by Skip Cohen
I get a great little publication called The Week. In the "Best Columns: The U.S." section from a back issue is a summary of an article by Ashley Merryman from the New York Times, entitled, "Giving Every Kid a Trophy". Ashley wrote, "Losing is good for you," But as your children return to school and fall sports, they are stepping back into a fantasy land where everybody is a winner and everybody gets a trophy....telling them that everything they do is wonderful does not inspire children to succeed. It undermines their motivation to compete and strive for excellence, breeds narcissism, and leaves them unprepared for life's inevitable failures...to raise successful kids, we need fewer trophies and more losing." It's only a little stretch to connect this to the need for so many photographers to grow a thicker skin when posting images for critique on any of the various sites, including your own Facebook page. Every image you create is not going to be appreciated the same way. Our entire industry is a melting pot of opinions, tastes and style. If you share an image with the public then you've got to prepare yourself for criticism. I've seen images score a perfect 100 in competition and still be criticized. It's simply the nature of the beast. So, here's the point and I've written it easily a half dozen times over the last few years...Remember that beauty is in the eyes of the checkbook holder! It doesn't matter what people think if your client was happy. However, take people's comments enough to heart to consider those who are giving you some good constructive criticism. They just might have a point to help you make your work stronger. Last on the list - don't post if you can't handle the criticism and remember, "every kid can't win a trophy!" Photo Credit: © chones - Fotolia.com
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by Skip Cohen This is more for you newbies out there than the seasoned veterans, but last week at this time I was packing up to leave NYC after the PPE show. Catching up to old friends at the show has put me in a reflective mood all week long and it's a great feeling. The longer you're in this industry, the more links you have to other photographers. It's like playing the six degrees of separation game with Kevin Bacon, only the common denominator is any industry icon, a workshop, convention or trade show. Put any two people from the photographic industry together who have at least five years or more as photographers and you'll eventually find a connection. This is an amazing industry, bringing us together through the mutual love we all share for the craft! I've written a few times about my home being like a gallery, with prints from dozens of different photographers hanging on the walls spanning my career which, at least on the professional side, started at Hasselblad in 1987. There are two prints from Dave Ashby, who Sheila had never met and I haven't seen in years. PPE gave us a chance to catch up. I also caught up to Liz Huston in the Tamron booth. Bob Coates and I did a broadcast with Frederick Van Johnson. Frederick and I go back at least a couple of careers and Bob and I have been hanging out for years, but this was his first time at the NY show. I caught Gregory Heisler over at Amphoto and saw his new book. We caught John Paul Caponigro on his way to a meeting and walked into Javits one morning with Joe McNally. The list goes on and on, as each trade show/convention reminds me how lucky I am to be in an industry I love. So, all you newbies - get to every program you possibly can. Build your network. Give more than you take and listen more than you talk. Then, in just a few short years, sit back and enjoy the friendships you've worked hard to build. There are so few industries that offer the kinds of relationships we're so lucky to have in photography. What a kick! Make it a great weekend and cherish the time with family and friends! A post with a few random thoughts deserves an equally random photograph, but here's the fun of this one. I've been playing with Panasonic's LUMIX GH3 and I'm blown away by what the camera can do in low light, along with a dozen other features. This was taken at the New England Aquarium through the glass on available light with the 12-35mm F2.8 lens.
by Skip Cohen
You focus your camera thousands of times every week, but how about having a day when you just can't seem to focus your thoughts? That's where I am this morning and the points are a little random. I found an old post recently where I was talking about the challenges that come with trying to be upbeat all the time. Well, it takes twice as many muscles to be miserable and frown than it does to smile. So you might as well just smile more. Plus, instead of asking people how they are and hearing about all their aches and pains, tell them they look great and the response will always be more positive. And for those of you who keep complaining about business being bad - take a break. Then, do what so many photographers who are surviving today do, think about how to re-invent yourself. Listen to what your customers are telling you - you can't create images that tug at people's hearts if your heart isn't in it yourself. My favorite tip on looking at your market comes from good buddy Terry Clark, near Pittsburgh. "The best thing to do to survive and thrive is find what everyone else isn’t doing and do that thing.” And if you can't get yourself out of the rut, instead of pulling back, maybe it's time to spend a little more on advertising, promotion and networking...maybe it's time to invest more time...maybe you need to hang out with other photographers dealing with the same challenges, like IUSA in January, THRIVE starting in December or WPPI in March. The biggest thing is to not give up and that means I get to, once again, share one of my most favorite quotes: "Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touch down." Ross Perot Wishing everybody a terrific weekend! |
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