The winner is the chef who takes the same ingredients as everyone else and produces the best results.

As usual, a lot of the quotes I find really get me thinking about our industry. When you think about it everybody has the same gear. Everybody has access to the same client base. Every client has a variety of the same needs, deal with the same emotions and are pretty much interested in the same thing, capturing special memories to last a life time.

Those are all the same ingredients, but what every photographer doesn’t have is the same skill set, the same vision and same level of creativity.  Scott Bourne in a recording for an upcoming podcast said recently, “It’s not about the gear but about your vision!”

This is a short post this morning with a simple point…what do you need to do to upgrade your skill set? How can you, as the “chef” create something unique each time you pick up your camera?

Living closer, we get to spend a lot more time together and there’s a never-ending stream of conversations about business. Today’s business meaning of words like trust, integrity, confidence and creativity have never changed, even though the way we communicate today has. Dad didn’t have Twitter, but he did have a telephone. He didn’t have a lot of conventions to network, but he did have time to meet people, talk to potential clients and a firm handshake. He didn’t have workshops to go to, but he did have books to read and ideas to share with his associates over lunch.

So, I hope you enjoy Pop’s encore performance. As you think about 2012 – everything he talks about is so relevant! Like he said to me so many years ago,

Just watch the left front fender!

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!

A few years ago I heard the comment made that with today’s economy it was no longer survival of the fittest, but survival of the most creative.  It applies not only to your images, but also to the way you address your business, work with your clients, market yourself and plan your strategy for the future.

Right off the bat I want to add to Scott’s list.  Stop taking your photography so seriously. Allow yourself to make mistakes, learn from them and move on. It doesn’t do any good to be in mourning over the shot you missed – just be ready next time. It doesn’t do any good to whine about the gear you don’t have yet – just learn to use what you do have. Last but not least – nobody cares about the one that got away. Instead focus on the quality of the one you got.

Copyright Scott Bourne 2010 – All Rights Reserved

 In this post I am going to lay the ground work for a road map of sorts. It’s really just a random stream of ideas designed to help you navigate that most difficult of journeys – the one to creativity. I’ve made several attempts at this here on Photofocus. This is just another in what will be a string of many. Hopefully this one resonates with someone. These aren’t rules. They are simply guidelines and have personally benefitted me and my work. My hope is that they will help you too.

1. Be sure to organize your photos in more than one way. Make sure one of the ways you do this is by date.  Then regularly go back and look at how you were shooting six months ago – a year ago – two years ago. You’ll start to discover how you have improved, what themes have propelled you and what you still need to work on.

2. Pay close attention to the world around you. Live in the moment. Take a few minutes each hour to focus on what you are doing right now. Observe everything around you closely. Make notes. Look at the specifics of light. Take pictures with your mind. This sort of eye awareness and eye training will help you when you have camera in hand.

3. Study music and poetry to get a better understanding of rhythm. Rhythm is important to visual arts too. See how rhythm combined with mood and theme forms your photographic ideas.

4. Be descriptive in your words so that you can become more descriptive in your photography. Writers don’t write about  the bell – they write about it ringing. Writers don’t write about the ocean – they write about the waves crashing upon the shore. Writers don’t write about the glass – they write about it shattering. Use this analogy the next time you approach a photographic subject. Maybe it will help you search for a better angle, theme or style.

5. Take pictures without regard for style. Don’t get hung up on defining your style or approach. Don’t label yourself (other than purely for marketing purposes) as JUST a wedding photographer or a food photographer or a landscape photographer. Those labels will eventually apply themselves. That’s not YOUR job. YOUR job is making photographs.

6. Expand your perception. Try to fit things into your thoughts about photography that don’t necessarily fit. Think about the physical, spiritual and scientific realms. Explore foods, music, religions, and cultures you know nothing about. Then think of ways to involve what you learn through your expanded perception exercises into your photography.

7. Allow yourself some false starts. Everything doesn’t haveto be perfect the first time you try it. In fact, many great photographs are imperfect period. Perfect is the constant enemy of good. Don’t give up because you can’t shoot the perfect portrait. Allow yourself to make some mistakes. A way to make this even more powerful is to share those mistakes with your peers so that you can help them understand we all struggle with imperfection.

Scott Bourne

One thing I’ve noticed in the last couple of years, inspiration, is more than just coming up with an idea you like. It’s a complete energy surge that does everything from make you work harder to simply put a smile on your face. This is about creating a foundation for a vision.

Visions come in all shapes and sizes. It might be an inspiration for the way you’re going to create an image of a new client. Maybe it’s about a marketing idea for a fall promotion. Maybe it’s a new technique you’ve discovered in lighting a subject.  Inspirational thoughts tend to take you to inspirational solutions.

The dictionary defines “inspiration” as stimulation or arousal of the mind, feelings, etc, to special or unusual activity or creativity.”   Then later the word is defined as the act or process of inhaling; breathing in.  For most people the first definition is the most accepted, but we’re inspired by photographers who seem to create inspiration as easy as inhaling!

Let’s start with Scott’s five basics and we’ll expand on them over the next day or two! 

To be a professional photographer, you have to be able to be inspired. Guts and toughing it out won’t be enough. You will continually need to be inspired. Where you draw your inspiration from is a personal choice. I decided to share some of the things that have inspired me over the years in the hope that you will find something on the list that inspires you.

1. Watch a movie

Yes this is one of those rare times when you are allowed to kick back! Watch a movie. Study it or just experience it. There’s always the chance something will catch your eye.

2. Read a book

Grab something light and funny or deep and thought provoking. But read. I like to suggest The Artist’s Way. If want to be inspired as an artist by reading, check out The Artist Way. It will do the trick.

3. Learn a new goofy hobby

Take your mind off the world and learn a new hobby. The extra space this creates in your brain could lead to big-time inspiration. Suggestions? Here’s a zany one. Learn how to use a Yo-Yo. Yeah it looks easy, but to do it well takes some luck, affinity and skill. Believe me, photography will seem easy after trying to master the Yo-Yo.

4. Study and ask why

Look at photographs from photographers who you admire. But instead of the usual “Oh that’s cool” reaction – strive to know why. Ask yourself “Why did they make this image? Why does it resonate with me? Why is that visually inspiring or arresting or important?” WHY is one of the most important inspirational tools out there. People will do crazy things if the WHY is good enough.

5. Watch trash television

Okay I admit this one is on the edge, but it works for me. One of the things that stops many of us from being inspired is being down or depressed. All you have to do is watch 10 minutes of Jerry Springer or some similar show to realize how good you have it. I guarantee you that you’ll feel better about your life afterwards and if you go out with your camera right away, you’ll see a smile in your photos.

These are just a few of the ways I inspire myself. Try them and see if they help you. Scott Bourne

I want to build on the terrific foundation Scott had here and tomorrow we’ll do round two, expanding on his basic five. This a lofty topic, with so many different ways you can be inspired and develop your creativity!

What inspires you as a professional photographer?

For months I’ve written about the need to “recharge your battery”.  I probably talked about it so much that many of you simply got sick of it. “OMG – he’s talking about the intangible benefits of Summer School again!” The truth is that I underestimated how badly I needed a recharge myself!

We all need to take a break here and there or maybe a better play on words is take a brake! Growing as a photographer is about knowing when to stop the madness and feed your creative spirit. Growing as an artist is about stepping away from the worries of your business and testing the boundaries of talent, experimenting with new processes and techniques. And last but not least, you can’t grow your network when you’re too busy just working hard to survive and feed yourself and your family!

It’s been an incredible week and this morning when Scott Bourne and I share the stage and do our marketing program, I’ll be reminded again about the importance of one last ingredient when you take a brake…friendship.  The definition of a true friend is pretty simple in my opinion. It’s when somebody is in your life and you can’t remember a time when they weren’t!

Sure, everybody learned a lot this week, but there were a lot of new friendships started over the last 48 hours.  The fun of it all will be following those bonds and watching them grow as the influence of 15 different instructors, 25 sponsors and 300 people from all over the world create an unstoppable surge of artistic and business growth!

Okay, it’s 5:30 in the morning and Sheila’s laughing at the fact that I can’t wait to get to Summer School!

To Scott’s point, the industry is constantly changing and every day somebody is utilizing the “tools of the trade” in a combination never before done! Every day is an opportunity for you as an artist to see and then capture a little piece of the world from an angle that has never been photographed before.

The potential to create unique images is unlimited with an infinite combination of gear, techniques, lighting, exposures and composition. But you won’t be unique if you do the same old things every time you’re out there with your camera in your hand! You’ve got to constantly practice and push yourself to take your photography to the edge, every time!

Think about it for just a second. In the history of photography there have never been more creative tools at an artist’s fingertips than ever before!

I was asked by my neighbor at the condo in Fort Myers (Tom) to go for a walk on the beach the other day with him and his five-year-old grandson Bradley.

Bradley was very excited and intent on collecting “big shells.” Shelling happens to be one of my pass-times here in Florida so I offered to help.

As we walked the low-tide, I noticed an older couple in front of us with a plastic grocery sack. That’s a surefire sign of more shellers. The old couple would stop every few feet and add a shell to their collection.

Bradley noticed this too and soon became concerned. He was tugging on his grandfather’s shirt asking, “Papa – how will I ever get a big shell if those people pick up all the good ones?”

Clearly this was a teachable moment between Bradley and Tom so I bit my tongue and tried not to laugh. Tom bent down on one knee, hugged Bradley and said, “Don’t worry Bradley, the ocean waves keep coming and each time they do, there’s another chance to find that big shell you’ve been waiting for.”

Trusting in his grandfather like he would no other, the boy giggled, relaxed and continued his journey down the beach with Tom and I, stopping to examine a shell here and there.

As the beach often does, it caused me to realize a great lesson for photographers. We live in a world where most of the messaging we hear is based on fear and/or scarcity. New photographers often act like Ansel Adams got all the good shots. I have to chuckle when I hear that kind of thinking.

Just like Tom knew Bradley would eventually get his shell, I know that each new wave brings new opportunity. If we’re patient, and we look hard enough, nearly everyplace we go offers the chance for photographic gold. Just because some other photographer has been there before you doesn’t mean you can’t get a good shot too.

Bradley eventually found his “big shell” and let out a yelp along with a “You were right Papa you were right!”

Perhaps you can learn something from Tom, Bradley and the ocean waves pounding down on Fort Myers Beach. Perhaps you can wait out the next wave, open your heart and your mind and go out there to make your next masterpiece, no matter who has been there before you.

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!

So, the question for everyone is, what do you when your brain is simply blocked? 

For me it only took a little classic James Taylor and I was there.   But it did get me thinking about how photography is an art form, along with painting, music, writing and virtually any other activity that demands a little creativity.   Music especially enhances our lives and I’ve become so aware that my speakers in my office might well be the most important piece of equipment in my office, second only to my computer and www.pandora.com.

So, here’s to all those things that get our creative juices flowing and help us create everything from the ultimate image to a paragraph or two!  Make it a great Saturday!

“They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night”.  Edgar Allan Poe

Barbara’s enthusiasm to write a guest blog was virtually unmatched to anyone I’ve ever spoken with.  It was apprehension combined with motivation and enthusiasm.   The apprehension disappeared when I said, “Barbara, just make it fun.  This isn’t about working, it’s about talking about some aspect of photography that you love.     This isn’t school – there’s no deadline.  Send me something, whenever you want.”

Barbara’s thoughts on creativity coming out of chaos are below, but what I enjoyed most were her comments in her email to me.  One of them really stuck out and got me thinking about the people in our lives who influence us the most, those guiding hands who build our confidence at an early stage of our careers or even daily with new projects:

“I learned photography from my mother Delia Martinez who was a portrait photographer in Havana, Cuba prior to fleeing the 
dictatorship, and one of the things I remember while holding an old brownie camera in my hand at the age of 5, was that mommy always said, even if you don’t think you know what you are doing, act like you do!   She was also a singer, dancer and performer and she had this show mentality of the show must go on, and believe it or not, it’s a trait I inherited from her also, confidence. In 1985 I too launched my music career and am still recording, performing and just recently received  another Grammy nomination with groups I have collaborated with.  I owe her so much!”

Time for me to shut up and turn it over to Barbara!

I will never forget the words of my long time friend and photographer  Javy Gonzalez., when one day while talking all things “photography”,   I excitedly blurted out,  “we are going to shoot weddings!”.  He replied,  “Why would you want to do that!?”  He then went on about how  difficult and stressful wedding photography can be, and how the art of  photography could become lost in the process of shooting weddings. 

I  sat and pondered the pros and cons of wedding photography.  Sure it can be stressful and a huge responsibility, but it can also be incredibly artistic, magical, and forever cherished by a lovely couple. Precious moments passed from generation to  generation…….timeless beauty.  That was it! 

So without much further thought, my husband and I took the big plunge into wedding  photography!  We were recently married ourselves, and wanted to share that same excitement we felt when we saw our wedding photos for the very first time with some other lucky couple.  Our dream is to share in their dream by creating the most amazing images we can muster out of our cameras, and imaginations.

Our first wedding shoot was a freebie for a friend’s brother who somehow trusted us enough to put his timeless and eternal moments in our hands.  I was determined to approach this wedding with all the confidence of Bambi Cantrell!  But it didn’t take long for chaos and disorganization to set in…..did I mention stress? 

As we waited around envisioning the bride arriving in a big white limo, we walked around the church shooting detail stuff like flowers, religious icons, the church steeple, and what not.  It didn’t occur to me until I looked at the time that the bride was an hour late!  I asked someone in Spanish , ”Where’s the bride?”, and they replied,  “she’s at the father’s house…”  I couldn’t believe she was still at her father’s house!  My friend said,  “No, no, the padre’s house…..the priest quarter’s behind the church!” 

Unbelievable!  The bride was at the church the whole time!  Over an hour in back of the church, and now only 15 minutes to get some getting ready shots!  Talk about stress!  I had to work fast, catch my breath, and look like I knew what I was doing!  Thank God, I’m a performer, and know all about “the show must go on!” while the set is collapsing around my head.  Miraculously, out of the dust of near disaster came one of my favorite bridal bouquet shots ever!

It really is true what they say, “there can be many failures on the road to success.”  But then again, we only fail if we don’t learn from our mistakes.  Life is all about improvements!  Thank God I’m stubborn!  Even to this day, when I walk into a hotel suite, or brides home to capture the “getting ready” shots, and there’s junk all over the floor, people running around everywhere, noise, clutter, and chaos.  I stay focused on why the bride hired me in the first place……to capture her day. 

If the bride or brides maids are not ready to be photographed, I simply begin to look around, I grab the  rings, the flowers, the shoes, and any other details that she has poured her  heart and soul into over the past year.  It’s funny how their chaos creates a peaceful scenario for me.  I’m immersed in creation,  lost in the moment, and I get the job done!  All those little details are part of the BIG story, and at the same time, I’m having a blast!  There is nothing more rewarding than to hear a bride say,  “thank you for remembering that very special detail”.

I can easily say today that this attitude of paying attention to “details”, and giving our clients what they want, has lead to many other areas of photography.  We now shoot everything from portraits,  high school seniors, Model for a Day,  Alter Ego, performing arts, corporate events, and even memorials.  So many life experiences, so many wonderful people!  I love shooting it all!

We have all come a long way, and still have a long way to go!  But you can bet there will be way less stress when we stop getting stuck in the tracks in the middle of chaos and just start having  FUN!  Even the most horrendous experiences build character, so always keep learning, laughing, and loving…….the art of photography. 

Now, GO HAVE SOME FUN and watch what happens to your confidence, imagery and your business!

Barbara Yasuhara

(My apologies  to Barbara and my readers – if you read this post earlier, I had a problem and pulled the wrong images, showing album pages from a post last fall.  Everything has now been updated!)

So, the next time you go to thank me, one of your favorite vendors or any one of your iconic heroes – give yourself a big pat on the back!  Without photographers like you, who are motivated and constantly pushing the envelope of creativity, our industry would be boring and completely lack substance.

It’s not much of a blog this morning, but no words were ever more from the heart when I thank all of you who have supported this blog, Summer School and our industry.  If you’re not having the time of your life right now, even with the frustrations of the economy, then you’re doing something wrong – the good news is there are a whole bunch of us here to help!

Safe travels to everyone headed to WPPI – for that matter anybody headed any place and again,

Thank YOU!!!