Hear Me Out...

by Skip Cohen

I get accused of being a little out there on a pretty regular basis, but I want you to watch this short video from Outback Steakhouse. I found it when I went to their site last night to order carryout. It's under sixty seconds and although I've never been a big fan of sweets, I wanted one of these mini-milkshakes the minute I watched the video.

Okay, now watch it again. What if you had sixty seconds to do a video of your own, literally showing how you put a story together from a wedding, a senior shoot, a family portrait session or a day-in-the-life kids shoot?

Outback is playing off of your taste buds. Well, why can't you play off of your client's heart strings? Why not open your heart and talk about the ingredients that go into photographing a wedding? It starts with everyone getting to know each other. Then comes an engagement shoot that sets the stage for the romance of the story.  Then comes getting ready for that big day, the event itself, the reception and finally your delivery of a product that exceeds expectations, a stunning album. The album is the "milk shake" only bigger, better and it lasts for a life time.

The ingredients you're showing are your stunning choice of albums, with books laid out the same way Venice Album has them in their booth at any major convention. You've also got some big prints on the table. Maybe you're signing one as a gift for the bride and groom. Throughout this entire story you're talking about the passion you have for capturing the human spirit and even your skill set to make sure you don't miss the most important memories.

I know this is a little out there, but all of you have the ability to tell a story like this. It might not be a milkshake, but it takes the same style to tell the story. Plus, hybrid technology is changing the products and services you can now deliver to every client.

If you need help, yes, this is a plug - At SCU, Suzette Allen is teaching a hybrid class and you'll leave with most of the tools you need to create your own business video. Panasonic's LUMIX team will be there for all four days of SCU's programming and they're helping to underwrite the cost for you to attend with a $200 partial scholarship. Plus, Photodex is making it even sweeter...just check out this recent blog post from their site.

Right now you've got the most creative tools in the history of photography, but they won't do you any good if you don't use them. You can either be in the parade or stay on the sidelines and watch it go by. Let's get you in the parade!