​It's been a little while since I jumped in the way-back machine and posted for Throwback Thursday. That doesn't mean I gave it up, only that I wasn't sharing old memories in blog posts. I still take a few minutes at least once a week to wander through an old album or look through my archives of old images. Why? Because they remind me of my journey in this industry.  Every old photograph brings back so many memories.  

I always suggest professional photographers use Throwback Thursday as a marketing tool to remind your readers how fast time flies; how much their family's changing every day and the need to capture those memories with tangible photographs. But, even if you don't share your throwbacks, take the time to look through old images and enjoy the memories they bring out. Do it for your own enjoyment.

Speaking of memories, today's post is perfect for the first throwback of 2019! I found a copy of the June 2002 issue of Rangefinder Magazine. I saved it because it was the last published issue before I joined the company that July. Over the next couple of years, we'd build one of the best teams in publishing and conventions, taking the magazine to over 350 pages.

I apologize for the quality of the scans, but it was the best I could do. Check out the winners from WPPI that year, which was held at the Tropicana with attendance around 3,000. It was the last small show WPPI had, moving to Bally's the following year. A few years later we took over both Bally's and Paris, and when we ran out of space there, it was over to the MGM Grand.

Whether you enter prints in competition or not, get yourself into Las Vegas a day early and take the time to sit in on the judging. It's one of the very best educational opportunities at each convention.  It was also one of my most favorite events, and it brought out a lot of stunning work. Four of the winners in the wedding category that year were Joe Buissink, Ken Sklute, Frank Cava and Joe Photo. They're all active photographers today and Joe Buissink's print from that year hung in our office for many years.

I also had some fun looking at the ads. I couldn't help sharing the one below, featuring my good buddy Matthew Jordan Smith. While his equipment has changed over the years, nothing has changed in his love for photography or his ability to create stunning images. Over the past eighteen years, since publishing Sepia Dreams in 2001, Matthew's become one of the industry's leading educators, speaker, author, blogger and a good friend to so many of us. He's an artist who should be on everybody's radar. 

And here's my point for Throwback Thursday today - take the time to walk down Memory Lane. If you don't feel like scrolling through an old album, find an old photography magazine and have as much fun as I did this morning looking at old ads, articles, and photographs. Pay attention to how styles have changed. And, as much as technology has changed, giving us more creative tools that at any time in history, the industry has never budged on the importance of quality, creativity, and your passion for the craft.

Happy Throwback Thursday!

I'm not sure when Photographers Ignite got started, but I do know for several years it was one of my most favorite events at WPPI. Kevin Kubota made it all happen, and the concept couldn't be easier to understand.  

​Each speaker had five minutes to make their presentation with 20 slides that automatically advanced every 15 seconds. The speaker had no control over their slides except in the initial creation before submitting their program.

Think about the concept of having to be so concise that you had to cover all your key points in just five minutes!  There were some stellar presentations, and this one from my buddy Scott Bourne was one of the best.  
 
Well, it's Throwback Thursday and this video from seven years ago is a classic and the perfect reminder of so many different ideas to help you build a stronger better business. And, looking back there are some fun things to point out:
​

• Scott is introduced as a heavy hitter on Twitter with 90,000 followers - Today he's got 221,000!
• Kevin mentioned "GoingPro." Co-authoring the book with Scott, it's one of the highlights of my career. The book is still one of the best publications out there for artists getting started in the business of photography.
• Pay attention to each of the points in Scott's presentation - this is a lesson in building trust, relationships, and all the ingredients to make yourself habit-forming to your clients.

Scott continues to share a lot of wisdom to help you build a stronger business and raise the bar on your skill set. The best way to keep track of what he's doing is to follow him on Facebook. As the President of Skylum Software and a spokesman for Olympus, he's sharing outstanding content every day!

Happy Throwback Thursday!

​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!

The year is '94 and we're in NYC at Javits for what later would become PPE. This was the Hasselblad sales force working the show together with the some of the staff, Tony Corbell, Chuck Gutierrez, Don Snyder, Rudy Guttosch, Carl Claesson and Jim Morton. For a relatively short time Staffen Junel was world wide CEO based out of Sweden. 

The Hasselblad University programs were becoming legendary with one tour after another of great workshops. Tony joined the team as Dean of Hasselblad Univeristy and was instrumental in putting together some outstanding programs.

Throwback Thursday is the perfect time to wander down Memory Lane. Take the time to look through those old photographs you've got stashed away - they bring back so many memories and are a reminder of the incredible importance we provide as an industry!

It's Throwback Thursday and for the second week in a row, I've got my old buddy Bob Nunn to thank for some great material. Wandering through his album of throwback photographs these two were duplicates and now represent classic memories in my own stash.

I joined Hasselblad USA in 1987. NASA had been flying with Hasselblads since '62 and with the majority of flights somebody from the company was involved. I believe Hasselblad cameras were on every flight for over 40 years.

Astronaut Charles Conrad captured the image above in November 1969. It's astronaut Alan Bean holding a soil sample from the moon's surface and it's the 49th anniversary of that image this week!

However, depending on what publication you research, there's also a description that suggests the image is Neil Amstrong with Buzz Aldrin reflected in the visor of his helmet. And, if somebody knows for sure, feel free to let me know.

One of the best advertising campaigns about Hasselblad was in the mid-80's with a tagline of, "Fifteen years ago NASA left twelve cameras on the moon. We bet they still work!" It was the perfect testimonial to Hasselblad's legendary quality.

I love the simplicity of this portrait of Wally Schirra holding his Hasselblad. He was the first to take a Hasselblad camera into space, an off-the-shelf 500C that he bought at a local Houston camera dealer.

As much as I love this history of Hasselblad in space, my own brush with greatness came one day in the office. Chuck Gutierrez was on the phone and as usual, I wandered into his office without knocking to ask him something. He quickly turned and went "Sshhh!" He was patched into the space shuttle through NASA and was taking one of the astronauts through the steps to clear a jammed lens!

I write the same close to just about every Throwback Thursday post - take the time once a week to wander through your old photographs. You'll find every image brings back memories you've often forgotten about. Then, use some of those images and share them in blog posts for your readers. 

Women make 98% of the purchase decisions to hire a professional photographer in the portrait/social categories. For most of you that means "Mom." So, use throwback images to remind her how fast the kids are growing and the importance of updating the family portrait and creating new memories. Plus, it's holiday season and now is the perfect time to plant the seed for holiday gift ideas featuring photographs!

Happy Throwback Thursday!

Part of the fun of Throwback Thursday comes when you're hanging out with old friends, and you start going through their stash of old photographs!

A few days before PPE in New York a few weeks ago, Sheila and I flew in and headed down to Bob and Kathi Nunn's down near Tom's River, NJ. Bob and I have been friends since the late 80's when I joined Hasselblad. He was at Agfa, who had a huge presence in the industry back then. A few years later he joined Hasselblad as National Sales Manager.

Going back to his Agfa days, we were both involved in PMDA, the Photographic Manufacturers and Distributors Association. We were both on the Board, and he served as President of the association for a term as well.

Bob, like me, is a memory hoarder! LOL Although today successful in residential real estate on the Jersey shore, his office walls and shelves are loaded with wonderful reminders of his career in the photographic industry. He pulled out an album one night, and the memories and the stories flowed!

The year is 1990, and the event is the special event PMDA Dinner, which once a year took place at the United Nations in the delegate's dining room. Casper Weinberger was the guest speaker and surrounding him are the members of the PMDA Board at the time.

Like every Throwback Thursday post I share, the photograph brings back a lot of great memories.

• PMDA was a powerhouse back then and hosted a monthly dinner, always with a guest speaker. Based in NYC, the dinners always brought in a large number of manufacturers from the area as well as most of the ad reps from the industry.
• Besides a lot of old friends in this group shot, opposite me on the other end of the group is Jeff Dade. When I left Polaroid as Specialty Dealer Manager in 1987 to join Hasselblad, Jeff replaced me. He's a great guy, and even though we've lost touch over the years, every so often I track him down to catch up.
• Catch the wardrobe - everybody is in suits. In fact, I'm betting EVERYBODY wore a suit every day to work. It was all part of the style back then. This was before "casual Friday," which later morphed into casual every day! However, I love the fact that today I own more shorts and bathing suits than I ever owned suits!
• Casper Weinberger was our special guest that month, but other guests over the years included Senator Howard Baker and Paula Zahn, to name a few.

A few years ago, PMDA joined forces with PMAI (Photo Marketing Association International) to form the Imaging Alliance. While the names of the two organizations may have changed, the dedication of the people involved is still focused on their passion and support of the photographic industry.

Use your own Throwback images on your blog as a great marketing tool to remind your audience of the importance of capturing memories, and the need to update their family portraits. And, if you're not sharing old photographs on your blog, take the time to go through them today regardless, for your own benefit. There's very little that beats a walk down Memory Lane to remind you of the importance imaging plays in all of our lives!

Just trust me on this and grab a morning or afternoon coffee and sit back for a chuckle break.

I shared this video put together by Ben Aaron five years ago but it's such a classic, and the epitome of spirit and humor in a group of senior citizens in New Jersey. There's even a short story about how I wound up using it.

Ben Aaron is no stranger to the media in the NY/Nj area. "Benjamin "Ben" Aron Colonomos is a New York City-based media personality formerly for NBCUniversal's LXTV and WNBC's New York Live, and for the nationally syndicated Crazy Talk television series." I've never met Aaron, but did talk to him on the phone.

I've been active with the Friendship Centers here in Sarasota and for several years published their blog. Looking for fun senior content one morning five years ago I stumbled across this video. I loved it and even though it was posted on Ben's YouTube channel, I called him directly to make sure it was okay to use with a blog post for the Friendship Centers.

Today I'm active on the Board of the Friendship Centers and the enthusiasm of the people I've met and worked with for so many years amazes me. From 250,000 meals on wheels delivered in past years to thousands of people who have been helped through Health Services, adult day care and a never-ending stream of special programs, the organization has played a huge role in the area.

Sharing this video is also a great way to remind you to get involved in your community. People like supporting companies they perceive as giving back. So, use your blog to remind your target audience that you're more than just an artist - you're an active member of the community!

​Happy Throwback Thursday!

​The impact of searching through old albums for throwback photographs often comes in what you can learn from the images themselves. And, the fun begins in what you find.

It's October and my Dad's birthday is coming up. On Halloween this year it would have been his 96th birthday. While he passed away almost three years ago, nothing takes away from the love I'll always have for him or the fun of looking through an old album.

The portrait above I'm guessing was taken around 1935 or 1936 putting him at thirteen or fourteen. But there are a few things in the process to appreciate. First, the hand-coloring by the photographer. Thanks to Luminar 2018, I was able to match the image almost exactly to the original print after scanning it. I love the slight touch of pink on his face, while the rest of the image was completely untouched. Second, check out the feel the photographer added with the narrow depth of field. And finally, comes the decision to give the backdrop a little color making it almost tropical - which is pretty funny considering the portrait would have been done in Cleveland!

But I didn't stop there in my search for a few fun old photographs. Going through another album, I found this one from Patrick Henry Junior High School. My guess is that Dad's about 16 here, but here's another piece of the fun of Throwback Thursday. The caption says it's Chorus Club. While I knew Dad was in the band, I had no idea until this morning that he sang in the chorus! 

And, over there on the far right is Pop!

One last thing that's fun for me. Dad had an almost full head of hair right up to the day he passed away. Years ago Joe Buissink shared a line about health challenges, "You can't hide from bad genes!" Well, you can't hide from good ones either. Although supposedly keeping your hair runs on the mother's side of the family tree, apparently I was lucky enough to get Dad's genes when it comes to hair!

​I've written so much about Throwback Thursday being a great marketing tool to remind your clients of how fast the kids are growing up, the family's changing and the magic of stopping time and capturing memories. But, sometimes searching for throwback images is all about your heart and putting a smile on your face that lasts all day long.

So, whether for your blog content or just for your own enjoyment, take the time once a week to look through those old photographs. It's a great way to remember the contribution photography makes to the world every day and how great it is to be a part of this amazing industry.

And as sappy as all of that sounds, it's exactly why I wake up every day and dive out of bed with a smile on my face!

Earlier this week I was thinking about what I wanted to share for Throwback Thursday, and I was stumped until Cindy Smith shared a memorial post about Don Blair, yesterday on Facebook. Don passed away fourteen years ago. Well, there it was, the perfect topic for today's Throwback Thursday.

I'm guessing at least half my readership never knew Don Blair directly, but indirectly, you probably do something today you learned over the years from somebody who did know him or was influenced by his style. He was a remarkable photographer, educator and somehow became the older brother I never had! 

Loved by an entire industry, if ten of us who knew him well got together right now and started telling "Big Daddy" stories, we'd still be sharing the laughs tomorrow morning, and with more material to share. So, in keeping with Throwback Thursday here's one of my favorites:

I joined Hasselblad USA in July 1987. In 1988 I attended my first PPA convention, and on the first morning of the show, we were in the coffee shop of the hotel. On my way out I was introduced to the legend himself. Knowing who he was, I was totally star-struck and close to speechless. This was also back in the days when I wore nothing but double-breasted suits at every conference, doing my best to look the part of the president of Hasselblad USA.

Don gave me a warm welcome with a big handshake and smile and looked me up and down and said, "My man, that's a good-looking suit, and I love that tie!" I was flattered and responded with, "Thanks, it's one of my favorites." With a completely straight face, he looked at me and said, "Hang on to it - one of these days it's going to come back in style!"

That was it - he nailed me and complete with an audience of his "nieces" at the table behind him. Little did I know that short "gotcha" would kick off an incredible friendship that would continue for the next sixteen years!

I can't top what Cindy Smith wrote in her post yesterday:

14 years ago the photographic industry lost a dear friend....Wanted to share some words of wisdom from Don Blair...

• Quality always beats mediocrity! Give your clients the very best images and experience.
• A relaxed subject will always give you better more natural expressions.
• Every subject is beautiful and it’s your job to understand poses that are flattering.
• Learn to understand every style of lighting. Remember, you don’t earn the right to break the rules until you know the rules.
• Never think you’re too busy to help another photographer.
• You never stop learning. Go to every workshop you possibly can.
• Have fun and love life, your family and your friends.​

When Don's beloved wife Donna passed away, there was a whole bunch of us from the industry who attended her funeral. We were all sitting together, having lunch at the repast, when Don walked by and said to somebody in the group, "Hey Numbnuts!" All of us turned around and said, "What?"  A year or so later somebody made up golf shirts, and I was proud to be "Numb 1," and I've still got the shirt!
 
Wishing everybody a terrific Throwback Thursday and memories as wonderful as the ones I have with Don Blair. There's a great line from Alfred Lord Tennyson that I've shared before, "I am a part of all that I have met."

I learned so much from "Big Daddy" and like many of you who met him, he's a part of us. 

Happy Throwback Thursday!

​And to the man himself,  I love ya and miss ya, pal!

The fun of Throwback Thursdays goes way beyond just finding old photographs. Throwbacks are all about the memories they bring back. Whoever said you can never go back, didn't spend enough time looking at old photographs!

I'm not sure I'm right on the dates on this one but I know it's in the early '90's and I remember the show being WPPI. Jim Morton is the first one on the left and did an incredible job at every show getting the booth set up and giving each convention a more professional look for Hasselblad. 

I also found out when I left Hasselblad that Jim used to leave something easy to fix just to keep me out of his hair. There were always some prints to hang or straighten out, and for all those years I thought it was my talent for displays he needed! LOL But that's one more thing about Throwback Thursday, it brings back some incredible memories about the friendships that grow out of working together.

Mike Bowen is next to Jim. Mike and I worked together for many years at Polaroid. He came to work at Hasselblad and passed away much too young, 7-8 years ago. He was the Sales Manager for New England, and did an outstanding job. This was one of his first conventions in his new role.  

​And that brings me full circle to WPPI. I think this was the first year WPPI was at the RIO Hotel but it could also be the Tropicana. If somebody wants to challenge me on that, feel free. I noticed Art Leather's booth in the background. They were a powerhouse in the album business at that time and in fact, one of the biggest in the country. Plus, that year there were probably only 6-8 album companies doing business in the US. Ten years later there would be 40+ albums companies exhibiting at WPPI.

It was a fantastic show in the early days, even with attendance at approximately 3000 people. It was all about family. Every show was a reunion of great friends, educators, and attendees. Years later I'd have people tell me how the Hasselblad guys were always too well-dressed. I was told we became less intimidating when we went more casual. 

Take the time today and dig through a box of old pictures. If you use it for your blog content, make a point to remind "Mom," the target audience for most of you, how fast the kids are growing, and her family is changing. Plant the seed for a new family portrait this holiday season. And, if you don't want to share your throwbacks, still take the time to appreciate those old photographs.

We're in the business of helping people capture memories, and while that's such an over-used expression, so often we forget about the importance of taking our own trips down Memory Lane.

I left WPPI and Rangefinder Magazine in 2009 to follow a dream - starting my own business. We were in the middle of the worst recession, at least in my lifetime, and I was headed off to pursue a dream to fulfill my entrepreneurial spirit. For years I'd followed so many of you vicariously as business owners, and nine years ago we launched the first Skip's Summer School.

Most of my family thought I was nuts and there were more than just a few friends who felt the same way. But I ran across an anonymous quote around that time that says it all:

I've shared the group shot above in at least one other post, but this was the team who made it all happen that first summer. We started in Las Vegas at the MGM, and because of the economy at the time and Vegas hurting for business, there was no room block commitment, no minimum food or beverage and minimal charges for everything we needed as long as we booked rooms - and we did!

​I recently ran across a couple of photographs that bring back so many great memories from those summer programs. In 2010, Sarah Petty offered to fill in for Vicki Taufer, which brings back a whole story of its own. Here's the short version - Vicki and Jed were adopting their daughter and got caught in an immigration challenge and couldn't bring her back into the US for several months. Vicki stayed overseas, and Sarah jumped in to save summer school with an outstanding program. The story goes a lot deeper as dozens of photographers in the industry tried to help with letters to congressman, immigration officials, and a non-stop push to get Vicki home.

Friendships are the best part of this industry, and Kay Eskridge spoke that year as well. We kept the program simple with one big room, no breakouts and a dozen vendors who wanted to support education around the perimeter. Wifi was still a big deal, and the room was set up, so a new speaker kicked off every ninety minutes, but there were charging stations, and you could work at the same time - giving attendees the ability to stay in touch with business, but still pick up great ideas to market and promote their products/services.

One of my favorites programs over the years was a completely impromptu panel of experts in the evening after the day's schedule. We got together after dinner for anybody who had wanted to keep things going. We were there to answer questions about business, photography, life - it just didn't matter. That's Clay Blackmore, Tony Corbell, me and my honey, Sheila. We had at least 8-10 instructors join us. 

One of my favorite images of Sheila and me was captured that night and sent to me by good buddy, Brian Palmer. It proves a very special point - you don't have to have everybody looking at the camera all the time.

After the 2013 summer workshop, like so many educational events we decided it was time for a change. Workshops events like this are incredibly labor intensive and with so many different events to choose from it was time to move on, but not from the goal of education, continuing to build a business and support an industry I love dearly.

With help from good buddy, Scott Bourne, SCU became a reality and my life morphed into that of a blogger, podcaster, and writer. I wouldn't change a thing in my life since leaving Rangefinder/WPPI. The best part of the last nine years is the friendships that have come out of everyone's mutual love for the craft and the support we all give each other no matter what challenges life puts in our paths.

If the plan doesn't work, change the plan, but NEVER your goal.
Author Unknown

The year is 2008, and I was still living in California. Sheila was in Ohio but would come out a few times a year, and we'd play tourist. 

One of my favorite day trips was taking going to Catalina Island. On this trip, since it was just for the day, Molly the Wonder Dog came along, but they wouldn't allow her on the boat without a muzzle. 

We had just enough time to get her one and then make it to the boat for the island. She hated it, and while I understand the law in a confined area like this with so many people, Molly would have been fine. She's never growled at anybody let alone bite anyone. However, being the ham that I am, at one point I decided to join Molly.

I write the same thing with every Throwback Thursday post. Old photographs bring back memories, and I can remember just about every minute of that day. These are just snapshots, but put them together with the rest of the images from the day and they tell a story. 

Use your blog and Throwback Thursday as a marketing tool to remind your audience of the importance of pictures. Even better, share some of your older professional captured portraits and remind Mom how quickly the kids are growing up! Every day they change and then one day you wake up and they're out on their own. Yes, it really does seem to go that fast.

Remember, 98% of the decisions to hire a photographer in the portrait/social categories are made by women, usually Mom! 

​I shared this image a few years ago, but finding it in my archives recently makes it the perfect post for Throwback Thursday. Besides the fact that I had minimal gray hair back then, there are more significant points to appreciate.
 
The shot was taken around 1985 at a Polaroid Sales Meeting. It was the closing night's party for approximately 350 people who made up Polaroid's domestic sales team. I was given the assignment to put the party together.

We made it a safari party, and everybody had to come appropriately dressed. For props, we had a thousand rubber snakes and alligators all over the place. We had a twelve-foot screen playing the original Tarzan movies, even a tree house on scaffolding in the middle of the room for the DJ.

We needed one more great prop! My boss signed off on $5000 to bring in Zippy the Chimp for the evening. Zippy was a star from Letterman's show because he roller skated while taking pictures with a Polaroid One Step camera. So, in I walked with my celebrity date for the night, hand in hand with Zippy the Chimp.

But here's the first point this image brings back. For most companies, the days of spending $5000 on a "prop" for a party are long gone. In fact, Polaroid is long gone! Our industry is continually changing and along with it many of the giants who helped build the foundation for photography no longer have the presence they once did.

I remember a conversation with a good friend from Kodak many years ago about marketing budgets. There was one year, late 80's I think, where she had fifty-three million dollars in funding for special projects, books, education, etc. Imagine having that kind of money floating around in the industry today!

Those days are gone, but that doesn't change the power or the success of so many new companies, artists, and concepts today. Yeah, the big bucks days are gone, but as an artist, your glory days are right now. Done right, you can reach more people than a newspaper or magazine had ten years ago. You've also got the most number of creative tools in the almost two-hundred year history of photography. You've got creativity, reach and technology all at your fingertips.

Take a look at your images from just two years ago and look at what you're capturing/producing today. Your skill set's grown and if you're doing it right, so has your network. You may not have millions of dollars in your marketing budget, but you've got something better - you've got a network to draw from and an industry that's creating new opportunities for artists every day!
 
And, there's one more point this throwback image hits me with - it's the magic you guys bring to the world every day. It's all about the power of a photograph.

I look at this image and smile ear to ear. I can see the way we had the room decorated. I remember the two knuckleheads who came to the party with surfboards in surf attire saying, "We thought it was a surfin' safari theme!" I remember people I used to work with and name after name comes up as I wonder, "Where are they today?" I wonder if Zippy is still around - I have no idea how long chimps usually live. And then I wonder what happened to my black hair too.

So, the next time you think you're just a photographer - think again. You're a magician, capturing moments out of time and giving us a gift of an intangible moment we can hold onto forever, and that's what makes me so grateful to have you in my network!

If you're looking for a great walk down Memory Lane, find any old photographic magazine. This is another page from a 2002 issue of Rangefinder Magazine, and it brings back so many memories. 

The photographs are thanks to Kurt Gardner and were captured in 2001, seventeen years ago. Now, turn back the clock and think about the industry then. This post will, unfortunately, be a partial testimonial to what an old fart I am, but at the same time, it doesn't seem that long ago.

However, for all you "kids" out there...

• Digital was in its early days of getting a foothold. I remember getting a gift from good friends at Kodak of a DC220 1.0-megapixel camera a few years earlier. If I remember right the initial cost was around $1000.  It came in a kit with an 8mb compact flash card!
• Most of the artists we admire most today had their foundation in film. You had to know your gear and the craft. With film, there was no chimping! You sent the film to the lab and waited for the results.
• Many of us had more film in our freezers than we did food!
• Portra was a favorite for so many photographers. This is also where a lot of great friendships were founded with our good buddy, Terry Deglau. By 2002 Terry had left Kodak, but it was in his role as the manager/industry liaison in the portrait/social categories that so many photographers were introduced to Portra, the leader in print film at the time.

In the ad, there's a statement about "rich color and beautiful flesh tones." Well, here's another little piece of history for many of you. Getting accurate flesh tones was one of the most important challenges for the labs. Kodak was a leader in good color rendition and had several mannequins they used for setting the standard on flesh tones. The mannequins were nicknamed "Shirley." So the expression, when appropriate, was print to the Shirley when it came to a photographer sending film to the lab. 

When digital arrived on the scene, flesh tones were one of the most significant challenges when it came to printing. When Bambi Cantrell and I wrote The Art of Digital Wedding Photography published in 2006 by Amphoto, we refused the first shipment. It was part of a run of 10,000 books!

Bambi was shooting Canon at the time, and digital had finally taken a solid foothold in wedding photography. Well, the flesh tones were so bad and inconsistent, I still remember my call to the publisher, "This book is printed so badly that if Canon doesn't sue you, we will!"  The publisher went back to the printer and reprinted the book with excellent quality.

Throwback Thursday has become part of my weekly routine and while it's fun sharing my walks down Memory Lane with you, my readers, it's really like an energy drink for me! It's no secret how much I love this industry, and when I look in the rearview mirror once a week it leaves me in awe of not only today's technology but what the creative tools will be ten years from now!

​Happy Throwback Thursday!

In July 2002 I had the honor of becoming president of Rangefinder Publishing. This was the last magazine before a new team started to build a bigger and better publication, although Bill Hurter was always the driving force. (He's missed by so many of us today.) At the time my responsibilities included WPPI and Rangefinder Magazine. The magazine grew to a record-breaking 350+ pages over the next seven years.

Although my career on the professional side of the business started in 1987 at Hasselblad USA, joining RF/WPPI created some of my career's strongest friendships. Even this page sharing the work of the four winners on this 2002 recap from the magazine has four old friends, Joe Buissink, "Sklooty," Frank Cava and Joe Photo. 

Five years later Joe and I wrote a book together. I still catch up to him and "Sklooty" at various shows, and Joe Photo and I connected on Facebook not too long ago. Joe Photo and Michele Celentano co-hosted the WPPI awards program for several years. I didn't know Frank Cava as well as his brother Anthony, but I certainly knew his work and together their images were regular winners in WPPI competition.

And the fact that this scan is from the 2002 print competition is even more fun for me. I've written a lot about print comp - the judging event is one of the most valuable programs you can attend! For WPPI it's always before the trade show. The reason it's so helpful is all about your education. You've got multiple judges in each category and the opportunity to listen to their critique of every print. It's an incredible experience.

I had a lot of fun going through this old issue, and it's all thanks to Throwback Thursday. Take the time today and pick up a photographic magazine ten years or older. You'll be amazed at the changes in style, technology and even the ads are fun to review. It will also give you a better appreciation for all the creative tools you have today, and just how much the styles and technology have changed!

Happy Throwback Thursday!

The fun of Throwback Thursday is all in the memories old photographs create. They make us laugh, cry and take us on a continuous journey down Memory Lane.

I know I'm right on the edge of the poor taste envelope on this one. I'm sure there will be somebody out there who wants to criticize me for sharing this especially if they're offended by "the bird," adopted, feel this is a violation of copyright or think it's merely inappropriate since both my folks have passed away.

Well, my birthday is coming up this weekend, and this was sent to me thirty-five years ago, probably just about to the day. I was a manager at Polaroid, and responsible for Consumer Relations in the overseas subsidiaries. I was traveling out of the country every three weeks and typically gone for two. It was an incredible assignment.

Remember, there was no Internet back then. And, we were allowed one phone call home each week. There was nobody you could call if you needed help. You needed to know your job, play the politics when appropriate and pretty much have everything you needed in your head or briefcase.

Now here's why this is so much fun to share today... There are a number of you who met my folks over the years. They were great parents, and my Dad was always my best buddy. I can hear my mother saying something like, "Ralph, you can't send that," and then laughing hysterically as Dad literally cut and pasted his head and Mom's on the card.

The inside of the card just says, "You're Adopted!" But it's the message that Dad wrote that's mine to cherish. At least in my lifetime, it's the flashbacks to those moments of laughter and humor that give my folks a level of immortality.

Even though I've used this quote by author, Jodi Picoult several time previously it's still the very best quote about old photographs.

So, on this Throwback Thursday, have some fun looking through your own stash of memorabilia. You won't regret it and it'll help remind you just how incredible a career in imaging can be. No matter what your role in this industry, you help people capture and share memories. 

​Oh, and if anybody can top my Dad's sense of humor feel free to share your story. Maybe we'll start a new section of funny moments with our "rents."

I ran across the print on the right recently, and it's perfect for Throwback Thursday. Throwbacks aren't just about old photographs, but the stories they remind you about.

The year is 1991 and the photograph was captured by my great buddy, Terry Deglau. Terry was a part of some of the very best adventures in my career, and this was taken during one of them. That's Ansel Adams' Cadillac behind me and a Hasselblad on a tripod on the left.

With Hasselblad's support, I bought Ansel Adams' 1977 Cadillac from the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson. I was on their Board then and Ansel's widow, Virginia had donated the car to the Center to help raise money for their visiting scholar fund. 

As I was sitting in the Board meeting, I was thinking about Victor Hasselblad and Ansel Adams being close friends. So, I bought the car and then we sold it as a fund-raiser for Photographers + Friends United Against AIDS, another non-profit I was involved in at the time.

PPE, back then, had a sister show, Photo West, which was held at Mosconi Center in San Francisco. I picked up the car at Ansel's home in Carmel, just before the show, and had enough time to get a shot of the moment with me and Virginia Adams. That week we had it exhibited on the floor of the convention. Immediately after the show, Terry and I loaded up the car with two Lightware cases of Hasselblad gear and drove it to Yosemite. 

We spent three days driving through Yosemite and pulling out the Hasselblad gear at every opportunity. And, when we didn't have a camera in our hands we were playing Ansel's car horn. He had a horn that played the first few bars of 75-80 different songs. There's something unique about interrupting the solitude of Yosemite early in the morning with a few bars of Dixie!

Terry was then the senior manager at Kodak responsible for support to the industry and just about everything to do with print film. He brought enough film to feed our creativity for the entire trip. It was early in the season, so water levels in the park were nice and high. In fact, we stayed in a small motel next to the river, which roared with the winter runoff throughout the night.

The car was sold the following October at Photo East (now PPE) in New York, but I kept Ansel's keys and his original rear plate. In addition, ​I'm convinced I'm a better photographer because I put my tush in the same place Ansel put his, driving his car for a week.

As recently as a few years ago the Cadillac was still active and somehow wound up back in Yosemite. There's one ironic aspect to all of this. When I bought the car, in the glove compartment was a small record-book where Ansel kept track of the gas mileage. If you think about it, Ansel was one of the early environmentalists, and it makes me laugh that in his handwriting that '77 "boat" was only getting 9 miles to the gallon!

Throwback images are all about memories, and in a few minutes, I'm going to pick up the phone and call Terry. As with past calls we'll laugh about the good old days and what could easily be a movie, "Skip and Terry's Awesome Adventures!"

​Whether you post throwbacks on your website or just enjoy them for a trip down Memory Lane, don't let the day go by without one quick trip in the wayback machine!

​Happy Throwback Thursday everybody!

It's the perfect Throwback Thursday image. Before there was IUSA, we just referred to the convention as PPA National. That's my Dad on the left hanging with his old buddy, Don Blair. But this image, thanks to Sunny Sommers, brings back one of my favorite Don Blair stories. And, if I've shared it before in a post and don't remember, it's all due to aging...LOL 

​This was taken at one of the early PPA Charities events. It was an auction with a long list of collectibles that included sports memorabilia, photographic products, workshops, etc. You name it, if it had value we had it up for auction.

Well, I had an idea and got one of Don Blair's 14EEE shoes. I mounted it on a walnut trophy stand and had it engraved and into the auction pool it went. The night of the auction my Dad was sitting with Don and several of his "nieces" in the bar. Before the shoe came up for bidding, Don turned to my Dad (who was not a photographer) and said, "Pay attention Ralph - I'm a big guy in this industry, and my one shoe is going to bring some BIG bucks!"

The shoe came up for auction, and the bidding went nuts, finally hitting $1000 for the trophy. The woman who bought it was so excited to win the bid that she actually outbid her own bid twice! Don couldn't stop smiling and looked at my Dad and exclaimed, "My man - what did I tell you?"

The next day at the trade show, my Dad was helping Don in the booth. We were waiting for a shipment of the book we wrote together. Don's daughter, Kathy, was checking the receiving desk at the hotel all morning and finally came to the booth to get Don's credit card to pay for the shipment. She told my Dad the books were in and since Don was in the middle of teaching in the booth, she asked him to grab Don's wallet to get his credit card for the books.

NOT! She needed the credit card, but not for the books! She had to pay for the Don Blair trophy she had bought the night before and was determined to nail her Dad with the bill. So, Don did raise a lot of money for charity, but it was out of his own account! 

Dad never stopped letting Don know how "impressed" he was with his popularity! He'd kid Don every time they saw each other and "Big Daddy" would just look down sheepishly and shake his head!

And there you have it - throwback photographs bring back memories and along with them come the stories that make our friends and family immortal! Dad and Don have long since passed away, but that doesn't change the smile on my face right now!

So, whether you're sharing images on your blog as a marketing tool or taking a personal walk down Memory Lane - take the time to find a few old photographs today. It'll help remind you how unique the career path you chose really is and the important role photography plays in everyone's life. 

​Happy Throwback Thursday!

​"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"...
Charles Dickens

It always sounds so sappy when somebody talks about the people they work with as a "family." When I look back on this Throwback Thursday, nothing could be more accurate about the Rangefinder Publishing family.

Although the experience of working together was hardly as lofty as Charles Dickens' Tale of Two Cities, we worked hard and played hard. And, in the process set some pretty amazing record-breakers for the magazine, once reaching 350+ pages in 2009, the WPPI convention hit attendance of 15,000+ one year along with the number of WPPI volunteers who became our extended family each year in Las Vegas.

Every year at Christmas time the "family" headed to a local restaurant in the area for an extended holiday luncheon. We did a "Secret Santa" exchange, laughed over the challenges of the past year and the upcoming convention, just a few months away and in general, just hung out for the afternoon. This particular year we headed over to a place on the water in Marina Del Rey.

The two images at the top are of Bill Hurter and Marlene Gourlay. Both have passed away in the last few years, but nothing changes the memories or the honor of having worked with both of them.

Gennie Kiuchi on the right is still on the masthead for Rangefinder Magazine as the Production Manager and is one of the most talented production designers I've ever worked with. In 2005 we were still putting the magazine together manually, page by page, moving ads and editorial around on two walls of magnets in the production department.

While I don't have pictures of everybody that year at the holiday party, it doesn't change the pure fun of looking back and being amazed at what this "Dream Team" accomplished year after year!

So, it's Throwback Thursday and whether you share your memories on your blog or not, take the time to wander through an old album, file or shoebox! As you look through those old photographs pay attention to the power each one has to send you on a voyage through time and as I've shared so many times in other posts...

It's a perfect Throwback Thursday share with a trip down Memory Lane and a BBQ challenge from 2008. Here's the scenario, and it's all thanks to one of my favorite children and family photographers, Carey Schumacher from San Diego.

I have no idea who started it, but somehow it was trash talk in a phone conversation about who could grill the best steak. Carey Schumacher had previously visited the Rangefinder Magazine office in Culver City a couple of times and photographed Molly and me. In fact, I shared her image and the stationery she sent me in a post a few years ago.

A few months later it was game on!  It was Skip and my Molly vs. Carey and her Molly! In a park somewhere in the San Diego area Carey had two grills set up, a picnic table for the judging panel and that's all it took. We were off and running.

I lost the challenge, but I still argue she stacked the deck by knowing all the judges. However, after years of therapy, I've gotten over the loss and managed to live a fulfilling life! LOL

Seriously, here's my point for this Throwback Thursday. There are memories you naturally capture with your camera and then there are those you work to create. Carey's friendship over the years means a lot, and even though we don't catch up that often, it's her effort ten years ago that puts a smile on my face every time I look at the images.

Carey's also responsible for a portrait of me that I've shared a few different times. But it's her comment on a past blog post that makes it even more special.