by Skip Cohen
I've done a few different versions of this topic over the years, but after this week's WPPI show it's obvious that I need to find a way to get more people to read it! At every major convention everyone meets more people. It's a time when you simply add more layers to your network. It's a time to add more depth and bring people into your network to complement your short suits. Each new person is a potential new friendship and you'll be surprised over the years ahead how important some of these people will become, but as these friendships grow, it's important to build them on a solid foundation of great communication and truth. Do your best to build these new friendships by staying away from the rumor mill, AKA the "grapevine". Seriously, is there anybody who hasn't heard, “Please don’t share this with anybody, but…?” That comment is usually followed by everything from pure gossip to serious heads-up stories about something related to the industry, their personal lives, business etc. You can’t stop people from sharing unsubstantiated stories with you, but you can prevent feeding the rumor mill. At any convention the rumor mill is running at maximum speed and sadly efficiency, but there's a difference between efficiency and accuracy. That means I'm suggesting everybody follow my buddy, Levi Sim's, classic one liner: "Always act as if your grandmother was watching you!" Here's the first rule: If you don’t want people to know something then don’t tell anybody! With social media, everybody has the potential to influence thousands of people. Just be responsible and don't spread rumors that are unsubstantiated. For the second rule, let's talk about making sure you know who you're talking to. If you are going to share something that’s confidential or maybe you just don’t want anybody to know you’re the source, then be careful who you choose to bring under the cone of silence! (Maxwell Smart was just ahead of his time.) We're really a very small industry. When you're a new photographer or new to a major convention, you don't realize how many of us have worked together. I was at Hasselblad when I first met Dan Steinhardt and Mike Gurley who are at Epson and Canon, respectively. They were both at Kodak. Darin Pepple at Panasonic I met when he was at FujiFilm. I met Rocky Bowles from SmugMug when she was with Kodak and I was in my early days at Rangefinder. Now scale all of this up by a factor of a thousand and you've got the same scenario repeated all over the industry. Just remember, you never know when you’re talking about somebody or something and there's really another company who’s listening by proxy. So many of us share the same friendships and even the same legacy of companies in our history and we all try and watch each others backs! The third rule I've written a lot about: If it’s really confidential, but you need to share the information, have people sign a non-disclosure statement. Use Google and you’ll find dozens of examples free on line. This is an extreme case, but if it’s something critical to your business and you need the input of another party, a non-disclosure statement puts the right perspective on the information and stresses its importance. And the last rule…Be quiet and don’t share information that isn’t appropriate to pass on. Work to maintain trust with your clients, your associates and your friends. “In almost every profession - whether it's law or journalism, finance or medicine or academia or running a small business - people rely on confidential communications to do their jobs. We count on the space of trust that confidentiality provides. When someone breaches that trust, we are all worse off for it.” Hillary Clinton Photo Credit: © Darklord_71 | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images
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by Skip Cohen
Trends in style, culture, new products change all the time. Hem lines go up and down, last year's fall colors from the fashion world are different than the year before and the list goes on and on. Well, photography is no different, especially in the wedding arena. Brides are influenced by the media. They're influenced by the look of images they see in magazines, in movies and on television, especially in advertising. A good example would be how popular black and white photography has become over the last ten years. As part of the wedding industry we can think we had something to do with the trend, but the truth is it's come out of the media brides have been exposed to. And who's driving the media - how about all our friends on the commercial side of imaging? How about the art directors and product managers at all the companies whose products we purchase? So, if you're looking for a great way to stay on top of the trends and stay in touch with what's hot and what's not - sit down every Monday morning and visit Workbook.com. In fact, I referenced the site in a post just a few weeks ago. Today, you've literally got the world at your finger-tips. One trip through a few pages of a source like this and you'll see hundreds of images and different styles of portraits, fashion, product shots etc. I'm not suggesting you copy anybody's work, but you've got to stay on top of the trends. Maybe looking at the way a commercial food photographer handled the lighting on a salad and a glass of wine will give you a new idea on how to photograph the wedding cake or the champagne glasses at the next wedding! Check out commercial portraiture and see how your own work stacks up. Check out landscape and architectural work just to get ideas on the composition and lighting as it might apply to the scene setters you need to capture for your next wedding. You'll find an unbelievable wealth of images from photographers all over the world and thanks to the Internet they're literally on your doorstep! by Scott Bourne
I found this post in my good buddy Scott Bourne's archives and as we head into Spring seasonality, it's just such a relevant topic. NOBODY can tell the story better than a photographer. You're the ultimate storyteller and how creative you are in telling the story, while meeting the mindset of your clients, will be the benchmark for demonstrating your passion for the craft and at the same time bring out the passion of your clients. Skip Cohen I keep writing about this because it’s important. I also keep getting asked about it because it’s hard for some people. Storytelling with a camera is – in my opinion – the highest form of photographic art. But again, it’s hard. Here are some ideas that might help you tell more stories with your camera. 1. Start with a question. Any question. When you decide what you want to photograph, ask a question about where the story and accordingly the photo will go. Will it surprise the viewer? Will it make them sad, or mad? Will it alarm them? Ask these sorts of questions. This will help to focus your efforts more quickly – pun intended. 2. Set a mood. Think about cheery, or sad, or happy or mad. Think in terms of mood. From the background, to the subject to the props, to the colors and exposure, set a mood with your photographs that helps the viewer understand what the story is all about. 3. Writers use metaphors to help give context to their stories. Photographers can use visual metaphors to accomplish the same thing. An elderly woman’s hands knitting a patriotic flag or blanket can be a metaphor for love of country or hard work or – well you get the point. 4. Set and shoot the scene and then revise. Don’t just capture the images you want from one angle – one point of view. Move around. Change it up. Revise, refine and reshoot. Make sure you have all the story’s angles covered. 5. Photograph things that help you establish what you really believe in. The more passionate and knowledgable you are about your subject, the more likely you are to be able to tell a story with your camera. Anything worth doing is worth doing well. If you’re still struggling with storytelling via photography try these tips and keep at it. It’s worth the struggle because the images you make will matter. Yesterday we launched the first program under the SCU umbrella, "Thrive." It kicked off with a terrific group of people, but here's what makes them "terrific". It's about optimism and being hungry to learn. It's about that old Zig Ziglar line that your attitude determines your altitude...NOT your aptitude. This group is flying at 50,000 feet! They're all about optimism.
In 2009, after seven years as President of Rangefinder Publishing, which included WPPI, it was simply time for me to move on. The issues that made the timing what it was are unimportant. What is important is why I felt the timing was so good. Yeah, I said that – in the worst economy in all of our lifetimes, it was the perfect time to start a new business. SCU is another project that too many people have suggested is as badly timed as starting a new business almost four years ago. You name it, I've heard how our industry doesn't need another education venue and while most of the negative comments seem to always trace back to somebody connected to WPPI, it's that old standard of too many people out there who are just afraid of change. Everybody gets to have their dreams, including me. I've watched so many different programs come and go over the years when it comes to education in photography. Obviously they're not all working, otherwise we wouldn't be seeing the amazing interest in the site and the support we are on posts, podcasts and videos. We're an industry of small businesses who have been dealing with the economy, changes in consumer trends and technology and caught in the perfect storm over the last few years. So, here’s where you have to look for the optimism and this isn’t a private party. First, too many people are afraid of what’s going to happen next. They’re paralyzed by the economy and the stories put out by the media. Often their own situation and drop in business, loss of jobs etc. has added to the paralysis. But, here's where the real opportunities come into play. If you can be creative, what a great time in history to stand out. It's a perfect time to advertise and promote your business and your skill set! It's a time to take a few risks on new ideas, new technologies and new ways to promote your business. Last year, in one of the toughest cities in America, Detroit, Angela Carson had one of her best years ever. Bruce Dorn, who just joined the SCU faculty, has branched out into an amazing journey into video. Clay Blackmore, at SCU yesterday took us through a long list of techniques creating stunning images in the garage! And the list goes on and on with people carving out new niches and building their business because of their optimism and passion. Imaging in America is actually pretty solid. Business is out there, it's just harder to find it, but the potential is there. The top three photographic specialties in which a consumer is most likely to hire a professional photographer are still "Brides, Babies and Pets", in that order. This came out of a Kodak study years ago and nothing has changed. Am I optimistic? Damn right! The opportunities are all around us, but you’ve got to look hard – this is a Who Moved My Cheese kind of year...but on steroids. And as far as the SCU project and my critics, sorry gang, we ain't slowin' down! I couldn't be more proud of the incredible friends and companies who are working hard to help build something new and more personal in education along with my readers and a new group of old and new friends who joined us for this first program. "I do it because I can. I can because I want to. I want to because you said I couldnt!" Let's add one more to my favorite quote and it's dedicated to so many people who are part of this, "We do it because it's needed!" by Skip Cohen
Not sure what's brought it on, but I'm feeling reflective today, Having hiked all over Sedona these last few days, maybe all that stuff about the power of a vortex is true. One thing I know for sure is Sedona is an amazingly beautiful place. The good news about reading a blog like mine is that if I get too reflective for you, you've got the option to walk away and do something else. But, before you do...give me four more paragraphs. I've spent the last six weeks working to launch this new site and blog. I've written about different aspects of your business, from marketing to customer service to the importance of quality in the final image - but what about the quality of your life? What about time for your family, friends and just doing the things you love to do most? The biggest problem today seems that we've all gotten so caught up in the day in day out challenges that we don't know how to just kick back and relax. I'm the worst one to pitch the concept, because it's only recently I've learned it for myself. It's also recently that I've spent hours working on a dream of mine, SCU. But, even though I don't always practice what I preach, here's what I've learned. First, I'm the only one who can set my priorities. For those of you who know me personally, I couldn't be more Type-A and just staying mellow is not an easy thing to do. Second, I've found I really have to concentrate on shutting off business. If you love what you do too much, your work becomes your life and in the end you actually don't have a life! It's ironic and trite sounding, but that's the way it works. Third, think about everything that you could categorize as a passion. Now take all those passions and the ones at the top of the list are the ones that make you smile the most! Just like a vitamin every morning - you need that smile ingredient! In future posts, along with the help of a whole bunch of good friends, we're going to share all the ingredients to help you set the priorities, learn how to shut off business and focus on developing your passions. I may not always have the answers, but I hang out with a whole bunch of people who do! by Skip Cohen Over the next few days many of you will be headed to WPPI and if not, you've got state and regional conventions still coming up. All along the way you're going to have a chance to attend workshops and programs designed to help you raise the bar on your skill set. The quality of your work is the most important ingredient to your success. Marketing is important, but remember: Anybody can get their first customer. The key is to get your second, third and fourth and have that first customer come back because they loved your work. Being a great photographer carries with it an incredible responsibility to your clients. Lisa Jane, one of the country's leading children's photographers was speaking at a workshop I was attending many years ago. She told a story about a portrait she did of her best friend and his little boy fishing in her studio pond. A day or two after the shoot, they were both killed in a tragic car accident. The last photograph ever taken of this father and son was taken by Lisa. She printed a 16x20, matted and framed it to personally deliver to her friend's mother. Boarding the plane to fly to the funeral, the flight attendant would not allow Lisa to bring the print on board, since it was too big to fit in the overhead and violated FAA regulations. The pilot, over-hearing the entire story, took the print from Lisa and said, "I thought I had an important job flying all these people around, but my job is nothing in comparison to the importance of yours!" He took the print and put it behind his own seat in the cockpit. I've never forgotten that story. That was at least ten years ago and there wasn't a dry eye in the room when Lisa finished. All she wanted to do was make one point...NEVER compromise on the quality of your images. I know we're living in the digital age. We're all into shortcuts, compromises to get things done quicker. We're into instant fulfillment and too often driven by the I-want-it-now generation. So today's blog is a simple reminder for all of us...slow it down guys...don't compromise on the quality of your images, your hardware, your software or your marketing efforts. Lisa said it best, "Never compromise on the quality and effort you put into every image. You never know how important it might become later on." A quick sidebar... This was posted yesterday and last night I received an email from Lisa New that brings home the point even more.
"I think everyone needs to be reminded of this. I still talk to my friend's mom, and she said the portrait of them is what still gets her through. The day we had scheduled to shoot was raining he said," we can just take something inside", I said, no we can reschedule, this is your mom's Christmas present, not a good thing to compromise on!" by Skip Cohen Sometimes writing a blog is like being with a bunch of friends when somebody tells the first joke. That joke sparks another from somebody else and before you know it you've got a front row seat to a joke-a-thon. I've written a few blog posts referencing building trust with your clients. Matthew Jordan Smith talked about in a recent podcast as well. Great images and natural expressions are all about the relationship you have with your subjects. They're about building a level of trust and nothing does a better job of starting the process than a good engagement shoot. If you're not offering and encouraging an engagement shoot with every wedding package, you're missing a multitude of opportunities. You've heard it over and over again, "A wedding is not a time when logic reigns as king!" If you've only photographed one wedding in your life, you know how true that statement really is. Nothing is logical and the most insignificant issues can snow ball and wind up requiring a level of diplomacy that would stagger a UN diplomat! The photographer, who's built a relationship with the client, can easily become the neutral party and bring peace and logic to the stress and tension of these situations just by being there. The engagement session is your opportunity to start building that trust. To begin with, you're essentially shooting for the fun of it. You're interacting with the couple and getting to know them and they you. Make it a point to ask questions that bring out their personalities. "So how did you two meet?" or "What's the silliest thing she's ever done?" The stories you'll hear will get them to relax. As they get more comfortable, you'll get more natural expressions. As the session continues you'll see the start of a growing comfort level between your client and you. If building trust is the first step, then capturing emotion is second. Capturing emotion has become a signature of Joe Buissink's work. "Bring memories to the surface. If you can do that, you'll get nothing but emotion. Ask, "What did he say to you that first time?" and within seconds, the bride might start crying." The other purpose to the engagement shoot is to learn how your clients see the world. Pay attention to how they position themselves and the personalities of the couple. This is also an ideal time to photograph each of them individually. Everybody always talks about bridals, but so often they forget the "groomals". The engagement session, in a relaxed environment for the day, can warm up the most serious of grooms. And don't forget, grooms have family too. There isn't a mom on the planet who doesn't complain about not having any pictures of her son! Because of the time you've spent in advance with the bride and groom, when the wedding finally does come around you're going to be perceived as a member of the family, even a trusted friend. All the barriers, most photographers have to deal with when working with a client for the first time, disappeared months earlier at the engagement session. "I recently shot the wedding of a bride I had also photographed seven years earlier. This was her second wedding and when the bride saw me, she was so happy that she gave me a big hug. She and her father reminded me that I needed to be there for the next wedding in the family - that of the bride's sister." Joe Buissink from Wedding Photography From The Heart. Last but not least, are all the applications for the use of engagement images. Most often the purpose is strictly an engagement announcement, but I've seen them used for stationery, thank you notes and family gifts, just to name a few. Individual images, especially with the groom, who often never thought he would even like any of the photographs, become cherished photographs for his family as well as himself. The engagement session could well be the very most important step in establishing a relationship with a wedding client. In order to get the most out of it, you've got to be willing to put in the time, but more importantly your personality. Being a successful professional photographer, in any genre, is all about exceeding client expectations and making yourself habit-forming! Do it right and the amount of repeat business you could potentially get is astounding - do it wrong and you'll need to leave town! by Skip Cohen
We're two thirds of the way through what's typically known as the slow season in professional photography. During this time a lot of you are trying to figure out what new gear you need. I know many of you have decided this isn't the year to make any major purchases. That's a serious and legitimate concern, but is it always logical? As a professional photographer, and especially now, when so many people are pulling back, you have an opportunity to really stand out. I'm not trying to minimize how serious the economic challenges are today, but bad economies create new opportunities. So many of you are simply too close to your own business and talent to recognize this might be the ideal time to spend a little, rather than hold back. And, if new equipment is going to give your portfolio and your website galleries a distinctive stronger look, are you making the right decision? First, you don't have to use your money! How about using a leasing company? There are so many benefits to leasing, of which the biggest one right now, is simply utilizing somebody else's assets instead of depleting yours! You're worried about your cash flow, but let's assume you need a few new lenses to upgrade the quality of your images. Leasing provides the perfect solution and the timing is right. Before you head off to any of the first quarter shows and conventions, get your credit line for leasing approved in advance. This way, when walking the trade show, you'll know exactly how much you're already approved for and how it matches up with whatever new gear you need. Shopping sure is a lot more fun when there's something in your wallet! Looking for a leasing company, just Google "leasing companies" and you'll find a bunch of them. However, the best direction is to talk to your local retailer. Some of the manufacturers offer their own leasing programs and nobody knows better than your local camera store. They'll also be the one to know the latest and greatest financing programs available. Next on the list - are you taking the maximum depreciation allowable by law? In my previous life at Hasselblad, I used to be blown away by people who told me they were still using their original camera purchased 20-30 years earlier. It was great to hear how Hasselblads lasted but it was sad from a business standpoint. They could have rolled over their equipment every 3-5 years, taken the appropriate depreciation on their taxes and utilized the very best in new technology. So the next stop involves talking to your accountant and finding out if you're maximizing all your deductions and taking the appropriate depreciation on your taxes. You might find the real price of that new camera, computer or printer you want just dropped 25% because of your tax situation. Here's another perspective. If there's gear you need that's critical to your business and making your work stand out more, do you really need to buy it or is it offered at rental? Joe Buissink in Wedding Photography from the Heart talked about mistakes he made early in his career. "I never rented anything, which would have been such a great opportunity. I could have rented a lens I wanted to try and built the cost into the package. Then , once I learned how to use it and knew what the return on my investment would be, the timing would have been right for a purchase. I bought a tilt-shift lens that I used only twice...had I just rented it, I could have saved money..." Ever read Who Moved My Cheese? It's a short anecdotal business book about three mice. In short, the one that survives and lives the best life goes out looking for new cheese when the old supply disappears. I've mentioned this previously, but any photographer who's says he/she's having a relatively good year, also finishes with, "But I've never worked so hard in my life!" None of you are afraid of hard work, but if your fear of the economy is holding you back from having the equipment you need to hunt down "new cheese", then, you need to find some other alternatives. If nothing else, it's at least worth looking at some of the alternatives out there to upgrade the quality of your work and the images you're presenting. Photo Credit: © Al_ks | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos It's Sunday morning and I really wasn't going to post anything except a "Weekend Short", but an event last night still has me smiling. A blog is supposed to reveal something personal now and then. If you've followed me for even the shortest amount of time, you already know I rarely hold anything back. So, let's talk about an event that got me thinking about the real definition of success. Let's set the stage just a little...Michele Celentano has been involved in a lot of different projects with me over the last ten years and when launching SCU, there was no way I wasn't going to ask her to be part of this. As I've said a few dozen times, she's proof that hyper-active kids grow up and get jobs! She's got a never-ending passion for the craft, teaching and helping as many people as possible raise the bar on their quality and focus, not just with their camera but with their life. Well, she invited Sheila and I to a book signing party here in Phoenix, which was last night and we were ecstatic to say "yes" when we figured out how to get away with so much going on in our lives. The party was actually hosted by Terri and Craig, close friends from the community and that leads right up to my first new definition of success. Terri, Craig and family photographed by Michele. The evening started with a dinner for 36 in Terri and Craig's back yard followed by a hundred or so friends from the community and there's one definition of success: when people can't wait to tell you how they know somebody! Every person we met last night had somehow been involved with Michele from a business perspective before morphing into a friend. And every friend took the relationship with Michele and her family very seriously. There's that old line about friends who would "give you the shirt of their back"...well, these were friends who would go far beyond that. A lot of them would donate a kidney if Michele needed it. In ten years she's built up a relationship with her community. We heard story after story last night about things Michele had done that often created the launch pad for what would later become an amazing friendship. And it wasn't just about photography...at least half the crowd last night was from the fitness world. It's Michele's favorite past time, staying in shape. Here's another definition of success, finding a way to blend other passions in your life with your career. In fact, the truest definition might be you're a success when you can put in just as much passion to your personal interests as your business. It's about finding balance. Michele moved to Phoenix ten years ago and it was obvious last night that she's followed Scott Bourne's favorite piece of advice, "Own your own zip code!" Only when Scott talks about it, it's from the business perspective not about everyone's heart in the community. This post is going full circle and right back to all of Michele's family, friends, clients and associates. There's nothing any of them wouldn't do for Michele. Last night wasn't just a tribute to a great photographer and her first book, but a tribute to passion, friendship and family and for Shiela and I, we couldn't be more proud to have been included! by Skip Cohen
This past week's over-the-top response to SCU and all the new content got me thinking about the key ingredients that make a photographer successful. It's about quality and passion - not just the no-compromise quality of the work you produce, but the quality of life you live, your interaction with the community around you and the level of integrity you bring to each client and peer relationship. I've received a lot of nice comments about the content and structure of SCU, but in all honesty I have only a little to do with its initial success. The key is the quality of the people involved, the growing list of sponsors and last but certainly not least, each one of you. It's about a group of people believing there's a need for something different and better in education. The real key to any project like this is passion. Everyone involved intensely believes in helping each other and helping other photographers. They have a passion for far more than just photography - their success is about their passion for life and in turn they're putting that same dedication into helping us build something amazing. That first Skip's Summer School in 2009 was in its own way a celebration of friendship and a tribute to quality. Every program since then has repeatedly demonstrated how passion has played a key role in the lives of each instructor, but equally important are the friendships - old ones being reaffirmed and new ones that will continue to grow in the years ahead. I've said it numerous times...the best part of our industry has nothing to do with imaging, but the friendships that come out of everyone's love for the craft! by Skip Cohen
At PhotoShop World a couple of years ago, I overheard a conversation between two young photographers arguing over an image of David Ziser's that was on display in his booth. It was a classic portrait of a bride and they were arguing over which PhotoShop tool he used to drop in the highlight on her hair! I barged into the conversation, knowing full well David's incredible understanding of lighting. I also knew the image was created in the camera, NOT in the computer. The image David created looked almost that good right out of the can! He had used Photoshop to enhance the image, not create it. Now take it one step further - how incredible could your images be if you started with a great shot and then used your expertise in Photoshop to enhance the image, rather than clean it up? I'm a huge fan of getting your skill set as good as it can be as a photographer and then making sure you understand how to give it even more impact with all the creative tools you've got. Every minute you waste at the computer cleaning up your mistakes is a minute you could have been working on other aspects of your business, like your marketing efforts. How much time are you spending at your computer working on images that could have been captured better with the click of the shutter instead of the click of your mouse? |
Our Partners"Why?"Check out "Why?" one of the most popular features on the SCU Blog. It's a very simple concept - one image, one artist and one short sound bite. Each artist shares what makes the image one of their most favorite. We're over 100 artists featured since the project started. Click on the link above and you can scroll through all of the episodes to date.
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