SkipCohenUniversity
  • Home
  • SCU Blog
  • Our Podcasts
  • About Us

the SCU Blog

Ideas to Help You Sell More Prints by Cheryl Dell'Osso

2/28/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
PictureWhat would it be like if our memories were all on jump drives?
Intro by Skip Cohen

As I've written so many times in the past, the fun of this industry is in the friendships that come out of everyone's love for the craft. Well, meet a very new friend, Cheryl Dell'Osso. Cheryl's the Director of Content Strategy at Zenfolio and the Owner/Photographer at Portraits by Cheryl and Seniors by Cheryl in Raleigh, NC. 

It's Marketing Monday, and with her permission, I'm sharing a post she shared a few months back with tips to help you sell more prints. Selling prints is an integral part of your business. 

My own home is filled with prints. Friends have commented over the years that it's like a gallery.  Expanding one of the points Cheryl makes in this guest post - memories were also never meant to live solely inside your computer! They deserve to be shared and always visible. The one little corner of my office in the grab-shot above is a never-ending reminder of so many beautiful memories.

And to share my most favorite quote about photographs from Jody Picoult:

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

by Cheryl Dell'Osso

Photography is a form of art, and art was never meant to live solely inside a computer screen. Sure, your clients may be excited about getting that perfect profile-pic-worthy shot, but nothing truly brings a photograph to life like framed prints and canvases. 


Having beautiful prints adorning their home’s walls benefits clients by serving as constant reminders of the joy they felt on the day of their shoot, but it can be equally as beneficial for the person behind the lens. Selling photo prints can lead to a huge leap in a photographer’s revenue while simultaneously showing off their skill and professionalism to potential future clients. Plus, photo prints serve as a daily reminder of you and your services, making your clients more likely to head your way for their future photo needs.

So how do you go about selling prints? The sales process should start the moment you come in contact with clients. And if your sales tactics don’t pay off right away, don’t fear. Selling prints often takes time and patience to find the best strategy that works for you. Learning to rely on e-commerce can make this process much smoother, as clients will be able to buy photo prints and related gifts directly from your website without the hassle of going back and forth about orders and pricing. 

Once you have your e-commerce platform set up, here are four strategies you can use to increase your photo print sales. 

Plant seeds before the shoot.

In today’s digital world, chances are most of your clients are coming to you with the expectation of receiving an online gallery of images they can then print at their local drugstore. It’s important to change this expectation the moment you start working with them. 

As clients browse your portfolio, offer them examples of finished, framed photos and other products, and walk them through the benefits of having something tangible to house their memories. Show them the differences between photos that are printed on metal versus canvas so they can start to envision which products may look best in their home. 

Let the quality of your work be your biggest selling factor. Consider ordering photo prints from a local drugstore that you can use for a side-by-side comparison to the products you’re offering. Once clients can physically see and feel the difference in quality, it’ll be hard for them to settle for shiny drugstore prints.
Picture
Present your work.

After the shoot, it’s important to follow up on those initial seeds you planted by helping your client picture how framed prints of their new photos can be used. Photo prints can help tell your client’s story and serve as great personalized home decor. As an added bonus, their photos also make great gifts and greeting cards!

Show your client examples of how your work has been used to liven up the space above a mantle or to create a gallery wall of memories. If you’re photographing families, show them a progression of photos that exhibit a child growing older. 

Visually seeing these milestones might spark an emotional response to picture how their own child’s aging might look and think about why it’s important to capture their child at each stage of life. The bonus of this strategy is that they can easily recreate that progression by booking you for annual portraits!

On your e-commerce site, list finished products of past clients (with their permission) to show real-life examples of what other families, brides and pet owners are doing with their photo prints. You might even consider presenting a few prints from your client’s own shoot to give them something to hang onto.

Create a print selling strategy.

Once you’ve showcased the benefits of photo prints, it’s time to seal the deal. For this, you’ll need to create a selling strategy. 

The best strategy for selling photo prints will differ between photographers based on their niche and specific client base, so it’s important to figure out what approach makes the most sense for your business. 

For some photographers, this might mean building printed products into their overall photo packages so that ordering photo prints is the default. This can be influential for clients because they aren’t being charged extra for “add-ons” (even though the cost is being built into your session pricing). 

Other photographers might offer deals and discounts for buying framed or mounted images on the day of the shoot to build clients’ excitement about seeing the finished photos. This strategy can also create a sense of urgency, which is a strong selling factor regardless of industry.

Another approach could be offering to mail a finished framed or mounted image to a client free of charge so they can see how it will look in their home. Then, add a price tag if they decide to keep it.

Whatever your selling approach, it’s important to market the convenience of your photo print service. Remind clients about their ability to order printed products by sending a follow-up email a few weeks after the delivery of their gallery. Oftentimes, people become busy and simply forget to have their photos printed. An extra nudge could be all it takes to push them over the finish line.
Picture
Find a professional printing source.

Your clients may wonder why it’s beneficial to order their photo prints directly from their photographer instead of printing them at a drugstore. Make the answer about quality and convenience.

By setting up an e-commerce platform on your site that offers multiple types of printed products, you’re creating a seamless process that allows clients to order their prints directly from their digital gallery. This saves them the hassle of having to download the photos they want printed and upload them to another site. It can also save them a trip to the drugstore, since products will be shipped directly to their door.

Convenience should also be a factor on your end, so make sure you find an e-commerce platform that’s also easy for you to use. Look for a service that offers a website builder so you can more easily integrate your store and portfolio. You’ll also want to find an e-commerce service that allows you to set your price, control your markup on products, offer coupon discounts and set gallery expiration dates to increase your early print sales.

Finally, consider partnering with a photo lab to print and deliver your products so that you can focus more on selling. It’s important to find a lab that offers the quality of photo prints you want your clients to receive. If you’re new to selling professional prints, or decide to change labs, it’s also a good idea to review your editing workflow. Uploading photos with the ideal file sizes and color space for your partner lab is key to beautiful prints.

Other factors to look for in a photo lab include fast shipping, a wide range of product offerings and daily customer service availability in case any issues arise with your client’s order. After all, you are ultimately responsible for making sure your clients’ orders meet their expectations and arrive on time.
​
Selling photo prints is a great way to expand your business, revenue and potentially even your client base. Finding the right sales tactics and process might take time and practice, but the payoff is far greater than the patience needed to succeed.
Picture
0 Comments

Kevin Gilligan and Tamron Hit the Beach

11/19/2021

0 Comments

 
Please Note: Update image and information at the bottom of this post!
Picture
See more of Kevin's work with a click on the image above.
PictureClick for more info
by Skip Cohen
​
Kevin Gilligan is no stranger to SCU. As a past Tamron Image Master, artist, writer, and educator, we've shared a lot of great content here at SCU, including his three-part series on how to put together your own exhibition. The bottom line is, he's a good buddy. So when he sent me this image the other day of his daughter, Lana, walking on her board in a California surfing competition, I wanted to share it. (And she won her heat at the time!)

The detail is outstanding, and this is from a screenshot - so, imagine the quality of the original. It's captured with Tamron's SP 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC lens. Tamron is manufacturing some of the finest glass in imaging optics, and there's very little that beats a Dad on the sidelines photographing one of his kids!

Tamron's has some terrific offers going on right now - just click on the banner below.

I got an update from Kevin after I shared the post above. The event was the 2021 Kick Off Classic Surf Competition. Over 200 boys and girls from South Bay High Schools competed in long board and short board. Despite the tough competition she got 1st place!
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Thinking Up - Guest Post by Eddie Tapp

11/16/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Check out more of Eddie's work with a visit to his website. Just click on either of these two images.
Picture
Intro by Skip Cohen

Yesterday I shared the image on the right, captured by my good buddy Eddie Tapp. While the image is outstanding, I wanted to use the post to remind you just as much about Eddie's upcoming program as I did IUSA and the importance of being part of the celebration of a return to normalcy in our industry.

Well, there's much more to Eddie's image, and because he never does anything halfway - here's the guest post that's meant to go with these images.

Eddie's a photographer, artist, writer, educator, and a good friend to so many of us in the industry. And understanding a little about drone photography will help you expand your skillset, and who knows where the journey might take you?


Picture
by Eddie Tapp

Take composition for instance, the one thing that will make a scene or image easy to look at with leading lines, element structor, rule of odds, light, story telling as in communicating a feeling and demanding that you look at a specific area or thing.

Experience teaches us to just move over this far to get that diagonal element to create excitement, a see though mystery or leading line. In a studio set we can bring in something to create eye flow, set the element structure for a visible feast or establish placements to balance the view.


Now that we include aerial compositions in some of our works which reveal the location or action that brings us to the discipline of low attitude solutions such as drones or moving vehicles.

Drones are not very difficult to fly, as a matter of fact, they are really quite easy to fly especially because of the GPS connection, the fact is that most drones today have obstacle avoidance along with features that allow cool cinematic movements.

What isn’t easy is learning to create the best possible angle or cinematic movements within a compositional mind-set while flying a drone and here are some of the reasons why. A remote control pilot now has to pay close attention to the telemetry such as speed, altitude and then obstacles can take over thinking about composition while flying.

If you were the pilot/image-maker, think about keeping your eye on the composition while flying with the added awareness mentioned and you have new challenges. Or at least it takes time to become proficient at flying before it becomes comfortable for one to get back to mastering composition from the air, then it becomes a second nature and the fun begins.


And if you really want to fly drones for professional use, you must have an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification, this requires a written test to achieve. The website to find out more is faadronezone.faa.gov. The national air space has various classes of air space and safety is the most important aspect of drone operations. There are online study courses such as uavgroundschool.com where you can learn all the important aspects of flying in the national air space along with studying for the Part 107 written test.
It all comes down to vision and this is where our tasks start.

​How ever you interpret a vision is something you should set as your objective. Use the best means you have to create and go for it. Just remember the three key elements that create exceptional imagery are light, composition and exposure. When creating your next project from the air, moving vehicle or from land, partner your composition with your light and make sure to keep thinking up.

​
Eddie Tapp, M.Photog., MEI,Cr., API, CPP
Photoshop Hall of Fame, Certified Drone Pilot, Delkin ImageMaker,Triple Scoop Music, Coloratti - Calibright
Coach

Picture
Click for more information about Eddie's program at IUSA!
0 Comments

In the Spotlight: Clay Blackmore

10/11/2021

2 Comments

 
Picture
Click to view in the SCU Lightbox
by Skip Cohen

​I'm online virtually all day, every day. Now and then, somebody shares an image that's so stunning it deserves to be seen by more people. Often, I'm not even out in search of an image to share, but this one, especially when it came up full-screen on my monitor, just hit me!

Clay Blackmore is no stranger to SCU, or for that matter, many of you, especially if you're a wedding or portrait photographer. There's nothing Clay can't photograph, but it's his people work I've always loved the most. He shared the image above on Facebook yesterday.

Clay shared the following advice on his SCU faculty page when we first started this blog:

"More than ever, today's photographer needs a strong foundation in posing and lighting, along with a keen sense of business acumen to navigate a path to the better customers. When I was in Japan a few years ago I saw these signs about service that's so appropriate for the way we have to think about the business:
  • Build strong relationships and create customers for life.
  • Be responsive to the expressed and unexpressed wishes of every customer.
  • Look for opportunities to innovate and improve every customer's experience with you.
  • Resolve all customer problems quickly.
  • Never stop learning.​
It all boils down to service and hard work. Each image is something we want to be extremely proud of. We're building our business one relationship at a time through great service. It's the heart of any photographer's studio."

It's hard for me to believe Clay and I have been friends for over thirty years, first meeting after I joined Hasselblad. It's proof that time flies when you're having a good time. 

Check out more of Clay's work with a visit to his website and Facebook page. And if you see him scheduled to speak at an upcoming conference or in the Canon booth, run, don't walk to grab a seat!
​
2 Comments

Steve Brazill - Taking Platyball for a "Test Drive"

10/7/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Click to read Steve's blog post, and watch the video below
PictureClick to visit the Behind the Shot channel on YouTube, now with 113 videos!
by Skip Cohen

One of the very best podcasts in imaging is Behind the Shot, hosted by my good buddy Steve Brazill. Steve's no stranger to SCU. We shared one of his favorite images on a past episode of "Why?" and he was also a guest on the Beyond Technique podcast last year. 

He's a talented artist, author and he's got one of those stellar easy to listen to voices made for broadcasting. He was also a vital member of the team when we did the F64 Lunch Bunch during the early days of the pandemic. But one of his most outstanding traits in terms of photography is his pure love for everything under the imaging umbrella.

Steve recently tested the new Platyball Ergo and Elite ball heads and released the video below yesterday. If you don't know about the product, he does an outstanding job going through the features, benefits, and the fun of hands-on use in the field. And, let's not forget the job his camera operator did - kudos to Steve's wife, Debbie! 

Behind the Shot needs to be on your radar. Steve's always sharing great content and conversations with some of the most respected artists in imaging, as well as his product reviews and information to help you raise the bar on your life as an artist!

As I've written so many times in the past - the best thing about this industry has very little to do with imaging but the friendships that come out of everyone's love for the craft!
0 Comments

"Familiar Faces" - Recognizing a Few Unsung Special Heroes

8/18/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Images copyright Andrew Michaels. All rights reserved.
Picture
Intro by Skip Cohen

One aspect of the fun of a conference or convention is the people you meet. Today's post is a perfect example with a guest post from Andrew Michaels. We met briefly at ClickCon in Chicago last week, and after the convention, he sent me an email about a unique special project he worked on during the pandemic.

The main idea was to photograph a different train operator at each of the 194 CTA stations. I simply wanted to put a face to the L. I know a lot of people don't even think about it. After showing my friends, I would get texts "OMG I saw the operator at the front of the train!!" And from what the operators told me, it meant a lot to get that recognition...The message I was trying to send hit me harder than I intended. These people really are part of the community, and just like your barista you see every day, no reason you can't say hi and just smile to brighten their day. I got to know some of them, and they are truly amazing people.

There's that old line about "it takes a village." Well, take a second and think about the people in your "village" since the pandemic started. For Andrew, he wanted to recognize the team that kept Chicago's transit system operating - never missing a day of support for the community. And remember, they supported thousands of nurses and doctors who rely on the CTA to get to the people they care for!

I'm a big fan of special projects because they help you focus on essential concepts outside your business. In addition, they help bring out your creativity and spirit, which too often, lately, are buried under Covid's baggage. In other words, they help keep you grounded!

Andrew needs to be on your radar - visit his website and follow him on Instagram.


"Dedicated to the entire CTA organizaton for their consistent dedication keep Chicago moving forward."
by Andrew Michaels

​In January 2020, I made a decision to commit full time to photography, spending January offering headshots and February learning squarespace to put the new portfolio online. In March 2020 COVID hit, so my plans came to a screeching halt. 


With my studio-that-never-was on lock down, I needed a new creative outlet. I sifted through my phone notes and landed on an idea that I really liked: to photograph a CTA bus driver at every stop as they opened the door looking at the passengers outside. But with about 10,000 stops in Chicago, the “L” seemed like a better option, with 194 stops. In hindsight the “L” was even more near to my heart, given how many hours I’ve spent photographing classic shots like the Merchandise Mart and the Adams/Wabash overpass. 

As I went about my work, kicking off each day with my morning coffee, I started to consider how the local barista becomes a friendly face in my morning routine. It occurred to me there's no reason the CTA staff shouldn't be embraced in the same way. It can make such a difference in someone's day to get a smile from a familiar face. I got excited thinking how a collage of 194 different operators could encourage the riders to connect with the workers. At the very least it would literally force Chicagoans to register the idea that these iconic trains don't drive themselves. It’s an obvious but often overlooked fact. 

As I went about the project, I was amazed at how many times an operator - who I previously photographed,  would appear days/weeks/months later at a different stop. It was serendipitous to see, even with such a sprawling organization, I might cross paths with these people over and over. In fact, the very first operator I photographed, Calvin, was spotted 3 times before I finished the project.

In rail transit, a “meet” is a situation in which a train traveling in one direction "meets" another traveling in the opposite direction. Growing up, I was pretty shy, so my family would encourage me to push outside my comfort zone, stressing the importance of meeting new people. “You never know who you’re going to meet…” implying at any moment, you can make friends with a stranger who may become the most important person in your life years later. On a micro level, this project proves that to be true.

I ended up leaving many of the duplicate people in the final collage to reinforce the lesson I was taught growing up, and during the project- treat every stranger you meet as if you will meet them again.
Picture
Sorry, but a blog post doesn't really do the collage above justice, but I know you'll get the idea!  Check out “Familiar Faces” on instagram.com/statestreetphotostudio .The posts are more visible and the “Familiar Faces” highlight shows BTS/ video content as well.
0 Comments

Overcoming Those Pesky Objections - By Beverly Walden

8/16/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Intro by Skip Cohen

​Two of my most favorite portrait artists and good friends are Bev and Tim Walden.

In just a few weeks, they'll be launching one of the industry's strongest coaching/mentoring programs, Immersion. While I've been sharing a link to their program over on the right of the SCU blog, I asked Beverly to give me a short example of how straightforward they're going to be with helping you build your skills beyond your technical style.

It's your chance for a year long, never-let-up support system!  You can even design the program you need the most over the next year, and add in an hour of private coaching as well! Just click on the banner above for more information!

One of the definitions of insanity is doing the same thing over and again and expecting different results. Well, this is your chance to raise the bar on the quality of your work and your marketing/selling skills. And like Carly Simon's song so many years ago, "Nobody does it better!"

by Bev Walden

As much as you don’t want to admit it, objections exist. Personally, I would love it if our clients always agreed to everything I said, bought it all as presented and never objected.

That is just not reality.

However, take heart. As you are in business longer and longer, reputation will provide privilege as people know what to expect…and objections happen less often.

Our best advice (not meaning to sound flippant) is to avoid objections by doing groundwork from the beginning. Weed out problems beforehand. It is your job to think ahead for your clients and avoid any possible objections by informing them about things they need to know such as your pricing and payment options, how you do business and what they can expect.

After doing due diligence beforehand, you can prepare for each selection appointment with confidence. Here are three common objections we see.

Objection #1: Being indecisive. Can I think about it? I can’t decide right now.

This is where groundwork comes in. Take time before the day of the sale to plant seeds about expectations and share your “rules.” Talk about it every format you can (written, videos, etc) and reinforce it our and over. Your rules, your way. Time is the enemy. In the first moments of the sale is where the money is made and money tanks as time passes and clients leave without making a decision. Relationships become contentious as you try to re-connect to get an answer. This is one of the worst scenarios for successful sales.

What do we do if this happens?

We say, “Let’s put everything into the system like we’ve talked about since we’ve spent all of this time together already.” Then we collect the deposit. Before we finalize everything, we ask them to let us know within certain time (ie: 24 hours) whether to go ahead with the order as is or modify it. If we don’t hear from them, we go ahead. This approach gets a solid order and a deposit, yet doesn’t back them into a corner.

Objection #2: I can’t bring my spouse right now, so can I just look at the portraits now and then we can come back later to place the order?

What do we do if this happens?

We say, “It is hard to get on the schedule right now as we are several weeks out.” Usually, when they hear this, they will find a way to come as originally scheduled and place their order. What we don’t want to do is show any images before they are ready to buy as the excitement is much less the second time the images are seen. When excitement goes down, the money goes with it.

Objection #3: I look ________________. You can fill in the blank.

What do we do about this? We avoid this objection by prepping images that we want to highlight with a little retouching and liquifying areas that need it. We put our best foot forward! This is why we limit how many images we show. We want to make each as beautiful as we can without spending too much time fixing too many images.

Finally, don’t be afraid of objections. And remember, sometimes, there is not an answer. If you have done everything right and still have a bad sale, no worries. Let it go. Be ok with it. And learn from it.
0 Comments

Family Photography Leading Up To Father's Day

6/18/2021

1 Comment

 
Picture
"The Guys"
by Skip Cohen
 
With Father's Day right around the corner, I couldn't help but appreciate a post by Jenn Sim, Levi Sim's definitely better half (LOL) on Facebook. She wrote:

So proud of my family of photographers. Lana took first place in the amateur photographer category, and Levi took second in the professional photography category.

And Levi explained to me; This was a "Plein-air" photography contest. The pictures had to be made starting last Friday and presented on Wednesday by noon and had to be made within Cache Valley, which straddles the Utah/Idaho border.

Well, Lana is nine years old, and that's her portrait of her Dad and brother above. I had to give her top billing since she took a first. However, in second place was Levi's print below.

Picture
"Anthropology"
Picture
Besides Levi being a good friend for so many years, I got the biggest kick out of Lana getting involved in imaging. Photography is an incredible tool for self-expression, and a great activity for parents to enjoy together with their kids. So, if Lana's shooting like this at nine, imagine what she's going to be like in competition ten years from now!

One more fun quality of this - Levi's well-established as a photographer. He doesn't need to enter local shows like this, but he believes in being involved in his community. This is a perfect way to stay active and remind people what he does for a living.

Photography is simply part of this family's life, and it's a constant reminder of how small an industry we really are. Another good friend, Erin Holmstead, captured the family portrait on the right. I met Erin through Levi; I have repeatedly caught up to her at WPPI; she's an Admin for Cache Valley Photographers on Facebook and a writer for Photofocus.

​
It's Father's Day weekend! To Jenn Sim - thanks for sharing the pictures and your pride; to Levi, I can't wait to hear Lana stories when she wants to upgrade her gear! And to Levi and all you Dad's out there, wishing you all a Happy and HEALTHY Father's Day!

Picture
Levi, Lana and brother, Cameron at the Summerfest Arts Faire.
1 Comment

A Commencement Speech for 2021

6/2/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Intro by Skip Cohen

​I've shared this post several times over the years, and always at this time of year. It's one of my favorite guest posts by my good buddy Scott Bourne. This year after dealing with the pandemic and ALL of us graduating back into a bit of normalcy over the last month, Scott's words are even more appropriate.

His original target with the post was the new artist just coming into the business after graduation, but take a second and think about his advice. We've all experienced some level of hitting the "hold" button over the last year. His advice is the perfect reminder of the things we need to do like marketing, business, technology, and social media to get back into full swing. 

We're all never-ending students! And, to Scott's point about relationships - Relationship building is your most valuable marketing tool!

by Scott Bourne
 
Commencements are coming up all over the country in the next couple months. As someone with gray hair, I can’t help but have a very different perspective on photography than someone of college age. I am often asked what advice I’d give someone just breaking into professional photography. The usual response goes something like this…

“Be prepared for lots of hard work – sales and marketing should dominate your day – show the work every chance you get – network like crazy – shoot what you love – repeat.”

But while that’s all good advice, there’s more I would say if I were speaking at a commencement.

I’d talk about understanding the high degree of importance graduates should place in each and every relationship they engage in during their career. Whether it’s the mailman or the recent client, these relationships are really all that matters. I didn’t know this when I was young and it hurt me…both personally and professionally.

So obsess over gear and f/stops if you must, but if you really want to succeed, pay attention to the people in your professional life. Build solid, long-term relationships with them. Care about them. Help them. Put them and their interests ahead of your own. You never know where that will lead. You might be dealing with that person 30 years later. They’ll remember how you valued (or didn’t) the relationship when you were young. And so will you.
​


If Scott isn't already on your radar, check out his blog; his website and follow him on Facebook. Plus, check out his field workshop and portfolio reviews.
0 Comments

Photography That's "Right Out of the Can"

5/21/2021

1 Comment

 
Picture
by Skip Cohen

​For those who never shot with film, the expression "right out of the can" meant everything was done in camera. The "can" referenced a roll of film. According to Google, today, that's "Straight Out Of Camera," simply meaning that an image can be good enough to print straight from the camera without further processing.

Jonathan Thorpe shared the image on Facebook yeterday with the following "how-to" explanation:

Portrait I shot last night of my good friend and talented Daniel Duffin The cool part about this shot it it’s all done in camera! How? It’s actually fairly simple, the background is a Westcott FJ400 in a large parabolic umbrella, gelled with a mix or orange and yellow. The key light was another FJ400 into a beauty dish camera right. The affect you’re seeing is called dragging the shutter. I’m shooting at 1/10 of a second here and also using rear curtain sync. Rear curtain means the flash fires at the end of the shutter movement, not the beginning. So it is exposing, you move the camera, causing the background light to bleed into the image, then right before the exposure is done, the flash fires, freezing the face. Viola! Shot with the Fuji GFX 100 and my Tamron Lenses USA 85/1.8VC
Picture
Picture
Click on either banner for information on both of these outstanding products!
Jonathan Thorpe needs to be on your radar. Check out his website and then follow him on Facebook and Instagram. He's always sharing great content!
1 Comment

Kevin A. Gilligan - Capturing the Vision in Photography

4/19/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
by Skip Cohen

Sometimes the most fun of this industry has nothing to do with having a camera in my hands but the pure pride and enjoyment of watching friends in action. Kevin A. Gilligan is in the spotlight this morning, and he's no stranger to SCU. One of the best "how-to" pieces I've ever shared was Kevin's three-part guest post on all the ingredients you need for your own exhibition.

Noreen Wenjen, the subject in the images, is an accomplished pianist, author, educator - but she's also Kevin's other half, his wife. They've got two kids and live south of Los Angeles, and two years ago, after a five to six-year friendship, he and I finally met in person. Looking back over these last few years, he's become one of my very best friends, and we recently did a program together for ClickCon Nation.

As you watch the short BTS video below, you'll also pick up on one of the most important ingredients of a shoot like this - teamwork. There's that old line about "teamwork makes the dream work." While the images of Noreen at the piano are beautiful, one of my favorites is at the very end - and it's the team, (masks and all), it took to produce the images.

Kevin's backstory on the image is below, but I want to share my own Steinway moment. In my previous life, we were looking to buy a piano for our two kids who were taking lessons. We wandered into Boston Piano in Natick, MA. As we looked at pianos on their showroom floor, I sat down and plunked a few keys on a Steinway. The manager of the store came over and commented on the quality of a Steinway. After hearing that our kids were taking lessons but not serious musicians, he said, "Well, for what you're looking for now, you'd need a Steinway like you'd need a Hasselblad." 

The look on his face was priceless as I handed him my new business card. I had just accepted the position of president of Hasselblad USA a few weeks earlier! I totally understood his point, but it was one of those moments that became priceless for both of us.

Kevin is a landscape, portrait, and sports photographer from LA's South Bay. Check out more of his work on his website, and follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. 


A stunning flowing red dress, a big stage, dramatic lighting on a Steinway piano and a beautiful model - These are the components of a portrait shoot that have been burning in the back of my mind for months.

Noreen Wenjen is a classically trained pianist, piano teacher, author and entrepreneur. She wanted to capture dramatic images of her passion, having played piano since she was five. She’s performing on a 9’ Concert Grand Steinway, a gorgeous, hand-crafted instrument that takes a year of meticulous work to build. We wanted to capture her incredible love for music as well as the beauty of the instrument.

Thanks to Steinway of Beverly Hills for opening up their showroom to us. I love the way these turned out, I can see the joy on her face, and love the way her red flowing dress looks by the piano.  


Kevin A. Gilligan
0 Comments

Giving Back in Photography: Melanie Rodgers' Story

2/24/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Intro by Skip Cohen

February is volunteer recruitment month for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, and this is the last weekly installment of volunteer stories. I couldn't be more proud to be a NILMDTS Ambassador, but it's also frustrating talking with photographers whose immediate response is something like, "Oh my God, I could never do that?"

Yet, talk to any NILMDTS photographer, or read the stories I've shared, and over again, they have the same sentiment. "It's changed my life!" "It's the greatest contribution I've ever made with my camera!" I've grown so much as an artist and person because of the experience."

Today's post is from a volunteer who joined NILMDTS during the pandemic. So, not only was she dealing with support for the babies and families she photographed, but her own health and the safety of those around her.

Please read this story and then click on the link below to find out how you can help support one of the industry's most recognized non-profits.

Picture
by Melanie Rodger
​
When I first became a volunteer, I wasn’t sure I could do this. I wasn’t sure I could handle seeing people in pain and sad and crying. How was I going to be able to be the strongest person in a room filled with those going through the devastating loss of a baby? A baby that was someone’s daughter or son, and was also a brother, a sister, a grandchild, a niece or nephew.

What I quickly learned was that being the strongest person in the room meant showing a family the features of their babies that are like moms or dads, pointing out the long middle toe, or the cute little button nose that adorns their babies face.

I get to help families cherish their babies and spend time admiring all the parts of who they are, and most importantly, capture photos they will have to remember their baby for the rest of their lives.

When COVID 19 hit and our entire state was put on a stay at home order, the first thing that came to my mind was the deafening silence of our dispatch line.

I knew right away that while the fears and reality of the pandemic were setting in for everyone, there were still families out there that were going to have to say goodbye to their babies, without us photographers. I’m thankful NILMDTS was able to fill the gap of photographers’ absences quickly by launching their Medical Affiliate Program to help train nurses to take professional quality images, but I felt myself constantly checking to see when the phone would ring again.

Only a few weeks went by and the phone started ringing, letting us know that we were allowed to come into the hospitals again but that things would look different. Different how? Temperature screenings, a long list of questions to answer, a mandatory mask to be worn, and that was about it. For me, that is such a short hurdle to overcome if it meant we were allowed back and able to provide families with these memories. Sure it’s sweaty to wear a mask and have your viewfinder fog up. Sure it’s harder to navigate sharing things you normally would, but there’s so much honor to be there in the chaos of the world and just take a moment to be present for someone who’s going through this unimaginable loss.

Picture
To this day, I find myself being overly cautious of what I am doing in my personal life to make sure that not only does my family not get sick during all of this, but that I am still able to be on call to help families. When I lost my son in 2010, it was a Thanksgiving morning and everyone was home with their families. Everyone was sitting down, eating dinner, and saying what they were thankful for that year. No one was thinking about what I was going through and that I would have cherished photos of my son (I lived in another country where NILMDTS services were not provided at the time). Or that I needed someone to be there and encourage me to hold him longer than 5 minutes, and to take mental notes of all of his traits.

I find myself in a position where I now have the honor of meeting someone’s baby while their family members can’t.

I know that the only way everyone else will get to see these sweet babies is through my eyes and what memories I create for them to share. But I also always find myself going back full circle, to that moment where I wasn’t sure I would be strong enough to do this, and remembering that I am strong enough, and at the end of the day, it’s truly the biggest honor to be able to help families remember their babies.

I’m so grateful to each of the 8 families I’ve been able to serve during this pandemic.I know that these memories will be ones they’re able to hold close to them in a time of a lot of uncertainty.

About Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

NILMDTS is seeking volunteer photographers and digital retouch artists (DRAs) to volunteer.  Even during the pandemic, many hospitals look to NILMDTS photographers as essential workers. If you are comfortable or able to go into hospitals, we need photographers to capture the only moments parents will spend with their precious babies. NILMDTS is also in need of DRAs where you can volunteer from your home. Since the pandemic, retouching sessions have increased by 132%.  This includes medical providers and bereaved parents submitting photographs for retouching.

Since 2005, Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep has gifted complimentary remembrance portraits to parents experiencing the death of a baby. For many, these priceless images serve as a critical step in the healing process.

Having done over 40,0000 complimentary portrait sessions, NILMDTS works with photographers and digital retouch artists from around the world to offer grieving families the gift of photography to honor and validate the legacy of their precious babies.
Picture
0 Comments

Giving Back in Photography: Emily Crump's Volunteer Story

2/15/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
We all have a part to play in this world, a mission, a purpose, a higher calling,
whatever you choose to call it.
Emily Crump
Intro by Skip  Cohen

​February is Recruitment Month for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. I've been a NILMDTS Ambassador for many years and couldn't be more proud to be associated with this team of photographers and artists who give back!

This is the third installment of volunteer stories this month at SCU. Emily Crump's "Why" is in the spotlight. And like so many of NILMDTS's members, there's a personal connection. In Emily's case, it started with a friend in need. Like so many of the volunteers, the relationship that grows between the family and the photographer becomes life-changing for everybody involved.

After you've read Emily's story, click on the banner above or at the end of today's post and find out how you can become more involved. It's an amazing organization giving photographers the ability to capture images to be cherished for a lifetime.

by Emily Crump

​It was August 2010 when I received the call.  My friend, someone that I knew and had been “doing life” with for a few years, needed me.  She was pregnant with her second son and had just received the painful news he had gone home to be with Jesus, and she was going to be bringing him into the world today.  She knew that I had just started my photography business and asked me to take what would be some of her most treasured photos.

Her son’s name is Jonathan, and I say “is” because he is very much alive in their hearts and minds.  At that time, I was a very new photographer.  I had not taken many sessions, built up a client base, or done a session like I was about to do.  I was terrified that I was not good enough, but I also knew that it wasn’t a coincidence that I was asked.

We all have a part to play in this world, a mission, a purpose, a higher calling, whatever you choose to call it.  For me, mine is based on a verse in the Bible…

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10

​
Although I was terrified, I knew I had to take these photos of Jonathan for my friend…it was my calling.  Their session was beautiful.  I was there to quietly photograph his birth and capture the love that these parents shared for their little one.  While I photographed, we remarked on his little fingers and toes, his little ears, and all the ways he resembled his big brother.
Picture
When the session was complete, I exited the room, ran down to my car, and cried.  Through my tears, I thought about what I did, and I knew if I ever got a call like that again, I would do it.   That is when I applied to be a NILMDTS volunteer. 

Now, I would like to tell you that the application was easy, and I was accepted right away but that was not the case.  In fact, my first application was rejected, and I was heartbroken.  But I was determined.  I used all the photography critiques provided by NILMDTS in my first application to practice and improve my skills.  I also focused on learning auxiliary lighting, which is very important to NILMDTS sessions. 

It took 4 years of practicing and prepping until I was ready to apply again and in 2014, I was accepted as an Affiliate Photographer.
Picture
Photograph courtesy of Emily Crump
Over the years I have met and photographed numerous families and their precious little ones.  Each little baby is important, loved, remembered, and treasured.  Every little one matters.  And I am honored to be there and make sure they have the most perfect photos.

Picture

​Almost 10 years later, I think about my friend and little Jonathan after every baby I photograph. Grateful that I was given that chance to serve her family. I feel the same way about every family I meet through NILMDTS. Some might think that I am giving to them, but really, I see it as the other way around.

About Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

NILMDTS is seeking volunteer photographers and digital retouch artists (DRAs) to volunteer.  Even during the pandemic, many hospitals look to NILMDTS photographers as essential workers. If you are comfortable or able to go into hospitals, we need photographers to capture the only moments parents will spend with their precious babies. NILMDTS is also in need of DRAs where you can volunteer from your home. Since the pandemic, retouching sessions have increased by 132%.  This includes medical providers and bereaved parents submitting photographs for retouching.

Since 2005, Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep has gifted complimentary remembrance portraits to parents experiencing the death of a baby. For many, these priceless images serve as a critical step in the healing process.

Having done over 40,0000 complimentary portrait sessions, NILMDTS works with photographers and digital retouch artists from around the world to offer grieving families the gift of photography to honor and validate the legacy of their precious babies.

Picture
0 Comments

Giving Back in Photography: A Volunteer's Story by Virginia Dow

2/12/2021

1 Comment

 
Picture
Now I have the honor of capturing families during their most difficult moments and preserving memories
​ of their little ones, giving back the priceless gift that had once been given to me.

Virginia Dow
Intro by Skip Cohen
​
Sometimes giving back is very personal. We all have various reasons for being involved in those nonprofit organizations we support. For me, I couldn't be more proud to be an Ambassador for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep because I'm a parent. The thought of losing a child is overwhelming, and while I can't say I know what a parent is feeling at that time of loss, I can imagine the pain and sadness.

In today's guest post by Virginia Dow, she hits a familiar chord for so many of the NILMDTS staff - she became a volunteer because of what a photographer did for her family in 2016, after losing two sons. But there's another very relevant part of her story - the process to get through her fears of being involved and becoming a volunteer. 

I don't know Virginia, but I couldn't be more proud of her, and especially her ability to share her story, and success at being involved. There are so many of you in the industry with the heart, passion, and skill set to help families at their most challenging times.

February is Recruitment Month for NILMDTS. Here's an incredible way for you to give back with your camera. Click on the banner above or at the end of today's post for more information.

by Virginia Dow

​Having someone come and give us the gift of photography when Larson and Emmett were born has meant so much to my family. Being able to include them visually on the walls of our home and in our family photos help us share the story of their lives, that however short, they still blessed us, they still have a purpose, and they still are members of our family.
Picture
I started my application to NILMDTS in August 2017, almost one year after Larson and Emmett had been welcomed into heaven. My original submission hadn’t been rejected; they asked for more low light, auxiliary lit images from my portfolio. Which is necessary because all the sessions I have now since done for NILMDTS have required auxiliary lighting.

​I didn’t have many opportunities to shoot in that specific setting before, so I felt discouraged when they asked for more than what I had already given. So I let the idea fall to the wayside, which was easy to do, I’m ashamed to admit. I was caring for a 3 year old, my photography business was busy, and then I had a baby. And then my husband deployed. And then we moved. All the stability that I had, vanished.
Picture
Currently trying to reestablish my photography in a new place, I struggled (still struggling,) but a colleague gave me the motherhood memoir project. To capture moms doing their mom thing or snippets of what makes them a mom and this relit my fire and brought the opportunity to do some auxiliary lighting for my application. With willing and forced participants (my living children,) I had these images to now submit to the review committee.
​
But I still put it off. I had what they asked for and I ignored it. I didn’t want to feel like I missed the mark again, but God had different plans. Sending me little reminders that I needed to do it, until He put something in front of my face I couldn’t ignore. A letter from NILMDTS for a monetary donation, but in the upper right hand corner of the letter,
​

"I'm sorry. We don't have a photographer in your area."

Picture

Ok, God. I hear you loud and clear.

So, I finally did it. Got over my fear of rejection and sent the email with my 5 new images for review. And was told I’d hear back soon.
​
Finally, 3 weeks later, I received an email saying I have been accepted and I could start my training! Not a lot of people knew I was doing this, but I thank those who did and were thinking and praying for me. It was very much appreciated and now I have the honor of capturing families during their most difficult moments and preserving memories of their little ones, giving back the priceless gift that had once been given to me on September 19, 2016.

About Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

NILMDTS is seeking volunteer photographers and digital retouch artists (DRAs) to volunteer.  Even during the pandemic, many hospitals look to NILMDTS photographers as essential workers. If you are comfortable or able to go into hospitals, we need photographers to capture the only moments parents will spend with their precious babies. NILMDTS is also in need of DRAs where you can volunteer from your home. Since the pandemic, retouching sessions have increased by 132%.  This includes medical providers and bereaved parents submitting photographs for retouching.

Since 2005, Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep has gifted complimentary remembrance portraits to parents experiencing the death of a baby. For many, these priceless images serve as a critical step in the healing process.

Having done over 40,0000 complimentary portrait sessions, NILMDTS works with photographers and digital retouch artists from around the world to offer grieving families the gift of photography to honor and validate the legacy of their precious babies.
Picture
1 Comment

Giving Back With Your Camera: "My Why" by Missy Thomas

2/4/2021

1 Comment

 
Picture
by Skip Cohen

February is recruitment month for one of my most favorite nonprofits, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. I'm going to be sharing several profile stories from their volunteers and hoping they pull on your heartstrings to get involved.

Since running the first guest post from a NILMDTS volunteer at least eight years ago, I've met so many incredible artists who use their cameras and skill set to give back to the community through the organization. While many of you think the concept is too gut-wrenching, every NILMDTS artist I've ever met talks about how involvement changed their lives - always for the better.

This story by Missy Thomas is the first in this month's weekly series. For more information about the organization and how you can be involved, click on the banner above.

by Missy Thomas
​
We call them ‘framily’…those friends that have become as much our family as the ones we were born into. We spend Thanksgivings and Christmases together, vacation together, watch each other’s kids grow up, and share in all the joys and sorrows.

It was April of 2014 and I was so looking forward to sharing one of those joys as my dear friends Peyton and Justin were preparing to welcome their third baby. After two beautiful little girls, I had my fingers crossed that they would get their little boy this time.
​
I was several states away, but Peyton’s mom kept me updated as labor progressed. I went to bed on the 5th just knowing that we’d have a baby by sunrise. While that did hold true, nothing went as we had hoped. There were complications, a crash c-section, and one perfect baby boy.

That moment – the one where we went from anticipating a brand-new baby to the one where we knew he wasn’t going to make it through the day – was so sudden and so tragic that I could almost feel the earth shake.

Picture
Picture
James died in Peyton’s arms a mere 18 hours after he was born
Picture
With my husband heading out the door for a deployment, I couldn’t get there for two more days. I never got to meet James in person. Peyton had hired a birth photographer, so although they didn’t get pictures from NILMDTS, they have a collection of gorgeous professional photos. So much of those few days didn’t seem real and it wasn’t until I saw those photos that it truly sank in.
He was real, he was here, and now he’s gone
Picture
Those pictures made real his entire 18 hours of life and showed me not only what he looked like, but documented the incredible amount of love he had surrounding him during his brief time here. I couldn’t imagine a world in which those memories didn’t exist, and I knew then that I had to do something to honor the little boy that I had come to love so much.

I applied to NILMDTS on what would have been James’ first birthday and haven’t looked back.

I’ve served in a few different roles in the organization, but my favorite is being a photographer. It’s hard to articulate how rewarding this work is. Yes, it can be absolutely heartbreaking, but this work gives back so much more than I put into it.

What I treasure most about being invited into those rooms is helping parents see and parent their baby, in whatever way possible in the short time they have. To help squeeze a lifetime of memories into a handful of hours.

I always make sure that I point out cute noses and tiny fingers.

Or crazy hair and crooked toes.I try to get them involved by doing things like dressing or diapering their baby. I can do those things myself – I do them all the time – but it makes such a huge difference for them to be able to parent their baby, even if it’s not how they had hoped to do so.

I always engage extended family in the room as well. Grandparents almost always just want to be helpful. They are watching their child lose a baby and they want more than anything to fix it. They love helping even in little ways like putting on a hat or wiping a nose. They just want to do something. When I see them, I always think back to James’ grandparents and how it felt to watch their hearts break, too.

I can always feel a shift once families are brought into the process more. When I get there, baby is usually in a bassinet somewhere in the room. Everyone is in shock. But if I do my job right, by the time I leave they are almost always holding their baby and checking him or her out. Dad might be so proud because the baby has his crooked toes or mom might be beside herself because she KNEW the baby was going to have red hair. To be able to lead them to that is the greatest gift I can think to give someone.

And all the while, I’m quietly capturing it on camera.

These families may never remember me or a thing about me, but I’ll never forget a single one of them. And while I’ll always wish more than anything that James was still here on this earth, I’m so humbled by the experiences that his death has brought about in my life as well as the lives of others who loved him.

His memory lives on both through my work with NILMDTS and through the nonprofit that Peyton and her friend Carol co-founded, Gathering Hope. That nonprofit, honoring both James and Carol’s son Matthew, has reached thousands of grieving mothers through their events in Texas, Oklahoma, and Delaware.

About Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
NILMDTS is seeking volunteer photographers and digital retouch artists (DRAs) to volunteer.  Even during the pandemic, many hospitals look to NILMDTS photographers as essential workers. If you are comfortable or able to go into hospitals, we need photographers to capture the only moments parents will spend with their precious babies. NILMDTS is also in need of DRAs where you can volunteer from your home. Since the pandemic, retouching sessions have increased by 132%.  This includes medical providers and bereaved parents submitting photographs for retouching.

Since 2005, Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep has gifted complimentary remembrance portraits to parents experiencing the death of a baby. For many, these priceless images serve as a critical step in the healing process.

Having done over 40,0000 complimentary portrait sessions, NILMDTS works with photographers and digital retouch artists from around the world to offer grieving families the gift of photography to honor and validate the legacy of their precious babies.
Picture
Click for more info
1 Comment

Rebuilding Your Business - Five Minutes of Pure Inspiration

12/21/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
by Skip Cohen

​This could just as easily fit on Throwback Thursday since it goes back to WPPI 2011, but it's Marketing Monday, and Scott Bourne's wisdom in this "Photographers Ignite" video is perfect for the challenges we're all facing these days.

Kevin Kubota's series was the annual opening program for a few years in a row at WPPI, with at least five hundred people in the audience each time. Kevin's idea set a new standard, yet to be repeated, for great presentations and sharing information.

​Here's the concept: Each speaker had twenty slides to show in five minutes, and they automatically changed every 15 seconds. The challenge was to get your message out there, and Scott did a terrific job. He's sharing five minutes of pure inspiration.


It's been one of my favorite presentations for years because there's so much in it. I find myself hitting the pause button repeatedly and thinking about the point Scott's making at the time. And these days, with the pandemic's challenges and the need for so many photographers to rebuild and jumpstart their businesses, Scott's sharing the building blocks for success in every slide!

Grab a cup of coffee and take five minutes...oh, and in the intro, Kevin mentions Scott's 90,000 followers on Twitter - that's 209,000 today.
"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it!"
Scott Bourne
0 Comments

A Moment vs. an Interruption

10/11/2020

1 Comment

 
Picture
Picture
by Skip Cohen...and Brian Palmer
​
Sunday Morning Reflections have ALWAYS been about something other than business, and this morning is no exception. I was thinking about what to write about when I noticed an IM from Brian Palmer about an old post he recently ran across. It became the perfect topic for today...the importance and roots of our most special friendships.

Here's the short backstory: In 2009, I resigned from Rangefinder Magazine and WPPI. While everyone thought I was nuts, I couldn't have been happier...or nervous. It was a recession, and I wasn't sure what I wanted to be when I grew up! I left California for Akron, Ohio. Sheila and I found a great house to rent together, but I knew nobody in the area.

Catching up to photographers online, I met a local artist, Brain Palmer. I'm the biggest lunch slut in photography, so we met for lunch. That kicked off a fantastic friendship that, ten years later, is still something Sheila and I cherish. Brian attended a couple of Skip's Summer Schools, and we got together socially with his wife Perla and daughter Sara.

At Skip's Summer School in 2010, Brian grabbed the shot above of Sheila and me. He sent me a print which has been in a frame on my desk all these years - it's one of my favorites of the two of us. 

Meanwhile, Brian and his family moved to Tokyo, but we've never lost touch, thanks to social media. Today he lives in Melbourne, Australia, and this morning he ran across his post about the image, which he shared in September of 2010. I never saw it, but it's perfect for sharing today.

We're all fighting to keep our sanity through the pandemic and eight months of being hunkered down. But, hunkering down is about your health - it's about hiding from germs, NOT friends. Brian and I caught up a little on an IM this morning. Just a few IMs back and forth, but from the smile on my face and Sheila's when I told her about catching up to Brian, you'd think I'd won the lottery.

I wish all of you a day that keeps you in touch with great friends and memories that remind you that no matter where you are in the world - thanks to technology - you're NEVER really alone. And to Brian's point in his guest post today - you don't always need eye contact to capture a moment that's special to your subject. 

Brian, Perla, and Sara - we sure do miss you guys! And you might be in Australia, but the world's getting to be a tiny place, thanks to social media. Thanks for catching up this morning - can't wait for the day we can figure out how to get beyond the pandemic and get together in person.

Happy Sunday, everybody. Make it a day worth remembering.


by Brian Palmer (Posted September, 2010)

As some of you know Perla and I were at Skip's Summer School this past August, which was an amazing experience, hosted by Skip Cohen. In addition to the speakers presentations there was a breakout session where Skip, Tony Corbell, Clay Blackmore, Scott Bourne, and Bambi Cantrell were having a Q&A session with anyone who wanted to participate. 

As the session was winding down Skip & his wife, Shelia, turned in and I decided to play the photojournalist and capture a few moments of them leaving. Here is one I captured of them on the escalators.

I still cannot believe they didn't see me sneaking along behind them, as I was shooting with a 24-70mm so I didn't have a lot of reach. Would this had been a better shot with Skip and Shelia facing me? Maybe. But not interrupting that moment, regardless of what it was, will, in the long run, mean more to them than a posed straight on capture. This is in no way saying posed and camera aware captures do not have meaning, because they do, just as much and more just depends on what you are trying to accomplish. This write up is only a comparison between the two. Just food for thought.

**Word of advice - be careful when laying on the ground next at the top of an escalator! The edges are sharp.
1 Comment

Time Lapse Photography With Mark Toal

9/8/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
by Skip Cohen

​"Mirrorless Monday" went right on by as Labor Day, but who cares? It's Tuesday, and this short piece by my buddy and member of the LUMIX team, Mark Toal, is too much fun not to share on any day of the week. 

We're all dealing with downtime, and even though business is starting to open up a little, being a photographer and artist is still a challenge. Time lapse is a whole new adventure, and if you think about things you're doing around the house, family time, etc. there are so many opportunities to have fun capturing a variety of events.  

I'm also convinced that it's a great way to do your own video holiday card this year. Better yet, offer it as a product to your clients. It's not a new concept to any of us, but just like canvas prints - it's new to most of your clients, and something they'd get excited about!

Mark's description of how he captured refinishing his deck is below. There was one accessory to the capture that I couldn't be more proud to talk about, the link to the complete Platypod ecosystem.

Platypod products offer unlimited combinations of creative tools. They form an ecosystem of inspiration for photographers in macro, architecture, 
landscape, hiking, and traveling situations where tripods dare not go. 

A big thanks to Mark for sharing one of his time-lapse adventures. Here's the link to Mark's website and blog. He's always sharing great content.

And take the time to get to know the LUMIX Ambassador team too. This group is 
one of the most diverse and creative teams in photo, and all the ambassadors should be on your radar. Looking for more great content? Check out the LUMIX Photographers Facebook page - there are always great conversations and images shared by LUMIX artists from around the world.


By Mark Toal
​
​I've recently been refinishing the deck on my house and wanted to record the final step of staining the newly sanded wood.

I needed a way to set up the camera without a tripod since I didn't have space for one. I used a bungee cord to secure the Platypod to the deck railing, set my Lumix G9 with the 7-14mm lens to Time Lapse mode and shot a photo every 5 seconds until I was finished.

​The camera created the video internally. I then used WiFi to transfer the video to my phone and uploaded it to Facebook and my Vimeo.com account. 

Deck Staining Time Lapse part 2 from Mark Toal on Vimeo.

Panasonic's tagline from the start of the LUMIX family has been "Changing Photography." Well, they've stayed true to that goal. I've been shooting with the G9 for over a year and love this camera. For more information, click on either of the thumbnails below.
Picture
LUMIX G9 Mirrorless Camera Body, 20.3 Megapixels plus 80 Megapixel High-Resolution Mode, 5-Axis Dual I.S2 - DC-G9KBODY
Picture
LUMIX G Vario Lens, 7-14mm, F4.0 ASPH., Micro Four Thirds
0 Comments

Do You Waste Time Worrying About What People Will Think?

8/30/2020

2 Comments

 
Picture
Intro by Skip Cohen
 
Time is our most valuable commodity, but so often we throw it away worrying about what other people will think. Even when we've done our very best, we worry about criticism and outside opinions.

Well, it's Sunday morning and if you've followed me for even a short amount of time, you know I love to go off-topic from the business and marketing of photography once a week. Before I even thought about what I wanted to write about today, I got side-tracked with the post below from my good buddy, Scott Bourne.  

It's too good not to share beyond his Facebook page. The best things about great friendships are what you learn from each other. Over the years he's been my sounding board on so many different ideas, and what he wrote this morning, once again hit home.


It also reminded me of one of my favorite quotes from Dean Collins:
Beauty is in the eyes of the checkbook holder!
Remember that often, especially when you're creating for your own enjoyment, you're the checkbook holder!
Picture
Image copyright Scott Bourne. All rights reserved.
by Scott Bourne

People ask me how/why I produce so much content. It doesn't matter whether it's photography, painting, writing, music, etc. It's always the same simple answer.

I've come to realize that my own effort is the only thing I can control in this life. Period.

I can't control what people think of my effort or of me for that matter. I can't control what others say about my effort or about me for that matter. So why worry about it?

I spend 100% of my time on that which I CAN control. My own effort. I do everything I do with gusto. I don't ever go half way. I don't ever ask for permission. I just go for it. For me it's always pedal to the metal, from sun-up to sun-down, seven days a week. And that's the way I like it.

As artists, it's none of our business what others think of our art. That's a rabbit hole and if you go down it, you'll never know how much work product you lost and time you wasted searching for empty compliments and dealing with vapid trolls.

So my advice is direct and to the point. Just do the work. Throw yourself into it 100%. Express yourself. Give the world your point of view without fear. Don't look back. When others hate. We create.

​That simple philosophy has served me very, very well for more than six and a half decades. I hope it will serve you too.
Scott should be on your radar. His blog is just a click away, and you'll never be disappointed in the content he shares.

Wishing everybody a terrific Sunday - a day filled with peace, minimal frustration with the pandemic, politics or anything that interrupts your ability to be creative. Smile more, bitch less and appreciate everything that's working right in your life, even though these days it's sometimes tough to recognize!

And to my pal Scott - thanks buddy. I needed this!

​Happy Sunday everybody!
2 Comments

Throwback Thursday With a Twist by Glen Clark

8/6/2020

3 Comments

 
Picture
by Skip Cohen

It's a very different Throwback Thursday post this week, but so appropriate.

Glen Clark and I have been friends since we first met close to thirty years ago through another mutual friend, Terry Deglau, then at Kodak. We've worked together on a long list of projects, and he's one of a small group of buddies who's high on the call list when I need a lift. 

He sent me the post below, and I'm ecstatic he's allowed me to share it here. It's Throwback Thursday, and these days none of us have to turn the clock back very far for the fun of old photographs and a walk down Memory Lane. 

During the last five months of downtime, one of the most popular activities for every photographer has been cleaning out our closets. As I look at my own collection of photographs over the years, I'm a perfect candidate for a show on hoarding. I have an attic full of prints, many of them framed that will never see the light of day - but we're out of wall space!

Glen's dealing with a challenge we can all identify with - letting go of the footprints from our journey to make room for new ones. And the reason it's so hard? Jodi Picoult's quote, which I've shared numerous times says it all:
"This is what I like about photographs. 
They're proof that once, even if just for a heartbeat, everything was perfect."
by Glen Clark

​
I am struggling through a sad reality…

As a photography professional, I've spent the better part of my life believing in and promoting that captured images represent memories, moments and milestones we will cherish during our lives and, in some cases, pass along as family heritage and precious treasures. And as an industry, we've promoted the value of large wall prints and decor items for home, office, and even commercial/business/public spaces. These "works of art" have enhanced our environments. 

My wife and I have accumulated more than our fair share of photographic art pieces and wall prints, each representing moments in our lives we cherish. But, we're now at that stage when we are reducing, cutting back, and "lightening the load." Our cherished print collection has become a burden.

Our children and their children don't want the "Family Heritage" things we've collected (including our works of art). The sad reality is we need to let these things go. We've shared the few items wanted by family and friends.

Before our treasures are tossed, we're copying them, so we at least have digital memories. 
I'm now creating digital copies (another story in itself), followed by destroying the originals and throwing them in the trash. An hour after we grabbed the photograph above, the prints around me were gone. It was heartbreaking…but at the same time, it was a bit "freeing."
 
What advice would I share with my younger self if I could? Here are a few conclusions:

  • Photo images are most valuable for the memories (joy) they inspire and rekindle.
  • A small memento image can trigger the same beautiful memories, as effectively, as a large one.
  • It's better to have timely access to a few significant images than to be burdened with a bulk of files and prints.
  • To help you readily find what you want when you want it, figure out early-on a system of categorizing your images (by date, event, people involved, etc.).

TRUTH – Having one readily available image when wanted is far more valuable than having multiples that need to be searched for to locate.

  • It is beneficial to caption meaningful images, especially those that are printed. Including names, dates, places, memories, notes, etc. This will be very valuable down the road. Personal memories can be faulty.
  • Be frugal when considering investing in what may seem worthwhile at the time, but could likely end up being frivolous in the long run (such as collecting things). Just because items look good or go together doesn't mean you need to have them all. That's a tough one to figure out, but I know from personal experience that spending $$$ collecting every Peter Pan item I came across didn't keep me from growing older (and now I wish I had all that $$$ instead of the "things" which I now need to off-load).

The one huge takeaway is this… 

Cherish each moment for the beauty, friendship, love, etc. it contains and, if you want, keep a few things to remind you of the good times. However, remember that today is here and now, and therefore more valuable than yesterday and tomorrow is not guaranteed. Live well, enjoy each day, share your love with people, cherish those close to you, and thank God for it all.
Follow Glen on his Facebook page. You'll never be disappointed in what he's sharing!
3 Comments
<<Previous

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

      Sign Up for Our Newsletter!

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter

    Our Partners

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    "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.

    Categories

    All
    Beyond Technique
    Business
    Customer Service
    EDU10
    Excire
    F64 Lunch Bunch
    Faculty
    Fast Food Friday
    Guest Post
    Humor And Sarcasm
    In The News
    Lessons Learned
    Lighting
    Luminar
    Lumix
    Marketing
    Mark's Corner
    Mind Your Own Business
    Miscellaneous
    Motivational
    One Step At A Time
    Photodex
    PhotoShelter
    PhotoTexting
    Platypod
    Podcasts
    Profoto
    Sales
    Search
    Skylum
    Social Media
    Sunday Morning Reflections
    Tamron
    Tamron Recipes
    Technique
    Throwback Thursday
    Wedding Photography
    Westcott
    Why?

Categories​

Business
Marketing
Technique
Sales
Fast Food Fridays
​

Podcasts

Tamron Recipes 
Beyond Technique
Why?
Mind Your Own Business
Pro Photographer Journey

 Partners

Tamron
PhotoTexting

​Lumix

Marathon Press
​Platypod
©  2019 Skip Cohen University
  • Home
  • SCU Blog
  • Our Podcasts
  • About Us