What I’m most excited about though has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with new technology or for that matter even my business. This is about friendships and my network. Over the next few days I’ll have a chance to catch up to dozens of people I haven’t seen in months. I’ll  catch up to faces from the past, photographers and exhibitors I haven’t seen in years.  We’ll all greet each other with that look that says, without one word being uttered, “Wow, you’re still in the industry!”

At the other extreme will be new faces, who I might feel like I know really well, but they’ll all be friends from social media, who I may have “talked” to dozens of times, but never actually met. Again, all part of my network. We all share the same passion and love for the craft.

So, as you get ready to head out to any of the shows here’s a really easy suggestion. Let your friends know your schedule. Make arrangements to catch up to old and new friends. Make sure you keep your cell phone on and check your email and text messages throughout the days of the convention. Plan your social calendar in the same way you’ve planned your overall trip.

I’ve written dozens of posts, both here and at GoingPro, all talking about how to “work” a convention. I’ve pointed out must-see vendors like SmugMug, Album Epoca, Asukabook and Kubota Image Tools, just to name a few.  Well, in the same way you know the vendors you need to see and the speakers you want to hear, do the same with your friends and associates.

I wrote about the Golden Rule of Conventions a few days ago, “NEVER HAVE BREAKFAST, LUNCH OR DINNER ALONE!”  Take the time to plan a dinner with old friends, a lunch with a speaker or vendor you might be close to or just a quick coffee with another photographer you’ve been talking to online. Introduce yourself to the people sitting around you at each seminar you attend.

The photographic industry has been built on a foundation of every one’s love for the craft.  Take advantage of that energy and appreciate that wonderful feeling of anticipation you feel before every major convention, workshop or event.

Alexander Shulgin wrote, ““…Some part of me can’t wait to see what life’s going to come up with next! Anticipation without the usual anxiety.”

So, on that note, it would be an understatement to just say I’m excited about this upcoming first trip of the year. Wishing you all safe travels – see you in Vegas or New Orleans!

For me, time is always my most valuable commodity and there’s never enough of it. All of us are in the same boat and for many of you an upcoming convention may be your first venture out as an aspiring or professional photographer. Regardless, do a little planning so you’re sure to make each dollar spent on every minute away from your business well worth the trip.

I know I’ve written about this a lot over the years, but they’re all points, even the seasoned pros, seem to forget:

1. Look at every aspect of your business, from gear to software and services, before you leave. Analyze where you really need the most help.
2. Review the list of vendors exhibiting and highlight those companies you need to see the most.
3. Read through all the program descriptions so you can schedule those programs and workshops you need to expand your skill set.
4. Pick at least one program completely outside your comfort zone. You need to get exposed to every aspect of the business and there’s a great saying, “You’ll never learn to sail on calm seas!” Make it a point to attend programs that will challenge you.
5. When walking the trade show, start in one aisle and walk the entire show. There are so many exhibitors who might have services or products you know little about. You don’t want to miss anything!
6. Have a supply of business cards with you, but even better, put together something that shows your work. Personally, I love a creative looking postcard that’s a little bigger than a business card and shows at least three different images along with all your contact information.
7. It’s the Golden Rule of trade shows and conventions: NEVER have lunch or dinner alone! This is where you can build your network and ideally grab a meal with somebody you don’t really know. It’s easy to do – just talk to the people around you at every program you attend.
8. If there are special vendors you want to see at any convention, call them NOW! Introduce yourself and set up an appointment. If nothing else it will put you on their radar, so when you stop by their booth they already have an idea who you are.

Last on the list, and this is where I really sound like an old fart…if you can’t party with the big kids then don’t party. Over the years I’ve seen so many careers slow down simply because somebody partied too hard the night before and missed the bell in the morning.  In this case the “bell” is defined as everything from a meeting to a workshop you wanted to attend.  If you schedule meetings with vendors, sign up for workshops in the morning or simply make plans to meet people for breakfast then be there!

My favorites for the next few months?

DIMA and PMA in Las Vegas, IUSA in New Orleans, PhotoProExpo in Cincinnati, GoingPro Bootcamp in Las Vegas and WPPI in Las Vegas.  The next sixty days are going to be incredible!

Safe travels and I’ll see you on the road!

How about a Las Vegas Photo Adventurewith professional photographer, Mark Comon as your tour guide? It all starts on Friday evening with a “how to” presentation and dinner is included. Then you’ll head into a night time shooting session followed by a tour of the Neon Boneyard on Saturday, people on location shooting that afternoon and wrap it all up with one more evening of night shooting on the strip. This is absolutely the only way to see Las Vegas! Registration is just a click away!

Next on the list, check out WEVA’s Getting Into Wedding and Event Filmmaking 101. Technology continues to blur the lines between the specialties.  Even if you’re not interested in getting into film-making, WEVA can help you become a better storyteller. It’s a full day conference on film-making and event videography.  It’s all part of the action for this year’s PMA @ CES programming.

On the book scene, thanks so much for all the great comments on GoingPro. It continues to do really well on all of the major book store sites and if you’ve seen it, you already understand what a labor of love it was. GoingPro Bootcamp is coming up on February 18 in Las Veagas the day before WPPI officially kicks off their platform programs and trade show.

Don Blair’s Guide to Lighting and Posing Body Parts is about to be reprinted. We’ve had hundreds of requests over the years for this must-have-fits-in-your-camera-bag reference book.  This book continues to be one of the best ever written to help you deal with Mother Nature’s challenges. There’s even a touch of basic lighting, giving photographers the ability to create better portraits. And seriously, how do you pose a 6′10″ groom and a 4″9″ bride?

So, working together with Marathon Press we’re going to do one print run based on pre-booked orders.  More information and how to order will be available within the next couple weeks!

PMA’s online magazine is out and along with a number of different stories, there’s a profile story about photographer buddy, Catherine Hall. There’s also an article about Kevin Kubota’s new book, The Lighting Notebook and yes, I’m guilty of shameless self-promotion here, since I wrote it! Just click on the magazine and you’re there.

If you’re headed to PMA, CES, IUSA, PhotoPro Expo or WPPI it’s really important to plan each trip so you don’t miss anything and get the most bang for your buck. Time is the one element we never have enough of and when you’re away at an important convention it’s important to plan things out.

There’s a great expression in scuba diving, “Plan your dive, dive your plan.” In diving you have a limited supply of air and your depth and ability to relax underwater are going to determine how long you’re down. Well, any trip to a major convention is the same. You have limited time, limited funding and limited bandwidth, because there’s only so much you can absorb. Take some time and plan each trip, paying careful attention to vendors you want to see, photographers in your network you want to catch up to and programs to expand and develop your skill set.

Most important of all, pay attention to the websites for each convention you’re attending. Updates are usually posted on the home sites first.

I hope to catch up to so many of you in the next couple of months – see you in Vegas or New Orleans or Cincinnati or Vegas again!

There are so many photographers, both new and old, who just don’t realize all the support possibilities right around them. Levi and I were talking about the strength in networking and it’s so apparent with the Skip’s Summer School crew. They’re just a 103 strong and every time somebody asks a question, everyone jumps in to help answer the challenge and it all started thanks to Brent Watkins, who after Summer School wanted to keep the momentum going and started a Facebook page.

Just over the last few weeks, “Jennifer” had a question about a photo shoot she went to, that wasn’t what she thought it would be. “Jim” had a question about insurance, looking for feedback on what’s out there for photographers, “Yusuf” had a great reminder for everybody on a limited time offer from AnimotoPro and “Gretchen” had a question about making a 16×20 canvas (There were 69 responses to her question!).

So, the bottom line is to remember there’s help out here all the time! Build your network with people who share your interests, integrity and goals. Feed your network by participating and being generous with your time. Stay in touch with new friends and old ones and above all, don’t be afraid to ask questions.

With DIMA, PMA, IUSA and WPPI coming up, along with some great state and regional shows like Photo Pro Expo coming up in early February, you’re going to have some great opportunities to expand your network. It’s not about collecting business cards, but building friendships!

My Dad gave me a book a short time ago called Wisdom from the Ancients. I found two great quotes for this Friday morning:

Two are better than one; a three-plied rope will not easily break.  Bible: Ecclesiastes

Wood burns brighter when joined with other wood. Saadi, a 13th century Persian poet

There are so many different opportunities out there for you to get help. And like both quotes, there’s no question you’ve got the potential to be so much stronger working together on the challenges than struggling by yourself.

As a combination of the tough economy and advances in technology, virtually anybody can call themselves a professional photographer these days. The market is filled with “wannabe” professionals who have absolutely no right to call themselves photographers, let alone professionals.  Every day we hear more horror stories of “professionals” charging too little, not delivering images on a timely basis and presenting images that aren’t any better than Uncle Harry would have captured.

The sad thing is there are so many places to get help and elevate the quality of their work.  Scott Bourne and I started the GoingPro project to provide new photographers with material to help them address the business and marketing side of photography. WPPI and IUSA, both coming up in the next ninety days, offer photographers dozens of workshops and programs to expand their skill set.  DIMA, sponsored by PMAis offering attendees two days of intense programming, including Kevin Kubota teaching a series of lighting techniques.

Then there are books and DVDs published by some of the finest photo educators in our industry, all available to everybody. Software Cinema and Photoshop Cafe offer great videos at reasonable costs. Kevin Kubota’s new Lighting Notebook is destined to be a best seller. Kenny Kim, Dane Sanders, David Ziser, Eddie Tapp, Jerry Ghionis, Doug Gordon, Matthew Jordan Smith, Bambi Cantrell andSandy Puc are just a few who come to mind with books, DVDs and que cards all designed to give you help.

Last on the list, are webinars, many of them absolutely free,  from companies like Profoto, X-rite and Creative Live, again, just to name a few.  And there’s even more from magazines like my favorite, RETV, with an entire series of interviews with great photographers, all designed to help you grow in the craft.

We can’t do anything about those people who jump into the industry claiming to be professionals and only looking for a fast buck. Every industry has them.  What we can do is encourage new photographers and established ones as well to take advantage of every opportunity to raise the bar on the quality of their images and their presentations.

There are more educational tools available today than at any time in the history of photography.  Are you taking advantage of all the opportunities?

Everyone reading this blog knows that I’ve been doing wedding photography for quite a while. I’ve seen lots of changes in our profession over the many years, but none have been so game changing as with the introduction of digital cameras.

In the wedding business, it even took a few years for many of the pros to make the switch.  I personally made the switch to digital in 2000. It was scary just like anything else you try that is new.  No problem, we made the switch, and I have to tell you, I would never go back to film.  

In the wedding industry, in the early days of digital, things were pretty calm.  Many were making their switch and the competition from  new photographers was a little more even keeled than in today’s market.

But things started to change about two years ago. Cameras got cheaper, Facebook got famous, everybody started blogging, Craig’s List became popular, and cameras got even cheaper still. Now everyone with a new Digital Rebel or Nikon D3000 wanted a piece of the wedding market.

Don’t leave yet – it gets even more interesting, hence the topic of today’s post – “How Much Of A Professional Are You?”

Last week a friend of mine sent me a link to a YouTube video of Judge Joe Brown lambasting into a so called “professional photographer”.  The bride booked a photographer and after seeing their images from their wedding, felt they were not representative of what the photographer showed as her samples. 

The bridal plaintiff basically wanted a refund of $1000 of the $1300 she paid to the “professional photog”. The judge awarded the bride, not the $1000 she asked for, but $2500 in damages!!!

My first intent was to post this as kind of a “humor” piece – lousy photographer gets what she deserves.  But, upon reflecting on it I decided it was a much more serious issue that that.  Here’s why…

The “pro photographer” was shooting the wedding with a Canon Rebel with a “kit” lens, had the images processed at WalMart, and delivered then to the bride in the WalMart parking lot.  The sign of a true “professional” – right? Wrong!!!

Judge Joe Brown didn’t see it that way either asking the photographer why she wasn’t shooting with a pro camera like a Canon 1D, 5D, or 7D.  It seems the judge knows his cameras and a little something about wedding photography, too. He didn’t come right out and say it, but it looked to me like the judge may  have shot a wedding or two.

OK, like I said, I planned to just post it for the “giggle” but then some thing happened while at WPPI.  I attended a program by one of the presenters and was surprised by what I heard.  Not by what the presenter said, but what I heard after she said it.

She mentioned that in her early days of shooting she used a Canon Rebel.  About 25% of the room cheered her remark – they must be Canon Rebel shooters too – at least that was my impression of their response.  It seems to me that this section of the audience felt vindicated by their use of this amateur camera for shooting events that should be shot with professional gear.

That seems both scary and sad to me. A wedding is a once in a lifetime event for most folks out there. When a photographer books a wedding, they assume a lot of responsibility for the outcome of their photographic result. How is it they can feel they are delivering “pro” results with “amateur” cameras.

DAZNOTE:

That presenter by the way, now shoots with Canon’s top line EOS Canon 1D cameras.

This whole attitude; “I’ve got my Canon Rebel or Nikon D50 and some business cards. I’ve got my Facebook page, I like shooting pictures, I’ve got my blog, etc. , etc., etc. I must be a professional.” To me it shows a total lack of professionalism when any photographer engages a client for the job of shooting the wedding and shows up as “Amateur Anne or Andy”.

We have been witnessing the “cheapening” of wedding photography over the last 2 – 3 years.  It has put good studios out of business, sacrificed quality photography for brides, created an entire era of paperless, picture-less couples, given wedding photographers and wedding photography a bad name, and does a major disservice to all the real “pros” in our business.

So to those who cheered the use on the Rebel as a wedding camera, I suggest you think twice before booking you next wedding.  I suggest you ask yourself just how much of a real “pro” you are. Do you really know your gear, your lenses, your lighting? Do you really know what shots to capture at the wedding? Do you know how to handle yourself in an emergency situation like when your gear fails?  Can you still capture the images? These are just a few of the questions real professionals know how to answer.

If you are having trouble answering any part of them, you may want to change that or you too just may find yourself in front of Judge Joe Brown.

-’Nough said          David Ziser

I was so struck by the fact that powerful images really do speak for themselves and in every language. As I sat with a translation headset, listening to Flavio Bandiera talk about his images and show a series of different slide shows and videos, I realized I really didn’t need a headset at all.  I don’t speak a single word of Italian, but the images did all the “speaking” I needed.

Flavio talked about the importance of shooting from the heart. Had the translator not told me what he was saying, I would have known it anyway. Every image set a standard for quality and emotion. Flavio, like so many of the outstanding photographers we admire, along with David and Bambi, is a magician, capturing moments out of time and making the intangible a reality. 

So, that leaves me with a few solid question for you this morning… Do your images represent the very best you can capture and create? Do you set a standard of never compromising on your quality and the products you deliver to your clients? Do you have a goal to always exceed your client’s expectations?

The year is fast coming to a close, but a whole new year is about to start. What if everyone raised the bar for 2012 and never compromised on a single image for next year? 

Everyone has that opportunity.  If your skill set is a little light you’ve got some of the greatest venues in our industry right around the corner with state and regional conventions, Imaging USA and PMA/DIMA. Even the last week of how-to pieces thanks to Photoshop Cafe and Software Cinema, gives you an opportunity to “improve your game”.

But, I’m back to where all of this started…nothing trumps shooting from the heart!\

Images copyright Flavio Bandiera

• Today on Twitter is the last day to follow @kubotatools and @skipcohen and get yourself in the running for one of the first copies of Kevin Kubota’s new book, The Lighting Handbook and my new book, co-authored with my good pal, Scott Bourne, GoingPro. Whether you’re new to professional photography or a well-established pro you’ll find great content in both books!
• AnimotoPro has a terrific offer with the ultimate 2 for 1 during October - buy one month of Animoto pro and get a second month free PLUS a copy of GoingPro! It doesn’t get much better than that!
• Clay Blackmore is celebrating 25 years of photographing Wahington’s best families with a fall preview of his new studio right in the heart of Rockville’s Historic District. It all starts at 5:30 pm on October 20th. RSVP dustin@clayblackmore.com if you’re going to join the festivities.
• Get In Motion hits Columbus, OH tonight, followed by  Nashville, St. Louis, Kansas City and Omaha next week. Then they hit the west coast. Check it out gang – I’ve watched Jeff and Ross in action and it’s an outstanding program. Yes, it’s about film-making, which you might not be into yet, but it’s also about being an effective story teller.   Sooner or later the techniques you’ll pick up in this program will prove to be invaluable! Use SSS2011 in the discount code and it brings the cost down to just $49!
• DIMA is the educational extension of the PMA show and professional photographers have an opportunity to attend this year as well as both the CES and PMA shows. The DIMA discounted early bird registration is only good until October 12. Use PMAPHOTOG1 to bring the cost down for this 2 day event to $299.
• PPE in NYC is less than a month away, but everybody always forgets how tough it is to get a hotel room at a reasonable price. So, here’s an idea for you out-of-towners. When you look on line, consider hotels in NJ. If you’re staying in Hoboken or Weehawken you can take the ferry accross and come out right behind Javits! Another alternative, is to pick just about any hotel in New Jersey, outside the city and take a cab in.  In the past I’ve been able to get the total cost down to under $200 a night, including cabs. Last on the list and a great alternative, find a roomie! When you’re sharing a room that normally is $300 or so a night it sure helps to bring down the cost by splitting the expense! 

Going into 2012 remember you’ve got CES/PMA and Imaging USA coming up in January. Then WPPI hits in February along with a barage of state and regional shows. Personally I’m looking forward to the Kentucky state convention where I’ll have some time to catch up to a whole bunch of good friends.

Attending as many workshops and conventions as you possibly can is a key to developing a strong network, growing your skill set and in turn, your business. Don’t miss out on some of the best tools available to professional photographers, all coming up in the next few months!

This is a rare opportunity for professional photographers to attend the largest trade show in our industry thanks to the combined forces of PMA and CES. PMA has been open to professional photographers for many years, but not CES. Now, thanks to PMA and CES joining forces for 2012, you’ve got the best of both worlds all in Las Vegas at the same time.

And for the next two weeks, registration for professional photographers using this code: PMAPHOTOG1 is FREE! That’s a $100 savings and all you have to do is register!

Here’s your chance to see everything in imaging and electronics all on one trip - and it’s all in Las Vegas, split between the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Sands Expo Convention Center.  Just to put it in perspective, the CES show last year, between exhibitors and attendees, drew 150,000 people and almost 3000 exhibitors! Now scale it up, adding on PMA’s show, and you have virtually every major company in imaging and electronics.

There are two amazing shows you always hear people have on their wish list, Photokina every other year in Germany and CES. Now you can scratch it off your bucket list with just one quick trip to the registration page. It’s going to be an incredible show! So REGISTER NOW and be part of the most important event in photography.

And, while you’re registering check out the DIMA show and their educational format for next year. It’s another opportunity for you to fine tune your skill set with some new and different programming!

See you in Vegas!

From the Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity:

Man.. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.

I don’t know about you, but that sure hits home with a lot of people in this industry! It’s Friday, we’re heading into the last quarter of the year. If you work hard it’s going to be a busy holiday season! It’s a great time to start worrying less about the future and just eat up the present!

A Great Opportunity, but with limited space left: 

Join Doug Gordon and Kevin Kubota for a workshop like you have never experienced before. If you have seen them separately, you know their energy. Now be prepared to take it up a notch with these two dynamic personalities coming together for an incredible program.

When: 5pm – 11pm, Monday Oct. 24th – Introduction and night shoot
              9am – 5pm, Tuesday Oct. 25th – Full day shooting + review

Where: Doug Gordon’s Studio Lindenhurst, NY Long Island

This spectacular workshop will be held at Doug’s beautiful State of the Art Photo Studio in Lindenhurst, NY; the perfect setting for education, inspiration and realism.  Class Size is very limited: This workshop is the ultimate opportunity for those who wish to take their photography to a new level, spending a day and a half with Doug Gordon and Kevin Kubota, completely focused on photography skills.

I’ve known Doug and Kevin for a lot of years and I can promise you at least one thing: nobody is going to leave this workshop without learning something new they can take back and immediately apply.

Here’s the link:  Register here! 

And speaking of Kevin Kubota:

There’s a free bonus offer of a set of Lightroom presets when you pre-order your copy of Kevin’s new Lighting Notebook. I wrote about it last week and I’m absolutely convinced this is going to be one of the all time great resources for photographers on lighting! But it’s a pre-order offer – so if you don’t get your order in before the book starts shipping you can’t take advantage of the bonus. Here’s the link!

Following the release of the book there will be an iPad and iPhone app for the Lighting Cookbook, making sure this resource is always at your fingertips.

PMA and CES: A Rare Opportunity for Professional Photographers:

I know everyone gets bombarded with information about  trade shows and conventions, especially as we approach the start of the new year, but here’s one you need to consider. All of the information is in the story that ran over the last few days in just about every major online publication, but here’s the inside scoop on why you should be there.

PMA in 2012 is working together with CES (Consumer Electronics Show) to bring you the largest imaging and electronics, educational and exhibits, event in the industry. Typically professional photographers have NOT been allowed to attend CES in the past. Now, with the PMA connection, you’ll have an opportunity to visit close to 3000 exhbitors in the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Venetian! Just to put it in perspective, I’m going to estimate that makes the CES/PMA show at least twenty times bigger than IUSA! There’s a reason why CES had over 140,000 attendees last year! 

Here’s your chance to get up to date on what’s new with all the imaging companies and at the same time check out what’s going on in the electronics world with all the major players in technology!  And check out PMA’s program for DIMA with some great tracks for professional photographers. 

This is a you-snooze-you-lose scenario…don’t wait until the last minute to register or make hotel and flight reservations. Las Vegas fills up fast when CES is in town, but now, with PMA at the same time, it’ll be even busier!

Okay, that’s it for this beautiful Friday! Wishing everybody a terrific weekend. For us, we’ve got tickets to Blossom Music Festival to hear the Cleveland Symphony tomorrow night.  But here’s a fun little piece of trivia. We’ll be back stage after the concert with Jahja Ling, the maestro, himself.  The connection?  He’s a die hard photographer, a Hasselblad shooter and the friendship came out of his passion for photography, meeting him after a concert many years ago. He’s full time conductor for the San Diego symphony when he’s not guest conducting and has owned Hasseblad gear for at least fifteen years.

And there’s my closing point…there’s so much we take for granted as part of the photographic industry. Everybody has something about imaging they love, whether they’re in the industry or not and you guys are the magicians who make capturing memories a reality!

Happy Friday everybody! Make it a great weekend! 

Last year we had an idea and decided to launch our own association. No, let’s correct that, we wanted to start your association. We got the site up and running, started to tweet and within a day had the industry wondering what in the world we were doing. After all, the last thing anybody would think photography needed was another association. 

We started to ramp up and realized we’d underestimated what it takes for the data management side, as well as our ability to provide what most associations provide, more benefits. Along came PMA with a strong focus on the industry and new directions to utilize their expertise, data bases and membership.

The relationship became the ideal partnership. We had the knowledge of this side of the industry, PMA had the ability to help us manage the membership. We turned the association over to PMA on the condition that we would continue to provide content and work to build awareness and more benefits.

Thanks to PMA we added a significant list of benefits, including the most difficult to access, some of the insurance needs. We went to work with some of our vendors and now there’s a whole series of discount programs and extras exclusive to PWSPI membership from Animoto, Bay Photo, Image Rights, Stuck in Customs, Cantrell Couture and Skip’s Summer School.

But last week we realized something, what we started out to build with our incredible advisory team, Clay Blackmore, Bambi Cantrell, Jerry Ghionis, Kevin Kubota and Tamara Lackey was really starting to look like every other association out there. What originally made PWSPI different was me and Scott, because we’re everything but being like other association management teams.

So, effective today, we’re launching a completely new benefit: personal marketing/business consulting for every member of PWSPI.

Every PWSPI member, both new and existing, gets free marketing support from the two founders of the association, photographic, marketing and business experts, Scott and me!  All you have to do is email us your contact information, specifically where you’d like us to call, at: PWSPImembership@pmai.org. We’ll schedule a time for a conversation to help you focus on more than just your subjects!  Every member is entitled to one free telephone consulting conversation.

We started PWSPI because we believe so strongly in this industry. Our experiences from GoingPro as well as our 75 years combined lifetimes in photography have repeatedly shown, even the most seasoned photographers need help now and then, most often on the marketing and business side.

Many photographers, especially those new to the industry, are tempted to think they’re alone dealing with the challenges! Well, you’re not alone anymore!

Joining PWSPI is just a click away.