By Skip Cohen
 
It's almost March and the "slow season" is rapidly coming to a close, but just because sales are down this time of year, doesn't mean your creativity in planning the new year can't be up. Now is the perfect time to focus on ideas for the year ahead.

Photodex and Suzette Allen are loaded with ways to help you not only stand out from your competitors but build a stronger reputation with your client base. You've got two goals as an artist - always to exceed client expectations and to make yourself habit-forming. You want the relationship with each customer to be so memory-making that they tell all their friends.

Loyal customers, they don’t just come back, they don’t simply recommend you,
they insist that their friends do business with you.
Chip Bell

Strolling through Suzette Allen's YouTube channel, home of 241 videos, I found four stories I wanted to share today. Why? Each one represents a variety of marketing opportunities.  They need to have a placeholder in your mindset as business ramps up in the months ahead.

Hybrid Technology: Pay attention to the way Suzette mixes still images with short video clips. The combination of techniques combined with great music brings each presentation alive. It's so easy with today's technology to shoot a little video with each portrait sitting or event.  

"Hybrid technology" might be the current trendy word for the technique, but Photodex has had the ability to combine still images and videos for years. In fact, I did a slide show from a high school reunion of my own ten years ago combining video and still images, all thanks to Photodex. Today, camera technology and Photodex make it even easier with features to help you enhance each story.

4K Video:  Shooting video in 4K gives you the ability to grab an 8-megapixel frame and enhance your story with still images. Not every image has to start out as a still photograph. This is where your editing skills play a role and once again, you can enhance your reputation as a master storyteller.

Greeting Cards: I pulled two great examples of holiday cards, which were Christmas themed, but think about your ability to offer your clients an endless stream of digital announcements. From engagement announcements, wedding invitations, graduations, thank your "notes," birth announcements, anniversaries and holidays there's a potential for you to regularly surprise your clients with ideas different from what they're used to seeing.

​                                                 Learn to capture the story of family dynamics!

The Price Sisters: I chose this video because it makes such a solid point about reminding you to capture the love and energy between siblings. Plus, notice how Suzette has combined short video clips with still images to tell the story. Then, add in great music and ProShow Web's presentation features, and you've got a beautiful chapter of a family story all in under a minute!

Expecting Teddy: The entire video was shot in 4K with many of the still images being pulled from the video. There were two points that made me want to share this. First, is the technology - there will be times when the best interaction between your subjects can't be captured with the click of the shutter, but later on in the editing process of a well-done video. Second, there are two topics that are always strong for storytelling, engagement sessions and maternity shoots. Ironically, they both represent the start of a new family - just at different stages. 

And never be afraid of the weather! Suzette describes the session as: A beautiful session full of Joy and Expectation! The sky opened up after we all got rained on-- so worth getting soggy! Photographed with a LUMIX GH4, videos filmed in 4K, sunny stills taken from the video! 

Holiday Cards: Any photographer can do a family sitting for a holiday card, but only a few are combining video, still images and music to capture the spirit of each client. Both of these cards represent another idea to help raise the bar on your work as an artist and storyteller. Pay attention to the way Suzette tells both stories and manages to capture the spirit of each family. 

Now, take this one step further. The December holidays might be ten months away, but with each portrait session you do over the next year, build a stash of video clips and more still images. Here's your chance to create an experience for your clients - not just great photographs.

If you haven't checked out ProShow 8 yet, click the thumbnail on the right.  It's loaded with new features to help you make each slideshow presentation a memory-maker. 

And, wander into the Photodex blog for more ideas on raising the bar on your technique, not just in creating slideshows, but in all aspects of photography. Photodex never slows down in their educational efforts to help you become a better artist!

by Skip Cohen

Right off the bat I know there are a bunch of you rolling your eyes thinking it's February, and I'm talking about Mother's Day. Well, truthfully, I'm on the edge of being late to get you thinking about Mother's Day, as well as Spring seasonality.

The second collection of great business opportunities for photographers, after Thanksgiving and the December holidays, start with Mother's Day. Then comes graduation and Father's Day along with the launch of Summer.

The BIG question is, what have you planned for your promotions?

It's time to utilize your expertise as an artist and put together a package offering your clients slideshows as gifts. It's the perfect gift for grandma! And, when Father's Day rolls around, again it's perfect for Dad. Making it even easier is you being the "producer" as well as the artist who tops off the slide show with a newly updated family portrait or portrait of the kids. Plus, you've got the skills and gear to request a series of old images from your clients to scan and build the show - not every image in the presentation has to be one you captured. This is storytelling at its best!

I had to dig through the archives a little, but here's a great little post from Photodex last year leading up to Mother's Day just about music. Click on the image below to link "12 Lovely Songs for Mother's Day Slideshows." Music is a huge part of the impact you can bring to a presentation, and they're sharing some terrific suggestions.

Need help understanding how to put together your slideshows, especially hybrid with a mix of video and still images? Visit Suzette Allen's YouTube channel. Scroll through her topic list until you find videos that will help with your weak spots.

Don't forget the Photodex Blog too - it's loaded with tips and ideas to not only create great slideshows but to raise the bar on all of your photographic skills. Photodex also has an amazing collection of how-to videos on their YouTube channel. Just click on the banner below.

Here's the bottom line - Spring is right around the corner, and you've got plenty of time to put together great ideas for your target audience. Don't let this seasonal opportunity go by without creating some excitement in your market and stronger branding for your skills as an artist and storyteller.

Intro by Skip Cohen

"Suzette Says" is all about helping you build your skill set as a storyteller and filmmaker. Most photo educators always focus on your technique as a photographer and videographer regarding capturing great images, but without a better understanding of sound quality, your story is going to be missing the impact it deserves. Just like capturing stunning images, there are no shortcuts!

Understanding how to adjust your sound levels is critical to creating a great slide show and with hybrid technology you've got an opportunity to combine video with still images. In this video, Suzette is using a LUMIX GH4, but the importance of sound quality is universal, no matter what gear you're working with. I've also pulled an older video of Suzette's which is below and will give you a little exposure to microphone choices and the differences.

Remember why I'm so excited about getting a little help from Suzette and this new Photodex feature. Slide shows, even though they've been around for many years, are without question the "next big thing." So, while you might think they're an old concept - that's not the perception your clients have, especially with hybrid technology pulled into everything from talking business cards to more traditional storytelling.

I've written this many times before - if you're not offering slide shows in your mix of products and services then you're missing an opportunity to grow your business. Even better is the potential for goodwill and reaching potential clients you've never met.

Think about it for just a second. I just described every business owner's primary target audience - the client who you haven't met. We're a word-of-mouth business, and nothing beats a happy client sharing your work over and over again with other people. Your goal is to exceed client expectations and make yourself habit-forming! A great hybrid slide show is a perfect way to do that.

Loyal customers, they don’t just come back, they don’t simply recommend you,
they insist that their friends do business with you.
Chip Bell

Photodex keeps creating the software you need to build high-impact presentations for your clients. It doesn't matter whether you're putting together a fifteen second teaser or a 3-5 minute slide show, they're making it easier and easier for you to offer a quality story.  

Check out ProShow8 and all the new features. Then start producing slide shows that leave your clients speechless and spreading the word about your storytelling talent! Just click on the "try it free" tab to the right to find out more.

A few weeks ago Photodex shared their 2017 Slideshow Calendar. It's a free download, and their post is below. It's all about fun ideas for slide shows, but what I love most is it's a blueprint for some pretty terrific ideas in marketing!

Let's go out a couple of months, and I want to use April as an example, but there are two qualifiers first.

• If you're not creating slideshows for your clients, then you're missing an incredible opportunity to build revenue, goodwill and your reputation as a storyteller.
• Second, as a photographer/artist, you can never slow down on fine-tuning your skills to capture outstanding images. Even a well put together slideshow can't hide mistakes in exposure and composition.

Now, let's get into the calendar.

It's loaded with ideas. For children's photographers - Major League Baseball season starts April 2 - it's the perfect time to launch a baseball-themed series of portrait sittings. National Siblings Day comes up on April 10 and another opportunity to target brothers and sisters.

The hierarchy of why people hire a photographer goes brides, babies, pets - in that order. Well, National Pet Day, National Pet Parents Day and Adopt a Shelter Pet Day are all in April. Plus, with Mother's Day and Fathers Day coming up in May and June - here's your chance to plant an idea for the greatest gift of all - a new portrait of the kids with the family pet!

And, you can keep going on the themes with National High 5 Day, Earth Day, and National Admin Professionals Day - each one giving you an opportunity for some clever marketing around a specific theme targeting a different audience.

Even a day like April Fools might create an opportunity to highlight the sense of humor of a past or current client. I can tell a few of you just rolled your eyes. Well, think about one of your most favorite clients. Everybody has a few fun-loving couples who you enjoy working with - what a kick to do a portrait session highlighting something they would absolutely NEVER do and bring a little fun and humor into some images.

Check out the post below, take advantage of the free download. Look over the calendar and find one event each quarter to put you and your business on the map! Just because it's the slowest time of year right now, doesn't mean you can't be proactive and do some creative planning to make 2017 the best year yet!

by Candace
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It’s that time of year again. Stay up-to-date with our super fun calendar freebie! We loved making this last year so much, that it became our resolution, to welcome in 2017!

Enjoy 365 slideshow-worthy days a year! Why not?! From National Camera Day to World Smile Day, there’s a day to celebrate just about everything. So pick up your camera and brush-up on your slideshow skills, 2017 is going to be the best year yet.
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Click below to download the interactive and printable calendar PDF. Hang it, write on it, share it and use it as a reminder of all those slideshow-worthy events coming up this year.

Looking for a great slideshow tool? Look no further! ProShow is the world’s leading software for making photo and video slideshows. Download a free trial and learn more today.