A touchy subject...

I've been marketing and marketing and marketing. Not really actively yet, but thinking, brainstorming and such. Trying to get the creative juices flowing and bouncing ideas off my silent partner, my hubby. He and I always come back to the idea that good enough is good enough for most people. They wouldn't want to pay for a CERTIFIED professional photographer to come and deliver HIGH END images of what ever they need. What I see is a need to educate. Educate our clients and end users on why we demand the prices we do. I hear from so many clients:
"Ohhh, that's a little pricey...I'll just get my Aunt Edna to shoot the photos for me. She's got the exact same camera as you!" At this point I realize that I will not be getting the gig and that they will be happy with "good enough".
So many of my colleagues say that we should not criticize other photographers (non-professionals) work. Why not? As professionals - or people who aspire to be - shouldn't we always welcome criticism? Truly, I'd prefer constructive criticism, but all criticism is a way to expand our vision and grow our talents.
Let me back up. I am getting ahead of myself.
I earned my Graphic Design degree back in 1984 - way before desktop computers & DTP. I worked for several production houses and several other printing firms. Honing my skills and talents, all the way. Suddenly, the desktop computer arrived and church secretaries were calling me up wanting training on Aldus Pagemaker and Adobe Illustrator. Suddenly, my freelance work was drying up. So many people thought that the way to great design started first with a personal computer and a program. I intended to wait it out. (I am still waiting.)
Several years later I took a position with the Fortune 200 company (the one I just left) and so many people at that firm asked me: oh, you are so talented; how do you know what colors go together, how do you design for a presentation, how do you design a logo... I kept going back to a music analogy. I'd ask them, "Do you own a musical instrument?" They'd respond, "Sure!" It was at this point in the conversation that I'd ask them to write me concerto. I'd go on to explain that while they had the means to listen to a nice piece of music and many of them owned pianos... not many of them could create something out of nothing. So many of them took it hard. But in reality, they were insulting me and the talents I brought to the table. (okay - call me Simon Cowl)
Its the same thing with visual arts. Drawing, painting, photography... you have to start with talent and inspiration. Inspiration compels you to learn more, to hone your craft, to learn your tools. Talent is the road. Talent tells you to do it one way over another. Your confidence tells you that its right. Skills without talent is empty.
When I show up to an event, several people tell me "ohh, I have that camera!" or "oh - isn't that lens great? I have that one too!" What used to separate the pros from the "weekend warriors" were the tools we purchase. With so much disposable income in today's America, that difference has become invisible. Its the fact that we've honed our skills and talents to capture what ever moment is in front of us. Its our eye that we've developed over years of "SEEING" and looking for the light. Not everyone can do what I do. Because not everyone can see what I see. The main difference between a pro and an amateur? The pro. (Really not so invisible after all!)
If you want to know how to become a PRO - ask me.

Imaging USA

Well, the hubby and I are actually off to Nashville... Imaging USA; PPA's international conference for 2010. January is off to a great start. One of my prints made it into the Traveling Loan Collection (Snowy Canyon--- posted here several months ago). So, it'll be a kick to see it hanging with all the great photographs of 2009... wow. Imagining, setting goals and visualizing (with major effort and action) pays off!

hope to see some of my heros... and make some new friends as well as catch up with some old friends!!

I hope to come back rejuvenated and full of vinegar to get things rolling for the rest of the year...

A life raft...

The ocean which is PhotoShop.

Before I begin, let me tip my hat to the thousands of my brother and sister Photoshop “experts.” They have been my salvation and my inspiration for so many projects. I thank you.

PhotoShop is as wide & deep as the ocean. I have been floating on this sea of PS since 1997. For many years, people have been asking me for tips and tricks to navigate PS, and so here is my attempt to build a life raft for you. Please understand that this takes time and dedication. You have to do the time. This is NOT easy.

The full PDF is here.

What kind of photographer am I??!! (grin)

Wow... the hubby and I realized that we hadn't yet taken out the recycling this morning. Being very lazy after the big turkey day (Thanks mom!!) we had slept in. I walked outside a little after Bryan only to greeted with my very worried kitty (Morwyn) wanting in. I let her in & proceeded down the walkway to access the day with my coffee in hand.
Suddenly, I felt fast movement from above and nearly had to duck as a Peregrine* falcon swooped down. He lit in a tree across the street. By the time I got back with my camera - he was gone! No photos!
(T'was a big raptor of some sort - Brown/dark brown - large checked marks under the wings. I assume a Peregrine as they are in the area!)
Lesson learned - never leave the house without a camera - even if I am not leaving the yard!

Hobbyist or Photographer? Which are you?

I found out recently that a very busy - oh, I'll call him a "shooter" is "resenting" his popularity. That he considers himself a hobbyist and doesn't want to spend the effort it takes to do the real jobs. Hum, strange that. I always thought he loves shooting. Although, in his early days, when I was training him to shoot, he would always come back complaining that the person he was photographing was not some great beauty. This really riled me. I couldn't understand why he couldn't SEE the person he was photographing. It was after all, his job to take the best editorial portrait of that person! This should have been my first clue.
Later, after he learned all he could from me and had moved on, he was always thrilled when I lost a gig or he gained one. Never mind that these were internal clients and neither one of us booked our own time.
Recently, I gave him the gift he had been working so hard for. Now he is busier than ever, and I am happier than ever. Sour grapes? A little bit!
This guy has always bought the latest and greatest gear. I drooled at the newest toy he always showed up with. I now realize, that he was hiding behind the technology. He can take a great picture, but cannot make art. Its the gear that has him fascinated, not the pursuit of art.
So, what makes a person a hobbyist or a photographer? This question is as deep as learning PhotoShop. The equipment is the same, the printing is the same. Everything that separated the "men" from the "boys" is so easily accessible now. And cheap too!
Ask yourself, which are you? A hobbyist (M/DWAC* ) or a photographer. One thing is certain: your banker knows for sure!


Have fun!
Dawn
Not a MWAC

*Mom or Dad With A Camera

Copyright or right to copy?

Scenario 1: Your neighbor has a fabulous garden. They keep it weeded, sprayed, and generally perfect. The fruits of their labors are easily seen through the fence. You enjoy it every day! The flowers reach above your fence. You need flowers for a bouquet to give to your mom. So, you reach across and take your pick.

Scenario 2: Would you stand in a store and steal something? "oh, look... this is so neat - I have to have it" You can afford it. You are generally a very honest person. But, the item ends up in your pocket anyway. (Kleptomania is not the discussion here.)

Ten or so years ago I started doing business graphics for corporate America. The internet was really coming into its own, and the graphics/photographs were there for the taking. Just to give you a time frame: this was around the time of the P2P music sharing. We were an ASCAP shop and so my department knew music was a no-no and had a library full of Royalty free music, but not so much with photographs/graphics. Especially because the research for an appropriate graphic was so cumbersome. One either had to flip through a printed book or browse a CD in a difficult search program. And Google with the internet beckoned with its vast content. If anything, the difficulty has not changed. Researching for an appropriate image is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. This is one reason why I became a corporate photographer. It was sometimes easier to shoot the item, than it was to find it shot exactly the way I needed it. Of the graphics library we owned, I think we only used 10% of the shots because of the quality and appropriateness. And then, my clients became weary of the same images over and over.
As I educated myself on the use of images from the internet, I became more and more of a "stealth" Copyright evangelist. The turning point in my career came when I was asked by the CEO (of the day) to get an image of a famous Americana artist's painting to use as a 'Happy Thanksgiving' background -- "... get it off the internet" were his words. I didn't. It was wrong and I knew it. I pushed back. I did contact the artist's estate to see what the procedure would be. I found out then, that it would be less than 1000.00 to use the image in that manner. A great lesson in intellectual property. You just have to ask & sometimes there is a cost! (The other lesson: don't say no to the CEO. I didn't use the image because they didn't want to pay for it; they were syncing it with CR'd music to boot and I never did a presentation for the CEO again. Don't worry - I transitioned to a better position - I hated that position anyway! )
After that, I read as much as I could find, and followed the P2P legal shenanigans that were followed in the media. I didn't agree with the large fines, but then I also didn't agree with what the P2P communities were doing.
Over the years, I trained colleagues in the fine art of seeing and designing - photographs and graphics. One of my greatest disappointments came a few years ago when I realized that a person I trained to take over my position was pulling (stealing) photos off the internet to use in internal publications. I had a talk with that person, but I cannot say that person is 100% compliant to this day.
Last year, I did a fund raiser photo shoot for PPA's Charities: Operation Smile. Portraits of my church family. All proceeds went to fix cleft palettes in 3rd world countries. I educated the church office in the fair use of the images I provided; but I am seeing on the Social Media sites more and more of these portraits show up! The people who bought a package are scanning them to use on Facebook and the like. To be honest, I'm a bit flattered. But I'd like to be asked. Not so I can charge them more money (although that is another revenue stream) but so I can better understand where my images (my intellectual property) appears & I can control what I create. Taking a photo of a photo or scanning a photo isn't as good as cropping the actual file for a specific use. Taking a scan of a portrait and having it reprinted either on your printer or a commercial printer can provide terrible results - these files can be and are saved to be printed in a specific way... and frankly, some credit wouldn't be bad either.
I ask you, gentle readers, to do two things for me:
1. If you've had a great portrait made recently that you must use on Facebook or one of the other sites, ask the photographer who made that portrait for you for permission to use it in that manner. They would appreciate it!
2. And educate yourself!
Some lite reading:
http://www.copyright.gov/
http://creativecommons.org/
http://www.csusa.org/face/stilim/index.htm

And here on my site is my take for the benefits of my clients:
http://www.snowprophoto.com/FAQs.html

Sincerely,

a frustrated portraitist!

(BTW: The CEOs presentation was finished by someone else who didn't have a problem picking "the flowers across the fence.")

New work for old

Formally announcing I am really in business for myself. Kind of a scary proposition; to be one's own boss. Can't complain too much about that person... you have to see her everyday! Ha!
Anyway, since Friday, I've made my Facebook page (become a FAN!!), made mini business cards, have talked to 1 or 2 prospective clients. Asked for a bid on technology and skills I know nothing about, gotten set up to accept credit cards, talked to a prospective partner on bartering... Have I mentioned I haven't had the chance to shoot ANYTHING! argh! oh my and the list gets longer. But as Tara said: "Tamorra' is another day!" (Gotta' say it with the drawl!) Keep on, keepin' on!