TAPPA Tribune - December, 2014
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The TAPPA Tribune Tampa Area Professional Photographers Association December, 2014 7 Ways to Help Ensure Your Business Succeeds Holiday Party Print of the Month Winners Education Opportunities
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The monthly magazine of the Tampa Area Professional Photographers Association
Transcript of TAPPA Tribune - December, 2014
The TAPPA Tribune Tampa Area Professional Photographers Association
December, 2014
7 Ways to Help Ensure Your Business Succeeds
Holiday Party
Print of the Month Winners
Education Opportunities
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ContentsPresident’s Message 3
This Month’s Program 4
Next Month’s Program 5
Education Opportunities for Photographers 6
Upcoming Events 8
Print of the Month Rules 8
Print of the Month - Portrait 9
Print of the Month - Social Function 12
Print of the Month - Commercial 15
Print of the Month - Unclassified 18
Getting Your Work Hung! 21
7 Ways to Help Ensure Your Business Succeeds 22
PPA’s CEO in Washington for More Talks on Drones 26
Committees 27
Board of Directors 27
Photo by Constance Avellino
On the cover: Photo by Booray Perry
Visit TAPPA on FaceBook
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President’s Message
Parting Wisdom
My last President’s Message, and thus, feels like a father giving a last bit of advice to his college bound kids. So here goes...
Floss daily. Flossing helps prevent bad breath. No girl wants to kiss a guy with bad breath, and no client wants a photographer who makes them hold their breath when talking to them.
Keep your dorm room clean. Living in a pigsty is disgusting. Working in one is even worse. Give your clients a clean environment in which to spend their money. They’re more apt to comfortably pull out their wallet in a clean place of business.
Attend your classes and study. You have a goal and it is NOT to see how hard you can party or to “play” photographer on the Internet. The party comes AFTER you’ve successfully utilized what you’ve learned. Learn something.
EARN your degree. Don’t just go through the motions haphazardly, slapping a blog together, and thinking you’ve “made it.” Prove yourself regularly, to your clients first, to yourself second, and to your competition last.
Pace yourself. A career in photography isn’t a hundred yard dash. It’s a cross country marathon... times 100. Think Forrest Gump. There are no shortcuts in a marathon - just one step at a time, but steps with a purpose.
Just say “No!” Everywhere you turn, you’re going to encounter someone with something to sell you. If it sounds too good to be true... well, you know. There are no “shortcuts to success,” only hard work. Promises to “take your business to the next level” are just salesmanship. How many levels ARE there anyway? Learn from those who DO, not from those SELL.
Lastly, be a good person, in both business and in life. Stay healthy, make good choices, and make friends, not enemies. We, who choose a career in photography, encounter many transient competitors. Do not be distracted by them. Help them only when asked and do not over-advise. The best will stick around and become some of your best friends. The rest will move on to something more suitable for them.
See you December 7th at the Awards Banquet!
Kevin E. Newsome, President
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This Month’s Program
Sandra Pearce
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Next Month’s Program
Sandra Pearce
Meeting DetailsTuesday, January 13, 2014
Social 6:00 Dinner 6:30 Program 7:00
Member with PayPal RSVP by Noon January 6: $25
After the 7th $35
Register online at TAPPA.org
Doubletree Hotel 4500 W. Cypress St., Tampa
Kira DerryberryThink Geek: How to Win at Websites
After 20 minutes of listening to the instrumental version of My
Heart Will Go On, you’re tired, frustrated, and you’d rather stab
a fork in your eye than talk to tech support about your website.
To top it off, the person you finally get on the phone is talking in
so many acronyms he may as well be speaking Klingon. Arg! But
what if you could speak the language?
Join Kira Derryberry as she explains the ins and outs of making
your website work for you so that you can spend more of your
valuable time making images! She’ll share methods that work
best for our industry to get information to your clients efficiently
without compromising on design. Focusing on Wordpress as
a content management system, Kira will reveal how blogging
can engage your audience while enhancing your SEO, common
pitfalls to avoid, and how to get started (or even start over) the
right way. You’ll leave this program with a better understanding
of how your website works and armed with the knowledge on
how to make it better!
continued on next page
Meeting DetailsTuesday, January 13, 2014
Social 6:00 Dinner 6:30 Program 7:00
Member with PayPal RSVP by Noon January 5: $25
After the 5th $35
Register online at TAPPA.org
Doubletree Hotel 4500 W. Cypress St., Tampa
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About the Speaker:
With a BA from The University
of Alabama with a focus on
Photography, Digital Art, and
Web Design, Kira wins the award
for longest degree title in the
2005 UA graduation program.
Originally from Huntsville, AL,
Kira began designing websites
when she was 15. She started
out in the professional tech
world as a dial up support
technician, worked her way
through college as a web
designer for the University and
then began her professional
career as a web designer at a
Tallahassee FL based advertising
agency. In 2010, Kira left
her tech career to open Kira
Derryberry Photography and
has hardly put down her camera
since. She spends her off time
being a wife and mom as well
as preparing for the impending
zombie apocalypse.
Education Opportunities for Photographers
Morean Arts Center 719 Central Avenue St. Petersburg www.MoreanArtsCenter.org
Intro to Digital Photography 6-week hands-on class Starts Wednesday, January 7 9:30am - Noon Instructor: Chuck Vosburgh
Beginning Photography 6-week hands-on class Starts Monday, January 5 7:30 - 9pm Instructor: David Durbak
Adobe Lightroom 4-week hands-on class Starts Wednesday, January 7 7:30 - 9pm Instructor: Lisa Ferrante
Photographic Lighting 6-week hands-on class Starts Thursday, January 8 7:30 - 9pm Instructor: Chuck Vosburgh
Dunedin Fine Arts Center 1143 Michigan Bolevard Dunedin www.DFAC.org
Beginning Photoshop Elements 6-week hands-on class Starts Wednesday, January 14 9am - Noon Instructor: Charles Osterich
Photoshop for Photographers 6-week hands-on class Starts Tuesday, January 13 9am - Noon Instructor: Chuck Vosburgh
Advanced Photography 6-week hands-on class Starts Monday, January 12 1 - 4pm Instructor: Michael Harris
Basic Digital Photography 6-week hands-on class Starts Monday, January 12 9am - Noon Instructor: Michael Harris
The Black and White Darkroom 6-week hands-on class Starts Tuesday, January 13 7 - 10pm Instructor: Michael Harris
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Print of the Month Rules- Prints are to be mounted.
- Size: 8x10.
- Electronic Imaging size can be two 8x10 taped together on the back and spread open for viewing.
- Three entries per member each month.
- There must be at least three entries in a category for that category to be included in the monthly competition.
- All entries MUST have your name and the category you wish to enter on the back of the print.
- Prints must be turned in before 6:25 pm. Prints received after 6:25 will not be accepted!
Winners:- Please send your winning files
to [email protected] for the newsletter as soon as Possi-ble. Deadline for publication is one week after the meeting.
- Name your files by your last name-place-category. For ex-ample Smith-1st-Portrait.jpg
- Any resolution 1000 pixels on the longest side or greater is acceptable. JPEG format is preferrable.
Upcoming Events
Sunday, December 7, 2014TAPPA Holiday Party
January 13, 2015Kira Derryberry
Think Geek
February 1st thru 3rdImaging USA 2015
imaginguse.org
February 10, 2015Sandra Pearce
Sunday, February 22, 2015Booray Perry
Master Your Flash Workshop
More information on all of these events can be found in this newsletter and at TAPPA.org
Print of the Month - Portrait
First Place: Michael Landes
Print of the Month - Portrait
Second Place: Lisa O’Geary
Third Place: Lou Bedinotti Photo not available
Print of the Month - Portrait
Third Place: Constance Avellino
Print of the Month - Social Function
First Place: Michael Landes
Print of the Month - Social Function
Second Place: Elvin Velez
Print of the Month - Social Function
Third Place: Booray Perry
Print of the Month - Commercial
First Place: Randy Van Duinen
Print of the Month - Commercial
Second Place: Randy Van Duinen
Print of the Month - Commercial
Third Place: Randy Van Duinen
Print of the Month - Unclassified
First Place: Lisa O’Geary
Print of the Month - Unclassified
Second Place: Elvin Velez
Print of the Month - Unclassified
Third Place: Cutis Frey
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Getting Your Work Hung!By Professional Photographers of America (PPA) on November 24, 2014 9:03 PM | Permalink
Hopefully you will get a chance to check out the International Photographic Exhibit (right next to the Expo) at Imaging USA in Nashville. When you do, you might wonder where those beautiful images come from. You might even daydream a bit about seeing your own work up there at Imaging USA 2016 in Atlanta.
You can make it happen. The displayed images make up PPA’s Loan Collection and are chosen by a panel of judges at the International Photographic Competition (IPC), held each year in August. Only the top images make it to the prestigious Loan Collection each year, but don’t let that intimidate you.
If you’re feeling inspired and want to be more recognized, a good place to start is your local district competition. Take a look at the 2015 dates. Entries for the Southwest District competition open next week!
Southeast District Entries open: March 23 Entries close: April 24 Judging: April 30-May 2, Charlotte, North Carolina
Click District Competitions for full list of dates, rules, scoring criteria and more.
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7 Ways to Help Ensure Your Business SucceedsBy Professional Photographers of America (PPA) on November 19, 2014
By Bridget Jackson, CPA, PPA Business manager
Have you ever read something and thought to yourself, I could have written that! Today is that day for me. In fact, the entire article could have been my quotes.
The article was 7 Ways to Help Ensure Your Business Succeeds by Donald Todrin. He points out business fundamentals have not changed, but new strategies are required in light of the changing economic conditions. The information is poignant when applied to photography business owners, so I decided to do just that! Here are his seven ways to succeed in business tweaked for what I believe to be strategies for the photography industry.
1) Have a written plan that should include the following:
a. A financial plan detailing how many sessions you plan to conduct at a certain sales average, an estimate of how much it will take to produce your products (cost of sales), and an estimate of what your fixed expenses will be.
b. A source of initial financing until the business is self-sufficient. On average, per the SBA, it takes some businesses 3-5 years until they are sustainably self-sufficient. Knowing this, if you plan to use your personal resources, go at it fully understanding that it will take time to replenish.
c. A sales plan to achieve your sales average goal. The plan should include a strategy and a price list set up to achieve the goal.
d. A marketing plan to attract the amount of sessions you need to satisfy your financial plan. The plan should identify your ideal paying client and the appropriate strategy to attract such defined target clientele. Also develop your marketing calendar, detailing the tools to be used, when to use them, and how you will measure your results. (PPA’s Square One tool is a great place to start developing your plan.)
e. Detailed workflow from the initial phone call to the delivery of the products. Outlining each step of your process doesn’t only help identify the time required for each session, but it will also help you define outsourcing/employee opportunities.
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2) Don’t marry your plan. Even the best laid-out plans can eventually go awry. Think of it this way; it’s not necessarily the plan that is important, but what we learn from the planning process and how it shapes and guides our future actions.
3) Keep your ego in check and listen to others. The photography industry is unique in some ways in that there are plenty of mentors out there to help guide you. Find one whose business is a reflection of what YOU would like your business to be. Look past the “flashy stuff” towards finding a mentor who is dedicated to their craft and their photography business.
4) Keep track of everything, and manage your numbers. In order to be successful, it is imperative as a studio that you know how many sessions you need to hold in order to reach your goals. The results of this analysis can tell you if your sales and marketing plans are working. It’s that plain simple. And if they are not working, it may be time to reassess. PPA has made it easy for you to evaluate your numbers. Just go check the online tools, Square One in particular, that will help you establish the basis of managerial accounting.
5) Delegate and avoid micromanaging. This is where your detailed workflow (see 1e) comes into play. It is important for you to remember that you don’t have to do everything. In the beginning, it might make sense, but as your business grows, carve out specific outsourcing opportunities using your detailed workflow. The photography business tends to be seasonal so keep that in mind as well when you are creating your plan. If you find yourself needing help year round, then it is time to take the steps needed to hire on an additional employee.
6) Use the internet! Social media is one marketing tool that is inexpensive but vitally important to building your business. It takes time and effort but if you schedule it ahead of time and take advantage of off-season opportunities to pre-post, it will become easier. More importantly, it is pertinent that you do it consistently in order to be effective. Look outside of our industry to see how profitable companies take advantage of free marketing tools.
7) Reinvent your business. Seriously. If you don’t like what your numbers are telling you, make a change. Of course, map out your change, but always remember that it is ok to take calculated risks. It’s not about what you gross, but what you keep in our pockets. Assess your business from a different perspective. Ask yourself what your competitive advantage is. What niche could you carve out of your competitive market, and how could you provide better customer service to elevate your value? Discounting brings down your market’s perception of your value so instead of playing the pricing war, exceed your clients’ expectations by delivering more!
You have made a conscious choice to be a photographer, one that requires time and money. Always give yourself the best chance to succeed in this ever-changing profession. Knowledge is power--and as an entrepreneur, you are on an endless path to discover what you don’t know. This is what PPA is here for: to help you be more profitable by continuing to learn about the photography business!
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Images from Bill Cadzow’s Mini-Seminar
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The TAPPA Tribune is published monthly for the membership of the Tampa Area Professional Photographers Association. Its purpose is to share knowledge and insight with the photographic industry.
The deadline for submission of articles and ad changes is the 15th of the month.
Permission is hereby granted to reprint the contents of this newsletter, provided the authors and The TAPPA Tribune are recognized as the source. The ideas and views expressed do not necessarily reflect the policies of the Tampa Area Professional Photographers Association; they are solely those of the author.
Editor: Chuck Vosburgh 300 62nd Street North St. Petersburg, FL 33710 [email protected] 727.743.1740
Advertising:To advertise in the TAPPA Tribune, please contact the editor for rates and distribution information.
Meetings:TAPPA monthly meetings take place the second Tuesday of the month at:
Doubletree Hotel 4500 W. Cypress Street Tampa, FL (one block east of Westshore Blvd).
Networking 6:00 pm Dinner 6:30 pm Meeting 7:30 pm
Register online at TAPPA.org
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PPA’s CEO in Washington for More Talks on DronesBy Professional Photographers of America (PPA) on November 20, 2014
PPA’s CEO, David Trust, is on Capitol Hill today for several meetings with key people in the ongoing talks on issues that affect photographers. Much of today’s meetings center upon the commercial use of drone photography. As previously reported here on the blog, PPA has begun discussions for exemptions to be made which would allow PPA photographers to use drones on commercial shoots.
We’ll update you as more information trickles down from D.C.!
This morning, David met with Brian Northcutt and Chris Grieco of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security.
Said David, “It’s interesting how many different issues and concerns the drone photography discussion crosses. It’s becoming more apparent that this is a complex issue that will require a complex fix.”
Update 4:55 p.m.
David checked back in after meeting with the Federal Aviation Administration:
“Just had a very positive meeting with the FAA about granting exceptions for our members using unmanned aircraft (drones) in photography. There are still a lot of hurdles, but we are seeing a clearer picture of what those obstacles are.”
As always, PPA will continue to be a voice to protect photographers’ rights on Capitol Hill. Have an issue you think we need to address? Please let us know!
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Board of Directors
2014 OfficersPresident Kevin Newsome 813 968-2810 [email protected]
Vice President Susan Black 813 230-6472 [email protected]
Secretary Carol Hackman 727 867-9254 [email protected]
Treasurer Christine Reynolds 813 760-0831 [email protected]
Past President Benjamin Todd 813 431-2873 [email protected]
Directors Constance Avellino 813 600-8152 [email protected]
Lee Burgess 813 245-3320 [email protected]
Booray Perry 813 728-7110 [email protected]
Melissa Sewell 813 230-7092 [email protected]
Chuck Vosburgh 727 743-1740 [email protected]
CommitteesDelegate Julie Johnson
Membership Melissa Sewell 813 230-7092 [email protected]
Program Susan Black 813 230-6472 [email protected]
Salon Constance Avellino 813 600-8152 [email protected]
Door Prize Amber Wilkes 605 351-5865 [email protected]
Scholarship Susan Black 813 230-6472 [email protected]
Audio Visual Lee Burgess 813 245-3320 [email protected]
Newsletter Editor Chuck Vosburgh 727 743-1740 [email protected]
Photographer Booray Perry 813 728-7110 [email protected]
Web Master Lee Burgess 813 245-3320 [email protected]
