Here it is, the next upcoming tour you need to hit, Get in Motion! Brought to you by Cinestories and created by Jeff and Ross, for many of you it’s going to be your first real seminar on film-making technology. Some of you met Ross and Jeff when they toured with Clay Blackmore last year in Fusion Revolution.  Now you’ve got a full blown program designed to help you get a good solid series of techniques to bridge the gap between your knowledge of still imaging and video!

On their website, under the question of “Why should I attend?” they say it far better than I can: Film-making is here…it’s here to stay, and you will inevitably come into contact with it. Whether you make the films yourself for your clients, or you hire someone else to make them for you, a good knowledge of the fundamental principles will allow you to contribute to the final finished film, the film-making process, and/or to assist your clients in meeting their needs for these services.

I would have just answered the question, “…because it’s stupid not to.” Here’s the deal, with the Skip’s Photo Network discount code of “SSS2011″ the cost drops to $49.  That’s 4 1/2 hours of HDSLR film-making education! I can pretty much guarantee you’re going to pick up at least one new idea to help you in your storytelling skills. Check out the link below and get yourself signed up. That first program is right around the corner starting in Atlanta on September 19!

Your opportunity to Get in Motion starts here!  Program info and registration!

Starting with an almost instinctual ability years ago, good buddy Clay Blackmore possessed a talent for taking a collection of images at a wedding and turning them into a story. Photographers are the ultimate storyteller and Clay has produced some absolutely beautiful albums, each telling a unique story of the start of a new family.

With all of the new technologies, especially Fusion, photographers now have the ability to take storytelling one step further.  The video I want to share with you is one produced by Jeff Medford and Ross Hockrow for ClaynCo. It was first shown almost a year ago, but for most of you it will be new. As you watch, pay attention to the technique used in telling the story.

Ross is an amazing storyteller.  He’s a die hard film buff with the ability to tell even the simplest story, leaving you saying “wow” right after you pick your jaw up off the floor.  When I saw his presentation at Photo Fusion Revolution I found myself thinking about how I photograph and the story I’m trying to tell, even without video.

For the first time in the almost 200 year history of photography, you’ve got all the tools at your fingertips to truly become the ultimate storyteller! The story of Sean and Ruthie is told with all the beauty of a full length film. Even better than the story line, think about the impact on the bride and groom when they saw it for the first time at their reception with their guests. Think about the number of guests who will most likely remember this for years to come, until they have a similar event and desire the same type of creativity.

All of us tend to panic now and then wondering how long it will take to master and embrace new technology.  Some photographers become obsessed with worrying about obsolescence. Well, no reason to worry about becoming obsolete, as long as you keep fine-tuning your skill set as a story teller! It takes practice, time and a learning curve, but in the end nothing could help secure your business more!

This past weekend was such an incredible success for our studio, creating a wedding film for Sean and Ruthie and showing it at the reception. The people were blown away..no one knew that we had this planned, except the mother of the bride. The best part is that the sound track was largely due to the song the Sean wrote and produced for his album. Ross Hockrow and Jeff Medford spearheaded the effort with a team of 7 to make this happen, and yes, it was a sensational hit!

It was a lot of work, however, I would do it again. If you get a chance to click into the link..enjoy…Clay Blackmore

Follow Clay on his blog, attend his workshops or just catch up to him at Summer School!

“We can believe that we know where the world should go. But unless we’re in touch with our customers, our model of the world can diverge from reality. There’s no substitute for innovation, of course, but innovation is no substitute for being in touch, either.”

Are you in touch with what your customers want?  Or, are you providing what you think they need based on information that’s long since changed.  When was the last time you did your own informal survey to find out what your customers really want?  When you’re meeting with a client do you really hear what they’re saying?

When Bambi Cantrell asks a bride to tell her about her bridal gown, she immediately picks up two invaluable pieces of information.  First, the brand of the gown tells her how much the bride is willing to spend on something she feels is important.  Second, because Bambi knows gowns, the type and design of the gown will relate to the style of photography, being more traditional and conservative or more contemporary.

Then there’s Doug Box, who does a great demonstration about defining what you’re customers are really asking.  If a customer calls you and asks, “How much are your 8×10s?” What will you answer?  Most photographers just put a price out there.  Now, pretend you’re a baker and somebody calls and asks, “How much are your cakes?” 

Your answer is going to be preceded by a series of qualifiers:  “How many people do you want it to serve? What flavors do you want?  Do you want anything written on top of the cake?  Do you want it delivered or are you going to pick it up? Does anybody have a peanut allergy?  Do you want an ice cream cake or…and the list would go on and on.

Well, none of us are bakers, but  we know what to ask the person buying a cake.  Sadly, we sell short the customer we know best who’s calling for pricing on prints.   Why isn’t everybody asking all those same types of qualifiers?  Do you want just an 8×10 or did you know we have a special that includes other sizes?  How many 8×10’s would you like?  Does the image require any touch up – we have a terrific reputation for custom work.  Would you like a portrait sitting as well?  Would you like the image framed?  We have a full selection of frames and we’ll do all the work.  Is the image black and white or color?  The list of potential questions is extensive, but over and over again we too often fail to further qualify the customer and pull them into our entire “product line”.

Very few photographers, from commercial to children’s portraiture and everything in between, take the time to think about their product line.  Your skill set and the vendors you have available make up your “inventory” and thanks to technology, in the history of photography it’s the most extensive it’s ever been.

From the type of photography your skills allow to the thousands of techniques in Photoshop,  film vs digital and the hundreds of vendors offering you lab services, albums, frames, canvas prints, paper prints, slide shows, mixed media and hosting services – you have an inventory that beats Sam’s Club and Costco combined!   But, odds are you’ve never thought of them as your product line.

So, whether you’re headed to WPPI or programs like Skip’s Summer School later in the year, start thinking about the
diversity of the products and services you offer.  Before your next round of speakers take the time to visit their websites and look at the way they position their products and services.  Their programs will make a lot more sense if you know more about them. 

 Look at what everyone offers their clients.  When you walk into a program, the speaker you’re about to hear isn’t there just because they like to teach.  They’re on the podium because they’re successful and as trite and simplistic as it sounds, they learned a lesson from McDonald’s,

Would you like fries with that?