There are only a handful of photographers in our industry who really understand how to use light and today Matthew is taking us outside. In just eight minutes, if you really pay attention, you’ll pick up more information than in many of the platform programs you’ve attended at the various conventions! It’s not that there’s anything wrong with live workshops, in fact, I’m a huge fan, but it’s not the same as you being able to just watch, listen and learn in the privacy of your home, studio or office right now.

This video is from the full length DVD, Inspiring Beauty. If you think there’s a lot of great content here, now picture what’s on the 2.5 hour feature. Nobody does it better than Matthew.

Okay gang, there’s a theme here this week. This is about expanding your skill set and fine-tuning your craft and I don’t own stock in Software Cinema or Photoshop Cafe.  There is absolutely no bounce back to me if you make any purchases. I just love what they’re doing and the educational resource they’re building for photographers! 

Software Cinema and Photoshop Cafe have worked hard to give all my readers a special discount code. Enter “nov20″ for 20% off  on all your purchases on both the Software Cinema and PhotoshopCAFE web sites.

Well, this morning is a shadow puppets morning – I admit it, it’s a morning without a focus, but that doesn’t mean I can’t share some cool stuff with you anyway!

• Check out PWSPIand the new consulting feature that comes with membership. The new feature includes a free business/marketing consultation session with me or partner Scott Bourne. We’ve already done several amazing sessions and I’m proud we’ve been able to start helping photographers with a more direct approach.
• Are you reading GoingPro each morning? Scott and I, along with an occasional guest post from an industry icon have been building some terrific content. We’re coming up on 350 different articles on the site along with over 40 podcasts! There are some new sponsors as well, as we head into the program’s second year!
• Rumor on the street is that Kenny Kim has a second book coming out! There are some terrific books out these days – check out Jose Villa’s new book and while it’s not new, David Ziser’s is packed full of great information. And, if you haven’t pre-ordered your copy of Going Pro – check it you with a click on the link here on the blog. The book is due out in October.
• Check out Cameras for Kids if you’re looking for an interesting way to get involved! It’s a great organization and Betsey Chesler, the founder just recently asked me to be on their Board. I love stuff like this, so I’m in. There are so many ways photography can be used to help make a difference!
• Okay, so it’s totally irrelevant, but my Dad is here for a few days. He and my mother were the stars of a recent post on ”neurochromes“.  I brought him back with me from a recent Florida trip, but here’s the point – he hadn’t flown since before 911! We definitely take for granted how much the world has changed!

Okay, so there you have it  – my first series of “shadow puppets” but all pretty relevant! Make it a great Friday – don’t let anybody grind you down and remember,

“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”  Earl Weaver

In the mid 90’s, Terry Deglau, who used to be with Kodak, and I drove Ansel Adams ‘77 Cadillac into Yosemite in early May. The trip was incredible and the deafening roar of the falls left you with complete respect for the power of Mother Nature! I returned later that year in the middle of summer and the falls were just a trickle.

Whether you’re hitting Yosemite or just a local stream, come Spring the water in most locations will be at its highest. I know from my own mistakes dragging the shutter and getting just the right image is tougher than it looks, but nothing replaces practice and experience.

Scott Bourne has spent a lot of time in the outdoors and this post on shooting waterfalls will add to your expertise. And, if you’re reading this and saying, “I’m not an outdoor photographer!” Think about this…at some point you might have a bride and groom or a family in the foreground at an old mill, covered bridge or small falls, even the ocean pounding against a shore line. How are you going to create an image better than Uncle Harry’s?

I had some fun looking through his images and loved the tips he gave in the blog that follows. Of course, looking outside at 10 inches of snow and 10 degree temperatures adds to a day-dream moment and wishing I was on this beach holding a reflector for him right now!

Follow Clay on his blog and definitely catch him on the speaking circuit. His Photo Fusion Revolution tour last fall was a definite hit. As Clay said in the trailer for the tour, “You remember how the rocket took off with digital. Well, fusion technology is here and the rocket is about to take off again!”  Clay is definitely one photographer who absolutely lives by the rule of staying on top of technology while maintaining a never-changing standard for quality in his images!

Miss Romania, was the model for all these sunset images made last year.  I carefully posed the subject as a sculptor might, slimming her figure and creating a beautiful feminine pose turning and tipping her head to the setting sun.  We added flash from the camera to give even-illumination to the portrait.  We were using the Canon 5d Mark2 with a 580 speedlight on camera and a second flash firing from camera right, using the TTL wireless feature from Canon.

This is one of my first images, I used a 14mm wide angle for this shot..even at 400 iso..1/400th of  second at f 18 I front focused a bit, although the face is not quite as sharp as I would have liked.  I was just too excited and was going great guns..laughing and loving the fun of photography! You never stop learning, practicing and experimenting.

The next image is an Infra Red photograph..using a converted camera.  This camera will only make IR images, once converted, it is always going to make black and white Infra Red images.  I am a huge fan of this technique.  All available light.

If you haven’t spent the day just working with a model, you owe it to yourself to take the time. Obviously being on the beach is terrific, but the fun really comes out when you start to push yourself to experiment and change your technique until you get the images you love most.

One of the mistakes so often made by new photographers is putting too much camera tilt in your images. I remember the first wedding my daughter photographed. She loved the feeling of camera tilt, but when she got home to look at the files, after ten minutes she realized she felt like she was on the Love Boat in rocky seas. She had to spend hours in Photoshop reworking the images and killing the tilts! She made a common mistake, utlizing too much of a good thing.

Since a picture really is worth a thousand words, check out Doug’s use of camera angle on all of the images that follow. Using camera tilt and a change in the angle, Doug was even able to get away with breaking the old rule of never tilt the horizon.  Remember, you’re allowed to break the rules once you know them! 

This isn’t something you can learn in any text book. It comes from lots of practice and knowing when to change camera angle and when to just leave it alone. But remember when you’re practicing, as good buddy Roberto Valenzuela says, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect – so, you have to practice it right!”

Track all of Doug’s latest tips and adventures by following his blog and definitely attend his workshops whenever you can!

To start, for those of you who hate the idea of getting people to pose, you’re missing the point.  Doug’s message isn’t about posing as much as it is about control.  You can get romance and a sparkle out of the toughest “bridezilla” with a little humor and giving her confidence in trustin you to create images she’s going to cherish.

In terms of learning hundreds of poses…you don’t need to learn them exactly, just practice them enough so you know the principles and can create them without spending time thinking through the concepts.  If you know what you’re doing, then it only takes a few minutes to get the images you want. 

I lived through the battles of the 90’s between the photo-journalists and the traditionalists.  In fact, I was the referee in the Bout of ‘91, a WPPI event between Monte Zucker and Denis Reggie and believe me, it was a battle, not just between my two friends, but even the audience took sides.  Today the issue of shooting as a photo-journalist is a moot point – no matter what your style, you still have to capture and create images the client is happy about.  You still have to capture the romance and some times you just might have to create those moments and not wait for them to happen. 

Think about the Uncle Harry’s of the world – they went out and bought the same gear you have.  They think all they need to do is be a photojournalist and they’ll create a new income stream, launching their career as a professional photographer!   But here’s what Uncle Harry doesn’t have:

• Uncle Harry doesn’t know how to pose his subjects.  He doesn’t know how to create flattering images with his bride and groom, let alone do a decent group shot.
• If Uncle Harry gets a shot with narrow depth of field, it most often was an accident.  He’s not paying attention to aperture, shutter speeds or even composition.
• Uncle Harry doesn’t understand light.  I was blown away by Doug’s little Torchlight, adding just enough light on the subject to create the “wow” look every time.
• Uncle Harry doesn’t have the training to put the images together and be a storyteller, one of Doug’s key points last night.  He can’t create exciting page layouts or slide shows with the same quality as a professional. When Uncle Harry clicks the shutter, he’s not thinking of how it’s going to fit in a page layout – he’s just excited if he got an image.
• Uncle Harry doesn’t have access to quality albums or the support to present the finished product!  Michelle Cardello, president of Albums Inc. together with Nicole, Marketing Director, were both working the “booth” at last night’s program. First, how often do you see senior management working an evening program like this?Second, Uncle Harry doesn’t know the first thing about albums, professional packaging or presentation products.
• Last but not least, Uncle Harry doesn’t have the Network!  Art and Marci were there last night from Professional Photographers of Ohio.  Their fall convention is this weekend in Columbus and their big spring show is in March in Sandusky.  Membership in any state affiliate is about networking.  It’s about photographers talking to each other and creating a bond, complete with a secret handshake if you need it and Uncle Harry can’t join!  It’s about sharing not only the frustrations of the economy and technology, but new ideas, products and concepts.

I’m constantly accused of being overly optimistic and a photography cheerleader, as if that was a bad thing.  Well, the truth is, nobody could be more proud of what we do as an industry. I couldn’t be more proud to be working with photographers like Doug Gordon, who was as excited about teaching as he was raising money for Akron Children’s Hospital. 

So, to those photographers, especially a couple in the Cleveland area (you know who you are) who keep telling us the market is going to hell and are more content to live the life of a troll rather than a storyteller – it’s time you opened your eyes!  It’s not Uncle Harry that’s screwing up the market it’s the face you see in the mirror every morning!

At virtually all of the major conventions you’ll find Jay in every program he can find the time for, being an absolute believer that you never stop learning.  He’s always working to develop new techniques and as I said last year, push the envelope a little further.  His latest contribution, now officially referred to as the CHED, definitely lands him a position in the Photo Hall of Fame not just for his skill set, but for naming the shot!

Perfecting the Hail Mary shot: from the Urban Dictionary (n.) A technique where a photographer raises the camera high above his head to get a picture of the crowd surrounding him.   The Hail Mary Shot is a strong part of our arsenal.  Once you practice it for a while, it’s not even that risky.  I have renamed the shot at our studio the:  

CHEDS     C-ontrolled  H-igh  E-extension D-rop S-hot. 

The most common mistake that a CHEDs rookie does, is to not point the camera down at a low enough angle.  A rookie CHEDs usually has too much sky or ceiling in the shot.  After a quick look at the LCD Screen it’s an easy framing mistake to correct.

I have perfected my CHEDs to an extension of 7 feet 6 inches.  For example, if I were 7 1/2 feet tall and looking through the viewfinder of my 5 D Mark 2, my 16-35 F 2.8 would be at the same height as my CHEDs reach from my God given height of 5′11″.

It can be used in many different situations.  Most common use is during a great party.  It can be a Wedding, Bat or Bar Mitzvah, or any event with dancing. 

It works especially well during the hora at Jewish weddings.  I no longer enter the swirling mosh pit of 80-200 adrenalized wedding guests to get photos of the bride and groom precariously lofted in some guillotine like white folding chairs.  During a Hora at a Wedding or Bat Mitzvah I will now take the CHEDs to an even higher level by standing on my LadderKart. This makes it an elevated CHEDs at a height of nearly 11 Feet!

 It might be time to match up Jay with a CHED and Mike Larson with his 30 foot toss in the air trick with his camera.

And yes, Mike gets the shot, but most of us will feel safer with Jay’s technique!  But I don’t think Mike has ever named the shot!

Remember to pay attention to the rules!  Yeah, I know, that seems pretty basic, but the old 8×10 competition is now on line, so questions I keep getting on the size of the prints no longer matter, at least to a point.  However, pay attention to the allowable file size.  

In regards to 16×20 competition, it’s still the same, but the question that comes up is, “How big should the image be?’  Here’s the program: 16×20 refers to the size of the presentation, the board the image is mounted on.  The actual image can be any size as long as it doesn’t exceed 16×20.  Typically I’d guess most prints I saw over the years were 11×14, mounted on a 16×20 board, but the size is up to you and should be dependent on impact.

Impact, it’s a great word to remember when entering competition – it’s the secret of success.  Your goal with every image should be to make the judges go “wow”.   Over the years I’ve been fascinated by many of the images submitted for the various print competitions and how many just miss the point.   I’ve judged 8×10 print competition and viewed literally thousands of images each year, including portfolio reviews and websites.  So, as many of you scurry around getting your entries together it seems appropriate to put out my list of competition tips.

1)      Less is more!  We have too many “filter junkies” in this industry.  You know who you are!  If it wasn’t a great image to begin with, most people can’t clean it up unless their name is Eddie, John Paul or Julieanne, just to name a few of the geniuses out there.  And, if they were to clean up a “bad image” then the end product would have no resemblance to the original image and in its own right would be a work of art.   Back off the filters and don’t over do it! 

2)      What’s in a name?   A lot, so take the time to be creative in the title of each submission.  It’s hard to be unique, but keep in the back of your mind that “First Love”, “Morning After” and “Young Love” have already been used – about 10,000 times.

3)      Exposure, composition and printing – is it your best work?   If you were the client would you buy the print?  I’m surprised when so often, especially the printing quality is poor. 

4)   Pay attention to the categories you enter.   I hung two prints one year in PPA which were underwater shots on chromes.  I know part of the reason they scored well was because they were unique – there were no other entries like them.  So, when you’re trying to decide what category to enter a print under take the time to consider all the possibilities.

5)      Sit in on judging.  I realize it’s not always possible, but ideally if you’re going to enter print competition then it should be AFTER you’ve observed the judging process.   The first time I entered in WPPI competition I went in to listen, thinking I’d stay for an hour – well, I stayed for almost 4 hours!  It’s the most educational event WPPI offers and very few people realize it.  Every print is judged by a panel of professional photographers, most of them instructors themselves.   Just listening to their comments about a print is invaluable and an incredible educational experience.

6)      It’s better to enter than NOT enter.   Entering prints in competition isn’t just about scoring or the recognition.   There’s a spinoff benefit that falls under the you-never-know category.   Twice I saw images picked for Rangefinder Magazine covers entered originally in competition. 

Here’s another one…  

Looking for a great image demonstrating portrait lighting one year,  we received a press release from Adobe.   Just a normal press release, but the third place winner was perfect for our needs and the photographer, a student, found he’d not only placed third in an Adobe contest, but locked in the cover of Rangefinder Magazine before he’d even graduated!   You never know what doors an image might open.

7.  Most important of all, when you do enter, don’t take it too seriously.  Enter with the expectation that it’s simply going to be a learning experience.  Remember too, that “beauty is in the eyes of the checkbook holder” (Dean Collins).   Just because a group of independent judges didn’t jump up and down over your print doesn’t mean your client didn’t love it!   Entering prints in competition takes a special mindset that allows you to just sit back, enjoy a little feedback – be it good or bad – and learn from the experience.

Most important of all, print competition represents one of the many ways you can be involved more in the industry.  It’s an opportunity to learn, to network and after hearing the feedback, a way to fine-tune your skill set!  And remember, this isn’t about winning, it’s about putting in your best effort and learning how to create the ultimate image.

I found a great quote from Gandhi: Satisfaction does not come with achievement, but with effort. Full effort is full victory.

Every corner of your studio or office doesn’t have to have images of past clients.  Put a little of your own personality into the mix.  And, if you don’t have a studio or office and meet with clients at their venue, a coffee shop or restaurant, then have an album of your family.   Doesn’t it make sense to be able to say, “Let me show what I’m talking about with some images I put together of my own family!”  It has a certain ring of credibility and it suddenly puts you in a position of sharing something about yourself, even showing a little vulnerability.

I have a new favorite wall in the guest room at home – it’s “Relatives Row” as my grandparents share a wall with Sheila’s…here’s where you see what a melting pot America really is as my grandfather who came over from Poland in the early 1900’s shares a space on the wall with Kitty Gentry, Sheila’s full blooded Cherokee great-grandmother.  This is where a portrait done by Don Blair of my Dad and I at a convention 15 years ago shares space with  an Olan Mills portrait of my grandmother done fifty years ago.  The roll top desk belonged to one grandfather, the chair to another and the typewriter to an uncle.  It’s all about our roots.

If I wasn’t in this industry I don’t know if we’d have put the images up on display, re-framed a few of them or let them tell the story they do.  It’s an understatement to just say this stuff is “fun”.   It’s something bigger, but I can’t find the right word – old photographs are a kick and together they tell a story of who we are, where we’ve been and what makes each of us different.

There’s a great quote by Tennyson, “I am a part of all that I have met!”  We’re all a part of our past, from people who touched our lives an hour ago to past generations no longer with us.  We stay connected and even grounded thanks to everyone who makes up who we are. 

At this past WPPI, photographer Dawn Shields from Missouri won Album of the Year.  It wasn’t a wedding album or a day-in-the-life children’s shoot, but a documentary piece she did about her grandfather who spent most of his life in prison, in Alcatraz.  Imagine the strength of her images and the story she told in order to win Album of the Year!

The bottom line is simple, bring a little of yourself into your studio.  Don’t be afraid to share a little of your past with your clients.  It shows your human side and the love you have for imaging and the craft.  It also helps to demonstrate the value of the service you provide, capturing memories!

This is just a short point to make this morning.  If you know what you’re doing you can create award-winning incredible images any place on the planet.  Hey, I lived near the ocean for seven years and can’t deny for a second, there’s no place more beautiful to be – but not necessarily to photograph.

I get the jokes all the time about trading in Marina Del Rey for Akron, but Akron’s actually got lots of great spots to photograph and so does Cleveland and virtually every city in America.  For example, in down town Cleveland there’s a lot of old brick and the opportunity to create some incredible back drops.  There are small parks and neighborhoods, screaming to be photographed.   In Akron, there’s Greystone and the John S Knight Center where Matthew Jordan Smith will be teaching in a few weeks – both have some great corners of natural light and dynamic lines for high-impact composition.

One of my most favorite images here at home is one Don Blair did of my Dad and me and it was done in a booth at a trade show!  My daughter’s high school senior head shot fifteen years ago was done by Tony Corbell on a skid of cameras in the back corner of the Hasselblad warehouse. (Okay, it wasn’t because of the scenery, but because I was too cheap to get a senior head shot done, but Corbell did it for a pizza – how could I refuse?)

The point is, if you’re dreaming about what your images would look like if you lived near the ocean or in the middle of the Rockies you need to get yourself some destination assignments.  In the mean time, you need to not just look around you but see what’s around you.  From old buildings and parks to construction sites and simply understanding lighting well enough to utilize a back drop and create beautiful images – you’ve got lots to work with if you follow Joe Buissink’s routine and develop your “mind’s eye” for creating your own unique look!

Let’s have some fun with this one.  Send me your outstanding images from places that are just ordinary, but helped you create some extra-ordinary images… (3×4, 72dpi) to skip@mei500.com.  We’ll post them here on the blog and we’ll draw a winner for free registration to Skip’s Summer School, August 8-11 in Las Vegas.   The winner will be non-transferable, so don’t enter if you can’t join us!