by Skip Cohen

​For years, I never posted anything about politics. I stayed away from writing about almost anything controversial, but these days it's getting harder and harder to keep my mouth shut.

This morning on nextdoor.com, there was a lot of chatter about the $90 checks we received yesterday. Someone wrote a comment, "We received our bribe!" Well, a couple of neighbors went ballistic, trying hard to defend the president and his actions.

How can anyone with an IQ higher than a head of cabbage defend any of the government's actions? (Anybody else catch Trump's comment about his IQ being 1775? The highest IQ in history was 228. And if he really were 1775, he'd already know that there's "b" in "dumb" and not have to share his pride at figuring it all out!)

• First of all, let's talk about the $90...it's an absurd amount considering we're still waiting for our DOGE checks and the "profit-sharing" on the tariffs we were promised.
• Second, Trump has wasted millions on the ballroom, the reflecting pool, parades in his honor, his golf outings, the Kennedy Center, working on his arch...and the list goes on and on.
• Third, Congress has forgotten about "We the People," and now, together with the Squeaker of the House and an equally clueless Cabinet, they're more worried about their own paychecks and investments than the American people.

So, with my $90, I'm investing in a decent bottle of champagne to be opened when the midterms hopefully change the course of history and end this incredible embarrassment of an administration.

Okay...so it's a rant...but I can still wish everybody a terrific weekend ahead. Stay safe, dry and cool if you're in the part of the country with record-breaking heat. 

​Everyone has a stash of old photographs somewhere, and I'm betting each one has a backstory worth reliving and sharing. Sadly, those old images might as well have been lost years ago...unless you make a point of taking those walks down Memory Lane.

And while some of you might feel that living in the past is a waste of time - that's not what I'm suggesting. We all know you can never go back... but what good are all the experiences and your journey in life if you don't look back at what made them special? Plus, if you're a professional photographer or aspiring to be, all those old photos are benchmark reminders of the value of what photography has given the world.  Without imaging, all the memories above would be reduced to stick figures drawn on napkins and "neurochromes."

To Bob and Kayce - sure do miss you guys. What a collection of memories and stories we've written and shared. And to Tom and Linda (not pictured), Karen and Bill, Paul, Mitch, and Karen H., who we lost last year...we've got enough material to write a sitcom series! Plus, there are so many other knuckleheads who joined us on dozens of dive trips.

And to all of you reading this blog post - find the time today to take a short walk down Memory Lane. Dig out some of those old photographs, and share them with your friends - you won't regret it!

​Happy Throwback Thursday!

by Skip Cohen

It's "Hump Day." I started the series just for fun and a little sarcasm, but sometimes a topic hits home and feels so relevant.

As I wandered through my Facebook notifications, after only a minute or two, I felt bombarded with the noise. But it wasn't just the physical noise I found offensive; it was cyberspace's tracking every move I've made on the Internet. This isn't new to any of us. We've all just accepted the shift in balance.

I clicked on an ad to help train your dog not to bark a week ago...now I've got at least five different companies pitching me on their pet products. I checked out an ad for lobster tails and now, if I take out a second mortgage on our house, I can choose from several different companies with great deals...until you get to the shipping costs! I checked out solar lanterns and realized what a scam it was - that was a year ago, and I'm still getting the ads. Then there are the political statements, coming from both sides - and *poof* I'm buried in more BS.

I found this quote by Emily Silva so appropriate:

"In silence, we can hear our intuition speak. But it can be difficult to find silence in the age of hyperconnectivity. We must find the time to unplug and create silence at least once a day...A change happens when we learn to access stillness...In stillness we find our balance."

Between our phones and computers so many of us are in need of a digital detox! Most of us get so busy we rarely search out silence until the damage from the "noise" in our lives is already well underway. Find a moment today and kick back and chill. Walk away from everything and appreciate the silence.

​Happy Hump Day!!

by Skip Cohen

It's that strange time of year, the calm before the storm, when retail is just starting to ramp up. Costco, Walmart, Lowe's, and even CVS have this bizarre mix of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Chanukah all on display. From a consumer view, I've noticed people are more curious than focused on actual purchases; even Amazon is doing special fall shopping days, and it's still early October!

Retail is doing a great job of planting the seed for reminding the world the holidays are coming. That gives you, as a small business owner and photographer, an opportunity to ride the waves they're creating.

Although it's almost too late on some ideas, here are a few to help you capitalize on the momentum of seasonality, and there's still time to have an impact.

• Call your lab and ask, "What's new?" Most of you have products/services on your website that would put a rock to sleep. You want to share ideas that get your target audience really excited. It's time to share new ideas with your target audience, and technology has creating some amazing products.
• Fine-tune how you use social media. If you're blogging, posting once every full moon won't help. You've got to post at least twice a week, and I recommend no less than three. If you're posting on your social media page on Facebook, for example; the timing is the same.
• Analyze where you think you have the greatest exposure. Where are most of your audience members hanging out?
• If a picture's worth a thousand words, then stop writing "novels!" Share great images with short pieces of text to plant those idea seeds.
• Post ideas for gift-giving this holiday season. From actual new products, especially books and albums, to expanded service ideas like day-in-the-life shoots with a family, child, or even family pet.
• Be active in your community! Now is the time to volunteer in the community and share what you're doing on social media.
• Ramp up every way you can get your name out there. The illustration below isn't new. You've got to hit your target from as many different directions as possible. You're weaving a web around them and creating top-of-mind awareness.

But it's not just the adventures with Bill on my mind this morning. Nineteen years ago, right about now, I flew to the UK to present my good buddy Simon Barnard with the Lifetime Achievement Award from one of the UK's professional photographers' organizations. He passed away last year. He's been on my mind a lot recently, and just this week I connected with his granddaughter on FB.

It's only natural that the older you are, the more friends you've lost. I don't live in the past, but I do live with incredible memories, and each one has its own backstory and special place in my heart. That's my point this morning...

Take a minute and think about a few of those people who helped make you who you are today, but who are no longer physically here. If you're like me, you feel gratitude and an incredible appreciation for all the memories. And while Bill and Simon are in today's spotlight, they're only two of an amazing group of people who achieved a level of immortality thanks to their contributions to my life, and the photographs that help keep their memories so vibrant.

Wishing everybody a wonderful Sunday with time to appreciate the people you love the most who are with you now. Share a few of your favorite stories about people you loved and have lost, and that you find again in so many memories. Remember, today's adventures become tomorrow's backstories. And as always, go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I always write about.

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

Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear,
too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice,
but for those who love, time is eternity.
Henry Van Dyke

by Skip Cohen

Jimmy Kimmel regularly does a routine featuring news broadcasters who can't believe it's the first of a new month, the start of a new season, or a countdown to some event...even though it there are no surprises as the date changes.

Well, here I am, and I can't believe it's October 2 and we're into the fourth quarter. It's hardly a surprise; it comes at the same time every year. However, the older you get, the faster time seems to fly by. I'm writing this and can't believe it's Friday already! Where did time go this past week?

Time is our most valuable commodity, and we all take it for granted because whatever we're tired of chasing, there's always mañana!  But for so many people, tomorrow isn't always a given. Just watch the news on any single night. To start, Mother Nature's thoroughly pissed off, and from rain to tornadoes, floods, landslides, and hurricanes it's been nonstop for months. Then you've got fires...and let's not forget the craziness of the political world. Your status quo for tomorrow is never a given!

Here's my point - not wasting time here and there is impossible. No matter what, you're going to lose a little here and there, but do your best to make the minutes count. For example, don't compromise on the quality of the finished album. Don't compromise on Customer Service. Don't compromise on staying in touch with friends and associates. The bottom line: stop taking shortcuts that prevent you from enjoying the scenery on your journey...and "scenery" is everything you pass by while doing something else.

Wishing everybody a terrific weekend ahead with time for the people you love the most. 

​Happy Friday!

by Skip Cohen

It's Throwback Thursday, and today's post shares a few archived components. I shared the lobster analogy 13 years ago, in one of the very early SCU posts. Then, a few years later, I shared the backstory on the picture above. This time of year, both are perfect for what I want to share today.

Happiness is having a buddy call you and say, "I need your help - they screwed up the order for my guy at the market and sent him big lobsters rather than a bunch of small ones. They're big ones - you want to cook tonight?"
​
The buddy was Bob Rose, and I'm guessing it's around 2000. My obvious answer was "YES!" and a few hours later Bob and Kayce Baker were in our kitchen. They were 6-7 pounders, and the shells were so thick that we had to wrap them in towels and smash them with a hammer.

When I think about all of my life's adventures, Bob has been a partner in crime since the first dive trip we did in the early 90s. When I take a walk down Memory Lane, especially if there's anything involving food, Bob's always in the backstory, but those adventures are for another post.

I chose that photograph because I wanted a lobster shot. It tied in with Throwback Thursday and a great analogy in a quote by Orison Swett Marden from the 1800s:

"A lobster, when left high and dry among the rocks, does not have sense enough to work his way back to the sea, but waits for the sea to come to him. If it does not come, he remains where he is and dies, although the slightest effort would enable him to reach the waves, which are perhaps within a yard of him. The world is full of human lobsters; people stranded on the rocks of indecision and procrastination, who, instead of putting forth their own energies, are waiting for some grand billow of good fortune to set them afloat."

Here's why it's so appropriate now. It's October 1, officially the start of the fourth quarter. No matter who you are or how good or bad your business has been this year, everyone shares a common theme - the potential for a strong finish. It's literally standing right in front of you!

But to finish strong, you need all your energy focused on the task of holiday seasonality. That means you don't want to waste time chasing loose ends from earlier projects and clients. Loose ends are all those things you know are held up because you've been putting them off. It's time to chase them down!

Remember, half the battle is beating procrastination. We put things off, waiting for the shoemaker's elves to come in the middle of the night and clean up the mess.  Sadly, the only elves who show up are the Keebler Cookie guys, and they only add to your waistline!

So start making a list, then use the next week to tie up as many loose ends as possible.  I did my list this morning, just before publishing this post, and while I've made no progress, it's at least a start!

I am, however, craving Keebler Cookies and a lobster...go figure.

PS And yes, my chef's hat does say, "Don't F--- With the Cook"

"You can't be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it.
You have to go down the chute." 
Tina Fey

by Skip Cohen

I've shared that quote before, but there isn't one better to tie into this morning's theme...like the Nike slogan, "JUST DO IT!"

I've met so many photographers over the years who want to change their career path and specialty, but fear has won out. So, instead of making a change, they rationalize that they're making good money and can tolerate putting their dreams on hold a little longer. Before you know it, they've trapped themselves into a business model that's missing a huge ingredient...FUN.

"Fun" isn't a dirty word. It's the foundation of success, based on what makes you happy. I shared a great quote once by Quentin Crisp: It's no good running a pig farm badly for 30 years while saying, 'Really, I was meant to be a ballet dancer.' By then, pigs will be your style.

This is a very short post this morning encouraging those of you who are unhappy with some aspect of your career to start the process of making the changes you need to smile more. Life is too short to waste your most valuable commodity...time! 

Holiday seasonality is coming up, and then it's a new year. Now is the time to look at all aspects of your business and consider the changes you need to redefine success around what you love to do most.

If you've held off chasing your dreams, maybe it's time to start!

The art of communication is the language of leadership.
James Humes

by Skip Cohen

Recently, while cleaning up old email, I found a message from a photographer who had asked me a small favor many years ago...to proofread something he was about to send out. What he'd written was totally off the mark from what he wanted to accomplish. It was terrible and barely understandable.

That old email got me thinking about how we communicate. A long time ago I bought one of the Walk the Talk books and loved it. I added another dozen over the next few years. Each book covers a different topic, yet they're all tied together with tips on how to raise the bar on many aspects of your life.

I grabbed one of the Walk the Talk books and found these four points to help you communicate better:

1. Think before you speak...and plan before you write. Understand your message before expecting understanding from others. Target your communication to the intended audience by using terminology they are likely to understand. Consider "pre-testing" important communications on individuals whom you trust to give you candid feedback.
2. Be concise and specific. Avoid ambiguous words and phrases that may mean different things to different people (e.g., usually, sometimes, a lot, rarely, etc.)
3. Use Right Brain Messages. Try communicating creatively with stories, examples, pictures, props, etc., to help convey your message and increase retention.
4. Never assume others understand what you say or write. Check to be sure! Ask people to describe their understanding of your message. This will allow you to clarify and correct any misunderstandings.

Just for a second, think about how connected we all are to each other via email, snail mail, text messages, phone calls, social media, and yes, even in person...LIVE. We're more connected than at any time in history, and so often it's via email and text messages...yet so many people can't express themselves in writing.
​
If ever there was a time when communication skills should be in the spotlight, it's during holiday seasonality. Over the next few months, you're going to be communicating more with clients, associates, and your target audience.

• Take time to proofread everything you send.
• Use Spell-Check and Grammarly.
• Read everything you send out loud first.
• Have another person read what you're sending to make sure your message comes across the way you want it to.

Right about now, somebody is saying, "Just use AI"..sorry, as wonderful as AI is, I'm old school. I want what I write to express what I might say in person if that opportunity comes up. So, take the time to think through everything you write and share. 

​And I found a couple of great quotes to wrap it all up today:

Wise men speak because they have something to say;
Fools because they have to say something.
Unknown

If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver.
Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again.
Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.
Winston Churchill

by Skip Cohen

It's Marketing Monday, and I've written about this dozens of times over the years, but holiday cards are one of the best ways to promote your business and your skill set. Plus, the timing couldn't be better to put your card together right now.

Let's start with the obvious - holiday time is your chance to remind your target audience what you do for a living. And since a picture's worth a thousand words, a holiday card with one of your photographs speaks volumes!
​

• Design a card using one of your images.
• Pre-print a holiday message on the inside, but for particular clients and influencers in the community, you should always include a handwritten message.
• On the back of the card, like Hallmark, include your name and contact information, along with your logo if you have one.

Next is putting together your database for the mailing:

1. All of your past clients, and there's no such thing as going too far back.
2. All the vendors you might have worked with over the last year or two. As a wedding photographer; that might mean wedding planners, venues, limo companies, and florists.  As a children's photographer, it could mean local groups you've worked with, the president of the PTA, the local children's store in town, etc. 
3. Business associates and other vendors in your community.  Here's where the card is a reminder you're in business and a "neighbor".   Don't forget the presidents of groups like Kiwanis, Exchange Club, and Rotary, to name a few.  Then there's the mayor's office, the Chamber of Commerce, etc.
4. Buy a list!  This might be the year to test 250 or more names pulled within a zip code range for your area.  Remember, when purchasing a list, you can pull by lifestyle categories.  A children's photographer would want to pull from a database of new parents, summer camp prospects, parents of elementary school kids, etc.  A wedding photographer would want new engagements.  A commercial shooter would want to mail every business within a geographical area.
5. Last but not least, don't forget your friends, neighbors, and associates.  There's nothing wrong with mailing your competitors.  There are only so many days a year to shoot.  Sooner or later, you'll be booked and need to refer business to another photographer, but you need to build those relationships.

​
Here's the bottom line - NO PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER SHOULD EVER USE A STORE-BOUGHT HOLIDAY CARD! Take the time to show your skill set and remind your target audience that you walk the talk.

Next, bring that same creativity into your relationships with clients. Help them create a holiday card that captures their spirit through the holidays. And remember, as Beverly and Tim Walden always remind us, it's not just about a great finished product, but the experience of working with you!

Plus, this time of year, it's another revenue stream, giving you the chance to take full advantage of December seasonality. But it starts with you planting the seed. Remember, here's a twist to what you can add to family portrait sessions. It's also a perfect topic for blog/social media content! So start reminding your readers NOW!

And yes, this is a mini-infomercial, but with so much impact on your profitability - Marathon launches a special promotion on holiday cards every year!  Here's the link to check for the latest promotion when it's announced. And if you're looking for outstanding ideas to boost your holiday revenue, check out Marathon's Bella Albums. The Bella line is stunning, but you need samples to show your clients. Again, it's all just a click away on the banner below.​

Now, here's the tricky part...you've got to let your target audience know what's available. And, if you're sending out your own holiday cards, you've got to mail them!  (Sorry, it's hard to avoid a little sarcasm when some of you procrastinate like this!)  Seriously, a project like this won't do any good if you procrastinate through the key benchmarks and miss the opportunity!

​Best of all, you've got a whole team at Marathon to help with personal cards and client cards. NOW is the time to be putting your plans together...but you snooze, you lose! Your own extended marketing department is just a phone call away.

Happiness is not something you postpone for the future;
it is something you design for the present.
Jim Rohn

by Skip Cohen

If you've followed me for even a short time, you already know Sundays are rarely about business. It's my time to jump the tracks and see where I land. As I sat down this morning, I had no idea what I wanted to write about, so I started going through Lou Mitchell's book, Mastering Positive Thinking. The quote above came up, and it's perfect.

The world is upside down, and it's so easy to let the negative noise into our lives. After all, it's knocking at the door 24/7! Yet, most of the time, we manage to stay focused on the simplicity of being happy...smiling more and bitching less.

Lou Mitchell went on to write:

...Often, we fall into the trap of believing that happiness is something to be achieved later, once we've met certain goals or conditions. However, true happiness comes from appreciating and designing our lives now, making conscious choices that bring joy and fulfillment today. By focusing on enjoying the process rather than the outcome, we find daily joy and satisfaction.

Sheila and I start the day around 6:30 am, with two pups allowed up on the bed on either side of us. We finish the day watching something that makes us laugh - usually a stand-up comic from Netflix. During the day, we watch out for each other when a storm starts to brew. We're not perfect, and we don't catch everything, but our goals are in sync - to be there for each other. The older you get, the more you realize the value of not wasting time on things that don't matter.

And there's my point this Sunday morning...stop waiting for happiness to show up like a delayed DoorDash delivery. Happiness is an inside job, but it takes work to turn the volume up loud enough to drown out everything else.

Wishing everybody a great day ahead with plenty of time to laugh...or at the very least ignore the craziness of the outside world. You don't need to wait for happiness when you design your life with components like gratitude, a touch of spirituality, humor, a pinch of sarcasm and things that makes your heart soar.

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

by Skip Cohen

Recently, a less-than-enthusiastic bonehead from my past couldn't understand why I'm still doing this blog, not to mention continuing to work. So, maybe this last Friday in September, I should bring more of you up to date on why I love writing this blog...and hope it helps you build a stronger business.

First, you have to understand my mantra: I do it because I can. I can because I want to. I want to because you said I couldn't. Although I didn't hear this quote until after I left WPPI in 2009, it still fits my attitude toward projects I like to take on.

Second, although I know more than I let on, I'm not a working photographer. I've worked alongside some of the very best, and learned so much. However, my passion has always been on the marketing side. I've done my best to follow one of my wife's favorite quotes: to thine own self be true.

Third, years ago over lunch, Sarah Petty and I got into a fun discussion over the percentage of photographers who are simply bad business people. Most of you are right-brain creative types, which explains why you often disregard the operational side of your business.

Fourth, I love imaging. Over the years I've been criticized for being too much of an industry cheerleader, but my passion for a business based on the craft couldn't be more sincere. For years I had lived vicariously through so many of you. When I left Rangefiner/WPPI in 2009 to start my own company, I wanted to see if I had learned enough in all those years working for other companies.

Well, here I am 17 years later, still loving the marketing side of business and writing about it. While technology keeps changing with SEO, AI, and one's ability to expand their reach, the foundation of success is still built on the basics - especially relationship building.

Last but not least, I don't play golf! I'm simply not ready to retire. Although I've slowed down and definitely take more time for friends and family, primarily focused on Sheila and the two pups, Lucy and Belle, I'll continue to share whatever I can to help you run a better business and, yeah, have more fun in the process!

"Fun" - it's a word that for far too many of you is buried beneath the baggage of stress in running your business. You don't have to be over-joyed at everything you work on, but if you're not happy with what you're doing then it's time for a change. As I've written so many times, you can't create images that tug at people's heartstrings if you're own heart isn't in it!  For me it's pretty simple: As long as I'm still waking up every morning smiling about the day ahead, I'm not walking away from my keyboard.

Wishing everybody a terrific weekend ahead and time to focus on whatever or whoever is your passion. 

by Skip Cohen

It's Throwback Thursday, my favorite day of the week, not just because of the old photographs I find, but the backstories and memories that go with them.

My first trip to Japan was in my Polaroid days in 1981 as the overseas Consumer Services Manager. Over the next couple of years, I was in Tokyo at least twice a year. I loved it so much that I bought Japanese-language CDs to listen to on the way to and from work. I was hoping to apply for an overseas assignment, but by the time I might have had a shot, the dollar vs. the yen had changed. Japan was too expensive to maintain an office, and the division consolidated a few of the Asia/Pacific offices, closing the one in Tokyo.

Twenty years later, I'd be back as a guest of Asukabook. "Taka" and I first met when he attended WPPI, later to become an exhibitor. It started a friendship I cherish today, and we've continued to stay in touch. Still on my bucket list is getting back to Japan, but as I get older and travel becomes more and more challenging, it's unlikely this trip will become a reality.

I think the time machine is set for 2003. The picture on the left is me with Taka and a woman from his office who was our interpreter. Taka spoke almost no English, and the Japanese I had tried to learn two decades earlier was long gone. However, that never slowed down the friendship.

The picture on the right is only appreciated by true sushi lovers. It's Taka's expression while eating uni (sea urchin)...it's so good that words can't describe the "taste of the ocean." If you've had uni and loved it, then you understand Taka's reaction.

This is where grab-shots like these become so important in a walk down Memory Lane. It might be 20+ years ago, but that doesn't change the memories of each time we got together, whether he was traveling in the States or I was in Japan.

Over the years, Taka learned English, and we email back and forth several times a year. Sadly, I didn't stay with learning the language, but that's never slowed us down.

It's Throwback Thursday!!! If you haven't gone off in search of your own throwbacks today, what are you waiting for? Old photographs serve two purposes- the first is the power they have to transport you back to another time.  The second is the appreciation they give you for capturing memories, and that's the business so many of us are in.

As I shared in a quote from yesterday's post...

by Skip Cohen

It's Hump Day, and I decided to keep it light, but so relevant to the business of imaging.

Many years ago, PPA launched a campaign focused on the value of photographs. I loved the campaign because it reminded not only the consumers but the artists themselves of the value of imaging.

I recognize my approach to looking at my older photographs is more in line with what a consumer would do than a professional. Still, the image above is a snapshot of one small section of my active library on my computer. My complete library is a tapestry of my life for the last 14 years. It's not everything I photographed. It's mostly the grab-shots, which tell the best stories. Events or specific project work are on other drives, but this is the fun stuff.

Why share this in a blog post? Because we take so much for granted, especially the value of imaging. From shots with our phones to full SLRs and even point-and-shoots, each of us is a journalist, no matter what our primary profession might be. But the real fun is in the backstories. I can pull any single image, and like a time traveler, I'm instantly transported to another time and place.

As we head into fourth-quarter seasonality in imaging, the message your target audience needs to remember is in the quote above. Remind your community that your expertise/skill set is their key to helping them preserve memories and stop time this holiday season!

And if you're looking for some other good quotes to add to your sales pitch, Google AI went on to share a few celebrity quotes worth sharing:

Wishing everybody a terrific Hump Day! If at any time you're in doubt of your value as a photographer, just go back to your files and take a stroll down Memory Lane. What will strike you the most are the moments you've captured combined with the people whose hearts you've touched...including your own!

Happy Hump Day!

​by Skip Cohen

The start of the fourth quarter is right around the corner.  If nothing else, seeing school buses on the road again should remind every photographer that fall/holiday seasonality is about to take off.

From obvious holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Chanukah to events like homecoming, the changing seasons, holiday parties, and community fundraisers, opportunities are everywhere to build your business. But so many of you will watch the clock and the calendar with a mañana attitude--"No big deal, I've got plenty of time!"

Everyone should have their own check-off list, but here are seven ideas to make sure they're on your list, starting with the most basic!

1. What are you planning for the last quarter of the year?
2. Are there other vendors you can partner with to reduce costs?
3. Have you called your lab to look into new products you could offer?
4. How are you going to get the word out to your target audience?
5. Have you made a list of all the local events that typically happen in the Fall and into the December holidays?
6. What are you doing for your own holiday card this year? NO PHOTOGRAPHER SHOULD EVER SEND OUT A STORE-BOUGHT CARD! Use one of your own photographs.
7. Have you made a timeline of actions to promote your business? In other words - what's the timing of each step in the process, and what's the date for your goal to announce and launch whatever promotion you've designed?

​
No one blog post can cover everything. I've got one goal today - to get more of you thinking about what you can do to create a solid finish for 2026. It's right around the corner, but there's still time to build some excitement in your community.

I hate the expression, but it's true. You snooze, and you lose.

"Seize the moments of happiness, love and be loved!
​That is the only reality in the world, all else is folly.
It is the one thing we are interested in here."
Leo Tostoy

by Skip Cohen

It's been almost 10 years since I started writing Sunday Morning Reflections. Time definitely flies when you're having a good time...but I'm not having as good a time as I used to. I don't want this post to become a rant or a whining session, but I'm tired of all the garbage in my email, on social media, and much of the time even in the news. It's gotten to be so bad that we can fast-forward through a news broadcast in about eleven minutes.
​
I wasn't going to do a Reflections post, but ten years ago I wrote the first one, and it was therapeutic. Stepping away from business and getting more personal felt good. As I scrolled through my past posts wanting to write today, I found the quote above, and it was perfect.

Today, I'm pulling up the drawbridge around our bubble. None of the bullshit from outside is getting in, beyond my comments here. We're going to ignore the negators trying to squeeze their way into our lives. We're especially shutting out the boneheads who believe food prices are coming down; the price of gas will drop after the midterms; Canadians are our enemy; most of Congress cares about us more than their own bank accounts; and Mitch McConnell has a shot at winning Dancing With the Stars!

Wishing you a day ahead filled with peace, laughter, and time with the people you care most about, even if it's only on Facebook, Skype, or a phone call. Make time for the people you love the most. Go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I started to write about almost a decade ago - and if you need to, make them longer.

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

​And remember:

by Skip Cohen
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Several years ago, a five-foot-high Ceroid Cactus in my neighbor's backyard was knocked over during a hurricane. We knew nothing about growing a cactus, but decided to cut off the rotted ends and stick it in a pot. For at least three years it's just stood there. The main stalk didn't grow but it sprouted two arms.

Last year it bloomed, but only one flower and for just a single day. A few months later it bloomed again, with three flowers, and I almost missed them. I was determined to get a couple of photographs before the flowers' short life expectancy took over.  I did a little research, and learned that it blooms at night and just for a day or two.

It's a fun example to make the point about "KYC" - Know Your Customer. 

Here's my point: Over the years, I've heard a lot of stories, usually in the bridal arena, from couples who were unhappy with some aspect of their wedding coverage. Often, it was because the photographer didn't match the couple's mindset. Here are a few easy reminders:

1. Know Your Subject: Had I done a little research on the cactus, I'd have known not to wait a day to get the best photographs. Similarly, when meeting a potential new bride, Bambi Cantrell will ask, "Who made your gown?" Depending on the gown maker, she knows right away what style of photographs they want. The question also gives her an idea of how much they might be interested in spending.
2. Listen More Than You Talk: Kirk Voclain talks about some of his best senior shots. He gets his subject talking about school, their friends, and future aspirations. During that conversation, he listens and waits for the decisive moment, when they're most enthusiastic, to click the shutter.
3. Be Supportive: Joe Buissink talks a lot about the importance of the engagement session. Why? Because it's the first step in building the relationship. When he shows up on the day of the wedding, he's already considered a friend, and it's a key ingredient in getting those natural expressions.
4. Pay Attention to Who's Picking Up the Tab: While many of you want to please the bride and groom, remember to match your skill set with "Mom's" wishes too. A younger bride is more likely to be more casual in posing, for example, while the mother of the bride might want a very traditional and conservative bridal shot.
5. On Time Means Being Early: Pay attention to when and where everything is scheduled. There's nothing worse than a photographer who's running late!

Okay, so I've taken some liberties to make a point thanks to one six-foot cactus I knew nothing about...but here's the most important part - have fun! "Fun" is a word too often lost in business today. It's a critical part of being a professional photographer. You can't capture images that grab at people's heartstrings if your own heart isn't in it.

Remember that your best marketing tool is relationship building. Nothing will help you more than making it a point to know your customer, and letting them know you.

Meanwhile, for the first time in all these years, our cactus has six flowers. We've got this odd patio off my home office, which during the summer is too hot to spend any time on. It has no breeze and is enclosed on four sides. So the cactus has it's own private residence! 

Three flowers bloomed yesterday (see below) then they closed and they'll all open up tonight. By this time tomorrow, they'll be turning black and then gone. For those of you who who live out west or in the south, keep in mind this kid grew up in Ohio and never had a cactus bloom beyond a small one in a desktop planter!

Wishing everybody a terrific weekend ahead!

This is what I like about photographs. They're proof that once,
even if just for a heartbeat, everything was perfect.
Jodi Picoult

,by Skip Cohen

Years ago, I said I'd stop using the Jodi Picoult quote above, but honestly, I've never found one better. The shot above is a perfect example. The woman on the left was my mother-in-law, and the woman on the right was my mother. Cantrell Portrait Design captured the image at my son's wedding in 1998, and it's priceless!

"Ma," on the left, was fighting bone cancer and was so excited to live long enough to make her grandson's wedding. She passed away two years later, but nothing was going to keep her from the celebration. My mother, on the right, passed away in 2013 after eight years of fighting Alzheimer's. Just like my mother-in-law at the time, the joy at being at her grandson's wedding was immeasurable.

But here's my point - as photographers, you're magicians. You stop time and turn intangible memories into photographs people can hold and cherish forever. That comes with a serious responsibility: always do your very best and capture the moments your clients might miss.

And there's a secondary point - take the time to hunt for those old photographs, wherever they might be stashed. I've made Throwback Thursday my day to wander through my files looking for an image I haven't shared before. I have to admit that after all these years of weekly throwback posts, it's getting harder and harder, but that doesn't change how much joy those old photographs bring.

So, have you gone off on your own hunt today?

​Happy Throwback Thursday!

by Skip Cohen

Three years ago I started the Hump Day series. It was meant to be short and focused on making a single point in the middle of the week. Well, seeing Michael J. Fox on the Emmys this week brought me back to one of my favorite quotes above.

One of my first Hump Day posts was about perfection, and it's time to bring it back.

After making a big change in their life, we've all heard people comment, "I wish I had done it years ago!" Change doesn't come easy for most of us, and big changes are always slow, depending on the risk involved. In business, especially, there's a lot to consider.

But the challenge so many of us have is finally taking that leap of faith to make a change. Whether it's big or small, we procrastinate too much through the process. The point is, we're looking for perfection - exactly the right change, the only piece of the success-puzzle that seems to fit.

Another favorite quote is from Zig Ziglar:
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If you wait for all the lights to turn green, you'll never start your journey!

There's my point - stop chasing perfection, but focus on progress. Don't slow down on continuing to set high goals. Whether it's running your business, working with clients, raising the bar on your skill set, or simply recognizing what it takes to make you smile every day,  all you can do is your best. And if something or someone is slowing you down, then just like a garden - it might be time to do a little pruning!

Happy Hump Day!

Intro by Skip Cohen

Ever had a friendship with somebody that's just plain comfortable? You don't catch up very often, but when you do, it's always a fun conversation and always leaves you appreciating the friendship. Well, meet Sean Rogan. Actually, many of you have already met him, going back to his SmugMug days.

Sean posted the article below on his LinkedIn page and asked my thoughts. I agree completely with what he shared, and asked him for permission to share it again here on the SCU blog. If you'd like to comment directly to Sean as well as the original post, just click on the picture above or connect to his LinkedIn account by the hitting the bar below.

And to Sean - we may not catch up very often, but Buddy, what a kick when we do. Thanks for staying in touch.