Happiness is a Journey, Not a Destination...

For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life.
But there was always some obstacle in the way.
Something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, 
time still to be served, a debt to be paid.

At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.
This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness.  Happiness is the way.
So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one.
​
Souza

by Skip Cohen
​
The wisdom above is from a refrigerator magnet that's been on my whiteboard for many years. I know I shared it in a post or two over ten years ago, but it deserves to be shared again.

So many of us waste time looking for happiness, when all along it's right there in front of us. Sometimes, it's hidden under the emotional baggage we all carry around. Most of the time, if you haven't found happiness, you just haven't looked hard enough.

It's January and in most parts of the country it's the "slow season." So, while you're working on your plans for the year ahead, this is the perfect time to think about your journey and make sure it's running on being happy. You can't create images that tug at people's heartstrings if your own heart isn't in it.

Wishing everybody a great week ahead.

by Skip  Cohen

​This is a strange post to write on Throwback Thursday. Normally, my Throwback posts are upbeat and rarely tied to current events. But watching the news this week and the fires in southern California, while they brought back some great memories, they're based on a foundation of destruction.
​
I lived in Pacific Palisades for seven years when I was with Rangefinder/WPPI. It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever lived and holds many wonderful memories. But it's a very strange feeling watching the news and seeing your old street on fire, as well as the entire town center where I spent so much time.

Living in the Sarasota area and dealing with the destruction from three hurricanes last year, combined with the horrific devastation in Asheville, I really thought I'd seen just about everything...until the news this week. In fact, for years, while I've empathized with people dealing with Mother Nature's horrible destruction around the world, it's never hit me as hard as the fires in California right now.

The picture up top was from the back deck of my condo in Pacific Palisades. "June Gloom" with the marine layer would roll in and sit in the valley, but we were always above it. We overlooked the dog park, where Molly the Wonder Dog grew up, shown below.

There was a fire road for those of us near the top of the mountain, but it was on fire, so the only way out was down Palisades Dr. I'm sure most of my old neighbors drove right into the traffic jam, where we saw bulldozers clearing cars on the news! 

​While there's no confirmation yet that my old neighborhood has been destroyed, I texted my next-door neighbor from back then. She sent me the pic to the right, taken as they fought through traffic trying to leave the Palisades and get to safety on Tuesday.

The likelihood that anything survived in the area is slim, and my heart goes out to old friends and neighbors who have lost so much. We're sending prayers and positive thoughts to everyone caught in the tragedy. I can't imagine the pain of loss they're all feeling, but when it hits this close to home, especially the street where you live, it's impossible not to be affected.

“It’s income tax time again, Americans: time to gather up those receipts, get out those tax forms,
sharpen up that pencil, and stab yourself in the aorta.”
Dave Barry

by Skip Cohen

​It's Hump Day, and while it might be considered by most to be the slow season in photography, it's not the slow season for the operating side of your business. NOW is the time to start the scavenger hunt for everything you spent money on in 2024. DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE!

I'm always amazed at how many small business owners, especially photographers, don't take the time to review all the costs involved in running their business. I am not an accountant, but here's a list of things you should review so you don't miss anything when you're doing your taxes!

by Skip Cohen

It's the first Marketing Monday post of the new year, and while typically my posts are more photo-centric, today's applies to EVERY business, not just professional photographers.

This is the time of year when many of you are still working to resolve customer service issues related to business left over from the holidays. Great customer service is your not-so-secret weapon for building a stronger brand and separating yourself from your competitors, and it doesn't matter what business you're in!

Too many of you think unhappy customers are a curse—the dark side of owning a business. In reality, they're an outstanding asset if treated right! Not treated right, unhappy customers have the potential to influence thousands of people through their social media and personal reach.

​It's time to stop being afraid of angry customers. Remember, you've got two ears and one mouth, so listen twice as much as you talk!

• It all starts with a fundamental understanding of the customer: It doesn't matter if they're right or not; they believe they're right, and you need to listen. You have to accept that something happened that shouldn't have—no matter who or what caused it, you have a chance to resolve the issue.
• Fine-tune your listening skills. Don't react to anything they say until they're done saying it. This is a tough one, but it can start with a simple opener: "Hi, this is _____, and I understand you're not happy with something we did. How can I help?"

 
You can modify the opener any way you want, but the defusing line is "How can I help?" Another one to use is "Let's see if I can help fix this for you." Your goal is to demonstrate empathy, kick back, be quiet, and listen. 
​
Challenges with unhappy customers will happen as long as you're in business. Here are some suggestions to help you build a stronger brand and a reputation for integrity, empathy, and GREAT service.

1. Respond promptly – don't let things go more than a day without getting back to your client. When an upset customer doesn't hear back from you promptly, they assume you're hiding or just don't care.
2. Communicate with your client via phone or face-to-face. Email doesn't always work as well when you've got an argument on your hands. Your customers need to hear your voice; a little eye contact is much better. Pick up the phone and call them whenever possible.
3. Take the blame – seriously, even if the problem wasn't directly your fault, it's still your business.
4. Don't delegate the battles—There's nothing more frustrating to an angry customer than feeling you're hiding behind one of your employees. And when it can't be helped, if an employee is on the frontline of "battle," give them the power and tools to resolve the issue. Resolve issues quickly with solutions that are valuable to the consumer. Come up with a resolution and work towards one that your client feels is fair.

Here's a perfect example, which I know I've shared in past posts. Living in the Chicago area years ago, we tried carry-out from a new Chinese restaurant. Halfway through dinner, we found a small dead cockroach in the fried rice. I immediately packaged everything back up and stormed back to the restaurant for a refund. Instead of immediately apologizing and handling my request, the owner complained that the rice was already half-eaten! She then wanted to give me a gift certificate to come back! Obviously, we never ate there again, but to try and argue with me about the merits of their food at that point was far from realistic. 
 
Remember, one angry customer today can turn into a troll and undermine your credibility throughout the community. And the community, especially in cyberspace, goes far beyond your city limits. On the other hand, a satisfied customer who feels you've been on their side and working towards solving the problem will help build a foundation for future business.

by Skip Cohen

​It's my first Reflections post of the new year, and after watching the news last night, I knew exactly what I wanted to right about...the art of optimism!

For most of my life, I've been one of those "the glass is half full" kind of guys, but I couldn't wait to close the door on 2024. It was a tough year, and I welcomed '25 with open arms. But with the horrific attack in New Orleans, the continued "Luigi" saga, the CDC warning on flu season ramping up, and an arctic cold front with fifty-seven million people in its path, optimism is getting hard to come by!

Just five days into the new year, the world has gone upside down. Chicken Little's proclamation that the sky was falling seems to be jam-packed with foresight and wisdom instead of a kid's folk tale. 

So, I went off in search of all the things that continue to make me smile and realized it's just a matter of selective focus. It's time to flip the switch to focus confirmation in our brains, just like we have on our cameras and phones.

Thanksgiving is ten months away, but I'm not waiting to think about everything I'm grateful for. It all starts with the furnace working this morning as Florida hits temperatures in the forties. Next comes our health; despite both of us creaking for ten minutes when we get up in the morning, we're feeling pretty damn good for old farts. We laugh a lot, even though there are a few rounds of tears here and there. And then there are the two pups, who, even though they're five years old, will always be puppies - they make us laugh and remind us every day of the importance of unconditional love.

Here's my point, and it's all explained in my opening quote: Sure, roses have thorns, but how cool is it that thorns have roses? No matter what I might want to complain about, somebody out there has it a whole lot worse. I'm a work in progress, but the art of optimism is all tied to developing an Alfred E. Neuman philosophy about life and then staying true to his "What, me worry?" persona.

Yesterday is gone, and we've no control over tomorrow, but we do have today right now! So, I'm throwing Chicken Little out on his ass and giving Alfred E. Neuman power of attorney!

Wishing everybody a great day filled with peace, laughter and smiles that are more infectious than anything the CDC warns about. Make it a day to focus on things and people you love. You've got no control over how screwed up the world is, but you do have control over your little piece of life - don't waste it worrying about things you can't control. And ALWAYS go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I've been writing about for the last ten years!

Happy Sunday...or Monday if you're on the other side of the world.

by Skip Cohen

We're officially into the "slow season." Normally, I suggest that just because business slows down, that doesn't mean you can. At the same time, everyone needs to recharge their battery, and this weekend is the time.

But, there's an art to kickin' back...you can only enjoy it if you've got a relatively clear head. That means tying up loose ends, reviewing any deadlines you're chasing, and, in summary - getting the monkey off your back!

A clear head sets the tone for relaxing, appreciating your family and friends, and daydreaming a little. What do you want 2025 to look like—not just from a business point of view but also from a personal one? 

Years ago, I gave up on New Year's resolutions. Instead, I find setting a few goals far more productive. A few times, I've even written them down on my calendar and tracked my progress. Rather than set rigid deadlines for completing specific tasks or projects, if it's personal, I just pick times in the future to check on my progress. 

Here's my point on this first Friday of the new year - Now is the time to take a short break and do whatever it takes to make your heart soar! This isn't directly about business but building up your attitude for the future. Remember, as artists, you can't create images that tug at people's heartstrings if your heart isn't in it.

So, this is the time to take a break, kick back and chill. Smile more, and spend time with the people you appreciate the most, especially yourself!

by Skip Cohen

It's a new year filled with possibilities. What I love most about Throwback Thursday is the wonder of turning back the clock to a time and world that wasn't filled with so many horrific tragedies. Mining for old memories lives up to author Jodi Picoult's quote above, which I've shared so many times in the past.

Over the last few days, I started my annual process of cleaning out the closet in my home office—a daunting task! In the process, I found a large envelope of things my folks had saved over the years. The fun of old photographs is always in the backstory of memories that immediately flow.

​I found the postcard below. 

The backstory starts with me being a little introverted as a kid. My parents thought it would help me if I went to an overnight camp for a couple of nights. I was only six, but they, along with a friend's parents in the neighborhood, decided Camp Loretta would be perfect for both of us.

What's missing in the card, which from printing my name you can see I never wrote, is that the experience was terrifying.

The first night, the counselor told us a ghost story about the Ghost of Camp Loretta who, in the past, came in the window (the one by my bunk) and took one of the kids while they were sleeping. The counselor, as he told the story, lifted his t-shirt, and his back was covered in scars - captured by the Ghost when he was younger. He'd been tied up and whipped. (The scars were probably lipstick streaks, but told in the light of a small flashlight, they sure looked real to little Skippy!)

Well, I was in the top bunk, and my friend was in the bottom. In the middle of the night, I was so scared that I climbed down from my top bunk and into bed with my friend Danny. That wouldn't have been an issue, except that I wet HIS bed! That led to the bunk all waking up and the counselor making me take my wet underwear out and hang it on the laundry line at the edge of the woods - where the Ghost was waiting. Miraculously, I didn't die and survived the ordeal.

As I looked at the postcard, so much more than just that story came to mind. To start, the card was written by the counselor who planted all the fears! For the next twenty years, I'd sleep with the cover over my head! And for years as a kid, I'd never go into a dark room without making a lot of noise, hopefully giving the Boogie Man time to leave.

Fifty years later, I'd catch up to Danny. My buddy and photographer, Arnold Crane, mentioned his name one night when talking about people he was working with. I tracked Danny down, who was then living in Los Angeles, as was I. We grabbed dinner, and I apologized for wetting his bed. His response: "You're kidding me. After all these years, I thought I did it—I was in therapy for years!" There was nothing but laughter that followed.

So, here's my point—take the time to start the new year out right, and make Throwback Thursday your day to turn back the clock with a look in your rearview mirror. I'm not suggesting you dwell on the past; just take the time to appreciate it. Plus, old photographs are the perfect way to stay focused on the value of imaging and our ability as an industry to help the world turn the intangible into tangible memories we can hold in our hands forever.

Happy Throwback Thursday!

by Skip Cohen

One of the great things about living in California when I was with Rangefinder Magazine and WPPI was the time difference. I could go to a New Year's Eve party and still be home by 10:00! At 9:00 pm, we'd watch the ball drop in NYC, celebrate the start of a new year, and go home. Now, living back in the Eastern Time Zone, we're expected to stay up to midnight! LOL

Well, while my intentions are focused on staying up, that's why God created the DVR...my bet is that we'll make it to 10:00, maybe even 10:30, and watch the ball drop in the morning. I could be wrong, but past history suggests we'll never make it to midnight.

However, one definite event of this New Year's Eve, happening long before midnight, is wishing all of you a happy, healthy, dry, and safe new year! I'm excited about a new year, but that pales to how ecstatic I am to see 2024 come to a close. Even though nothing really changes from one day to the next, it's a time when we all experience an attitude adjustment. A new year always comes with optimism, hope, and a whole lot of smiles.

Thank you for your support, feedback, and, with many of you, a very special friendship.

Happy New Year, everybody! 

​by Skip Cohen

As I sat here trying to think of what to write about, it hit me—this is my last Sunday Morning Reflections post for 2024. My challenge is trying to understand how the year went by so quickly! While I'm a big fan of looking forward and being focused on today and tomorrow, it's hard to avoid a long look in the rearview mirror. 

I found myself thinking about how much time I wasted in the past year. How much time did I let slip through my life worrying about things outside my control?  How many times was I upset about something that just didn't matter? Sheila has a great expression that I've shared in past posts, "Don't should on yourself!"

Put that together with the expression, "Hindsight is always 20/20," and you've got the recipe for thinking like a Monday morning quarterback, which we all become at one time or another. With time often comes clarity, but once time has passed, there's no rewind.

But there is a reset button. It's not always easy to find, but somewhere in your heart, it's there. And yes, I know this sounds pretty sappy, but here's my point: Do your best to stop wasting time. Like everybody, I have my share of regrets. I can't turn back the clock, but I can hit the reset button and do my best to learn from past mistakes, leaving room to change my journey. Time is our most valuable commodity - we can't control it; but we maximize its potential by living our best life.

Here's a better example as I step into the taboo of including something very personal in today's post. Since my divorce sixteen years ago, I've been estranged from my family...but I had a choice to make - dwell on the past or move forward and create a new life, and family. I chose the latter, and although sprinkled with moments of sadness, with help from Sheila, two pups, and even a therapist here and there, focusing on today and tomorrow became priorities over worrying about yesterday.

The key to maintaining a focus on tomorrow is all about forgiveness—possibly the toughest word to define and then incorporate into your life. Forgiveness doesn't have to mean you forget; just let the past be just that—the past. I can't change it, and it doesn't have to define me, but I'm still a work in progress.

Wrapping up Reflections for 2024, I only missed one Sunday morning post. Consistent with every post, it has been my wish to you for a day ahead that's spectacular. I hope you make it a day filled with the love you have for the people most important in your life, combined with time to make new memories to appreciate tomorrow. Go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I always recommend, and don't waste time worrying about things you forgot to do over the holidays.

Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world!
​

by Skip Cohen

​Whether you're celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, it's a family time of year and always special. It's a time to make memories with the people who mean the most to you. And here's my reminder: When you're together with older members of your family, DON'T FORGET TO VIDEO THEIR STORIES.

I've written a lot about legacy programs and documenting the stories of older relatives before they're no longer with you. Whether with your phone or camera doesn't make a difference. Take the time to corner those senior members of the family over the holidays.  

Now, take it one step further - if you've got kids in the house - assign them to be the family historians. If they're young, get the camera set up for them - and if they're older, give them some assignments. Stories like, "Sit down with Grandma and Grandpa and ask them how they met." Anything relevant in capturing those beautiful backstories that will disappear when older members of your family pass on.

Wishing everybody a wonderful holiday! Thank you for all your support, friendship, and feedback. It hasn't been the easiest year, but it's been one filled with memories, and as sappy as it sounds, it has been filled with a whole lot of love!

Happy Holidays! 

Intro by Skip Cohen

Last week, my good buddy Scott Bourne posted the rant below on Facebook, focused on helping new photographers make better choices about their gear. Like virtually any specialty, the imaging world is filled with "experts." And while there are a lot of great educators/influencers out there, I'm always amazed at how many new artists fall for the "clickbait" Scott wrote about.

Many years ago, Vincent Laforet spoke at Skip's Summer School. I remember him talking about when he first started and the challenge of capturing the images he wanted when his cash, and in turn, his gear was so limited. "You know what you do when you don't have a lens long enough...you move in closer!"
 
Thirty years ago, when I was at Hasselblad, a photographer came up to us at our booth at Photo East and asked for a list of everything Denis Reggie shot with. We gave him the list and he went immediately to B&H there on the show floor and bought almost all of it. The following year, at the same show, he came by the booth and dropped a few dozen 5x5 proofs on the counter and said, "I bought everything Denis Reggie uses, and my images don't look any better with Hasselblad than they did with my old gear!"  He'd shot everything f8 @ 1/125!

Here's my point - before you get sucked into buying new gear, which you may well need, take the time to review your skill set. Put your money into your education and building the operational side of your business. And if you need something exotic and expensive, rent it first! 

Here's one more story: Joe Buissink tells a great story about spending too much money on a tilt/shift lens when he first started. He was convinced it's what he needed to make his work look different. Instead, his purchase tied up capital he could have used for better ways to build his business. Plus, he barely used it and sold it a year or two later for a loss!

​A big thanks to Scott for permission to share his rant! Scott should be on your radar - click on his link above and follow him on Facebook. He's always got something worth sharing.

**A.I. images from Adobe Stock

by Scott Bourne

​I can think of no greater waste of time than watching the #photography "influencers" talking about their gear. I am sad that new photographers get duped by these people and fall for their click bait.

• No matter what camera/lens you use, they will convince you it's not good enough and what you REALLY need is the gear THEY (get paid to promote.)
• Use any camera you like. In the last five years I think I've encountered one bad camera and one bad lens and both were niche products that most of you will never have heard of.
• Your camera is good enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are some additional thoughts...

• Don't be bullied by the Full Frame Mafia. Use Micro Four Thirds or APS-C if that works for you.
• Don't fall into the cult known as "The Religion Of Low Light Performance Pixel Peepers." They will convince you that even the slightest spec of digital noise ANYWHERE in your picture is baaaaad.
• Lastly, don't be tricked into thinking you need an f/1.2 lens for every single shot so you can have perfect BOKEH BALLS. That is a fad. It will pass.

This is all nonsense and it's all the nonsense you will find on YouTube. No doubt there are some thoughtful, talented people who want to help you there but even then - you're better off just practicing with your camera.

All you need to do to improve is this. Just read your camera manual, learn how to operate the camera properly and go make as many photos as you can.

You will be twice the photographer any of the YOUTUBE "influencers" are within a year's time.

​Rant over...

by Skip Cohen

​It's Sunday, and if you've followed me for even the shortest time, you already know I never talk about business when I write Reflections. I also throw caution to the wind when it comes to topics the "experts" say you should never write about. Sunday is my day to get more personal; today is no exception.

I want to preface today's post by admitting that I'm a hopeless romantic. I also get a little sappy, especially around the holidays. Fitting right in with that trait, I'm a huge fan of the Story People. I'm sure most of you have seen them, but have you been on their website?

Please keep in mind that I'm just a fan and NOT paid or endorsed in any way by this company. But like those times when you find just the right message in a greeting card, the Story People always come through.

Sheila and I have been fans since we bought our first one in Laguna, CA, sixteen years ago. Later, discovering their online presence, I started adding to the collection. Each message has resonated with something special in how I feel about our life together and shares a thought that normally would be hard to express.

Here's a perfect example: In March, Sheila's brother Randy had a brain aneurysm blow. After surgery and months of rehab, he seemed to be improving and getting better, but passed away in September.

​There are no words to describe the feeling of being helpless for somebody you care about when there's nothing you can really do to help except be there. I wanted to remind her that I'm so proud she's a warrior and that I've always got her back. Once again, the Story People came through. I added another one to our collection:

by Skip Cohen

​I know I've shared these images several times over the years, but it's holiday time. Like many of you, my thoughts pull me into the time machine, especially regarding my grandparents. At one point as a kid, I was lucky enough to have four grandparents and three great-grandparents still living. And since my grandfather was one of eleven, the holidays were pretty remarkable.

The two large portraits are of my grandfather and grandmother on my mother's side. In the middle are my great-grandparents. My grandfather and grandmother's portraits would have been captured around 1920, and my great grandparents' would have been late 1800s.

While Throwback Thursday posts are about memories, that's not my main reason for sharing today. Most of you who follow my blog are working or aspiring to be professional photographers. In a world where we've been sucked into instant fulfillment, and classic portraiture seems to be getting more and more rare - there's still nothing like a stunning portrait when the artist understands posing and lighting.

I'm so tired of meeting portrait artists who describe themselves as "natural light specialists." Seriously? We all know that means they haven't taken the time to learn studio lighting. And while you can get some of the effects with digital manipulation, there's still nothing like a solid image - "right out of the can!"

Beverly and Tim Walden talk a lot about how they don't create portraits but family heirlooms meant to be handed down from generation to generation. You owe each client your very best skills. They trust you to never say, "That's good enough."

Think about the portraits you've done over the last few years. Will they stand the test of time and be considered just as beautiful to family members when you're long gone?

Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us every day...
unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed, and very dear.
Saint Diamonds

by Skip Cohen

​Today's Reflections post is miles away from business and marketing but right on target for a challenge each of us has faced or will face at some point. It's a topic people rarely write or talk about. It's also a testimony to one of the benefits of social media: the educational and spiritual side of sharing great information.

Lee Estridge and I have been friends for over thirty years. We first met when she used to attend WPPI and I was at Hasselblad. We keep in touch primarily through Facebook. Recently she shared the post below with one statement, "This is powerful and right on in my experience." So, I read it. Posted originally on Empaths and Old Souls by Durgawati Dari, it hit me hard. It's the kind of advice we all need to hear, but rarely do people talk about it. As Lee wrote when she shared it, it's so powerful!

I know dealing with death is a dark subject, but this is the first piece I've ever read that puts it in perspective. It's a topic that is eventually familiar to everyone. 

Wishing everybody a day ahead filled with nothing but life and as many smiles as you can pack into each moment. Go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I always write about, remembering that the "huggee" is somebody very special in your life.

​Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world.

"My Man - Wishing you a cool Yule!"
Big Daddy Blair

by Skip Cohen

It's hard for me to believe that I still find photographs I haven't shared over the last 10+ years of Throwback Thursdays. I think of my lifetime stash of photos as one giant priceless treasure. Whenever I open the "vault," the memories flow.

I picked this set of images of Don Blair, family, and friends because it's that time of year when he'd be wishing everybody a "cool Yule." When I lower my voice and say the quote above out loud, I can picture him with that big smile and an even bigger love for the craft, his family, and friends.

The year is 1999 at WPPI, and we were the keynote presentation before the conference started. The images are all thanks to Bambi Cantrell.

Since I've described the program so many times in the past, here's the short version: We were introducing our first book together, Don Blair's Guide to Posing and Lighting Body Parts. We surprised Don with a few hundred people all wearing red berets! The program followed the layout of the book, even using the same models. The following day, on the convention floor, everybody was able to pick up their advance-ordered copy. 

Marathon Press did an outstanding job printing the books. Don and I flew to Nebraska and were in the plant as the first pages came off the press. Everything was delivered right on time, as promised—something that rarely happens these days!  

If you haven't gone off today in search of your throwbacks, take the time. It's the perfect reminder of the value of photography—stopping time and turning the intangible into memories you can hold in your hand.

​This is where Jodi Picoult's quote about photographs is so relevant:

by Skip Cohen

It's Hump Day, two weeks before the holidays. For most people it's the busiest time of year. Everyone gets so wrapped up in the holidays, that too many of us miss the magic!