"And Now for Something Completely Different!"

It was a standard line in the old Monty Python series. Now it's time to apply it to some aspect of your day.

by Skip Cohen

Years ago, a good buddy of mine used to finish each program he spoke at with a reminder to save the last frame on every roll of film and just do something completely different.   While film is very definitely not dead for photographers like Elizabeth Etienne, Jonathan Canlas, Elizabeth Messina and Jose Villa, just to name a few, my point this morning has nothing to do with the media on which you capture the image. It's about forcing yourself to change and to experiment.

Most studios are closed on Mondays. That makes it the perfect time to think about the week ahead, your next shoot and doing something different on that last "frame" - only I'm talking about everything from your marketing efforts to your regular routine.

How about setting up lunch with your favorite wedding planner later in the week?  Better yet, how about setting up lunch with somebody you've never had lunch with that might be involved in some aspect of your business?  Or, if you're focused on fine art, how about making it a point to get to that gallery you've wanted to see, maybe talk to the owner or manager? 

What about just getting a cup of coffee and spending half an hour on a site like Workbook.com and seeing what the trends are?  Maybe it's a good day to sketch out your next marketing campaign.  How about getting together with two other photographers and just talking about the business?

I'm suggesting that next Monday, April 8, you do something you've never done before or do something you've been procrastinating about.  It's "What if Monday?" Take an aggressive step into doing something to change your business, or re-enforce a friendship or focus on a new project. The point is to just take that first step.
 
For me, I'm stepping away from the photographic industry completely and I'm working on setting up a meeting with the key staff members at the Sarasota Friendship Centers. I do a podcast with them and want to see if I can help them develop a stronger marketing plan and a move into social media. Who knows, maybe I'll get some ideas to help build stronger business plans for photographers. The point is, I want to step outside photo for a couple of hours.
 
Whether "What if Monday?" has anything directly to do with your business or not makes no difference - use the time to energize and start a trend of doing something different on that last "frame of film".  It's always hardest to get started on doing something new...

"The first step is always the hardest, but it's the only way to reach the second step." Susan Gale.

Or, from my stash of favorite Zig Ziglar quotes,

"If you wait for all the lights to turn green, you'll never get started on your journey."