Just a little while ago I ran across a great post by Jeff Youngren on the Pictage Blog.  He’s provided you with a ton of good solid information and the topic?  Natural Skin Tones!  What I love the most about what Jeff’s written is he’s giving you suggestions on how to get it right in the camera, or in tough situations “more right”!  

Getting it right so that it’s relatively clean right out of the can is so important to your sanity and especially your marketing efforts.  You need to be spending your time building your brand, not sitting behind the computer cleaning up images!  Obviously there will be situations where Photoshop becomes an incredible tool, but if you think through the solution to the problem on the front end, it will cut down on time later on.

Some great tips from a great photographer and a great blog that should be set up in your RSS feed!

So, have some fun thinking about all these links…

Tony Corbell is the educational manager over at Nik, but he and I worked at Hasselblad together.  But we met when he was working with Dean Collins, which led to working at Brooks Institute and co-ordinating with just about everyone in the industry.

Kayce Baker over at Fujifilm and I link back to her days in retail at Samy’s in LA, but most recently  Scott Bourne and I just used one of her amazing images in our new book GoingPro. 

Image by Kayce Baker – All Rights Reserved

Scott Bourne and I go back at least 15 years when he sent me images at Hasselblad taken with the then new Hasselblad X-pan.  I sent them over to Studio Photography (no longer in business) and they ran a profile story on Scott and his images, which led to a monster project in the middle east.

My good buddy Bob Rose and I go back to his Ilford days, but the fun really started when I needed a dive buddy for a trip to Bonaire.  Then came working together on all sorts of projects, including Bob writing for Rangefinder Magazine.  He’s a writer, (Google him and you’ll find things he’s written all over the industry!) a photographer and the ultimate tech-weenie!  The computer I’m working on right now wouldn’t be working if it wasn’t for Bob’s help!   During all these years life has just been one amazing adventure.

Kenny Kim came to a program we were doing on the road in Cleveland five years ago.  Also speaking were Mike Colon and Jeff Jochum, which was a Pictage sponsored series.  Then Kenny seemed to show up at every program.  He recently published a new book and took some great images at the last Skip’s Summer School.  Then, two days ago I was talking to Tracy Moore, a photographer from Montana.  She’s assisting Kenny at an upcoming wedding in Chicago in the next week or so.

Vern McClish, now at Hallmark, was at Polaroid for many years, although we really didn’t work together until I left and joined Hasselblad.  Polaroid at the time made a back for Hasselblads.   We’ve worked together on and off for years on various projects related to Hallmark Institute, but the most fun is that we actually went to high school together!  For years he’s been suggesting I get to know lighting expert, Bobbi Lane, who recently just co-anchored the Lighting Lab at Skip’s Summer School.  Now throw in good buddy, Rich Parker from The MAC Group, who brought in all the Profoto lighting gear.  Rich and I go back to before his MAC Group days when I tried to talk him into leaving the west coast and moving to NJ to work for Hasselblad.

The other day I did a blog and talked about Ansel Adams…well, John Sexton, Chris Ranier and Rod Dresser were all assistants of Ansel at one time or another.  They all went on to become incredible photographers in their own right.

Okay, the list could go on and on, but here’s the point – no heavy thoughts – just pay attention to the incredible roots of everybody you meet in photography.  The longer you’re in the industry the more you’ll realize we’re all addicted to it! Nobody ever really leaves.

Postcard Mailing: How about a new promotional piece?  WHCC and Marathon Press both offer some terrific support in designing a postcard mailer.   This is such a simple thing to do, starting with selecting 2-3 outstanding images.  Copy on the back can be anything from a special offer for the next few months to just an announcement of you being available – new contact information, etc.    And the list of who to mail it to?  Try www.listservicedirect.com and pull demographics based on your target audience by zip code. 

Partnerships with non-competing companies: As an extension of a direct mail campaign, how about designing an over-sized postcard and include another company to share the cost.  A wedding photographer fits together with a florist.  A limo company is great with a portrait photographer targeting high school seniors and homecoming events.  A commercial shooter would work well with a local printer. 

Fall Promotions:  You have to plant the seed to get people thinking about photography, but the fall is perfect.  You’ve got all the best holidays in the back half of the year.  The kids are finally going back to school and Mom is ready for some time to herself.  Mom is also the decision maker when it comes to professional photography, but you have to get her thinking about the idea of a new family portrait as a holiday gift idea this season.

Special Offers:  Talk to your lab and see what makes sense in putting together a great offer.  Personally I hate discounts, but I love free goods.  Look for ways to add on value rather than just discount the pricing.  For example, it’s stronger in my opinion to give an additional 8×10 than it is to put out a 15% discount.  Better yet, many of the labs and album companies also offer framing opportunities or special albums and you should be able to actually create something unique.  And if you need help writing this stuff up, or for that matter with anything on your website, marketing support, etc. check out Ghostrighters!

Canvas Prints:  I’m a huge fan of canvas prints, but in my case they’re more fine art.  I have two 20 x 50 panoramics in my living room that were done by Simply Canvas.  What I love is people’s reactions, because most people outside our profession have no idea what they’re looking at.  Well, August is a good time to look at your entire fall selection of products and what you’re offering your clients this holiday season!  Does your own product line need a face lift?

Diversity:  Maybe it’s finally time you announced your ability to photograph kids as well as weddings.  It’s just one example, but if your skillset is solid is it time to let people know you’re ready to handle more of their photographic needs?

Workshops and Conventions:  Maybe August is just a great time to figure out what you need in new gear and decide what workshops, trade shows and conventions you’re going to attend in the next six months.  The clock is ticking on being able to attend Skip’s Summer School, but coming up you’ve got WPPI’s Road Show,PhotoPlus East in New York, Pictage’s Partner Con in New Orleans, Clay Blackmore’s new road show, Matthew Jordan Smith in Dallas, the Akron Photo Series and there’s a rumor thatJane Conner-ziser and Jack Davis  are about to hit the road for a command performance of their program in additional cities.

Getting extra help: August is a great time to consider all those photographers and instructors out there who also offer programs, DVDs, podcasts and webinars to help you grow your business.  Check out Dane Sanders and his Ask Dane resource, Sarah Petty, Kevin Kubota, Doug Gordon, Bambi Cantrell, Jerry Ghionis, Yervant, Mitche Graf, Ken Sklute, Jim Garner and for anybody I left out – cut me a little slack -  it’s 6:00 am as I’m writing this – email me with your link and I’ll add your program in tomorrow! 

Podcasts:  We’ve gotten great feedback on the podcasts we’ve been doing at GoingPro.  Here’s a chance to take advantage of the free downloads and just listen to suggestions from me and Scott Bourne on ideas related to building your business.  We’re now doing three a month on the 1st, 10th and 20th!  It’s FREE guys, but you have to hit the download button to be able to listen to our suggestions and we’re about to expand the series with a few surprise guests!  There’s also a ton of helpful information on Scott’s blog, PhotoFocus!

The point is, summer is coming to a close, but your business is about to potentially blossom with an opportunity to take advantage of fall and holiday seasonality, but you’re the only one who can make something happen!

The first paragraph of the press release pretty much says it all, but here’s the link to the full story.

“Pictage, the leading professional photographer community and platform for marketing, selling and fulfilling professional photo products, today announced the acquisition of ShootQ, a web-based software company offering the industry’s most advanced business management solution. The combination of Pictage and ShootQ will create the first comprehensive platform for photographers to manage their workflow, promote their brand, connect with community, and sell their work.”

Congrats to everyone involved – it’s a great match!

I just heard from the crew at Pictage there are only five seats left for the launch of Pictage U next week in San Diego.  If you’re in the area it’s definitely worth checking out!

Here’s my topic for this morning…it’s not original but it’s certainly near and dear.  I’m tired of photographers who blame everything bad on their business, but the person in the mirror.  Yes, I’ll admit I’m the perpetual cheerleader and I’m a complete optimist, but how about if you guys slow it down for a little and look at all the things you should be doing to build your business, instead of blaming it all on the economy, competitors and the “Uncle Harry’s” of the world. 

1) Do people know who you are?   Remember, it’s not who you know it’s who knows you.  Press releases, being involved in the community, giving something back, advertising, marketing – they all play a role in building brand awareness.

2) How’s your reputation in your community?  If it’s bad then you need to back off for a little while, get involved in some charity events and look for ways to change your “rating”.

3) Are you producing outstanding images? This is all about the finished product.  Are you a great photographer or does your work look like everybody else’s?

4) Are you a one trick pony?  I still believe you need a little diversity in your skill set so that you can expand a little outside your specialty.  You never know who’s going to walk through your door and what kind of help they’re going to need.

5) Are you competitive on what you offer for your services, prices and finished products?  Everyone always thinks they need to lower prices to beat their competitors, but lower prices simply change the dynamics of the entire market and most often, NOT for the better. In an earlier post, my good buddy Cliff Mautner wrote:

“I felt the need to add a bit of value to their collection in lieu of reducing my pricing – which I was dead set against. An added hour here, a flexible payment plan there, and things fell into place nicely.”

6) Are you involved in your photographic community?  Virtually every community has a group of photographers who get together once a month, just to talk about the business.  Often there’s a guest speaker.  I’m on my way to Dallas to speak tomorrow night at the Dallas PPA meeting.  Marathon Press offers a whole series of marketing programs. In fact, they’re in Dallas a week after I am.  Follow Mike Larson and you’ll find him at Pictage meetings.  Check on Candice Cunningham and she’s out there with SmugMug meetings.  Dane Sanders is out there with FastTrackPhotographers and doing his own monthly coaching meetings.  And there are dozens more out there – all offering you an opportunity to get some help.

7) Do you follow a few different blogs?  There are so many different resources and some of the best are photographers who are writing about the challenges of being on the front line every day.  Yes, I’m self-motivated, but check out some of the material Scott Bourne writes at www.PhotoFocus.com and also the new www.GoingPro2010.com.   There are even free blog tips starting to build at www.GhostRighters.com.  

8  Are you attending every possible program and workshop you can?  There’s no excuse for not attending on this one – check out the new educational venue that Chase Jarvis put together, www.CreativeLive.com.  This whole week is dedicated to CS5. 

9) Last but not least and I know it isn’t easy, but are you spending too much time “negative selling”?  Negative selling is simply talking more about how bad your competitor’s work is instead of talking about how good you are.  Don’t compare yourself to your competitors, it’ll only back fire.  

Years ago Rollei ran an ad in the major professional photographic magazines.  The headline said, “While Hasselblad has slept, Rollei turned dreams into reality!”   They even showed a picture of a Hasselblad in the background, on a pillow!  Remember, I was president of Hasselblad at the time and couldn’t have loved the ad more.  I even called their agency and offered to pay for more runs of the ad.  The ad was a big contributor that year to helping us continue to build awareness for Hasselblad!

I know how frustrating it is to have competitors in your face, but that’s what keeps you on your toes too.   If you’re a tennis player, people always say your game gets better when you play with somebody better than you.  Well, in business it’s the same.    A tough economy and competition forces us to look at things we should have looked at a long time ago in our marketing efforts, running our business and even the way we photograph.

10) How’s your customer service skill set?  Check out Saturday’s blog as it relates to your phone skills.  Read the guest post by Gene Ho about how service plays a critical part in his close rate on new bookings.   It’s all about exceeding your client’s expectations.   If your customer service is bad or perceived as bad because you didn’t respond fast enough or people feel bounced around, then you’ve lost the battle before you even had a chance to fight it.

I guess it’s just a great day for the world according to Cliff Mautner and I can’t think of a better close than his quote:

…”I still believe there’s no substitute for busting your ass. I’m working harder than ever to stay working hard. I don’t think that will change. It’s the survival of the fittest out there and this is no time to chill. Sharp skill sets, innovative marketing, and top notch customer service will always prevail…”

1) Think about what you need most in terms of help with your business.  Do you need more education in marketing and business, a better understanding of photography or more products for providing added value to your customers like frames, canvas prints etc?  Maybe you need a few new focal lengths in your camera bag – maybe you need a new camera bag!   The purpose here is to establish your priorities – at WPPI, for example, there are a few hundred exhibitors and it sure helps to walk in the door focused on where you need the most help.  Otherwise, it’s simply overwhelming, with too many choices to make once you’re there.

2) If you need high ticket equipment – look into leasing if you’re worried about tying up capital.  You’ve got time to establish your credit line with a leasing company before you go, then you know exactly what you’ve been approved for and can work the convention like a pro!

3) Go to print competition judging!  If you’re in early enough for any convention in professional photography with print competition, it’s the best bang for your buck out there!  I went in to observe 10 years ago for half an hour wondering how my own entry was going to do – I stayed all day.  With the comments from the judges, it’s like having class after class in composition, exposure and printing being given by dozens of industry icons!

4) Plan your days in advance.  For example, the WPPI schedule is out and on line.  Think about what classes you want to go to and then be there at least 15-20 minutes early.  Programs fill up fast and you don’t want to be closed out of a program, but if you are, it’s not the end of the world.  Yes, it’s frustrating, but there’s a lot to choose from – so select your programs on where you need the most help, not on the popularity of the speakers.

5) Pay attention to the lineup of speakers at many of the exhibitors.  Here’s a great stop – There are 16 different speakers at the Pictage booth this year!  Every one of them will give you new ideas in creativity and marketing.  Joe Bussink, Kenny Kim, Dane Sanders, Jules Bianchi, David Beckstead, Bob and Dawn Davis, Mike Colon and the list goes on an on – they’ll all be in the Pictage booth.  (It’s easier to just click on that last “Pictage” and see the schedule!)

6) Network, network, network – since you’re there early to get a seat in a program then utilize the time wisely and talk to the people around you.  Try to never have dinner alone or with the same people – bring along a newbie, somebody you’ve just met at the show.  This has always been the coolest part of WPPI for me personally – the friendships you can make just sitting and talking to people.  Remember, everybody is dealing with the same challenges you are – the economy, creativity, growing your business, marketing etc.

7) Diversify – I’ve already written several blogs on the importance of staying diverse, but here’s your chance to really start to learn a new skill set.  Find at least one program to attend that’s completely out of your element – the one that might scare you the most!

8)  Need help with marketing and business?  Check out the Business Institute.  I started it five years ago and thanks to help from Mitche Graf this year, it continues to be the largest and my guess the most fun, business and marketing program in our industry.  And, if you’ve got an interest in school photography, attend All About Schools - you won’t be disappointed.

9) “Working the trade show” is no easy endeavor, but since you’re there, at least do it right.  You don’t need to go straight to that one company you want to see the most – because your tunnel vision will result in missing everybody you walk by on the way.  Literally work the rooms one aisle at a time and do your best to see EVERYBODY.  Yeah, I did just suggest that over three days you need to visit every company there – that’s the whole benefit of the show – there’s so much to choose from.  For example, you might not even be thinking about bringing in some new products, but walking by the GNP booth you’ll see dozens of terrific looking frames you could be offering your clients for that one image that’s so special it deserves that spot of honor over the fireplace!  Your client will be ecstatic, because they’ll think you’re going to do all the work and you can be ecstatic because GNP is going to make it easy for you – they’ll do all the work and you’ll be the hero!

10) Bring some of your own images!  I never understand photographers who come to a convention with access to every icon in the industry as well as every manufacturer and leave all their work at home!  You don’t need to carry around a 16×20 portfolio case, just a book of a dozen or so of your favorite images, or your promotional piece or even a few images in your iphone – but be careful of boring somebody with too many images on your iphone!   This is where I really like paper prints at a convention.  If I’m in a booth and busy, I don’t have time to have somebody try and direct my focus to their i-phone, but leaving me a couple of 5×7’s in a folder with a business card and more information will stay in my memory a lot longer.

11) Take a camera with you!!!!  I’m not talking about the gear you shoot with for your business, but a decent point and shoot.  Get a few shots of yourself at the show interacting with vendors and other photographers.   Do a press release when you get back to the local paper, Chamber of Commerce, post it on your blog or facebook page – nobody is watching out for you but you!  And if you’re stuck on what to write – here’s a free template – all yours to use.

Your city, Today’s Date 

Area Photographer Attends International Photographic Event

In (his/her) continued efforts to expand the broad selection of cutting edge photographic services, (your name) recently attended the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Convention, an intense educational event for professional photographers. 

“There’s never been a more exciting time to be a professional photographer or, to have images created by a professional.  Digital technology is changing all the time and I want to make sure I’m offering my clients the very best!” said (Your Name).

(Your Name) is the founder of (your studio) and is located at (address).  The studio offers a full range of (commercial portrait,wedding,childrens, etc.) services.    Or, _________ plans on continuing as a freelance photographer…etc.

And if you need more help on what to do with the release, just read the blog it originally appeared in on January 27th.

12) Take advantage of evening programming and special events.  Sure, it’s important to have a good time, but take advantage of the various presentations.  One of my favorites, good buddy Scott Bourne, is doing a program on Social Media and how to turn it into your most valuable marketing tool!  He’s on Tuesday night from 8:00 – 10:00. 

13) Don’t be afraid to talk to your favorite speakers.  Everybody is approachable and everybody is there because they believe in education and sharing.  But, I can’t bring this blog to a close without a few words of caution – show some courtesy.  I know it seems basic and maybe even insulting to some of you, but when you see one of your favorites stay away from the storm trooper approach, especially if they’re already in a conversation.  You might have to wait a few minutes for an opening or you might even need to catch them later, but the toughest thing is being involved in a conversation and having somebody just jump in and interrupt – you’ll never get anyone’s attention or the respect you want and deserve.

Last but not least – have fun!  Seriously, it’s one of those words that’s lost in business today – you’re going to a great convention.  You’re going to see old friends and make new ones.   It’s okay to work hard and party hard!  

Safe travels everybody – see you in Vegas!

A couple of days ago there was a great blog written by Jim Collins, CEO of Pictage.  Here’s the fun thing about Jim, first, throw out the title.  The guy couldn’t be more approachable.  Second, when Jim says he’s there to help, he really means it, but don’t expect anything to be sugar coated!  

Jim put it best when he wrote:

“This week we’re going to get personal. For some of you, this will definitely be a “Big Boy Pants” conversation, at least if you’re taking it seriously. (those who’ve read my stuff for a while know that when I’m going to say something I know will hurt, I always preface it by asking you to put on your Big Boy Pants. This is not a sexist comment…)”

He tells it like it is and while some of what he talks about might be pretty hard to hear – you couldn’t ask for a member of the industry with more optimism or willingness to be involved!   Take the time to read his blog .  If you fit the profile and need an attitude adjustment, consider all the things in your power to change and then pay careful attention to Jim’s last paragraph:

“Tomorrow is a new day. If you’re serious about success then get serious about reinvigorating your business. Make your next client meeting your best ever. Perseverance is the key to success in any small business. Even for those who have “made it” the marketplace changes so quickly that they must continue to grow and change or they will quickly be irrelevant. There is no judgement for falling behind. There is only judgement for staying there.  That judgement is rendered when the market leaves you behind and your business fails.  

For the rest of you, Onward! If you’re willing to do the work you can achieve your reward. I’m here to help. Literally. It’s my job.”