by successfulbob | photography - art quote, photography education
Business & marketing are as important as the art we create as photographic entrepreneurs.
I want to tell you of a very creative mind you can tap into via the Monday Morning Memo. His name is Roy Williams and he often talks about “Our kind of People” in his missives. If that doesn’t ring a bell right away hang with Roy for a few weeks and you’ll get the idea pretty quick. I believe really successful photographers tend to fall into his definition and I invite you to subscribe to MMM to pick up some inspiration, marketing and copy-writing ideas. Roy doesn’t suffer fools lightly but he does fool around quite a bit in getting his messages across.
I’ve picked one of Roy’s quotes for the photo/art quote today.
“Every door of opportunity begins as a window in the mind.” Roy H. Williams
I’ll leave you to mull that over on your own… share your thoughts.
Yours in Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | photography, photography education
The sun was in my eyes!
It was too windy…
The dog ate my posts! Yeah, that’s the one…
OK enough with the excuses. The reality was It was a busy, busy week. Started with the Arizona Professional Photographers Convention in Phoenix. I am always amazed how much I learn, even after all these years, of attending other photographer’s programs. I guess it’s because with the base knowledge that’s built over the years there are new levels of understanding.
Tim Meyer was an excellent speaker on lighting. He is on the faculty of Brooks Institute of Photography. I have heard him speak before but this time I was apparently more ready for the information he provided. His use of light modifiers in unexpected ways is amazing. He makes light dance! If you get the opportunity to see Tim or study with him… DO SO!. Look for his new book coming soon. His current book ‘The Portrait’ Understanding Portrait Photography is available now.
ON the marketing side I was impressed with Steve Kozak and his ‘touch the emotions’ type marketing. Sell by helping people get what they really want verses trying to sell things you want to sell. Check out Steve’s Guide book ‘The Road to Success Requires 4-Wheel Drive’ He had photographer’s crying during his coaching session and that will lead to getting the emotion into their marketing.
A real winning combination for learning is to enter images into competition and then attend the judging. AZPPA had four judges on hand to score the images and offer feedback during challenges. It’s part of my ongoing education and i highly recommend you get in the game if you haven’t already. Participate at your local, state, region and national levels and your photography will grow by leaps and bounds in short order. Who knows you may even win an award or two that will lead to some good press if you follow through in your marketing by sending out properly written press releases. You can learn more here. (I did OK but I’ll share that in another post.)
The rest of the week was running hard photographing, processing images, speaking, delivering Meals on Wheels and enjoying the company of my wife. Don’t let business take you totally away from your family. You didn’t loose out because I didn’t post for a week, but I would have if I didn’t spend quality time with my wife. I’ll fill you in on the other photography stuff over the next few days…
Your in Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | Lumix Lounge, photography, photography - art quote, photography education
I love this quote!
“Anything that excites me for any reason, I will photograph: not searching for unusual
subject matter, but making the commonplace unusual.” – Edward Weston
After learning that I live in Sedona, Arizona people often comment, “Oh! That’s such a pretty place to photograph!” Yes it is but it’s not the place that makes for great photographs it’s the mind and skills of the photographer. Believe me I’ve seen plenty of not so beautiful images made of the red rocks taken in less than stellar lighting conditions that impressed me not a bit. But have seen absolutely stunning photographs of the mundane such as Weston’s pepper image. Please don’t think you need to travel to exotic locations in order to create beautiful images. Start looking around closer to home to capture the unusual. Show ordinary subjects in extraordinary ways. It will push the creative envelope for you.
Edward Henry Weston a 20th-century photographer and has been called “one of the most innovative and influential American photographers…” and “one of the masters of 20th century photography.” Over his 40 year career Weston photographed an increasingly expansive set of subjects, including landscape, still life, nudes, portrait, genre scenes and even whimsical parodies. He truly worked by the thought shared in his quote. I’m finding the more I have my camera with me, made more convenient by using the smaller, lighter Micro 4/3rds format cameras from Lumix, the more I am finding interesting things in my world because I am able to capture an image immediately and explore it rather than think, “That might make an interesting photograph…” and never see the same lighting situation again.
What are you exploring in your world??
Yours in Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | Lumix GX7, Lumix Lounge, musician photography, people photography, photography
As you probably know I enjoy the challenge of capturing live stage music. In order to keep my skills in top form even when I’m not hired I keep photographing performances even when I’m out to dinner. Sometimes after sharing the images with the artist it leads to the musician becoming a paying client for creating marketing images or CD cover art.
I’ve found the Lumix GX7 micro 4/3rds format has lots of things going for it when working (playing!) this way. It’s got a very low profile, weighs less than 2 pounds with the 35-100mm 2.8 lens vs the over 5 pounds for my dslr with equivalent lens combo. I’m also finding that the camera is a picking up a pretty wide dynamic range which is really helpful as many small clubs are now using LED stage lighting which doesn’t have the full spectrum of color not to mention the range of light to dark.
Here are a couple images from Sound Bites Grill in Sedona….
Susannah Martin Jazz Trio on stage in Sedona, Arizona. This image was double processed from the same
RAW file with the stage lighting the concern on one process and the outdoor image in another
and stripped in using a mask in Photoshop.
Vocal stylist Susannah Martin live at Sound Bites’ Show Lounge.
Ralf Illenberger Live at the Sound Bites Grill Show Lounge in Sedona, Arizona.
by successfulbob | photography, photography - art quote, photography education
Our quote today comes from the world of writing. Author and poet William Thackeray uses his wordsmithing to help define what we do…
Isn’t it amazing what we can do with a camera?
“The two most engaging things about photography are to make new things familiar and familiar things new.”
William Thackeray
The power of photography is immense. Making something we see everyday beautiful or interesting. Or causing someone to see something as if for the first time. How about the social causes being advanced?
Ansel Adams and Galen Rowell with preserving nature. Minor White & Henri Cartier Bresson exploring black and white visions.
Richard Avedon and Gregory Heisler pushing portrait techniques.
Photographers working for the U.S. government’s Farm Security Administration (FSA) and later the Office of War Information (OWI) between 1939 and 1944 made approximately 1,600 color photographs that depict life in the United States, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The pictures focus on rural areas and farm labor, as well as aspects of World War II mobilization, including factories, railroads, aviation training, and women working.
You, in lighting and posing your people in a flattering manner that allows a person to see themselves as others do in the best light.
Think of the images you can create whether it be of beauty, horror, social issues or… You think. Share here how you are using your camera and image making skills for the greater good and if you are not is that something you might think about??
Yours in Photography, Bob
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