I've written a lot about networking over the years and my good buddy, Scott Bourne has shared a lot of thoughts too. Parts of this post he first shared in 2013, but as this year comes to a close and so many of you plan which conventions you're going to be attending in 2019, the timing to remind you about the basics, couldn't be more relevant. I know some of our points might seem almost childish, in the category of your mother, when you were a kid, reminding you to say "please" and "thank you." But, we live in a world of email and texts, and it's surprising how many of you have forgotten the art of conversation, the importance of a firm handshake and eye contact when you're talking to somebody. Scott hits on seven basics to help you launch each new friendship and "invitation" into your network in the right direction. "Sometimes, idealistic people are put off with the whole business of networking as something tainted by flattery and the pursuit of selfish advantage. But virtue in obscurity is rewarded only in Heaven. To succeed in this world you have to be known to people." Sonia Sotomayor I want to add three more tips to Scott's conversation starters below because networking is at the very top of the list to why you should attend every possible convention!
Remember, successful networking is about your number one best marketing tool - building relationships! by Scott Bourne
With the annual trade show and convention season almost upon us, it's never too early to start thinking about how you'll get the most out of each event. Here are some networking conversation starters and tips to get you going.
And remember as always, Skip and I are rooting for you.
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"Don't let yesterday take up too much of today." Will Rogers As I sat down to write Reflections this morning, I turned to Google for a little help, typing in "quotes about life." That lead me to Will Rogers' quote above, and that got me thinking about a series of events in my life. I found myself letting thoughts of the past take up too much time in the present. I understood what I was doing, and before the "dark side" consumed me, I chose to write about it this morning. One of Sheila's favorite expressions is "Don't should on yourself!" All of us do it, with a few people I've met over the years turning it into an art form. Instead of just appreciating the moment, they spend hours analyzing what they should have done instead. It's an analytical defense mechanism as they look at the results from a path they chose, instead of just appreciating what they did, learning from it, and moving on. Like most people, I have regrets for a few things I've done, but more for things, I didn't do. We all do a little Monday morning quarterbacking from time to time as we look at our decisions. It's okay to look in the rear view mirror as long as you appreciate everything you see is behind you! "In the end we only regret the chances we didn't take." Author Unknown For years I lacked the confidence to go out on my own. From Polaroid to Hasselblad, PhotoAlley.com and Rangefinder/WPPI I always worked for other companies. I lived vicariously through so many of you, admiring your drive and entrepreneurial spirit. Had it not been for Sheila, I doubt that I would have ever stepped outside my comfort zone almost ten years ago. And that brings me full circle with today's post. At the risk of sounding like a bad rendition of Frank Sinatra's "My Way," we all have regrets. We all have those chances we wish we'd taken and didn't. But here's one of the very best things about life...we've all got today and tomorrow! Wishing everybody a day with no regrets, time with the people you love and smile-making moments that help you build a never-ending supply of memories to cherish tomorrow. The year is quickly coming to a close and December is always an amazing month to spread a little cheer and pave the way for a new year. Go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs, but at the same time, don't be afraid to tell the people most important to you how much you appreciate the role they play in your life. Happy Sunday - and if it's Monday where you are, I'm wishing you the best for the new week ahead. "Be spontaneous. Be crazy. Leave your comfort zone and live with no regrets." Author Unknown Note: I never share a blog post without an image. I had nothing in my archives that I liked, so I grabbed a LUMIX FZ1000 and headed outside. There's a Powderpuff bush (Calliandra haematocephala) in bloom on the side of our house. I loved the fact that within eight inches on the same branch I had three generations of the flowers. Well, it fit with an underlying theme to this blog post of yesterday, today and tomorrow. It was shot at f2.8 at 1/60 ISO 1000. It's an overcast flat morning. So, I had some fun with the image boosting the clarity, tone and structure using Luminar 2018. #WhereLumixGoes #LumixFZ1000 #MadewithLuminar Every week since mid-February the SCU Diner has shared a "blue-plate special," just like those great diners in New Jersey I used to enjoy in my Hasselblad days. The whole idea behind Fast Food Friday is to give you a taste of things you should be doing to build a stronger business. And, while I know this is your busiest time of year, that doesn't mean you shouldn't be looking ahead and building a stronger foundation for establishing better brand awareness! Today's special hits on a favorite challenge for every business - finding new customers. There are too many of you who thought just by opening your business and hanging a sign; customers would flock to your door. Well, it doesn't work that way. Think about how much noise is in our lives. You've got to find ways to get through that noise and utilize your very best marketing tool - building relationships. The Hunt for Opportunities"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door!" Milton Berle To figure out today's Fast Food Friday menu I started looking for motivational quotes, and I ran across one of my favorites above. It really hit home for me personally and fits for so many of you. Whether you've recently just started as a professional photographer or you're a seasoned pro trying to jump-start an established business, you've got to look for new opportunities. Every business, no matter what line of work you're in, has the same challenge, finding customers and keeping them. You've got to find that sweet spot that makes you different from what everybody else is doing. Own your zip code: When was the last time you got out and literally knocked on doors to introduce yourself to every business in the community? When I was a kid, I remember moving to a new neighborhood and a woman from "Welcome Wagon" came by the house to introduce us to the vendors in the community. She left a basket of goodies, coupons, and information. You need to do the same thing, with or without a goodie basket. And, it's holiday time! This is the perfect time of year to be meeting every business owner in your community. You don't have to sell them anything, just wish them "Happy Holidays," and remind them as a photographer and artist, you're there to help with any help they need in imaging. All of your past clients: Everybody is busy looking for new clients, but they forget about building relationships with their existing base. These are people who already know you and have other photographic needs or friends who do, but you've got to stay in touch. Holiday cards, email, phone calls and even a personal visit here and there are all perfect to keep in touch. Remember, a great business is built on a foundation of relationship building! Partnerships: Other businesses, including photographers, are the perfect partners to create excitement in the community. New alliances can be just what you need to "build some new doors." It can be as simple as sharing the cost of a mailing to actual cross-promotions of each other's products/services. Again, it's holiday time, and you're going to be meeting so many different people at community events as the year comes to a close. Think about those people you meet who might be terrific partners in the future. Social Media: Each day you've got an opportunity many of you miss to expand your presence in social media. Without question, for photographers, those new doors are through a well-done blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest when it comes to reaching new potential clients. However, you've got to pay attention to your presentation, the quality of your images and being helpful in what you're sharing. You know how to focus your camera, but what about your business? Opportunities are everywhere, but you're the only one who can go out and find them! Fast Food Friday is brought to you by: It's Throwback Thursday and while I shared these techniques many years ago, the more photographers I "meet" online, the more relevant understanding lighting technique has become. There are so many of you who could raise the bar on the quality of your portraits with better lighting! In 1999, Don Blair and I published Don Blair's Guide to Lighting and Posing Body Parts. That's 19 years ago, and the information we shared in this book will never go out of date. The whole idea for a book like this started during one of Don's programs when somebody sitting near me said, "This is great stuff - there should be a book on this!" Well, the sweetheart of Don's life, his wonderful wife Donna, had passed away a year or so earlier and the project started with a dual purpose - to help photographers improve their portraiture and to give Don something to help take his mind off the pain of a broken heart. I remember being on the road with him several times, and he'd always buy a rose and put it on the pillow next to him as his own tribute to Donna. We did all the photography for the book in Las Vegas with models from the area because we wanted to introduce the book at WPPI the following year with a program that included the same models. Tony Corbell, Terry Deglau joined us as we storyboarded each page on the wall of the hotel room where we were shooting. Remember, there was no digital imaging then - every shot for the book was first captured on a Polaroid proof. Bambi Cantrell later added the finishing touch with the author's portrait for the back page on the right. The fun of today's post has two parts. First, so many of you need to understand the basic principles of good lighting, and it doesn't get any easier than to share Don's examples, complete with diagrams. Second, what a kick to take this walk down Memory Lane. Even though I've shared some of the backstories about Body Parts before, "Big Daddy" was one of the most loved photographers in the industry. I think about our adventures together all the time. It's a great reminder why the memories we help people capture are so important! If you need help in improving your portrait technique, technology has changed a lot, and Marathon Press can still print the book, but no longer have it in stock. If you've got an interest let me know in the comment section and I'll pass on the information. Happy Throwback Thursday! In this new episode of One Location, One Lesson, One Lens, David Akoubian shares some excellent tips on bird photography. Even if you're not a bird photographer, the advice he gives is universal to so many different applications. And, he's doing it all on location at one of the places on my bucket list, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. He's in New Mexico for the Festival of the Cranes, which has taken place every November for 30 years. David's done an excellent job packing in solid how-to content in this three-minute video, but so has Tamron in capturing the power and the beauty of an estimated ten thousand cranes and twenty thousand geese arrivIng during their winter migration. David's no stranger to SCU with several different posts over the years, although one of my most favorite is his episode of "Why?" from 2017. To enjoy more of David's work click on any of the two screenshots I pulled from this video and don't forget to check out David's workshop schedule to fulfill your own bucket list of photography trips! David's "co-star," along with the birds, is Tamron's SP 150-600 G2 lens. It's a remarkable piece of glass, and a necessity for birds in flight: "When photographing birds in flight, one thing that's critical is a long lens, and I'm using the Tamron 150-600 G2... and has made my bird photography, especially birds in flight, easy and fun." David Akoubian This couldn't be a better time to check out Tamron's family of products and especially the instant savings on the SP 150-600 G2 lens. Tamron's making some of the finest optics in photography today and always staying focused on ways to help you raise the bar on the quality of your images! Just click the banner below for more information.
Over the years I've shared a lot of great content thanks to my good buddy, Scott Bourne. In fact, his advice below was shared in a post a year ago and several years earlier as well. And, while things might have changed a little on a point or two, like Instagram being a potential player, etc. nothing has changed in the potential for you to build a better business. I know how often all of you get caught up in the stress of building a stronger presence, and miss many of the easiest things you could be doing. In this terrific post from the SCU archives, Scott's sharing ten easy to afford marketing ideas to help you establish a stronger brand and business. I'm adding two more to the list as well.
The common denominator with all of these tips is the low or non-existent cost, but that doesn't mean they can happen by themselves. You've got to make the effort, and this is definitely a you-snooze-you-lose scenario. And, if you're stuck and need help you know where to find us! by Scott Bourne
Today I just have a quick hit list for those of you who have a small budget and need something to jumpstart your photo business. 1. Ask your local municipal government if you can use an old or abandoned building as a make shift art gallery and organize a display of your work and the work of other aspiring pros in the area. 2. Offer to do a free "how-to" make a portrait session for your local Chamber of Commerce or service organization such as Rotary. 3. Barter your products and services to help launch your business and get other local vendors familiar with what you do. 4. Offer to provide free framed prints to local children's clothing stores if you do kid's portraits - offer to provide free framed prints to local pet stores if you do pet photography - you get the idea. 5. Offer a print or portrait session or _____ as a prize for a charity auction. 6. Set up a Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Facebook business page as well as a business Twitter account, etc. 7. Make "how-to" photography videos and post them on YouTube. (YouTube is being treated as much like a search engine as it is a place to see video.) 8. Make yourself indispensable to thought leaders in your segment of the photo industry. 9. Start a podcast. 10. Issue press releases every time you do something significant and hand deliver these to your local media. Chamira Young and I have been having fun with Luminar 2018, taking turns each week and sharing another tool we're working with. However, the true joy of the relationship with Skylum and this terrific software is our ability to direct a portion of sales through SCU to one of my favorite nonprofits; Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. The original promotion was initially scheduled to end on November 30, but in all honesty, we can't come up with a reason to not let it run until the end of the year, at which time we'll direct help to another nonprofit. So, for every Luminar purchase through December 31, we're donating $5 to NILMDTS. Luminar CornerThe image above is this week's pick and my final image - Instead of using a preset, I chose to use a couple of different tools. Here's the original on the right. Accent AI Filter: This filter is the first one on the filter selection list, and it's the perfect place to start. It automatically analyzes the image and makes the necessary adjustments. Remember with all the Luminar filters you can adjust the degree of impact on the image. Tone Filter: Next step was to adjust the "Tone" - which adjusts overall brightness and contrast. I also went a little deeper into "Smart Tone" along with playing with the highlights, shadows, blacks, and whites. Structure Filter: Last, I tweaked the image using the structure filter. It enhances clarity and micro-contrast in the surface areas between the edges detected in an image improving perceived detail. With what I felt was a minimal adjustment to the image, I chose to crop and enlarge the butterfly 100%. And, for those of you who don't know how to tell the gender of a Monarch butterfly, a male two black spots on either side of the hind wings. It's the speed and ease of use I love most about Luminar and obviously the results. But, every aspect of the image is adjustable and when you're done, you can click on the history of the changes you made, and they're saved in your archives. The image above is showing the original image along with the changes I made, except for cropping. Check out Luminar
Sheila has a good friend in Naples and headed there to spend time with her this weekend. So, Molly and I headed to Melbourne, Florida to hang out with Vanelli for the day. It's just after 7:00 AM as I write this and I guess I'm about to cross the line into a topic that some of you sadly might find controversial. Let's start with Vanelli. First, if you don't know Robert Vanelli, he just goes by his last name or "V." He's a three-time Triple Crown Karate Champion, and while it might have been a long time ago, he's still the guy you want on your side in a barroom brawl! But, what many of you don't know about him, is his spiritual soft side; his love for writing poetry and in short being one of the most sensitive and in-tune-with-feelings people I've ever met. This past weekend, like the last time when he came to this side of the state, we spent a lot of time talking about family and friends we've lost. With each funny story we shared, there always seemed to be a hidden lesson we learned along life's journey. We laughed a lot, but he's one of those people who, if I were telling a story and had a tear in my eye over the memory, I wouldn't feel embarrassed. Last night over dinner we were exchanging stories, Vanelli about his parents and me about my mine. As he was talking about something his mother said and calling him "Robby," I actually felt like I grew up next door to the Vanellis. I commented, that whether you believe in immortality or not, we've made those special people in our lives, who we've lost, immortal through the love for them that comes out in each story we share. I needed to get back to this side of the state and left for the three-hour drive just after dinner. As I drove home I had one wonderful conversation after another with my folks - all brought on thanks to the dinner conversation with Vanelli. Then, this morning, while reading one of Sheila's Marianne Williamson books, she wrote about healing through the memories of loved ones we've lost. She essentially described the wonderful feelings I enjoyed on the ride home last night. Finally, this morning I caught a post Vanelli shared on Facebook about a good friend's wife who passed away. He talked about how an old photograph got him talking to her about her husband and their friendship. He closed the post with: If you have lost someone, don't be afraid to have a conversation with them. For me, it keeps them in my life. There you have it, my whole point this morning in one stellar sentence from Vanelli. We've all lost loved ones and people who were huge personalities in our lives. They leave big holes in our hearts, but for me, the way to keep them by my side is to have a conversation with them now and then. Put those conversations together with the memories photographs help capture and I've created a world full of immortality and opportunities to never have them very far away. The hole in your heart never fills back up, but turning back to a time when life was perfect because of the presence of someone you've lost, does create an unlimited inventory of smiles. That's one of the things I love so much about the business of photography and at the risk of driving a few of you mad as I quote Jodi Picoult for the tenth time... "This is what I like about photographs. They're proof that once, even if just for a heartbeat, everything was perfect. Now, put those photographs and memories together with a conversation now and then with somebody you've lost and miss, and for a few minutes, you'll contribute to their immortality!
Wishing everybody an incredible Sunday, and one filled with great memories and time to appreciate your roots. Everything you are today is a combination of your experiences and things you learned thanks to so many different people, many of whom are no longer with you. Make it a day filled with great memories and take the time to create tomorrow's memories today! Always go for those eleven-second hugs with the people most special in your life. Happy Sunday everybody, and to Vanelli, thanks for a great visit buddy! |
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