Professional Photographer 2013 09
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lly Dobson
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PROFESSIONAL
Senior Editor
JOAN SHERWOOD
Features Editor
LESLIE HUNT
Editor-at-Large
JEFF KENT
Art Director/Production M
DEBBIE TODD
[email protected] Services Mana
Publications & SSA
CHERYL PEARSON
Creative Services Coordi
VALENCIA JACKSON
Eastern Region Ad ManagerTARA TRUITT
404-522-8600, X230, [email protected]
Central Region Ad ManaMARINA ANDERSON
937-902-8217, manderson@p
Western Region Ad Manager
MELISSA RYBAK
404-522-8600, X279, [email protected]
Publications Sales Staff
Director of Sales & Strategic Alliances
WAYNE JONES
404-522-8600, x248, [email protected]
EDITORIAL
Director of Publications
JANE GABOURY
Passionate actionEARNING THE RIGHT TO SERVE
Photographers are an ardent lot. When they create their first
professional services website, 95 percent of them cite passion as a
driving force behind their work. They are passionate about their art, their point of view, about capturing life’s treasurable yet fleeting
moments. OK, I made up the statistic, but
you probably didn’t bat an eye because
you’ve read many such manifestos yourself.
Maybe you’ve even written one. No shame
in that. Passion for one’s vocation is a good
thing, a great thing. It’s what keeps work
from feeling like work.
Several weeks ago, 44 photographers came
to Atlanta to judge the PPA International
Photographic Competition. Over four days
they evaluated more than 4,900 images
against stringent criteria. Watching the process
and listening to the jurors speak eloquently,
earnestly, and with authority about the plusses
and minuses of the images—each precious
to its maker—leads one to wonder who
these individuals are to evaluate the photographic work of others.
I’ll tell you. They are people who express their passion not
merely in a biographical statement but in a career-long succession
of deeds to further the art and profession of photography. They are
people who volunteer their time for this prestigious competition
after earning a PPA master photographer degree, which itself took
years of study, service, and demonstrations of proficiency; completing
rigorous juror training at their own expense; and putting in many hours as volunteer judges at regional affiliate competitions. They are
people who have earned exhibition merits for their own work, come
under the scrutiny of the Photographic Exhibition Committee, and
been approved for the task. They devote what could be profitable
work time flying to Atlanta to sit in unlit rooms for hours at a
stretch, giving their unwavering attention to the image before them.
They mentor fellow photographers with painstaking critiques
because they are dedicated to furthering the development of any
individual with the will to improve his or her craft.
You want to talk about passion? This is passion. Whether they
recognize it or not, all photographers benefit from the labors of
these dedicated diehards. Bravo. I
Jane Gaboury
Editorial Offices
Professional Photographer229 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303-1608 U.S
404-522-8600, fax: 404-614-6406Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthl
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fax 847-291-4816; [email protected]; www.ppmag.com
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Advertising materials contact: Debbie Todd, [email protected] rates/information: U.S. Print: $27, one year; $45, two yea
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Postmaster: Send address changes to Professional Photographer magP.O. Box 3606, Northbrook, IL 60065-3606
Copyright 2013, PPA Publications & Events, Inc. Printed in U.S.A
Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthly for $27 per yePublications and Events, Inc., 229 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 2200, International Tow
GA 30303-1608. Periodicals postage paid at Atlanta, Ga., and additional mailing offic
Acceptance of advertising does not carry with it endorsement by the publisher.
expressed by Professional Photographer or any of its authors do not necessar
positions of Professional Photographers of America, Inc. Professional Photograph
journal of the Professional Photographers of America, Inc., is the oldest exclusively p
photographic publication in the Western Hemisphere (founded 1907 by Cha
Hon.M.Photog.), incorporating Abel’s Photographic Weekly, St. Louis &
Photographer, The Commercial Photographer, The National Photographer,
Professional Photographer, and Professional Photographer Storytellers.
Circulation audited and verified by BPA Worldwide.
Contributing Editors
DON CHICK & ELLIS VENER
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JANE GABOURY, DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS
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COMFORTABLE IN HER SKINKelly Dobson builds a foundation for
baby portrait business
by Jeff Kent
COMMERCIAL SUCCESSBarbara O’Brien is no chicken whenit comes to animal wrangling
by Aimee Baldridge
IN BLISSFUL DREAMS
Posing newborns beautifully and safely with Rachel Williams
by Stephanie Boozer
FINE ART: AMERICANA PERSONIFIED
Eric Curry documents scenes froma bygone heartland
by Will Pollock
SPORTS: THE SPORTING LIFE
Jon Allyn tackles the sports business with customized artwork
by Jeff Kent
IMAGE BY: RACHEL WILLIAMS
102
92
110
74
82
Features
SEPTEM
CONTENTS
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DepartmentsCONTACT SH EET
24 Heartfelt mission26 PP’s giveaway of the month28 PP asks: What’s makes you
cringe when you see it on a photographer’s site?
32 (App)titude for tech34 Richard Sturdevant:
Strategies for success
PROFIT CENTER
37 What I think: Rachel William39 Ask the experts
42 A fish taleby Kalen Henderson
44 My studio: Ablan Gallery Photography by Dan Ablan
48 Just how tight?by Bridget Jackson
50 Sharp way to share your messaby Angela Pointon
56 Package strategiesby Pete Wright
THE GOODS
59 What I like: Eric Curry 60 Roundup: Tripods, Stands,& Stabilizersby Joan Sherwood
64 Pro review: Ilford Galerie PresGold Mono Silk inkjet paperby Stan Sholik
66 Pro review: Wallee Case andTether Tools Connectby Ellis Vener
68 Pro review: Woodsnapby Betsy Finn
70 Books: Photography Q&A by Theano Nikitas
ON THE COVER: “I Ain’t No Angel” is a Lolection image by Kelly Dobson. The main ligfrom a White Lightning flash unit modified 4x6 soft box, and a large white reflector wasAn additional Speedlight set on manual expat 1/4 power was bounced off the white ceilingthe baby. “I was after a high-key look—healight around the baby to support the whole theme,” says Dobson. The sweet baby girl exa devilish look at the moment she found refrom a bout of constipation, says Dobson. let anyone tell you that the life of a photogis not a glamorous one!” she quips.
8 • www.ppmag.com
14 FOLIO
22 FEEDBACK
51 IMAGING USA
119 PPA TODAY
130 GOOD WORKSPROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER | SEPTEMBER 2013 | WWW.PPMAG.COM
When Jon Allyn began working in sports,
he knew it made sense to continue to deliver the kind of upscale quality he was known for in portraiture.
CONTENTS
110
© J onA l l yn
Learn more about posing babies.
Read an excerpt from Robin Long’s
“Natural Newborn Baby Photography” at ppmag.com.
W E B
E X C L U S
I V E
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Professional Photographersof America229 Peachtree St., NE, Suite 2200
Atlanta, GA 30303-1608
404-522-8600, 800-786-6277FAX: 404-614-6400,
www.ppa.com
2013-2014 PPA board
president
*RALPH ROMAGUERA SR.
M.Photog.Cr., CPP,
API, F-ASP
vice president
*SUSAN MICHAL
M.Photog.Cr., CPP, ABI
treasurer
*MICHAEL GAN
M.Photog.Cr., CPP
chairman of the board
*TIMOTHY WALDEN
M.Photog.Cr.,
Hon.M.Photog, F-ASP
directors
DON MACGREGOR
M.Photog.Cr., API
ROB BEHM, M.Photog., [email protected]
LORI CRAFT, Cr.Photog.
MICHAEL TIMMONS
M.Photog.Cr., F-ASP
STEPHEN THETFORD
M.Photog.Cr., CPP
AUDREY L. WANCKET
M.Photog.Cr., CPP
MIKE FULTON
Cr.Photog.
GREG DANIEL
M.Photog.Cr., F-ASP
industry advisor
LOU GEORGE
PPA staff
DAVID TRUST, CAE
Chief Executive [email protected]
SCOTT KURKIAN, CAE
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Operating Officer
JULIA BOYD
Senior Manager of
Certification
JANE GABOURY
Director of [email protected]
KRISTEN HARTMAN
Director of Membership
FIONA HENDRICKS
Director of Events
WAYNE JONES
Director of Sales &
Strategic Alliances
ANGELA KURKIAN,
M.Photog.Cr.
Director of [email protected]
SCOTT MORGAN
Director of Information
Technology
WILDA OKEN
Director of Administratio
CARLA PLOUIN
Director of Marketing
and Communications
SANDRA LANG
Executive Assistant
*Executive Committeeof the B
P h o t o b y : R .P l a c e k
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f olio| Showcasing images selected from the files of the PPA Loan Collection, Folio is a monthly sample ofaward-winning photography from the most recent International Photographic Competition (IPC),which is open to non-PPA members. The current Loan Collection is a select group of more than 400photographs chosen for distinction by the IPC jurors. ppa.com/IPC
AUGUST FLUSH
“August Flush” is a personal project by Summer Shawqi Ameen, who describes it as “a whimsical take on a beauty image” captured in her home studio. “T
tones and the high-key setup were chosen to express fun-loving youth,” she says. “A makeup artist and a stylist stood on either side of the model flicking u
earrings while I took about 30 exposures. I chose the main photograph for the model’s expression and cloned in one of the earrings from another picture. T
was to have dynamic movement on each side of the image coupled with an active expression to jolt it to life.” Ameen lives in Manama, Bahrain. studiosummer
CAMERA & LENS: Nikon D70 camera; AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D lens
EXPOSURE: 1/250 second at f/9, ISO 200
LIGHTING: “The idea was to have soft, even beauty light that still packed some punch,” says Ameen. Main light, Profoto D1 Air 1000 in a Softlight Refle
beauty dish boomed directly over the model. A silver Westcott reflector under the subject’s chin bounced fill light. Rim and hair lighting, two Profoto
500s on either side behind the model and modified by Creative Light strip soft boxes. Background, a 6x7-foot Lastolite HiLite lit with a Profoto D1 Air
POST-CAPTURE:Two exposures were processed in Lightroom 4 for color correction before being combined with the main image in Adobe Photosho
Ameen did some skin smoothing, cloned in an earring, and used Liquify to tidy the hair and make the lips symmetrical.
©Summer Shawq
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BANDIT
Mona Sadler, M.Photog., created “Bandit” during a pet photo special on behalf
of Spay Today, an organization that provides free pet spaying. “The look on the
dog’s face was as special as he is,” says Sadler. “His owner suffers from MS, and he
is a certified service dog. Although living with pain and disability, she and Bandit
give to others.” Coastal Pet Portraits is in Alliance, N.C. coastalpetportraits.com
CAMERA & LENS: Canon EOS 5D camera; Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L
USM lens shot at 100mm
EXPOSURE: 1/200 second at f/8, ISO 200.
LIGHTING: Two Photogenic PowerLights, a 2500DR and a 1500SL, modified
by a 3x4 Aurora soft box and an Aurora Lite Bank; a Larson reflector
bounced in fill light
POST-CAPTURE:Says Sadler, “Bandit was being held by his owner when I took
the photo. I painted her out and let the background go white. The painting was
done first in Photoshop then finished in Corel Painter to add texture and brush
strokes. It was my goal to make the portrait look very classical, soft, and tender.”
EYES ON THE PRIZE
Doug Gifford, M.Photog.Cr., of Laguna Niguel, Calif., captured “Eyes on the Prize”
on an editorial assignment to photograph the AMA Super Sport Motorcycle
Race at the Auto Club Motor Speedway in Fontana, Calif. douggiffordphoto.com
CAMERA & LENS: Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro camera; AF VR Zoom-Nikkor
80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED lens
EXPOSURE: 1/1,000 second at f/5.6, ISO 400
LIGHTING: NaturalPOST-CAPTURE:Adobe Photoshop 3 to process the raw file and crop,
adjust curves, enhance facial features, and sharpen.
©M
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©Nylora-Joy Bruleigh
16 • www.ppmag.com
ELEGANT EGRETS
Nylora-Joy Bruleigh, M.Photog.Cr., CPP,
created “Elegant Egrets” for a contestant
in a Miss New Hampshire contest. “It
began with an outfit I made from bubble
wrap to add a little fun to the session,”
says Bruleigh. She styled the subject’s hair
to look “a little wild” and to balance the
fullness of the skirt. “We shot outside
under a white tent. After seeing the image
and realizing she looked bird-like, I felt
that was the direction I needed to go with
the final piece,” she adds. Photography by
Nylora is in Concord, N.H.
photographybynylora.com
CAMERA & LENS: Nikon D700 camera;
Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8-4.0D lens at 28mm
EXPOSURE: 1/160 second at f/8
LIGHTING: Natural light under a white
tent was modified by a 42x72-inch Larson
silver reflector; the backdrop was a Sahara
Civichrome muslin background from Amvona
POST-CAPTURE:Adobe Lightroom 2 for
slight color correction. Adobe Photoshop
CS4 to add Bruleigh’s images of the
swamp, an egret, and the water around
the subject’s ankles. A touch of LucisArt
made the bubble wrap sparkle, and a bit of
Imagenomic Portraiture smoothed the skin.
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SOLITUDE
Lisa H. Carter, Cr.Photog., CPP, of
Sutherlin, Va., says the tree featured
in “Solitude” sits atop a hill on her
father’s farm. “It marks a special
gathering place for friends and family,”
says Carter. “We go sledding when
there’s enough snow, ride horses and
four-wheelers, and all the hunters
gather here in different seasons for
the game that’s in abundance.”
Photography by Lisa Inc. specializes
in weddings and portraits of
newborns, children, families, and
seniors. photobylisa.com
CAMERA & LENS: Canon EOS
5D camera, Canon 16-35mm,
f/2.8 USM lens
EXPOSURE: 1/1,250 second at
f/2.8, ISO 100
LIGHTING: Natural
POST-CAPTURE: Processed in
Adobe Lightroom 3.5 to adjust
contrast and clarity, then PhotoshopCS4 to blend Topaz filter effects
and several texture overlays, one of
them an edge texture overlay from
a scanned vintage photo
PURE OF HEART
Wendy Schicktanz, M.Photog., CPP, photographed
“Pure of Heart” in her home studio in Colorado
Springs, Colo. The subject had been teary-eyed
during the first few shots, but seeing the captures
on the camera back greatly cheered her up. “I had
posed her this way on the ground when she gazed
back at me with this beautiful expression,” says
Schicktanz. “I debated keeping the image in color
to highlight her blue eyes but ultimately decided it
had more impact in black and white.” Captured
Moments Photography specializes in high school
senior portraits. capturedmomentsgallery.com
CAMERA & LENS: Nikon D2X camera; AF-S
Zoom Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED lens at 52mm
EXPOSURE: 1/125 second at f/8, ISO 125
LIGHTING: Main light, Photogenic Solair
Constant Color PowerLight in a Larson soft box
positioned horizontally camera left; fill light,Photogenic PowerLight 600 bounced off a white
back wall and ceiling directly behind camera
POST-CAPTURE:Adobe Photoshop CS5 for minor
retouching, Imagenomic filter for skin softening, Nik
Silver Efex Pro 4 for black-and-white conversion and
adjustments, and Photographic Edges for the border
18 • www.ppmag.com
©Lisa H. Carter
©Wend
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feed back|CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE
I just found Angela Pointon from her
July PPA article on this topic [of Google+].
Great article! I’ve experienced those benefits
she mentioned. I just started on Google+ but
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ness traffic have thrived. Thanks for sharing.
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SCALED TO SELL
A good deal has been written about
how to get clients to choose a larger print on
the walls of their homes, but nothing is so
effective as the tactic taken by Indigo Photo-
graphic (“My Studio: Indigo Photographic
Inc.,” April). People need a sense of scale, and
this studio provides a 9.5-foot stretch canvas
as its large size. In clients’ minds, a 20x30-
inch print becomes a medium and an 11x14
becomes a small. How different had Indigo
chosen to show a 20x30-inch print as its
largest size. Positively brilliant and made use
of the investment they already have in the
studio and a properly illuminated display wall.
What is seldom known and appreciated is
that on a dollars-per-square-inch basis, there
is an exponential increase in the value of a
print relative to its size. Make a print twice as
large dimensionally and it can sell for more
than four times as much. The prints that
fetch the highest prices at auctions are often
those that are abnormally large in size and
required special processing or even a multi-
panel approach. The people of Indigo have
shown a way for the average studio photog-
rapher to take advantage of this concept with
a minimal investment of time and money.
This type of article is what sets your
tography magazine well above all others in
Bruce St
Thanks, Bruce. Be sure to read “Package
Strategies,” (page 56) for more ideas ab
sales techniques that leverage print size
The E
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SEEKING FEEDBACK: If ProfessionaPhotographer is on your mind, tell us wyou’re thinking. Send your questions ancomments via these channels:
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22 • www.ppmag.com
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CONTACT SHEETWhat’s New, Cool Events, Interesting People, Great Ideas, Etc.
hio portrait photographers Kristy
Steeves and Karen Smith, M.Photog.,
embraced an opportunity last year todocument poverty in El Salvador for the
humanitarian organization Project 503. They
expected tough working conditions, but noth-
ing could have prepared them for the depths
of poverty and crime they witnessed or the
staggering physical challenges of daily life
there. During two weeks in December 2012,
Steeves and Smith created a portfolio of pho-
tographs they hope will help the organization
raise money for the Salvadorian poor.“When I was in college there was a civil war
going on in El Salvador, and I wanted to cover
it as a war correspondent,” says Steeves. It was
only after she left her 25-year career as a TV
news reporter to become a portrait photogra-
pher that she got the opportunity. The execu-
tive director of the mission asked her to docu-
ment living conditions in the country fo
in fundraising. Karen Smith, a mentor t
Steeves, volunteered to work with her. “I’done any photojournalism before, and I
oughly enjoyed every minute of it,” says S
El Salvador has one of the highest m
rates in the world, thanks in large part t
lent gangs, including the notorious MS-
Before the photographers left on their tr
the U.S. State Department issued a criti
©Karen
Heartfelt
missionHumanitarian project gives photographersa chance to “do something good in this world”
BY LORNA GENTRY
O
24 • www.ppmag.com
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travel advisory for the country. “I’ve been
shot at, harassed, and assaulted on the job as
a news reporter,” Steeves says, “so I didn’t
think about the danger at first.” The 503
Project assigned them two bodyguards, who
stayed by the photographers and carried
camera gear to thwart potential muggers.
As thanks, Steeves and Smith took portraits
of their families.
Smith and Steeves stayed at the 503
Project mission center in Nejapa, a short
drive from the national capital, San
Salvador. Over two weeks, they traveled to
several communities, photographing people
living in deplorable conditions, some in
shacks on top of a garbage dump. They vis-
ited a coffee plantation in the mountains to
document the picking, drying, and roasting
of beans; the 503 Project exports coffee and
uses the proceeds to fund two schools and a
food program.
They had only available light in which to
shoot, a challenge indoors—most of the
buildings are windowless—and outdoors
due to heavy pollution. In winter, there’s a
constant rain of black soot from the burn-off
of foliage on large tracts of sugar cane fields.
Dust from the unpaved roads also pollutes,
covering everything, including the photogra-
phers and their camera equipment.
Although it was hard work, Steeves says
she’d do it again. “I was given a chance to
do something good in this world, something
humanitarian, in an effort to help children
in need. What Karen and I saw was heart-
breaking. It was definitely challenging, but
if our efforts help even one child, then it
was worth it.”
To read more about the project, visit the503project.org.
September 2013 • Professional Photograph
©Kristy Steeves
©Kristy Steeves
©Kristy Steeves
©Karen Smith
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CONTACT SHEET
Always on the lookout for an iPhone or
iPad app to entertain her 3-year-old son,
Leeann Greer of Greer Photography in
Lexington, Ky., eventually realized she
could make one herself.
“Most of the apps out there are illustrated,
almost cartoons in essence,” she says. “As a
photographer, I thought it would be cool
for children to see other real children in an
app. I wanted to make it a little more real,
take a completely different approach.”
So began I Am, an interactive app fea-
turing 12 vignettes of babies and children
posed in various professions including hair
stylist, fireman, and pilot. Greer found willing
models in clients and friends, and her own son
Trevor posed as a photographer. With the
exception of the banker, who was photo-
graphed in a bank vault, Greer photographed
the children against a white background in
her studio and composited them with scenes
she captured in locations around town.
Greer found a developer to build the
app, which is geared to kids aged 3 to 5. Hot
spots on each page trigger movement and
sound appropriate to the scene, such the
painter naming colors as they are touched.
I Am debuted for $2.99 in Apple iTunes
in April and will soon be available as an
iBook. “I love working with kids, and i
so cool to do something so completely
of the box,” says Greer. “If all goes well,
just do another one, it was that much —Stephanie B
Watch a video of the app online at leeanngreer.com.
(App)titude for techSeizing an underdeveloped niche, Leeann Greer
brings her talents to the kids app market
The interactive app I Am presents vignett
tots as working in various professions.
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CONTACT SHEET
Crank up the volume
Richard Sturdevant’sstrategies for success
Richard Sturdevant, M.Photo.MEI.Cr., has
built a lucrative high-volume business in
photographing high school sports teams,
and he’s tweaked that business model to
sate his creative energy and compete in a
teeming market. Sturdevant will share
some of his profitable strategies at Imaging
USA in January 2014 in Phoenix.
With Sturdevant, even tweaks are out-
sized; for example, photograph three teams
in one day, and generate up to $30,000 in
sales. Create one smashing composite of
the team with custom graphics and text,
print it poster-sized, and sell it in batches
of 300, every single print bearing the stu-
dio name, then see them posted in busi-
nesses around town. In one instance, a
poster displayed in a bank captured the
interest of a Chamber of Commerce official,
which led to a commission for murals and a
very nice payday. Oh, and with his name in
the corner, near billboard-size, it’s like
advertising for free.
Sturdevant’s business model in a nutshell:
He does the photography and design then
he delegates or outsources whatever else he
can. In this model, the clientele isn’t so much
the team members and their parents as it is
the coaches, regional sports authoritie
local high school principals, booster c
and team business sponsors. This is th
crowd with whom Sturdevant network
Sturdevant automates routine wor
tasks and uses design templates to lay
custom products. The final result leve
economies of scale, which keeps his pr
attractive and his studio’s bottom line
Learn more about Sturdevant’s bes
business practices in his seminar at
Imaging USA 2014 in Phoenix, Jan. 1
—Leslie
Richard Sturdevant’s sports compositions
have garnered critical praise as well as
commercial success.
©Richard Sturdevant
34 • www.ppmag.com
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“WE TOOK A BUSINESS BASICS CLASS AT IMAGING USA AND IT CHANGED
EVERYTHING FOR THE BETTER. AS SOON AS WE GOT HOME, WE STARTED
IMPLEMENTING OUR PROJECT PLAN AND OTHER ITEMS ON THE “TO DO” LIST
WE CREATED THANKS TO THE CLASS. OUR BUSINESS QUICKLY GREW INTO
WHAT WE ENVISIONED.”– BEN HALL & JODI JACOBSON / BEN AND JODI PHOTOGRAPHY / 2013 SMS PARTICIPANT
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Professional Photographer P R E S E N T S Business, Marketing, and Sales Strategie
What I thin Rachel Williams knowthe secret is delegation
What’s the most valuable busine
you ever got? When I started out, I w
by a successful businessman in r
to always under-promise and ove
I’ve implemented it in my own b
strategy and have it in mind withclient interaction.
How many employees do you hav
have one full-time employee, Am
does our order appointments an
and child portrait consultations.
does some custom design work an
in the marketing projects. Kristen
part-time assistant with newbor
child sessions. She also handles t
Lightroom raw processing, packand various office projects. My h
Joe Glyda, a commercial photog
with his own company, JGP Inc.,
light for me on location and do q
few other projects, such as buildi
In no more than 12 words, how w
you describe your brand? Natur
simple, subdued, true, monochro
neutral, timeless, warm, earthy.
Is there something special you d
the business reaches certain fina
goals? Set new goals!
IMAGE BY RACHEL WILLIA
PHOTOGRAPHICDESIGNSGALLERY
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*As of February 2012 among Interchangeable
UGGED DURABILITY. The Olympus OM-D E-M5 has a camera body light enough to take anywhere, yet durable enough to withstand rain, sand and du
does the E-M5 allow trouble-free shooting in all environments, but it’s a camera built solely to create images as stunning as its design. In addition, t
winning E-M5 has the world’s first 5-Axis Image Stabilization system*, which compensates for vertical, horizontal and rotational camera shake. It also fe
Electronic Viewfinder, 9 fps High-Speed Sequential Shooting, a 16-megapixel Live MOS image sensor and an array of digital lenses. So, get out and captu
Nature before she captures you. getolympus.com/omd
R
I T R E S I S T S S A N D , R A I N A N D D U S T
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D O E S N ’ T A L W AY S L I K E T O H A V E H E R P I C T U R E T A K E N .
Shot taken with the Olympus OM-D E-M5.
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Q. I’m a highly talented wedding and high
school senior photographer, but I can’t seem
to get potential clients to call me. How can I
boost revenues through marketing?
A. Marketing and networking are essential to
business survival. Photography is readily
available to consumers, so it’s important to
define and communicate what’s unique about
your services, your products, or the experi-
ence you offer.
The first step in marketing is defining your
target client in each of the markets you serve
—weddings and seniors. Determine two things:
Where is she spending time, and where is she
spending money? These factors say a lot about
the client you want to do business with. Find
out what’s important to her and what her
expectations are. Once you’ve determined
who your client is, you can start getting in
front of that type of person. There may be
organizations you need to have a presence in.
You may want to write a blog post for a site
other than your own. How about partnering
with a business that has the same type ofclient you want?
One simple marketing practice is to keep
connecting with past clients. High school
graduations and weddings are once-in-a-life-
time events for most people. (OK, I grant you
that weddings may happen more than once in
a lifetime.) But the point remains: Keep
clients coming back by suggesting the next
logical step. Offer a complimentary session to
the family of senior clients who invested well
with you. Follow up in the spring to find out
what they need for graduation parties. Offer
invitations, thank-you notes, additional walletprints, guest books, and party favors.
Look for referrals from your clients. Contact
the seniors you enjoyed working with and find
out if they have five upcoming senior friends
they would refer to you for a reward.
You can market to wedding clients year after
year by offering a session on their anniversary.
Keep up with couples and find out about tran-
sitions in their lives. Did they adopt a pupp
Have a baby? Touch base with them and le
them know you’d love to photograph their
new addition. Don’t forget about the bride
maids and other connections you made du
the wedding. Send a note letting them kno
how much you enjoyed working with them
and include a gift certificate toward a sessi
Make vendor connections at every oppo
tunity. Give the bride a worksheet and find
out each of the vendors she’s hired, then
begin building a relationship with them bef
the wedding day. People who enjoy workin
with you will refer you to others, so netwo
ing is important.
Waiting for the phone to ring doesn’t w
I’ve been in business for more than 15 year
and it gets harder each year to keep the ca
endar filled. There are many ways to marke
for little or no cost, but it takes a time com
mitment to stay in front of your target clie
Lori Nordstrom, M.Photog.Cr.,
Q. As a sole proprietor, is it more benefifor my studio to be classified as an asso
tion taxable as a corporation or should I
keep it as a disregarded entity?
A. A sole proprietorship can be taxed only
a Schedule C. A limited liability company, o
LLC, can be taxed as a disregarded entity a
as a sole proprietorship or as an associatio
taxable as a corporation. PPA recommends
that if you choose to be taxed as an associ
tion taxable as a corporation, then make an
election to be taxed as an S corporation. In
states that recognize an S election as appli
ble by federal law, S corporations have a mfavorable tax treatment.
Bridget Jackson, PPA Studio Managem
Services Mana
PPA Studio Management Services helps ph
tographers build more profitable businesse
Email questions to Jane Gaboury,
Ask the expertsTalent doesn’t make the phone ring
PROFIT CENTER
GURUS FROM PPA STUDIO MANAGEMENT SERVICES ANSWER YOUR BUSINESS,
MARKETING, AND SALES QUESTIONS. FOR INFO, GO TO PPA.COM/SMS.
September 2013 • Professional Photographer
STUDIO MANAGEMENT SERVICES
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Whether you shoot on a rainy street or a
blustery day by the sea, the E-M5’s multiple
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elements. Also go splashproof and dustproof
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shooting, not the elements.
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MY TINY ADMIRERS by STACEY LAC
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PROFIT CENTER: STARTING OVER
BY KALEN HENDERSON,
M.PHOTOG.MEI.CR., CPP, API
As it always has, the English language con-
tinues to evolve. There was a time when my
children said “cool” and it meant I was wear-
ing clothing they found acceptable. Way
back, “hanging out” was about a shirttail,
not a relationship status. I won’t even begin
to address “thong.”
What may be the most alarming develop-
ment to me is the term “marketing” as usedin the photographic community. Yes, it’s been
almost two decades since I graduated from
college (for the second time) with a degree in
communications. I took several marketing
classes, including one with a thorough dis-
cussion on the meaning of marketing. Our
professor insisted that marketing is more
mathematical than artistic and much more
psychological than romantic. The only accept-
able definition of marketing here was: Any-
thing and everything done to promote, sell,
and prepare a product or service for sale.
Today, “marketing” is a largely misused
term. Someone may sell you a template of a
card or a packet of price lists, but they are
not doing your marketing. Creating a
fun card to mail out or a catchy post on
Facebook does not constitute the entire
process of marketing.
Effective marketing is like fishing: You
have to know what kind of fish you want tocatch, where those fish live, and what bait
will bring the bites. If you figure out these
three things, then the money you invest in
marketing will be wisely spent. Our college
professor created a simple experiment to
demonstrate the principle. He made two
sets of coupons, one for $5 off an iron sup-
plement that was popular with senior
citizens and the one for 50 cents off a large
pizza from a popular pizzeria.
On day one, the class moved to the
classics section of the campus library and
the prof asked a librarian to offer the $5
coupon to every student who came to that
section. She managed to foist coupons on
the two students who ventured there within the next hour.
On day two, we moved to the campus
cafeteria, where we asked two popular stu-
dents to hand out the 50-cent coupons. In
less than one hour, the cards were all gone
and the kids were still asking for them.
If college students were our “catch,” we
realized, we needed to be in the eatery and to
use pizza as the bait. Even if we’d used pizza
coupons in the classics section, our “school”
was a mere two fish. The monetary value of
the coupons was irrelevant in this experiment.
In today’s ever-changing world of profes-
sional photography, those who send emails
claiming they can solve your marketing
problems (the bait) with the swipe of your
credit card have done at least half of their
homework. They know photographers are
spending a chunk of time in front of a com-
puter monitor, so the Internet is a fishing
hole with potential.Have you taken the time to identify the
bait and venue for your marketing? As for the
catch of the day, right now many of us feel
we need to take any business that floats our
way, but there is danger in that. One less-
than-ideal job delivered because it isn’t what
you do is a seed for disaster. You think one
unhappy customer is bad—wait until t
customer takes his opinion to the Inter
I’m not trying to take the fun out of
keting, just clear the water. Catchy slog
pretty graphics, and emotional images a
perfect bait when used for a particular
but when cast into unforgiving waters,
like fishing for the great white shark w
earthworm. Marketing as a science haschanged much in the past two decades
has my desire to look acceptable to my
or my choice of summer footwear, now
acceptably known solely as the “flip-flo
Kalen Henderson’s Studio K/Henderson Photography is located in Mt. Pleasant,
Fish taleUsing the right bait in the right place
42 • www.ppmag.com
©Veer
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Ablan Gallery Photography
Lake Zurich, Illinois
PROFIT CENTER: MY STUDIO
BY DAN ABLAN, CPP
My wife, Maria, and I started our photography
business in 2008 in the basement of our subur-
ban Chicago home. Having studied photojour-
nalism in college, I had long aspired to do
this. In 2009 we opened a retail studio, and in
2010 we expanded to a private corporate park
location. This year we moved again, doubling
our studio space to 3,000 square feet.
We specialize in high school senior, family,
pet, and commercial photography. Maria takes
care of studio décor and handles clients’
needs during and after their session. I do the
photography and postproduction work as well
as maintain the computer systems. Our busi-ness skills have grown over the years. For
example, by simplifying our products and
pricing, we’ve increased our sales averages.
Educating clients has been key in having great
sessions and higher sales.
Maria has an eye for color and helped create
the high-end, professional atmosphere in our
studio. When clients arrive they see the table of
beautiful products and the image above it, which
is changed regularly to show a current high
school senior. To the left is the reception area.
During and between shoots, clients can
relax in the lounge and view images show-
cased on a 52-inch flat-panel monitor. It’s agreat way to show how images look in a fam-
ily room. We also use this room to meet
clients for pre-session consultations.
A comfortable and private dressing
room is adjacent to our shooting space.
Clients see more examples of our work
when they walk down this hallway to the
camera room.
This is where the magic happens! This
20x30-foot room gives us adequate space for
creating portraits. A doorway leads to a garage
bay, where we shoot industrial-looking images
as well as vehicles. Outside, a grassy wetlandprovides an additional set.
When clients return to the studio to
view their images, we project them on a
120-inch screen complemented by surround
sound. Framing and canvas selections are
also on display. Beyond this is another
hallway showcasing our work that leads to a
kitchen where clients can help themselves to
coffee and snacks.
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September 2013 • Professional Photograph
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Q: Christa, tell us a little bit about yourself and your photography.
A: I became infat-uated with visualstorytelling as a child.I’ve been behind thecamera since I was6 years old, whenplaytime includeddressing up with myfriends and takingpictures, very much likewhat I do now. I believethat honoring our bodies,emotions, choices, andimpulses throughphotography—whetherin front of or behindthe camera—is not onlyempowering but alsoprofoundly sexy.
Q: As the author of “The Art of Boudoir” and a pioneer in tspace, what do you think about the rapid growth of this nichebecomes more mainstream?
A: I’m thrilled to see the emergence of non-models seeking beautiful, sportraits for themselves. The rising popularity of this niche mirrors the gacceptance of the average woman next door as the imperfect ideabeauty. There are both men and women photographers taking my ocourse who are learning how to create stunning photographs and succphotography businesses by focusing on what women love about their and celebrating that. I’m so proud of the work being produced by tnew brigade of boudoir photographers who continue to redefine the
Q: How do you use custom mobile apps in your business?
A:We’re always looking for new and compelling ways to surprisdelight our clients. After the order session we give each client her own peized StickyAlbum as an unexpected gift, which is always a huge hit. Additioit’s the perfect answer when booking last-minute clients who need an aweproduct with fast turnaround for time-sensitive events, like a birthday, ansary, or Valentine’s Day. Plus, men love having sexy pics on their mobile d
Awith StickyAlbums
New and compelling ways to delight clients
Q
ADVERTISEMENT
images ©Christa Meola
©Mi c h a el C h yl i n sk i
Christa Meola
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Q:What are your favorite features?
A: I love how easy the software is to use. There is no learning curve,and it takes only minutes to create a gorgeous album for a client. I alsoreally love knowing who my raving fan clients are who spread positiveword of mouth because I like to reward them as well as stay in touch. Thetracking information available through StickyAlbums lets me see exactlyhow many times an app has been opened and shared.
Q: Photographers from every part of the industry are usingStickyAlbums. But it has turned out to be a huge hit with boudoirphotographers. What makes it such a good fit for boudoir?
A:Most of my female clients don’t wish to post some of their sexierphotos on Facebook, but they do want to share them with their closestfriends in person. StickyAlbums lets them do that while showcasing mywork and brand beautifully and creating positive word of mouth and easyreferrals. For this genre in particular, it’s been an essential and specialpart of sharing pictures with men who are in the armed forces. These menaren’t allowed to have prints, so having these personal photographspassword protected on their mobile device is great for them.
Q: Are there applications for it beyond what you imagined you started using it?
A: Absolutely! A number of my students are using StickyAlbums ivariety of creative ways. Some have created helpful guides for clienregarding what to wear, how to prepare, and where to shop for wardSome of my other photography students are creating coupon booksdiscounts from preferred vendors and retail partners for their clientsstudents are even using them to share and showcase their portfolioinstead of handing out a boring business card or costly printed mat
To learn more about StickyAlbums and how Christa uses them in hbusiness, check out a full video interview with Christa at:
stickyalbums.com/meola
ADVERTI
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I want [fill in the blank]. What is it for you:
more equipment, a faster computer, a new
lens? PPA’s Benchmark Survey recommends
the amount a studio should spend annually
on capital expenditures of $500 or more each.
These would include cameras and camera-
related equipment, computers and com-
puter-related equipment, props, backgrounds,
furniture, and fixtures. PPA encourages stu-dios to capitalize these expenditures on the
studio’s balance sheet and depreciate them.
The benchmark for depreciation expense
assumes the studio will depreciate the total
cost of the items in the year they were pur-
chased. PPA’s benchmark recommendations
for depreciation expense are 3.7 percent for a
home studio and 2.2 percent for a retail studio.
In other words, in order for a studio with
gross annual sales of $100,000 to be within
the recommended benchmark for deprecia-
tion expense, home studios can spend no more
than $3,700 and retail studios no more than
$2,200 on capital expenses each year.
I know you’re shaking your head, saying,
“But I can’t buy the camera I want for that.”
We understand the challenge and encourage
you to build reserves for future capital expen-
ditures. In other words, if you don’t incur
capital expenditures in the current year, set
up a cash reserve for the 3.7 or 2.2 percent, whichever is applicable, and save it for future
purchases. In addition to reining in your
capital expenditures, you will become very
aware your studio’s cash-flow management.
Building reserves is mandatory if a studio
is to survive the cyclical nature of a photog-
raphy business. Not only should you build
cash reserves for future capital expenditures,
but you should also build reserves for your
slow season, production costs, and income
taxes. Consider allocating $50 of every deposit
toward some type of reserve. You will be
amazed at how quickly that account will
grow. Your actual depreciation expense in a
given year will far exceed the recommended
benchmarks, but establishing and replenish-ing a capital expenditure reserve will help
smooth out the cash-flow impact of making
these necessary expenditures.
It’s imperative that you plan your capital
expenditures. If you’re an equipment junkie,
setting financial goals—including capital
expenditures—and sticking to them will help
curb your spendthrift urges. “The winner” is
not the one with the most toys, after all.
The current Benchmark Survey saw an
overall reduction in spending, including cap-
ital expenditures, from the previous surv
That’s not surprising considering the fi
cial challenges many studios were facin
2010 when the data was collected. The
power of setting financial goals and ad
ing to the benchmarks helps the studio
tify costs to cut. As the economy contin
to improve, as studios learn to operate
this environment of cautious consume
and as owners start to see their studio’s
financial performance recover, it’s time
build reserves, not spend them.
If you’re not already tracking your finposition against PPA’s recommended b
marks, take advantage of PPAedu.com c
which include videos and webinars to h
explain the how’s and why’s of manage
accounting. If you need additional adv
assistance, email [email protected] for he
Bridget Jackson is manager of PPA StuManagement Services, which provides
ance to photographers who seek more
itable businesses. She is a certified pubaccountant. Reach her at bjackson@pp
Just how tight?Reining in capital expenditures
PROFIT CENTER: MAKING MONEY
BY BRIDGET JACKSON
48 • www.ppmag.com
©Veer
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Pinterest is emerging as a leading social
media platform that many of us are logging
onto for personal use. Now it’s time to put
Pinterest to work for your business.
WHAT IS PINTEREST?
It’s shareable digital bulletin board of sorts
that allows you to collect ideas, save URLs,
and share photos, illustrations, and videos.Users “pin” images to various boards they
create and name, which they can use as inspi-
ration, for reference, and to convey a point
of view to the people who follow their boards.
HOW IT WORKS
Pinterest members can collect pins from
other Pinterest users’ boards or pin their own
content to boards with the easy-to-use Pin-
terest browser plug-ins. Users often do both.
Wedding, baby, and portrait boards
galore keep images alive on Pinterest. Many
people pin professional photos they like for
ideas about chronicling their own important
life events. One of the ways Pinterest helps
photographers grow their reach is its simple
one-click “repin” button. When users click
it, an image is pinned and shared with that
person’s followers. If the person who origi-
nated the pin set it up correctly, each pinned
image links to a Web page of their choosing.
Unlike Facebook, which is a closed plat-form, Pinterest opens its content to be
crawled by Google searches. It also allows
you to share your pins across other social
media platforms.
HOW TO USE IT
Go to business.pinterest.com and set up a
business account so you’ll be able to see ana-
lytics such as which of your pins people like
and share the most. Once your account is set
up, you can begin creating boards. Keep
Google searching in mind when you’re nam-
ing boards and using keywords in pins. For
example, “Philadelphia newborn photo
phy” is be better than “Baby pics” for a
you intend to share your images on.
Once you have a board or two started
pinning to them. To make adding conten
ier, visit Pinterest’s Goodies page to dow
and install various apps or Pinterest’s ow
It button: about.pinterest.com/goodie
If you’re concerned about image the
watermark your photographs and add
copyright note to the text field that app
whenever you create a pin.
Pinterest can feel a bit lonely at firs your followers and reach can grow qu
Trust me on this one. At first my Pint
account felt like a ghost town. Now it’
No. 1 source of daily website traffic.
If you’re a photographer serving a l
area, search on Pinterest for other acc
holders who serve the same target ma
as you do. Whether they be florists, ba
stores, wedding dress retailers, or cate
starting a community board and invit
them to join as pinners allows each of
to leverage one another’s followers. It’
massive multiplication of reach that P
est makes extremely easy to obtain. Th
opportunities to leverage Pinterest an
gain more traffic are endless.
When in doubt, read the “Pinterest for
ness” best practices guide. It’s a free down
at business.pinterest.com/best-practice
I post lots of free fun, motivational,
educational content for photographersPinterest, so please follow me at pinterest
steeltoeimages. Happy pinning! I
Angela Pointon advises photographersthrough Steel Toe Images. Visit
steeltoeimages.com and click to add
her on Google+, Facebook, and Pinteres
50 • www.ppmag.com
Sharp way to share your messageHow Pinterest can grow your photo business
PROFIT CENTER: MASTERING MARKETING
BY ANGELA POINTON
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Structuring packages that are profitable for
your studio and attractive to your clients
seems to be one of life’s great mysteries.
Speaking with the proprietors of three suc-
cessful studios with very different sales
philosophies, I learned there are many
routes to reaching the same goal.
RIGHT WHERE YOU WANT THEM
Many studios sell both loose prints and
packages, as is the case at Commonwealth
Photography in Chester, Va. “We use our
loose print prices as a way to move our clients
into our packages,” explains Jeff Bowman,
M.Photog.Cr. “Our gift-size portraits (8x10
inches and smaller) are all the same price
regardless of size, so when they move to a
package it comes with a given number of
gift-size portraits. Not only is there a dis-
count on the à la carte price, they get to
determine the image sizes for the package.”
How do they explain the small-print
pricing to customers? Julia Bowman has a
clever yet practical answer: It’s like buying a
blouse in a department store. Whether it’s
an extra small or extra large, the price is the
same. The same amount of work went into
each of them. “As artists we try to make
them value the image, not the size of paper
that it is printed on,” she says.
Psychology also figures into the
Bowmans’ pricing. “Our packages were
created to get customers to land where we
want them,” says Jeff. “The smaller pack-
ages include only a minimal discount and
fewer images. As they move up we offer
them better discounts and more images.”
Another strategy is offering high-priced
packages that make the middle package
more appealing. “Most clients don’t want to
buy the most expensive of anything,” he
says. When customers see packages priced
above their ideal level, it helps them ju
the expense of the middle package.
UP-FRONT COMMITMENT
The Hensons of Adrian Henson Photog
in New Bern, N.C., employ a different
approach. “We don’t offer packages to o
clients at all,” explains Adrian Henson,
M.Photog.MEI.Cr., CPP. “Everything w
is à la carte. Our clients commit to a ce
budget in advance by selecting from th
different minimum required price poin
After the session, clients make purchas
to the entire amount. The upfront ben
the more money spent, the more time
location options they get for the session
The Hensons allow clients to make
ments in three installments. The first t
is due at the initial consultation when t
client books a session, the second paym
due the day of the session, and the third
before the viewing and ordering appoi
ment begins. “Most of our moms are th
ones booking the sessions and visiting
each of the appointments,” says Heath
Henson. They love this payment arrang
ment, she claims, because their husban
lose track of how much they’re spendin
As a rule, says Heather, clients spend
50 percent more than their original com
ment. “They’ve already paid two-thirds
to selecting their images, so what they
above and beyond seems much smaller
GOOD, BETTER, BEST
The Dachowskis—Jeff Dachowski,
M.Photog.Cr., CPP and Carolle Dacho
M.Photog.Cr.—of Dachowski Photogr
in Bedford, N.H., have their own way o
using à la carte pricing to guide clients
making a desirable investment. “It hit m
I was buying tires one day,” says Jeff. “I o
heard the salesperson tell customers thei
BY PETE WRIGHT, M.PHOTOG.CR.PROFIT CENTER
56 • www.ppmag.com
Package strategiesThree studios, three paths to success
In their studio, Commonwealth Photography, Jef and Julia Bowman price loose prints in a way that
makes print packages more attractive.
© C omm on w e al t h P h o t o gr a ph y
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choice in tires was ‘good, better, or best.’ Every
time without fail, the client selected better. I
realized people don’t want something that’s
just good , but they’re willing to settle for
slightly less than the best. I used the same
mentality in my pricing.”
The Dachowskis’ à la carte selection has
three items that each come in various sizes:
Traditional (basic paper print), Artisan
(mounted canvas print), and Modern (gallery
wrap). The goal is to get every client to choose
something better than basic. The Dachowskis
take things a step further by discussing the
size of wall portraits not in terms of inches
but in proportion to the piece of furniture it
will be displayed above. “Our Mini, the
smallest wall portrait, measures 16x16,
16x20 or 16x24 inches, all at the same
price,” says Carolle. After the Mini come
Small, Standard, Large, and Grande. The
mid-size portrait is the only one that’s not
described in terms of its size. Instead, its
name is just what many people want—
Standard. This psychology generally steers
clients to purchase a Standard Artisan wall
portrait.
The Dachowskis’ approach carries into the
sales appointment. “We got rid of the plush
couch and living room environment when we
realized that when most people make finan-
cial decisions—whether paying bills or buy-
ing a car or home—they’re usually sitting at
a desk or table,” says Jeff. “Sitting on a couch
relaxing at home, they’re in a different frame
of mind. During the sales appointment
at a table, all of us facing the screen, wi
between the husband and wife.” This t
nique allows Jeff to block physical cues
couple might give each other, like an el
to the side signaling a fear of spending
much. Jeff becomes part of the purcha
decision, an advocate rather than a sales
NO ONE BEST WAY
There is no single best way to create or
packages. Your specialty, client base, ge
graphic market, and competitive enviro
ment will all play a role in determining
what’s most effective for your studio. Sta
creating packages that are easy to explaThis will give you confidence in your p
tation, which will make clients more re
tive to your message. Learn from your
successes and failures, and keep makin
improvements to your sales processes.
goal is to make it logical and easy for cl
to write that check. I
Pete Wright co-owns PW Photographer Sin Richmond, Va., with his wife, Lilian
Instead of packages or print collections, an installment payment plan is the secret to sales success at
Adrian Henson Photography.
Dachowski Photography ditched comfy sofas in the sales room when the studio owners realized
most people make financial decisions at a desk or table.
September 2013 • Professional Photograph
©A d r i anH en s onP h o t o gr a
ph y
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Professional Photographer P R E S E N T S Products, Technology, and Services
What I like Eric Curry always travelswith his artistic license
What’s the best equipment purchase
you’ve ever made? Computers
When you need to move fast, what’s
your most valuable piece of gear?
Hand-held camera
What item of gear are you lusting
after? None. As a professional, I have
long since lost the infatuation with
hardware; it only helps us do our jobs.
What piece of equipment could you
not live without? A color chart
I couldn’t get through the week with-
out my … Cup of coffee every morning
What hot new product are you going
out of your way to use? None, but I
should start to look at Lightroom.
On location, what gear do you find in-
dispensable? Tripod and duct tape
What’s your go-to lens? My 16-35mmzoom lens
What makes your workflow flow?
Adobe Bridge
IMAGE BY ERIC CURRY
AMERICANPRIDEANDPASSION.COM
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THE GOODS: ROUNDUP
Stabilizing devices are a foundation for good photography
BY JOAN SHERWOOD
As rock solid as your hold on a camera m
a tripod, camera stand, or video stabiliz
will always exceed your grasp. Such m
ical aids let you expand your creative p
tial by allowing you to push camera se
into territory that would otherwise hav
fearing a loss of image quality.
STOCK STILL
Camera stands are the most solid mea
steadying your camera in studio, but un
recently they were a considerable finan
investment. Tallyn’s Professional Photo
graphic Supply now carries two high-q
yet economical models: the Studio Tita
ital Studio Stand and the Studio Titan
fessional Studio Stand . Both have a mo
for any 3/8-inch threaded ball head or
tilt head. Add laptop and tablet mount
you can shoot wirelessly or tethered. Bo
have a sturdy wheeled base, counterwe
cross arms, and large locking knob. $9
and $1,299, tallyns.com
COMPACT & CONTORTION
The Tiffen Co. sells new tripods from D
Sanford , the Traverse series (pictured)
the Crosswise. Traverse tripods hold u
10 pounds and fold down to 12 inches
more heavy-duty Crosswise features a centerpost that contorts perfectly for lo
ground and macro shots. $124.99 and
$109.99, tiffen.com
FIRST-PERSON SHOOTE
The Vanguard Abeo Pro 283CGH Kit ,
boasts a Technical Image Press Associ
1
2
3
Steady as she goesTRIPODS, STANDS,
& STABILIZERS
1
3
60 • www.ppmag.com
2
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Award, starts with a versatile tripod w
system that allows you to move the ce
column up to 180 degrees. It’s topped
a GH-300T grip head with a built-in
remote shutter release control. You ca
the camera shutter without moving yohand from the grip and take advantag
dual panning axes and a 72-click-poin
panning base. $499 after rebate (valid
through October), vanguardusa.com
GET A GRIP
A balancing system that dampens user
body movements is at the heart of the
point SteadyCine Stabilizer from Ador
The result is smooth video with the app
ance of a floating POV. If a shoulder ri
overkill for your level of video usage, th
unit can still save your shots. It comes w
travel bag and two add-on counterwei
and supports cameras up to 5 pounds.
$129.95, adorama.com
TOTALLY RIGGED
Seeking all the bells and whistles you c
want for steadiness, light blocking, and
smooth focus? The Flashpoint All-Incl
DSLR/DV Cinema Bundle ships with
point’s DSLR Shoulder Rig II with Ra
and Quick Release System, a Matte Bo
tem II, and the Follow Focus Pro II wi
clip-on system. It’s backed by a two-ye
warranty. $599.96,adorama.com
WHAT THE COOL KIDS W
The Ready Rig , available through Int
tional Supplies, balances and distribu
weight on your shoulders so the came
floats effortlessly in front of you. Desi
by and for camera operators, the Read
lets you maintain maneuverability to
tion the camera at almost any angle, a
ing you to capture smooth, stable foot
$1,899.99, internationalsupplies.com
4
THE GOODS: ROUNDUP
62 • www.ppmag.com
6
6
5
5
4
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PROFOTO D1STUDIO KITSA GREAT WAY TO START!Boasting a generous 7 f-stop power range, action-stoppingshort flash durations, and color stability comparable withthat of a high-end studio generator, the D1 proves thatsuperior performance can be delivered in a compact andaffordable package.
The D1 is also the backbone of the popular D1 Studio Kitand the comprehensive D1 Studio Kit 3 HEADS. The D1 is available in 250, 500 and 1000 Ws versions.Learn more at www.profoto.com/us
Profoto US | 220 Park Avenue, Florham Park NJ 07932 | PHONE (973) 822-1300, profoto.c om/us
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Considering the relative ease with which
you can now print images digitally in black-
and-white, the popularity of doing so is
hardly surprising. Manufacturers of print-
ers, inks, and inkjet papers are responding
with ever-improving products. Ilford Imag-ing, for example, recently introduced Gold
Mono Silk inkjet paper, specifically designed
for printing black-and-white images with
either dye- or pigment-based inks. It joins
Ilford’s top Galerie Prestige line of media,
which includes Gold Cotton Smooth and
Textured, Fine Art Smooth and Textured,
Gold Fibre Silk, Pearl, Gloss, Lustre Duo,
High Gloss, and Smooth Fine Art.
The “gold” in the nomenclature may not
be misleading, but the “silk” certainly is.
The surface bears no resemblance to wet
darkroom silk papers. Gold Mono Silk’ssurface is much like that of air-dried glossy
wet darkroom paper, and the weight of the
paper (270 grams per square meter) is
comparable to traditional double-weight
darkroom papers.
You can print color images on Gold Mono
Silk, but the prints are overly contrasted for
my taste; Gold Fibre Silk is a better ch
The black-and-white image files I prin
on my Epson Stylus Pro 3880 (in Adv
Black-and-White Photo mode using
Ilford’s printer profile) are reminiscen
traditional black-and-white wet darkrprints. The resemblance might be even
greater with a dye-ink based printer, b
don’t have one available. There was no
of metamerism in the prints under va
light sources and conditions. Illford a
careful handling of prints made with p
ment ink until the ink is fully dry.
For everyday black-and-white prin
I use mostly Epson Exhibition Fiber;
black-and-white exhibition prints, I u
Museo Silver Rag. I’ve tested many pa
for black-and-white printing, and Gol
Mono Silk has the lowest Dmax and h
est Dmin of any of them. Translation:
blackest blacks, brightest whites, and
smoothest tonal transitions at both en
the scale. Part of this is due to Gold M
Silk’s having a somewhat higher gloss
many other inkjet papers.
The paper’s high Dmin is aided by
cal brighteners. Perhaps those who cri the use of optical brighteners don’t rea
that all the popular high-end wet dark
papers contained them as well. If your
whites extend to 255, 255, 255 in your
color values, you’ll notice the gloss dif
tial where the ink tapers off to the pap
base. This occurs with all glossy and s
THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW
Ilford adds a cool glossy paper designed for black-and-white inkjet prints
BY STAN SHOLIK
HeavyweightILFORD GALERIE PRESTIGE GOLD MONO SILK INKJET PAPER
All images ©Stan Sholik
The surface of Gold Mono Silk is evocative of an air-dried glossy paper from a wet darkroom.
64 • www.ppmag.com
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Gold Mono Silk, with its crisp coo tone and deep, rich blacks, complemens industrial images.
glossy inkjet papers, but it's controlled be
te on God Mono Silk han mos othes
ncludng lford Gold Fibe Sk. Gold
Mono Silk is coated on an acd-fee be
base. Unlike ohe glossy inkjet papers, it
lies at ae pnting with mnmum cul
To me, he most stkng charactesc
of the paper is ts deep ch Dmax he dif
feences between a monochome image
pnted on varios nkjet papes can be sub
tle. Yet the depth and richness o the blacksmakes it easy o me to pck ou a Gold
Mono Silk pint fom an aray o pns.
Choosing a backandwhe nket
pape is as personal as choosng a ad
tiona backand-whe wet darkoom
pape. Ceran mages look bette on one
pape than anothe o a varie of easons
Pns of modern steel and glass achiec
te indstal poducs meals and
glossy prodcts al looked appopriate
pnted on Gold Mono Silk I was ess
pleased wth he look o my food and
ower images which seemed too cod and
clnica. O course, usaly pnt these on
a wame tone paper o a moe appoach
able look, so expected that you ae
making black-and-white inkje pints
God Mono Silk is a welcome addion o the aalable optons •
Stan Sholi is a commercial/advetising photoapher in Santa Ana, Calif, special-izng in still l� and mac photophyHis latest boo is 'hotoshop CC: Top 100
ips and rcs" (Wiley Publishing).
September 23 • Professoal Photogaph
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I’m writing this review on a 27-inch iM
In front of the iMac is a full-size keybo
to the right of which is an Eizo CG dis
and a Wacom Intuous 5 tablet. To the
of the keyboard suspended above the
is a fourth-generation iPad. The table
supported in a Wallee case connected
Tether Tools Wallee Connect, which i
turn is supported by a Manfrotto Mag
Arm and Super Clamp combination
secured to the edge of the desk. I use t
iPad to check email, look up things on
Web, and (with the Adobe Nav app) a
palette for Photoshop tools and menu
Being new to tablet-based comput
I held off buying one for several reaso the biggest reason being that I hadn’t
ured out how to use it effectively as a t
while shooting. The 2013 Hot One Aw
winning CamRanger app opened the
by giving me a way to control Canon a
Nikon DSLRs remotely. Other apps so
beckoned, but one hurdle remained: H
to attach the tablet to something secu
and elegantly so I could free my hand
other work and not worry about it fall
or being stolen.
Enter the Wallee, the product of a
design studio called Studio Proper in
Melbourne, Australia. I love its minim
design and versatility. A thin, protecti
hard shell wraps around the back and
edges of the tablet. There are cutouts f
all the controls, the speaker and micro
phone, the rear-facing camera, and th
headphones port. For all practical pur
poses, installing the device in the shellsecurely locks it into place.
There’s an X-shaped opening in the m
of the back that’s used to attach it to va
mounting accessories. Mounting is sim
Line up the Xs, turn the tablet 45 deg
and the Wallee is locked to the mount
a solid click. There is no front cover fo
THE GOODS: MOUNT
With the right case and mount, your tablet can be a hard-working tool
BY ELLIS VENER
Safe and snug WALLEE CASE & TETHER TOOLS CONNECT
The Wallee case holds
an iPad securely, and
the Connect devicefrom Tether Tools
attaches to it, giving
you several ways to
attach it to a camera
stand or tripod. Here it
is mounted via a
Manfrotto Magic Arm
and Super Clamp
attached to the tripod.
A l l i m
a g e s
© E l l i s
V e n e r
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From lef to ight: Manfoto Super Clamp and Magc Am suppoing an Apple iPad in Walee cove with(unseen) Tete Tools Connec, the iPad is g te Adobe Nav app o Photoshop CC; LaCie 500GBpotable dve; Dobo 5D; 192 Niko F2 with od Lesay weirdness; Xrite Po; Xte Dispay Po;27" Apple Mac; exa Fiewire 800 CF cad eade Eizo CG 222W display G MDiisk capaleDVD/Blu-Ray drive in a case; M-Disc DVDs; Wacom Intuous 5.
screen, so I use an Apple Sma Cover
At s I worried abou he Walee's lack
of paddng, but by the tme you ead this,
the Studio Prope Po Bumper accessoy
l be avaable It s o be a ugged, dop
andbumpproof second skin made of
shockabsobent slcon ha can be peeled
o quickly, accordng o the company
One thing the Wallee s not is a heay
du, water-resstant, alound enclosure
such as he Oerbox Defender and Armor
sees, he Gin Surivo, he LifePoof
nd and smilar desgns
Studo Poper makes sevea Walee
accessories; mounting devces ncude
desk sands, a hand srap, wal mounts,
a car moun fo backseat passenges, a
rpod mount, and othe ools to extend
poduciv and the way you interac
ih a tabe.For my needs, the most ineresng
mount is he Connect made by Tethe
Tools Is a single piece of mlled ar
cagrade alumnum ha gives you
four ways to aach he Wallee o camea
sands and tripods: theaded receives for
sandard 1/4-inch and 38-nch scew
mouns; a receiver for mounng decty
on anthing ith a standad 5/8nch
dameter stud and ArcaSwisscompatble
uck-release clamps. Wih hese mount
ng opons, he Connec tuns the Walee
no a ruly usel too fo woking
phoographers
Hang he Pad mounted to a suppo
makes t easy o use the CamRangers
live-iew ncon, which alows he clien,
the subject, and slsts o ook at what the
camea is seeing befoe you snap he shu
ter I also makes i easie to see what I m
dong as Im adusng he lightng and
proppng sill ife subects If you shoo
ideo, here are apps ha turn an Pad nto
a eleprompe o a capperboad and shot
log. Teher Tools makes oher aachment
and securng devces for he Walee and fo
laptops, too, bu fo my money the Connecs wha makes he Walee a better case
The Walee and accessoes (lke the
Connec and Pro Bumpe and othe
mounting souions) ae availabe at
ehertoos.com and local dealers Prce
$39.95 for ll-sze ablets, $3.95 for
smale tables •
Septeme 2013 • Pofessonal Potogap
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THE COODS: PRO REVIEW
Natural wood grain adds a distinct textureand style to your print presentation
BY BETSY FINN, M.PHOTOGCR
HandcrafedWOODSNAP
It seems photographers are always on he
lookout fo he nex new iem to wow cliens.
If yo'e looking for somehng boh new
and eco-susainabe, WoodSnap may neres
yo WoodSnap prints are peces of woodmprnted wth a phoograph hey emind me
somewha of maque a process in whch
paerns are creaed from various maeals
and pieced ogethe ino a wood venee
The eco-friendy part of the poduct s
he companys susanable manfactrng
pocess and s poicy of pantng a ee fo
every wood prn sod
igure 1
68 • wwwppmagcom
The WoodSnap webse oers a nmbe
of suggesions for maxmizing he eec of
s wood prns he mos impoan of
whch is to emphasize hgh-key composi
ons and save owkey mages for ohermeda The gan of he wood wil come
hrogh he most n he igh aeas of he
pnt I decded to submit a pn that
wod es hose lmits to see how wod
look. I seeced an mpressionsic paned
scene with a ange of tona vaes
Odeng my prn was simpe. Pace the
WoodSnap prodcs in yo shoppng cart
seec he le yo want pinted, and
to he site WoodSnap aso podes
emal addess you can aach your e
yo have trouble with uploading as I
with my trave aptop That mehod
woked bt l denely take advan
he upload-o-ca featre n the r
When he wood pint arrved on my
doorstep, it was n excelent condon
WoodSnap hadnt gone overboad on
packagnganohe eco-pus
The edges of the wood prin ae be
for a oaing eect. On the back of the
pnt are two roued gooves fo hangi
prposes one fo vertcal dsplay onehozonal (ige 1).
The print aved with a screw, a p
anchor and hangng instctions Yo
need to use sudy hanges; WoodSna
pins ae inchthick sold wood (Fi
Overal, I was pleased with he qua
his poduct I handed the coor and
of my non-dea image nicely You can
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the wood grain in he dak green areas and
even moe so in e lighte sy (Fige 3).
One slight concen ad was about the
edges of the print. The wood a he edges
looked lke it mght beak o siver if an-
dIed caeessly. A few ips on cae: Wood-
Snap pints need to be hung indoos and
away om direc snight. e srface is
wate esistan, b I woldn't hang the
prin n a athoom. Do not se chemicals
to clean it
WoodSnap pnts are avaable in szes
fom 8x8 to 0x40 inches Reai pices
ange fom $195 to $29995; wholesale
pricing is avalae fo phoogaphes andoter pofessionals Typcal trnaround is
thee o ve siness das For more info
vist woodsnapcom •
Bey Finn, MPhotogCr, has a pOrait studio in Dexe Mic, and she bIogs at besnn. com.
Figure 3
September 2013 • Professional Photogaph
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I read an article recently about how to start a
photography business and be successful even
with no photography experience or tools
beyond a camera phone. That’s an extreme
example of what is going on in our industry
but certainly not the only misleading mes-
sage we’re seeing online and elsewhere.
With his newly published book, “Photog-
raphy Q&A: Real Questions. Real Answers,”
Zach Arias provides a breath of fresh air with
his valuable insights for people starting out in
photography as well as those already estab-
lished. Last year, Arias challenged hims
answer 1,000 questions posed by follow
his blog, Photography Q&A—Ask Me A
THE GOODS: BOOKS
Outspoken Zach Arias turns a personalchallenge into an insightful lesson
BY THEANO NIKITAS
Real answersPHOTOGRAPHY Q&A
70 • www.ppmag.com
New Riders Press, 2013
newriders.com
$29.99 (CAN $30.99)
zarias.tumblr.com; zacharias.com/blog
REAL QUESTIONS
A: I used to be really shy. I’d open up onlywhen I really got to know someone. When Ifirst got into photography, the camerabecame this magic box that I could hidebehind, but I was still shy and had a hardtime talking to strangers. If I was takingphotos then it was the camera that broughtme to that place. Not me. Myself—Zack—Iwas too insecure to open doors to places.
Then it came time to market myself asa photographer and I couldn’t do it. I didn’tknow how to talk to strangers. I sure ashell didn’t know how to “sell” myself. Itwas a mess.
My life fell apart. I left photography. I gota day job. Life went on. Then I had a chanceto be a photographer again. I quit the day job,and it was then up to me and my camera.
Well, I learned that my camera didn’tsell me. I put my identity—who I was as aperson—in that camera. I learned the camera
had no personality. It was just bits of pand metal. I also learned that promotmaterial and web sites didn’t do a lot
Q: I watched the DigitalRev episode
of the Pro Photographer/Cheap
Camera challenge that you were fea-
tured in. My question is, how did you
get so good at talking to strangers
even when you don’t speak the same
language? Is it a personality trait or did
you develop it from shooting a lot?
On DigitalRev, Zack Arias was challenged to create art with a Kodak Easyshare C142 point-and-
camera and an old Nikon flash. “It was a crazy day and one of the most enjoyable photographic
I’ve ever done,” says Arias.
©Zack Arias
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thing About Photography. People did, and they
continue to, allowing Arias to exceed his goal.
His book covers 106 of those questions
and answers, with bonus information in the
foreword by Sacha Lecca (senior photo editor
of Rolling Stone magazine), tons of photos,
and more real-life advice from Arias.
The topics of the questions are as varied as
you could imagine. Some are about hardware
and software, one asks about the value of enter-
ing photo competitions. That one generated
a two-and-a-half-page response. Arias has
strong opinions, and he doesn’t mince words.
He’s also kind and funny. He generously shares
his experiences and accumulated knowledge,
including that gained in his salad days.
The book is an easy read; in fact, it’s so
engaging that you almost don’t realize how
much you’re learning. You may want to start
at the beginning and read through, but chances
are, like me, you’ll skip around to the ques-
tions that interest you most. The book isn’t
about just cameras, settings, and software,
although there’s plenty of that. There’s also
practical, step-by-step advice on becoming a
pro soccer photographer, pricing, soft boxes
and grids, branding, marketing, and more.
Perhaps the shortest answer here is in
response to the question, “Do you ever give your
clients the raw files?” I had to look closely to
find the answer on the almost blank page. The
answer, in case you haven’t guessed, is “no.”
Arias doesn’t shy away from the emo
tional or personal: “What do you cheris
most about your early days?” is answere
the book. He also responds to a photog
pher (whose marriage is falling apart) w
he asks how photography cost Arias his
marriage.
I’m savoring this book, taking it in li
by little. When I have a question of my
I anticipate finding an answer in these
I’ve learned a lot from Arias’ candid ans
Not every topic is applicable to me, but
those that aren’t, I still can find a valua
kernel of knowledge. I
Theano Nikitas is a freelance writer an
photographer.
my business on their own. I had to sell
myself; I had to get out there; I had to talk
to people.
My ability to pay my rent is directly tied
to my ability to talk to people.
My ability to direct posing and get the
best out of my subjects is directly tied to
my ability to talk to them.
I realized one day that if I was going to
make it as a photographer then I was going
to have to get over my insecurities and my
shyness, and get out there and talk tostrangers.
It’s like standing on the high dive. You
know you aren’t going to die. It isn’t going
to kill you. But you are still intimidated by
jumping off that thing. It still scares you.
You can climb down the ladder and not
make the jump and live another day, or
you can get over your fear and … live
another day.
I started putting myself in social and
networking situations that forced me
to talk to people. I was broke and hungry
and needed work, so I had to go out
and find it. If jumping off that high dive
meant I was going to pay my rent thatmonth, then I needed to find the cour-
age to jump.
I learned how to jump. I learned how to
talk to strangers. I learned who I was as a
person—who I was without a camera. I
don’t hide behind it anymore. I can talk to
anyone now. I don’t even care if we don’t
speak the same language—I can talk.
A: Most of that cheap eBay stuff is garbage.
You get what you pay for in photography. I
have found that there are things that are
cheap and there are things that are inexpen-
sive. You could end up spending thousands
of dollars on cheap gear before you found
the things that are inexpensive. What’s
the difference? “Cheap” ends up not being
worth the money you spent. “Inexpensive”
is actually finding a good deal.
Cheap things fall apart, break, or are so
quirky you can’t deal with them. Inexpen-
sive things don’t cost a lot of money but
they work well. Alien Bees are inexpensive.
Those kits you find on eBay for the price of
one Alien Bee strobe? Cheap.
Besides, you don’t need all that crap
that comes in the kit. Three crappy lights
are not better than one good light. Two
crappy soft boxes are not better than
one good umbrella. Yes, the whole kit
seems cheap but you need to realize that
all of it is cheap. The lights will suck. The
stands will suck. The soft boxes will s
You’ll spend a bit more to get one
light, one good stand, one good modi
and one good trigger. It will cost mor
it will take you 1,000 miles further do
your path than that piece-of-crap “ki
eBay. Seriously. Take my word for it.
A: Substance over style. Content ov
technique. If you shoot for style and w
hot in the industry today, you will quic
find your work looking dated, and you
hopping on one popular bandwagon a
another. If you begin shooting what i
“hot” right now, you’re already a year b
the trend. As soon as you have that hot
style down, the world has moved on t
next thing that you will then be trying
emulate and, yet again, will already be b
on. Content and substance always wi
Brooks Brothers vs. parachute pan
Excerpted from “Photography Q&A by Zac
Arias.” Copyright © 2013. Used with permi
of Pearson Education Inc. and New Riders.
Q: What is your opinion about the
really cheap lighting kits you can find
on eBay? I can find an entire three-
light kit with lights, stands, and
modifiers for about the same price as
one name-brand light alone.
Q: Style over substance or sub-
stance over style? Which is the mimportant thing in a photograph?
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© { I } n s pi r eP or t r ai t & D e si gn
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mages ©Kelly Dobson
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Comfortable in her skin
Kelly Dobson builds a foundationfor baby portrait business
BY JEFF KENT
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elly Dobson,
CPP, wasn’t always
an award-winning photogra-pher with a stable client base and com-
fortable referral pipeline. Over the
past three decades, her career
has taken a few twists and
turns as she tried out
different specialties then discovered her strength
lay in wedding and portrait photography. But
the 2012 Michigan Photographer of the Yearhas never tried to shortcut the path to success.
Dobson landed her first job as a newspaper
photographer right out of high school. After get-
ting married and starting a family, she transi-
tioned into forensic and evidence photography,
then medical photography, both of whic
vided steady work and regular hours and n
of which provided creative satisfaction. BuDobson used that experience to learn as m
as she could. She practiced her techniqu
attended seminars. She studied the great
ters in specialties such as landscape phot
phy, photojournalism, weddings, and por
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When her kids got a little older, Do
elected to get back into more creative
tographic work. She got her feet wet b
assisting an established wedding phot
pher for a couple of years before bran
off on her own. Then her diligence, tra
ing, and practice began to pay off. “I g
very comfortable in my own skin as an
artist because I had a very solid found
in the basics,” says Dobson. “I knew th
Monte Zucker style of posing and ligh
which at the time was the standard by
most portrait work was compared and
what most photographers were doing
learned how to read the light in any g
situation and come up with consistent re
Dobson had learned photography ocameras and was accomplished in the
room. The Digital Revolution was revv
up just as she was starting her own stu
and the changes were intimidating at f
Then she had a chat with a one of her f
mer photography instructors, someone
had known of one her idols, Ansel Ada
He told her that if Adams were alive to
he’d be all about the new technology. T
was enough for Dobson. She took a Ph
shop class, got comfortable with the ne
technology, and recaptured her love of
making. Today, printing her own work
big part of her brand.
Dobson did wedding photography
several years, and as so often happens,
wedding clients had families and calle
baby portraits. That work grew steadily
entirely through repeat business and ref
“Being a wedding photographer for
many years made it really easy to segue
newborn and baby photography,” she s
“I have a pretty loyal following. By the
my clients come in for a newborn sessio
have already been through the trenche
wedding, and the relationship is already
Many of my wedding clients are still wi
years after the wedding and three kids
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My hook to make them come back again and
again is guilt; I remind them that the adorable
baby portraits I did for their first child must
be done for the second and third, otherwise
down the road you will get the ‘Mom loved
you more than me’ complaints. It works.”
Dobson’s photographic style relies on her
relationship with the client. “Making treas-
ured photos requires conversation and being
authentic,” she explains. “I can’t photograph
a key moment in someone’s life without know-
ing them on a personal level. There must be
a connection first. Most often, before a ses-
sion starts, I’ll sit down with my clients and
find out what’s going on in their lives. I have
often laughed and cried at the stories I’ve
heard; sharing their struggles and triumphs
makes my job even more satisfying, mean-
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ingful, and creative.” Dobson encourages
input for the session from the client, though
she’ll guide the shoot based on what she
thinks will work best.
She loves photographing newborns but
finds the most inspiration in working with
6- to 9-month-olds. At this age, they are old
enough to react and put on adorable expres-
sions but aren’t yet walking. “I enjoy the cre-
ativity of newborn sessions, but they are largely
driven by the set,” she says. “I prefer the ses-
sions with older babies because the images
become much more about their personality
and the interaction with their parents.”
Dobson gets the most out of a baby ses-
sion by preparing some ideas and a loose
concept. She remains ready to change gears
if the baby isn’t responding. Working in a
900-square-foot retail studio space, in Ply-
mouth, Mich., she sets up several scenarios
in advance so she can switch from one por-
trait concept to another fluidly. “Most babies
don’t like to be stuffed into things like flower
pots and wooden buckets, even though it’s
super cute,” she says. “It doesn’t take long to
figure out which babies will tolerate being
manhandled a little and which ones will
only tolerate being held by a parent.”
To capitalize on the loyalty and strong
relationships she builds with her clients,
Dobson started a baby’s first year club, which
includes five sessions. At the end of the year,
she prepares an album of the best images
from those sessions. Other big sellers include
wall collages and gallery wrap collections, as
well as custom-designed birth announcements.
She makes every announcement from
scratch, doing all the designing and printing
in house on an Epson Stylus Pro 7890. No
two are the same. The announcements dou-
ble as advertisements for her studio wh
they go out to clients’ friends and fami
With capabilities such as custom pr
design, in-house printing, and the skill
honed over more than 30 years, Dobson d
feel much threatened by the legions of
shoot-and-burn photographers. Yet wi
Michigan being one of the hardest-hit
by the recent recession, she’s had to be fl
in her pricing and creative with her inc
tives. That’s made the difference betwe
surviving and making a healthy profit.
will be interesting to see how the world
photography will evolve in the coming y
she says. “I think it’s best to embrace th
changes for all the creative opportunitie
offer. Moving forward and constantly l
ing is how I plan to tackle the future.”
See more from Kelly Dobson at kellydobsonphotography.com.
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visit kelbytraining.com to subscribe
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images ©Barbara O’Brien
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Barbara O’Brien is no chi when it comes to animal wran
BY AIMEE BALD
COMMERCIAL
SUCCES
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nowing how to work with an ornery subjectis a challenge most photographers face
eventually, but for some, the bar
is just a little bit higher. The
most formidable per-
sonalities that show up on Barbara O’Brien’s set?
Bulls. A commercial and editorial photographer
specializing in animal photography, O’Brien rises to
the challenge of working with a virtual Noah’s ark
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through a combination of animal training
expertise, technical skill, and most impor-
tant, a lifelong love of animals.
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
While lots of kids beg their parents for a
pet, not all of them muster the determina-
tion of the young Barbara O’Brien growing
up in suburban St. Paul, Minn. When her
brothers’ allergies prevented her from hav-
ing a pet, she walked neighbors’ dogs and
invited stray cats home on the sly.
With a passion for animals and an inde-
pendent streak, O’Brien realized early that she
wasn’t cut out for a regular job. “I quit or got
fired from jobs, and when I was 21 I decided
I needed to run my own business,” she
She channeled her energy into a ca
training animal actors for film and ad
tising, founding an agency called The A
Connection. Being on set with animal
sparked an interest in camerawork, an
2007 O’Brien began photographing the
mals herself. “I find photography to be
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times more exhilarating than when I’m on
the other side of the camera,” she says.
O’Brien got technical training from three
Minneapolis photographers and was soon
in demand with clients who valued her rare
blend of animal expertise and photographic
style. “I knew how to market, where the
animals were, and how to get the best
behavior from them,” she says.
Hosting shoots in what would have
passed for heaven in her childhood imagi-
nation doesn’t hurt either. O’Brien and her
family live in the rolling hills of Stockholm,
Wis., along with the many animals they’ve
adopted. Her 60x40-foot barn doubles as a
studio, and today O’Brien’s clients include
household names such as Purina, 3M, and
Target. She does editorial work for Country
Living and other magazines and licenses
her stock images to an international clien-
tele. Her first book, “Dogface,” will be pub-
lished by Viking Press next year.
A HERD OF HELP
O’Brien doesn’t surround herself with a coterie
of animals alone. She often works with a crew
of people she credits with contributing to her
success. In addition to photo assistants, a
production assistant, a digital tech, and a
set stylist, she hires animal wranglers and
fitters (the hair stylists of the animal world).
O’Brien and her husband produce the shoots,
and she books the animal talent through
her extensive network of owners and train-
ers, holding casting sessions and visiting
larger animals on location to find the right
talent.
Her ability to book the perfect animal for the job is a great advantage for her clients. “If
they say, ‘We need a chicken that can jog on
a treadmill. Is that possible? I can say, “Why,
yes it is,” says O’Brien, laughing. She also has
an eye for the ideal animal to take a starring
role. If you need a bovine diva for a Purina
shoot, she says, “It has to be a really good-
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looking cow. She has to be at a certain
of lactation and have a certain shape t
head and loins.” Personality matters,
choose dogs that have outgoing tempe
ments and can handle it,” she says. “If
they’re afraid of the strobes or of peop
why put them through it? With livest
it’s just a matter of knowing where to
the ones that have been handled well
humanely. They’re not afraid of peopl
they’re curious and happy,” O’Brien s
‘‘’’
I choose dogs that have outgoing
temperaments and can handle it.
If they’re afraid of the strobes or of
people, why put them through it?
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Rapport with the subject on set is as
important to O’Brien’s work as it is to any
portrait photographer. “Animals know I
truly like them, and that’s really key,” she
says. “An animal won’t look good if he’s
unhappy or scared or nervous.” Of course,
it’s easier to make friends if you have a few
goodies in your pocket. O’Brien and her
wranglers keep a bag at hand that’s stuffed
with treats, toys, brushes, and noisemakers
that attract specific types of animals.
O’Brien shoots in both her barn studio
and the open air, usually renting strobes such
as a Profoto Pro-7b kit as needed. “I get the
fastest strobes my client can afford so that
we can freeze motion,” she says. “Even when
animals are sitting still, they’re moving.” When
they’re moving really fast, say galloping
across a field, strobes fall by the wayside, so
creating a lighting setup becomes a matter
of checking the weather forecast, choosing
the right location, and knowing the best
time of day for natural light. O’Brien sched-
ules a weather day for big outdoor shoots.
For sessions with small animals, she some-
times uses studio space in Minneapolis.
BROWNIE POINTS
O’Brien also heads into the city to meet
with clients and potential clients. “I like
to go to smaller advertising markets
like Kansas City and Omaha,” she says. “I
drive down there with a carload of home-
made triple-chocolate brownies made
with eggs from my very own hens and real
Wisconsin butter. I call the agencies and
say, ‘I’m in town, I’m from Wisconsin,
and I’ve got brownies. Can I show youmy book?” It’s a winning approach.
“You get work because you’ve shown
up; you’ve made the effort,” she
says. “They remember you
because of your brownies and
hopefully your work.”
That’s not to say O’Brien
neglects newfangled approaches to marketing.
“I work really hard at SEO,” she says. “If you
look up ‘animal lifestyle photographer’ I’ll come
up first or second.” Her online marketing bene-
fits mainly her stock photography sales. She
raises her international profile by showing her
work on a select group of influential websites,
like Behance.com. O’Brien values social net-
working highly. “Facebook is huge for me,” she
says. The comments and likes she gets on her
photographs help her monitor market trends.
Whether she’s online
with an art director
or on set with
a charging
bull, O’Brien’s keen interest in getting
know her fellow creatures and unders
ing their perspective has brought her s
cess. It’s a spirit that someone doing e
a regular day job would do well to cult
vate. Not that O’Brien herself would e
take one. After all, she asks, “How cou
you have a job where you don’t get to
with animals?” I
See more of Barbara O’Brien’s work atbarbaraobrienphoto.com.
Aimee Baldridge is a cdeveloper, author, ed
and writer based New York.
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“We stress simple textures and monochromatic color schemeswith not a lot going on the in
background. It’s all just baby.”
—RACHEL WILLIAMS
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All images ©
Posing newborns beautifully and safely with Rachel Williams
BY STEPHANIE BOOZER
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I f there’s one thing Rachel Williams, M.Photog.Cr.,
wants everyone to understand about her newborn
photography, it’s that safety is her primary concern
In fact, there’s almost always a supporting arm or hand
be digitally removed in postproduction. If there’s not a han
actually on the teeny subject, there’s one at the ready inches
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“We never, ever put a baby on something
and then step back,” she says from her
Tulsa, Okla., studio, Photographic Designs
by Rachel Williams. She spent years work-
ing in photography studios after college,
but it wasn’t until Williams opened her
own studio in 2006 that she ventured into
the newborn market. Her instant love of it
took her a little by surprise.
“This is something I found, a love I didn’t
even know I had,” she says, crediting a new-
born workshop by photographers Kelley
Ryden and Tracy Raver for leading her to it.
“They really are the ‘newborn whisperers.’
That workshop kick-started everything.”
Smitten with that soft skin and those dainty
features, Williams developed her own shoot-
ing style, striving for simplicity through nat-
ural hues and textures to guide the viewer’s
focus to the baby. She managed to craft a style
that would define her in the marketpla
“My goal is always to take what I’ve
learned and do something different wi
she says. “We stress simple textures and
monochromatic color schemes with no
going on the in background. It’s all just b
Williams keeps props and setups mi
with a muted color palette that empha
downy cheeks and rich, smooth skin to
“We do take client input, and you w
the occasional image that’s more bold
colorful, but we’ll still try to keep it as sim
possible,” says Williams. “If we’re using
reds or blues, we’ll try to keep that colo
monochromatic, with one prop item.”
As supporting props, Williams uses
heavy-duty platters and bowls, things th
support the weight of an infant withou
of breaking. Anything in a portrait that
fragile is usually added in post. A family
loom or decorative item from the baby’s
ery are welcome to personalize the ima
“Once a woman brought in a bunny
made from her great grandmother’s m
coat,” she says. “Just the bunny and the
speaks volumes. Those kinds of things
me as excited as the clients because the
so unique and personal.”
Williams’ husband, commercial pho
rapher Joe Glyda, made a few of her fav
props, including a rocking horse and sw
and she has a growing collection of antiqu
beds, baskets, and cozy blankets. In im
where the baby appears to be suspende
basket or on a swing, a stool is used benea
prop to keep it still and stable. The sup
is removed later with the use of Photosh
all times, her assistant, Kristen Glaze, is there spotting the blissfully unaware b
“Kristen has been with me for two ye
we don’t even really need to speak to ea
other in the session,” says Williams. “We
what the other is going to do. Having an
tant for every newborn is so important
if we have multiples, we always pull som
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‘‘ ’ We can’t always control baby , but we can control everything
in so we have someone spotting each baby.”
Working with babies 5 to 10 days old
means Williams’ clients must plan and book
their session at least 60 days in advance of
the due date. Williams leaves a day open in
her schedule around the projected date to
accommodate surprises, which, with babies,
is almost the norm.
Babies this new are pretty sleepy, which
makes them easier to pose. “Posing each baby is so different,” says Williams. “Some
babies keep their fists clenched and don’t
like to relax their fingers. Some don’t like to
be on their tummies as much, but we strive
to tweak everything as perfect as we can get
it. We go with what the baby enjoys most.”
Williams, who counts families, children,
and high school seniors among her portrait
subjects, designed her new studio primarily
for newborn sessions since other client ses-
sions are typically held on location. The tem-
perature in the studio is kept warm during
sessions, and she uses constant lighting to
mimic natural window light. “We’re usually
exhausted after a newborn shoot, just from
the heat in the studio,” she says.
Sessions can last two to three hours; sheand Glaze generally spend the first 15 to 20
minutes just getting to know the baby. “I’m
always amazed at how different their per-
sonalities are, even this small,” she says.
“Some like being patted and some don’t.
Some like swaddling and some don’t. Some
don’t mind being moved and some do.”
Because she has already spent time b
ing trust with the parents, they usually
in the consultation room during the ph
session and catch up on email, read a bo
grab a few precious winks of sleep. Clien
often comfortable enough to step out for
knowing that their child is in the care o
watchful and experienced professional
“We do recommend parents not be
room because they can get worried if thgets fussy or hungry, and if they’re anx
we’ve noticed the baby can be anxious,
says Williams. “Newborns have the str
telepathy and they pick up on so much
With the consultation room right next
it’s easy for parents to peek in and to re
sure themselves that all’s well.
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Building trust is why Williams considers
the pre-session, in-person consultations to
be all-important, especially with new clients
or first-time parents.
“We tell them all about our safety precau-
tions, that we wash everything with baby
laundry detergent after each session. We
even purposefully let our clients see us using
hand sanitizer right in front of them. Every-
thing is about reassurance and keeping
them relaxed,” Williams says.
It all goes back to maintaining a con-
trolled environment and managing parents’
expectations. And safety. Always safety.
“We can’t always control baby, but we
can control everything else,” she says. I
See more of Rachel Williams’ work at photographicdesignsgallery.com.
Stephanie Boozer is a freelance writer inCharleston, S.C.
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Getting a photography degree is a big deal.You know who else thinks so?
- R L Q 3 3 $ W RG D \
S H U P R Q
Your
clients!
My degrees assure my clients
they’re dealing with a qualifed
photographer who’s at the top
o her game. Couple that with
excellent customer service and
unique, quality products and
you have a great reason to
charge top dollar or your work."Wendy Newman, M.Photog.Cr., CPP
The main reason for you to start preparing for degrees or credentials is b
might be the reason a client chooses you over the competition. And more t
will boost your self-confidence as a photographer. The added training and
will prepare you for any situation and give you the backbone to produce qu
no matter what.
And where’s the best place to earn a photography degree
PPA has one of the largest merit & degree programs in the industry. And
PPA is a non-profit, the program is only there to help you be more.
Only a fraction of photographers actually hold a degree or other phot
credential. The potential for you to grow is enormous. Events, courses
competitions put you a step ahead of others, bringing you an added m
and positioning advantage, while also garnering you recognition from
community and from clients alike.
You too can be more. Join PPA to start earning merits and accelerate yo
to photography excellence. Find out more about PPA merits and degree p
ppa.com/degrees
+ H U H ŐVZK\
BE MORE
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on’t shoot me with your shotgun
—I’ll be taking pictures of this
bicycle,” said photographer Eric
Curry to Chester “Chet” Takahashi, his
uncle-in-law and the owner of the farm
where Curry was doing a photo session for
“Country Bicycle.” In these parts, he might
be mistaken for a hooligan. They shook hands
and parted ways.
Curry went to gather supplies. The frame
was to include a hot light on the subject, a
weathered cabin, a dusk-tinged sky, and, most
important to Curry, tufts of lush wild grass.
Four hours later and trusting that no lead
would be flying, Curry returned to a sur
“My uncle, being the sweet, older m
that he was, got out his lawnmower an
all the grass down. This beautiful, foot
grass that I was going to be very carefu
about placing the bike in, out of which
step adroitly to get a photograph of th
All images ©Eric Curry
“D
F I N E A R T
Americana personifiedEric Curry documents scenes from a bygone heartland
BY WILL POLLOCK
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‘‘ ’ As I create this series and I look at these people’s integrity
it would be offensive to tell their story and then steal
a prettier sky from a sunset when I was on vacation in Hawaii
unusual pristine environment. All in con-
trast with the grass, and the glowing
orange bike, with the blue walls, and the
twilight and all that stuff.” For the next
four hours, Curry pulled up clumps of grass
from areas that hadn’t been mowed and
propped them into the set. “I never told
my uncle,” he says.
“Country Bicycle” was one of the first in
a personal series of photographs he was
doing. This one required some unforeseen
artifice, but Curry prides himself on telling
true stories. His project, “American Pride
and Passion: A Photographic Celebration
of Our American Spirit,” began as a tribute
to Chiyoji Takahashi, his father-in-law.
“He was a farmer in central Califor
and I visited him for about 10 years w
was dating his daughter,” says Curry.
after we got married he announced he
cancer and passed on very quickly afte
that.” Curry chose to express his cond
lences to the family by making photog
at the farm.
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“There were literally 60 years’ worth of
abandoned tractors on the property, so I
photographed them all,” he says. His expe-
rience with industrial photography gave
him the foundation he needed, he says, and
perhaps his heightened curiosity as well. “I
came in as an industrial photographer and
before that an advertising photographer
doing trick photographs, special effects,
and multiple exposures.” Photographing
those tractors on the abandoned property
was the culmination of all that experience.
He made a commitment to be true to
the subjects of his pictures as well as to his
own conception. “All the people in my pho-
tographs, with the exception of one or two,
are indeed the actual people who work with this hardware and do these things,
whether they’re the employees, owners, or
volunteers. I’m trying to tell their story in a
single frame,” says Curry.
A television documentary might begin
with the capture of many thousands of feet
of footage, which is then edited into 45
minutes of airtime, he says. “I’m trying to
do the whole thing in one frame, so there
are allowances. There is artistic license.
There is compactness of time and space.
“As I create this series and I look at these
people’s integrity, it would be offensive to
tell their story and then steal a prettier sky
from a sunset when I was on vacation in
Hawaii,” he says. “When I put all these pieces
of equipment together, including all the
energy and time from volunteers to help me
create the scene—I think it would be an
abomination to say, ‘Hey, this is really great,
but I think a red submarine’s prettier.’
“Well, that’s asinine,” he adds. “I’ve
often had the experience that I wish people
were better looking. I wish I had better
light. But we don’t always get those things.
I take a very heavy artist license, but they’re
documentary in nature.”
Curry cites the work of O. Winston Link,
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Eric Curry is looking forward to leading a session at Imaging USA
in Phoenix in January 2014. “I want to inspire photographers and
non-photographers,” he says. “If somebody’s joining their wife
who’s a photographer, or somebody’s 17-year-old attends, I want
to engage all of them. I like to make my shows enjoyable and inter-
esting for everybody, not just photographers.”Curry will take attendees through his 44-image collection
“American Pride and Passion.” “By carefully composing and light-
ing these real-life objects, and with the help of volunteers, I’m
striving to interpret them as metaphors for values of character,
honor, integrity, and pride, exemplified by the people who work
with this equipment on a regular basis.”
The photographer will show how important it is for photographers
to know their subjects and honor every detail of what they do. “We’ll
jump into snapshots of the location and the people in the pho
graph and how I got their permission,” he says, adding that the im
“Dive! Dive! Dive!” is intended to spur questions. “How deep
the submarine go? Who built it and what was their motivatio
It’s been a business for 27 years for the man who built the su
rine. He doesn’t make a lot of money, but that’s his passion.”The first part of his presentation focuses on technique, th
ter will open the bigger picture of shooting remarkable scenes
Americana and understanding its impact on people.
“It’s not about me as a photographer,” he says. In the cas
“Dive!” he adds, “it’s about this guy with an incredible passio
build a submarine and use it as a business for the last 27 years
the American dream. It’s about engineering and going to college
about passion. It’s about all of this stuff. It’s not about what lens
the renowned steam-locomotive photogra-
pher, as his inspiration. Link created scenes
that were impossible to capture in one frame
yet reflected the spirit of the subject. View-
ers’ impressions, he adds, should reflect the
enormous effort of the subjects and volun-
teer help he gets in setting up his scenes.
Curry acknowledges that he asks a lot of
his audience. But, he notes, “I’m not mak-
ing stuff up. It’s the real deal.” I
Americanprideandpassion.com showc Eric Curry's portfolio.
Will Pollock is a freelance journalist a photographer in Atlanta.
TAKE A DEEPER DIVE AT IMAGING USA
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W W W. M I L L E R
S LA B. C O M/ S P O R
T SA N D E V E N T
S/ O V E R V I E W
| 8 0 0. 8 3 5. 0 6
IMAGES SO CRISP IT’S LIKE YOU’RE IN THE STANDS. TURNAROUND TIME SO FAST IT’S LIKE A BIG LEAGUE FASTBALL.
PLUS SUPERIOR SERVICE AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT LEAVES THE REST STRIKING OUT.
WE DON’T JUST HIT HOMERUNS, WE KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PA
UNSTOPPABLE
SPORTS & EVENTS
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hen Jon Allyn, M.Photog.M.Artist.Cr., CPP, F-ASP,
got into sports photogra-
phy, he wanted to do it right. Already an
established professional, Allyn knew it
made sense to continue providing the same
level of service he was known for in his Mil-
waukee portrait and commercial business.
He decided this new venture would centeron custom-made sports-themed artwork.
CATCHING IT
Despite the embellishments that go into each
finished piece, the heart of Allyn’s art remains
a well-crafted photograph, so the first step in
his sports art is capturing compelling action.
The vantage point and camera angle arcritical when trying to capture the expr
on the subject’s face. In soccer, for insta
players keep their eyes trained down on
ball, so Allyn gets low and shoots upwar
view of the face is better, and the player
imposing. Shooting from that angle also
distracting sideline elements out of the f
A l l i m a g e s © J onA l l yn
W
S P O R T S
The sporting lifeJon Allyn tackles the sports business with customized artwork
BY JEFF KENT
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The best sports portraits come from photo-
graphs with plenty of action or implied action.
Ideally, the image includes an opponent for
some perspective and captures a key moment
in the game. Sometimes the reaction to that
moment is compelling, such as the crowd
cheering a home run or the players of the
winning team leaping onto the field.
POST-GAME REVIEW
Allyn begins the digital phase of his artistry by
selecting the background colors and textures
for the foundation of the composition. A
palette of warm, muted tones generally works
best in clients’ homes. In the next layer, he
extracts the subjects and blends the remain-
der of the image with the colored base layer.Next, Allyn downplays distracting back-
ground elements and severe tonal differ-
ences. The tonal contrast of the subjects are
then manipulated on separate layers to
enhance depth and interest.
Allyn says it’s crucial to preserve the
integrity of the moment captured, so he never
manipulates the primary subject. Adjusting
background elements to support the composi-
tion doesn’t alter the reality of the moment.
For example, he might change the tones of a
Elements of nature don’t always cooperate with
everyone’s schedule, but Allyn can work with that.
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background subject’s clothing to create a
better overall composition.
Next, Allyn marries the layers into a sin-
gle composition, blending the opacity to
achieve the desired unified tonality.
Many customers are happy with the art-
work at this stage. It is photo-realistic yet
enhanced and artistic. Others want a more
interpretive work of art, one with authentic-
looking painting techniques applied in Corel
Painter. These finished works can include
individual brush strokes for a fine-art effect.
Enhancing the captured background with warm,
muted tones appeals to buyers.
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WORKING THE CROWD
Allyn’s relationship with a school or sports
program begins by working with coaches and
booster clubs. Booster club parents are rous-
ing cheerleaders for businesses that support
their cause, and Allyn participates in their
fundraising initiatives. He always asks, “How
can I help you raise money or get what you
need for your programs?” He offers to make
some kind of contribution, such as launch-
ing a promotion to raise money or donating
a specialty product for auction.
Allyn targets only a few schools in his area.
He used a demographic study to identi
communities in which families have th
quate discretionary income to spend fo
custom art pieces. “That’s just commonsense in business; if you are trying to se
upscale product, you must have upscal
potential,” he points out.
Once he’s an insider at the school, h
deep to demonstrate his commitment t
initiatives and establish himself as a res
for an array of teams. “It’s a good strate
choose a particular school, show strong
alty to that school, and soon you’ll be co
ing more sports at that school,” says Al
“Most families have more than one chi
and those children play more than one
so you naturally break into new sports an
teams through your work for the famil
Allyn then reaches out to other scho
the same athletic conferences. The team
play each other frequently, so there are
114 • www.ppmag.com
Allyn’s portraits suppress elements that distract
from the sports action.
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many cross-marketing opportunities. Allyn
also notes an innate competiveness among
parents, particularly from rival schools, to
outdo one another in ordering bigger and
better portrait products featuring their kids.
BIG-TICKET SALES
“The goal is to have a personalized con-
versation with your client,” says Allyn.
“Almost no one I’ve come across has
thought about this kind of work. They
just think in terms of game photos but
not sports art. Once they realize the impor-
tance of the piece as a family heirloom,
they become emotionally attached.”
Positioning sports art as a family heir-
loom means changing clients’ perceptions
about sports photography. When you suc-
ceed, those clients tend to invest substan-
tially. Allyn focuses on selling large-scale
wall decor, often in unconventional sizes
scaled to fit specific spaces in clients’
homes. His print and canvas sizes include
15x40, 30x30, 22x28, and 24x36.
Allyn also has great success selling
gallery wraps, collages, and albums. When
shooting for an album or a collage, he sug-
gests clients buy a number of scene-setting
shots, much like at a wedding, includi
elements such as score boards, equipm
stadium overviews, even head shots.
Overall, Allyn’s products are akin t
those offered by family and senior por
photographers. The key, says Allyn, is
sonalizing everything so that clients k
they’re buying unique pieces of art cre
exclusively for them. “When you let pe
know that you are working hard to giv
them the best product for them, they
become loyal clients forever,” he says.
See more of Jon Allyn’s sports art at theartofthesport.com.
116 • www.ppmag.com
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FRPYOUR SUCCESS IS OUR BUSINESS
Let’s get creative!
You know, when I was
younger and told, “Ralph,
you can be anything you
want to be.” I would respond,
“I want to be a professional
baseball player!” When I
was a kid, I loved everything
about little league baseball.
My coach would hit usJURXQGHUVDQGʐ\EDOOV
before batting practice.
These days, my wife Cindy
and I love to go to games
to watch the pros. We get there early and guess what they
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practice. They take millions! They practice, practice and
practice some more. Take note professional photographers!
One aspect of your craft (and business!) that you need
WRFRQVWDQWO\ZRUNRQLV\RXUFUHDWLYLW\:KLOH,ʏUPO\
believe that creativity is part of someone’s being, I think Jay
Stock, M.Photog.Cr., said it best, “Some can see, some can
be taught to see and some will never see.”
I feel I belong to the second group because I continue
to study every day. I posed the question of creativity to two
PPA photographers that I consider to be very inspired.
Richard Sturdevant, M.Photog.MEI.Cr., who constantly
wins awards at the International Photographic Competition
for his uber creative images and the only PPA member that
has ever received a score of 100 on all four of his entries
said,
“Creativity is within me, I have to create or I’m
cranky. I don’t care if it’s Crayola’s, pencils, chalks,
an air brush or a camera—I have to create.”
When asked about who and where he goes for
inspiration. He said he especially enjoys the work of Thom
Rouse, M.Photog.MEI.Cr., CPP, and Ben Shirk, M.Photog.
(PPA members since 1998 and 2004 respectively).
Then I called Darton Drake, M.Photog.Cr., whose work
I have always found artistic and different. “Dart” said he
loves to study the old masters like Alfred Steiglitz, Edward
Steichen and Julia Margaret Cameron. He suggests not just
looking at their portraits, but also reading their biography.
Try to get into their head and see what they are all about.
Even after 43 years as a professional, I continue to be
a student every day. I try to spend an hour each morninglooking at websites of different photographers I admire. A
good place for you to start is by looking at our Imaging USA
speaker’s websites.
Also, once you’re actual ly at Imaging USA (yes, you’d
better go!) you should spend some time going through the
International Photographic Competition (IPC) print and
digital exhibit. You’ll notice that the images are divided into
General, Loan and Master’s Loan collections. These are the
creations that have earned one and some two merits toward a
Master of Photography degree.
At the IPC exhibit you might also see images of a
member(s) of the American Society of Photography (an
DIʏOLDWHRI33$PHPEHUVZLWKGHJUHHVWKDWKDVHDUQHGKLV
her fellowship degree. These members display a collection
of 25 of their images along with a thesis.
Don’t try to copy what you see, but get inspired by it.
Those who have the passion and love for our profession will
use their inspiration to excel.
Good, better, best
never let it rest
‘til the good is done better
the better is done best!
This was taught to me in eight grade and I have tried to
live by it ever since.
Now do yourself a favor and take time to go create
something beautiful!
PPATODAYSEPTEMBER 2013
PRESIDENT’SMESSAGE
Ralph Romaguera Sr., M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, F-ASP. :: 2013-2014 PPA President
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FRPYOUR SUCCESS IS OUR BUSINESS
GREAT MINDSDON’T THINK ALIKEA LOOK AT HOW PPAMEMBERS SUSTAINCREATIVITYBy John Owens
By its very nature, photography is a creative
profession. But it’s not the camera that has the
creative mind—it’s the person behind it.
Even just taking that step to become a professional
photographer shows a desire to create. But since you’re
a professional, it’s not just a “pick up the camera when
the mood strikes you” kind of thing. For professional
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Does it seem daunting? Maybe it should, maybe it
shouldn’t—but it’s reality. If you hit a creative rut, so too
will your passion and production. Creativity is the driving
force of your business and your livelihood. You’ll always
have your go-to poses and signature techniques, but it’s the
new that keeps you pushing yourself to be more.
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fascinating, so we wondered aloud on theLoop how you
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and we received some surprising and inspiring responses.
How do you nurture your creativity?Whether it be looking to the past or future, a movie or an
art gallery, the great outdoors or a sermon, one thing seems
clear: For photographers, it’s hard to turn that shutter off. In
fact, it seems the most common way to boost the creative
mojo is to bring the camera along.
“I think there is always room for more creativity,
and for those of us selling photographic art in galleries,
it’s absolutely essential,” said Dennis Chamberlain,
Cr.Photog., CPP.
For Chamberlain, the owner of DC Photo Artistry in
Corrales, N.M., creativity seems to come unconsciously.
“For naturally creative people, ideas pop up when
least expected, like during a dinner conversation or while
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really inspiring. I get so many creative ideas due to the
inspiration of the sights, sounds and drama of the movies.
The only issue is remembering them after the show!
“Overall though, the best thing for me is to work late
at night, alone in my study, with music. I have a playlist
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LQVSLUDWLRQDOWULJJHUVȆLWȊVMXVWDPDWWHURIʏQGLQJWKHPȎ
For Ron Jackson, owner of Ron Jackson Artistry in
Little Rock, Ark., it comes from his imagination and a lot of
time spent in front of the computer.
“I dearly love my client work, I enjoy the post-
processing just as much as the shutter clicking,” said
Jackson. “But my favorite thing is my personal work. I often
take a photo with the sole purpose of working up a vision in
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suddenly inspires me. I then begin the process of creatingthat vision in the computer.
“Sometimes I will take an image that is nothing more
than a snapshot and challenge myself to see if I can make
something really special out of it. I have two images that I
spent over 200 hours on because I could see potential. I can
get lost sitting in front of my computer just creating. It’s
what I often do to just relax. It’s always about the challenge
and it’s how I learned most of my Photoshop skills.”
Yonkers, N.Y., photographer Eugene Lugo heads into
the wild, sometimes after a fresh view of a familiar place.
“I meander,” he said. “I take my camera and one or
two lenses, jump in the car and take the roads less traveled.
Sometimes I return to places I have already been to and
photographed, but it almost never fails. I will see something
I missed before.”
Sometimes it’s the eye of the beholder that changes the
view, but other times it’s what he’s looking through.
“I try to see things as if I am seeing them for the
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dramatically shortens my camera to subject distances.
Other times it will be a macro or a telephoto lens that ends
up in my camera bag. Pushing my creativity is always an
adventure that I look forward to!”
Jason Grass heads even further out there, seeking to
nurture in nature—sometimes in the nude.
“Portrait and wedding work bore me if I do too much
of it,” said Grass, co-owner of Mystic Photo Studios in
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IURPJRLQJVWDOHDQGP\ʏJXUHQXGHZRUNKHOSVPHDFKLHYH
that. I have taken models out to the most remote locations
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Sometimes those shoots have a religious connotation, others
they will focus on the dynamic of bringing the urban (the
model) into nature.
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work, but I’ve still got to pay the bills!”
Collingswood, N.J., photographer Michael Ali (thismonth’s Face of PPA) looks, well, everywhere.
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everyday life,” he said. “Being a fan of movies and books, I
love getting my ideas there, while my partner has a fashion
PPAMEMBERNEWSLE
TTER
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FRPYOUR SUCCESS IS OUR BUSINESS
background. We work well together and are able to infuse
our ideas to create art.”
Ali also continually seeks fresh techniques.
“The way I keep from getting bored is by keeping
myself educated on everything photography related,” he
said. “I search for new ways to post-edit, new locations to
shoot and new ideas on posing. That’s what keeps the ʏre
burning inside of me to become better every day.”
Mark Treen, owner of Treen Media in Kingsland, Ga.,
digs deep for his source of creative guidance.“For me, it’s when I sit down Sunday morning to listen
to my pastor’s sermon,” he said. “I end up listening with
about 10 percent of my brain, while the other 90 percent is
brainstorming some completely new creative project. I have
a great amount of clarity and vision during those 35 to 40
minutes, and I document it all on my iPad.
“Once I have my ideas, I actually look at the process
like a math formula,” he continued. “This also helps me
work out the bugs. When I realize my knowhow (or lack
thereof) is going to prevent me from accomplishing it, I
know what to learn next.”
Bob Coates, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, uses personal projects
to fuel his creativity.
“We all get into photography for the most part because
we love the joy of seeing what comes from our experiments
with the camera and post-processing,” he said. “Then we
kind of get lost in making money, marketing, sales, web
design, etc... So I will often make myself an assignment and
follow through until it’s complete.
“It could be to force myself to ask someone with an
interesting look to allow me to photograph them. It could even
be to raise money for charity or support a group I admire.”
Coates, also an author and educator who has been
sharing his knowledge with other photographers for over
15 years, has put his money where his mouth is and more,
dedicating his art and talents for these charitable projects.
“In honor of my dad’s passing, I’ve actually done two
projects to raise money for my local Meals on Wheels,” he
said. “I created an image of 89-year-old hands holding a
bible, which led to creating a calendar of stylized ʐowers in
a project called Flowers for Food.”
What’s next?
It’s up to you where to ʏnd that extra creative boost, but one
thing seems clear: Don’t put the camera down. Of course, ifyou need a little help, PPA offers a wide variety of beneʏts
that you can leverage to feed your creat ive hunger.
You could star t with PPAedu, and ʏnd a personalized
curriculum to grow your skills and your business. You could
really push yourself and create new images with one of
PPA’s many photographic competitions in mind. You could
even start the search for creative ideas as easily as seeding
a conversation on theLoop, PPA’s social network. But the
biggest source for creative inspiration comes in January at
Imaging USA, PPA’s annual photography convention, where
countless opportunities are available with more than 10,000
of your photography peers.Whatever route you wish to take, ʏnd the strategy that
works best for you, and then ʏnd another one, and keep on
going. Just remember, when inspiration strikes you—do
something about it.
“As I look back, I ʏnd that the most strides I’ve made
in moving forward were due to just playing,” said Coates.
“Trying things and not worrying whether they were ‘right’
or not. Yeah, playing... that’s been the t icket. I’m off to my
computer now—a couple ideas I want to try out just popped
into my head.”
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LabTab
122 • www.ppmag.com
WHERE THE PROS GO FOR THE BEST IN REPRODUCTION SERVICES
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WHERE THE PROS GO FOR THE BEST IN REPRODUCTION SERVICES LabTab
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Buyer’sGallery
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126 • www.ppmag.com
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128 • www.ppmag.com
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n 2004, when Annette Barr, CPP, opened
a studio in her hometown of Ottowa,
Ill., she wanted to get involved in the
community right away. The owner of an
adopted shelter dog, Barr connected with
the Pet Project, a local no-kill animal shelter.
It was a natural fit in the passion for the
humane treatment of animals.
The Pet Project had a fundraising pro-
gram centered on a cutest pet contest. People
sent photo prints to be displayed at a local business, and anyone could cast any number
of votes for 50 cents each. All proceeds—
usually $200 to $300—went to the shelter.
When Barr got involved, she immediately
revamped the contest. She began offering
professional pet portraits of each contestant
and featured the top 12 vote-getters in a cal-
endar to sell as an additional fundraiser. In
its first year, the contest brought in 30 con-
testants and proceeds of some $2,500.
Barr wasn’t satisfied. Next, she rallied
corporate sponsorship of the calendar, dra-
matically reducing the charity’s production
costs. She also raised the per-vote price to
$1. Then she implemented a $25 entry fee,
which buys pet owners a professionally
made 5x7-inch portrait print of their pet. All
the contestants are featured on a poster that’s displayed at her studio and at a car
dealership about 20 miles away. The top 12
vote-getters still land in the special winner’s
calendar with the top vote-getter pictured on
the cover. This year, Barr and the Pet Project
implemented online voting via PayPal at the
Pet Project website.
The increased promotion and highe
bility have drawn significantly more en
In February, Barr photographed two gu
pigs, three cats, and 78 dogs, all in a fou
period. The top vote-getting pets broug
more than $800 each, and every anima
the calendar pulled in at least $300 in
So far this year, the contest has raised m
than $10,000. Barr expects to raise an
tional $2,000 in calendar sales this fal
A byproduct of Barr’s charitable ef
is business growth. “Now when people
think of pet photography, they think ome,” she says. “It’s become a natural fi
contest has drawn visits to the studio b
people who would have never come in
erwise. It exposes them to my work an
opens me up to a new audience, which
led to new bookings.”
Business development as a result o
nonprofit work is great, Barr stresses,
your motives for getting involved in a
ity must be sincerely altruistic. You’ll b
making a healthy investment of your t
and labor. Her advice is to follow your
heart. “Choose a charity that you are p
sionate about, be it pets or a health ca
related cause, whatever strikes a chord
you,” she urges. “If it’s not a good fit a
you’re not feeling it, people will notice
feels right, people will notice that, too
appreciate you for your efforts. In the
run, it pays off in so many ways.” I
Learn more about the Pet Project at petprojectinc.org. See more by Annet
Barr at annettebarrphoto.com.
130 • www.ppmag.com
goodworks | Images wield the power to efect change. In this monthly eature,Proessional Photographer spotlights proessional photographersusing their talents to make a diference through charitable work.
The Pet ProjectANNETTE BARR RAISES FUNDS FOR A NO-KILL ANIMAL SHELTER
Share your good works experiencewith us by emailing Joan Sherwood
©Annette Barr
I
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