by Skip Cohen

​If you've followed me for even the shortest amount of time, you already know that on Sundays, I run amuck and rarely write about anything related to business and marketing. It's my day to just share whatever's on my mind.

I recently started working with a remarkable group of people, which I briefly mentioned in last Monday's post about giving back. The group is focused on supporting families and patients dealing with Alzheimer's. We have a private social media page exclusively for communication between the member companies. 

My thoughts this morning have little to do with my excitement about working with this dedicated group but the power of photography. For our social media page, I decided to share an image each week that somehow related to telling the Alzheimer's story. I typed "Alzheimer's" in Adobe's search box, and the image above was one of the first to appear. There were hundreds of photographs, often worth far more than a thousand words.

Most of you are working professional photographers or aspiring to be, and every click of a shutter tells a story. So, I went off in search of some of my own images that tell a part our family's story.

by Skip Cohen

I first shared this nine years ago, so it's a throwback of a throwback. I know it was 2004, and the location was WPPI, Las Vegas. At first, I thought it was print judging, but there are a few people in here who didn't normally judge. I think it's speakers from that year; I just don't remember everybody being together in one room. The image is thanks to Alan Karlin in a couple of books of WPPI images he sent me after the convention.

Nothing beats the fun of Throwback Thursdays, and sometimes it doesn't matter what the reason was for a group to be together...however, look closely; this one is global with some of the most recognized educators in our industry. It's almost like a "Where's Waldo" drawing.

So, how many can you name? I'm up to forty-six, including three mullets!

If you haven't gone off in the hunt for your own Throwback Thursday images, take the time. Throwbacks are the perfect gateway to great memories and a reminder that nothing matches the power of the photography time machine! It's also a great time to share older photographs with your readers, especially "Mom." Old family portraits are an excellent way to remind Mom that it's time for an updated family portrait!

Happy Throwback Thursday

​by Skip Cohen

Last week, the "Rock 'em - Sock 'em" robots at Facebook deleted one of my posts on the grounds that it violated community policy and was deceptive. It was nothing of the sort, but it took me on a flashback trip to 2016 when Facebook shut down my page, claiming my name wasn't really "Skip."

Numerous friends helped me protest, including Brent Watkins, who got creative with his "Free Skip" silhouette  thumbnail. I even wrote an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg—I have no idea if he ever saw it.

After seven years with Facebook, I've recently been shut out because I couldn't confirm my identity, even though I've sent you copies of my driver's license and gun license, copies of unopened mail with my name on it, screenshots of books I've written, speaking engagements, business cards, and even my Google page when you look up my name. 

My birth announcement above was included in the post. A few hours later, I was reinstated, but with A.I., the robots are back, and instead of getting smarter, they're on an overdose of stupid pills. I reposted it on my F.B. page with just the link and a request for help from my friends. There were lots of empathetic comments. My old buddy Jon Vansteenberg said it best:

This happens all the time. I've had it 3 or 4 times. They can't distinguish between simple reportage of quotations, some from profound thought leaders, and complete Waccos. It personifies the invalidity and waste of trying to 'control' peoples' free speech. George Carlins 7 words performance boundaries would be far better and cheaper than spending billions on alienating good faith users...

It's ironic, though - the robots were unhappy with my post, but if I had paid to boost it through their paid advertising program, I'm sure it would have passed!

We all have a love/hate relationship with Facebook, but if this nonsense continues, F.B. is going to follow the flush with my Tweet stream!

by Skip Cohen

A conversation with a photographer recently set the stage for this morning's post. He's struggling to get involved in a non-profit in his community. In overthinking which one to join, he's procrastinated his way into not doing anything.

While I've written a lot over the years about the importance of giving back to your community to build brand awareness, it all starts with what's in your heart and has nothing to do with your business. You have to find that cause that pulls at your own heartstrings first.

For example, we moved to Florida to help my Dad through my mother's fight with Alzheimer's. My mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all died of this horrible disease. Being involved in the fight against Alzheimer's is my way of paying tribute to my family; keeping my Mom's spirit alive and has nothing to do with my business. 

I've always believed everything happens for a reason. Whether it's true or just how our mind rationalizes our choices in life, my favorite quote by Alfred Lord Tennyson, "I am a part of all that I have met," couldn't be more accurate. Everything that happens in our life, everybody we meet, and every challenge, victory, and defeat contribute to our journey. My mother's fight with Alzheimer's took me to the Senior Friendship Center in 2011. It started with my Dad and me joining the Caregiver Support Group, which led to me helping them build a blog, then a podcast series, and almost six years on their Board.  Last week, I joined the Memory Care Alliance, expanding my involvement in the fight against Alzheimer's.

The Memory Care Alliance is the vision of one of Sarasota's most respected neurologists. It's a community-based network of compassionate and experienced providers dedicated to providing the highest standard of care for patients and families dealing with Alzheimer's. The members are neuropsychologists, clinical psychologists, mental health counselors, psychiatrists, geriatric care managers, home health care agencies, adult day care, support groups, respite care, and legal counseling.

It's Marketing Monday, but in all honesty, however you choose to be more involved in your community starts with having nothing to do with marketing or building your brand. It's about expanding your heart, and the theme of today's post is, "Together we make a difference."

Take some time to think about the challenges you and your family have experienced. Just about every challenge any of us have ever faced has a cause-related non-profit organization associated with support for people experiencing the same difficulty. Listen to your heart first, get involved, and then you can build brand awareness around your giving back.

by Skip Cohen

​Although Sunday Morning Reflections are rarely about business and marketing, I suppose I'm crossing that line this morning by whining about Facebook. As their A.I.-driven robots deleted a post of mine on Friday, I feel like the character above— not knowing whether to just give up or listen to Pink Floyd's Tear Down the Wall. 

Sadly, there doesn't seem to be an easy alternative with Facebook. Over the last few years, their algorithms and policies have become increasingly unreasonable, as A.I. has become more and more misdirected. My post last Friday was a great example—nothing whatsoever deceptive—just a short post wishing everybody a terrific weekend. And while I protested their wrong call, I have no confidence that anything will change.

Just like the challenges with Twitter that I've given up on, along with so many of you, F.B. will eventually become another "I-remember-when" story. I picture a few of us sitting in rocking chairs on the front porch of a nursing home with stories of the past and things we miss in how we used to communicate.

I miss those days when...

• I could post something on social media and know it made it to the people I wanted to share it with
• A troll was a character in a children's story
• The Internet "Police" were real people who you could contact and actually talk to if necessary
• You knew most of the people who followed you
• A stolen identity meant you lost your wallet
• When our phone rang, it was somebody we knew, or, at the very least, a company I wanted to talk to - NOT an idiot outside the U.S. trying to sell me an extended warranty on my car, health care, or extension of the Geek Squad's coverage!

The list goes on and on, with the cold, hard reality of simply knowing I have to grow up. I still want to be Peter Pan at heart, but it gets tougher and tougher not to become a curmudgeon flying around in green tights, helping Chicken Little spread the word that the sky really is falling! LOL

And on that note, it's time to wrap up what's turned into a rant. My solution to the problem is focused on saving my own sanity. This is when your family and friends become so valuable - I can't change F.B., and the serenity prayer becomes so remarkably appropriate:

Wishing you a day ahead without the challenges of technology. Make it a day to spend time with the people you love the most. Go for those old-fashioned eleven-second therapeutic hugs I always write about and put all your frustrations in a box with a very tight lid not to be opened until tomorrow. Today's a perfect day to kick back and recharge your battery, which is what I originally wrote about in the post FB's robots pulled.

Weekends are not for catching up with work; they are meant for catching up with yourself!
N. Singhal

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

Weekends are a reminder that sloths had it right all along!
Unknown Author

Please Note: This post, when shared on Facebook, was pulled by their robots. Facebook said it violated their policies and that it was deceptive...all of this is crap and takes me back to Facebook throwing me out in 2016, claiming that my name wasn't really "Skip." At that time I wrote to Mark Zuckerberg and included my birth announcement, which is the link above. Obviously they haven't progressed very far!


​by Skip Cohen

It's Friday; except for wedding photographers, whose weekend time off usually starts on Monday; most of you look at the weekend as a time to kick back a little and chill. I look at September as the calm before the storm, anticipating the ramping up of seasonality. That means the time to recharge your battery is NOW.

Weekends are not for catching up with work; they are meant for catching up with yourself!
N. Singhal

​This is a very short post today, and while it's not directly about marketing, it is a reminder of what it takes to run a successful business. You can't focus on the energy you need to accomplish your goals if you're running on empty. And you can't capture images that tug at people's heartstrings if your own heart isn't in it.

You know how to focus your camera; now it's time to focus your energy on YOU. The key to avoiding burnout is your attitude and your recognition of when it's time for a break. But that time will be wasted if you don't give your mind and body a rest.

​Wishing everybody a terrific weekend ahead.

Weekends: The perfect time to do nothing and everything at the same time!
Unknown Author

by Skip Cohen

It's my favorite day of the week, and today, it's all thanks to my good buddy Jim Morton. He recently sent me a batch of old images from his archives. They were all captured when we worked together back in our Hasselblad days.

That's me, Don Blair, and Hasselblad's leading author and "professor," Ernst Wildi. Ernst passed away in 2023 at 100, and "Big Daddy" Blair in 2004 at 79. Both of them were cut from the same cloth when it came to perfection in their images, passion for the craft, and love for helping photographers raise the bar on their skills. They were both in their mid-sixties when Jim snapped this shot in the Hasselblad booth at Photo East in New York.

Besides this image bringing back memories, which is what Throwback Thursday is all about, it occurred to me that Jim's unofficial role at Hasselblad was just as important as his primary responsibility. Jim was our Customer Service and Technical Manager, handled our exhibit at various trade shows, and training, just to name a few of the hats he wore.  However, his unofficial role was documenting Hasselblad's activity in the industry. Thanks to Jim's stash of images from all his years with the company, we have so many great memories.

Who's your family or company historian? There was no social media back in 1991, and certainly no Throwback Thursday. It's so important to be able to follow a company or your family's history in photos and videos. Thanks to technology, everybody has the ability to document their business and family growth and build archives of images that will become invaluable as time goes by.

THANKS, Jim, for every click of the shutter during all those years, not to mention being a great friend to so many of us in the industry.

Happy Throwback Thursday!

Marketing is about brand building. It requires a huge commitment and establishing and never-ending stream of awareness with your target audience. Professional photography isn't just about capturing great images, but creating an experience with each client. It's about exceeding their expectations and, as I've written so many times, making yourself habit-forming.

Too many artists focus on pricing and promotional packages, putting less emphasis on everything else in their business. Building a strong brand needs to obviously include a technical skill set for capturing stunning images and telling a client's story, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. Trust, integrity, communication, and accessibility are all key components—all of which go beyond your logo, website design, etc.

​I chose the quotes in today's post because each one hits on a different aspect of building brand awareness. Take a few minutes to think about your brand.

How can you make yourself stand out from your competitors? What can you be doing to make sure people recognize your business as their very best choice? What are people saying about you when you're not around? What are they thinking when they see your name or hear about you from another consumer?

by Skip Cohen

Great Customer Service is one of the best tools for building your business—when it's done right. That means quick response time, solutions that make sense to the customer, and an attitude that shows your sincerity, passion for the craft, and respect for the customer.

But done wrong, like Buick is currently doing with me, it undermines everything a company does. Here's the short backstory:

I took my car in for service. The check engine light was on, and it turned out to need a new turbo. It's only got 30,000 miles on it and has not been driven hard. It's a warranty repair, but the car shouldn't be driven for long distances. Buick has no idea when they'll be getting the part, and the dealer forecasted the end of September—maybe! So, I contacted General Motors.

At 8:15 pm last night, I got a call from General Motors. This was the third time I was told a call that was supposed to come to me earlier hadn't happened because they had technical phone problems! In addition, the rep from corporate told me they still have no idea when they'll have the part but promised to keep me informed!

Meanwhile, I had already heard from the dealer a couple of days ago. They found the part at one of the GM plants, and it's already been shipped. Buick at the corporate level had no idea what they're doing! 

But this saga is not without a bit of humor - the General Motors Facebook page just sent me this notification since I've been actively complaining about the terrible service. Rising fan? NOT!

Buick's corporate approach is an excellent example of  what NOT to do...but here are a few tips that are important to building your business:

• Response Time: Do you check your email and phone messages multiple times each day? You need to respond quickly to set yourself apart from your competitors.
• Get Your Facts Right: You'll accomplish nothing if you don't take the time to listen and understand the customer's problem. 
• Finding Solutions: Whether it's you or a member of your team, work to find solutions to challenges quickly. And when there is a problem, NEVER hide from an angry/frustrated customer.
• Don't Over Delegate: I'm on my third "advisor" from General Motors. This new person is from another group, the Part Delay Department. Apparently, I'm supposed to feel good that my complaint has been escalated up a level of importance. What good is escalating it if nobody takes responsibility and is always pointing the finger at somebody else?
• Exceeding Expectations: Every customer interaction is an opportunity. From the quality of the products and services you offer to each inquiry and interaction with the public - never walk away saying, "That's good enough!" 
• Simplicity: Too many of you have policies and disclaimers on your website that would scare an IRS auditor. Keep things simple in your policies. For example, I still don't understand the purpose of Buick having Customer Service at the corporate level if nobody has any power to do anything!

Here's my point in today's post: Customer Service should be one of your greatest assets—make your word mean something. Don't "buick" people (yes, I did just make it a verb!). When there's a problem, confront it quickly and contact the customer with solutions, not excuses. ​

Customer service is the experience we deliver to our customer.
​It's the promise we keep to the customer.
It's how we follow through for the customer.
It's how we make them feel when they do business with us.
Shep Hyken

by Skip Cohen

​While truly great food photographers have always been hard to find, the demand for their services ramped up dramatically during the pandemic. Dine-in restaurants took a huge hit and had to offer carryout service to survive, but very few of them had photographs of the dishes on their menu.

There was also a secondary challenge - carryout wasn't the only demand. Outdoor seating became a necessity. Thousands of restaurants set up makeshift outdoor dining areas never anticipated for hosting guests - alleys, parking lots, sidewalks, and driveways became "patio" dining rooms, often with all the mood of a truck stop garage. An opportunity for exterior decorating using large photographs started to grow.

We've all eaten in those pop-up outdoor cafes - they always need improvements in ambiance. Often, just a few large prints placed on easels would brighten up the "room." They don't need to be of food, and could be of areas in the community like parks, buildings, and various events, for example.

How many restaurants are there? Asking that question, Google took me to a great website loaded with statistical data starting with an estimated 750,000 restaurants in the United States.

Webstaurantstore.com was loaded with great information. I was able to dig a lot deeper into the potential demand for photography. For example, in the U.S. survey data showed that 77% of consumers check out a restaurant's website before ordering online, and 82% of American restaurants use social media marketing.

Need a little support to build your skills in food photography? I pulled links for two great books on food photography by two artists who I deeply respect, Andrew Scrivani and Joe Glyda. Plus, there are forty-three articles on the Playpod blog about food photography. One of them by my good pal Bob Coates. Just click any of the thumbnails below for more information.

by Skip Cohen
​
Sunday Morning Reflections are rarely about business.  After writing about marketing and business all week, it's therapeutic to just sit down and share whatever's on my mind. It's my time to share something I appreciate about life and hope you do as well.

I ran across the quote above in a post I shared at least ten years ago. There's nothing I want to add except... 
we all waste too much time on things that don't matter.  

Wishing everybody a day ahead to have time with the people you love the most. Create new memories, or kick back and appreciate the old ones. You're not wasting time with short looks in your rearview mirror - they help remind you of where you've been and where you're headed on life's journey.

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

by Skip Cohen

​It's September, and business is ramping up as we approach the strongest stretch of seasonality in imaging. There is so much you should be doing RIGHT NOW. Make sure the seasonality of the holidays doesn't slip by because of your complacency, which has become typical for those of you who think procrastination is a strategy.  

1. Holiday Cards: Too many of you still miss the opportunity to send out a holiday card featuring your photography.  There are two different audiences to consider. First is your personal card to friends, clients, and associates. This is one of the easiest marketing opportunities in business—it has one of your photographs on the front, a message from you on the inside and on the back, your logo, and contact information.

Second is holiday cards for your clients. Whether a printed card or a video card you produce, nothing happens if you don't plant the seeds of ideas with your audience.

2. Gifts for Key Vendors and Clients: Consider who's helped you the most over the past year. Now is the time to recognize that wedding planner, florist, etc., who sent you some great referrals.  A simple basket of goodies or bottle of wine to acknowledge your appreciation might be just the thing to say "Thanks!" 

3. Is it time for your own marketing video? You don't have to wait until January to start a new year. How about reaching more clients NOW? I'm a big fan of marketing videos showing a photographer's work with images and short video clips put to music and shared on your website and About page. Think about the narrative for a short video - the concept is about you sharing your personality and love for the craft.

4. New Products for Your Audience: All it takes is a call to your lab and one question, "What's new?"  Also, just because products like canvas prints are old to us doesn't mean a beautiful canvas print isn't going to be cherished by a client. Then there's everything else your lab can do today with new materials, and your target audience knows very little about what's available!

5. Partnerships: Every business faces the same challenges in funding promotional efforts. But, a photographer teaming up with a florist and a venue, for example, means your cost to promote your business is reduced to a third of what it would be if you flew solo. Another great thing about partnerships is how each partner becomes an ambassador for the other companies involved. Look for ways to share the cost of delivering a message and, at the same time, cross-promote products within the partnership.

6. Content for Your Blog: Develop content about gift ideas using photography this holiday season. It's like "Subliminal Man" on the old SNL show. It's up to you to get your audience thinking about the perfect gifts, especially for the more senior family members - nothing beats a new family portrait for Grandma!

If you're not posting on your blog at least twice a week, shut it down! It's not doing enough to help you build a consistent awareness with your readership. Build a stash of posts you can use for content over the months ahead - short 200-300 word posts that help your readers become better photographers, for example. 

7. Community Involvement: Community events are everywhere! Here's another opportunity for you to be involved. If you want your community to be good to you, well, you've got to be good to your community. Look for ways to help spread the word about events in your community. Everyone needs all the help they can get, and your blog is just the vehicle to provide additional support.
 
We still have a couple of months for you to get through the noise and spark some ideas with your target audience. There are so many opportunities for a strong finish to 2024, but getting the word out is all up to you.
​
You snooze, you lose!

by Skip Cohen

​Ten years ago, I shared this image in a Throwback Thursday post, and I wanted to bring it back for an encore.

It's a classic for several different reasons. First, the industry lost Don Blair in 2004, and Terry Deglau passed away in 2019, five years ago next week. That's Tony Corbell, Big Daddy himself (Don Blair), me (who told me that sweater looked good?), and our good pal, Terry Deglau, who used to be with Kodak. Sorry, I have no idea who the models were.

Second, the image was captured during a two-part program at a shoot at the MGM, back in the days when they had the giant lion out front on the corner of the hotel. Don did a program that year ('91?) at WPPI, called "Don Blair and Friends," then sponsored by Hasselblad, Kodak, and Art Leather.

Don did a live shoot outside with the models that evening. The following day, during a more typical presentation, each member of the workshop got an 8x10 from the shoot. Don, Terry, and Tony talked about the key ingredients, along with lighting and posing, two of Don's favorite topics. Remember, this was in the film days, so it was pretty impressive for people to get an 8x10 image within 24 hours.

Just as Don handed out the 8x10s to approximately 200 people, I came down the aisle yelling about making a giant print, at least "5x7". Everybody looked at me as if I was nuts, but behind me, we rolled in a 5x7 folio that Art Leather had built...5 feet x 7 feet. It must have weighed five hundred pounds and was covered in leather. It looked exactly like a 5x7 folio on steroids. Even more impressive was how good the Hasselblad image from the shoot held up - no grain, no pain.

Third on the list of reasons this is a classic goes back to the fact that it was all film. We didn't have the joy of instant fulfillment with an immediate presentation/projection, like we do with digital today. Tony, Don, Terry, and I were like the Four Musketeers, involved in one adventure after another. This was just one of the programs we did that involved the creativity that came out when the four of us got together. 

What are you doing for Throwback Thursday? Here's a point so many of you take for granted: Photographs like this capture unforgettable memories and transport everybody involved to another time and place. Plus, throwbacks remind us of the incredible role photography plays in everyone's lives. Where would the world be without imaging?

Use your throwbacks for marketing your business - Sharing your throwbacks once a week on social media is a perfect way to remind your target audience that time doesn't stand still. For example, use your throwbacks to remind "Mom" that it's time for a new family portrait or a local business owner that an updated headshot is in order...and the list goes on and on.

Don't underestimate your power as an artist to create incredible images that, years from now, will be a personal time machine for your clients.  And remember, every client deserves your very best work!

PS And a BIG thanks to Jim Morton, who sent me this photo a few years back. It's thanks to Jim that so many Hasselblad memories were captured over the years at events like WPPI. What a kick!

by Skip Cohen
​
It's Hump Day, and a great time to make a point - I apologize if this sounds like a rant.

I'm tired of all the noise in our lives. At the risk of sounding like the old fart that I am, I miss limited access because I wasn't near a phone; spam calls trying to rip us off, emails from the Geek Squad or Amazon looking for approval of massive charges that don't exist, and we've just about given up watching the news. Fortunately, we record the news and can catch what we want in 10-15 minutes.

A few years back, our son got me into fly fishing. The image above was captured with one of my favorite older cameras, a LUMIX FZ1000, f2.8 @ 1/160 ISO 200. It was taken at a park near Helen, GA, and it was incredibly peaceful. Years later, looking at this photograph, I can still feel the silence and the joy of just casting—it didn't matter if I hooked a trout or not—the benefit was in the silence.

I shared the quote below last year, and it's perfect for what so many of us need now: silence.

"In silence, we can hear our intuition speak. But it can be difficult to find silence in the age of hyperconnectivity. We must find the time to unplug and create silence at least once a day...A change happens when we learn to access stillness...In stillness we find our balance." -- Emily Silva 

"Stillness" is such a foreign concept these days! Most of us get so busy we rarely search out silence until the damage from the "noise" in our lives is well underway. Find a moment today and kick back and chill. Walk away from everything and appreciate the silence.

​Happy Hump Day!

by Skip Cohen

It's the first day after a holiday weekend, and it's perfect to take a few steps back from marketing and business.

Just a few days before my good buddy Duncan MacNab passed away two years ago, he said, "I've got no regrets because I did it all when I was younger."  Well, I've got a few regrets, but if I dwell on them, life as it's meant to be lived just gets lost.

A few years ago, Sheila and I started reading something motivational out loud to each other every morning. We each pick out a book for the year loaded with different daily themes. Last week, this piece came up in my book:

​Regret Doesn't Server You

Regret won't serve you as life passes you by. While you can, kiss more and love with all your heart, even if it may get broken. Forgive even when it hursts. Surrender and move on. Worry less. Travel more. Spend more time with the ones you adore and less time with the ones you don't.
Don't work too hard. Make time for yourself.
Above all else, life a life you're proud of, and release all regrets.
Cyndie Spiegel: A Year of Positive Thinking

​Now and then, something comes up that causes me to "should" on myself. I waste time thinking about a different approach or what I should have done. But the reality is that whatever is bothering me has already passed; I can't change it. But each regret is another lesson learned!

​Wishing everybody a week ahead with no regrets and time with the people you care about the most!

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."
Dr. Seuss

​Kay would love that I just quoted Dr. Seuss in reference to the love, respect, admiration and joy so many of us feel about having had her in our lives.

And on that note, I'm doing what I hope all of you are doing - taking the day off.

Wishing everybody a great day ahead, regardless of whether or not today is a holiday for you. Make it memorable, and cherish the people you love the most. Go for those eleven-second long therapeutic hugs I always write about on Sundays. Let the people you care about most know how important a role they play in your life. We all have potential moments of joy in our lives and miss them because we're too busy chasing things that often don't really matter. Take nothing for granted.

​Happy Labor Day!

by Skip Cohen

​Sunday Morning Reflections is never about business and marketing. I usually never know what I want to write until I sit at the computer, but this morning is different. I knew when I tried to write something about losing Kay Eskridge a few days ago, today would be the day. Last week, I couldn't find the words.

Like so many of us in the industry, I'm trying to understand Kay's passing. There have been thousands of comments from artists all over the world about the news. The common theme is sadness combined with bittersweet memories of time with her—in short; she was a powerhouse of passion, enthusiasm, and pride in being a photographer.

The Google dictionary defines "love" as an intense feeling of deep affection. Along with thousands of people whose lives she touched, we all loved her. She lit up the room wherever she was. For me one of the things I loved most about her, was her honesty about her life. She hid nothing.

In 2020 and again in 2021, Chamira Young and I hosted Kay on the "Mind Your Own Business" podcast. Both podcasts are below. As I thought about sharing these today, I hesitated. For some it might seem too early, but when I started listening, the memories of working with Kay over the years made me smile. 

She was so dynamic and open about ways to help other artists build a stronger business. She was also completely open about the demons she'd battled with over the years. In fact, after we were off the air on one of the podcasts, Kay let me know she'd love to do a podcast on sobriety and her journey—she wanted to find more ways to help more people.

​I know everyone has their own memories/stories about Kay, but for me, it was non-stop trash-talk after she outbid me at a PPA Charities fundraiser for an Arnold Palmer autographed putter. It was around 2000, and she had the high bid, fair and square - but the fun of trying to beat her up was the same every time we talked. She had this laugh and twinkle whenever she reminded me that the putter was hung over her fireplace, NOT mine!

I just read over what I've written, and I'm having such a hard time expressing the hole in my heart...there's even a little regret for not keeping in better contact with her. We all take so much for granted, which was the thing about my friendship with Kay. I had never thought about a time when she wouldn't be around. In fact, looking back on my career, I don't remember a time when she wasn't around or even when or how we first met... and I'm betting I'm not alone.

One of my favorite quotes used many times over the years, is "I am a part of all that I have met" by Alfred Lord Tennyson. We're all unique because of the people who have come into our lives. Kay touched all of our lives, making her one of the common denominators we share. While technically, her life is over, her light will continue to shine because of the energy we share with her memory.

by Skip Cohen

There's rarely a time when I can't find the words to express what I want to write about. But this morning is different and I know I'm not alone. Today, we're an industry of broken hearts, shocked to hear that Kay Eskridge passed away.

I want to write more, but right now I'm simply at a loss for words. So, I'm sending our thoughts and prayers to her husband, Howard, family and all of you who understand how one of the brightest lights in imaging has gone out.

by Skip Cohen

​While I know I shared this a while back, the  3-minute video is too much fun not to share again. It was captured and created by Resource Magazine in 2011.  Unless you've been locked up in solitary confinement for the last thirteen years, you'll recognize many well-known educators and photographers.

The 2011 program was at the Mirage in Las Vegas. The last program was in 2013 in Oakbrook, just outside Chicago. These were such a kick to do, but they were labor intensive, and after five years, we decided not to continue. As many of you have learned, trying to do your own workshops, regardless of how helpful/supportive they might be, takes an incredible amount of work. 

​The fun of Throwback Thursday is in the hunt, followed by the memories that throwbacks bring back. Now, throw in social media, and while the video was created thirteen years ago, so many of us are still in touch. 

Whether you share your throwbacks or not isn't as important as taking the time for a short look in your rearview mirror. Looking back reminds you of where you've been and are going now. Most importantly, they reinforce the value of imaging! Where would the world be without our industry?

Happy Throwback Thursday!