by Skip Cohen

Throwback Thursday has become one of my favorite adventures. "Adventure" because I never know what I'm going to find or share.

The year is 1950, and my Dad and Uncle were in the lumber business in Mentor, Ohio. A trade magazine ran an advertorial piece on their business. I grabbed two shots from the article and did my best to scan them.

You could build a new home for just $2250.00. No down payment and a monthly payment of "approximately $35."  Think about that for a minute - all the material you needed to build your home for the price of a Canon EOS from B&H today!

The second piece I wanted to share is below. If you're from Northeast Ohio, the larger building in the background became Bargain Fair, in Mentor. Sidney Cohen's Sons was in front, close to the highway.

The short backstory is my Dad and Uncle went into business on my grandfather's property just after they got back from WWII. In fact, they had a house adjacent to the main property that my Uncle and Aunt lived in first, and later my folks.  In a conversation many years ago with Ohio photographer Ellie Vayo, I think she grew up in the same house years later.

The fun of Throwback Thursday is mostly about the "hunt," but there's another aspect that I've grown to appreciate - the power of photography. Where would we be without all those old photographs? Today, so many images are stored on drives, and I know a lot of them will be lost over the years. The older they get, the less likely another generation is going to find them, let alone appreciate the backstories.

Yet, these old photographs and even magazine stories like this have managed to survive.  Don't let today go by without your own piece of your heritage and find those old images. Then, do your best to chase down the stories from older relatives who are still around.

​Happy Throwback Thursday!

by Skip Cohen

Over nine years ago, I wrote my first Sunday Morning Reflections post. It was meant to be just what it was: my opportunity to share something more personal, outside my normal topics of business and marketing. Well, almost a decade and 400 posts later, with help from my readers and Sheila, I've stayed true to my original concept.

This morning, as so many Sundays in the past, I sat down at the computer and had no idea what to write about, but my good buddy Bob Thompson came through. He's in West Yellowstone and was going to have breakfast at one of our favorite hangouts from our snowmobile trips back in the 90s. He sent me a text: "Sad news. I'm having dinner at the Three Bears in West Yellowstone, and the waitress informed me that she is 22 years old and has lived here all her life...and she has never known there was a cafe on the main drag called the Silver Spur."

For ten years, starting in the early 90's, there was a group of photographers who went into Yellowstone for three days every winter. Orchestrated by another good buddy, Duncan MacNab from Bozeman, even without the album, I remember every detail of each trip. The Silver Spur was one of our favorite spots to load up on all the artery-clogging food we never ate at home!

But my post this morning isn't so much about a topic that would be better served as a Throwback Thursday post, but about the fun of memories and the need to look forward as much as appreciate the view in the rearview mirror.

Last week I got a Facebook blast from a good buddy, Bert Behnke. He's putting together a winter trip to Yellowstone for 2027. Just his one post catapulted me back to all those trips with Duncan. I walked around the rest of the day with the biggest "Alfred E. Neuman" smile on my face. Like the stats of your favorite sports figure, each trip had its signature moments - the ones that were locked into our memories.

I know you can't live in the past, but that doesn't mean those moments in your memory archives don't deserve a certain level of immortality. Photographs bring back memories... memories ignite backstories... and "remembering when" is an energizer for going forward and creating new memories. The best part of all is that it's the industry so many of us have spent most of our lives working in!

I've promised numerous times to stop using Jodi Picoult's quote in blog posts, but in all honesty, until I find one better, it's perfect for moments like today. Whether on your computer, in albums, shoeboxes, or kitchen drawers, no quote captures the power of all those photographs we cherish.

Wishing everybody a day ahead to capture new memories and the backstories that go with them. Cherish every click of the shutter, but don't let the images slip into a "black hole" never to be shared. Today's grab shots are tomorrow's backstories - and they deserve recognition, especially the moments that made your heart sing! Go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs with the people who mean the most to you; they're probably a big character in so many of your backstories.

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

And to Bob Thompson - how was the chicken-fried steak, and did you add biscuits and gravy? And to Bert, thanks for sparking the memories - while we all know the expression, "You can never go back," that's not true - because you are. The trip is going to be amazing.

by Skip Cohen

It's Throwback Thursday, my favorite day of the week. But today's share is also a reminder to capture the backstories better than I did!

The year is 1940, and the location is Mentor-on-the-Lake in Ohio. The photo above is glued to a black album page with the caption in white ink, "Legs on Parade." There's a second shot below it (shown on the right) with the caption, "We were 14 yrs old."
​
While this is more information than most of the photographs in my mother's album, I'd love to know the backstories. And if this were captured today, there'd be nothing about the people, location, etc. What I'm missing isn't just the backstory but who's in the shot. If they were 14 in 1940, then they'd be 100 today!

Here's my point for this Throwback Thursday - don't let time win! Build a legacy program for your family...become the historian in the house. Find the time with older members of your family and sit down with those old albums and shoeboxes of photographs. Get the stories and the names so you can appreciate the legacy behind them.

And as you're building your current archive of contemporary images of your family and friends today, take the time for a little documentation. Just a sentence or two with each series of shots will be invaluable to your family after you're gone - give them the material for the backstories!

Remember today's shutter click is real estate on Memory Lane tomorrow.

​Happy Throwback Thursday!

by Skip Cohen

​While parts of today's post are out of the SCU archives, the reality is that when it comes to consumer desires, very little has really changed in photography. Sure, technology has changed a lot, but in terms of what the consumer wants - you still need to meet their mindset.

Ever notice how, when you get a group of seasoned professional photographers together, the conversation at some point always goes the same way?  People start talking about the "old days". The conversation always highlights how much easier things were or how much less competition there was.

There's an inherited legacy out there starting with the senior crowd, yes, even older than me, LOL, photographers who complained about photography going down the tubes because of the shift from black and white to color. It's probably their offspring who years later complained about the move from manual to autofocus and later from film to digital. Then there was the "thank-God-I'm-retiring-so-I-don't-need-to-learn-video" crowd, as hybrid imaging became an ideal skill set extension. Now we've got the "AI-is-going-to-replace-me" mentality.

Yet, nothing has changed in regards to consumer expectations, since these two photographs were captured of my grandfather and his in-laws over 100 years ago. Check out the classic lighting, even the pose...the photographers in both cases needed to meet the mindset of the subjects,

Well, the more I think about it, while technology is always changing and new gear and software are pushing us to expand our skill set, there are still a few fundamental qualities of being a professional that have never changed!

• You still need to produce a quality product!  While some will argue most consumers don't know and don't care, I'm convinced that's a cop-out. Every time I hear a photographer say that, I can trace back their actions to missing something in customer service in their own business. Consumers do want quality, and when you take the time to show them the difference, the majority of the time they understand.  It's all in your presentation, and how you educate your client is an important key to success.
• You still have to provide a respectable level of Customer Service! Customer Service is your secret weapon. You've got to be accessible, build relationships, and respond to questions and problems quickly!
• You have to anticipate your customers' needs.  Pay attention to your target demographics and see the world through their eyes, NOT yours.
• You have to listen to your clients.  Most important of all, you need to meet their mindset and exceed expectations. You've got two ears and one mouth - listen twice as much as you talk.
• You still have to provide a pleasing representation of the client, the products, whatever it is you've been hired to photograph.
• You still have to exceed client expectations and make yourself habit-forming! This is still a strong word-of-mouth business, and you need to get your clients excited and talking about you!
• You still have to market yourself to get through the noise. I'll admit it's harder than ever to build brand awareness, but the need is still there. And with a good website, blog, and social media presence, plus some great old standards like direct mail, community involvement, and partnerships, the tools are at your fingertips!

Your work still requires a passionate eye, a great heart, and a quest always to look for that decisive moment. Ansel Adams once said,

         "Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter."

And that's one more thing that hasn't changed. As a professional photographer, you're still part of an incredible legacy of creative spirits like Ansel, Avedon, Scavullo, Karsh, Herb Ritts, Eddie Adams, Arnold Newman, Dean Collins, Don Blair and Monte Zucker, to name a few.  They gave us a foundation and a legacy that belongs to every professional photographer.  While it might sometimes be challenged by technology and the economy, it remains a powerful tribute to pride, quality, creativity, and art.

So, that old quote still applies: As much as things change, some things never change.

Happy Throwback Thursday!

by Skip Cohen

It's my favorite day of the week, Throwback Thursday. Normally, I go back at least a decade, but the pandemic came into our lives. Suddenly, we were all living a "dog's life," where one year felt like the equivalent of seven!

Those are our good friends "Kit and Kaboodle" (Tom Kitt and Kristen Jensen). They were considering moving to Florida and came down to house hunt in 2021. We got out to dinner together on their first night down here, but it would be another year before we were coming out of social distancing.

Half the fun of throwbacks is the way old photographs transport us to another time. They bring out the backstories, much the same way seasoning brings out the flavor of a great steak. Think back to your pandemic years. Here are some things that stand out for me...

• Fear: While I know it was more good than bad, the media, with the nonstop attention, simply left us scared. Sheila has some respiratory issues, so I started doing all the food shopping.
• Sanitizer: We bought hand sanitizer in case boxes at Costco.
• Netflix: I think we watched just about everything that Netflix aired. Even today, we'll run across an old movie and not remember watching it until about thirty minutes in, and then, like two cartoon characters with an idea, the lightbulb goes off above our heads, and we remember, "Oh yeah, we watched it during the pandemic."
• Pups: We didn't know the pandemic was headed our way when we got Lucy and Belle in November of 2019. As it turns out, it was the best thing we could have done. When we suddenly had to hunker down, the pups were nonstop entertainment.
• Hunkering-Down: It's an expression I had never used before the pandemic. It became so commonplace to talk about it because everyone was in the same boat.
• Family Values: The one good thing the pandemic brought out was a return to family values, especially in photography. We were all spending time in lockdown. Photographs, the Internet, email, phone calls, and video calls all became so important and valuable to keep us together.

So, while normally just looking back to five years ago really isn't a throwback - it was one of the most stressful times any of us have ever experienced. And habits developed back then still bubble to the surface now and then.

I still wipe down the handle on the cart at the market, and love doing most of the shopping; we still have bottles of sanitizer that were never used; we had to expand beyond Netflix and now have at least three other platforms to choose from; the pups are a bigger part of our lives than ever; now we hunker-down in terms of information - not from the fear of a virus, but the need to limit exposure the all the politcal garbage in the new!

Family values have never been more important, and keeping in touch with friends is, too. Tom and Kristen moved here permanently - every time we get together, it's non-stop laughs, lots of food, and another memory-maker.

If you haven't done your own search for a few throwbacks today, what are you waiting for? Throwbacks never stand alone, but come with backstories that allow you to turn back the clock and stop time.

Happy Throwback Thursday!

by Skip Cohen

It's Throwback Thursday, one of my favorite days of the week.

Long before digital, Polaroid manufactured an ID camera that became one of the best ways for companies and states to issue a photo ID. In the late 70s, Polaroid was awarded the contract for the Nebraska driver's license program. At the time, I was the regional services manager for the Midwest, and lauching/servicing the program was my responsibility.

This became one of those incredible work-hard-play-hard scenarios that I never wanted to do again! LOL The group above was the training team that launched the program across Nebraska. Our point team would travel a day ahead of the bus and at each of three or four locations, set up the training room for hundreds of DMV staff.

We'd train all day, then pack it up, get on the bus and head to the next city. The team was a combination of staff from Polaroid's Oak Brook, Illinois, Cambridge office, with a few training experts from other Polaroid locations. Looking back, I immediately start laughing over so many funny moments that happened throughout the week.

The biggest was in Kearney, Nebraska, when Spiderman entered the bar at Dickie Dugan's. I knew I was going to have to do some memory-making events to keep the crew laughing over the challenges of training DMV staff all week, and late in the evening, I came walking in as Spiderman.

The ID camera used for licenses was the same system used in malls throughout the country for what we all remember as Santa Claus promotions. Somewhere in life, if you're over 50, you remember a camera that looked like a large Samsonite suitcase. Well, the sales group that sold it wanted to expand holiday seasonality and give it purpose all year long. They had a contract with Marvel for Spider-Man and Batman and Robin costumes, just to name a few. I borrowed a Spiderman costume for the week.

However, I didn't know the contract included a clause stating that Spider-Man would ALWAYS appear in wholesome locations...NOT a bar and dancing on the floor of a disco while trying to drink a martini through the one piece, head to toe, mesh body suit! I heard about the contract when we returned, and for years, the photographs and videos were locked in my safe deposit box, never to be spoken about.

And this is why I love Throwback Thursday - it's the way old photos stop time and bring back some of the very best backstories.  If you haven't gone off in search of your own favorite throwbacks, take a minute and do yourself a favor - find an old pic and enjoy the look in your rearview mirror as you take a quick spin down Memory Lane.

Happy Throwback Thursday!

Intro by Skip Cohen

I've often referred to Facebook and social media as the mortar that holds the bricks together. I'm referring to those "bricks" of friendships with people we care about, but simply don't get to see often enough. No matter how bizarre the world is, social media helps us stay in touch with those special people.

While I had a 1979 throwback ready to go this morning, when I read David Anthony Williams' post. It was too good not to share. It's so well written and deserves to travel well beyond his FB page. My Polaroid shot from '79 will have to wait!

David closed with, "​I was somewhat comforted by thinking we don't really say 'Goodbye' forever, provided we live on in photographs and people's thoughts."

Please take the time to read his post below...then, take a few more minutes and think about that one person in your life who inspired you to be who you are today! Treat yourself to a few minutes and take a walk down Memory Lane.

Happy Throwback Thursday!

by David Anthony Williams
​
Well, that was harder than I thought...My sister was clearing out her attic/office of things related to family that she needed my input into. This concerned five 13x16 inch prints on 16x20 board of my dad - a Kodak Professional Markets exec - shot in Rochester in 1959 - on the brand-spanking new color negative film that he would later launch to the IAP in 1960.

They'd faded, the black & white had silvered on the edges. I was able to tag onto the end of a artwork shoot Ian van der Wolde was set up for (thanks mate a thousand times) who made files I could cover a stadium with.

I had presented many times on the heart-felt value of printed images and it really hit home as I cut up the originals for disposal. '....mounts are full of lingin', '..they're faded', 'there's multiple prints of the same image'....even the smell of them: storage, paper, faint whiff of chemical was tugging at me.

​All true. Still hard. I had to cut them face down.

One of the images had been in our family living room all of my life. Handling the prints bought back an almost electric connection that was highly emotional. I was saying 'Goodbye' all over again.

Coming back from shopping today, I happened past the street where dad spent his last couple of years - in a beautiful facility like a country club - full of kind and caring people. It is a building site. A massive excavation where the building used to be. Change is inevitable.

We carry 'them' with us in our heads. When we conjur the memories up - or they come unbidded - they come in the form of little 'film clips' like rackety 8mm lengths of film....prints with white borders carrying a date in someone's hands.

As we age and are less distracted by 'worklife' these memories and connections - I think - increase and behind it is the pain of loss that becomes a little less sharp year by year.

I was very pleased to know that the WW2 photographic of my dad's is in the Australian War Memorial, and much of the rest of his collection is in the Kodak collection in the museum in Victoria.

I was somewhat comforted by thinking we don't really say 'Goodbye' forever providing we live on in photographs and people's thoughts.

by Skip Cohen

This would have been the perfect post for Throwback Thursday, except I got busy with my new adventure into aging and Before They Take Away My Keys. I totally missed posting this yesterday. But there's nothing that says you can't enjoy a throwback whenever it's shared. And while I know I shared pieces of this post many years ago, it's too much fun not to bring back.

I was president of Hasselblad USA from 1987 - 1999, and early in 1988, we got a call from Cubby Broccoli's studio. They were looking for gear that "Q" could use to build a unique rifle for James Bond in License to Kill.

With help from Carl Claesson, then Hasselblad USA's Service Manager, and Don Snyder, Camera Repair Supervisor, we donated a beyond-repair camera body, magazine, and prism finder. "Q" had what he needed, adding other photographic gear to create the rifle. If I remember correctly, the barrel or stock was a carbon-fiber Gitzo tripod leg.

But my favorite part of this throwback story came just after the film had been released. At a Hasselblad press conference in NYC, introducing the newest camera at the time, we chose to kick off the event by showing the rifle, which was then on loan to us.

It took every ounce of control I had not to laugh as I announced Hasselblad's entrance into military weapons and its award of a government contract. After removing the A-12 magazine from the camera, I showed how it was loaded with six large-caliber, high-velocity rounds.

I was doing great until I made eye contact with my good buddy, Bob Panarella. Sitting right in front of him was one of the journalists, furiously taking notes. That was it - I cracked, along with Bob and most of the audience. 

The story behind the rifle continued...

In the late 80's and early 90's, Hasselblad Sweden produced an ad campaign featuring some of the finest photographers in the world. Each tag line started with "________________ shot __________________ with a Hasselblad." For example, I remember one of Paulina Poroskova photographed by Victor Skrebneski with just that caption.

Sitting in the office one day, somebody had an idea, probably Mark Rezzonico, to do a spoof and create the ad to the right.  The caption read:

MARK REZZONICO USED A HASSELBLAD TO SHOOT ERNST WILDI, WHO USED A HASSELBLAD TO SHOOT ALLEN ZIMMERMAN, WHO USED A HASSELBLAD TO SHOOT SKIP COHEN.

Mark Rezzonico was pretty close to the start of his career in professional photography.  Ernst Wildi wrote every Hasselblad manual and was an amazing photographer, author, and teacher. Al Zimmerman was Vice President of Hasselblad USA and took over as President when I left for other endeavors.

Al is holding the gun used in the movie, License to Kill. You can find anything on YouTube, and the clip from the scene is below.  

Today's post is a perfect example of the biggest side-benefit of sharing throwbacks: the fun of the backstories and trips down Memory Lane. They help us stay focused on the fun of being in this industry. A look in the rearview mirror is perfect for appreciating the view forward and the future.

Wishing everybody a terrific weekend ahead - and if you haven't done a little searching for some fun throwbacks of your own, take a minute or two and appreciate your past and how you got here.

​Happy Friday!

"All lasting business is built on friendship."
Alfred A. Montaper

by Skip Cohen

Over the last two weeks, we had the inside of our home painted -- every closet, wall, all the trim/moulding and ceiling throughout. One of the challenges to clean out before painting was the closet in my home office. Hanging from a shelf were two carabiner clips loaded with dozens of badges and lanyards.

Years ago, my dad came with me to a PPA convention. Every few minutes, I was introducing Dad to a friend or associate from the industry. I remember Dad saying to me, "Walking around that trade show with you is like walking with the Mayor!" We both laughed, but the truth is, all of us who have been in the industry a long time, know a lot of people. We've all been to the same conferences, rubber chicken dinners, retirement parties, and funerals, too.

The classic of the whole bunch and the oldest is WPI, 1989. It was my second conference in my role at Hasselblad, and before the association became WPPI. It was probably at the Rio or Tropicana at the time.

But what is it about all the badges in the shot above that prevents me from throwing them out?

It's such an easy answer...it's about memories and great friendships. While we can never go back, it's true that, whatever route our journey takes, Memory Lane is like a side access-road along a freeway. It's always there, reminding us of where we're going and, in this case, where we've been.

But here's one more fun aspect this Throwback Thursday - virtually every person I've known in the industry was at one time wearing one of those badges above. From meetings to dinners to late nights in a bar at the convention center, we've all been there. 

Throwback Thursday is always about memories, and while we all need to stay focused on the future, it's a kick to take a look in the rearview mirror now and then!

​Happy Throwback Thursday!​

by Skip Cohen

For me, the fun of Throwback Thursday is in the hunt for images. Lately, it's been tough to find anything new, but thanks to an old buddy, here's a shot I haven't shared.

Every year, PMDA (Photographic Manufacturers and Distributors Association) held at least two significant events. The group shot above is from the annual dinner. But that same year, or a year or two after, the shot on the right, was from the PMDA holiday party. It's a grab shot that my pal, Bob Nunn, sent me recently.

Bob was president of the association that year, and Jackie Augustine and I were vice-presidents. In the evening, we held a raffle for door prizes, which explains why I'm holding what appears to be an empty punch bowl. But the best part of the backstory concerns formal attire.

A bunch of us wanted to make the evening truly special. We got rid of the rubber-chicken dinner theme - it was rare to get a good meal for 250 people. We went with passed hors d'oeuvres and black tie. However, a few months before, in the Board meeting, we brought up the black tie idea, and I'll never forget Sam Fisher being furious - "I have a black tie, but I'm not wearing a tux!"  he screamed. He just didn't get the concept. We made it "black-tie optional" and the problem was solved!

If you haven't been on your hunt for throwbacks today, take the time. Old photographs have a way of reminding us of the incredible career path we all chose in imaging. And it doesn't matter what part of the business you're in - what a kick to know our industry helps the world capture memories!

​Happy Throwback Thursday!

by Skip Cohen

It's Throwback Thursday, and as I wandered through my archives, it hit me that some shows and trips stand out more than others. And like a fine wine, the memories get better with age!

WPPI 2007 was one of those shows that really stood out.  From the print competition to the speakers and judges to the programs on the trade show floor to the annual day-in-the-life book that Graphi Studio was putting together, it was a phenomenal event.

I pulled a few of my favorites above, especially anything with good buddy Bill Hurter, one of the very best editors in the business. Bill passed away in 2015, but his influence lives on. His legacy and reputation for quality and passion for imaging is legendary.

It's hard to believe it's been almost 20 years since these images were captured. Time definitely flies when you're having a good time! Meanwhile, have you done your own hunt of old photographs today? Take that trip down Memory Lane -- It'll help remind you of the value of photography and the magic of stopping time!

Happy Throwback Thursday!

by Skip Cohen

It's Marketing Monday, and here's one of your easiest (and most fun) tools for marketing your business in imaging...Throwback Thursday. I've written about #TBT many times in past posts, but it's time to drill down on more detail.

One of your biggest challenges is planting seeds of ideas with your clients. It's not easy setting yourself apart from the competition these days, but not because it's difficult. The challenge comes with so many opportunities, and many of you fall into "analysis paralysis." You're not sure where to start, and procrastination takes over, and you wind up doing very little.

These days we're all tuned into Throwback Thursday and sharing old images. You've seen me share industry stories and photographs we can all relate to. You're my readers, and most of you are seriously invested in imaging, but what about your readership and "Mom?"

For most of you, "Mom" is your target audience. Remember, 98% of the purchase decisions to hire a professional photographer in the portrait/social categories are made by women, and Mom is almost always involved. Throwback images can prompt Mom to consider an updated family portrait. We're into Spring seasonality, and then into the importance of capturing summer memories. It's the perfect time to remind your audience that it's time for an updated family portrait.

• Find six old photographs that relate to your business focus, and you'll have six weeks of throwback posts to share.
• Look for images that show changes in style. From clothes to hair and makeup to colors, there's so much out there to choose from.
• You can share throwback images everywhere. If you have a blog, it's the perfect topic. With or without a blog, you can share the photos on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest - wherever your target audience hangs out. You could also add a fun section to your website sharing older images.
• Add in a promotional offer - there's nothing wrong with tagging your throwback shares with a limited-time special offer. You've got their attention with an old photograph - now bring it all together. Close with an idea to update their family portrait and get them into your studio or on location.
• Offer a Legacy Program that uses still images and video to capture the stories your clients want to share with future generations. I've written a lot about this in past posts. If you're still stuck on how to do it, send me a DM on Facebook, and I'm happy to give you a hand.

What I love most about a Throwback Thursday approach is that it's so soft-sell, it's hard-sell without being in anybody's face. Plus, it works on just about any image, even a headshot campaign. Have fun with the old photos you share. Use them to show your sense of humor and how much fun you are to work with.

When you can make fun of yourself, you become that much more approachable and a stronger relationship builder. Plus, you're reminding "Mom" that the kids are growing up and that her family is changing. While we can't stop time, as a professional photographer, you can take time and turn it into a tangible memory and a perfect gift for any time of year!

by Skip Cohen

Although I shared this over eight years ago, I wanted to bring it back again. Why? Because there's so much we take for granted in education today. I'm pretty sure this was the very first program of its kind in imaging. It was thanks to the brilliance of Ed Pierce (front row, second from the end) and the trailblazers in the photograph with him.

Here's what so many of you don't know:

• ​This event actually led to the launch of PhotoVision, which many of you subscribed to over the years.
• There were four events in the series, with the smallest being 58 viewing locations and the largest at 80+.
• While some of the locations were in theaters, over half were in hotel ballrooms with satellite trucks. Just the logistics alone, which included a few snowstorms, was an incredible accomplishment.
• Ritz Camera had the studio for the production, but Ed Pierce had to help them rig it for the event.
• Each speaker was interviewed live during the event, followed by a 25-30 minute video of them working/teaching, then back to the speaker live again.
• There was a full panel of operators standing by to field phone-in questions for the speakers - much like a telethon.
• The program consisted of 8 hours of live content for each event.

This is where it all started! There wasn't ANY online programming at the time. There were no webinars; even YouTube wouldn't be founded for almost close to ten more years!

But this is another fun aspect of Throwback Thursday. While in one respect I can't believe how old I am to have been around for this stuff, on the other hand, I couldn't be more proud to have been a very small part of it. Hasselblad was one of the sponsors, and Tony Corbell and I flew to Washington, D.C. and were in the audience all day at the live event.

It's hard to imagine a more fun trip down Memory Lane when it comes to photography. To Royce Chenore for sharing so many years ago - thank you again! And to my old buddy Ed Pierce, you're the one who blazed this trail into video education and helped change so many lives in photography!

Happy Throwback Thursday!
​
About the photograph above:

Here's a fun quality of Facebook. The image above was shared on Royce Chenore's page back around 2017. I shared it once before, but it was so long ago, and significant, that I wanted to share it again.

Royce originally wrote:

This is Circa 1995... it was a publicity photo for the "PORTRAIT 2000" teleconference.... this was in the VERY early days of "electric imaging" now called digital retouch... the photographers submitted "selfies" on FILM of all formats brands and speeds....(selfie...another term that didn't exist) and ACI composited them into one image.... this was EXTREMELY INNOVATIVE AT THE TIME!! Feel free to share and tag others if you wish....

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

by Skip Cohen

David Anthony Williams and I have been friends for a long time, going back to both Hasselblad days and then mostly through my days working at Rangefinder Magazine and WPPI. In 2004, he received WPPI's Lifetime Achievement Award. Besides being a WPPI icon for so many years, nobody's more genuine than David. He was caught completely off guard, and the emotions just flowed.

But this fun little tribute this morning isn't just about David, but the thousands of grab-shots we all have in prints, negatives, files on our computers, and especially our phones.

​A few weeks ago, I shared a large group of headshots of industry members from when they were seniors. For a second round in a few weeks, I put out a request for more artists to share their senior shots, and David had some fun with it. He shared a shot of himself as a teenager, then included a series of images from his growing up.

I'm saving his teenager shot for the next post of industry artists in their high school days, but the collection David sent over is too much fun not to share. It doesn't matter whether you know David or not; my point is the power of the grab-shots in our lives that tell our story.

Think about all the images you have from when you were a kid...pull a couple at random and then take a walk down Memory Lane and think about the stories they bring back. We're an industry that helps people capture memories. Over and over again, old photographs take us back to good times and yes, even bad times, but they prove the point that a picture really is worth a thousand words.

I've got a big request: how about some of you sending me 2-3 shots that tell a little of your story when you were a kid? No matter how old you are today, life was so much simpler back then, but no less relevant or contributing to who you are today. Send them as a DM on Facebook or email me.

Thanks, David! I miss ya buddy - we share so many great friends and memories!

Happy Throwback Thursday!

* I know I've shared this quote dozens of times, but I have yet to read one better that talks about the value of photographs!

by Skip Cohen

It was 2008, and Scott Sheppard, who sadly passed away several years ago, interviewed me about WPPI's programming. And while it's a little long and definitely not in focus like it should have been, it's a kick to think back to the days when we were at Paris and Bally's. This was the year before the move to MGM, which continued to grow, as we took over the entire hotel, including the Garden Arena.

But part of the fun of an 18-year-old video like this is the location. We were in the back hall of Bally's that led to many of the conference rooms. As Scott and I are talking, check out the people walking by. I spotted Arlene Evans, and later Bill Hurter on his "golf cart."

Also, the Young Guns program I mentioned was highlighted in a previous Throwback Thursday post. Here's the link.
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If you haven't been to any of the major conferences in professional imaging, put them down on your calendar for the months and years ahead. A great conference isn't just about what you can learn, but the people you'll meet and your ability to expand your network.

​These days, a great network is invaluable!

by Skip Cohen

​Several years ago, I started collecting senior headshots from artists in our industry. Since it's Throwback Thursday, my favorite day of the week, I'm pulling last year's "seniors" from the SCU archives, but releasing a new batch in a few weeks. So, if I've missed your high school senior shot, send it my way - you know how to find me. Just send me a DM on Facebook with the shot.

As we enter graduation season for 2026, enjoy the walk down Memory Lane. The who's who is at the bottom of the page, but see how many you can get before sneaking a peek!

And if the senior market is part of your business, definitely catch the Spring promotion at Marathon on grad cards. Marketing to seniors hasn't slowed down. However, to be successful, photographing seniors requires a different skill set from when so many of us were seniors. 

​A great senior session today is about connecting with the subject, capturing their personality, and combining it with maximum creativity. If you're interested in the senior market, the first thing you need to do is ensure you've got the skill set, but not just with your camera. You need solid communication skills and the ability to build a relationship with your subject.​

For many seniors, this may be their first time working with a professional photographer. They're as nervous about getting a portrait done as they are in dealing with some of their own self-esteem issues. That means your listening and conversational skills must be as good as your understanding of exposure, composition, and lighting!

Remember, too, what the class of 2026 has gone through. They were all in junior high through the pandemic. And today, they're dealing with the same challenges and worries we have as adults, but with very little control over their own destiny. That alone is reason to celebrate graduation and the next steps in their future with a grad card that emphasizes optimism and good news.

Marathon Press is an SCU sponsor, but my relationship with them grew out of respect for everything they do for the industry. It's a friendship that's lasted over 30 years, dating back to the first book I co-authored with Don Blair. They've got a special on gold foil treatment of grad cards. Click on either banner for more information.

Meanwhile, congratulations to the class of 2026 and all the outstanding artists pushing the creative envelope in capturing their personalities!

While I've shared this a couple of times over the years, with WPPI 2026 having just ended a few weeks ago, it's time to bring it back one more time.

Here's the short backstory - it was the opening program at WPPI in 2008. Each artist above was a "young gun," setting the standard for some amazing creativity in imaging and business. While a few have disappeared from the active photography scene over the years, most of the group is still setting the standard for excellence in business, education, and art.

My favorite moment was Mike Larson doing his then state-of-the-art risk-taking moment...he'd put his Canon on the self-timer and toss it 12-15 feet in the air, capture an image, and catch the camera on the way down. Hopefully, today he's using a drone! Back then, it was a bold and risky move, but what a kick to watch.

I recently found the video below, which Bill Hurter put together as the intro for that evening's program. It shows some of the work by each artist at the time.

So, how many artists do you recognize in the shot?

Wishing everybody a terrific Throwback Thursday and time to go off searching for memory-making moments that make you smile! Seriously, take the time - old photographs are an outstanding way to remember the value of imaging and a career field like no other!

​Note: Photo Credit - I'm pretty sure it was thanks to Kenny Kim

by Skip Cohen

I was proud to be a writer for Shutter Magazine when it first started. I wrote for them for at least six years. For each article, the authors were required to submit a short video related to the story. I knew that I had to make each video memorable.

Well, it's Throwback Thursday, and I'm pulling the video below out of the archives. (I know I shared it a few years ago, but it's too much fun to not share again!) My topic that month was the importance of diversity. I was playing off an old Kodak study that I don't believe has changed since it was conducted over 30 years ago. The hierarchy of why people hire a professional photographer in the portrait/social categories goes brides, babies, and pets.

by Skip Cohen

​After so many years of sharing Throwback Thursday images, it's getting harder to share anything new. So, while I've shared a lot over the years about our winter trips into Yellowstone, since we're in the first week of Spring and things are warming up, why not go back to a few cold days in Montana and Wyoming?

For ten years, going back to February/March in the early 90s, Duncan MacNab organized a snowmobile trip. It started with four of us and grew to 25 "knuckleheads", mostly from the photographic industry. The collection above is from a few different trips over the years.

Everyone knows the expression, " He who dies with the most toys wins." Well, we used to say that Duncan, years before he passed away, had already won. He clearly had the most toys, including a gas grill on runners. On one trip, he towed it up to 8000 feet and grilled cheeseburgers!

But my point for this Throwback Thursday isn't so much about the trips as about the memories, thanks to an industry we love deeply. The hardest part of aging is losing friends...but the best part comes with all the memories, enhance and maintained by photography. Every image brings back moments from the past, as vivid as if they happened yesterday.

In 2016, we were fly-fishing in Montana and caught up to Duncan and Chris one night for dinner in Bozeman. Although the three of us hadn't been together in close to 20 years, it was as if the last conversation ended with a comma - all the jabs and jokes started flowing immediately.

Think about it for just a second - what would the world be like without photography? How dull would life be without photographs that bring with them incredible memories, even when they're bittersweet?

If you're relatively new to the industry, take the time to think about the "magic" you possess with the simple click of the shutter. You're in the business of helping people turn the intangible into memories they can hold in their hands and share for a lifetime. That's an incredible responsibility and your clients deserve the very best of your skills.

And to my good buddy Dunc - sure do miss ya, pal! Thanks to you, so many of us have great memories and stories that continue to make us laugh. We got to see a part of the world, Yellowstone in winter, a sight that few people will ever experience. Put a Yellowstone winter together with the humor and creativity from some of the finest photographers in the industry, and the memories redefine the meaning of the word joy.

I know I've promised in previous posts to stop using this quote by Jodi Picoult, but there's none better:​

Happy Throwback Thursday!

by Skip Cohen

It's 17 years ago today that I decided to resign as president of WPPI and Rangefinder Publishing and start my own business. It was 2009, we were in a recession, and just about everyone thought I was nuts. Well, in a way I was...I was tired of fighting with the owner of WPPI and didn't agree with how he treated the team. One of the things I learned along the way in my career, which more managers need to remember...your people are your most valuable resource, NOT what you do or sell.

Speaking of looking back, the two videos below are favorites of mine—though honestly, they're also the only two I could find this morning!

Each summer, some of the speakers helped promote Skip's Summer School. Still, a classic and one of my favorites was thanks to a good friend, Jerry Ghionis. The first video below was in promotion of the 2011 program, and nobody does it better than Jerry!

The second video was put together by another good buddy, Adam Sherwin and the team from Resource Magazine who that year was a sponsor of the event.

The challenge of doing a program like this each summer became incredibly labor-intensive. And with so many online programs getting started back then, along with other workshops, 2013 was the program's last year. We then expanded the SCU blog with a stronger online presence, guest posts, and podcasts.

Reflecting on those summers, I realize how fortunate I've been in this industry, with a journey that's never slowed down. Working alongside talented artists throughout these programs has fueled my growth; their patience, style, and individual contributions have shaped both our industry and my life in immeasurable ways.

My opening quote from Alfred Lord Tennyson above says it all. We're all connected, and everybody we meet becomes a thread in the fabric that makes us who we are!

Happy Throwback Thursday!