by successfulbob | photography, photography education, success education
Sometimes you need to go the extra mile for your clients. I have some realtors who like to set themselves apart in the marketplace with an image that different than the run of the mill Realtor shots. When they asked last year for something really fun at Halloween how could I say no?
Here is the original image they use on a regular basis… Just a little bit of kick and sass!
Greenfield and Weems marketing photo for their Real Estate image.
Halloween was coming and Jolynn wanted to spice things up a bit. I used the photo above with Puppet Warp in Photoshop to get them into a seated position. Add a giant pumpkin, some witches hats and a broomstick and we are home free.
This was the result.
So fast forward to this year and Joylynn says, “Hey Bob, can you add our assistant to the photo and what would it cost?” I said of course, but didn’t realize how much more work was going to be involved. But,
because I wanted to plush out these guys as clients I just said, “I didn’t charge you near enough for this… Oh well, Happy Halloween!”
The full team!
When you have the opportunity to go over and above for your clients take it!
Yours in creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | fine art photography, Lumix Lounge, photography, photography education, success education
From the Biography page of Jay Maisel… After studying painting and graphic design at Cooper Union and Yale, Jay Maisel began his career in photography in 1954. While his portfolio includes the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Miles Davis, he is perhaps best known for capturing the light, color, and gesture found in every day life.
I grabbed a quote from Jay today because many times I talk with photographers who are not making the images they would like. I feel part of the reason is they don’t have their camera in their hand making images. They are not studying light. They are not studying shadows. They are, however, afraid to make mistakes. And that is the biggest mistake. That is where learning comes from. Jay is a big proponent of having a camera in your hand and trying many different things. Oh! And getting off your butt and out shooting!
“If you are out there shooting things will happen for you. If you’re not out there, you’ll only hear about it.” Jay Maisel
Making excellent images is a skill. Skills take practice. If you keep looking, firing frames, studying, learning AND have your camera with you will recognize more often the gifts that are in front of us in the name of a beautiful photograph.
Since becoming a Lumix Luminary I’ve had a camera with me almost constantly (working on getting the almost adjective out of there) and I’m finding I see more opportunities for making interesting images because I’m training my brain to always look. It’s become easy to have a camera with me all the time because the micro 4/3rds mirrorless cameras are so lite but the files are so robust. I often left my DSLR camera and lenses behind because of the weight and PIA factor. Now my entire everyday kit has more range and weighs less than a DSLR body equipped with a single zoom lens.
I salute technology and the freedom it is giving me to become a better photographer.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
Here a link to some more Jay Maisel quotes written by Derrick Story… You’ll see such things as “On preparing for a shoot… “Try to go out empty and let your images fill you up.” “When finding the right angle for a shot… “Move your ass.”” Check it out.
by successfulbob | photography education, success education
Read a post on Bryan Caporicci’s ‘Sprouting Photographer’ web site that reminded me of something I should share with you.
There is a tendency to get so wrapped up in our photography business that we forget to take care of many things that are really important.
I found myself in the same trap Bryan talks of of thinking I was accomplishing more than I actually was… My wife was constantly saying, “He works 24-7.” and I did. But I thought I was getting somewhere when all I was doing was wasting a lot of the time you were talking about thinking I was kicking ass.
We went to a photography seminar and the last speaker was taking about her life in photography with her husband and how busy they were. I’ll take the long story and shorten it quite a bit as this woman was quite the fabulous storyteller. Near the end she said, “And there was a knock on the door! I went to answer it, threw open the door and the person knocking was there to tell me my husband was dead in an accident…” You could have heard a pin drop on carpet in this room of 1500 people. She finished by sharing how she changed her life, and suggested all photographers trade family photos ASAP as because they were both in the photo biz she had no photos of her with her husband.
I immediately turned to my wife and said, “Every Wednesday is now a ‘Holly Day’. You tell me what you would like to do and I’m yours. Schedule a two week vacation and some weekend side trips and we’ll start doing them.” I also gave myself a half-day off each week to just spend time doing stuff for me…
Result of taking time away from the business? I actually started accomplishing more in less time because I was refreshed, ready to go and HAD to get stuff done in a timely manner. My wife was a much happier camper and life improved many, many times.
Check out Bryan’s post HERE. I can attest for a fact that they everything he talks about is true and will make your work and personal life better if you follow through.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | fine art photography, photography, photography education, success education
The wonderfully amazing surprising results from this year’s Professional Photographers of America International imaging Competition caused me to take a peek back at some of my older Loan Collection images. Here is a Loan print from my first print case, one of my first successes in competition.
‘Study in Orange and Blue’ Earned PPA’s Loan Collection designation
For those that aren’t familiar with the PPA imaging competition an image will be reviewed by six jurors for the image to be included into PPA’s General Collection and be awarded a Merit. A Merit designation essentially means that the panel of judges felt that the image produced is above average work for a photographer with above average skills.
Once and image is awarded a Merit it is then reviewed by a different and larger panel of judges for inclusion into PPA’s Loan Collection. This is considered the best of the best and the work must be exemplary according to a majority of the panel. Usually less than 10 percent of the images entered into a competition will make it to the Loan Collection. It is an honor and I am proud to say that I now have 17 images in PPA’s Loan Collection.
I would have to say that participation in imaging competition has been one of the driving forces to make me a better photographer. Placing your images in front of your peers for review is nerve wracking indeed. It makes you look at your work critically and go over it with a fine toothed comb. This has been really good for my clients over the years because this attention to detail and pushing the creative envelope has made my client’s images stand out and help their businesses look better than good. My portrait clients have received more flattering portraits as well e cause lighting, posing and finishing of the portraits makes a huge difference in how people are perceived by the camera.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – Next years competition cycle is getting ready to begin… Are you going to become a better photographer and participate? Start setting your best work aside in a folder so you don’t have to scramble when it’s time to start prepping your images. You’ll be glad you did. And so will your customers.
by successfulbob | marketing, photography, photography education, photography marketing, success education
Well I must say this gave me a surprise! I didn’t even know I was in the running…
The Readers of Kudos Entertainment Magazine in Sedona, Arizona voted me as the Best Photographer for the year Two Thousand and Fourteen.
Readers Choice Award 2014 from Kudos Certificate
I say thank you to all who voted! I appreciate the confidence. If you are in need of photography from the ‘Best’ : )> photographer according to the readers of Kudos give me a call. As always the work I do for you is guaranteed. If you are not not thrilled you get get you money back. Get in touch today to see if we are a good match. All contact info is in the header of this web page or click here.
Above was the post I used on my business page. As a photographer in business you need to leverage all recognition you receive to get the most benefit out of it. So the award is tweeted, Posted on my FB page and posted on LinkedIn. When good things happen you need to help spread the word and ask others to help you do that too…
So with that thought in mind… if you read this post would you be so kind as to send out a tweet and share on your FB page with a link back here? You’ll be doing me a good deed but you’ll also be exposing other photographers to the information I share here on Successful-Photographer. A win-win don’t you think?
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | fine art photography, photography education, success education
As photographers we need to find inspiration and ideas outside of the photography family. I have been following the twice-weekly newsletter of Robert Genn for years and have occasionally shared some of his ideas with you. Unfortunately, Robert has passed and is no longer with us in body. Fortunately, his daughter Sara is picking up where Robert left off and is continuing the tradition by sharing some of his best letters and posting her own thoughts and ideas. Some really good thoughts here for artists. Thanks for keeping this alive Sara!
I post this with permission. And, I encourage you to sign up for the newsletter.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
Robert & Sara Genn Twice-Weekly Letter
Click to read this letter online and share your valuable insights.
An artist’s mind
September 2, 2014
Dear Bob,
My friend Joe Blodgett said, “There’s two ways to walk this path–one for the path and one for the spirit.” In a cathedral of Douglas fir and alder, blown twigs from the night’s storm over a carpet of autumn, Joe crouches down and watches the steady miracle of a spotted woodland slug.
Joe says he feels an artistic moment coming on, surrendering to the need to make something: a guilt or work-ethic thing. He’s a guy in tune with “tuning in.” Joe works with water-soluble marker-pens which he augments with watercolour washes–a technique which diffuses lines not held with fixative. The can of fixative sticks out of his jacket pocket. His method is fast and loose. After only a few minutes, he moves on.
The artistic mind, flowing properly, sees the world differently. Call it what you will–a Celestine moment, synchronicity, serendipity. There’s a higher harmonic. It’s got something to do with receptiveness and alertness. Those who expect, receive. We can leave it to the gods where it comes from. The important thing is to give in to it–allow this dream mind to run free. My friend is a living example of one who trusts dreams, hunches and intuition. Joe’s not a child–he’s just curious. On the side, he’s a good businessman, father, bookkeeper, track-keeper. It’s not a pose–it’s a desirable and natural state of being. On the path he has wandering eyes. On the path his hand becomes busy because it has to. T. S. Eliot suggested that the paths we walk are made of hints and guesses. The artist says, “What can I make of this?”
Best regards,
Robert
PS: “Intuit higher meanings in mysterious happenings.” (James Redfield, The Celestine Prophecy)
“God is only another artist–like me.” (Salvador Dali)
Esoterica: Artists are often dreaming, wondering, wandering and idling in the fanciful department. It seems that artistic types can actually “live in” a world of their own creation, perhaps preferring it to the real world, their work being an extension of it.
This letter was originally published as “Artist’s mind” on December 1, 2000.
Included in this letter is an excerpt from “My idle mind” published on May 18, 2010.
Subscribe for free to the Robert & Sara Genn Twice-Weekly Letter.
This letter is always illustrated on The Painter’s Keys website.
