​by Skip Cohen

​I'm sticking with the "clean up" theme with another short list of ideas - this time for your blog. While social media reach constantly changes, a good blog can still help you inspire your target audience. Like "Subliminal Man" on an old episode of SNL, it's the perfect time to plant the seeds of ideas for the holidays.

But a good blog has to be relatable for your readership. Here are a few tips to clean up the process:
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• "Mom" Appeal: For most of you, your target audience is "Mom." Women make 98% of the purchase decisions to hire a professional photographer in the portrait/social categories. Your content needs to appeal to Mom, but so does the look and feel of your blog. 
• Gift Ideas: Share ideas on things to do with photographs. From frames to albums to canvas and prints, technology has made the choices to suggest virtually unlimited. I've written this before - photography is the perfect gift idea.
• Make Your Audience Better Artists: There are things you do daily as a photographer that you take for granted. Help your audience better capture images of their family - even if it's just with a cell phone. 
• Throwback Thursday: Use your throwback images to remind your audience how fast the kids are growing up and how their family is changing. 
• Be Consistent: Consistency is crucial in building readership, and if you find yourself blogging every full moon, you're better off shutting off the blog entirely and coming back when you can make the commitment it deserves.
• Build a Stash: Every post doesn't have to be done in real time. Build a stash of posts you can use, and then don't relaunch your blog until you've got 12-15 posts ready to go and in the pipeline. Then, alternate between posts in your stash and something fresh each week. 
• Guest Posts: Sharing and exchanging content with other artists helps you build stronger awareness. Look for partnerships where you swap material with other photographers and groups within your community.
• Support Your Community: Writing about upcoming community events gives you more traction in giving back. You'll likely find the sponsoring associations for each event you help publicize, sharing your information and helping you build more awareness.  

With just two months until seasonality officially kicks off, now is the time for you to start getting your audience thinking about the great ideas you can share, bringing them together with your skillset as an artist.

by Skip Cohen

It's Throwback Thursday and I almost missed it, but not without making a very specific point about the standards you set for quality.

The portraits above are of my grandparents and great grandparents. That's my grandfather and grandmother on either end, and my great grandparents (my grandmother's parents) in the middle. My grandfather and grandmother's portraits would have been around 1920, and my great grandparents late 1800s.

Here's my point:

Beverly and Tim Walden talk a lot about how they don't create portraits but family heirlooms that are meant to be handed down from generation to generation. You owe each client your very best skills. They trust you to never say, "That's good enough."

Think about the portraits you've done over the last few years. Will they stand the test of time and be considered just as beautiful to family members when you're long gone?

Growth only happens outside your comfort zone!
Anonymous

by Skip Cohen

​The start of fourth quarter seasonality is only a few weeks away, and you're all hoping for a busy holiday season. Time flies, and before you realize it, you'll be chasing last-minute details for IUSA, WPPI, CES, or smaller state conventions.

TAKE THE TIME NOW to think about your 2024 first quarter schedule and what conventions and workshops you're going to want to invest in. Taking it one step further, I'm really writing to encourage you to do a skill assessment.

I know how much fun it is to attend programs with your favorite speakers but balance them with programs that focus on your weaknesses. For example, I'm so tired of meeting photographers who tell me they're a "natural light specialist." That means they haven't taken the time to learn lighting. (If I just described your skillset, then look for classes in lighting.)

The same thing goes for other specialties. Don't be a one-trick pony. For example, according to the Census Bureau, most young couples wait three years before starting a family. So, if you're a wedding photographer and you did a great job at the wedding, why wouldn't you want to be there when the first child is born? That means maternity, newborn, and family photography are logical extensions. But they're only logical if you develop the skills to become habit-forming and exceed client expectations.

Here's my point: Step outside your comfort zone and look for at least one program each day at each convention to expand your skill set. Look for ways to become more diverse and support your target audience even more than in the past.

Once things get busy for the holiday rush, you won't have as much time to put together a game plan for the new year - it's not too early to start now.

*Part of the fun of a Hump Day post is finding a stock photo that makes me laugh...it's amazing how many camel shots there are!

by Skip Cohen

​Wandering through cyberspace, I follow hundreds of photographers each year. Put them together with IMs, phone calls, and catching up with friends at various workshops and conventions, and there are hundreds more. The younger the artist, the more they're focused on the numbers - especially bottom-line dollars.

It took me years to find a definition of success. I've learned that it's waking up every morning smiling and excited about the day ahead. I won't deny the financial side of business is essential, but it took me years to realize that being happy helped me stay focused on all my goals.

​And there you have it - if you stay focused on what you love to do and capture/create images that move people, your reputation will grow, along with brand awareness, and the business will come. But the quote below from Mark Twain takes it all one step further.

None of us can go back and change our lives, but I'm suggesting you learn from my mistakes - focus on what you're most passionate about and then figure out your "why?" Keep the negators in your life on short leashes and don't let anybody stand in the way of your dreams.

​by Skip Cohen
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​It's Marketing Monday! After writing about business and marketing for the last fourteen years, it's pretty tough to come up with something you haven't heard before. But there are different reasons for becoming more proactive, especially this time of year. For example, I've noticed more and more, there's a business "pandemic" slowing too many people down - stop believing you need to fly solo on everything you do!

Start looking for partners! Even though it's late in the year and fall/holiday seasonality is right around the corner, consider finding a few partners. Partnerships expand your reach, save money, expand awareness, and increase revenue. 

One more challenge in our lives makes the timing for a partnership such an advantage - the noise in everyone's life today. It's getting more and more challenging to reach your target audience. Great partnerships help you get noticed faster, and help you stand out in a very noisy world!
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• Direct mail: Doing a postcard with two other partners reduces your cost to a third of what it would be if you flew solo. It expands your reach and awareness because all three partners combine their databases. Plus, each partner becomes an ambassador for the other two entities involved.
• Soft-sell cross-promoting products and services: All of you who are wedding photographers should be working together with a florist, for example. You should have a link to their site on your website, and they should have one on yours. Portrait photographers could do the same and include a restaurant known for private parties. The holidays are right around the corner, and office parties, local organizations, Chamber of Commerce functions, etc., will be going on everywhere. For example, whose doing couple portraits at this years local Kiwanis or Rotary holiday parties?
• Hard-sell promotions: It's cross-promoting, but this time with discounts on each other's products and services. If you don't want to do a discount, add something of value, like an extra mini-album for Grandma, an oversized print, or canvas wrap - something with perceived value.
• Contest sponsorship: Work with other vendors in the community to create unique events to raise awareness and support for something relevant in the community. I shared a guest post thanks to Bruce Berg over ten years ago about three studios doing a contest together. It might be out of the archives, but there's no expiration date on great ideas. Here's the link.
• Start a newsletter: They're so easy to do nowadays, but somebody has to take the lead. Create a newsletter with gift ideas that tie in photography, flowers, gift certificates to a local restaurant, frames, and other gifts. You've got to plant the seeds for the ideas to create sales.
• Other photographers: I know it's taboo to suggest you work together with another artist when there's barely enough business to keep you going, but together you can play off of each other's strengths and weaknesses. For example, if you're a wedding photographer and don't do maternity, babies, or pets, find yourself a partner whose skill set fills in the holes you have in yours. Then, design a campaign that promotes one-stop shopping.
• Major equipment purchases: Money is tight, but you want to get into large format printing, or there's an exotic lens you know will make your work different - buy what you need together with another artist. This isn't like the stigma of buying a boat with a friend; it'll save you money.
• Share studio space: Tony Corbell is a perfect example - his studio space includes two other artists. They don't compete with each other, and they split the cost three ways. Granted, one of the artists is his wife, Mandy, but this is about each business paying its fair share. Together they've got a terrific location and facility for everybody to benefit from.​
• 
  

"But Skip, there's nobody in my area to partner with!"  There's ALWAYS somebody to partner with. 
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• Boudoir Photographers: Lingerie boutiques, spas, makeup artists, salons.
• Pet Photographers: Pet food rep, animal shelters, pet boutiques, veterinarians, and doggy daycare facilities 
• Children's Photographers: Toy stores, summer camps, playgrounds, kids, clothing boutiques, restaurants, pediatricians, or pediatric dentists.
• Family Photographers: Family restaurants, decorators, parks, and special events 
• Wedding Photographers: Florists, wedding planners, bakeries, salons, bridal shops, limo companies, musicians, tux shops, travel agents, and venues

Stop thinking you always have to fly solo. Business has changed dramatically, but along with the frustrations, there are some unique opportunities for creative leadership. You don't need to grow or jumpstart your business alone - think about strategic alliances in your community to build together!

by Skip Cohen

When I read this motivational piece two days ago, I knew it would be my topic for Sunday Morning Reflections. 

It's easy to get lost in distractions. The more energy we give to the things that keep us from focusing, the easier it is to stay distracted. Taking time to pay attention to what's most important to us will help us create, complete, and concentrate on our motivations. Make a list of all the things that distract you and then a list of what needs your focus. To make progress, choose what you will give your attention to today. -Emily Silva

It was personally written for me. So often, I know exactly what I need to tackle, but that doesn't stop me from a "side trip" doing something else. It might be minutes or even an hour or more before I get focused and dig in on the task at hand.

Even this morning, I sat down at the computer to write today's post and decided to check my email first. As I was responding to an email, getting today's post written became a second priority. Before I knew it, I'd wasted time cleaning up my mailbox!

I went back and read Emily Silva's words one more time, and here I am. And there's no need to write anything further - we all know how to hold focus with a camera in our hands, but so often, we're distracted by everything else. And the older we get, the more there is in the way.

Wishing you a day ahead that's limited on distractions and gives you time to do whatever is most important in your day. What I love about those eleven-second hugs I always suggest is about not being distracted from the people who mean the most to you!

​Happy Sunday...or Monday if you're on the other side of the world.

by Skip Cohen

​When the pandemic hit in 2020, and we had to hunker down, we all had to change how we were doing things. That was especially true with every business. Unless you worked for Zoom, revenue slowed down dramatically. Every manager had to look at what they could cut back on expenses and survive. The pandemic forced everyone to be more disciplined. So, what happened to the discipline?

It's mid-August, and fall seasonality is right around the corner. It's a relatively slow time of year with nothing particularly unique - no holidays, vacations ending, and kids returning to school. Labor Day is coming up, officially marking the end of the summer. It may be slow and a nondescript time of year, but it should be anything but slow for building a list of ideas to bring 2023 to a record-breaking close for your business.

• What do you have in store for a Halloween promotion? From kids to pets, it's a no-brainer to offer something exciting to your target audience.
• Thanksgiving Opportunities: It's perfect for a day-in-the-life shoot as families prepare for Thanksgiving. It's often multi-generational as Mom, Grandma, and the kids prepare for Thanksgiving. That makes the timing perfect for a photojournalistic approach to capturing and telling a family's story. 
• Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa - whatever holiday, you've got the skillset to tell a client's story. First, there's the approach I mentioned above in capturing multiple images for an album. Second, there's never been a stronger sense of family than we have in the world today. That sense of family is ideal for portrait photographers working with families to update their family portraits. 
• You don't have to do it all alone! Look for partnerships and cross-promote with other vendors in the community. The fourth quarter is perfect for photographers to work with florists, restaurants, salons, and travel agencies, for example. Create exciting promotions.
• What's your holiday card look like for 2023? No photographer should ever use store-bought holiday cards. Instead, use one of your own images on the front of the card; add a message inside and your contact information on the back. You've got to remind people what you do for a living!
• Video Holiday Cards: Now's the time to remind Mom about your ability to create a short video for this year's holiday season.

Need help with ideas? Start with a call to your lab and just ask, "What's new?" From prints to albums to metal prints and even canvas - find something new and stop offering products that could put a rock to sleep. Let's raise the bar on your game! Even canvas is still a product most consumers haven't seen. We might be tired of canvas, but the public isn't.

Here's the bottom line - the forecast for your business as a photographer and artist couldn't be more predictable if you keep procrastinating. So, take a couple of hours and scribble out some plans to bring 2023 to a strong finish. You're the only one who can create the excitement!

And if you're stuck on ideas - you know where to find me.

by Skip Cohen

Today's Throwback Thursday is out of the SCU archives. I shared the images eight years ago, but it makes such a good point.

The two images above are of my Dad. The one on the left was taken around 1938. Seventy years later, Bambi Cantrell captured Dad, and it's one of my favorite portraits of him. But today's post isn't about Dad - it's about you.

"What will people be saying about your photography years from now? How will your work be perceived?"

My buddy Scott Bourne said once, "Shoot as if this is the last photograph of yours anybody will ever see!" 

The image on the left was hand-colored, and I love the Olan Mills signature. On the back is the ordering number and a stamp, "Olan Mills Portrait Studios, Springfield, Ohio." It's printed as an 8x10 on double-weight paper. 

The image on the right couldn't be more classic as well, even though I've cropped it for this post. Dad was around 85. I love the pose and the lighting - She captured how I see Dad, casual yet focused with a whole lot of love on his face. He had that same smile right up to when he passed away at 93 in 2015. 

If you've ever heard Tim and Beverly Walden speak or take one of their classes, they always talk about creating an experience for your subjects. It's not about "getting their picture taken" but the event itself. You're also not capturing a portrait but creating a new family heirloom - an image that will last the test of time and be handed down from generation to generation. A portrait session ALWAYS deserves your very best!

So, what's the answer to that question? Are you creating images that, years from now, your clients will be looking back and smiling, remembering the day you did their portrait?

The fool speaks, the wise man listens.
Ethiopian proverb

by Skip Cohen

Hump Day thoughts are short reminders to help you build a more substantial business. And as I've written previously, I love the camel shot for the header each week. So, until I run out of things to suggest, welcome to Hump Day.

We live in a rushed instant fulfillment world, and so often, even in a simple conversation, people aren't really listening because they're already thinking about what they want to say next. We often draw the wrong conclusions simply because we heard what somebody said but didn't really listen.

Going back to my Polaroid days, I wrote some pretty good promotional programs for the photo specialty dealers, which was my channel of responsibility. But honestly, I didn't come up with the ideas; the camera stores and Polaroid salesman did! 

All I had to do was talk to a salesman and ask, "If we doubled your sales quota for next year, what would you need to make your number?" And with retailers, the same kind of question, "If you were going to double your Polaroid sales for next year, what would you need from us?"

Then I'd kick back and listen to the responses - they had all the answers. From extended billing terms to advertising to better in-store displays...the list went on and on. Not everything was doable, but that didn't change the collection of great ideas I was pulling together.

Here's the bottom line...You've got two ears and one mouth - so listen twice as much as you talk!

I found the piece below about listening skills - we all need a reminder now and then. All the answers you need to build a stronger business are all out there - you just need to listen!

​Happy Hump Day!

 by Skip Cohen

​Every morning Sheila and I share a quick reading of something inspirational. We each have a different motivational author, and whatever we read is always short and to the point. Mine really hit home this morning, and I want to share it with you.

WHAT IS YOUR SUPERPOWER? There are many things that we are good at, and our superpower is the one thing that if we didn't do it, we would feel a void in our life. This is the thing that you're passionate about, that people come to you for. Tap into your inner power and find the things that keep you from sharing your talents. Do less of what drains your power and more of what empowers you.   - Emily Silva, Sunrise Gratitude

Short, sweet, and to the point...so, what's draining your power that takes you away from being able to focus more on what you're most passionate about?

by Skip Cohen

​It's Marketing Monday, and after reading several threads with small business owners concerned about targeting their ideal audience, I realized the solution is relatively easy.

Ironically, we grow up learning never to put all our eggs in one basket. Yet now, as adults running a business, the vehicles we use to promote are so limited. Many of you launch programs with singular approaches, leaving you to make comment later like: "We tried an email campaign, but it didn't work!" But did you do anything else at the same time?

You need to expand your reach and use every resource you've got. There's no such thing as too much exposure, but not getting enough is very real. So I went off into cyberspace to chase down a little more information.

"It's been proven over and over that the more positive contact you have with customers and prospects, the easier it is to develop and sustain relationships and, ultimately, close more sales. Unfortunately, you're one of thousands who are vying for your customers' attention." KruseControlinc.com

The quote above is from an article about the "Rule of 7." It's an old rule, going back to the 30s, and states that you have to hit a consumer at least seven times for them to remember you! If that was then, what's the number today?

This is a short post this morning with a long list of all the vehicles you need to keep active to maintain brand momentum:

• ​Your Website
• Your Blog
• Fine-tuning SEO
• Social Media Outlets - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn
• Email Blasts
• Direct Mail
• Community Involvement
• Local Organizations - Membership
• Publicity in Local Publications
• Partnerships
• Networking Luncheons
• Advertising

The list goes on and on, but the more vehicles you use to reach your target audience, the greater your success rate in gaining recognition for your brand. Essentially the concept is to weave a web around your target consumer. You want your name coming up in multiple locations throughout the day.

Over the last ten years, I've written about each bullet point above in more detail. But just for today - pick at least five off the list and consider how to do more within each area. The more activity you generate, the greater your brand awareness.

And while not putting all your eggs in one basket is the standard expression, here's an old African proverb that's so much better:

Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable!
Bondei proverb

by Skip Cohen

It's Sunday morning, and if you've tuned in to read something about marketing and business, you've got a better chance of winning the lottery! This is my day to have the fun of a brain dump with whatever's on my mind.

Writing this morning has been a challenge. I usually start the morning knowing exactly what I want to write about. But this morning, the pipeline was empty - no ideas to share, not even a rant. After half an hour of procrastinating and scrolling through cyberspace, I realized that was precisely the point - I was simply just content.

Every day doesn't have to have a formal "to-do" list. I went scrolling for a good quote, and Maya Angelou's statement above says it all. We don't have to slay a dragon every day! Most of us don't allow ourselves time to relax and recharge. We're all sick of the line, but it's true - we don't stop to smell the roses.

So, I'm wishing you the same kind of day I'm shooting for myself...Wishing you the time today to simply not worry about much of anything. Make it a day when you can take the time to look around you and cherish your family, friends, pets - everyone who makes you smile. Slow things down and follow Maya Angelou's advice - "withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us."

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

Be a mountain or lean on one.
Somali proverb

by Skip Cohen

​I'm sticking with this series of short posts with ideas to help you build a stronger business. They're perfect to consider as we head into the weekend.

There's a great joke I heard once...Why does it take a million+ sperms to fertilize one egg?...none of them will ask for directions! Not asking for directions is a typical male stereotype, but in all honesty, it's not exclusive to men.

Here's my point - Even if you've only been in business a short time, you still have a network of people you've met with expertise in areas you're lacking. But so many of you struggle and never ask for help, advice, or an opinion beyond the person you see in the mirror.

One example from yours truly - years ago, I wanted to change something on my website. I figured I could cut and paste the HTML code and make the minor change within the parameters I wanted, and *poof* I'd have what I needed. I screwed it up so badly that a big part of my website crashed. I called my good buddy Scott Bourne with a cry for help - he made the change and then asked, "Why didn't you just call me in the first place?"

I'm not suggesting you give up your quest to be a DIY business owner; it's an admirable goal. But if you're light on the skills needed, ask for help! As sappy as it might sound, this industry is one giant family, and we all watch each other's backs. We're here to help each other, but nobody is a mind reader if you don't ask!

by Skip Cohen

It's Throwback Thursday, and since today is exactly sixteen years since the friendship with Sheila launched, I had some fun digging through old images. While I know I might have shared a few of them in the past, according to the "Rule of Throwbacks," they can be shared again if you're too old to remember sharing them previously...and I qualify.

At the end of April, 2009, Molly the Wonder Dog and I packed up the car and headed east from Playa Vista in California to Ohio. Sheila and I had decided to move in together.

The movers had packed up my apartment, and we hit the road the minute they were done. At the time, the movers refused to ship liquor and wine, so the car was loaded with 24 bottles on the front passenger seat floor and another 40-50 in the trunk.

The trip was a kick, and I remember it bothered me that Molly had to stop fewer times to pee than I did! I let her drive across parts of Oklahoma and Texas since it was all open road, and there was nothing for her to hit! LOL

Meanwhile, the shot at the top and the one below left me speechless. I still don't understand the cars, but a 72 oz. steak, back then, I probably would have been stupid enough to try and eat the thing - but "free limo service" plus blocked arteries - How could one resist?

If you haven't gone off on the hunt for your Throwback Thursday shots, what are you waiting for? Old photographs are a never-ending reminder of how incredible the career path most of us chose really is. What would life be like without photographs?

Happy Throwback Thursday!

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth!
Muhammad Ali

by Skip Cohen

​It's Hump Day, the middle of the week for some of us, and just another day for event artists working the weekends. But, this is a great time for short posts planting a few idea seeds to help you grow your business and elevate your brand. Besides - the camel shot is still one of my favorites!

If you're not involved in your community, you're missing one of the best ways to expand your reach. You need to give back and be perceived as more than just another retailer. And, if you do it right, it's a great way to build more relationships and get people to know you.

What good is working hard to create the finest images of your career if nobody knows who you are?

• Look for nonprofit organizations that are aligned with the causes you believe in.
• Getting involved can be done with or without a camera in your hand. Your goal is to get your name out in the community.
• Use your "real estate" in social media to write about events sponsored by your chosen nonprofit. So on Facebook and your blog, for example, share stories about the organization you're working with, and include images from various fund-raisers they're doing.

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And for those who like to say, "Our community doesn't have much going on," take another look. Every community has something. Sometimes your most rewarding involvement will be with the smallest nonprofits. If you're still stuck, check out senior centers, programs for veterans, high school art programs, adult education centers, pet adoption centers, and local hospitals, just to name a few.

We make a living by what we get.
We make a life by what we give.
Winston Churchill

by Skip Cohen

Last Sunday, I shared a post that was thanks to something Helen Yancy had posted on Facebook. It was about people who want to change history, but there's another aspect to her post I wanted to share. It's about people who are so absorbed in social media, they've forgotten how to truly be social. They think hitting the "like" button on a Facebook post is enough.

I'm a major Helen Yancy fan, and hitting the "like" button and writing a short comment about what she posted just wasn't enough.  Fine-tuning how you use social media is obviously on my mind lately, since two weeks ago I shared a post about using your phone more to keep in touch with friends.

Here's my point:

Social media has definitely helped to make the world a smaller place. Every day we're able to keep in touch with what's going on in the lives of so many different friends and associates. We share the joys, the sadness, the accomplishments, and the changes in the lives of so many other people. But social media by itself doesn't build relationships. Thanks to regular phone calls and real conversations, Helen and I have stayed in touch and maintained a friendship I cherish. 

Those people you care most about need more than you hitting the like button and commenting on a post. I'm not suggesting you need to call people every day, but here and there, if you care about somebody, let them know with a phone call.

Don't get me wrong - hitting the "like" button is great for feedback and showing support, but there's nothing memorable. There's nothing that holds a place in somebody's mind or for that matter heart. It's cold and emotionless. 

We live in an instant fulfillment world of text messages and email, but a live conversation on the phone is a building block in a relationship. Whether it's purely business or just a great friendship having a conversation always beats a one-second click of a like button.

by Skip Cohen

​I've written a lot about this over the years, but it's Marketing Monday, and it's August. We're into that business stretch between back-to-school ramping up and the fall. And while technically it's still summer - it's the perfect time to be proactive with a little business analysis and thoughts about this year's holiday seasonality.

You want to be known as the photography/imaging expert in your community. What are you doing to make yourself different from your competitors? What are you doing to build relationships with your target audience to build stronger revenue this fall and then right into the holiday season?

• Quality: Are you the best you can be? Are you showing only your best work on your website? So many of you decided on quantity vs. quality. If any image in your gallery is no better than what "Uncle Harry" could have captured, take it down! Every photograph or video needs to be so good, you'd only need to show that one piece to get hired!
• Diversity: Do all your images look the same? If you've got the skills, you need to mix it up and include black & white, wide-angle, portraiture, groups, great lighting, and infrared.  Demonstrate you're more than a one-trick pony! And if you're a wedding photographer, put up an album and show your skills as a storyteller.
• Products: Stop showing products that could put a rock to sleep. All it takes is a call to your lab and ask, "So, what's new?" Technology is on your side, with new techniques being developed every day. For example, I'm a big fan of Bay Photo's Performance EXT metal for outdoor displays. And even though canvas isn't new to you, it's still unknown to so many of your potential clients. And check out Marathon Press and their complete line of Bella Art Albums and prints.
• Services: You're not selling a portrait, for example, but a future family heirloom. And what about a Day-in-the-Life shoot to tell the story of a family, a child, or even a pet? It allows you to offer a package with a smaller album. Then there are Legacy programs that include multi-generational family portraits. The renewed sense of family in the world is stronger than ever - what are you doing to emphasize that in your business?
• Community: Get involved! What good is creating the most incredible images of your life if nobody knows who you are? Be a volunteer and get your name out there. It doesn't matter if it's with or without a camera in your hands - just be involved in nonprofit events and associations that let people know you're giving back to your community.
• Customer Service: It's all about exceeding expectations in ALL areas.
  • Response time: Whether it's a phone call, email, or response to a contact template on your website, answer people quickly. There's no such thing as responding too early.
  • Listen! You've got two ears and one mouth - listen twice as much as you talk. Pay attention to what people are asking as well as their complaints. Work to resolve problems quickly. We all know the customer ISN'T always right, but they always deserve the respect of prompt communication and a suggested solution.
  • Build relationships: Every member of your target audience is an opportunity to build a relationship. As Scott Stratton wrote in his book "Unmarketing" - "Stop marketing and start engaging!"

Recently I shared a post about Christmas in July that was done by a local restaurant. Well, now's the time to demonstrate leadership in your area. Leadership opportunities abound for small-business owners these days.
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It's not rocket science. You need to make an effort and get yourself out there. This is about establishing a more substantial presence in your community, and the areas above are the tip of the iceberg! But you'll never have any impact with a mañana attitude - you don't have to tackle everything, just stop procrastinating and find a place to start.

Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow
what should have been done the day before yesterday!
Napoleon Hill

by Skip Cohen

If there's one thing that's predictable on this blog, it's me being OFF the topic of business and marketing on Sunday mornings.  One day last week, my good friend, Helen Yancy shared a post on her Facebook page. The quote below was accompanied by an old photograph of seven native American children.

If I tried to write about how much I agree with the quote Helen shared, it would just sound like a rant. 

Wishing everybody a day ahead that's filled with time with those people you care most about. Remember that whatever you do today is tomorrow's history.  Together with the people you love the most, make it a day to savor later on.   

Happy Sunday...or Monday if you're on the other side of the world.

by Skip Cohen

As I've written virtually EVERY week for years - the fun of Throwback Thursday is in the hunt for old images combined with the memories they bring back.

In August 2014, the ALS Association launched the ice bucket challenge. The story goes that it was never meant to be conducted the way it was, but the challenge caught on and spread like crazy. In the end, they raised over $220,000,000!

In my search today for a great throwback, I ran across this video from eight years ago. While I know I shared it once before, it's too much fun not to share again. That's the fun of throwbacks - they don't have an expiration date.

My Dad passed away a year later, and while he's been gone for almost eight years, nothing can stop the smile on my face as I post this.

Throwbacks are also a solid reminder of the importance of our industry. We help people take intangible memories, stop time, and create tangible moments that can be appreciated forever! Think about the value that imaging has added to the world.

​So, what are you doing to share your own throwbacks and great memories today? 

Happy Throwback Thursday!

​by Skip Cohen

Of all the projects I've been involved in throughout my career, Tamron Recipes has become one of the most fun. What's made it so much fun has been meeting great photographers, seeing some spectacular work, and getting to know each artist.

The analogy of comparing them to fine chefs, each with a unique cuisine, redefines each artist's creativity. And just like your favorite restaurant, their entrees are exceptional.

Chef Nick Irwin joins us this month. 
I met Nick for the first time on a phone call in 2021. I could feel his love for photography in everything we talked about. His passion for the craft is definitely in landscape and fine art.

On his website, he wrote:

As I embrace photography and choose to go to places that inspire me, I strive to take photos that make you part of my picture. I want the image to make you feel as if you are actually walking into that space with me. The goal of my art is to not only show my audience that I dream in reality but, more importantly, that they can too. 

Ingredients
Camera: Sony a7R II

​I featured three of Nick's images using two different Tamron lenses, the Tamron 28-200mm and the 28-75mm. Great chefs have their preferred cookware, knives, and seasonings. They are passionate about the dishes they serve; Nick's favorite "cuisine" is based on his love for sharing his landscape work, especially when it's from his native state of Michigan.
 
Nick needs to be on your radar. Click on any of his three images in this month's Tamron Recipes. Usually, I'd suggest looking at his portfolio and galleries first, but you should start with "My Story," which is his about page. His story will further define his love for the craft as he shares one of my favorite quotes from any artist to date: