by Scott Bourne

As I was looking at some old portfolios recently, I realized that back in the day – I kind of sucked. Don’t get me wrong, I made some good shots and sold lots of images. But I am shocked at how bad some of that early work was. I didn’t have a clue back then. If I’d only have known just a few of the tricks I know now, I could have been so much better. So with that in mind, I’m sharing some ideas now that I wish someone had shared with me back then.

1. Pay attention to the background. A good background can make an average picture great.

2. Know your gear backwards and forwards. The minute you finally truly understand how to use your gear, you’re freed up to start paying attention to seeing. And seeing is everything in photography.

3. Wait on the light. Really. If you think it looks good at 4PM, wait until you see it at 7PM. Waiting on the best light takes patience and provides great rewards.

4. Slow down. Unless you’re a sports/wildlife photographer, chances are you can take one breath before pushing the shutter button. Take that breath and see what a difference it can make in your images.

5. Get to know your subject REALLY well. Regardless of what (or who) you are photographing, take time to learn all you can before getting the camera set up. It will pay off later.

6. Pre-visualize. Try to imagine what the final print will look like before you snap the shutter. This is a technique pioneered by folks like Ansel Adams. It works.

7. Know WHY you’re about to trip the shutter button before you do it. If you can’t answer the WHY question, don’t make the photo.

8. Pictures with pop get noticed. Typically, a good picture that doesn’t pop – doesn’t get sold.

9. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. I took so many boring pictures back when I was getting started because they were safe. The results were competent but unremarkable. To compete in today’s world, where people think they are a gifted photographer just because they have a nice camera, you have to stand out. And you stand out by taking chances.

10. Enjoy your time spent behind the camera. Photography is supposed to be fun. When I first started out, I rushed and worried and stressed myself out thinking about having to MAKE THAT SHOT. Don’t be like me. Relax. Enjoy the moment. All too soon it will be gone. Your career will be behind you, and you’ll realize it wasn’t as much fun as it should have been. I’m still working on this one every day.

Looking back through the SCU archives I found this post from several years ago and the topic this time of year is so relevant! Just because it's the "slow season" doesn't mean there's nothing to do. This is the perfect time to look at everything you do in support of your business. 

For so many years imaging workflow has been a hot topic, but what about your business flow?  I'm referring to the day in day out process of making decisions, answering correspondence, talking with customers and managing everything that comes across your desk or computer.

So, here a few quick tips:

1) The best advice I was ever given was "handle each piece of paper only once!"  Put that in contemporary terms and it means read the email, make a decision on whatever needs to be done and get on with your life. Dump it or archive it, but do NOT delay dealing with the question, request or issue in the email.  Do not save it on your desktop to address later unless there really is some research needed before you answer.

I worked for somebody once who just couldn't make decisions.  His philosophy was, why decide today, when it can wait until tomorrow?  Sure, there are times when you have to give a decision ample time to review all the options, but this was on everything. He'd put everything off, ponder the meaning of life and as a result we often missed some great opportunities.

Today's market waits for nobody.  We're an instant fulfillment society and often not answering somebody mimics the "Can you hear me now" attitude of a Verizon commercial.  Silence is not a strategy and delaying an answer is often perceived as negative.  "No news is good news" just doesn't hold water today.

2) Prioritize your daily activities.  I'm not sure where life turned around on me, but I used to wake up, have some breakfast and then go to the computer. These days I love to hit Facebook and Twitter right while I'm fresh, and then when I've done the things I need to do in social media Sheila and I have breakfast together. Look at the things you need to do every day and get yourself into a pattern.  Once my thoughts for the day are more organized I go to the blog and then to my email.  If everything on the site is working right, I can then start on whatever projects I have in the pipeline.

3) Call people back!  If somebody made an effort to call you and you weren't available, get back to them ASAP.  The same goes for email. Make everything in your business that's related to communication a priority. If you schedule clients during the day then do the same with your outgoing phone calls.  

4) Make marketing a priority!   Part of your workflow needs to include time for developing your marketing plan along with new projects to keep your creative juices flowing. But, it needs to be something you do for a little time EVERY day. Start by building a list of ideas on things to build a stronger brand. It doesn't matter how random an idea might be. Keep building on the list each day and at other times work on ways to expand some of the concepts in more detail.

5) Be a lunch slut!  I've often referred to myself as the biggest lunch slut in the photo industry!  Here's what I love about lunch - unless you're flat out on a project that won't let you take a break, you're going to need to eat.  So, why not do it with a friend or an associate?  Why not use the conversation time over lunch to not only catch up, but bounce a few ideas off of new ears?  You listen to yourself all day long, but you don't get the same response as the expression on somebody's face listening to a good or bad idea when they're sitting across from you. So, add lunch once a week with somebody out of the office to your priority list and workflow.

6) Archive it - File it - Get rid of it!  Being a pack rat is fine, but when you've completed something get it off your desk and away.  It will accomplish nothing to have stacks of papers or tons of handled emails staring at you all the time.  You need to clear space on your hard drive in your computer and in your head.

7) Keep a journal or diary...I'm not talking about the diary everyone's sister had in fifth grade, but a simple notebook of things you work on during the day, notes from phone calls etc.  I've found it really helpful to keep a spiral notebook on my desk and when it's full I start another one.   I can already see those of you who are  iphone addicts rolling your eyes, but for me it still works better to write out the information long hand rather than load it into my computer.  I remember it better if I've written it down instead of typing it.
 
While there are lots of impressive programs like Evernote, I'm still not quite there. For those of you who are a whole lot more progressive in this stuff than I am, it's definitely worth checking out. I love to hand-write everything, including a giant whiteboard over my desk.

8) Last but not least,  recess and nap times were terrific when we were little kids, but how come we forgot about them when we got older?   You need a break now and then, so take it!   You don't have to have a little rug to sleep on like you did in kindergarten, but pulling your brain out of the daily routine for a few minutes and going to "recess" will definitely help you get organized. Seriously, haven't we learned anything from our kids? Recess should be an adult concept, not just for elementary school. I want a bell to ring around 10:00 every morning and it should be mandatory that I walk outside and play with the other "kids" for at least fifteen minutes!  (I think I might be on to something!)
 
The bottom line is stop procrastinating. This is the perfect time to be working on building a stronger foundation for your business in the year ahead. And, if you want to grab lunch let me know!

by Skip Cohen

I wrote a post on a similar topic several years ago, but I've meet so many artists online recently and I'm amazed at the different perceptions they have of their business. With the first quarter trade show and convention season just around the corner, I'll be meeting more in person and I know I'll continue to be surprised at the different levels of enthusiam with each artist I meet.
 
I found a terrific quote a few years ago that Martina Navratilova is given credit for:

 "The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs.
The chicken is involved; the pig is committed!"

Running across that quote recently, it got me thinking about our industry, because we've got too many people who are involved, rather than committed.  Photography is an art form, not just in the capture and creation of the final image, but in the relationship each artist has with their clients and the passion for the craft.

An involved photographer gets the job done, has a goal to at best be average and spends too much time looking at the revenue stream.

Committed photographers can't stop thinking about their images. While they're obviously concerned about revenue, they're more concerned about creating an experience for each client. They're looking for ways to give back to the community. Their hearts skip a beat when they download images from a portrait sitting, commercial shoot or an event. They spend more time listening to their clients than they do talking to them.
 
If you're a regular reader here at SCU you're more than likely committed, rather than just involved. However, odds are you know somebody who's on the fence between involvement and commitment. So here are eight questions to help you define the difference and maybe share to help them better define their goals.

1. Are you excited when you meet a new client? Do you find yourself thinking about the images you're going to capture and create in advance, seeing them through your "mind's eye"?
2. If you're photographing a wedding for example, do you find yourself rushing to download images and watch the way the story unfolds?
3. When you think about the people who you admire most, are many of them other photographers?
4. Do you find yourself sad when leaving a photographic convention or workshop? At the same time are you loaded with energy to apply some of the new things you've learned? Do you stay in touch with people you've met at previous photographic events?
   
5. Do you spend most mornings excited about the day ahead versus wishing you could just stay in bed for the day?
6. Do you feel naked when there's not a camera on your shoulder, in your pocket or in your car?
7. When you look at a stunning image do you find yourself wondering how it was created and then working to find out more?
8. Do you find yourself angry when you see images that were made my photographers who you know simply said to themselves, "That's good enough."

Okay, there it is, my top eight, but there are so many more. Feel free to add to my list via the comment section below and I'll do an extension of this post with your additions.

Most important of all, being committed is about unstoppable passion! There's little else you can see yourself doing.  While it's directed to the topic of relationships, I found a quote that really hits home and being a photographer is about a relationship with your craft.

by Skip Cohen

What started as a vehicle for developing tweet content by posting a morning quote and an afternoon quote has morphed into a daily pattern. Finding great quotes, typically about business and marketing each day gets me thinking about various aspects of my business, the industry and marketing in general.

But, every now and than I find one that just won't fit in 140 characters.  I found this quote three years ago and shared it in a blog post. It's so good that it deserves to brought back as a reminder to each of us about the power we possess to change our piece of the world, one little corner at a time! Steve Jobs may have passed away, but he continues to inspire.


“Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”   Steve Jobs

It's just a short post. Besides, why would I attempt to add anything to that? 

                         "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." Anais Nin


While this post is really about photographers, the challenge of courage applies to EVERYBODY in business today. The economy, technology, consumer trends, social media and competition are just a few of the never-ending speed bumps every small business owner is facing.

It's a heavy duty quote above, but now apply it to your own courage in business as a professional photographer.  Think back to how nervous you were when you got that first job - it doesn't matter if it was a wedding, a children's sitting or a commercial product assignment. Your nerves were a little frayed and you might have had serious doubts about whether or not you were going to be able to get the shot. 

Now, take it one step further, and depending upon how long you've been a photographer, your camera might have been loaded with film. No digital and no "chimping" to see if you got the image a split second after clicking the shutter. You didn't know if you got the shot until days later.

Go one more step and take this little exercise: Just think about how much your life expanded with that first paid click of the shutter.  (Check out "Why?" with Dan Cox. He was 17 when he landed the wrap around cover for the Eddie Bauer catalog that was the launch point for his career.)

Well, with that first paid click, just like Dan, you went from amateur to professional. But the step up to being a professional took more courage. You accepted a level of responsibility to your client, your friends and most of all to yourself.  You took that "double secret" oath to deliver quality, to exceed expectations, to be the eyes of your clients and even their hearts, when they were busy looking elsewhere.

The courage you had to launch your career has morphed into a lifestyle, a skill set unique to the way you see the world and share it. Your life has expanded. The places and people who came into your life will continue to help you grow as long as you keep having the courage to learn. You need to be involved in the community and the industry, adapt new technologies, network with new friends and keep your mind open to the challenges that make imaging so incredible.

The legendary Don Blair was once asked, "What's the best photograph you've ever taken?"  His response: "I don't know I haven't taken it yet!"  He was almost 80 when he said that and had been shooting since he was 14!  He never stopped having the courage to adapt, to take on new technologies and in the end, his life expanded beyond anything he could have anticipated!

Just a thought today and maybe an explanation why I have so much respect for so many of you!

We're through the first week of the new year and for most photographers the "slow season" is officially underway. It's the perfect time to stop procrastinating and do some clean up of your site, your blog, even your desk or office. 

But it's also a great time to establish a few priorities for the year ahead...

"If you don't get what you want, it's a sign either that you did not seriously want it, 
or that you tried to bargain over the price."
Rudyard Kipling

I keep finding great quotes and the more I read them, the more they morph into a business application. 

I've heard so many great ideas from so many of you and then later heard, "It just didn't work out!" Almost all the time it's because you started out aggressive, loaded with energy and direction and then lost your patience. You didn't "seriously want it" bad enough or you compromised on your approach, "bargained over the price."

It's just a short post this morning, but I hope it makes the point. Surround yourself with positive people who help you believe in yourself. Don't compromise on anything your heart tells you is right. Pay attention to your mind's eye and when you visualize something, don't rest until you've got it.

How's all that apply to the business of being a photographer? Don't slow down on your education. Keep building your skill set to be the best. Stop listening to negative people who take up space and use up oxygen. Believe in that face looking back at you in the mirror every morning.

Photo Credit: Finger © momius - Fotolia

While I often have something in the pipeline to write about, most often whatever I post is the result of issues being discussed in the various forums, at conventions and in conversations with other photographers. Well, this morning is one of those days where I really wanted to hit the topic of risk-taking, which has come up a lot lately.

A month or so ago I mentioned an amazing little book I picked up, "It always seems impossible until it's done." It's a classic at inspiration-building and well worth having on your book shelf or giving it as a gift this holiday season. Just click the cover and it'll link to the Amazon page. 

There was a great quote from Denzel Washington that I ran across:

A month ago I wrote a post about not using the word "fail" and justifiably got beat up by a couple of people. I was wrong in my approach. It's not about the word, but how you think about it.  The reality is that failures are just speed bumps. Obviously some are bigger than others, but each project or event in your life, that doesn't get the results you wanted, is another stepping stone.  As Denzel Washington wrote, brings you one step closer to success.

In a number of forums lately questions have come up about marketing material, redesigns of websites and blogs and promotional questions. Over and over again there's this hesitancy being expressed by the authors and it's always about taking risks. Everyone seems to want the formula for the "sure thing" and in all honesty, nothing is without risk.  

Most of you need to take more risks, even if business is solid. Risk-taking can be as simple as just changing your exposure, lighting or composition on an image. It can be as complex as your pricing structure or branching out into a new specialty of expertise. 

The bottom line is there's no such thing as a "sure thing", but if you have confidence in yourself and trust what's in your heart, each new step you take will you bring you that much closer to the success you're looking for.

"If you wait until all the lights are " green" before you leave home, 
 you'll never get started on your trip to the top."  
Zig Ziglar

The new year is just around the corner and as you start planning 2015, don't be afraid of taking a few risks. I'm not suggesting you take random shots at new directions...just analyze your skills. Figure out what you need to make your business stronger and then start planning the steps you need to take to grow.

...and if you need help, you know where to find me.

Photo Credit: © Gino Santa Maria - Fotolia

Yesterday's post on confidence was a beginning for this topic, but there are some other sources.

A few months ago we launched a new forum on Facebook called, GoingPro. The whole purpose was to get the help of a dozen or so of the best known educators in professional photography as administrators and  then do our best to help everyone with the challenges they have in raising the bar on any aspect of their business.

Looking over everyone's comments about where they need help, it seems to be in two primary categories, building confidence and marketing. While I'd love to hit on both topics, no one post or one person could ever cover both...so let's pick up on where yesterday's post left off. 

• Read your camera manual. Get to know every button and setting on your camera. Experiment with different settings, understand depth of field, know all of your lenses and the coverage each one will give you.
• Attend every workshop you possibly can. 

• Attend every convention.

• Spend time in the booth of each vendor you use, including your gear manufacturers, lab, album company, frame company, software etc.

• Listen to podcasts, webcasts, webinars on topics related to your specialty including those out of your comfort zone.

• Understand lighting! Not just natural light, but all the various qualities and patterns of studio lighting.

• Be a second shooter as often as you can, especially in your first few years.

• Enter print competition. This isn't for everybody, but it's a terrific learning experience.
• Attend print competition judging, even if you didn't enter. You'll learn a lot from the various judges.

• Jump onto YouTube.com and watch the videos of iconic photographers in your specialty. There are ton of great videos out there, some long, others just a few minutes.

• Look at magazines - this is about understanding what's hot and what's not. While it's not a confidence builder on its own, paying attention to what's going on in the commercial world is going to help you better interpret requests from your clients.

• Join a guild, PPA chapter, camera club...and, go to every monthly meeting. This is about expanding your network and many of the camera clubs host some pretty remarkable guest speakers.

• Rent gear you don't have to experiment with and understand the impact it will have on your images.

• Practice, practice, practice - but remember Roberto Valenzuela's line..."Practice doesn't make perfect. What if you're practicing it wrong? Only perfect practice makes perfect."

• Talk your friends or family members into modeling for you. You've got to practice and often friends and family are the best way to build your portfolio.

• Join some of the online forums that are in line with your specialty and your goals in professional photography.

• Share images in the forums, but have a thick skin. Listen to the suggestions and ignore people who simply want to behave badly. Stay focused on those giving you constructive criticism.
• Do a portfolio review. Many of the conventions and workshops offer portfolio review. It's a great way to get an objective opinion on your work.
• Hands-on workshops are one of the best ways to build confidence. Pay attention to the speakers you've heard the most about and then check out where they're teaching. A great hands-on workshop means twenty people or less with one instructor.
• Use your network - especially your inner core of the people who are closest to you.

One of the biggest challenges with a lack of confidence just comes from fear. The more experience you get, the less there is to be afraid of. Don't let fear get in your way. Get to know your gear, the craft and listen to your clients.

"If you end up with a boring, miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your prieset, or some guy on TV telling you how to do your shit, then YOU DESERVE IT."
Frank Zappa

I don't usually quote Frank Zappa, but he hit on one of my pet peeves, people who can't make a move without checking with dozens of other people to get confirmation that what they're doing is right. Feedback is terrific, but most of the time you know in your gut whether you're going in the right direction or not. We all do it, some more often than others. It's all about insecurity and could so often be neutralized by doing more things to build your confidence.

I'm not saying don't listen to people you respect, just stop putting so much weight on what they tell you...this is your dream, not theirs. Listen to what everybody tells you and then boil it all down and put it through the "heart test". This is real simple...if it doesn't feel right in your heart, then put it on the back burner or modify it.

Take responsibility for your career. It's not an easy thing to do and I'm a perfect example. I worked for Polaroid, Hasselblad, PhotoAlley and Rangefinder/WPPI before finally getting the nerve to direct my own destiny. I always worked for other companies.

I was able to head out on my own for two primary reasons...first, it was time. I knew in my heart, regardless of the people who told me I was nuts, it was time to head out on my own. Second, I had a great partner to help me stay focused on my skills and remind me of those things I did really well and other areas where I needed outside support.

I reference my wife, Sheila a lot in my blog posts...she's my muse, often my inspiration and definitely a shoulder to cry on. She helps me strategize, think through new projects and puts her opinion in whenever it's appropriate. She knows the questions to ask in order to help me find my own answers.

This is all about building confidence and believing in yourself, but it doesn't happen overnight. Here are a few suggestions to help you speed up the process.

• Identify a couple of people who know you better than you do yourself, but most important, they understand your dream.
  
• Attend every convention you can find time for. Don't be dollar wise and nickel foolish - in other words, even if money is tight, find a way to attend. At every convention you've got a chance to learn something new and make the trip pay for itself.
  
• Read every blog by every photographer/educator you admire.
  
• Spend some time on YouTube. Just plug in any name in the search box and then watch a few of the videos that come up
  
• Join your local camera guild, club or PPA chapter and go to every meeting. 
  
• Enter print competitions and listen to the feedback.
  
• At every convention, introduce yourself to the speakers. They're teaching because they love to teach and most of them love to meet their students - they're all very approachable.

Hard to believe that I started this post with Frank Zappa and I'm going to finish with Steve Jobs - both great advice and all under the topic of my wife's favorite quote, "To thine own self be true!"

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.  Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking.  Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.  And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
                                                 Steve Jobs

Between the twelve year chapter of my Hasselblad career and the seven years I was with Rangefinder/WPPI, that's almost twenty years of meeting some incredible people in our industry.  

This week I had a great conversation with Jeremy Sutton, an artist from San Francisco. In every presentation at WPPI or things he was doing in his booth, he was always having fun. I don't remember ever seeing him without a smile on his face.  I hung up the phone and immediately went to his website to catch up on what he's been doing. I found the image above in his gallery and the story behind it when he was teaching at Santa Fe Photographic Workshops.

"This painting depicts Flamenco dancers and musicians performing at the historic El Farol in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is based on a series of photographs I took with kind permission of the fabulous performers while I was in Santa Fe teaching Painting the Passion of Flamenco at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. The colors, composition and approach used in this painting were inspired by John Singer Sargent’s magnificent El Jaleo and John Nieto’s vibrant fauvist works."

You'll find a lot more stunning work on his website. It's well worth wandering through his galleries. Jeremy combines photography and art, but it wasn't his skill as an artist that sparked the idea for this post, but how much he loves what he's doing.

We hadn't spoken since before I left WPPI, coming up on six years in March. He asked what I was doing now and as I spoke, I realized how truly happy I am. For many years, I lived vicariously through so many of you as I watched you struggle, yet control your destiny. You took risks...you chased dreams...you built your brand.  You weren't always smiling, but you were always focused on your goals, even when those goals might be changing, because of the economy or technology. I've been inspired by so many of you.

This Wednesday I'm headed to NYC for PhotoPlus Expo and the anticipation is almost overwhelming. I have all kinds of ideas running through my head for new projects next year. I have two days of meetings with companies and people I respect. I'm looking forward to catching up to friends and associates I haven't seen for months and wondering who's that one person I haven't seen in years who will turn up at the show.

I found a quote this morning by Artie Shaw, that so hit home and I want to share it with you, because it really is the way, with Sheila's help, I've learned to live my life...

Wishing all of you a wonderful weekend, loaded with smiles and memory-making moments with family and friends.

A short time ago I mentioned a great little book I picked up, It Always Seems Impossible Until It's Done. It's well worth a daily read, just to feed your brain with some great motivational material. Click on the cover and you'll be linked to Amazon.

Yesterday I was talking with a photographer who made the comment, "I've just hit the wall and don't know what to do with my business!" Well, as luck would have it, this morning I'm sitting here trying to figure out what to write about and I found this incredibly relevant quote from Randy Pausch:

Here's the point - we all hit a wall now and then. We all have to deal with adversity and sometimes it seems like, just when we get through a challenge in our business, something happens in our personal life or there's another wall to climb in the business. We never seem to get everything going in the right direction all at the same time.

Guess what? That's life and especially in the career field you've chosen. Just when you think you understand technology, something new is going to show up. Every day there's another paradigm shift and you've got to run a little faster to catch up, but here's the beauty of it all.

The more you learn, the more challenges you endure and the more brick walls you either climb over or just obliterate, the stronger artist you become. Every brick wall is nothing more than a test of your love for the craft. Each wall is simply another workshop in building your skills.

Next week I'll be headed to NYC for Photo Plus Expo and what makes me love the show so much is the networking with both new friends, old friends and associates. We'll have time to just talk about the business and out of this one trip will come dozens of new ideas... each one capable of getting over the next wall.

See you in NYC!

Today's post is for all of you who are so wrapped up in things that haven't worked that you've forgotten to recognize all the things you're doing really well. In your own way, you've pretty much given up and might even be thinking about going back to your "day job". There's so much talent out there, but too many of you want to rush success and have this vision that it should always be smooth sailing.

"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 
Twenty-six times, I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. 
I've failed over and over an over again in my life. 
And that is why I succeed."
Michael Jordan

 "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work!"
Thomas Edison

This past week I was reading a few comments on a Facebook post and one was from a particularly frustrated photographer in the south. So, I did what I often do, picked up the phone and called him. He was surprised to get the call, but before he was ready to talk about the challenges in his business, he wanted me to know he was "just a little guy" completely unknown in the industry.

When I read the following quote this morning, it got me thinking about how so many of you see yourself...

"Just because people are doing extraordinary things doesn't mean they're not ordinary people."
Laird Hamilton

This industry is as wonderful as it is, because of all you little guys. You're the mortar holding the bricks together and you're doing some extraordinary things. You experiment with technique, you push the edge of the envelope, you challenge all the paradigms and you rarely accept "NO" as the answer to anything.

It's just a short simple concept this morning - stop apologizing for being passionate. Remember that everybody had to start somewhere. Believe in the path you've chosen for a career, because the journey you're on is going to be remarkable.

Found this on YouTube from the Our Gang series in the '30's....

Make it a terrific Sunday...hug somebody special and as I read in an article recently, hugs lasting at least ten seconds can actually have therapeutic value. Try it and you'll see what I mean.

It's a quote by playwright, Neil Simon, but it got me thinking about how many times we've all decided not do something, because it was too risky. In our minds we weighed all the options and so often have exaggerated the real risks. We chose to hold back, because we were afraid of failing.

I've written a few times about my own experience of leaving Rangefinder/WPPI over five years ago and Sheila saying to me, "So, what are you afraid of?" My response was just one word, "Failing!"

Well, here I am today, business is growing and every day is more exciting than the previous one. I wake up smiling every morning and my definition of "success" has been completely redefined. It's all about being happy.

So, this is a short post and perfect for a Friday...don't let your fears hold you back. Appreciate them for what they are, speed bumps to help you slow down. Appreciate the warning signs of risky decisions, but utilize your network and all your experiences to help you follow through. Most important of all, learn to listen to your heart.

And here's the best part - when you do make a wrong decision, nothing is forever. Start again and take another shot at doing it better next time.

September is recruitment month for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep and I'm one of their biggest fans. It started with my friendship with Sandy Puc, one of the organization's two founders. In fact, it was around twelve years ago she gave me the approval to use two of her images of babies in my marketing presentations, which I've pulled out of my early Power Point slides below. These two images couldn't be more appropriate for "Throwback Thursday". 

A few years later,  Sandy and Cheryl Haggard founded NILMDTS. It was one of Sandy's hospital displays that Cheryl saw and prompted her to contact Sandy for images of her son, Maddux.

"Maddux Achilles Haggard was born on Feb. 4, 2005, with a condition called myotubular myopathy. It prevented him from breathing, swallowing or moving on his own. On the sixth day of his young life, his parents, Mike and Cheryl Haggard had to make the excruciating decision to take him off life support. Before they did, they called photographer Sandy Puc’ to take black and white portraits of them cradling their son. Puc’ photographed the couple with Maddux at the hospital before he was removed from life support and after — when he was free from the tubes and the wires that had sustained him."

Yesterday I shared a guest post from Amy Hales, one of NILMDTS's affiliated photographers from Utah. As of now the post has had well over 10,000 reads, 371 shares on Facebook and over 6000 "Likes" between SCU and the shared post on NILMDTS's Facebook page.

There are so many worthy charities involved in photography. Whatever you choose, it's important for you to be involved in something that allows you to give back.  It's a key element in building your brand awareness as an artist and in general, just as a member of your community.

It's ironic that what I love most about NILMDTS is also the reason so many photographers think getting involved is over their head. It's an emotional roller coaster. Yet, over and over again I keep hearing two similar themes that have become common denominators.

First, is from families who cherish the support they've received from NILMDTS. There's a relationship that's immediately established between the families and the photographers. There have also been dozens of comments, mostly from mothers, who have expressed regrets that NILMDTS wasn't around when they lost babies of their own.

Second, and so significant, is the impact of being involved has had on the photographers themselves. Over and over again, photographers have written about these cherished moments giving their skill set new meaning. Being involved and using their techniques as portrait artists has given them a stronger sense of purpose.

That brings me full circle to this morning's post.  I couldn't be more proud to be able to help NILMDTS spread the word. The reaction from so many of you has been remarkable. You've commented, shared the post and done an amazing job, far exceeding anyone's expectations in building awareness for a wonderful group of people and cause. And, to those of you who are affiliated NILMDTS photographers already, thank you for taking photography to a very special level of memory capture. You're providing an amazing service to help ease the pain of so many families.

"If you decide to run the ball, just count on fumbling and getting the shit knocked out of you a lot,
but never forget how much fun it is just to run the ball! "
Jimmy Buffett

I missed "Marketing Monday" yesterday. So, welcome to Marketing Tuesday...

The quote above was just too good not to share.  There are too many of you have taken a few hits and forgotten how much fun it is to run the ball!  The "ball" is your business and while it has days loaded with stress, you're still running your own company and getting closer to living your dream...or maybe you're already there.

However, if you're feeling a little weary now and then, it's sure something I can relate to. Best example is that it's well after midnight and I just couldn't sleep. So, I got up and started working. It's not something I recommend, but there are days in every business when you just can't let go.

So, it seems like the perfect time to focus on things you can do to make sure you never forget how much fun it is to "run the ball" and avoid burning out...

• Take a break from the business. Take your camera and get out and shoot for the day.  Go back to your roots and photograph whatever got you excited about imaging in the first place.

• Experiment with your gear. Yesterday's Luminary Corner post from Bob Coates had him stacking extension tubes and shooting in "macro macro"...he just grabbed his gear and headed out hiking in the desert.

• Phone a friend. Okay, I know it seems trite, but last week I had a long call with an old buddy I hadn't talked to in at least two years. There are no words to describe the smile on my face when I hung up the phone.

• Get yourself to a local meeting of photographers. Whether a PPA affiliate or a local camera club, hanging out with people who have the same interests and often some of the same frustrations, can do wonders for your creative spirit.

• Listen to a great podcast. Here's one that a week ago I couldn't have shared. It's the most inspirational interview I've ever done and it's all thanks to Sandy Puc. I've never talked with a photographer who was willing to share so much information about her business and even certain aspects of how it had an impact on her personal life. Just trust me, click on the banner and listen to it.

• Find a Creative Live episode in their archives with a photographer you admire. You've all got your  favorites and Creative Live has had just about every educator in our industry.

You're part of an amazing industry, but it's important to remember you're not alone. Everybody has tough days, challenges that seem impossible to resolve and moments where we just question the path we've chosen. The key is to recognize when you're on the edge and utilize all those resources and friends out there who are willing to help.

They're just three words, but nobody could demonstrate honesty, integrity and passion better than Sandy Puc in yesterday's second episode of "Weekend Wisdom".  Actually, she demonstrated all ten qualities of leadership from the image above. That's why she's one of the most respected educators and artists in our industry.

She gave us all the most honest in-depth background into the rise, fall and rise again of her business and life...or maybe it started with a fall as she talked about being a "kid with issues" and heading out on her own at 15. All along the way you can sense her integrity, holding nothing back, but always staying focused on her goals. Then, there's the passion for the craft and eventually she understands the passion she had to have for her own happiness...Seriously, Hollywood couldn't do as good a job developing the story as Sandy did just telling it.

Bryan Caporicci called it raw, honest and open. Well, I've listened to it a few times now and I've never known a photographer to be as open and sharing with their story. Like I said yesterday, I couldn't be more proud to consider Sandy a good friend.

Here's my point on this gorgeous sunny rainless morning in south Florida - all the skills and great gear in the world won't help you build your business if you don't have, at the very least, those three ingredients in your heart and soul - honesty, integrity and passion.

"We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.
It may even be necessary to encounter the defeat, so that we can know who we are. So that we can see, oh, that happened, and I rose. I did get knocked down flat in front of the whole world, and I rose. I didn't run away - I rose right where I'd been knocked down. And then that's how you get to know yourself. You say, hmmm. I can get up!
I have enough life in me to make somebody jealous enough to want to knock me down.
I have so much courage in me that I have the effrontery, the incredible gall to stand up. That's it."
Maya Angelou

 

This morning's post is a little out of the norm for what I normally share on the weekends, but it's so relevant to all of us.

Two weeks ago, working together with SproutingPhotographer.com we launched "Weekend Wisdom". It's meant to be a very different kind of podcast, with the idea being that we drill down on just one topic, typically the components of a specific project or promotion. We want these podcasts to be relevant and helpful with a "how-to" quality when it comes to marketing and business.  Our first episode with Don Komarechka was very specific and talked about self-publishing, covering concepts like crowd-funding, self-editing, printing, customer service etc.

Well, in this second episode of Weekend Wisdom, my good buddy, Sandy Puc, threw me an amazing curve-ball and while it's not specifically a "how-to" about marketing, it's very definitely a "how-to" about defining success. I've never met a professional willing to share so much of the personal details of building a business, the strengths, weaknesses and even what many might call "failures".

In the end we went longer than we anticipated and finished with an incredible definition of success. As "Sam" points out, it's not about the money, the recognition or even the skill set...it's about waking up every morning with a smile on your face and an enthusiasm that only she can describe.

Just click on the banner and you'll go right to the podcast.  A big thanks to Bryan Caporicci for creating Weekend Wisdom and obviously to Sandy Puc for her honesty, dedication and passion for helping photographers raise the bar on not only their work, but their lives.

Note: Just a sidebar - Sam is the co-founder of NILMDTS and this is recruitment month. They need more photographers and it's an amazing opportunity for you to give back. Everyone is always a little hesitant about dealing with the emotional side of NILMDTS. Check out this recent video and then take it to the next step and talk with them about how you can help.

I found a terrific quote on perspective in Kathryn and Ross Petras' book..."It Always Seems Impossible Until It's Done".

"Don't believe them when they tell you how bad you are and how terrible your ideas are,
but also don't believe them when they start telling you how wonderful you are
and how great your ideas are.
Just believe in your work and you'll do just fine." 
Michael Uslan

I remember a podcast with good buddy, Matthew Jordan Smith. Matthew talked about the importance of developing your own style and referenced his early days, just starting out. With many of his images he'd repeatedly ask people he respected what they thought, often taking the criticism too seriously. As his skill set grew he learned to develop the self-confidence for a stronger belief system in everything he did.

The same thing happens, especially with photographers who post images in the various forums on Facebook, asking for a critique. Whether they're happy with the comments or upset, they've forgotten the real issue. It doesn't matter what everybody else thinks, but if the client liked the image.

My old buddy, Dean, who I've quoted hundreds of times said it best...

Everybody knows when an image they've posted lacks some key ingredient. It's like Sheila asking me to taste the sauce she's made and saying, "Tell me what it needs!"  "More salt" might be the photographic equivalent of "it's under-exposed"..."Too spicy" might mean in photography, "Tone it down a stop"..."More sugar" might be "A little catch light in the eyes would be nice."

Sheila also might completely disagree with whatever I suggest and love it just the way it is. She already knows, given the chance, I'd put more garlic and salt in everything we eat.  So if she thinks I'm wrong, it's pretty simple. She's confident that she's dead-on with the right flavors she wants and there is no further discussion.

Posting images on line is no different - we all have different tastes and most of the time if an image is really bad the artist knew it when they posted it. You know when an image isn't your very best work and that's okay, just stop acting hurt and surprised if somebody doesn't like it.

That brings me full circle and back to advice I've been giving new photographers for years...

As always, wishing everybody a terrific weekend and one filled with great friends, plenty of good hugs and plenty of time to believe in yourself and appreciate whatever path in life you've chosen.

Every now and then I run across a quote that's so classic it needs to be shared in a post, rather than abbreviated to the point where it loses all impact and then crammed into 140 characters for a tweet...

This one is from a little book I picked up while traveling this week called "It always seems impossible until it's done".  If you're looking for one of the best collections of quotes for "Motivation For Dreamers & Doers" here's the link.

There are two classic profiles who need to be reminded that there's no such thing as being a fearless warrior or dread-free artist.

First, there are those of you working hard to make the jump from part-time to full time or from serious hobbyist to a dedicated professional. Second, there are a number of you who are established veterans, but you're worried about making changes like diversifying to a new specialty, trying out a new technique, raising the bar on your skill set or raising your prices.

It's a really simple point this morning - just a reminder - there's no such thing as a "dread-free" or stress-free, business. Stess comes with the territory, but it's how you deal with it that counts.  You need to believe in yourself, utilize the inner core of your network for support and stay focused on the task. It's ironic we all know how to focus a camera, but so often can't focus on the tasks we need to do most!

And that's the perfect lead-in to my favorite Zig Ziglar quote...

"If you wait until all the lights are " green" before you leave home,
you'll never get started on your trip to the top."
Zig Ziglar