by Scott Bourne
There’s a thing called muscle memory. According to Wikipedia - Muscle memory has been used synonymously with motor learning, which is a form of procedural memory that involves consolidating a specific motor task into memory through repetition. When a movement is repeated over time, a long-term muscle memory is created for that task, eventually allowing it to be performed without conscious effort. This process decreases the need for attention and creates maximum efficiency within the motor and memory systems. Examples of muscle memory are found in many everyday activities that become automatic and improve with practice, such as riding a bicycle, typing on a keyboard, typing in a PIN, playing a melody or phrase on a musical instrument, playing video games, or performing different algorithms for a Rubik's Cube. I’d argue that there is something similar — I’ll call it “brain memory.” For more than two decades I got up at 4:30 am and started making calls to photo buyers in New York. My strategy was simple. Most of the people doing that job started work between 8:00 and 9:00 am. Most of their receptionists didn’t come in until 9:00 am. If I started calling them at 4:30 am my time (7:30 am their time - west coast v. east coast) then I had a great chance of catching them at their desks. And more importantly I had a GREAT chance of avoiding the gate keeper, i.e., the receptionist. This strategy paid off for me time and again, and rather handsomely. I got accounts that nobody else did because I was in the habit of starting my calls at 4:30 am every day. Well old habits die hard - and that’s a good thing. The routine of placing those calls helped me earn a handsome living. And the fact that it BECAME routine is the key. Old habits die hard. So I was on the phone like clockwork. I’m sharing this story now for two reasons. Now that I’m retired, I can’t sleep past 4:30 am :) That’s proof that old habits die hard. The second reason is that I want to suggest to you that marketing can be something for which you develop a sort of “muscle memory.” Most of you who make photographs every day already have a muscle memory relating to your gear. Now I want you to develop a muscle memory (a brain memory if you will) that compels you to devote a certain amount of each and every business day to marketing. I suggest starting early, but that’s just me. As always, Skip and I are rooting for you.
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" My advice to new photographers is : QUIT if you don't have the passion! Photography has to be your oxygen, you need to breath it, eat it, love it and sleep with it. If it does not consume you in every way and drive you life partner nuts, then you are not passionate enough. You will create your best work only if you love this work and it excites you each time as if it is the first time. Always learn from others and those who have made an impact on the industry, they have years of experience and expertise and each will show you a new angle in the circle of our industry. I will also say you cannot make a good living out of photography if you are not business savvy of have someone to do the math for you. We are like poets, we are artists but not business people, so make sure you have your wits about business or find someone who can do it for you. Keep on Keeping on and Never stop learning, NEVER !" Yervant needs to be in your network and definitely somebody you follow, especially if you're a wedding photographer. Year after year he's won virtually every WPPI award in the wedding category and you need to follow what he's working on and where he's teaching. Visit his site for more incredible images. Images copyright Yervant Zanazanian. All rights reserved.
by Skip Cohen A couple of days ago I wrote what's become one my most commented about posts. You don't see the comments here because they're all on Facebook. The topic was the difference between photographers who are committed to the craft versus just being involved. Well, the post wasn't meant to be all inclusive and my pal, Kaylene Fister added three more of her own that put a big smile on my face this morning. "9. Do you find yourself unable to enjoy a movie for the plot; instead you're looking at the lighting, the composition etc? 10. Can you no longer have a proper conversation with someone because you're engrossed in studying what the light is doing to their facial features/structure? 11. Do you read all of these points and realize that you are, in fact, committed and sometimes so much so that you are risking being committed to an institution? :)" Kaylene's number ten brought back a story that happened about twelve years ago... Don Blair was one of the finest portrait photographers and educators our industry has ever had. He influenced thousands of photographers to raise the bar on the quality of their images and to pay attention to lighting. Over the years he became one of my very dearest friends and passed away in 2004 at 79. There's rarely a day that goes by that I don't miss him. His wife, Donna, passed away after a long battle with ALS and a number of people in the industry flew out to Salt Lake for the funeral. Well, I was standing next to "Big Daddy" in the funeral home. It was a long day, with a line of people that went all the way around the building with people coming to pay their respects. The casket was opened and Donna was simply beautiful. Out of the clear blue, Don stopped greeting people and shaking hands and just turned around and looked at Donna. "Hey Buddy, look at the way the light is hitting her face right now! Look at the highlights on her face. Is that the most beautiful light you've ever seen? She really is an angel!" There was a single spotter on the ceiling about twelve feet up and a little window light coming in through the drapes on the side. She truly was lit like an angel...and that was what Don lived for, finding the light or creating it. His passion and commitment to photography was unmatched. Nobody did it better. So, if you're here this morning, welcome to the "Committed Club". We've all chosen an amazing career path and after my own experiences over the years, for you newbies, I can promise a future of incredible friendships, memories, laughs and tears. Oh how I love this industry! Thanks Kaylene and thanks to all of you for making it all possible. Happy Sunday - hug your family, friends and spend the day thinking about something other than work. It'll all still be there tomorrow morning. "What advice would I give new and seasoned photographers? Learn as much as possible, find your style / what you love to do, brand and market yourself properly and have a strong business mindset. For a lot of photographers the talent comes easy, what’s often difficult is how to make their love for photographing profitable. Learn more; know more. Educate yourself. Be different. Just like Apple products, things change quickly. There are always new products coming out, new techniques, new fads, and new equipment / software, etc., you have to keep up. Grow yourself; invest the time and money necessary to make yourself better. If you want more money: work more efficiently, be smarter, be better. Spend all your time learning or behind the camera, anything else you’re losing money." One of the qualities about being a great photographer is about never compromising on the quality of your images, while at the same time setting a standard for pushing the edge of the envelope on creativity, especially lighting. Great lighting is fast becoming Moshe's signature along with outstanding headshots. You'll find a lot of spectacular work on his site. Images copyright Moshe Zusman. All rights reserved.
by Skip Cohen With the problems Netflix has had over the last couple of years it's hard to believe they could do something I'd view as positive and a lesson in promotion, but here's the thing. Photographers don't promote themselves enough. Most of you do the same thing with an "About" page, galleries etc. I've shared a few outstanding videos from Justin and Mary Marantz and Bob and Dawn Davis. However, with this piece from Netflix, that Nick Vedros sent over to me it got me thinking about photographers. What if a photographer did a video like this of an incredible family portrait on canvas over the fire place? Or, how about the travels a wedding album went through as a family heirloom. A wedding album isn't a book of memory-making photographs but the first family heirloom of a new family. When you sell your services to cover an event like a wedding, it's not about the images, but about the moments out of time you're capturing to share with family and friends long into the future. I love the idea of taking an album and turning it into a personality and then using it to "educate" a client on the importance of its existence, just like the tree topper in this one minute video. I know it's a little out there, but it's the way my head's working this morning. Wishing everybody a wonderful weekend! If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary. Jim Rohn Pearls don't lie on the seashore. If you want one, you must dive for it. Chinese Proverb Ryan Kaplan a wedding photographer from Suffern, New York posted this yesterday on Facebook Wedding Photographers. Ryan has a lot of good comments, being an active member of the forum, and he got me thinking about the topic as a blog post. While the topic is directed mostly to "newbies", we all take short cuts. We live in a rushed, instant fulfillment, "I WANT IT NOW" world. Sadly, too often, photographers jump the gun and break the rules without understanding the impact of their actions. Pricing: Paraphrasing my buddy, Sal Cincotta, in his pricing video he talks about the easiest way to destroy a business is simply to price your products too low. New photographers and seasoned veterans often forget the costs to be a photographer. They look at the actual cost of a print for example, without considering the expense that went into building their career and running their business, including their own education. They haven't learned the basic rules of profitability. A Weak Skill Set: I've written this before, but anybody can get their first customer. The key is to get the first one back a second time or better yet, have that first customer tell their friends about the incredible experience of working with you. No matter how good your marketing is, you'll never build a business if your images and skills aren't better than "Uncle Harry's". Years ago I assisted Denis Reggie at a wedding. That night, everything seemed to go wrong with his flash. The flash kept misfiring. The problem was condensation on the connection (SCA390 Adapter) between the flash and the camera. It was hot, high humidity and going in and out of air conditioning created the condensation. My point...Denis understood everything about exposure and simply changed flashes, switched to manual and never missed a beat. This was also back in the days of film. There was no opportunity to see any of the images until they came back from the lab. Plus, it was a high-end wedding with no room for failure. What if Denis had "broken the rules" and skipped learning about his gear and understanding exposure. What if he had shown up without backup equipment? Communicating With Clients: Practice your pitch over and over again. Are you ready to answer questions like, "Why are you more expensive than the other photographer down the street?" Practice with a friend, a family member even other photographers. Role play and understand the importance of believing in yourself and being direct with your clients. Don't launch a business on concepts that are half-baked. Getting it Right - Right out of the Can! You can break the rules of exposure and composition all day long and then spend hours in Photoshop cleaning up your images or.... How about learning the craft and understanding every feature of your gear so well that your images are great right out of the can. Solid images then allow you to enhance them with great products like Alien Skin's and save you time at your computer. In turn, you're freed up to market yourself and build a stronger business. Knowing the Basics: Symphony musicians warm up playing the scales, literally thousands of times in their careers. They practice over and over again. Photography is no different. You've got to practice. You have to know the basic poses when you've got a client who's made what you consider a traditional request. For example, do you know some basic bridal poses? How well do you do posing groups? Everybody shoots bridals, but what about "groomals"? The groom's got family too! My old buddy, Don Blair, used to use a spin-off of Picasso's quote above. He used to tell people that until you learned the rules you didn't earn the right to break them. Learning the rules in photography means you can provide a client with virtually anything they want. Then, and only then, can you push the envelope of creativity from an established base line to being a true artist. I'm not against "breaking the rules" - just make sure you know them before you rip them apart! You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else." Albert Einstein “Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.” Dalai Lama XIV Building a business, in many ways, is no different than building a house. You've got to have a solid foundation. Too often, especially new photographers, are building their marketing programs before they've developed their skill set. Anybody can get their first client, but a solid foundation gets the first client back a second time and brings more people in the door. by Skip Cohen Watching TV, I continue to be blown away by the trend to negative advertise. It's especially obvious at election time each year. Politicians slam each other back and forth and bring us to the only conclusion we could have, none of them are truthful and they've all got something to hide. So, here's the connection: Don't be a politician! Negative advertising doesn't help you build your business. Talk about the things you bring to the party. Make yourself so good that your work and reputation speak for themselves! 1) Let's start with your "About" tab on your website. Talk about why you love photography and what imaging means to you. This is the charter you live by. Keep it relatively short, no more than 3-4 paragraphs and sign it like an artist statement. 2) If a picture is worth a thousand words then show spectacular images on your website. Don't put up one image that's a compromise or just there to fill space. When you're meeting a client in person, show them your work. Let them see your creativity. Have different albums that demonstrate different techniques. I've written this many times before. With each image ask yourself, "If this was the only image I could show is it good enough that I'd get the job?" If the answer is "No" then consider not putting it up, unless it's part of a sequence that's important. 3) When you talk about finished products and pricing, talk about value, quick delivery time and the benefits of online hosting, just to name a few. Every bride has heard a horror story about a "friend" who waited a year or two for her album, didn't get any images she liked, etc. If you dig back you'll find the story has been dramatically embellished, but that doesn't change her world of reality. So, hit on things you bring to the party and stress your sense of customer service. 4) Show some of the products you offer, but you don't have to show everything. If you're a children's photographer for example, show one of your Day-In-The-Life albums on your site. You might even want to have a short video showing how you interact with your clients. Check out Kirk Voclain's videos posted on YouTube of his work with seniors. Here's a prime example of why he's one of the best senior photographers in the country. Each one of his videos are completely different. 5) Most important of all, be accessible. When a potential client tries to contact you, be there! Or at the very least, return their calls or emails promptly. Give them a phone number to call and follow Scott Bourne's advice in his recent post.
Photography is a word-of-mouth business and you've got one goal with every client: to exceed their expectations and make yourself habit-forming! If you truly want to separate yourself from the competition, you've got to go that "extra mile" and deliver more than they asked for. "There are no traffic jams along the extra mile!" Roger Staubach Great service and great images mixed with a solid dose of integrity and sincerity is the recipe for growth and success in photography! You won't grow anything if you're spending time slamming your competitors and trying to convince people you're the only one doing it right. The author was listed as "unknown" on CustomerServicePoint.com, but that doesn't change the relevance: "To my customer. I may not have the answer, but I’ll find it. I may not have the time, but I’ll make it." The shop is called "As Good as it Gets" and it's here in Sarasota. It's essentially a boutique cheese shop also carrying great olive oils, a white balsamic vinegar to die for, classic meats like prosciutto and a Parmesan encrusted salami, caviar, teas and that's enough to give you the picture. In the back of the store they have a small counter where Doug Gurley, the owner, works his magic. There's nothing he doesn't know about cheese and his business, but what he's best at is creating a level of trust with every customer. "Trust" might seem like a word that's a little too big for buying cheese, but this is about the fun of taking your taste buds on an adventure. Here's how it ties into photography and your business... Kirk Voclain once told me the key to building a strong business for photographing high school seniors is about making the event of getting their portrait done fun. "Fun" - it's one of those words becoming more and more extinct in business today, but it's a necessity. It might even be your secret weapon in building more strength into your brand. "Trust" is the other word that's critical to a strong foundation for your business. Your clients have to trust you to understand what it is they want. You have to be able to see the world through their eyes. So, we're back to my favorite cheese shop. A trip to the cheese shop isn't just a drive-by to pick up a pound of Swiss. It's an event for us. Like any good place to shop, we know the experience and the quality of the products are never going to fail. It's simply fun! Doug lives to exceed customer expectations and there's the other link to your client. Exceed expectations with a quality level that leaves your clients speechless and in turn, like As Good As It Gets, you'll find yourself becoming habit-forming! Photo Credit: Doug Gurley taken by Bob Coates with Pansonic's LUMIX GX7
by Skip Cohen There's been a lot of nice feedback on the SCU podcasts and some really great suggestions. A common request has been to make them more "how-to" in their core content and that's just what we're going to start doing. This first podcast in the new direction is with Matthew Jordan Smith. Matthew shares his experiences so far on his book project, Future Presidents and includes thoughts on using Kickstarter for the funding, the challenges of photographing in all fifty states, balancing his time and the pure joy of turning a dream into reality. It's a great podcast with a lot of helpful suggestions for taking your own special projects to the next level. The book is anticipated to be out in October of 2014, but in preparation for the official launch he had some fun creating this short video. What a kick it is to be a part of this project and watch Matthew's vision unfold! Interested in checking out more of Matthew's work? Visit the project site, Matthew's own site or Matthew's extensive Profoto videos here at SCU. by Scott Bourne This may come as a shock to some of you, but in the old days, not one single professional photographer on the planet had a Facebook account. Nor did they have a Flickr account, a blog, a website, an e-mail address or anything else that involved being "on line." Yep I know, I know, hard to conceive. But it's absolutely true. And in keeping with my status as "older than dirt" I know this is true because I was actually there! Truth be told, I've spent more of my life operating without the Internet than WITH the Internet. I've sold more photographs, licensed more images, booked more shoots using the telephone than the Internet. Now here's the good news. The telephone still exists. Oh you don't hear about it very often, but yep, I checked. It's still there. You can get one just about anywhere. And you no longer need to rely on a lady named "Ma Bell" to pick one up. Yes, the magical telephone still works and in my opinion, still has great value. So today's Marketing Monday tip is short and sweet. Get a telephone number, plaster that puppy everywhere. Use it. Share it. Actually answer it. Talk to people. It's an amazing thing. You can hear the happiness or sadness or joy or suspicion or whatever in the other person's voice. You don't have to rely on emoticons! You can just ask people how they are feeling, what they need, and they will tell you! Crazy right? You should put your telephone number on every single piece of marketing material you hand out. And you should put it on your website, your blog, your social media accounts (at least the ones you use for business) and you should do so today! People still use the telephone. They really do. Maybe not ALL people. But enough to warrant you investing in one, promoting the number and responding promptly to every single call, period. I know what you're thinking. "But Scott if I put a telephone number on my website people will call me!" Yes! Isn't it wonderful? Clients and prospects will call and try to give you money. It's like magic. Give it a try. Really. As always, Skip and I are rooting for you. P.S. Send us an email with your phone number. You never know, we may just call you to see how you're doing! Photo Credit: © Nenov Brothers - Fotolia.com |
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