They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.

Whether you’re just starting out as a professional photographer or aspiring to be one, there’s very little that happens in this industry by itself. You’ve got to be proactive and you’ve got to watch out and protect your own interests, especially in terms of changing, which in this case means growing as an artist and a business person.

Here’s a prime example. So often I’ve heard photographers comment about images published in magazines. The usual comment is, “My images are better than that!” or my favorite, “I could have done that!”  Well, the point is they didn’t. Another photographer made the effort to get their images positioned so somebody at a magazine saw them and they got published.

And, one more example. We all read newspapers and magazines. There are always stories about local business people. There might be a picture in the paper of a local photographer interacting with the members of the community. Those pictures and stories don’t happen by accident either. Editors aren’t just driving by and jumping out of their cars looking for content. The story happened because the featured person made an effort with a publicity release, getting to know the staff at the local paper or being involved in the community.

So much of being a great artist and photographer is within your reach, but you have to take control of your own destiny. Kevin Kubota, Tony Corbell, Jerry Ghionis, Michelle Celentano, Doug Gordon, Lori Nordstrom, Catherine Hall, Michael Corsentino, Matthew Jordan Smith, just to name a few, haven’t become great photographers because they paid their dues and then waited for things to happen.  They chose a path and made the changes they needed to accomplish each goal along the way. They don’t compromise on quality at any level, in their images, with their gear or with their relationships.

Well, we’ve gone full circle, right back to Andy Warhol’s quote. Time will never change things as much as you can yourself!

Last night “Open Forum” went into its second year with an even bigger cast. There were a dozen of this year’s faculty on hand along with a few special guests, Helen Yancy, Calvin Hayes and Kenny Kim rounding out the “team”.  There were two key things that hit me last night.

There’s a unique quality that’s universal with great photographers – it’s their well developed let’s-see-if-we-can-help gene. Whatever the questions asked last night, each member of the open forum panel was ready for the challenge.  This was an open invitation to all of them to participate – they weren’t being paid to add two more hours to an already long day, but they rallied at the chance to help new photographers realize my second observation.

Everybody, especially in photography, starts out the same way, hits the same hurdles and then, depending on the paths they choose, hopefully develop a rewarding career.  The insecurities along the way happen to everybody. Everybody has moments of doubt and concern, worrying about whether or not their work is good enough, will people pay for their services, can they honestly earn a living doing something they love?

The list goes on and on, but the support from this year’s instructors never slows down. The best advice for me remains from Matthew Jordan Smith…

Most photographers are so busy in the beginning trying to find somebody’s style to almost copy. Learn to be comfortable in your own skin with your own work.  When I started I was always asking for advice, then a photographer I was working for told me, “Stop looking for advice from everyone else.  Learn to see the value in your own work and be comfortable putting your work out there.” 

Don’t try and anticipate what people love and then use that to determine what you’re going to show.  Show your work through your heart.  It’s the only way you’ll ever be completely fulfilled.   

Wouldn’t it be great if the human body was equipped with a back-up signal?  All we need is a simple device that just lets people know we’re “backing up”.  Well, that took me to realizing the problem isn’t letting people know we’re backing up, it’s accepting that we should back up in the first place.

We’re all stubborn.  I’ve seen so many photographers determined to stay on a path they’ve chosen who are miserable.  They’re determined to prove a point and stay true to the road they’ve chosen to travel when a slight turn or even starting the journey over would put a smile back on their face.

I’ve met wedding photographers who admit they hate weddings and “would have loved to be shooting commercial work, but the money just wasn’t there!”  I’ve talked with studio photographers doing portraits who wish they had “the variety of situations wedding photographers get to enjoy!”  Then there are thousands of photographers who insist on running EVERY aspect of their business, never considering outsourcing tasks that take them away from what should be their core most time-consuming activities - shooting and marketing themselves.

It’s Saturday and I’m one of the few blogging knuckleheads who loves blogging seven days a week.  Since I always keep it short on the weekends, here’s the point:

Don’t be afraid to change paths. Stop feeling like you have to not only inform the world, but get everyone’s opinion too. Good buddy, Matthew Jordan Smith, when I asked him for a quote for new photographers just starting out for GoingPro (the book) said to me, “You’ve got to find your own voice!”

I guess I’m changing that slightly – yes, you have to find your own voice, but then you have to listen to it!

I always love ending my Jack Handy deep moments with a few great quotes:

If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies. Anonymous

After you’ve done a thing the same way for two years, look it over carefully.  After five years, look at it with suspicion.  And after ten years, throw it away and start all over.  Alfred Edward Perlman

Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine! Robert  C. Gallagher

Happy Saturday – make it a great weekend. Don’t be afraid to simply change your mind once in a while – flexibility is what makes great photographers even greater!

Joe sent me an email regarding his thoughts on art versus photography and it just made sense, at least in how it fits with my personal views.  And that’s what really defines “art” – personal taste, which might be why we can’t reach agreement on who’s an artist and who’s not…

I view very little photography as “art” for art’s sake.  Sure, clients view some of my work as “art” because it is a shot of their daughters.  But they are biased as well, I mean, the photograph is of their children.  BUT, the only time I get that “this is artwork Joe” comment is when I had an idea before I took the shot.  I knew I was going to lighten the girls, darken the background, tweak the trees, add a certain texture to the print.  I knew before I took it I was going to work the color a certain way, make it b&w, blah blah blah.  After all of that, I do not consider the image “art”.  It is an heirloom for the family.  Big difference between heirloom and art. 

I do consider Ansel Adams an artist and some of his work as “art” .  His work in schools was the paying gig.  not art.  Images of Dogwood pedals (which I have hanging in my house) and countless images of the mountains I consider art.  Not because they are just gorgeous , but he had a plan for the images.  He was preserving the subjects in his images.   There was the motivation.  The most important key to “art” is the term visualization. How to take it from the exposure to the final print.  Art is in the process in between.  Ansel did that time and time again. Not many photographers do that. ( I am using my definition of art mind you.)

You mentioned Jerry Uelsmann.  Another photographer I consider that makes art.  The thought process is the key.  I do not totally enjoy his work, but such a HUGE talent.  Artist. Diane Arbus, photographer but I could not call hanging a print of hers and call it art.  talent/thoughtful/storytelling/griping, but not art in the term being used here. (I LOVE her work and would have given almost anything to have been able to meet her and talk to her.)

Anyway, just my thoughts on the term Art.  Again, I feel photographers are artists, but very few actually create art.  I think we create heirloom quality work more so than “art”.  Joe Maher

I found a few great quotes on the subject of art that got me thinking a little more about the subject:

We all know that Art is not truth.  Art is a lie that makes us realize truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand.  The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies.  Pablo Picasso

Art is spirituality in drag.  Jennifer Yane

Well, with nothing to do but wait for the flight to board  I started thinking…If I had a studio I think I’d have a sign that said, “At some point a picture becomes a photograph!”   I’d use a line like that to explain what made my work different than any consumer snapshots.

I know it’s a stretch, but work with me for a little while.  A picture becomes a photograph:

When it’s printed professionally.

When it’s  matted and framed.

When it’s included in a stunning album.

When it’s slightly enhanced as only a professional can do.

When it’s shared with family and friends.

When it makes you cry with sadness, joy, excitement or anticipation.

Those of you who know me know that I’m the biggest photographer groupie on the planet.  I’m fascinated by what all of you do as professionals.  You’re the ultimate communicators simply because if a picture really is worth a thousand words, then a photograph speaks volumes! 

When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs.  When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.  Ansel Adams 

This blog is a prime example of as much as things change they stay the same!  The principles of business, while the vehicles to deliver the message might be different, the message itself is still the same.  So everybody, meet Pop, Skip’s Dad, with some great foundation tips to help you build your business.

Yesterday was my 88^th birthday.  I have been happily retired for many years, and unemployed for at least 15 of those. Now, out of the blue, comes our son, Skip, threatening me with employment! The pay he considers adequate is $.02 per word. So gathering together, my 50+ years in business experience, I thought this would be a good time to put my two cents in.

I am not a plagiarist, but I must quote my father who spent the last months of his life writing advice to his children:

 “Conduct your business in an upright manner and remember, the most important thing in one’s life is to be honest with one’s self. Maintain the high standard and dignity that your business requires. Do not go into deals hastily and be visible in your business as much of the time as is possible.  If you take time to play, do it away from your business, because your livelihood needs all the attention you can give to it.”

Early on, I concluded that the best testimonials came from my many friendly competitors.  We didn’t really compete with each other, in the true sense. True, we were in the same field of endeavor, but we all knew we were there to help each other. Happily, the “tough competition” fell by the wayside.  I remember giving Skip driving lessons and I told him, “Watch the left front fender…..the rest will take care of itself!”  I’ve found this is really true of everything in life.

An old axiom says “If you tell the truth, you never have to remember what you said.”  That is all part of reputation-building. I found that, sadly, in the field of real estate, truth is hard to come by for many. In our case, it was a major building block in the reputation which we enjoyed, and helped us to thwart the competition.

Goodwill is all of the above, plus a lot of caring for your clients as well as your competitors.  If life is a give-and-take situation, giving is the more important of the two.  The taking will come with time and be far more appreciative.  Just remember – you heard it here!  Ralph Cohen, Founder and Creator of Skip Cohen!

The following day, along with Scott Bourne, we were involved in our first GoingPro Bootcamp and what a trip! (Okay, it’s a dated expression, but I can’t find a better one to describe the enthusiasm of the attendees, the great questions and the excitement and willingness of the vendors to help launch this new program!)  There were almost a hundred people present with a mix of photographers completely new along with those who had been shooting for a while, but needed new ways to build their business.

But the questions were all in line with concerns we’ve heard for years in this industry.  How do I close the sale? Should I show prices on line?  How do people know I’m here?  Then there were great suggestions on insurance, promotions and the importance of never compromising on quality.  The response from attendees continues to be pretty amazing, but the more I think about it, the more I realized their concerns are the same issues the most established photographers have had for years, which brought me full circle to wondering if things really have changed that much.

• You still need to produce a quality product!  While there are those who will argue most consumers don’t know and don’t care, I’m convinced that’s a cop out.  Every time I hear a photographer say that I can trace back his/her actions to missing something in customer service in their own business.  Consumers do want quality and when you take the time to show them the difference the majority of the time they understand, but it’s all in your presentation.
• You still have to provide a respectable level of Customer Service!  You have to anticipate your customer’s needs.  You have to listen to your clients.  Most important of all, you need to meet their mindset and exceed expectations.
• You still have to provide a pleasing representation of the client, the products, whatever it is you’ve been hired to photograph.
• You still have to market yourself to get through the noise.  I’ll admit it’s harder than ever to build brand awareness, but the necessity to do it is still there.
• I don’t care what the capture is on, be it film, digital or with a Crayola – you’re still being hired as an artist.  Unfortunately, there are too many photographers who forget they’re an artist and feel threatened by “Uncle Harry”.  It’s not the gear that makes the photographer!
• As a professional you still have an incredible network of support companies – from labs to albums to marketing partners to frames and online hosting, in the history of photography there have never been more tools at your disposal!  But you have to take advantage of what these companies offer.  Marathon Press, WHCC, Animoto, Asukabook and Kubota Image Tools and Nik Software were all at Bootcamp for the entire day to help attendees find the solutions to a more successful business plan.
• Your work still requires a passionate eye, a great heart and a quest to always look for that decisive moment.

Ansel Adams once said, “Sometimes I do get to places just when God’s ready to have somebody click the shutter.”

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

A big thanks to my two good buddies, Scott and Tony, for a terrific program that helped us all, me included, recharge our batteries!

—This is for my 88 year old Dad’s benefit.  Yes Dad, I am proud of the fact that you read my blog and yes, I did have two typos in it yesterday.  It’s embarrassing with a title about every photographer’s need to go back to seventh grade English class and then have two typos of my own.  Sort of like the time I did a Facebook posting apologizing for the typos and then had a new typo in the new post!  The bottom line is that this will probably drive me to years of therapy, but I’m doing my best to rebuild my life and move on!  hehehehe

—Clay Blackmore’s in town tomorrow.  His program starts at 2:00 pm at the Akron/Fairlawn Hilton.  I can promise you an outstanding program.  I’m especially looking forward to catching up to so many of you who are coming. Registration is just a click away!

—The Akron Photo Series logo down to the right on this page isn’t live yet, but registration should be live this weekend and Doug Gordon is the next program after Clay.  It’s November 9 from 6:30-9:30. 

—If you need help getting your business on track or starting a new business and you live in the NY/NJ area give some serious thought to GoingPro Bootcamp in two weeks.  We’ve got a great program put together with Scott Bourne, Tony Corbell and me.  Just between the three of us we’ve got 100+ years of experience with opening our own businesses, dealing with the challenges of marketing, working for other companies in the photo industry, hiring, firing, working with difficult clients, closing the sale and losing the sale and the list goes on and on.  We’re intentionally keeping this conference small so that we have as much time as possible to answer questions from each of you attending.  Hope to see you in NJ on the 24th!  Click here for more info!

— So I’m into House – do you think the relationship between House and Cutty is going to last longer than it used to take to manually focus at a low light reception?  Hey, I told you it was random!  And what about Christina on Grey’s Anatomy – I say fire her butt and let’s get a character that’s a little more psychotic!

Make it a great Saturday and thanks for sticking by me this morning when I’m being random!

And we’ll close with an appropriate wedding related quote from George Carlin:

“I am” is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that “I do” is the longest sentence?  I’m now in serious trouble, having read the blog to Sheila before posting, but she is sort of laughing more than likely planning something evil for me later in the day!

Here’s what got me going on the thought – I was looking at some websites yesterday and was a little surprised at how many photographers compromised to fill up space.  Yes, lots of images are important, but not if any of them are less than your best work.  I actually found myself wondering about how their brains and actions actually connect.  What gave them the “okay” signal to post those images, when even Uncle Harry wouldn’t try and pawn them off as professional?

When I was a kid I had a red mustang and I was trying to sell it.  It had a fairly big dent in the door, but I didn’t want to bother fixing it.  Everybody that looked at the car loved it, but not the dent.  My Dad finally took the keys from me, got the dent fixed and sold the car for $200 more than I was asking.  He sat me down and gave me a life lesson I’ve never forgotten, “Whatever it is your selling, don’t apologize for anything!”

Mom and Dad by Cantrell Portrait Design

Well, think about that as it applies to business.  Whether you’re showing images to sell your photographic services or a house for that matter – don’t compromise.  Don’t show people anything that would require an apology or an explanation as to why it’s not your very best work. 

I saw image after image yesterday demonstrating all the traits of  filter junkies.  If the image is bad to begin with then there’s absolutely nothing you can do to clean it up unless, and I’ve said this before, your name is Eddie, Julieanne or John Paul, just to name a few Photoshop artists.  There’s a great expression I heard in the late 80’s and while I’ll get criticized by somebody out there, it sure fits right now… 

“Remember, you can’t buff a turd!”

If it’s a lousy image, don’t show it! Never show less than your very best work.  Never compromise on quality.  Most important of all, be consistent in everything you deliver!

From my Dad to my potty-mouth to Ansel Adams:

“A true photograph need not be explained, nor can it be contained in words.”

Make it a great weekend everybody.  Happy Saturday!

The real issue is this – Washington isn’t really going to help us dig out of the mess they, along with Wall Street, created.   American values for memories haven’t changed - they’re just buried underneath a sea of fear and unknown economic factors.  

Last week I had an eye exam and the tech was talking about her upcoming wedding.  I asked her who her photographer was and was told a friend of her mother’s who has a good camera!

“We found a wonderful photographer we wanted to hire, but he’s $2500 and with the change in my fiance’s job and since we’re paying for this ourselves, we just can’t afford anyone better!”  

By the time I was done, she was rethinking her photographer.  I sent her to a half dozen legendary sites like Jerry Ghionis, Yervant, Bambi Cantrell and Jim Garner.  All I said was, “Just have fun looking at these sites and you’ll see the difference between an amateur and a professional.”    As I left, all I heard was, “Oh my God!” as she hit the first website.

We might still lose her to Uncle Harry, but the point is the desire for great images is still out there.  The recognition for the differences between a professional and an amateur are still recognized.  It’s way too simplistic to say this, but I can’t come up with better words…We just need to find better ways to remind the public nobody does it better!

July 8, 2009

I might have been dragged into technology kicking and screaming, but welcome to my first blog…and what better first topic than the challenges in the economy?  I promise to keep it light.

Last year, as we prepared for WPPI ‘09 the media was driving me nuts with their doom and gloom approach to the news every night.  Obviously, it’s human nature, good news doesn’t sell as well and literally every broadcast was another story about a company going out of business, the housing market dropping some more, massive layoffs around the country…you name it – if the story was bad enough they couldn’t put it on the news quick enough.

I’m not saying the economy isn’t bad or that we shouldn’t be concerned, but there is a certain self-fulfilling prophecy going on.  That’s when I decided to make the comment, “Just because the media says it’s going to be a bad year doesn’t mean it has to be!”

I spend an incredible amount of time talking to photographers all over the country – on the phone, in person, via Facebook and email and there are two common themes with those photographers who are holding their own and having an “okay” year or even growing:  diversity and hard work.  In fact, virtually every photographer who’s told me they’re having a good year always follows with, “But I’ve never worked so hard in my life!”

So, to all of you who continue to work harder than you’ve ever worked in your life, it’s the start of a new week and we’re almost into the fourth quarter of the year.  The challenge for all of us is finding new ways to help educate the consumer and get them to understand, nobody does it better than a professional photographer.

Now if we can just find more ways for everyone to follow the words of Ralph Lauren:

The key to longevity is to keep doing what you do better than anyone else…It’s about getting your message out to the consumer. It’s about getting their trust, but also getting them excited, again and again….