Queenscliff Steam Train Station in late 95. My photographer friend Darren sat between the carriages with a smoke machine which the staff allowed us to plug into their power point. An assistant used a reflector to fan the smoke so that it did not sit too thick. Kurt, the boy in the background was four and was very polite asking me constantly what he could do to help. Little Katherine was two and had been perfect on previous shoots for Darren, but on this day was not in the mood for photos or to be wearing a big dress. With two shots left on the roll I told her that it was over and she could go home. Katherine began to walk off and I asked her if she could get the case. She turned back and picked it up and I managed this as the last shot." I wanted to share it again because it makes such a good point. While none of us shoot film very much anymore, and we have an unlimited supply of data space - doing something different during the last few minutes of a shoot is what makes great images and often, even greater artists! Don't be afraid to mix it up after you've captured the necessity shots.
Mary Ellen Mark told me once how she used to have her students tape up the LCD screen on their cameras. She wanted them to learn to wait for the shot, rather than chimp, think they got it and walk away! That's the whole reason why she loved shooting analog. So, I'll wrap up this post with a big thanks to Chris for his friendship, support and reminding us all that capturing great images isn't over until you walk away! Over the last few weeks, I've helped several photographers with their websites and with each one their "About" page has been way off base. It's one of the most valuable pieces of your cyberspace real estate, but instead of high impact, many of you fill the section with an underwhelming collection of factoids about your life. Don't worry, you're in good company with a lot of other artists who do the same thing, but it's easily fixed. “About Me” or “About Us” is one of the most abused categories on many websites, no matter what the specialty. Here’s where you have a chance to create something with high impact, yet over and again, photographers miss the opportunity. They’ll waste the space talking about their accolades. They'll talk about their gear. They'll talk about how they got started with their first camera. They waste one of their most valuable pieces of real estate talking about topics irrelevant to their audience! First, let's hit the location for your "About" section. My personal opinion is it should be your second tab. Just like in the retail world, it's location, location, location! Your galleries should be your first tab and your "About" section next. My thought process is simple - hook clients on your work first, and then why you're their best choice. After that everything else falls into place. Second, let's talk about your readership, which for most of you is female, being "Mom" or brides. They don't care about most of what you're currently sharing. What they do care about is why you're a photographer. They want to hear how much you love to capture memories. They want to know why you love doing what you do because they need to know they can trust you. They're looking for a chance to look into your heart. Yeah, that sounds kinda sappy, but think about who you are and what you’re expecting people to do. This is about trust! You’re asking a potential client to trust you to be their eyes for the day at a wedding, for a family portrait, for a children’s shoot or a portrait session. With a commercial client, you want them to hire you because of the confidence they have for you to capture images of the concept or products near and dear to their hearts. You’re asking a client to trust that your mindset and vision is the same as theirs! Let’s start with a look at your opening statement in your About section. There needs to be a statement about who you are and what you bring to the party. Scott Bourne refers to it as his “artist’s statement, ” and every photographer needs to have one. Make your statement from the heart! You want to convey both your passion and your ability to capture an event in a way that exceeds their vision. Scott Bourne's artist’s statement has a few favorite sentences that convey what he’s all about and I've shared these a few times in posts in the past: ”...As a wildlife artist, my gift is to know how to “show up prepared” to interact with beauty that I do not control. I must learn to be at peace with my subject on their terms, not on mine...I struggle with finding the patience and the path. But when that struggle becomes the hardest, I remember my calling. I speak for the creatures which have no voice. Perhaps this is why the experience is so emotional for me.” Three other simple tips:
My favorite core shot is an artist photographing a client. The image is captured from slightly behind and off the right shoulder of the artist showing the photographer, camera in hand, and in the background, slightly out of focus the client. Let's plant the seed that you're a photographer early on. I’m convinced you can’t be in business today without a website, but how well that website works for you is up to you. There may be plenty of technology shortcuts in building the infrastructure of the site itself, but there are no shortcuts in convincing potential clients you’re the one they need to hire! Your most significant marketing tool is all about building relationships with your target audience. That first building block comes with opening your heart and sharing why you can be trusted to tell their story. "It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter."
Alfren Eisenstaedt Image copyright Rick Gerrity. All rights reserved. What do you call an artist who never flies; has used his camera gear to meet thousands of people all over the United States and has a truck turning 400,000 miles? You call him Rick Gerrity!
I started this series to introduce you to some of the most respected photographers in our industry, and if you've taken one of Rick's workshops/classes, then you already have experienced his unstoppable passion. What I enjoy the most though is his love for photography combined with relationship building with every subject he meets, literally along life's highway! I think of Rick as the ultimate street photographer - he's never without a LUMIX camera, and everyone he photographs becomes a part of his family and he a part of theirs. Check out Rick's website with a click on the image above. And, wander over to the LUMIX Lounge and meet the rest of Panasonic's Luminary team. They're an amazing group of artists and educators all with a common denominator - their love for imaging! Every day I go out to shoot I say so myself, "What lesson will I learn today?" Always a lesson. A breath of air and never take life for granted. Aging makes a soul tender and less physically resilient. Somewhat a cruel joke as our minds are full of riches as our bodies begin a reverse of youth. Karen Kuehn My posts on Sunday mornings often start the night before. As I go to sleep, I'll start thinking about a topic for the following morning. It's a completely random process, but yesterday was different.
I was reading Karen Kuehn's book, Maverick Camera. Reading is something I just don't do much anymore. So, yesterday, with Jim Brickman's Pandora channel playing in the background I sat down and started reading. Over and again I was blown away by each image together with what she wrote. With her portrait of surfer Fred Van Dyke from 2001, she shared the wisdom above, and it got me thinking about aging, time and inspiration. Time is our most valuable commodity, and yet it's the one resource we waste the most. We can't slow it down or stop it, but so often we spend too much time looking in the rearview mirror instead of forward. Look, I get it, I'm getting older, and while I don't feel any older, I creak for ten minutes every morning. As my passion for life and love keep growing, there are more reminders I'm not a kid anymore. We were at the beach recently, and I watched a young couple body surf in some pretty decent waves after a recent storm. I wanted so badly to grab Sheila's hand and join them, but we both started laughing about the last time we took a shot at riding the waves - it took us ten minutes to get out of the water as wave after wave kept knocking us down! Trying to help Sheila out of the water, I fell on top of her twice! And here it is, my Sunday anecdote on life, time and aging. With age come experiences and with each experience comes acquired wisdom. As a couple, that same clock reminding us we're no longer in our twenties is also responsible for appreciating the time we're sharing right now. The "waves" we have in our life are the speed bumps that help us stay on course, and create a never-ending appreciation for everything we have together. Karen's line about aging making a soul tender is so accurate. My appreciation and understanding of life are constantly growing, and each day there's less and less I take for granted. As photographers, your images represent that look in the rearview mirror, but your focus is always forward in front of you. Wishing all of you a Sunday filled with pure appreciation for everything and everyone around you. You can't change the past, but you sure do have an opportunity to live in the now and for the future. Go for those therapeutic eleven-second hugs and with each one think about the inspiration, passion, and love that person brings into your life. Make it a day of peace, love, joy, and savor each minute. Happy Sunday! Image copyright Sarah Petty. All rights reserved. My motivation when I started this series was to introduce you to some of the most respected artists in professional photography. The idea of sharing their favorite images and hearing the backstories seemed the best way to make the introductions. However, I underestimated the diversity and impact of so many of the images and artists. Each artist has shared a different perspective of imaging and taken the concept far beyond expectations.
Sarah Petty joins us on "Why?" today. She's become such a presence wearing her business and marketing hat that some of us forget her first love in business is being a photographer! She's an artist, educator, author, business owner, Mom and a great friend to so many of us in the industry. In this episode of "Why?" she shares some outstanding insight into her philosophy about turning memories and images into art...BIG art! Click on the image above to link to Sarah's Joy of Marketing blog or her website to see more of her images. Intro by Skip Cohen In dozens of posts over the last few years I've written about the importance of working together with other artists and vendors to help reduce your costs. For example, I've talked about sharing the cost of a direct mail piece, splitting it with two other vendors. A wedding photographer might share an oversized postcard with a florist and bridal shop. The costs are reduced to a third of what each would pay and all three companies become ambassadors for each other. Then, at ShutterFest last spring I spoke with a relatively new photographer who was able to take her business to the next step by sharing studio space with several other artists. With both a direct mail piece and real estate, everyone gains the benefit of the partnership. On the phone with my good buddy Kevin A. Gilligan a few weeks ago, he told me about an upcoming exhibition through an Artist's Collective. It's the perfect topic to expand the concept of strategic partnerships in imaging. Here's my point - you don't have to do it all alone. Kevin shares five outstanding ideas about the benefit of working together with other artists. It's a win/win for everybody involved. Interesting in seeing more of Kevin's work? Just click on "Liquid Gold." And if you're in the area, Kevin has a workshop series coming up at Silvio's in Torrance, CA. later this month and limited to only twelve people. Here's the link. by Kevin A. Gilligan Six months ago, I joined the Hermosa Beach Artists’ Collective: Twenty photographers, painters, sculptors, and mixed media artists, located in Hermosa Beach, CA, about 30 minutes from Los Angeles. We rent a warehouse, and put on exhibits monthly. The gallery is generally open six days a week and staffed by volunteers. It has been a great experience so far. I’d recommend it for your consideration. There are many reasons to join, but I’ll give you (5) five good ones below. 1) Creativity Joining with 20 other artists in an Artist’s Collective opens up your world to a wide variety of artists from whom you can learn. I’m a photographer, and swim primarily in those waters. Since joining I’ve been exposed to other amazing photographers but also other art forms I know little about. For a self-taught artist it is a wonderful learning opportunity. 2) Shared Expenses, Permanent Space Creating your images, framing them, finding space and renting space is expensive and time consuming. I’ve been in over a dozen group and solo shows. It’s great to have a consistent 8’ x 8’ space where I can regularly show my work. 3) Increased Exposure When you have 19 other people to publicize your exhibit space and show times, you have better market penetration. Leveraging everyone’s contacts means we get more eyeballs on our work. On average, shows are 1-2 weeks, every show we’ve had this year has brought hundreds of people in to see the work. One of the great things about this group is that it is a 501(c)3 promoting education in the arts for kids! 4) Motivation Being in a collective with regular shows motivates me to keep my work current and push to be the best I can be. When we have a show coming up, I want to hang beautiful art that will sell. 5) Networking, Networking, Networking The benefits of being in a collective include better odds of selling your work, but the connections might be the real gold. Our exhibits get press coverage, and my work has been featured in news. I’ve been contacted by multiple interior designers who are interested in my work. Today, an art foundation called me and asked me to join their roster of artists. The networking benefits are tremendous. What makes it work? All have to pitch in! At least one person has to take the lead to make sure “the flag does not touch the ground” and coordinate efforts. Many artists have multiple gigs, it’s best if you have several full-time artists in the group that can devote more time.
We all have our heroes in photography, and Art Wolfe is one of mine. We first met in the late 80s at the start of my Hasselblad career. We don't catch up to each other very often, but he's one of those people you meet and feel like you've known all your life. I just received my copy of Earth is My Witness, and it's stunning. The book is starting to ship now. Here's an opportunity for you to bring forty years of Art's life documenting the world into your collection. What I love the most about the book is the diversity of Art's work. Most of us think of him as a wildlife/landscape photographer, but that's only part of his story. I caught up to Art for a very short conversation. It was just enough for a First Byte and to hear his description of the book and what makes it so unique at this point in his career. Interested in finding out more? Just click on any of Art's images in this post.
Images copyright Art Wolfe. All rights reserved.
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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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