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!

As you watch the DVD slow it down and see if you can isolate the moments you missed.  Look for expressions, things that might have been happening out of view from where you were standing.  Look for shadows and shapes, elements that might have an image a little more interesting.

This is NOT about punishing yourself for what you missed, but about training yourself to look more and more for different details.   What could you have done to make your images even more unique and the album a stronger story?   You don’t have to watch every second of the DVD.   Skip ahead to moments when you were struggling with getting the shots you wanted or maybe just having a hard time with the light.

It’s a great exercise, but only if you enjoy the opportunity for more self-discovery.  Again, this isn’t about beating yourself up on a past event.  It’s about making you stronger for the one you’ve got coming up!

For me it’s the passion I have for imaging.  I don’t profess to be a professional photographer, although I’ve been lucky to have a few images published over the years and yes, I do know more than I let on, but my specialty is on the marketing and business side.   What really keeps me going though, is so many of you:  Your passion to constantly raise the bar.  The excitement you share with all of us when you get the shot!   The generosity of so many of you who take the time, whatever it takes, to help another photographer.

However, there are still a whole bunch of you who are simply unhappy and just haven’t hit your stride yet.  Chasing dreams is exhausting, especially when you don’t realize how much progress you really might be making.  So, here’s what I’ve learned in my almost-an-old-fart life’s experiences:

1) Everything always works out for the better!   It might sound trite, but I’ve seen it happen over and over again.  Just when you think it’s the darkest day of your life, the sun comes out.  Just trust this concept!

2) A watched pot never boils!   Okay, I threw that in for my grandmother’s sake.  In today’s terms it simply means stop looking so hard.  You’re looking for success and recognition and it’ll all come in time.  Just keep working at expanding your skill set and never compromise on quality.

3) You’re judged by the company you keep!  There she is again, Grandma Alice, who used that expression all the time.   In today’s terms it means hang out with people who can help you grow.  I’ve worked for a few people in my life who loved having people work for them who they could intimidate, but I learned the most from those managers who encouraged me to challenge their decisions.   The same goes for my friends, who challenge me every day.  If you’re a tennis player you know your game gets better when you play with somebody better than you.  Photography and business are the same way – surround yourself with people who are trying new things, have confidence and are willing to give you advice, even when it contradicts what you’re about to do.

4) Never believe your own press releases.  No matter what you’re announcing, you can always up your game.  You always have room to do more – don’t put limitations on what you might want to try next.

5) Absolutely anything is possible!  All it takes is hard work and a great support team.  Look at some of the things you’re doing right now.  You’re probably involved in projects or techniques today you never believed you could do just a few years ago. 

We’re all part of an amazing industry with incredible photographers, terrific manufacturers and some genuinely approachable icons, but you’ve got to talk to them to get their feedback.  You’ve got to share your ideas in order to develop new ones and most important of all, you’ve got to be patient and don’t slow down!

“If you want to be successful in a particular field of endeavor, I think perseverance is one of the key qualities.It’s very important that you find something that you care about, that you have a deep passion for, because you’re going to have to devote a lot of your life to it. ”    George Lucas

I’ve told one of my favorite Don Blair stories before, but the short version is that I once found Don, he was then in his 70’s, in the back of the room at a presentation by Nick Vedros years ago.  Don, who literally wrote the book on portrait lighting and posing, was furiously taking notes on how Nick handled the lighting on a commercial shoot.  He was amazed by what he was learning!

Then, there’s Monte Zucker, who called me one night in the early 90’s.  He’d just been to a presentation on the future of “electronic imaging”. He was blown away by how he believed it would change the face of photography and wrote an email to every executive in the photographic industry.

Monte and Don, may only be with us in spirit today, but they set an amazing example and NEVER stopped learning.  As successful as they both were, they attended every possible workshop they could and never stopped discovering new techniques for creating the ultimate image.

But education is only half the reason to attend these local programs.  This is all about networking!   Every program offers you an opportunity to meet and talk with other photographers in your area.  Other photographers, in this bizarre economy, can become allies instead of  just more competitors.    Everyone is in the same boat and dealing with similar challenges.

From Aesop to George Washington, a dozen people are credited with the expression, “United we stand, divided we fall!”  Well, it might seem melodramatic, but that’s what attending workshops, monthly guild meetings, national conventions etc. all means – it gives you a stronger reference point and framework to find more aggressive ideas in your marketing efforts, while picking up the added benefit of sharpening your skills.

Here are some programs either already in place or about to launch:

Now you didn’t think I was going to put Skip’s Summer School up last did you?  There are people who have told me this year’s line-up is even stronger than last year’s.  Personally, I’m pretty proud of the caliber of instructors for both years, but this year is definitely more diverse.  We’ve jam packed two and a half days with a dozen different topics, great information, terrific presentations and all at a great price thanks to dedicated sponsors and the MGM Grand. (The early bird $249 price is only out there for one more month.)  Here’s an opportunity to recharge your battery in August, before the craziness of the last quarter of the year.  You’ll get new ideas. from 15 different speakers, that you can implement quickly and still have an impact on your bottom line revenue before the year is over.

Two Shots of PhotoShop with Jack Davis and Jane Conner-ziser.  Here are two of the best photoshop instructors in the country, hitting the road.  With fourteen cities on the tour, this program is about solutions to the challenges of creative technique and work-flow.

Doug Gordon Workshops - How are you going to get a more professional feel to your bridal images if you don’t know how to blend in the look of high-fashion with great lighting and posing?  In this year’s new workshops, Doug is pulling out all the stops.  From larger workshops to smaller programs with just 25 photographers, Doug has put together an outstanding experience for building your skill set.

PDN’s Wedding and Virtual Trade Show:  It’s coming up in May and it’s going to be a kick and it’s FREE…but you can’t be online and attend if you’re not registered.  Registration takes only a few seconds and it’s just one click away.

Escalate Live:  The brain child of Dane Sanders, it’s coming up in May in Newport Beach, CA.  It’s two intense days in May with eight different speakers. 

Creative Live:  Free online education thanks to Chase Jarvis.  And if you miss a program there’s always an opportunity to go back and purchase the download at a reasonable cost.

Schrader Workshops:He may be a new face on the scene, but feedback on his previous workshops has been really good.  A lot of Greg Schrader’s focus is about networking.  For example, his Fireside chat series is just $20 and give you a chance to network with other photographers and that includes food and beverage!  Then, if you’re looking for a more intense workshop, check out his programs coming up in Chicago and Mackinac Island, MI.

Here’s the thing about education – you can’t be the best you can be if you’re not constantly taking advantage of the opportunities around you.  As I hear about more programs, I’ll do my best to get you the link and more information, but you’re the only one who can put aside the time and make it a point to be there.

This is about feeding the passion you have for photography and Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul said it best:

“One of the things that may get in the way of people being lifelong learners is that they’re not in touch with their passion. If you’re passionate about what it is you do, then you’re going to be looking for everything you can to get better at it.”  

I posted this on Facebook the other day and it deserves a reminder…

“Hey pro photographers in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Kansas and Indiana (Mass too) – Okay, so they’re starting out in Boston…but really good events don’t happen in the Midwest very often (Most great speakers must be afraid of the winter, the Great Lakes or corn! LOL) Well, it’s spring and Mitche Graf and Ken Sklute are headed this way and in Columbus on April 26. This is a program virtually guaranteed to give you new ideas on how to build your business and revenue! And at $49 how can you go wrong? (It’s less than a tank of gas lately!) This is definitely a program worth checking out!”

I haven’t seen this new program, but have known both of these guys for a long time – there’s a lot of great stuff bouncing around in those two heads.  And if you go, make it a point to talk to them after the program regarding your own challenges in your business.

“What’s your favorite place?” Mike once asked him.  The priest being a resident of New England told Mike about a couple of places, one of them in New Hampshire.  A few days later a framed print was delivered to the priest.  The picture of his “favorite place” hangs on his wall today.  Sharing favorite images with people became Mike’s trademark.

Back in February I wrote a blog about the value of a photograph and talked about a gift from good buddy, Joe Elario.  I even included a shot of the finished print hanging over the fire place.  It was a very special gift and means that much more to me, because it was created by a friend.

I wonder how many of you realize the potential your images have to create a very special bond with family, friends and clients.  Sure, if they hired you then they’re paying for you to capture the images, but what if you were to do something extra and surprise them?

Joe Buissink, in his new book, Wedding Photography from the Heart, talks about how he prints up a few large images of the bride and groom and has them framed on the wall of his studio when they come in to pick up their proofs. 

“While most of the images for the album are printed in the lab.  I also create 20×24 prints of some of my favorite shots in the studio…Imagine this:  You’re the bride and groom and you come to the studio to pick up your proofs.  Before you’ve seen one single image, there’s a matted 20×24 print from your wedding – my favorite photo of the event on the wall.  The impact is phenomenal“….

So, from a priest in Massachusetts cherishing a memory from a member of his congregation, to Joe Elario sending me a wonderful gift to Joe Buissink creating a special surprise for his clients - the common denominators are all about emotion and memories.   I’m willing to bet that many of you forget about this very best calling card, or maybe I should refer to it as a “recalling card”, you have at your disposal every day, your photographs!

Don’t under estimate your ability to create goodwill that goes far beyond business arrangements – use your skill set to create images your friends and clients cherish and keep your role as a photographer not just in their minds but in their hearts!  Yeah, it sounds kind of hokey, but it works!

And speaking of special photographs – here’s one that has absolutely nothing to do with today’s blog, except it’s near and dear to my heart.  Years ago, probably around 1995 we did a Hasselblad sales meeting in Tucson.  Being in the “old west”, I decided it would be great to get an authentic wild west photograph with all of us looking the part!   It’s almost perfect, but like a puzzle in Highlights for Children – see if you can find what’s wrong in the shot!

First, and you could never tell this looking at the image – the photographer used a Bronica, at that time one of our competitors!  None of us realized it until afterwards.  But the most fun is in the second mistake – we all looked the part, except my buddy Mike.  Yup, that’s Mike Bowen in the front row wearing his Nikes!  Not sure how many cowboys wore boots in the old days with the big Nike logo!  (PS That’s cowboy Tony Corbell in the first spot on the horse, next to me in the ten gallon hat!)

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