Photodex and SCU share a very special common denominator - we want to help you build a stronger business and along with it a more diverse skill set. "Building Your Business" is all about sharing ideas from some of the most passionate and respected artists in photography.
 
Meet Rob Knight. Rob's based out of the Atlanta area but spends a lot of his life as a photo-educator on the road throughout the United States and Costa Rica. He shares some great insight in this new podcast about photography, travel, and teaching in small groups.

His video below is a perfect showcase of his Route 66 Adventure workshops, but take a stroll through the galleries on his website, and you'll see an incredible cross-section of stunning images from Costa Rica too. Click on any of Rob's images below to visit his website.

Having worked with Rob for several years as a member of Panasonic's Luminary team, I know first hand what he's like to hang out with. He's a remarkable teacher, and his style puts every student at ease, regardless of their level of expertise.

As you watch his video, pay attention to some of the Photodex features and think about how you'd tell your story. Today you've got the ability to make sharing images with your target audience a memorable experience. Why show images in just static galleries when you can put them to music and create a unique presentation?

Take the time to check out Photodex and ProShow 8. They're always focused on education to help you build a stronger business, along with ways to help you raise the bar on your presentations.

Images copyright Rob Knight. All rights reserved.

 Break the rules to get the shot.
Give yourself permission to stretch your boundaries and find your own style.
Suzette Says

Intro by Skip Cohen 

Thanks to technology more of you are shooting video than ever before. And, the applications for video whether full-length features or just short clips are pulling together an incredible resource of creative ideas.

Photodex and SCU want to help you expand your skill set, and we're getting lots of help from Suzette Allen. In this week's Suzette Says, she's sharing a series of outstanding examples of shooting video at various shutter speeds. She's also giving you some solid examples of how 4K can play a role in capturing some excellent images.

Now, take Suzette's tips, practice a little on your own so you can get comfortable with the results and then put the video clips and still images together in your slide shows.

​ProShow8 is loaded with features to make your presentations look more professional than ever. Just click on the thumbnail to check it out and take it for your own FREE test drive!

Does a video look bad if it is shot at too high a shutter speed?

First of all, I think it is important that we identify what is “too high” or “too fast” of a shutter!

Well, there IS a rule, that says a video should be shot with a shutter speed of double the frame rate. That’s also referred to as the Shutter Angle. So, when shooting at 24 fps-that’s frames per second, one should use a 1/50th of a second shutter. At 30 fps, use 1/60th of a sec shutter, and 60fps, you would use 1/125th of a sec shutter. It’s a good guide with a good look. BUT, what happens when you don’t follow the rules? What will it cost you? Will it be unusable? Or have a bad look or a rookie style?
​
Well, it may not really be “bad” but it does typically have a different feel and sometimes look, depending on the subject. I have a great demo clip of a water fountain that was shot at 30 frames per second that shows what it looks like at 1/30th of a second up to 1/1000th of a sec. Theres a huge difference in how the water looks. And you could probably say it is “bad”- or at least totally fake looking! Water is definitely one you don’t want to fudge on.

​Although, here is a sweet little stream that I shot too fast accidentally and then reshot with a correct speed. But I couldn’t tell the difference. This one was shot way too fast (over 1/1000th of a second) But it looks good.

BUT in the case of action sports or moving people, I shoot at “too fast” of a shutter speed all the time for the purpose of pulling out still frames out of the 4K video (to make big prints!)! In that case I definitely want to break the shutter speed rule so that each frame is actually a sharp image!

But here is what happens…. I get my frame and then I fall in love with the video too…. And I want to use BOTH! But I shot it with the wrong shutter speed! I know the cinema photographers reading this are probably cringing at this…. so wrong….but my goal is a PRINT and my secondary goal is a HYBRID Moving Portrait. So I get my printable image and then I feel like the shutter issue with portraits it is not really a big deal. If it captured the emotion, it is golden. With action, it DOES have a slight “crispier” feel. But that can be a style too. Like the movie “300”—it was purposely shot at a fast shutter speed to give it that gritty feeling. It’s not bad or wrong, it is just a look.

So here are a few examples of some videos I shot for the purpose of sharp frames and I think the videos are acceptable. What do you think?
​
Quad Jump, This was taken before the cameras had the ability to record the shutter speed in the metadata in 4K video. Im pretty sure we were at 1/640th or 1/1000th of a second on these. The image is fairly sharp. The video is short… but do you think it looks “OK”? [ I just want to see it in slow motion! ]

Football Kick, this was shot at 1/1000th of a second and only about 3 frames have the football in it!​

​This RidgeRider video “feels” a bit too crispy and gritty, but it works for the content and subject I think.

While most of us think of Photodex as the leader in slideshow software, if you follow their blog, they're a leader in education. "Kathy" is always sharing ideas and other websites/blogs to help you build a stronger skill set. Well, as I thought about what to share on a Photodex Friday, I started to think about one of the biggest complaints I hear all the time from photographers who have a blog:

                                                                         "But Skip, there's nothing to write about!"

Okay, so it's time to change that - here are ten great ideas to help you build content, but remember, consistency is the key to a great blog and if you're not posting on a regular basis you'll lose readership faster than you gain it. I always recommend you start out with at least two days a week. Your goal is at least five, but for now, let's just get you consistently posting.

Photo Tips: A great blog is about being helpful. You do things every day that you take for granted when it comes to capturing images. So, let's share some of those ideas. Remember in the portrait social categories of photography; women make 98% of the purchase decisions - so, this is your way of helping Mom get better pictures of her kids and family, and your tips are almost endless. Here are some examples:

•     Share a composition tip with how to set up the subjects. Let's get away from firing squad lineups.
•     Talk about lighting and fill flash - even on a cell phone, the flash can make a difference.
•     Remind them to move in close - what you see is what you get is a great reminder.
•     Give tips on storytelling - get them thinking about how their images can tell a story.
•     Cameras and kids - remind them to put the camera in the hands of the kids now and then for a different perspective.

Community Profiles: This is one of my favorites. Get out there and do some environmental portraits of some of the key people at places you love to visit. For example, everybody has a favorite pizza place in town. Do a portrait of the chef, waiter/waitress, owner, etc. All you need is the image together with a 30-50 word post. The fun of this is that when you run it on your blog, they're going to see it and share it. It's a great way to show your skill set and at the same time create a small ambassador network. And, this applies to EVERY establishment you visit - product guys, pharmacists, dry cleaners - there's nobody not in the potential circle of community members.

Photo Ideas: The easiest is holiday cards, but give people ideas on things to do with images. This is like the old "Subliminal Man" theme on Saturday Night Live because you're reminding everybody you're a photographer as well.

Great Gift Ideas: One call to your lab and asking the question, "What's new?" and you'll have a whole series of ideas to share with your audience.

Places to Shoot: Every photographer has a series of locations around town where you like to photograph. Share some of those locations. This also gives you a chance to show some of your work whether it's from portrait sittings, engagement sessions or just fun landscape images.

Community Events: Just like the old town crier in the 1700's, help get the word out on events coming up that are of interest to your readership. Again, this is where Mom comes in, and you have the ability to have a lot of influence. Plus, with some of the events, you'll be putting yourself in a role of support for the sponsoring organization and be building a relationship at the same time.

Camera Gear: Share ideas on camera gear including lenses and accessories. You've got an incredible level of expertise as a photographer. Use it to help your readership capture better images of their own.
 
Pet Profiles: The hierarchy of why people hire a photographer goes brides, babies, pets for the top three. Doing pet profiles can eventually tie in every pet owner in the community, and it's fun content to share a "Pet of the Week" kind of profile. Again, each pet owner becomes an ambassador for your blog, and each image shows a little more of your expertise as a professional photographer.

Put these ideas together with sharing images from past sessions and next build a stash of posts. You don't have to post everything in real time. Build up a stash of twenty posts and then do a "fresh" piece each week on one day and something from the pipeline on the other. 

Consistency is one of the biggest factors in building a successful blog. Put that together with always sharing relevant content and you've two key ingredients for success!

"A blog is only as interesting as the interest shown in others.”
Lee Odden

Intro by Skip Cohen

Every week I share a new post in the ProShow Annex. They rotate between "Building Your Business," my own "Photodex Friday" and "Suzette Says," but they all share a common denominator - helping you bring slideshows into your business model. 

Slideshows need to be a part of the products/services you offer and thanks to technology, they're easier than ever to create, but don't forget the importance of your skill set as an artist. Great presentations need great images, not just creative dissolves, transitions and good music.

In this archived post from the "Queen of Hybrid", Suzette shares some solid tips for shooting at night. As the weather starts to remind us Spring is just around the corner, it's time to be practicing and raising the bars on your skills so you're ready to capture the very best images.

Suzette captured the images with the LUMIX GH4 and the FZ1000 and then created the short slideshow with ProShow Web. Learning more about ProShow Web and taking it out for your own FREE "test drive" is just a click away!

by Suzette Allen

Shooting on Location at night for video requires continuous lights, but makes it super easy to shoot in the dark! It also offers the ability to use cool or warmer lights and even flashlights for accents.

In this shot of Karlee on Lowry Bridge in Minneapolis, we lit her with LED lights. Typically we travel with a 6”x12” Dracast battery operated light for location work, but we borrowed some Yongnuo LED’s from a fellow photographer and since then purchased some for ourselves. They are small, portable, and so easy to use on location because they are battery operated.

Besides the small size (6”x7”), I like the built in barn doors to control the light and the warming filter to match the available light. LED’s also have a softer edge than a flash, and are much less harsh, so even without diffusion, it looks good. While there are light models that offer color temp variation, we typically avoid them because it usually diminishes power since half the bulbs are colored and half are not.  The short video video from this shoot was so easy to put together in ProShow Web.  

​Photographed with Rod Oman and Karlee Callender.

 by Skip Cohen

The fun of working with Photodex is all about the common denominator we share - helping you build a stronger business and skill set. We launched "Building Your Business" hoping the artists we featured would share some of their insight about their journey as professional photographers.

Well, they've shared that and much more. Each artist has demonstrated a special passion not just for the craft and their business, but in helping other photographers grow. Today's guest is a perfect example.

Meet Trevor Ray Thompson. Based out of Austin, Texas, he's a passionate artist who understands the importance of relationship building. In fact, as a senior photographer it's one of the most important ingredients to natural expressions and great images. With every client Trevor is building a level of trust, being more than just a photographer. Click on any image to link to Trevor's website and see more of his work.

Trevor's video below is a showcase of his work and shooting style and a perfect example of creating a slide show for marketing. He also talks about how he uses slide shows when he previews images with clients. Slide shows are an incredible way for you to reinforce your role as the ultimate storyteller with every client. And, Photodex makes it so easy to do!

Check out Photodex and ProShow 8.  You'll also find great content in the Photodex blog. They're always focused on education to help you build a stronger business, along with ways to help you raise the bar on your presentations.

Images copyright Trevor Ray Thompson. All rights reserved.