"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.
​
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! 

by Skip Cohen
​
It's my favorite day of the week for posting--Throwback Thursday. Today, I'm using a 1929 photo of my Dad's first grade class and my third-grade class to introduce a key suggestion for 2026: build a more diverse business through a formal legacy program. If you aren't offering one, consider starting now.

Going through an album of old photographs, I found the one above. My Dad is in the top right corner. Dad grew up in Cleveland, and this would have been shot right at the beginning of the Great Depression.

Just to further make the point, I want to include this class shot from third grade. I'm highlighted on the right, my wife, Sheila, on the lower left. We actually met in second grade and went all through school together, right up to our senior year in high school. We were never good friends and barely knew each other until 40+ years later.

by Skip Cohen

It's my favorite day of the week, and I'm turning back the clock to a trip to New York for Photo Plus East in 2009. I picked four of my favorites from the stash to make a very specific point - some of the very best memories are made catching up with friends at conventions. Sure, we go for the education and networking, but there's that very special aspect of "fun" that jumps in and never fades in the years following.

Remember "fun?" It's a special word that these days is lost in the challenges of business, the economy, and sadly, politics and the news. But even on the most stressful days, looking back at old photographs brings some great backstories bubbling to the surface and out from under the "baggage" that wears us down.

What made this show so special for me that trip was that it was the first time I went to a convention with NOTHING to do except enjoy the show and catch up to friends. It was just after leaving Rangefinder Publishing and WPPI. I wasn't speaking or teaching, had no booth assignment, and it was Sheila's first "real" trip to NYC.

Sheila and I had moved in together in May of 2009, and PPE was in October. The day started with catching up to Tony Corbell and Nick Vedros, and enough time for a fast super-hero pose, perfected by Vedros himself. Then we caught good buddy Matthew Jordan Smith on the convention floor and finished one of the days with Tony for sushi and a walk through Times Square.

If you haven't gone off on the hunt for throwback photographs, grab a coffee and take a few minutes. Old photographs remind us of great friendships, the important role photography plays in everyone's life, and backstories that just make us smile!

Happy Throwback Thursday! 

by Skip Cohen

It's Throwback Thursday, and after so many years of weekly posts, it's getting harder to find images and stories I haven't already published. In fact, I started this post revisiting a 2010 series of portraits of me, Sheila, and Molly the Wonder Dog, (at the right) captured by Clay Blackmore. But after checking my older posts, I found I'd already shared them a couple of times.

But here's the fun of Throwback Thursday: old photographs take us on an almost magical trip down Memory Lane.

Ever had a friend who's been around for so many years that you can't remember when he or she wasn't in your life? Well, Clay is one of those people!

As I started digging through older posts and online albums in my archives, Clay kept showing up. For example, whether he was teaching, helping us with the Hasselblad "Hot Stuff" campaign, photographing the great sushi battle, or capturing an in-booth portrait of the Hasselblad team, we've worked together on so many different projects/events.

Clay and I first met in the late 80s, when I joined Hasselblad USA. Clay was working with Monte Zucker, and my role at Hasselblad had brought Don Blair into my life. Monte and Don were two of the most recognized portrait artists/educators in the industry.  They had a profound influence on so many artists in the industry, especially on Clay and me.  

Here's my point today: The best thing about our industry has nothing to do with photography directly, but rather the friendships that come from everyone's mutual love for the craft. Over the years, I've been repeatedly inspired by Clay and the way he grew into one of the most diverse, talented, and giving artists in imaging.

I know it sounds sappy, but this industry is a family. We share so many of the same challenges, watch each other's back, and if you're in a bind and need help, there's always someone you can call.  Throwbacks help us stay grounded and are like an emotional multi-vitamin when you need a lift!

And to my buddy Clay... you and I have talked over the years about how Monte enriched your life, and how Don enriched mine. It's a kick knowing they're both watching over us right now. What an incredible journey it continues to be!

Happy Throwback Thursday!

by Skip Cohen

It's Throwback Thursday, and a great time to share one of the "almost lost" podcasts with my good buddy Scott Bourne. But there's a throwback story to tie in with the podcast series. Scott and I launched the podcasts in 2010 as we worked on our book, GoingPro, published in 2011. However, we actually met for the first time many years earlier.

In 1998, Hasselblad introduced the XPpan, a 35mm panoramic camera. As the industry magazines picked up the story, I got a call one day from one of the publishers. She was looking for images captured by a photographer outside the Hasselblad staff. I sent her a package of images I'd just recently received from a photographer I had never met, Scott Bourne. Our paths wouldn't cross again for another decade.

In 2009, after resigning from Rangefinder Publishing and WPPI, my first project was to launch Skip's Summer School, (center photograph above). It was a three-day workshop series in Las Vegas, and I was looking for speakers. Somebody suggested I talk to Scott Bourne. Twitter was still in its infancy, but Scott was leading the pack with 25,000 followers. That was an extraordinary number at the time. 

It was a few weeks later that Scott refreshed my memory and told me the story, going back to XPan. He brought up how our friendship got started in the podcast below. It's a perfect example of a topic that's one of your greatest marketing tools - relationship building.

If you're stuck finding ideas to help you with relationship building, I just recently shared a blog post on the concept. It's just a click away.

As I wandered through my archives, I pulled a few pictures from projects Scott and I worked on together. I've learned so much from him over the years, and what a kick to now be old farts and still be in touch!

When was the last time you took a moment and thought about the backstories you share with people who have been key supporters in your career?  Throwback Thursday is a great time to take a few minutes to savor those memories from the past, especially with people who came into your life and became "family."

Brian Chalker wrote: "People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime."  In our case, Scott and I came into each other's lives for a reason, that's become a lifetime.

​Happy Throwback Thursday!

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

​A year or two back, I promised to stop using the Jodi Picoult quote, but there isn't a better one when it comes to looking back. The group above comprises many of the finest artists and educators in the photographic industry.

​I shared the image in 2020, but with WPPI coming up next month, the timing couldn't be better for a walk down Memory Lane once again. Alan Karlin sent me two small albums many years ago. They were filled with his shots from WPPI 2004, and this one is a classic. Click on the image to view it a little larger in the SCU Lightbox!

This group shot is most of the instructors/speakers at WPPI 2004, and it's a stellar crew. These artists blazed a trail of influence for so many photographers today. Sadly, there are at least six who have passed away since Alan clicked the shutter, but that doesn't change the impact they had on so many of us.

How many do you recognize?

​Happy Throwback Thursday!

by Skip Cohen

I know I've shared this several times over the past 17 years of blogging, but given the current political climate, there are a lot of politicians who have managed to hold this position. And regardless of which side of the fight you're on, this is the way everybody on the "other" side seems to be perceived.

Here's the backstory on the shot, because it was all BEFORE digital!

Having spent my entire adult life in the photographic industry, I always try to be sensitive to copyright issues. I first saw the photo above on the Internet over twenty-five years ago. A few years back, I wanted to share it in a post and decided to research who owned it.

Google makes it impossible for anything or anyone to hide for very long. Searching for the copyright holder, I found that Davidson & Company, out of Atlanta, owned the image. It took a little time to explain to one of their staff, who had no idea what I was talking about. Think about how it sounded answering the phone and hearing, "I'm trying to track down the company that owns the right to the shot of a guy with his head up his butt. Are you the Davidson & Company that owns it?"

A few minutes later, I was on the phone with Ken Davidson, and not only did he give me the okay to use it, but he also shared a little of the backstory. The story adds to my appreciation for the journey so many of us have been on in this industry. The image was shot on film and manipulated with conventional retouching. It was created for a commercial client in the late 1980s!

If you visit the Davidson & Company website, on their About page, you'll see a number of testimonial quotes, all with a few common denominators: "extraordinary service, trust, Customer Service, quality, consistency," and the list goes on. They're a company that's stayed on course with their original goal—establishing a reputation as one of the very best! Taking time to talk with me about the image is a great example of going beyond the usual support for an inquiry like the one I was making.

A BIG thanks to Ken for allowing me to use the image, which he described as one of the most ripped-off shots in photography!

PS These people are professionals—do not try this at home. Any similarities to today's political personalities are absolutely intentional!

by Skip Cohen

Yesterday I shared the first of what I had thought were lost recordings of podcasts from the GoingPro project, which Scott Bourne and I started in 2010. But scrolling through more Dropbox files, I found more great memories with a series of images, all thanks to Tony Amat.

Skip's Summer School ran for 3 1/2 days every summer from 2009 - 2013, but in March of 2013, we ran the GoingPro Bootcamp at the Hampton Inn in Las Vegas, just two days before WPPI. The pictures in the collage above are all in the album below.

What a kick to take this walk down Memory Lane and friendships that last a lifetime! The images in the collage above are all in the slideshow below - check it out - you'll definitely spot a few well-known faces in photography.

If you haven't taken the time yet today to hunt down some of your own throwbacks, grab a coffee, open some of your older files and start strolling down Memory Lane. Throwbacks are a great way to remind ourselves of the power of photography and the way they bring back memories!  Each throwback photograph unlocks a collection of backstories you've probably forgotten. There's very little in this world that beats the power of imaging!

Happy Throwback Thursday!

by Skip Cohen

The expression about diving your plan comes from scuba diving. Your time underwater is valuable and limited, so you always want to make the most of it. The same thing applies to any convention or workshop you're headed to in the months ahead. You want to maximize your investment and get the most out of every trip.

It's Throwback Thursday, so I thought I'd have some fun with convention shots over the last ten years. And I'm combining my "albums" with a post out of the SCU archives to help you get the most out of every conference you attend, starting with IUSA next week. ​ Check out more photographs below.

1. Why are you going to this convention? It might sound like a stupid question, but some of you go to party, others to buy, and more of you to learn and network. Figure out what the most important thing is you want to get out of the show before you get there.
2. Check the weather forecast wherever you're headed! It's pretty obvious we've aggravated Mother Nature this year around the country. You're going to be out in the evening, so pack accordingly. I know this seems so basic, but I'm amazed at how many people never check a couple of days before.
3. What companies do you need to visit? Take a few minutes and look around your office, studio, or the trunk of your car. Isolate every product you use as a photographer and list its manufacturer. Now, look at every company whose services you use. Your lab, frame company, web design, album company, etc., should all be on the list. Your first goal BEFORE you get to the show is to isolate every company that's involved in your business. ​Here's the link to the IUSA list for next week.
4. New products and companies: Are there products you need for your business or new services you require?  For example, you've read posts about Marathon's Bella Art Prints and Albums here on the SCU blog. Make it a point to stop by Marathon (booth 347) to check out their complete product line and services.
5. Walk through the print exhibit. This is a terrific time to get a feel for imaging trends, as you'll see just about everything in the prints submitted for competition.
6. Walk the trade show, aisle by aisle! One of the best things about any convention is finding out about companies you may not have worked with before! Start in one corner of the show and work your way through EVERY company exhibiting, even if they're showing products you don't use.
7. Wear comfortable shoes!
8. Make plans for breakfast and dinner meetings NOW. Nothing beats time with old friends, as well as new ones. Never eat a meal alone! When it comes to dinner reservations, they don't come easy in any convention town, especially like a venue like the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. If you're heading out for dinner, it helps to know where and when you're going. Think about making a couple of reservations in advance, even if you don't know who you'll be having dinner with!
9. Update your phone book! Make sure you have the cell numbers for friends and associates you want to catch up with. There are few things as frustrating as wanting to meet somebody at a convention, but you've got no way to contact them.
10. Put the "social" into social media. So many of you have friends you talk to all the time online, but have never met in person. You hang out in various forums with them and share a lot of great discussions about photography. Check who's going to the convention you're headed to and set up a time to get together. It's a lot of fun to physically meet people whom you've talked to regularly, but only in cyberspace!
11. Check out the special programming going on in the various booths.
12. You snooze, you lose! Look, I was young and stupid once, too, and there are few things as fun as going out with friends and bar-hopping. However, you're at the show for a reason, and if you need to sleep in late the following morning, your evening out with friends might become the most expensive BAD investment you can make if you miss appointments or presentations you had planned to attend.
13. "Growth only happens outside your comfort zone!" Review the programming and decide in advance which speakers you want to hear. Plus, always pick at least 1-2 programs entirely out of your comfort zone. 
14. Call your insurance agent! If you're taking any serious gear with you, check to make sure you're adequately insured. I remember one year, a woman left all her camera gear in her room but didn't check to make sure the door closed completely when she went out for dinner. Everything was gone when she got back, and she was NOT covered by her insurance. Another photographer had two lenses lifted out of his camera bag while he was listening to a presentation.
15. Publish a couple of press releases! Let's talk about those pictures you're taking while at the show - use them for your own publicity campaign. For example, let's assume you want to expand your business and you're attending a few programs outside your comfort zone. Get a photo of you and the speaker, then write a short post about expanding your business into that new area of expertise. The same goes for any new equipment you might be considering buying at the show. A large-format printer, for example, would be a great topic for expanding your services to the community. In the same respect, working with a new lab would give you access to new products to talk about.
16. Utilize their assets without depleting yours! Get yourself approved for a leasing or a higher credit line before you leave for the convention. If you're going there to shop for new gear, it's so much easier when you know what you can afford before you hit the trade show floor.
17. Talk to the people around you when you attend any program. A photography convention is unique because you're all there for the same reasons. Make it a point to get to know the people sitting on either side of you. It's amazing what you can learn by just talking to each other.
18. Talk to the icons! I'm always amazed by how many of you are intimidated by your favorite photographers. The truth is, they're there to teach and meet other photographers interested in their work. Just walk up, introduce yourself, and thank them for whatever inspiration they've given you. They don't bite!
19. Analysis Paralysis: Take time at the end of each day, before your head hits the pillow, to do a quick overview of who you saw, what you learned, and what companies you can scratch off your list. If you wait until you get home after the convention, it will be too late!

The one thing I find most frustrating with attendees at a big convention is that they just haven't planned their trip. They got their tickets and made it to Nashville or Vegas, but then everything fell apart. Plan your experience so you're not wasting time and, even more important, your money.

Like the main rule in scuba diving...Plan your dive, dive your plan!

by Skip Cohen

It's Throwback Thursday, and I'm not sure if it's a takeoff on an old episode of Dr. Who or Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Either way, it's a sci-fi return to 30+ years ago, and what I love most about time travel.

Today's subject is prompted by the "bone-chilling" 65-degree weather here in Florida, along with my good buddy, Glen Clark.

First, it's true that the longer you live in a warm climate like Florida, the thinner your blood gets. The cold weather this week hardly compares to growing up in Ohio, and the cold up north today. Nevertheless, when it drops below seventy, I start pulling out the sweatshirts and flannel! 

Second, in the process of moving many years ago, Glen was cleaning out his garage and found the two sweatshirts on the right. He sent them to me, along with a few other souvenirs of time gone by, and they went on a shelf in my closet. The white shirt still had the tags on it. When I pulled them out to wear yesterday, it really felt like time travel back to the 90s, when we started Hasselblad University.

I know I've written about this before, but here's the short backstory: I was president of Hasselblad USA from 1987 to 1999. Sometime in '93, I came into the office one morning furious. Mamiya America, our number one competitor, had done an ad congratulating Annie Leibovitz on her new exhibit. It didn't come out and say she was a Mamiya shooter, but the inference was obvious. So, I started thinking - what could we do that would pull together all the great names, then using Hasselblad.

The answer was to launch two different weekend workshop programs, one in Santa Barbara at Brooks Institute, the other in Rochester at RIT. The instructors at both locations were among the finest and most recognized artists in imaging. However, the program was a dismal failure. Nobody wanted to go to Rochester, although there was plenty of interest in Santa Barbara; we underestimated the popularity the weekend before Labor Day. Room rates were absurd. In the end, we quietly canceled both workshops.

But, this is where the expression about a "silver lining" comes into play. The Hasselblad University logo, designed by our ad agency, Kalmar Ad/Marketing, won a couple of awards. It later became the brand symbol for everything we did in education, which then evolved into road shows with 3-4 speakers and 4-6 cities per series. It also became home for Tony Corbell, who joined us as the first and only Dean of Hasselblad University.

by Skip Cohen

​It's hard to believe it's been over sixteen years since I started blogging. It's Throwback Thursday, and it's fun to go back to one of my earlier posts, especially when it's a post about somebody EVERY photographer should know about. Last week, I mentioned Mary Ellen Mark in one of my posts. Digging around my archives, I came across the video interview with Mary Ellen Mark from Profoto's Icon Series many years ago. It's a video EVERY photographer should be required to watch.

​I met Mary Ellen in 1987, back in my Hasselblad days, and even had the honor of presenting her with "Photographer of the Year" at a PMDA dinner in the 90s. Sadly, she passed away ten years ago, but her spirit, love for imaging, and influence are still very much alive.

In a podcast I did with her around 2010, I asked her to explain why she has students shut off their LCD screens during her workshops. She talks about this in the video below: When we look at the screen and think we've got the shot, we let go of the scene, when in reality, there might still be more to happen. How do we know we captured the decisive moment if we've accepted what we already have? 

For example, many wedding photographers might see a scene: Grandma giving her granddaughter, the bride, a kiss on the cheek. The photographer sees the shot, clicks the shutter, might do a quick "chimp," and then moves on. But the best image might still be coming, and the tear rolling down Grandma's cheek was missed. But had the artist stayed focused on the scene for just a few more seconds, the photograph would have been incredible!

by Skip Cohen

It's my favorite day of the week, Throwback Thursday. While I've shared the challenge of posing tall grooms and short brides in the past, this morning in my hunt for old photographs, the print below came up, followed by a set of 5x5 proofs from the original shoot for the book, "Don Blair's Guide to Lighting and Posing Body Parts."

Talking about 5x5 proofs is a throwback all in itself. So, for those of you who grew up exclusively with digital, everything used to be shot on film. Once developed we'd get a set of printed proofs for the initial viewing. From those proofs, the final images, whether for a stand alone print or an album would be selected.

Here's the backstory:

Don Blair and I wrote a book together in the 90s that covered most of the biggest challenges of portrait photography. From hand-posing to kids with braces, to subjects wearing glasses, masculine and feminine posing, etc. - It covered just about everything, including tall grooms and short brides.

We shot all the images for the book in Las Vegas with local models so that when the book launched a year later at WPPI, we could use the actual models from the book for our program. Body Parts was the opening event for the convention that year.

The two pictures at the top were examples of how people typically pose couples with a height difference - he was 6'4" and she was under 5'. Don wanted to get people to think outside the box! His favorite pose for this kind of combination was to seat them on the floor and create one of his signature bridal portraits.

During the two-hour keynote program, we went through at least a half-dozen challenges from the book. "Big Daddy" was in his glory every step of the way. The final poses scanned from the page in the actual book are to the right.

Besides the fun and importance of bringing back old photographs for a walk down Memory Lane, think about your own skill set and how you've grown as an artist over the years. Next, think about the responsibility you have to your subjects. They're trusting you to meet their expectations and deliver your very best! That's what we wanted when we put the book together: to help portrait artists deliver their very best!

If you haven't taken the time today to wander through your own files and search for throwbacks, don't miss the opportunity. I think you'll be surprised at how much you've grown. You might even find a few throwbacks to help direct you to where you'd like to go next in terms of style and technique.

Happy Throwback Thursday!

In every Alzheimer’s story, there is also a love story.
Hold on to yours, for it can carry you and your loved one through the longest days and darkest nights.
Rosalys Peel, “Mike and Me”

by Skip Cohen

​It's one of my favorite days of the week, Throwback Thursday. While my post today connects to the tragedy of Alzheimer's, it's photography that counters the pain. It's all those old photographs that make me smile and remind me of all the good times before my mother started her battle with the disease.

The best throwbacks are often those grab shots. They capture moments from the past, transporting us back to a time far less complicated. The fun of Throwback Thursday for me is the hunt. I went back through hundreds of images, often reliving each smile, laugh, and stretch of joy that, back then, was the norm. 

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm honored to be a contributor to the Alzheimer's Association newsletter for Florida. The posts I write for them are all connected to things we learned in dealing with my mother's battle. 

These days, and it's only going to become more prevalent, everyone knows somebody dealing with the horrible disease. There are an estimated 7.2 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease as of 2025. This represents about 1 in 9 people aged 65 and older. The number of cases is expected to rise to 12.7 million by 2050. 

My most recent post is below, but here's the link to the complete newsletter, with not only my previous posts but also content shared by others experiencing the challenge of Alzheimer's.

The You’re Not Alone series is all about sharing our experiences in dealing with my mother’s Alzheimer’s. My mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all had the disease, so I’ve seen it from all angles. If you can learn from the mistakes we made, then you’ve got room to make new ones of your own. The one point to remember is that you’re not alone.

As Mom’s Alzheimer’s progressed, she became more and more focused on misperceptions. She was like a dog with a bone when she got an idea in her head. In the beginning, I wasted so much time trying to convince her that what she was feeling or thinking was wrong.

My wife, Sheila, on the other hand, would just go along with it and agree with whatever was on Mom’s mind. Then she’d steer her in another direction with a diversion—something to change the subject and distract her.
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• We were in the car on our way to St. Armands Circle one evening when Mom pointed out at least ten times, “That’s Longboat Key over there.” Finally, Sheila asked, “What’s so special about Longboat Key?” Mom paused and said, “You know, I just don’t know.” That was it—the topic was off her mind, and we moved on.
• On another evening, Sheila caught Mom crying. When she asked why, Mom replied, “What’s going to happen to all my things?” It took seconds to put a smile on Mom’s face when Sheila told her, “We love your things. We’ll take care of them.” Just like that, the crisis was over.
• My mother grew up in my grandfather’s neighborhood hardware store. One night, Mom went into panic mode. Even though my grandparents and the store had been gone for more than 30 years, Mom was frantic. “Dad asked me to lock up, and I don’t think I locked the door to the store!” We just went with it: “No problem at all—Skip’s over there now and just locked up.”

Insulating Mom from the challenges of the outside world also became a necessity. For example, a headline story about violence in the newspaper would send her into a state of fear. The same thing would happen if she saw anything violent on television. Whatever she saw became her reality.

We didn’t realize it at the time, but we were slowly building an inventory of things Mom loved. This became our “happy stash” of distractions for when Mom was most emotional. Coming up with diversions became an art form, and nobody did it better than Sheila.

Here’s my point today: whatever the challenge, don’t argue with your loved one or patient. If you push that button too many times, they’ll withdraw and simply quit talking.

I noticed a distinct difference in how my mother reacted when Sheila came into the room compared with other family members. There was no need for a disciplinarian, but there was a need to keep things on an even keel—with a level of pleasant positivity in our content, tone, and approach to any challenge.
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The key to it all, as simplistic as it sounds, was love and kindness.

Wishing everybody a terrific Throwback Thursday! If you haven't taken the time to search for some of your own throwbacks, stop what you're working on and chase down a few memories. Imaging is the mortar that holds all our memory "bricks" together.