For those of you who still aren't doing holiday cards for your clients or yourself, I'm not sure what else I can write to try and convince you of the opportunity you're missing.

First, let's talk about all your clients and people in your database! No professional photographer should ever send a store-bought holiday card. Year after year thousands of you minimize the potential for seasonality marketing. You do nothing, or at the last minute you hit a store like CVS, grab a box of cards that seems adequate and get them in the mail.

For any of you who just rolled your eyes, hear me out! A holiday card with one of your images and an added hand-written message to clients who are special is one of the most significant ways to market your business and skill set. In fact, it's what I refer to as being so soft-sell it's hard-sell without anybody being offended. It reminds people what you do for a living and should be going to everyone in your database plus opinion leaders, key vendors and retailers in your community.

Second, let's talk about holiday cards for your clients. You've got a relationship with them already established from that family sitting, wedding or special event you did earlier in the year. And, if you didn't photograph them this year why not do a campaign for an updated family portrait that includes their holiday card? Why wouldn't you want to offer them a turnkey approach to this year's card? This is a "no-brainer" when it comes to a service you should be providing.

In both cases, whether for you to be mailing to your data base or as a product for your clients, Marathon makes it so easy. Help with your marketing, especially with holiday cards is just a click away - click above to see the selection and below to take full advantage of Marathon's BOGO for 2017 - think about it - buy one get one is another way of saying 50% off!

by Bobbi Lane

As a commercial photographer, most of my images are delivered to clients as digital files, not a tangible print. In the past, I’ve had my share of Epson printers that have worked really well for making “pretty pictures” to give as wall art gifts, calendars, promos, etc. Now, however, my career also includes gallery submissions in the art world and the need for high quality prints is imperative. Without investing hundreds of hours learning to become a master digital printer (who has the time?), it’s necessary to find an excellent printing company who can consistently deliver the quality I need, on time, no hassles and also with safe packaging. And all of this for a reasonable price.
 
In a conversation with Skip Cohen, he suggested I try Marathon Press and their new Bella Art Prints. I’ve used Marathon in the past with good results and I was intrigued by his suggestion.
 
The process is so easy: sign up for an account at Marathon, load the ROES app, and follow the simple instructions. Bella Art Prints includes six paper options: Water Color, Linen, Cotton, Fine, Photo Paper, PromoMax and Pearl. One of the difficult choices a photographer must make is matching the image with the correct style of paper. For example, an image with bright and snappy colors should not be printed on a matte surface and architecture shouldn’t go on water color, etc. Of course there are exceptions, but the print’s final impact depends a lot on the surface.
 
The web portal was easy - pick the size and surface of paper on the left, upload the image (see the bottom thumbnails), select the image, and choose mounting options. The prices are excellent. I selected a 16 x 20 print for $32 and added mounting on black styrene for $10.50. It gave me sizing instructions, color corrections options: either step by step instructions, or let them do the color correcting for 50 cents an image! Hit the button and Voila! About 5 minutes start to finish.

The image I chose is one from my Hollywood Lighting in the Hurrell Style Workshop that my husband, Lee Varis and I teach at the Los Angeles Center of Photography each spring. I had the great pleasure of George Hurrell renting my studio for the last years of his life, 1980 to 1992. It was an honor and a privilege to watch this master at work, sculpting with light, superlative posing and exceptional rapport with his subjects.

This year we had exceptional models and this image is of "Angie" is a modern day interpretation of a photo that George did of Norma Shearer in 1932. Lee, being the Adobe genius that he is, used Lightroom to create the duotone of warm and cool. For my image I was drawn to the Pearl paper, which “glows with tiny glimmers of pearl dust” making it shimmer and sparkle when the light hits it just right. It’s reminiscent of Kodak’s much loved and long-gone G surface paper that had an opalescence that was perfect for portraits. I knew this image would provide a tremendous challenge to Marathon!

Just a couple of days later the print arrived! I was so surprised the turnaround was that fast. I have a pet peeve about packing and shipping, especially for something as delicate as a print. Marathon far surpassed my expectations in that department with their level of detail and care.

First we have the heavy cardboard package, which cleverly has several perforated lines to open the package. Obviously you don’t want to ruin a print by using a matte knife to cut open the outer layer. Inside it’s wrapped in brown paper and taped well.

Notice the card that reads “packaged by real people, who really care”. And that’s taped to the outer cardboard so it doesn’t flop around in transit. Open the paper and there is another layer of cardboard, and inside that is the cushioned envelope with the packing order, also taped to the cardboard to avoid jostling. Inside that (are you starting to feel like the nested Russian dolls are their inspiration?) is the print INSIDE a cellophane envelope.

Finally, and gratefully, the first view of the print knocked my socks off. Granted, it’s sitting on my dining room table under tungsten lights and my first reaction is “Wow! It’s gorgeous!”
 
Lee and I took the print outside to look under better lighting conditions and the Pearl paper gleamed and glowed. It’s hard to capture in a photo of a photo exactly how impressive this looks, but the Pearl paper adds a luminescence I’ve rarely seen in a print.
 
This is where an excellent print differentiates itself from a digital file. On the computer, images glow from the back-light, because you are looking at the light. But a real physical and substantial print elevates the viewing experience markedly. The viewer is pulled closer into the print and it comes alive, altering the perception from just a brief glance at a snapshot to a sense of wonder and awe of the interpretation of the subject.  I’ve been showing this print off to everyone who comes by and all the comments haven't just been positive, but exemplary.
 
Marathon, with their years of experience, have stepped it up again with Bella Art Papers. It takes a lot to impress me, and well, I’m impressed! I’m looking forward to many more outstanding prints from Marathon!

by Chamira Young

It is my firm belief a digital image is brought to life through the age-old medium of print. There is something unmistakably magical about the tactile experience of running your fingers over the smooth fibers of a high quality paper and knowing your image can be passed down from generation to generation.

Of course, it goes without saying your printing source of choice has to be high quality. And if you are in the business of photography, then it is also preferable your printing source also have a quick turnaround and be cost effective for you as well.

Enter Marathon Press

Today I'm writing about my first impression and firsthand experience with Marathon Press. Over the years, I’ve been exposed to a number of printing companies, so I was curious to see how this one measured up.

For the image to print, I chose a photo I took from a recent vacation. It is of the abandoned ship La Grande Hermine, and rests in the Jordan Harbour in Ontario, Canada. It’s one of my favorites. Selfishly, I wanted to see how it would turn out on Marathon’s new Pearl Bella Art Print Paper. Given that their Pearl option includes unique, tiny glimmers of pearl dust, I figured it would pair well with the image’s dream-like quality.

 The Process

After signing up for Marathon Press via their straightforward sign up form, I downloaded their ROES software onto my computer. From there, I uploaded my image and placed the order, which was relatively easy. I noted that the price was extremely reasonable, much less than I was expecting. Frankly, it cost less than $50 for a 16x24 pearl print on their Pearl Bella Art Print paper with their sturdy white styrene backing. Not bad.

First Impressions

After I placed the order, it took three short days (I live in Michigan) for it to arrive via Fedex, wrapped securely in sturdy cardboard. Being ever the nerd, I took photos of the unwrapping process from the moment I eagerly carried it into the house. Hey, it’s important that our precious cargo arrives in one piece, right?

After I pawed cardboard open, I was pleased to find the print wrapped in additional protective paper and flexible styrofoam-esque sheets. Here's a series photos of the external cardboard encasing, along with some detail shots:

Once the print was entirely free, the first thing I noticed was how the subtle pearl texture gently caught the natural light from my nearby window. Rather than being an overwhelming glare, it actually enhanced the beauty and impact of the print. Upon gently lifting it off the table, the second thing I immediately noticed was how wonderfully sturdy the print was.

My friend (we’ll call him John) stopped by for a few minutes to chat, and on his way out the door happened to glance
in the direction of the photo propped up on my couch (I hadn’t hung it on the wall yet). John abruptly paused in his tracks, swiveled his body to follow the direction of his head, and slowly approached the print.

"This is beautiful," he breathed, "Really beautiful. Did you do this?" And to my surprise, he slowly, gingerly took a seat next to the print, as if he might startle it with any sudden movements. Of course I was all too happy to extol him with an explanation of the photo and the pearl paper. It was entertaining watching him swivel from side-to-side as the nearby window’s natural light caught the subtle shine of the pearl textures and illuminated the vibrant colors.

"You should sell this," he said softly, entranced, "People would buy this."

About Chamira Young by Skip Cohen

On the Photofocus site, there is a short bio about Chamira:

Chamira will readily admit it: she’s an art nerd, Photoshop geek, and photographer with an obsession for productivity and creativity. Through online teaching and podcasting, she loves helping other creative minds become more successful by empowering them with the knowledge and inspiration to up their game. Currently, ChamiraStudios.com is the hub of her creative mischief. It branches out to her other projects, and allows her to be an artist, photographer, podcaster at ProPhotographerJourney.com, and online course creator. You can also find her on Twitter.

But her bio doesn't begin to do her love for the craft justice. Chamira is my co-host on the Mind Your Own Business podcast and I'm having a blast working with her. There are a handful of people in our industry who you meet and know there's nothing outside of photography they'd ever be happy doing. In fact, the photographer who captured Chamira's headshot is another mutual friend and equally passionate about the industry, Levi Sim.

We're all part of a relatively small industry, but as I've written numerous times in the past, the best thing about photography has nothing to do with imaging, but the friendships that come out of everyone's love for the craft!

 

by Skip Cohen

Put me in a room with a few dozen family photographers, and I'm always amazed at the conversation and the discussion over how hard it is to get through the noise and find new customers. Knowing how hard it is to do, I don't understand why more artists don't invest in getting help.

Today's consumers are flooded with information every day. Think about how much shows up in your email and then combine it with the mailbox at the end of your driveway, the noise on the TV, radio and the signs you pass when driving around town. We're drowning in information, most of it useless.

Well, Marathon's taking the pressure off of you. If you're a family photographer, they've created a working process to get your message in front of the right clients.

Here's the challenge for so many of you...

• You don't have the time, not only to create the mailers but to develop the most basic tool - a timeline to stick to.
  
• Along with no time is the way many of you have turned procrastination into an art form. Taking a long time to decide and implement a program is one thing, but missing the opportunity completely is the issue.
• You hate to write, and while you know what you want to say, you don't have the skill set to be concise and put out a message people will read and remember.
  
• You don't have the discipline to stay on point. It takes more than just one mailer to get people to remember you.

It's August and the seasonality of the fourth quarter is right around the corner. You've got an opportunity to create new business and make 2017 the kind of year you hoped for back in January. Click on the banner above and check out Marathon's family marketing program. And, you've got absolutely nothing to lose with a phone call and everything to gain utilizing their expertise in design, direct mail, and implementation.

I'm right back to where I started this post - It's a no-brainer!

Over the last decade or two some of the most dramatic changes in photography have been in the senior market.  The days of boring head shots with everybody looking the same are long gone. Today, a senior session is about capturing the personality of the subject. It's about having fun, communication and building a relationship with each senior.

Think about one amazing aspect of working with seniors - more than likely you're the first experience they've ever had on a one to one basis with a professional photographer. This is "seed planting" at its very best - because they're going to remember the session, and even better so will "Mom." A great senior photographer has the potential to build a strong word-of-mouth business and might even pick up additional work down the road.

I know using my own senior head shot is turning back the clock a little too far, but here's my point. It was just a photograph for the yearbook. My mother hated it and never bought any additional images. I didn't remember the photographer the next day, let alone years later. And, it wasn't an experience - he photographed another senior every ten minutes. We sat down and he grabbed 3-4 shots and yelled "Next!"

Marathon's 2018 Senior Promo is going on right now and this is when you need to think about this aspect of the business. At first glance some of you are going to think it's expensive, but remember this is for three different mailings!

• The first mailing is to create awareness
• Second, comes shaping the senior's comprehension of who you are and what you do.
• Third, is about conviction. This mailing is designed to convince seniors why your studio stands out from everybody else.

This a promotion involving three different mailings and there's even a fourth available at a reduced cost. It's $4.95 per three-piece promotion (only $1.65 per mailing) and it includes photo insertion, back copy and color changes, postage, list source, ZIP Code protection and mailing pieces.

​And, you've got a wide selection of design options to make each mailing unique.

Many of you are in communities where you feel the senior market is completely "locked up" with one photographer who's been doing the seniors for a long time. While that's often true, there's a never-ending population of new seniors each year. While it might be tough to get in the door, unless you try, you'll never know what you might have accomplished. Remember, you don't need hundreds of seniors to create a revenue stream for your business.

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take!"
Wayne Gretzky

Looking to find out more about Marathon's 2018 Senior Promotion? Just click on either banner above!

Intro by Skip Cohen

It's graduation season and if you haven't done anything for this year at this point, you're cutting it pretty close. However, Marathon Press is making it so easy for you to build a program for future grads and even this fall's seniors, the class of 2018.

For a grand total of twelve bucks you can pick up two different sales kits and be ready to enhance your senior business later in the year and then into graduation next year.

Yes, I know I'm essentially doing a post that's an infomercial, but if you've followed my blog over the years, you know I don't share anything that doesn't make sense to help you grow your business or your skill set. If you're hoping to go after the senior market and beyond to graduation, then let's get you the very best marketing tools.

Click on the Sales Kit Tab below for more information and let's raise the level of what you're offering to maximize your presentation and start to build a stronger aspect of your brand awareness. And, if you're in the senior market already, then check out Marathon's current BOGO promotion with a click on the banner at the top.

Marathon Press has been a partner at SCU from the very beginning, and while they obviously have my loyalty, here's a perfect example of why! Marathon is all about marketing support for photographers. Just as an example, I grabbed a screen shot from their home page of the eight different product groups below. This is only the tip of the iceberg, but it makes a great point about what they can do for your business.

• Press printed brochures and cards: There are too many of you doing things entirely on your own and producing material that looks like "Uncle Harry" produced it. Regardless of the size of your business, you need a brochure as a hand-out or leave behind at events, with potential clients etc.  And, it needs to look professional. So, assuming you don't have a degree in graphic design, why not expand your "staff" and utilize Marathon's team?
• Photography Gift Cards: Listen to this post with Doug Box from Weekend Wisdom a couple of years ago. Doug talks about a client supplying a local business with gift certificates they could give out. Marathon's gift card presentation is perfect for an application like this.
• Press Printed Stickers and Packaging:  I read years ago that points made to the eye are 78% more effective than points made to the ear! Don't deliver your images to a client with anything but professional packaging. Think about companies like Tiffany's and Godiva Chocolate - we all recognize the quality of the product. You have to give your products the same kind of presentation.
  
• Press Printed Booklets: There are two things every artist needs to have, a slide show of your work on your website and a printed booklet that matches. Again, this is all about marketing your work. You need to be able to show your work and having a booklet is similar to a brochure - pick at least one of them and then pull together your very best images.
  
• Press Printed Calendars: Okay, so it's too late for 2017 - but why not put one together for 2018? And, it doesn't have to be just your work. Get together with 1-3 other artists who are friends, respect each other and compliment each other's specialty. Pick a topic like profiling your community and then share the coast of a calendar you can all give out. For example, a wedding photographer, newborn, children and family are all logically connected! Even better, turn it into cause-related marketing and tie in a charity like a local non-profit in your community. The end result is your partners and the charity all become ambassadors for each other.
  
• Press Printed Stationery: No photographer should ever be sending out store-bought stationery, including thank you notes! You're an artist - use Marathon's help to design stationery using your images. Whether it's a simple thank you note or a holiday card, having customized stationery gives you an incredible marketing tool and the ability to show your work.
  

So there it is, eight product groups with a whole series of ways to use them. Stop procrastinating because you don't have the time or creativity to design what you need and get a little help from Marathon's team of designers and marketing professionals.

Headed to ShutterFest next week? Swing by the Marathon booth and find out what they can do to help you build stronger brand awareness! What good is working so hard to create stunning images if you're not getting the word out to the community?

Click on any product image above to visit Marathon's website.

by Skip Cohen

Over the last ten years the senior market is one of the photographic specialties that's changed the most. There are some big numbers in the potential audience, giving so many photographers the opportunity to work with seniors. 

So, with a target audience of 3.5 million subjects, the potential for more and more artists to get involved is enormous. For example, follow any of the larger photographic forums on Facebook, and you'll regularly see senior work being posted and discussed.

The intrigue for me, from a marketing perspective, is all thanks to consumer trends and technology.  Working with even a small group of senior clients is giving photographers an opportunity for incredible creativity in both capture and presentation.

This is also that one time of year where I always share my senior shot. Fortunately, the industry has come a long way. But, I can't help but wonder what my senior session would have been like had there been more choices beyond a half dozen clicks of the shutter, two lights and a posing stool!

Think about it for just a second. Today, if you're only doing a traditional portrait because that's all "Mom" asked for, you're missing an opportunity to not only create a stronger revenue stream but to push your creative skills. As a selection of products and services, you no longer have just a portrait to capture, but a still image or series that captures the personality of the senior together with hybrid slide shows, videos, and a complete story-telling experience.

And, along with all the potential to display your creativity, comes a big question, "What are you giving your senior subjects to help them announce their graduation?"

Marathon's running their BOGO on grad cards again this year, and it's an opportunity not to be missed. Here's your chance to not only provide a service to your senior clients but get your work out there to be seen by even more people. Just click on the banner below and connect to Marathon's Grad Cards and let's get things going for you early in the senior season.

Remember, while Mom isn't in front of your camera, women make 98% of the purchase decisions when it comes to photography. Your seniors might be the subjects, but their mothers are your the audience you're working with when it comes to closing the sale!

If you're stuck on design ideas, Marathon's sales kit is just the thing to help you through the process. We're at the end of March. You've got enough time to order a sales kit and have a full sample set of products to offer "Mom."

Every artist has the same goal - to exceed client expectations and make yourself habit-forming. A graduate's first experience working directly with a professional photographer is often during their senior shoot. Since relationship building is your greatest marketing tool, here's a chance to establish yourself as the photographic resource for your senior clients and their families, which has the potential to lead to future weddings, babies, children and family portraiture.

Marathon is providing you with a few of the tools to help build that relationship. Now, put grad cards together with your skill set and passion for the craft and you've got the perfect foundation to keep building your senior audience.

by Skip Cohen

When I first met the team from Marathon Press back in the late 80's they were the leader in printed material for the photographic industry. There was no Internet; the word "blog" didn't exist; there were no websites; every photographer carried around a portfolio of images to each convention or business meeting and "live" education was something you either got in a workshop, at a convention or watched on your VCR.

Today, everything has changed. Educational opportunities are everywhere. We blog, tweet and share ideas in seconds all day every day. Your website has become your storefront and your blog, if done right, captures what's in your heart. Very rarely is anybody carrying around a portfolio case these days, which has been replaced by images on a phone.

But there is one thing that's never changed, and that's Marathon's dedication and leadership in helping photographers grow as artists and business owners! And, they're still the leader in marketing material and support for photographers with websites, postcards, brochures, marketing programs and now prints and albums with the Bella line.

Yesterday Marathon launched the first blog post in a series of great content for the future from nine bloggers who all share the same passion for education. This is in addition to the stellar group of writers who have been sharing content in the past. I couldn't be more proud to be one of the nine people above to be sharing ideas on Marathon's "new" Blog. While we all might not always agree on specific concepts in business, we do all agree on the importance of helping you make 2017 the best year yet!

Stay tuned - because yesterday's first post by Mary Marantz, "The Art of Getting Organized" is only the beginning!

If it's not already there it's time to put Marathon's blog on your radar.

Intro by Skip Cohen

I found the article below in the archives of Marathon's blog. It couldn't be more perfect for this time of year.

We're entering the last month of what's typically known as the slow season, but just because sales might be slow doesn't mean there isn't work to do. This is the time for you to be laying out the last steps of your marketing plans for 2017.

Marketing is a constant flame that needs to light your business all year long. It should never stop as long as you look at your entire plan and design programs/activities to keep your name out there. Marathon's giving you five ingredients below to fuel your plan.

Take the time to review each Ingredient and see if you've done your homework. Marketing isn't just developing great promotions. It's all inclusive with every aspect of your business to build a stronger brand.

“Good marketing makes the company look smart.
Great marketing makes the customer feel smart.”
Joe Chernov