At just about any major convention you’ll find Bob and his wife, Holly, helping out with everything from registration to print competition.  They both believe in giving back and have done a lot to support our industry!

We were talking about my blog the other day and I mentioned Charity Fest and Aurora’s blog last year about Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, which lead to the following information about Emotion Media and NILMDTS.

There’s now an incredible service for photographers who are serving the community by photographing infant bereavement sessions through Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. (http://nilmdts.org)

Emotion Media (http://emotionmedia.com) is now providing slideshows set to music free of charge to NILMDTS photographers. All you need to do is go to the Emotion web site, sign up and you find slideshows with appropriate music templates designed specifically for these sessions. This service is extremely easy to use.

Save your session jpeg images in a folder. Download the Emotion Media desktop application, there’s a version for MAC or Windows systems.  Activate the app. Navigate to the Emotion NILMDTS templates, choose the one that’s right for your slideshow. Point the system to the folder of jpeg images. Finish filling out the information like the type of DVD artwork you would prefer and make sure to put NILMDTS in the coupon section and wait.

The images are automatically transmitted to Emotion and the slideshow is created within 6 to 24 hours. You receive an email notification that your download is ready. Back to the desktop  application to download the artwork and DVD slideshow. Burn the disk, print the artwork and you are done.  It’s an extra part of the NILMDTS service that I’ve found families treasure.  

To all of you involved with NILMDTS, thank you for performing this important work. If you don’t already photograph these sessions check it out, you’ll find the work challenging, but extremely rewarding.  Bob Coates, July 2010

I chose Vegas for a very simple reason, it’s the best bang for the buck this time of year.  Is it hot out?  Of course it is, but no worse than Ohio’s humidity on the 4th of July weekend!   We’ve put together a great program that’s cost effective and fun without breaking the bank for anybody.   I don’t want to be insensitive, but after thinking about the issues Scott pointed out, I’m even embarrassed to be complaining about somebody complaining! 

So, Scott says it far better in this guest post – we’ve all got to recognize everything we have instead of getting so wrapped up with what’s wrong in the world and what we don’t have.  It’s you, your family and friends who are the foundation for why you should be doing everything you’re doing! 

Thanks Scott, for getting it in perspective!

Copyright Scott Bourne 2010.  All Rights Reserved.

Let me say right off the bat that this is a simple rant.You’ve been warned. I hope you’ll stick around, read this and pass this message on the next time you hear a photographer complaining about their gear – or their lack of it.

I am constantly amazed by some of the stuff I read online. People complain about everything. They’re mad because they have to shoot with last year’s camera. They feel offended because they didn’t win the last photo contest. They’re irate that they had to wait in line 10 minutes at the camera store to buy a lens.

These are all first world problems people. The next time you feel like complaining about stuff like this, try taking a look around you.

The people in the Gulf of Mexico have just had their lives turned upside down by the BP oil spill. People are losing everything. Wildlife is perishing.

Two weeks ago in Arkansas, dozens were hurt or killed in a flash flood that took infants downstream screaming for their mothers.

In third-world countries around the globe, mothers worry about how they will feed their starving children.

Yet we complain about not having enough money for the 1.2 lens and settling for the 1.8 lens instead!

Perspective – it has a special meaning in photography. Why can’t we apply the proper perspective to our “problems?”

I’m using “WE” here because I too have complained about small things. As I grow older and face new challenges associated with my circumstances, I learn more and more to be thankful for what I can do. I spend less time worrying about what I can’t do.

So my charge to all who read this is simple. Why not focus (pun intended) on what you do have? Why not focus on the opportunities that are within your grasp. Instead of being mad that the guy next to you is eating steak while you eat hamburger, remember that there are many who’d love the hamburger.

If you waste time complaining about what you don’t have, I’ll almost bet my bottom dollar that you’re not making the most out of what you do have.

Go out and photograph with the gear you have today AS IF it were the best gear around. Go photograph the local park AS IF it were Yosemite. Change your mindset and I’m betting you’ll change your results. For the better that is.

Scott Bourne, July 7, 2010

So, If every now and then you wake up with the passion to enter the fine art world, then the experiences Nicole has shared with us are your road map for the journey.   Most important of all is a comment she made : “It’s a humbling journey, the journey of self discovery.”

Nicole, you’re an inspiration.  Thanks for sharing!

In the past six months, I have entered another world of photography.  Since I started my career in 1996, I thought by now I would have a grasp of the ins and outs of this business, but as I quickly discovered, the fine art world is an entirely different realm of photography.

When I was studying for my MFA at Columbia, I was reminded daily of the journey as a fine art photographer.  My professors were working artists themselves and we were fortunate to have some of the top fine art photographers lecture and teach classes at my school.  I remember sitting in a lecture led by Nan Goldin and realizing two things: you need to demand a response from your viewers, and what you have to say about your own work is equally as important as the story the image itself is trying to tell.  I worked at the Museum of Contemporary Photography and literally touched some of the most prominent work in our culture to date.  However, even through all of this and after all these years, I am just starting to understand the magnitude of what it means to be vulnerable in your art and how to really embrace the essence of who I am as an artist.

This journey all started because I have about 15,000 images from a project I have been working on for five years.  This past November, I was sitting at my computer after my sixth trip to the Northeast to photograph. I was editing, and said to myself, “What the hell am I doing with all this work?”  I knew it was time to discover the answer, and for four weeks, I edited through the photographs.

I narrowed the 15,000 down to 238 and literally had no idea at that point what I was looking at.  I knew I had reached the place where someone from the outside needed to weigh in — I needed to find an editor.  I was lucky enough to be introduced to the famed Mike Davis (http://www.michaelddavis.com/) through a dear friend. Listing his credentials would take an entire page, but I knew that anyone who edited for years at National Geographic, among several other places, could surely do better than me when looking at my work.  He taught me several things, but most importantly, qualitative thinking!  This basically boils down to the creative process and breaking your images down into five categories: color, light, composition, moment and distance from the subject.  He took those 238 images and narrowed them down to a solid 38 in a series that still blows my mind when I look at it.

After I had my 38 precious gems, with the other 14,962 patiently awaiting a re-edit, I needed to start presenting my work.   I had no clue how to do this or where to start, and the never-ending sea of galleries, curators and reps was beyond daunting.  I had a couple of friends from grad school that I called upon for advice — these photographers had been working in the fine art world for about 12 years, so I knew that they could lead me in the right direction.

“Who is your audience?” was the first question my friend Sama asked me. “Who do you want to see your work?”  Since the work was about lobster fishermen on the northeast coast of Canada, I figured that was as good a place to start as any.  I then emailed and called about 15 galleries/museums in Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, set up meetings with nine of them and took two weeks to personally show my portfolio to these individuals.  For myself, I thought it was important to make a connection and take the time to talk about my work in person.

Simply having representation doesn’t necessarily mean you will be a successful artist.  Many great artists are not represented, but truthfully, many artists without representation don’t ever “break out,” or at best, it is a very long road.  If you do look for a gallery, you need to determine what their intention is with you and your work.  Many galleries don’t have a mission that involves promoting your career as an artist; many are just interested in your commercial viability.  This is often called “living room art,” and the gallery is selling the work to their own specific client base.  There is nothing wrong with this and it won’t damage your career, but in the meantime, a gallery also should be working hard at promoting you, advertising your work and getting it published.

This led me to my next and current hurdle, as I waited for the right gallery opportunity, I needed to scream my name from the rooftops!  I needed to self-represent, get out there and find spaces willing to show my work, seek out joint exhibitions, solo exhibitions, get one image here, another there and move forward in this direction.  I also needed to be published — I needed press!  Fortunately, three of the images had already been published in PDN and one in Maine magazine, but I needed more.  You have to enter contests, submit press releases for shows, contact you local newspapers and periodicals, take advantage of blogs and talk, talk, talk about the work.

If you do find representation, it is a different path for every artist. You just need to discover your own goals and be represented by a gallery that understands and is on board with where you want your career to head.  Sales alone are not a gauge of your importance; money cannot be your only motivation. Some of the most important artists don’t necessarily have the most “sell-able” work. 

Outside of the huge galleries, smaller ones will encourage you to be represented in different areas, find different regions to have your work seen, but don’t over-saturate yourself.  In art, there is something to be said about exclusivity and rareness — too rare, no one knows you; too over-marketed and you appear cheap, with no real value.

I have mounds of information I could share and will continue to do so as I plunge forward.  I have recently had the pleasure of being represented by a wonderful gallery in Maine.  I have had three joint exhibitions since March, a solo in Canada in August, another solo in Maine in October, and a nine-week traveling exhibit starting next April 1st.

I am exhausted by this process, but utterly elated by what I have discovered… myself!  I have finally reached a place in my career where I am fully aware of what I want to do with my photography.  It’s a humbling journey, the journey of self discovery.  When you finally take the time to really look at yourself and your work, there is and incredible sense of self fulfillment in that.  If you are at that place and you know that you want to start the process, don’t hesitate.  Don’t be afraid of failure, embrace the opportunity to discover another part of yourself and to create work that allows the viewer to see the very best of who you are as an artist.   Nicole Wolfe, June 2010

What started out as a project with a passion for imaging, has taken Marc down various paths and into other non-profit events.  Each event you participate in leads to other events and they all keep growing and elevating the quality of your images and sometimes even your life!

A year ago I started the Akron Photowalk Group to do your typical photo walks around Akron.  We just did our second one a few weeks back.  Had a great turnout and several met for dinner afterwards.  Sometimes that’s my favorite part.  Got to meet some really good people, which to me is what it’s all about.  

On our site I write a blog talking about what we do, but also trying to give people ideas about what they can do beyond a walk.  Last weekend I wrote one about the Charity Fest that you wrote about and suggested that people come up with ideas that we can do as a group or individually.  Anything to give back to the community.  So I was pleasantly surprised when one of your new walkers wrote back to say she’d been involved with volunteer groups for twelve years and thought for sure we could come up with some things, so we are going to meet for lunch soon.

She went on to say that the local Alzheimer’s Association is holding their annual gala this Friday at the Fairlawn Country Club. To shorten this story, I was put in touch with the director and I will be attending their function Friday night to photograph the event as one of my give backs. I’ve done this before with the local Red Cross Chapter and always get way more out of it then I can possibly give.   Mark Braun, May 5, 2010  about.

“Don’t expect anything in return, the smiles are well worth it!”

Thank you Joel for what you’re doing in your community and for sharing it with us during Charity Fest!

I started my business 2.5 years ago. My son was born in February 2007 with a heart condition and needed open heart surgery when he was 7 days old. He got through it like a little champ after 8 hours on the table. By the time he was 4 months old, we were told by the hospital he no longer needed any medications and he was well on his way to a complete recovery.

On that day, I was changing his diaper and telling him we had great news about his condition.   While talking I was telling him that the best gift I wanted to give him was to encourage him to follow is dreams in life. I did not care if he became a florist or doctor as long has he did it with passion. I started to listen to myself talk and took the decision right there to leave my 11 year career and open my studio…by September 2007 Élyxstudio opened (Élyx beeing my son’s name).

Ever since I opened I’ve worked my butt off cause I had little money, a house, a son, a wife with a job that could not support us and normal debts for an early 30’s guys. The road has been so rough,but so gratifying. Even when my wife lost her job, somehow we made it through.

Along the way, I took the decision to help out different causes that were important to me. First, there is a foundation called “La fondation en coeur” which helps out parents with kids who have heart problems. They helped us out for Élyx when he was born and I have been giving back by photographing all their fund-raising events that need coverage. They put on a bike race, activities for kids etc. I also shot an ad for them that went in a French Canadian cycling magazine. I don’t have money that I can invest, but giving them my time and my photos, I’m happy to do it.

I also decided to associate myself with a local organization that takes young athletes (from a very young age) and provides different services and guidance to them free of charge to help them get to the highest levels of their sports. They help them get to the Olympics, to the Canada games etc. I’ve been shooting different sports, events and other things for them free of charge to help them promote their organization and get funding for the athletes. The Canada games are coming to my city in 2013 and we are working on a project to photograph the kids and teens who are sponsored by this organization so the public will get to know them and encourage them.  Also with the way it’ll be done, we are going to connect these kids with local business so they might get some sponsorship.

My business is growing and this year I’ll finally be profitable. After all the efforts I put in, finally, I’m there. This will let me think of new ways to help out different causes.  I always said to myself that if I can help people along the way, I’ll be glad to do it and it feels even better than I thought it would.

So that’s my story. If it motivates someone to give back, I’ll be very happy. Don’t expect anything in return, the smiles are well worth it! Joel Séguin, April 30, 2010

The best part of Charity Fest, for me, is that I get to talk to lots of new photographers and in turn, introduce them to other professionals who seem to have a common interest or goal.   Last year at Skip’s Summer School, Tasra Dawson, presented an exciting project she’s doing in Atlanta involving Teen Identity.  So, the next logical step was to put Mollie in touch with Tasra.  

Photographers like Mollie and Tasra have a very special quality.  The common denominator is their “giving gene” and the simple expectation that they’re going to make the world a better place, one subject at a time! 

George Bernard Shaw once said, 

“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.”

Meet Mollie Tobias…

Something new that I am doing this year is a project called “Write your Cinderella story”.  It is pretty small this year since it is the first trial run, but I am hoping to be able to find community partners and make it even bigger over the next few years. 
     The concept is a contest open to girls who are high school seniors.  To enter girls write a 250 word essay on the topic “What is the biggest obstacle that you have had to overcome and what positive choices did you make that allowed you to succeed?”  This year’s winner is a young lady who has battled learning disabilities and is using the knowledge and strategies she has learned to go to college.   She wants to learn how to help other people with similar disabilities reach their goals as well.
     This year’s winner is getting a make-over with hair and make-up, a super model photo shoot and dinner for two before she heads off to the prom.  Next year I would like to be able to have a dress donated as well as transportation and be able to extend the contest to all of the high schools in the area.
      I wanted to find a way to help girls who may not be able to attend prom without singling them out.   I didn’t want to make it seem like a handout, so the contest is my way of encouraging girls to make smart decisions in their lives and rewarding them for taking control of their futures.  Mollie Tobias April 29, 2010

Photograph by Jim Graham

I’ve often said that no other profession, with the exception of modern medicine has given society more than photography.  Photographers around the world have captured the violation of human rights, moments of joy and celebration, disasters and an endless stream of emotions to share with the world.   Jim Graham’s images epitomize what great photography is all about!

Thank you PWD Labs for posting the story and Jim Graham for making all of us proud to be part of an amazing industry! 

You’re just one click away from some incredible imagess!  Jim Graham’s story and images from Iceland!

Who is Jim Graham? Jim is a former staff photographer for the Wilmington News Journal. He was Southern Photographer of the Year and has been twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

What I enjoy most about Paul is his constant quest for diversity coupled with that very identifiable passion for the craft.  But it all boils down to his closing comment about patience and timing.   My grandmother used to constantly say, “All good things come to those who wait.”   Put that into photographic terms and maybe the contemporary version should be “All good images come to those who take their time and know what they’re doing!”

Meet Paul Brace…

Photography and all things art wise have a single dependency that is hard to predict, the audience. You cannot look at a person who walks through the door and know what they are going to like, but you can look for clues.

As a small business owner I get to wear many different hats and with them comes the diversity of what I produce. As a graphic designer I listen to the descriptions and elicit clues as to a client’s desired end product. I may not agree with the choices, colors or design, but it is their satisfaction I am looking to fulfill. As a nature and landscape photographer I take the shots primarily that I envisage and enjoy the most, and then the ones that people will want to buy (I hope). For example I love to shoot raptors but I live in horse country; it’s easier to sell a horse photograph than a hawk.

As an artist, well, I am going to do what I enjoy and hope someone shares that same perspective. Then as a web designer I have to be concerned about marketing, functionality, type face, color, content and flow. My clients want to look good, be found and sell their services or products. This requires a blend of all the above and conforming standards and limitations.    

The point is there are clues and foundations all around us and if you think about it, what you produce will be what your audience wants. For me it is fortunate that my eclectic mix of methods and styles allow me to make a living doing what I love, creating works. It all comes with effort. Where I have strengths I try to improve, where I have weaknesses I will try even harder.

The challenge I set myself each day is to do it better both in the tools I use and in the knowledge of how they work. The next shot, artwork, or the next logo will be my best, that’s the target. For me, it is this variety and diversity of activity that keeps my days interesting, alive, and educational. I am not the best artist, photographer, web designer or graphic designer. But I want to be the best I can be, so I take advantage of every spare moment to practice, play and shoot to see what creativity is flowing that day. 

I might take a series of different shots into Photoshop and see what happens when I experiment with the tools and options.  You know the ones, they are those you’ve asked yourself about…”I wonder what I could do with that?” Have you ever cycled through the blending mode in Photoshop to see what effects it can have?  Many times I might toss away the end product, but sometimes there are “wow” moments and the work is a keeper. 

April is an example of that sort playing with Photoshop and Illustrator. She was not finished in one session and resided on my desktop as wallpaper as I pondered how I wanted to complete her. Then while going through my library for another project I saw the shot of the flower I had taken a while back and said that’s it, and with a little more work she was finished.

The Bluemont Village scene had so much character to begin with but I wanted more. I remembered some articles from an issue of Photoshop User and wanted to apply some of the techniques that would bring a different quality to the picture. I wanted to invoke longevity and a slightly unreal Brigadoon effect. A little playing and testing and the mystical side of the work appeared.

Then with my photography, patience may be the best tool in my bag.  Sometimes it’s the shot itself that makes the word keeper form on my lips. Then there is the “right-place-and-time-moment”.

The Juvenile Bald Eagle was one of those moments in time. That beautiful bird let me take quite a few shots before I disturbed it and it flew off.   Then, almost as quickly,  it turned back and presented me with the best shot of the day. The Osprey on the other hand left me sweating in the sun for quite a while before he graciously posed.  

My Horse in Autumn shot was another patience tester. I was drawn to the color of the leaves in the field and the light kept getting better but I had to wait so long for the horse to get the pose right even my wife left me behind.

The point is, if it feels like the right place,  be patient and with a click you can make time stand still. 

So what I am saying is take advantage of all the opportunities and clues. Good things come from time and effort. Getting better at what I/we do is rewarding in itself. Getting better makes a difference in everything we do.

Paul Brace

Relocation is the second highest stress producing situation, second only to death of a loved one.  Last year he moved from California to Pennsylvania with the only people he knew having the same DNA – not a person, business or even a street was familiar.   How many of us could literally take everything we’ve ever learned and apply it – and most important of all stay positive every step of the way?  I was so moved by what he’s accomplished (and his photography ain’t bad either) that I asked him if he’d do a guest post. 

We’re out of the “slow season” and into Spring.  If business isn’t coming together as quickly as you want to, check your notes from that last convention or program you attended.  Take advantage of new upcoming seminars, webinars and workshops. (Thomas told me he’s on the way to Sandy Puc’s workshop tonight – he never stops learning and networking!)  There just might be a few things you have yet to put into action – but most important of all – stay positive and look for ways to find the help you need!

“My name is Forrest………..Forrest Gump”

I have tried writing this blog post a few times but did not know how to say what I wanted to say.  Sensing the frustration starting to set in, I turned on the television and one of my favorite movies of all time was on (If you haven’t seen it in a while, rent it this weekend – it’s a classic!)……Forrest Gump. I put down my laptop, grabbed something to drink and watched Tom Hanks in one of his best roles ever. It got to the part where Forrest was training with the Army and then it hit me. 

I have built my photography business just like Forrest Gump – built the Bubba-Gump Shrimp Company (I just don’t make as much money).  He did it……I did it by listening to what people say and then just putting it into action.

I love the line from the movie where the drill sgt. asks Forrest why he put his rifle together so fast? “GUUUUUUMP! Why did you put that weapon together so quickly, Gump?” And Forrest responds, “Because you told me to, Drill Sergeant.”

That is my secret…………..sure, maybe I am not an industry leader but listening to the advice of my peers at conventions like WPPI and then acting on that advice has made my business grow at an incredible rate over the last year and I am not talking about growth in an area where I have been open for business for years. I moved across the country 9 months ago to a place where I did not know one person….not a friend…..not a vendor……..only my wife and 2 little boys. We literally started from scratch.

I took every little thing that I learned at WPPI the previous year and I put it into action. I sent handwritten letters to the major vendors, I bought booths at bridal shows, I donated my time and photography to local charities. Basically, I networked like crazy and treated the few clients that believed in me like gold. I just did the simple things that our industry leaders tell us to do every single year.

Kevin Kubota suggested sending handwritten notes to clients……I did that. Mitche Graf taught us ways to cross-promote with other vendors……I did that. I sat and listened to the best in the business and then I did what they told me to do……..and by doing that, I booked 34 weddings for 2010 in a place that is 2781 miles from where I was living 9 months ago.

I spend very little time on the photography forums but when I do log on to offer advice or ask a question I am amazed to see people with 25,000 forum posts complaining that “Uncle Bob” and the recession are the reasons for their lack of business. This is just an excuse.

Think about how many vendor contacts you could make, or new client meetings you could get, if you spent all of that time and energy away from the forums and working on the personal side of your business. Get out there and earn your business. There is business everywhere and there are clients who want to hire you no matter what you charge, but you have to find them.

Listen to the advice that you hear every year from the best in the business, put it into action, and your business will grow…..it really is that simple. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Thomas Beaman

I can’t think of anybody better to kick off Open Forum than Nicole Wolf.  Her first guest post, Don’t Get Stuck in the Middle, got a lot of people thinking about the way they shoot and hopefully a few people were influenced enough to start mixing up their game a little.  I know she got me thinking about the various projects I’m involved with and she gave me a different perspective to consider.

Thank you Nicole for this morning’s first Open Forum!  You’ve given us a great way to kick off the first full week of April!

“So I just got back from another whirlwind 5 days at WPPI in Las Vegas.  I always tell myself every year that I am only going to do three days because I am an old lady and can’t handle the late night debauchery! Actually, I am always so thankful that I stayed longer than I thought, because the fun level is off the charts.  There are so many wonderful people who are beyond excited about the opportunity to meet and become friends with their peers.

I can see how WPPI can be slightly overwhelming at first for anyone new, what with a rumored 17,000 wedding photographers this year!  However, you are bound to make at least 1,000 friends and I bet that is a whole lot more than you came with;)

As I sifted through the catalogue the first night trying to decide what platforms I wanted to attend, I noticed a common theme this year, personal projects.  I found that interesting on the heels of my first Blog post before the convention entitled “Don’t Get Stuck in the Middle.”  I touched on the importance of making yourself stretch past the boundaries of wedding photography and break outside that bubble into an area that is raw, vulnerable and uncomfortable.

So needless to say, this peaked my interest and so I attended a few of these platforms just to see what was being discussed.  I was pleasantly surprised by some and left confused and underwhelmed by others.  I think it is important to address that anyone who is discussing the idea of a “personal project”, finding your voice outside the industry, stretching the possibilities of your own imagination and discovering your “creative” self, needs to be doing the same thing THEMSELVES.  We can not teach others what we do not know or experience ourselves.

I personally feel that the sales pitch needs to be left at home when you are discussing the idea of digging deep within yourself to discover a new way of seeing.  There is something to be said about being authentic when encouraging a hungry, impressionable, searching photographer. Someone that feels stuck in a rut, looking for answers, is trying to find those people within their community of artists and we need to be available to them.  By available, I mean, no ulterior motives when engaging others and giving out your knowledge.

I thoroughly understand the importance of feeding your family and paying the rent, as we all do. However I do not see the necessity, when teaching and encouraging others about growth within themselves, to be selling something they DO NOT need to find that! When we have the ability and platform to encourage, to touch someone in a profound way by our words and our work, we need to be open within ourselves and not be afraid to let others see that. 

One of the most authentic and real platforms that I attended, in which I observed two men, who give of themselves through their work in a way that I have personally not experienced yet, was Matt Mendelsohn and Greg Gibson.  Their work individually is a testament to authenticity, vulnerability and taking yourself to a very uncomfortable place in order to convey the human experience through your work.  No product sales, no workshop pitches, just a look inside of who they are, the realest part of themselves and they shared that with the viewer.

My point being this.  We all have a responsibility when either educating about or participating in a “personal project”, to let ourselves go.  To create a place that others feel comfortable sharing that part of themselves with another human being.  It’s not an easy thing to open up and reveal the most intimate part of who you are, which is what a personal project should be.  I think that the future for wedding photographers is exciting because they are understanding the importance of this and letting themselves move forward in a way that has never been done before.  Instead of talking, let’s be doing, and discover that part of ourselves that we are all searching for…our voice.”

Nicole Wolf