Too often, we see the blame fall to the conference and the organizers, as opposed to the lack of personal preparation in advance of the conference.  We went to WPPI with a clearly defined set of goals to not only bring back some good information that will be released over the next month or so, but also to find some time to grow our own photography businesses.

Did we succeed?

We returned from WPPI with:

Some ideas on how to change a few things about our photography businesses to breed success.

A plethora of new vendor options.

Valuable Statistical information that points to the direction the Photography industry appears to be taking.

A bunch of new contacts and friends, who I hope to stay in contact with, and hope to shoot with one day.

So let’s get to the review criteria listed:

Speakers:

A lot of the speakers we saw at WPPI we’ve seen before. Some have exactly the same content that we’ve all seen, while some have made entirely new content. It was refreshing to not have a Platform session filled with speakers bashing a sales message down your throat. I can only take so much “buy this and you’ll be better” message amongst the content I actually pre-boarded to see.

Some of the new speakers were reported to be very entertaining. Chuckie Arlund was one that we took the time to go see. He had a very engaging style, and although I thought I was pretty good at the whole lighting thing, there were several takeaways from this platform, that unlocked some new ideas for me.

If you’re going to invest in WPPI, we HIGHLY recommend that you look at the Plus, and MasterClasses. (Disclaimer: they are at additional cost, but our experience this year was that some of the best learning came out of these rooms on the 2nd floor of the conference centre.) We took in Joe and Mirta Barnet’s “Win-Win” Pricing Masterclass and it was pure liquid gold. Dina Douglass was another Masterclass attended and it was good to know what to expect with the HIGH END client. All great info, that we felt could be lacking in some of the platform classes.

Overall we’re looking for more accountability for the content delivered. And perhaps some changes in the speaker lineup to refresh things and make sure past attendees continue to return.

Trade Show:

This is a magical place full of unicorns and fairy dust…ok no, not really. But if it’s related to the photography business, from gear, to print companies, to lighting companies, to online hosts, actions, props, backdrops and the list goes on and on, it’s here. In multiples.

One of the highlights was the sheer amount of awesome photographers doing presentations on booths. The names are FAR too many to list here. But if you were an expo only passholder, you could see many of the same speakers that were only accessible to Full Registration Holders on the trade show floor.

Looking for an album supplier? Take your pick from any one of DOZENS of options. The USA’s two biggest retailers of photo and video gear were both there, as well some larger regional retailers. Lights and Modifiers, yes! Client Management Solutions, yes! White House, Bay Photo, ACI, etc etc etc.

One of the most encouraging things we heard talking to various vendors, was that they felt that maybe overall attendance might have been down slightly, unilaterally they felt that the quality of the attendee was up.

Also, we heard that the print market in North America appeared to be up overall! GREAT news!

Overall, the trade show is a lot to get through and being focused on what you need to grow your business is key here. It can be overwhelming and leave you more confused than when you arrived.

Some of the vendors could really try to adopt a cleaner look to their booths. Some were extremely cluttered and hard to understand. The BEST booths, were the ones you could actually get into to get your hands on the products.

Vendors take note. If we can’t touch and feel what you’re offering, we’ll go to where we can do so.

Networking and Parties:

We combine these because the two go hand in hand.

WPPI is the ultimate networking opportunity. With 10′s of thousands of fellow industry professionals in one place, have business cards, be friendly (I’m Canadian, so that comes easy) and be prepared to listen to what others have to offer. From vendors, to potential sponsors, to speaker contacts, the BEST business gets done after hours at the various social functions.

From Photographers Ignite, to the Print Competition, to the Bay Photo Party, to Lazers and Blazers, etc etc etc. The networking opportunities are boundless! But, and a big but here, you get out what you put in.

I belong to a fabulous group of photographers on Facebook, and some of the members, I only get to see once a year. It’s a highlight of WPPI every year for me.

Always check with your suppliers to see what social/networking opportunities they are offering. There are many fabulous get-togethers happening in  various suites almost every night. Invite a group of photographers you know for dinner outside the convention hotel. Pick their brain and get some information. But try to offer some too. THIS is networking.

Shooting Opportunites:

This, for me, is where the conference falls down. Without signing up with one of the MANY various privately hosted shoots, the shooting opportunities AT the WPPI Conference are almost non existent. With all the trade partners and awesome photographers on site, it would be appreciated if some partnerships could be made to offer opportunities to learn about posing and lighting in a more workshop oriented environment.

I won’t speak for anyone else, but will say that I would pay equal to the price of a Masterclass (or even more) for a chance to shoot with some lighting gear alongside the likes of Chuckie Arlund, Jerry Ghionis, Zach Gray, Neil van Neikerk amongst many others.  Vendor sponsorship could offset the cost, as could the admission fee into these shoots.

They could be beginner, intermediate and expert level workshops.

I understand it’s a HUGE logistical challenge to put something like this together. But it would be welcomed. And would add SIGNIFICANT Value to WPPI.

All in all, we felt WPPI 2013 took steps to improve since 2012. There’s a ways to go yet, but you can bet your boots that we’ll be there next year looking for more!

We are excited to do so!

Bookmark the WPPI Category and get ready for a bunch of very cool stuff!

Anything you want to see from ShutterCliq at WPPI, let us know. We have a pretty definitive plan to have some fun, learn a ton, and present as much to you as we can in the 4 short days we’re there.

Well Hot89.9, A top 40 Radio Station based in Ottawa, Canada, did just that. Here is the image they stole and the ad they used it in:

The Photographer, Barbi Guild Cameron, of Barbara Ann Studios who is a local to the station, and potentially a listener, contacted the station management, to pursue proper licensing of the image.

Here is the reply as posted to Barbi’s Facebook page.

“The Vice President of NewsCap Radio offered me $40. When I turned him down, he emailed me the following:”

“Barb you were kind enough to provide us with a few definitions. Here is one I just looked up:
extortion
NOUN The practice of obtaining something, esp. money through force or threats
SYNONYMS Blackmail-exaction

You are obviously a very talented photographer, I would stick with that. Extortion is not your thing.
Cheers
SB”

The response is what has left the entire photographic community OUTRAGED. With Hot 89.9 turning off comments on their Facebook Page, people from all over the world have taken to the recommendations area of the page to voice their displeasure. With Barbi’s original Facebook post, at the time of this writing, having been shared over 1,300 times, we sincerely hope that the message gets out that you don’t pick on the little guy(girl). They have lots of friends willing to step up and fight the good fight

We fully support Barbi’s fight against Hot89.9, we want you to do the same.

Only through constant publicity, will companies learn that when we all stand together, we will be heard, and we won’t be bullied or belittled into submission.

Like I said, it grinds my gears.

UPDATE:

We’ve received a LOT of feedback since posting this article, from THOUSANDS of people, who firmly reside on both sides of this issue. There’s not too much middle ground here.

Some have chosen to attack the character of the photographer due to a past conviction. Some have related stories of dealing with the photographer. And some, (mostly fellow photographers) have stood fully in support of her.

Let’s be clear here.

We think the way both parties handled this was a case study in how not to deal with a copyright violation. Taking it to social media, before consulting with a professional, experienced in dealing with copyright law, is a move both parties should have made. They didn’t, and we’re all left with the mess, to endlessly debate various aspects of this situation.

If you feel you have been infringed upon, first and best thing you can do, is separate the emotion, and consult with someone experienced in matters of copyright law.

But at the end of all of this. Creative people have to stand together, and stand up for each other when this happens.

The radio station was caught with their hand in the cookie jar. And should have taken ownership, and made restitution right away. Stating that they normally pay between $40-150 for stock photography doesn’t apply here. This was not stock. This was taken and used illegally, and only once confronted, did the representative make any kind of apology or offer.

All the other information brought to light as a result of this; from the prior conviction, to the stories of dealing with that photographer, and anything not related to the issue at hand is unnecessary and unrelated to the theft of the image.

Our interest primarily lies in bringing events like this to light and starting discussion.

We thank you for your feedback. Remember we will always be on the side of protecting copyright and the rights of creative content creators. That’s what the origin of this article is.

Coming from a fine art background, she’s been torn to shreds in her past and developed strategies to learn and grow from it.

So with no Ado whatsoever, from Melissa:

Unlike a lot of you amazing business-minded people, my background is in fine arts.  I studied drawing & painting at Cal State Long Beach along with a ton of art history and even gallery design and exhibition.  Art is in my blood and my whole life has been spent identifying with art in some way or another, tearing my own work to shreds (metaphorically and literally), and beginning anew with what I’ve just learned from each failure.  If there’s one thing I’ve taken away from art school that I can apply here, it’s criticism.  I believe constructive criticism is a strength of mine and I’d like to see EVERYONE here benefit from some good old CC as well.  When it comes down to this business, our art is why we’re here (for most of us anyway).  Few things can push us to grow in our photography as much as a real, deep, brutal critique.  As artists we are all deeply invested in our work.  It is a piece of us and when we’ve done something we’re proud of it’s not easy to hear somebody else rip that achievement to shreds…

But here’s the thing:  If you already thought it was perfect you don’t have room to grow.  Plain and simple.  If you look for criticism from others on your best work, even though that’s when it’s the toughest to hear, your potential for growth is limitless.  We owe it to ourselves to open up, get down and dirty and bare all for a genuine critique.  Here are some key points on surviving even the most brutal critique and benefiting from it.

Receiving Brutal Critiques:

-ENGAGE!  Don’t just sit silently and ‘listen.’  Ask questions, ask for recommendations, ask for more thoughts on the matter.  If you turn a bit of criticism into a conversation about how to improve you will gain so much!  Back and forth is a good thing.  Be specific and think about your body of work as well as the piece being critiqued.  Think about how it might apply over all.

-Be specific!  If there’s a specific thing you want to know, lay all the cards on the table.

-Ask for criticism on your BEST work.  If you’re lukewarm about a photo, you likely already know what could make it better.  When you’re in love with a picture…that’s when critiques really come in handy and push you farther than ever.

-Honesty is NOT the same as support.  If you ask for an “honest critique” know that you will get some honest opinions.  If you are looking for support, do it another way because this isn’t the time to be sensitive and lean on others.  This takes a thick skin…when you ask for honesty you should be getting honesty (even if it’s not what you want to hear).

-Opinions vs. Facts.  Critiques are only opinions. They are not facts.  The beauty of a critique is that you don’t have to agree with everyone or everything they say.  In fact, sometimes strongly disagreeing with a critique can help you to pinpoint elements of a unique style of your own.  Having a strong opinion of your own is a good thing!  On the other hand, there are certain basic, accepted truths that people will call upon when giving a critique…such as the rule of thirds, compositional ideals, symmetry, balance, technical excellence, etc.  Sometimes there IS a right answer and sometimes rules are made to be broken.  Keeping all of this in mind will help you to identify which it is.

-Agree to disagree.  You won’t always find common ground and see eye-to-eye and that’s ok.  Be polite and agree to disagree.  There are no absolutes.

-Take it with a grain of salt.  YOU get to choose what you take away from a critique.  Don’t get worked up and defensive because nobody grows that way.  Only you can allow yourself to benefit from a critique instead of be offended by it.  Ask yourself this:  “Is it relevant?”  If not, just dismiss it and move on.

-People are too nice.  If you’re hearing crickets…they might be afraid to tell you what they really think.  Show them that you are genuinely open to hearing what they have to say.  Tell them that you want them to “rip it to shreds” or “be brutal.”  Open yourself up and you will get the help you’re after.

-Remember that when it hurts the most, you have the most opportunity to grow.  It’s true.

-Don’t take it personally.  Nobody is attacking your character or intelligence.

-Put a positive spin on it.  Ask yourself how you can turn anything negative or challenging into a positive and run with that.

-Follow up.  Mull it all over and go apply it.  This could be a re-edit.  It could be something you do differently on your next shoot.  It could be looking something up in your manual.  Learn from the criticism, otherwise it’s in vain.

-Consider it an exercise in the “real world.”  Clients will be critical of how they look in photos.  Criticism awaits my friends!  Better get used to it!

Giving Honest, Helpful Critiques:

-Treat others the way you want to be treated.  Plain & simple.  We learned this as children and it never stops applying.

-Limit your critique to the artwork at hand unless specifically asked to review an entire body of work.

-Is it relevant?  Make sure your criticism makes a relevant point.

-Point out both positives AND negatives.  Learning our strengths is just as important as learning our weaknesses.

-Keep your criticism focused on the piece at hand and don’t criticize the person behind it.

-Be specific.  Saying “this sucks” is not helpful.  Give specific examples and suggest how you might improve them.

Critiquing Your Own Work:

-Remain objective.  Take a break, step away and spend some time apart.  Then, come back with fresh eyes to really see it.

-Point our your own strengths and weaknesses.  I rip my work to shreds.  I’m my own worst critic but I’ll never stop because I think being content has no place in the art world.

-Don’t compare yourself to others.

-Branch out.  Once you’ve gathered all of your own insights about your work, open it up to a larger audience and see what you might have missed.  See what you agree with and what you disagree with.  See what is a solid judgment when others confirm it in their own critiques.  All of this will help you grow.

Remember this:

All artists were at one time amateurs.  Every one of you has this amazing group of people…new and seasoned photogs alike…and you can learn from them/us.  Just say the word.  Need some practice?  Critique this article!

With that said, here are 30 tasks you can do, right now, to increase your revenue.

BUSINESS TASKS

1. Host a lunch to meet customers and business partners. Don’t sell, just chat.
2. Preset to a local organization about your products or services.
3. Write an eBook, share and sell it.
4. Create a Udemy course to educate customers.
5. Take a business course on Udemy, learn and implement strategies.
6. Speak at an industry conference.
7. Stop using Powerpoint and start using Prezi.
8. Add an affiliate/partner program.

WEBSITE TASKS

1. Use tools like Hubspot’s Marketing Grader to see how well your website is optimized for conversions.
2. Use Google Alerts to track and respond to specific important keywords.
3. Create and commit to a blog editorial calendar.
4. Install a plugin like Digg Digg so social sharing is prominent.
5. Record and share videos within blog content.
6. Collect email addresses (by giving away your eBook) and create a better email marketing campaign.
7. Include testimonials on your website.
8. Use a WordPress gallery plugin to share event photographs.
9. Use click tracking software to optimize your website.
10. Create a mobile/responsive design for your website.
11. Write content with targeted keywords in mind.
12. Get better web hosting.

SOCIAL MEDIA

1. Implement Google Plus Authorship.
2. Add a Facebook business page Like box.
3. Verify your business on Pinterest.
4. Tweet daily, but not too much.
5. Use Buffer to optimize your sharing times.
6. Join local Google Plus communities.
7. Answer questions on LinkedIn and Quora.
8. Use IFTTT to automate certain tasks.
9. Use Instagram to personalize the business.
10. Host regular Google Plus Hangouts.

Of course, there are still many other tasks you can implement in your business, that will directly (and indirectly) impact the presence and revenue.

The bulk of social media tasks are indirect influences. What I mean is, the time you spend on social media is not going to show a ROI instantly. The return might be weeks or months later.

The key is to stay active and to get more eyeballs on your content and activity. Doing so, will definitely show an instant return on investment.

It is also important to note that many of these tasks can be done for free, so the investment is purely time.

What tasks do you plan on implementing this year? Please comment below to share.

Thanks for reading,

Scott

-

Scott Wyden Kivowitz is a NJ photographer and the Community & Blog Wrangler at Photocrati Media, developer of WordPress themes for photographers.

Weddings Unveiled Magazine decided that they had no interest in running an ad with the image of a same sex couple. The backlash has already spread far and wide.

And in our opinion, deservedly so.

 Read this post by Anne Almasy, get her side and make up your own mind.

http://annealmasy.com/an-open-letter-to-weddings-unveiled-magazine/

Unreal. That in the 21st century (2013 NOT 1813) that this can still exist.

It’s a crying shame!

The Nikon 85mm f/1.4G was the one in which every online review I read, was the answer to Canon’s version. I’m not one to usually trust online reviews and really wanted to check it out before I bought it. But with portrait gigs coming up, and with my comfort zone being at the 85mm focal length, it really was a no brainer to get into this lens without renting it first.

A few things off the hop. The 77mm filter size means polarizers and ND Filters are not cheap for this beast. but no worries. When you’re dropping almost 2K on a lens, you had better not skimp out on the filter you put it front of it.

First thing I found on this lens was that the bokeh (the out of focus area of the frame) was SO ridiculously creamy, that I think it even outshone the Canon 85mm f/1.2L prime by a pretty wide margin. Specular highlights were rendered as perfectly smooth circles with no visible artifacts or distracting harshness. Even with busy backgrounds, the OOF (Out of Focus) area was rendered as a beautiful creamy blur.

When shooting at apertures that would normally render bursts, I immensely enjoyed the fact that the bursts were rendered as beautiful 18 point stars thanks to the 9 rounded diaphragm blades. It makes for spectacular nighttime cityscapes. Yes, I use this lens for landscapes as much as I do for portraits. It’s almost always on the D700 and will certainly take up residence on the D800E that will be on its way soon.

In darker environments this prime lens is not the fastest focuser ever, but it still destroys its Canon equivalent for AF Speed.

There’s not a lot bad to say about this lens. It’s pricy but worth it. If you’re primarily a portrait shooter, using Nikon DX or FX bodies, and you are in the market for the best portrait lens you can buy, the Nikon 85mm f/1.4G should be at the top of your shopping list. Seriously. Save the money…buy the best, and do it once.

Check his work out at: http://www.mosaicarchive.com

Taking thousands of photos brings unique challenges. Lightroom gives you nice options for keeping your photos organized. But organizing your photos takes some work. A system helps your get the most out of the digital asset management capabilities of Lightroom.

Snapping 1500 photos on a vacation or shoot is easy to do. But no one wants to see all of these photos! (Please don’t make anyone sit through this slideshow.)

In order to find your good stuff easily, you need to have a system. The most important thing about having a system is remaining consistent. Each unique way of organizing photos has merits. Find the best approach that works for you.

Pick and Reject Flags:

This is one of the easiest ways to cull and process your photos. Lightroom gives you two flags. If it looks like there are 3 flags it because it there is also the non-flag flag… which is to mark something as unflaged.

Some people find the 6 choices of star rating too many to handle. (0 star is an option.) If you find yourself laboring over whether something is 2 stars or 3 stars, flags are for you.

The Reject Flag (Lightroom Keybord shortcut = X) marks the file for deletion. It grays out the photo and you can remove the rejected photos later.

There is also the Pick Flag (Lightroom Keyboard shortcut = P). Use the Pick Flag to mark good photos.

For truly terrible photos, reject them. For OK photos, do nothing. For good photos, pick them. To see your good photos, sort by the Pick flag.

Pros: This is a super easy system and allows you to quickly find good photos and get rid of bad ones.

Cons: It is very binary in that a photo is either great or OK.

Star Ratings and Keywords:

This is the opposite extreme. The system takes more time but makes it much easier to find the best photo for the moment.

Decide in advance what your stars mean to you. Also use the Reject flag. Here is an example:

1 Star: Looked at the photo and it was good enough not to delete.
2 Stars: Good photo that I would show someone and would spend time editing.
3 Stars: Great photo that I want to add to my larger portfolio.
4 Stars: My very best photos.
5 Stars: My top top photos.

In this system, the vast majority of your photos should be 1 star. I like marking every photo with 1 star because I want to know that I have at least looked and processed every photo.

There should be a couple 2 stars for each shoot. There should be very few 3 stars every couple months. I add a 4 star photo each 6 months or so. I have yet to make a 5 star photo. (I hope to someday.)

I also tend to add keywords for most photos but only if they are rated 2 stars or greater.

Using this system, you can easily create a smart collection to show off your best photos based for any occasion.

Pros: Makes it very easy to find your best photos and to create collections to print or share.

Cons: Takes a long time to implement, which makes it hard to be consistent.

Modified and Shorted Star System:

This is a blend of the first two systems. Use 1 star as you would the Pick Flag. Still use the reject flag. If you come back to a photo later and you happen to still really like it add a star. Think of adding a star like giving the photo another vote.

Pros: Still very easy to implement but you get a little more control to see you very best photos easily.

Cons: Not as much control as the full star system.

Conclusion:

Find the system that works for you. Use collections, smart collections, folder and filters. Taking a couple minutes to think through your system will make organizing your photos in Lightroom much easier.

The client or prospect likes what you have to say but has a reason (an objection) as to why they’re not willing to book right now. Maybe it’s price, product…or any number of different reasons.

Here’s a tried and true technique to overcoming the objections that can and will pop up much of the time.

So the scenario, you’re sitting with a bride and groom, selling yourself, your products and you services. But the prospect has some concerns.

Ready for this? LFQAC.

5 steps to overcoming any objection. This technique requires practice but more often than not, you will overcome the objections of your clients and move the process forward.

So what is LFQAC?

L stands for LISTEN:  Literally…You were given 2 ears and one mouth. Use them in that proportion. Listen attentively to the objection and make sure that you understand it completely. i.e. The client says: “We really didn’t want an album, and we were wondering if you would be able to substitute a canvas instead.”

F stands for FEEDBACK: Repeat the customers objection as you understand it. But only do it when they’re finished. If you’re not correct, have them correct you. Getting to the heart of the objection is of the utmost importance. So you would say, “As I understand it, you don’t want an album in your package, but would like to substitute a canvas. Am I right?” This sounds completely redundant, but it shows them that you have listened completely to everything they have said and understand what they really want.

Q stands for Question: This is in two parts. The first question you want to ask is “Why?” as in “Why do you not want and album and what is it about the canvas that makes you feel that you really want it instead?” Now LISTEN to their response and feed it back to them. So you can more quickly get back to this point.

A stands for ANSWER: This is where you answer the objection. In this situation, your answer could be: “You know what? I can tell that having a canvas is very important to you, and this is something we can do for you.” OR if this is something that is built into your package and for some reason you can’t do it, you could go with: “The album has been the favorite part of the wedding for all of our couples to date, and we would hate for you to miss out on the memories contained within. It’s included in your package, and is a gift from us to you. We offer Canvases as well, and these would be a fabulous complement to your wedding package.”

C stands for Confirm: This is your last chance to make sure you’ve satisfied their concerns, and see if the sales process is ready to get to the closing phase referenced in the article here.

Don’t worry if they’re not 100% on board yet. This process is repeatable. For EVERY OBJECTION they come up with, repeat this process. Make sure that you’ve satisfied everything.

In context, say you’re trying toBook a bride, portrait etc. and your client really wants to negotiate. Knowing WHAT your anchor statement is, and where your should begin to use it is critical.

So a typical conversation could be something like.

“For $____ you get ____ images, all professionally retouched, an 8×8 leather album, two 8×10′s & four 5×7′s. We feel this an excellent value and our past and present clients have told us the same.” 

(Also, no matter if it’s just you, or you’re part of a team, use WE instead of I. It’s much more powerful.)

Your client says that “Well, photog “X” will give us ________________ for $____”

So BUST OUT your anchor statement now.

“We feel this an excellent value and our past and present clients have told us the same.”

Forget the feature (product) in your anchor statement. concentrate on the benefit.

“We feel this an excellent value and our past and present clients have told us the same.” 

No matter WHAT they say, use that anchor statement. Don’t deviate no matter what the propsect says. You are reinforcing your value proposition.

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