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PROFESSIONAL

Senior Editor

JOAN SHERWOOD

[email protected]

Features Editor

LESLIE HUNT

[email protected]

Editor-at-Large

JEFF KENT

[email protected]

Art Director/Production M

DEBBIE TODD

[email protected] Services Mana

Publications & SSA

CHERYL PEARSON

[email protected]

Creative Services Coordi

VALENCIA JACKSON

[email protected]

Eastern Region Ad ManagerTARA TRUITT

404-522-8600, X230, [email protected]

Central Region Ad ManaMARINA ANDERSON

937-902-8217, manderson@p

Western Region Ad Manager

MELISSA RYBAK

404-522-8600, X279, [email protected]

Publications Sales Staff

Director of Sales & Strategic Alliances

WAYNE JONES

404-522-8600, x248, [email protected]

EDITORIAL

Director of Publications

JANE GABOURY

[email protected]

Passionate actionEARNING THE RIGHT TO SERVE

Photographers are an ardent lot. When they create their first

professional services website, 95 percent of them cite passion as a

driving force behind their work. They are passionate about their art, their point of view, about capturing life’s treasurable yet fleeting

moments. OK, I made up the statistic, but

you probably didn’t bat an eye because

you’ve read many such manifestos yourself.

Maybe you’ve even written one. No shame

in that. Passion for one’s vocation is a good

thing, a great thing. It’s what keeps work

from feeling like work.

Several weeks ago, 44 photographers came

to Atlanta to judge the PPA International

Photographic Competition. Over four days

they evaluated more than 4,900 images

against stringent criteria. Watching the process

and listening to the jurors speak eloquently,

earnestly, and with authority about the plusses

and minuses of the images—each precious

to its maker—leads one to wonder who

these individuals are to evaluate the photographic work of others.

I’ll tell you. They are people who express their passion not

merely in a biographical statement but in a career-long succession

of deeds to further the art and profession of photography. They are

people who volunteer their time for this prestigious competition

after earning a PPA master photographer degree, which itself took

years of study, service, and demonstrations of proficiency; completing

rigorous juror training at their own expense; and putting in many hours as volunteer judges at regional affiliate competitions. They are

people who have earned exhibition merits for their own work, come

under the scrutiny of the Photographic Exhibition Committee, and

been approved for the task. They devote what could be profitable

work time flying to Atlanta to sit in unlit rooms for hours at a

stretch, giving their unwavering attention to the image before them.

They mentor fellow photographers with painstaking critiques

because they are dedicated to furthering the development of any

individual with the will to improve his or her craft.

You want to talk about passion? This is passion. Whether they

recognize it or not, all photographers benefit from the labors of

these dedicated diehards. Bravo. I

Jane Gaboury

Editorial Offices

Professional Photographer229 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303-1608 U.S

404-522-8600, fax: 404-614-6406Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthl

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Advertising materials contact: Debbie Todd, [email protected] rates/information: U.S. Print: $27, one year; $45, two yea

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Subscription orders/changes: Send to Professional Photographer, Attn: CDept., P.O. Box 3606, Northbrook, IL 60065-3606; 800-742-746

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Postmaster: Send address changes to Professional Photographer magP.O. Box 3606, Northbrook, IL 60065-3606

Copyright 2013, PPA Publications & Events, Inc. Printed in U.S.A

Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthly for $27 per yePublications and Events, Inc., 229 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 2200, International Tow

GA 30303-1608. Periodicals postage paid at Atlanta, Ga., and additional mailing offic

Acceptance of advertising does not carry with it endorsement by the publisher.

expressed by Professional Photographer or any of its authors do not necessar

positions of Professional Photographers of America, Inc. Professional Photograph

journal of the Professional Photographers of America, Inc., is the oldest exclusively p

photographic publication in the Western Hemisphere (founded 1907 by Cha

Hon.M.Photog.), incorporating Abel’s Photographic Weekly, St. Louis &

Photographer, The Commercial Photographer, The National Photographer,

Professional Photographer, and Professional Photographer Storytellers.

Circulation audited and verified by BPA Worldwide.

Contributing Editors

DON CHICK & ELLIS VENER

LIKE us on Facebook

to continue the discussion

and share your experiences.

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scoops and photo news.

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JANE GABOURY, DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS



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COMFORTABLE IN HER SKINKelly Dobson builds a foundation for

baby portrait business

by Jeff Kent

COMMERCIAL SUCCESSBarbara O’Brien is no chicken whenit comes to animal wrangling

by Aimee Baldridge

IN BLISSFUL DREAMS

Posing newborns beautifully and safely with Rachel Williams

by Stephanie Boozer

FINE ART: AMERICANA PERSONIFIED

Eric Curry documents scenes froma bygone heartland

by Will Pollock

SPORTS: THE SPORTING LIFE

Jon Allyn tackles the sports business with customized artwork

by Jeff Kent

IMAGE BY: RACHEL WILLIAMS

102

92

110

74

82

Features

SEPTEM

CONTENTS



DepartmentsCONTACT SH EET

24 Heartfelt mission26 PP’s giveaway of the month28 PP asks: What’s makes you

cringe when you see it on a photographer’s site?

32 (App)titude for tech34 Richard Sturdevant:

Strategies for success

PROFIT CENTER

37 What I think: Rachel William39 Ask the experts

42 A fish taleby Kalen Henderson

44 My studio: Ablan Gallery Photography by Dan Ablan

48 Just how tight?by Bridget Jackson

50 Sharp way to share your messaby Angela Pointon

56 Package strategiesby Pete Wright

THE GOODS

59 What I like: Eric Curry 60 Roundup: Tripods, Stands,& Stabilizersby Joan Sherwood

64 Pro review: Ilford Galerie PresGold Mono Silk inkjet paperby Stan Sholik

66 Pro review: Wallee Case andTether Tools Connectby Ellis Vener

68 Pro review: Woodsnapby Betsy Finn

70 Books: Photography Q&A by Theano Nikitas

ON THE COVER: “I Ain’t No Angel” is a Lolection image by Kelly Dobson. The main ligfrom a White Lightning flash unit modified 4x6 soft box, and a large white reflector wasAn additional Speedlight set on manual expat 1/4 power was bounced off the white ceilingthe baby. “I was after a high-key look—healight around the baby to support the whole theme,” says Dobson. The sweet baby girl exa devilish look at the moment she found refrom a bout of constipation, says Dobson. let anyone tell you that the life of a photogis not a glamorous one!” she quips.

8 • www.ppmag.com

14 FOLIO

22 FEEDBACK

51 IMAGING USA

119 PPA TODAY

130 GOOD WORKSPROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER | SEPTEMBER 2013 | WWW.PPMAG.COM

When Jon Allyn began working in sports,

he knew it made sense to continue to deliver the kind of upscale quality he was known for in portraiture.

CONTENTS

110

© J onA l l yn

Learn more about posing babies.

Read an excerpt from Robin Long’s

“Natural Newborn Baby Photography” at ppmag.com.

W E B

E X C L U S

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Professional Photographersof America229 Peachtree St., NE, Suite 2200

Atlanta, GA 30303-1608

404-522-8600, 800-786-6277FAX: 404-614-6400,

www.ppa.com

2013-2014 PPA board

president

*RALPH ROMAGUERA SR.

M.Photog.Cr., CPP,

API, F-ASP

[email protected]

vice president

*SUSAN MICHAL

M.Photog.Cr., CPP, ABI

[email protected]

treasurer

*MICHAEL GAN

M.Photog.Cr., CPP

[email protected]

chairman of the board

*TIMOTHY WALDEN

M.Photog.Cr.,

Hon.M.Photog, F-ASP

[email protected]

directors

DON MACGREGOR

M.Photog.Cr., API

[email protected]

ROB BEHM, M.Photog., [email protected]

LORI CRAFT, Cr.Photog.

[email protected]

MICHAEL TIMMONS

M.Photog.Cr., F-ASP

[email protected]

STEPHEN THETFORD

M.Photog.Cr., CPP

[email protected]

AUDREY L. WANCKET

M.Photog.Cr., CPP

[email protected]

MIKE FULTON

Cr.Photog.

[email protected]

GREG DANIEL

M.Photog.Cr., F-ASP

[email protected]

industry advisor

LOU GEORGE

[email protected]

PPA staff

DAVID TRUST, CAE

Chief Executive [email protected]

SCOTT KURKIAN, CAE

Chief Financial Officer

Chief Operating Officer

[email protected]

JULIA BOYD

Senior Manager of

Certification

[email protected]

JANE GABOURY

Director of [email protected]

KRISTEN HARTMAN

Director of Membership

[email protected]

FIONA HENDRICKS

Director of Events

[email protected]

WAYNE JONES

Director of Sales &

Strategic Alliances

[email protected]

ANGELA KURKIAN,

M.Photog.Cr.

Director of [email protected]

SCOTT MORGAN

Director of Information

Technology

[email protected]

WILDA OKEN

Director of Administratio

[email protected]

CARLA PLOUIN

Director of Marketing

and Communications

[email protected]

SANDRA LANG

Executive Assistant

[email protected]

*Executive Committeeof the B

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f olio| Showcasing images selected from the files of the PPA Loan Collection, Folio is a monthly sample ofaward-winning photography from the most recent International Photographic Competition (IPC),which is open to non-PPA members. The current Loan Collection is a select group of more than 400photographs chosen for distinction by the IPC jurors. ppa.com/IPC

AUGUST FLUSH

“August Flush” is a personal project by Summer Shawqi Ameen, who describes it as “a whimsical take on a beauty image” captured in her home studio. “T

tones and the high-key setup were chosen to express fun-loving youth,” she says. “A makeup artist and a stylist stood on either side of the model flicking u

earrings while I took about 30 exposures. I chose the main photograph for the model’s expression and cloned in one of the earrings from another picture. T

was to have dynamic movement on each side of the image coupled with an active expression to jolt it to life.” Ameen lives in Manama, Bahrain. studiosummer

CAMERA & LENS: Nikon D70 camera; AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D lens

EXPOSURE: 1/250 second at f/9, ISO 200

LIGHTING: “The idea was to have soft, even beauty light that still packed some punch,” says Ameen. Main light, Profoto D1 Air 1000 in a Softlight Refle

beauty dish boomed directly over the model. A silver Westcott reflector under the subject’s chin bounced fill light. Rim and hair lighting, two Profoto

500s on either side behind the model and modified by Creative Light strip soft boxes. Background, a 6x7-foot Lastolite HiLite lit with a Profoto D1 Air

POST-CAPTURE:Two exposures were processed in Lightroom 4 for color correction before being combined with the main image in Adobe Photosho

Ameen did some skin smoothing, cloned in an earring, and used Liquify to tidy the hair and make the lips symmetrical.

©Summer Shawq



BANDIT

Mona Sadler, M.Photog., created “Bandit” during a pet photo special on behalf

of Spay Today, an organization that provides free pet spaying. “The look on the

dog’s face was as special as he is,” says Sadler. “His owner suffers from MS, and he

is a certified service dog. Although living with pain and disability, she and Bandit

give to others.” Coastal Pet Portraits is in Alliance, N.C. coastalpetportraits.com

CAMERA & LENS: Canon EOS 5D camera; Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L

USM lens shot at 100mm

EXPOSURE: 1/200 second at f/8, ISO 200.

LIGHTING: Two Photogenic PowerLights, a 2500DR and a 1500SL, modified

by a 3x4 Aurora soft box and an Aurora Lite Bank; a Larson reflector

bounced in fill light

POST-CAPTURE:Says Sadler, “Bandit was being held by his owner when I took

the photo. I painted her out and let the background go white. The painting was

done first in Photoshop then finished in Corel Painter to add texture and brush

strokes. It was my goal to make the portrait look very classical, soft, and tender.”

EYES ON THE PRIZE

Doug Gifford, M.Photog.Cr., of Laguna Niguel, Calif., captured “Eyes on the Prize”

on an editorial assignment to photograph the AMA Super Sport Motorcycle

Race at the Auto Club Motor Speedway in Fontana, Calif. douggiffordphoto.com

CAMERA & LENS: Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro camera; AF VR Zoom-Nikkor

80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED lens

EXPOSURE: 1/1,000 second at f/5.6, ISO 400

LIGHTING: NaturalPOST-CAPTURE:Adobe Photoshop 3 to process the raw file and crop,

adjust curves, enhance facial features, and sharpen.

©M



©Nylora-Joy Bruleigh


ELEGANT EGRETS

Nylora-Joy Bruleigh, M.Photog.Cr., CPP,

created “Elegant Egrets” for a contestant

in a Miss New Hampshire contest. “It

began with an outfit I made from bubble

wrap to add a little fun to the session,”

says Bruleigh. She styled the subject’s hair

to look “a little wild” and to balance the

fullness of the skirt. “We shot outside

under a white tent. After seeing the image

and realizing she looked bird-like, I felt

that was the direction I needed to go with

the final piece,” she adds. Photography by

Nylora is in Concord, N.H.

photographybynylora.com

CAMERA & LENS: Nikon D700 camera;

Sigma 28-105mm f/2.8-4.0D lens at 28mm

EXPOSURE: 1/160 second at f/8

LIGHTING: Natural light under a white

tent was modified by a 42x72-inch Larson

silver reflector; the backdrop was a Sahara

Civichrome muslin background from Amvona

POST-CAPTURE:Adobe Lightroom 2 for

slight color correction. Adobe Photoshop

CS4 to add Bruleigh’s images of the

swamp, an egret, and the water around

the subject’s ankles. A touch of LucisArt

made the bubble wrap sparkle, and a bit of

Imagenomic Portraiture smoothed the skin.



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SOLITUDE

Lisa H. Carter, Cr.Photog., CPP, of

Sutherlin, Va., says the tree featured

in “Solitude” sits atop a hill on her

father’s farm. “It marks a special

gathering place for friends and family,”

says Carter. “We go sledding when

there’s enough snow, ride horses and

four-wheelers, and all the hunters

gather here in different seasons for

the game that’s in abundance.”

Photography by Lisa Inc. specializes

in weddings and portraits of

newborns, children, families, and

seniors. photobylisa.com

CAMERA & LENS: Canon EOS

5D camera, Canon 16-35mm,

f/2.8 USM lens

EXPOSURE: 1/1,250 second at

f/2.8, ISO 100

LIGHTING: Natural

POST-CAPTURE: Processed in

Adobe Lightroom 3.5 to adjust

contrast and clarity, then PhotoshopCS4 to blend Topaz filter effects

and several texture overlays, one of

them an edge texture overlay from

a scanned vintage photo

PURE OF HEART

Wendy Schicktanz, M.Photog., CPP, photographed

“Pure of Heart” in her home studio in Colorado

Springs, Colo. The subject had been teary-eyed

during the first few shots, but seeing the captures

on the camera back greatly cheered her up. “I had

posed her this way on the ground when she gazed

back at me with this beautiful expression,” says

Schicktanz. “I debated keeping the image in color

to highlight her blue eyes but ultimately decided it

had more impact in black and white.” Captured

Moments Photography specializes in high school

senior portraits. capturedmomentsgallery.com

CAMERA & LENS: Nikon D2X camera; AF-S

Zoom Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED lens at 52mm

EXPOSURE: 1/125 second at f/8, ISO 125

LIGHTING: Main light, Photogenic Solair

Constant Color PowerLight in a Larson soft box

positioned horizontally camera left; fill light,Photogenic PowerLight 600 bounced off a white

back wall and ceiling directly behind camera

POST-CAPTURE:Adobe Photoshop CS5 for minor

retouching, Imagenomic filter for skin softening, Nik

Silver Efex Pro 4 for black-and-white conversion and

adjustments, and Photographic Edges for the border


©Lisa H. Carter

©Wend



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feed back|CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE

I just found Angela Pointon from her

July PPA article on this topic [of Google+].

Great article! I’ve experienced those benefits

she mentioned. I just started on Google+ but

found that as I’ve grown circles to 200 and kept

writing photography blogs, my blog and busi-

ness traffic have thrived. Thanks for sharing.

Mark Treen

SCALED TO SELL

A good deal has been written about

how to get clients to choose a larger print on

the walls of their homes, but nothing is so

effective as the tactic taken by Indigo Photo-

graphic (“My Studio: Indigo Photographic

Inc.,” April). People need a sense of scale, and

this studio provides a 9.5-foot stretch canvas

as its large size. In clients’ minds, a 20x30-

inch print becomes a medium and an 11x14

becomes a small. How different had Indigo

chosen to show a 20x30-inch print as its

largest size. Positively brilliant and made use

of the investment they already have in the

studio and a properly illuminated display wall.

What is seldom known and appreciated is

that on a dollars-per-square-inch basis, there

is an exponential increase in the value of a

print relative to its size. Make a print twice as

large dimensionally and it can sell for more

than four times as much. The prints that

fetch the highest prices at auctions are often

those that are abnormally large in size and

required special processing or even a multi-

panel approach. The people of Indigo have

shown a way for the average studio photog-

rapher to take advantage of this concept with

a minimal investment of time and money.

This type of article is what sets your

tography magazine well above all others in

Bruce St

Thanks, Bruce. Be sure to read “Package

Strategies,” (page 56) for more ideas ab

sales techniques that leverage print size

The E

EMAIL • FACEBOOK • TWITTER • THE LOOP

SEEKING FEEDBACK: If ProfessionaPhotographer is on your mind, tell us wyou’re thinking. Send your questions ancomments via these channels:

[email protected]

facebook.com/ppmagazine

twitter.com/ppmagazine

theloop.ppa.com

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CONTACT SHEETWhat’s New, Cool Events, Interesting People, Great Ideas, Etc.

hio portrait photographers Kristy

Steeves and Karen Smith, M.Photog.,

embraced an opportunity last year todocument poverty in El Salvador for the

humanitarian organization Project 503. They

expected tough working conditions, but noth-

ing could have prepared them for the depths

of poverty and crime they witnessed or the

staggering physical challenges of daily life

there. During two weeks in December 2012,

Steeves and Smith created a portfolio of pho-

tographs they hope will help the organization

raise money for the Salvadorian poor.“When I was in college there was a civil war

going on in El Salvador, and I wanted to cover

it as a war correspondent,” says Steeves. It was

only after she left her 25-year career as a TV

news reporter to become a portrait photogra-

pher that she got the opportunity. The execu-

tive director of the mission asked her to docu-

ment living conditions in the country fo

in fundraising. Karen Smith, a mentor t

Steeves, volunteered to work with her. “I’done any photojournalism before, and I

oughly enjoyed every minute of it,” says S

El Salvador has one of the highest m

rates in the world, thanks in large part t

lent gangs, including the notorious MS-

Before the photographers left on their tr

the U.S. State Department issued a criti

©Karen

Heartfelt

missionHumanitarian project gives photographersa chance to “do something good in this world”

BY LORNA GENTRY

O




travel advisory for the country. “I’ve been

shot at, harassed, and assaulted on the job as

a news reporter,” Steeves says, “so I didn’t

think about the danger at first.” The 503

Project assigned them two bodyguards, who

stayed by the photographers and carried

camera gear to thwart potential muggers.

As thanks, Steeves and Smith took portraits

of their families.

Smith and Steeves stayed at the 503

Project mission center in Nejapa, a short

drive from the national capital, San

Salvador. Over two weeks, they traveled to

several communities, photographing people

living in deplorable conditions, some in

shacks on top of a garbage dump. They vis-

ited a coffee plantation in the mountains to

document the picking, drying, and roasting

of beans; the 503 Project exports coffee and

uses the proceeds to fund two schools and a

food program.

They had only available light in which to

shoot, a challenge indoors—most of the

buildings are windowless—and outdoors

due to heavy pollution. In winter, there’s a

constant rain of black soot from the burn-off

of foliage on large tracts of sugar cane fields.

Dust from the unpaved roads also pollutes,

covering everything, including the photogra-

phers and their camera equipment.

Although it was hard work, Steeves says

she’d do it again. “I was given a chance to

do something good in this world, something

humanitarian, in an effort to help children

in need. What Karen and I saw was heart-

breaking. It was definitely challenging, but

if our efforts help even one child, then it

was worth it.”

To read more about the project, visit the503project.org.

September 2013 • Professional Photograph

©Kristy Steeves

©Kristy Steeves

©Kristy Steeves

©Karen Smith



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Always on the lookout for an iPhone or

iPad app to entertain her 3-year-old son,

Leeann Greer of Greer Photography in

Lexington, Ky., eventually realized she

could make one herself.

“Most of the apps out there are illustrated,

almost cartoons in essence,” she says. “As a

photographer, I thought it would be cool

for children to see other real children in an

app. I wanted to make it a little more real,

take a completely different approach.”

So began I Am, an interactive app fea-

turing 12 vignettes of babies and children

posed in various professions including hair

stylist, fireman, and pilot. Greer found willing

models in clients and friends, and her own son

Trevor posed as a photographer. With the

exception of the banker, who was photo-

graphed in a bank vault, Greer photographed

the children against a white background in

her studio and composited them with scenes

she captured in locations around town.

Greer found a developer to build the

app, which is geared to kids aged 3 to 5. Hot

spots on each page trigger movement and

sound appropriate to the scene, such the

painter naming colors as they are touched.

I Am debuted for $2.99 in Apple iTunes

in April and will soon be available as an

iBook. “I love working with kids, and i

so cool to do something so completely

of the box,” says Greer. “If all goes well,

just do another one, it was that much —Stephanie B

Watch a video of the app online at leeanngreer.com.

(App)titude for techSeizing an underdeveloped niche, Leeann Greer

brings her talents to the kids app market

The interactive app I Am presents vignett

tots as working in various professions.



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CONTACT SHEET

Crank up the volume

Richard Sturdevant’sstrategies for success

Richard Sturdevant, M.Photo.MEI.Cr., has

built a lucrative high-volume business in

photographing high school sports teams,

and he’s tweaked that business model to

sate his creative energy and compete in a

teeming market. Sturdevant will share

some of his profitable strategies at Imaging

USA in January 2014 in Phoenix.

With Sturdevant, even tweaks are out-

sized; for example, photograph three teams

in one day, and generate up to $30,000 in

sales. Create one smashing composite of

the team with custom graphics and text,

print it poster-sized, and sell it in batches

of 300, every single print bearing the stu-

dio name, then see them posted in busi-

nesses around town. In one instance, a

poster displayed in a bank captured the

interest of a Chamber of Commerce official,

which led to a commission for murals and a

very nice payday. Oh, and with his name in

the corner, near billboard-size, it’s like

advertising for free.

Sturdevant’s business model in a nutshell:

He does the photography and design then

he delegates or outsources whatever else he

can. In this model, the clientele isn’t so much

the team members and their parents as it is

the coaches, regional sports authoritie

local high school principals, booster c

and team business sponsors. This is th

crowd with whom Sturdevant network

Sturdevant automates routine wor

tasks and uses design templates to lay

custom products. The final result leve

economies of scale, which keeps his pr

attractive and his studio’s bottom line

Learn more about Sturdevant’s bes

business practices in his seminar at

Imaging USA 2014 in Phoenix, Jan. 1

—Leslie

Richard Sturdevant’s sports compositions

have garnered critical praise as well as

commercial success.

©Richard Sturdevant




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Professional Photographer P R E S E N T S Business, Marketing, and Sales Strategie

What I thin Rachel Williams knowthe secret is delegation

What’s the most valuable busine

you ever got? When I started out, I w

by a successful businessman in r

to always under-promise and ove

I’ve implemented it in my own b

strategy and have it in mind withclient interaction.

How many employees do you hav

have one full-time employee, Am

does our order appointments an

and child portrait consultations.

does some custom design work an

in the marketing projects. Kristen

part-time assistant with newbor

child sessions. She also handles t

Lightroom raw processing, packand various office projects. My h

Joe Glyda, a commercial photog

with his own company, JGP Inc.,

light for me on location and do q

few other projects, such as buildi

In no more than 12 words, how w

you describe your brand? Natur

simple, subdued, true, monochro

neutral, timeless, warm, earthy.

Is there something special you d

the business reaches certain fina

goals? Set new goals!

IMAGE BY RACHEL WILLIA

PHOTOGRAPHICDESIGNSGALLERY



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Q. I’m a highly talented wedding and high

school senior photographer, but I can’t seem

to get potential clients to call me. How can I

boost revenues through marketing?

A. Marketing and networking are essential to

business survival. Photography is readily

available to consumers, so it’s important to

define and communicate what’s unique about

your services, your products, or the experi-

ence you offer.

The first step in marketing is defining your

target client in each of the markets you serve

—weddings and seniors. Determine two things:

Where is she spending time, and where is she

spending money? These factors say a lot about

the client you want to do business with. Find

out what’s important to her and what her

expectations are. Once you’ve determined

who your client is, you can start getting in

front of that type of person. There may be

organizations you need to have a presence in.

You may want to write a blog post for a site

other than your own. How about partnering

with a business that has the same type ofclient you want?

One simple marketing practice is to keep

connecting with past clients. High school

graduations and weddings are once-in-a-life-

time events for most people. (OK, I grant you

that weddings may happen more than once in

a lifetime.) But the point remains: Keep

clients coming back by suggesting the next

logical step. Offer a complimentary session to

the family of senior clients who invested well

with you. Follow up in the spring to find out

what they need for graduation parties. Offer

invitations, thank-you notes, additional walletprints, guest books, and party favors.

Look for referrals from your clients. Contact

the seniors you enjoyed working with and find

out if they have five upcoming senior friends

they would refer to you for a reward.

You can market to wedding clients year after

year by offering a session on their anniversary.

Keep up with couples and find out about tran-

sitions in their lives. Did they adopt a pupp

Have a baby? Touch base with them and le

them know you’d love to photograph their

new addition. Don’t forget about the bride

maids and other connections you made du

the wedding. Send a note letting them kno

how much you enjoyed working with them

and include a gift certificate toward a sessi

Make vendor connections at every oppo

tunity. Give the bride a worksheet and find

out each of the vendors she’s hired, then

begin building a relationship with them bef

the wedding day. People who enjoy workin

with you will refer you to others, so netwo

ing is important.

Waiting for the phone to ring doesn’t w

I’ve been in business for more than 15 year

and it gets harder each year to keep the ca

endar filled. There are many ways to marke

for little or no cost, but it takes a time com

mitment to stay in front of your target clie

Lori Nordstrom, M.Photog.Cr.,

Q. As a sole proprietor, is it more benefifor my studio to be classified as an asso

tion taxable as a corporation or should I

keep it as a disregarded entity?

A. A sole proprietorship can be taxed only

a Schedule C. A limited liability company, o

LLC, can be taxed as a disregarded entity a

as a sole proprietorship or as an associatio

taxable as a corporation. PPA recommends

that if you choose to be taxed as an associ

tion taxable as a corporation, then make an

election to be taxed as an S corporation. In

states that recognize an S election as appli

ble by federal law, S corporations have a mfavorable tax treatment.

Bridget Jackson, PPA Studio Managem

Services Mana

PPA Studio Management Services helps ph

tographers build more profitable businesse

Email questions to Jane Gaboury,

[email protected].

Ask the expertsTalent doesn’t make the phone ring

PROFIT CENTER

GURUS FROM PPA STUDIO MANAGEMENT SERVICES ANSWER YOUR BUSINESS,

MARKETING, AND SALES QUESTIONS. FOR INFO, GO TO PPA.COM/SMS.

September 2013 • Professional Photographer

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PROFIT CENTER: STARTING OVER

BY KALEN HENDERSON,

M.PHOTOG.MEI.CR., CPP, API

As it always has, the English language con-

tinues to evolve. There was a time when my

children said “cool” and it meant I was wear-

ing clothing they found acceptable. Way

back, “hanging out” was about a shirttail,

not a relationship status. I won’t even begin

to address “thong.”

What may be the most alarming develop-

ment to me is the term “marketing” as usedin the photographic community. Yes, it’s been

almost two decades since I graduated from

college (for the second time) with a degree in

communications. I took several marketing

classes, including one with a thorough dis-

cussion on the meaning of marketing. Our

professor insisted that marketing is more

mathematical than artistic and much more

psychological than romantic. The only accept-

able definition of marketing here was: Any-

thing and everything done to promote, sell,

and prepare a product or service for sale.

Today, “marketing” is a largely misused

term. Someone may sell you a template of a

card or a packet of price lists, but they are

not doing your marketing. Creating a

fun card to mail out or a catchy post on

Facebook does not constitute the entire

process of marketing.

Effective marketing is like fishing: You

have to know what kind of fish you want tocatch, where those fish live, and what bait

will bring the bites. If you figure out these

three things, then the money you invest in

marketing will be wisely spent. Our college

professor created a simple experiment to

demonstrate the principle. He made two

sets of coupons, one for $5 off an iron sup-

plement that was popular with senior

citizens and the one for 50 cents off a large

pizza from a popular pizzeria.

On day one, the class moved to the

classics section of the campus library and

the prof asked a librarian to offer the $5

coupon to every student who came to that

section. She managed to foist coupons on

the two students who ventured there within the next hour.

On day two, we moved to the campus

cafeteria, where we asked two popular stu-

dents to hand out the 50-cent coupons. In

less than one hour, the cards were all gone

and the kids were still asking for them.

If college students were our “catch,” we

realized, we needed to be in the eatery and to

use pizza as the bait. Even if we’d used pizza

coupons in the classics section, our “school”

was a mere two fish. The monetary value of

the coupons was irrelevant in this experiment.

In today’s ever-changing world of profes-

sional photography, those who send emails

claiming they can solve your marketing

problems (the bait) with the swipe of your

credit card have done at least half of their

homework. They know photographers are

spending a chunk of time in front of a com-

puter monitor, so the Internet is a fishing

hole with potential.Have you taken the time to identify the

bait and venue for your marketing? As for the

catch of the day, right now many of us feel

we need to take any business that floats our

way, but there is danger in that. One less-

than-ideal job delivered because it isn’t what

you do is a seed for disaster. You think one

unhappy customer is bad—wait until t

customer takes his opinion to the Inter

I’m not trying to take the fun out of

keting, just clear the water. Catchy slog

pretty graphics, and emotional images a

perfect bait when used for a particular

but when cast into unforgiving waters,

like fishing for the great white shark w

earthworm. Marketing as a science haschanged much in the past two decades

has my desire to look acceptable to my

or my choice of summer footwear, now

acceptably known solely as the “flip-flo

Kalen Henderson’s Studio K/Henderson Photography is located in Mt. Pleasant,

Fish taleUsing the right bait in the right place


©Veer



Ablan Gallery Photography

Lake Zurich, Illinois

PROFIT CENTER: MY STUDIO

BY DAN ABLAN, CPP

My wife, Maria, and I started our photography

business in 2008 in the basement of our subur-

ban Chicago home. Having studied photojour-

nalism in college, I had long aspired to do

this. In 2009 we opened a retail studio, and in

2010 we expanded to a private corporate park

location. This year we moved again, doubling

our studio space to 3,000 square feet.

We specialize in high school senior, family,

pet, and commercial photography. Maria takes

care of studio décor and handles clients’

needs during and after their session. I do the

photography and postproduction work as well

as maintain the computer systems. Our busi-ness skills have grown over the years. For

example, by simplifying our products and

pricing, we’ve increased our sales averages.

Educating clients has been key in having great

sessions and higher sales.

Maria has an eye for color and helped create

the high-end, professional atmosphere in our

studio. When clients arrive they see the table of

beautiful products and the image above it, which

is changed regularly to show a current high

school senior. To the left is the reception area.

During and between shoots, clients can

relax in the lounge and view images show-

cased on a 52-inch flat-panel monitor. It’s agreat way to show how images look in a fam-

ily room. We also use this room to meet

clients for pre-session consultations.

A comfortable and private dressing

room is adjacent to our shooting space.

Clients see more examples of our work

when they walk down this hallway to the

camera room.

This is where the magic happens! This

20x30-foot room gives us adequate space for

creating portraits. A doorway leads to a garage

bay, where we shoot industrial-looking images

as well as vehicles. Outside, a grassy wetlandprovides an additional set.

When clients return to the studio to

view their images, we project them on a

120-inch screen complemented by surround

sound. Framing and canvas selections are

also on display. Beyond this is another

hallway showcasing our work that leads to a

kitchen where clients can help themselves to

coffee and snacks.

1

1

3

4

2

5

2

6



3 4

6

5




Q: Christa, tell us a little bit about yourself and your photography.

A: I became infat-uated with visualstorytelling as a child.I’ve been behind thecamera since I was6 years old, whenplaytime includeddressing up with myfriends and takingpictures, very much likewhat I do now. I believethat honoring our bodies,emotions, choices, andimpulses throughphotography—whetherin front of or behindthe camera—is not onlyempowering but alsoprofoundly sexy.

Q: As the author of “The Art of Boudoir” and a pioneer in tspace, what do you think about the rapid growth of this nichebecomes more mainstream?

A: I’m thrilled to see the emergence of non-models seeking beautiful, sportraits for themselves. The rising popularity of this niche mirrors the gacceptance of the average woman next door as the imperfect ideabeauty. There are both men and women photographers taking my ocourse who are learning how to create stunning photographs and succphotography businesses by focusing on what women love about their and celebrating that. I’m so proud of the work being produced by tnew brigade of boudoir photographers who continue to redefine the

Q: How do you use custom mobile apps in your business?

A:We’re always looking for new and compelling ways to surprisdelight our clients. After the order session we give each client her own peized StickyAlbum as an unexpected gift, which is always a huge hit. Additioit’s the perfect answer when booking last-minute clients who need an aweproduct with fast turnaround for time-sensitive events, like a birthday, ansary, or Valentine’s Day. Plus, men love having sexy pics on their mobile d

Awith StickyAlbums

New and compelling ways to delight clients

Q

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images ©Christa Meola

©Mi c h a el C h yl i n sk i

Christa Meola



Q:What are your favorite features?

A: I love how easy the software is to use. There is no learning curve,and it takes only minutes to create a gorgeous album for a client. I alsoreally love knowing who my raving fan clients are who spread positiveword of mouth because I like to reward them as well as stay in touch. Thetracking information available through StickyAlbums lets me see exactlyhow many times an app has been opened and shared.

Q: Photographers from every part of the industry are usingStickyAlbums. But it has turned out to be a huge hit with boudoirphotographers. What makes it such a good fit for boudoir?

A:Most of my female clients don’t wish to post some of their sexierphotos on Facebook, but they do want to share them with their closestfriends in person. StickyAlbums lets them do that while showcasing mywork and brand beautifully and creating positive word of mouth and easyreferrals. For this genre in particular, it’s been an essential and specialpart of sharing pictures with men who are in the armed forces. These menaren’t allowed to have prints, so having these personal photographspassword protected on their mobile device is great for them.

Q: Are there applications for it beyond what you imagined you started using it?

A: Absolutely! A number of my students are using StickyAlbums ivariety of creative ways. Some have created helpful guides for clienregarding what to wear, how to prepare, and where to shop for wardSome of my other photography students are creating coupon booksdiscounts from preferred vendors and retail partners for their clientsstudents are even using them to share and showcase their portfolioinstead of handing out a boring business card or costly printed mat

To learn more about StickyAlbums and how Christa uses them in hbusiness, check out a full video interview with Christa at:

stickyalbums.com/meola

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I want [fill in the blank]. What is it for you:

more equipment, a faster computer, a new

lens? PPA’s Benchmark Survey recommends

the amount a studio should spend annually

on capital expenditures of $500 or more each.

These would include cameras and camera-

related equipment, computers and com-

puter-related equipment, props, backgrounds,

furniture, and fixtures. PPA encourages stu-dios to capitalize these expenditures on the

studio’s balance sheet and depreciate them.

The benchmark for depreciation expense

assumes the studio will depreciate the total

cost of the items in the year they were pur-

chased. PPA’s benchmark recommendations

for depreciation expense are 3.7 percent for a

home studio and 2.2 percent for a retail studio.

In other words, in order for a studio with

gross annual sales of $100,000 to be within

the recommended benchmark for deprecia-

tion expense, home studios can spend no more

than $3,700 and retail studios no more than

$2,200 on capital expenses each year.

I know you’re shaking your head, saying,

“But I can’t buy the camera I want for that.”

We understand the challenge and encourage

you to build reserves for future capital expen-

ditures. In other words, if you don’t incur

capital expenditures in the current year, set

up a cash reserve for the 3.7 or 2.2 percent, whichever is applicable, and save it for future

purchases. In addition to reining in your

capital expenditures, you will become very

aware your studio’s cash-flow management.

Building reserves is mandatory if a studio

is to survive the cyclical nature of a photog-

raphy business. Not only should you build

cash reserves for future capital expenditures,

but you should also build reserves for your

slow season, production costs, and income

taxes. Consider allocating $50 of every deposit

toward some type of reserve. You will be

amazed at how quickly that account will

grow. Your actual depreciation expense in a

given year will far exceed the recommended

benchmarks, but establishing and replenish-ing a capital expenditure reserve will help

smooth out the cash-flow impact of making

these necessary expenditures.

It’s imperative that you plan your capital

expenditures. If you’re an equipment junkie,

setting financial goals—including capital

expenditures—and sticking to them will help

curb your spendthrift urges. “The winner” is

not the one with the most toys, after all.

The current Benchmark Survey saw an

overall reduction in spending, including cap-

ital expenditures, from the previous surv

That’s not surprising considering the fi

cial challenges many studios were facin

2010 when the data was collected. The

power of setting financial goals and ad

ing to the benchmarks helps the studio

tify costs to cut. As the economy contin

to improve, as studios learn to operate

this environment of cautious consume

and as owners start to see their studio’s

financial performance recover, it’s time

build reserves, not spend them.

If you’re not already tracking your finposition against PPA’s recommended b

marks, take advantage of PPAedu.com c

which include videos and webinars to h

explain the how’s and why’s of manage

accounting. If you need additional adv

assistance, email [email protected] for he

Bridget Jackson is manager of PPA StuManagement Services, which provides

ance to photographers who seek more

itable businesses. She is a certified pubaccountant. Reach her at bjackson@pp

Just how tight?Reining in capital expenditures

PROFIT CENTER: MAKING MONEY

BY BRIDGET JACKSON


©Veer



Pinterest is emerging as a leading social

media platform that many of us are logging

onto for personal use. Now it’s time to put

Pinterest to work for your business.

WHAT IS PINTEREST?

It’s shareable digital bulletin board of sorts

that allows you to collect ideas, save URLs,

and share photos, illustrations, and videos.Users “pin” images to various boards they

create and name, which they can use as inspi-

ration, for reference, and to convey a point

of view to the people who follow their boards.

HOW IT WORKS

Pinterest members can collect pins from

other Pinterest users’ boards or pin their own

content to boards with the easy-to-use Pin-

terest browser plug-ins. Users often do both.

Wedding, baby, and portrait boards

galore keep images alive on Pinterest. Many

people pin professional photos they like for

ideas about chronicling their own important

life events. One of the ways Pinterest helps

photographers grow their reach is its simple

one-click “repin” button. When users click

it, an image is pinned and shared with that

person’s followers. If the person who origi-

nated the pin set it up correctly, each pinned

image links to a Web page of their choosing.

Unlike Facebook, which is a closed plat-form, Pinterest opens its content to be

crawled by Google searches. It also allows

you to share your pins across other social

media platforms.

HOW TO USE IT

Go to business.pinterest.com and set up a

business account so you’ll be able to see ana-

lytics such as which of your pins people like

and share the most. Once your account is set

up, you can begin creating boards. Keep

Google searching in mind when you’re nam-

ing boards and using keywords in pins. For

example, “Philadelphia newborn photo

phy” is be better than “Baby pics” for a

you intend to share your images on.

Once you have a board or two started

pinning to them. To make adding conten

ier, visit Pinterest’s Goodies page to dow

and install various apps or Pinterest’s ow

It button: about.pinterest.com/goodie

If you’re concerned about image the

watermark your photographs and add

copyright note to the text field that app

whenever you create a pin.

Pinterest can feel a bit lonely at firs your followers and reach can grow qu

Trust me on this one. At first my Pint

account felt like a ghost town. Now it’

No. 1 source of daily website traffic.

If you’re a photographer serving a l

area, search on Pinterest for other acc

holders who serve the same target ma

as you do. Whether they be florists, ba

stores, wedding dress retailers, or cate

starting a community board and invit

them to join as pinners allows each of

to leverage one another’s followers. It’

massive multiplication of reach that P

est makes extremely easy to obtain. Th

opportunities to leverage Pinterest an

gain more traffic are endless.

When in doubt, read the “Pinterest for

ness” best practices guide. It’s a free down

at business.pinterest.com/best-practice

I post lots of free fun, motivational,

educational content for photographersPinterest, so please follow me at pinterest

steeltoeimages. Happy pinning! I

Angela Pointon advises photographersthrough Steel Toe Images. Visit

steeltoeimages.com and click to add

her on Google+, Facebook, and Pinteres


Sharp way to share your messageHow Pinterest can grow your photo business

PROFIT CENTER: MASTERING MARKETING

BY ANGELA POINTON



Structuring packages that are profitable for

your studio and attractive to your clients

seems to be one of life’s great mysteries.

Speaking with the proprietors of three suc-

cessful studios with very different sales

philosophies, I learned there are many

routes to reaching the same goal.

RIGHT WHERE YOU WANT THEM

Many studios sell both loose prints and

packages, as is the case at Commonwealth

Photography in Chester, Va. “We use our

loose print prices as a way to move our clients

into our packages,” explains Jeff Bowman,

M.Photog.Cr. “Our gift-size portraits (8x10

inches and smaller) are all the same price

regardless of size, so when they move to a

package it comes with a given number of

gift-size portraits. Not only is there a dis-

count on the à la carte price, they get to

determine the image sizes for the package.”

How do they explain the small-print

pricing to customers? Julia Bowman has a

clever yet practical answer: It’s like buying a

blouse in a department store. Whether it’s

an extra small or extra large, the price is the

same. The same amount of work went into

each of them. “As artists we try to make

them value the image, not the size of paper

that it is printed on,” she says.

Psychology also figures into the

Bowmans’ pricing. “Our packages were

created to get customers to land where we

want them,” says Jeff. “The smaller pack-

ages include only a minimal discount and

fewer images. As they move up we offer

them better discounts and more images.”

Another strategy is offering high-priced

packages that make the middle package

more appealing. “Most clients don’t want to

buy the most expensive of anything,” he

says. When customers see packages priced

above their ideal level, it helps them ju

the expense of the middle package.

UP-FRONT COMMITMENT

The Hensons of Adrian Henson Photog

in New Bern, N.C., employ a different

approach. “We don’t offer packages to o

clients at all,” explains Adrian Henson,

M.Photog.MEI.Cr., CPP. “Everything w

is à la carte. Our clients commit to a ce

budget in advance by selecting from th

different minimum required price poin

After the session, clients make purchas

to the entire amount. The upfront ben

the more money spent, the more time

location options they get for the session

The Hensons allow clients to make

ments in three installments. The first t

is due at the initial consultation when t

client books a session, the second paym

due the day of the session, and the third

before the viewing and ordering appoi

ment begins. “Most of our moms are th

ones booking the sessions and visiting

each of the appointments,” says Heath

Henson. They love this payment arrang

ment, she claims, because their husban

lose track of how much they’re spendin

As a rule, says Heather, clients spend

50 percent more than their original com

ment. “They’ve already paid two-thirds

to selecting their images, so what they

above and beyond seems much smaller

GOOD, BETTER, BEST

The Dachowskis—Jeff Dachowski,

M.Photog.Cr., CPP and Carolle Dacho

M.Photog.Cr.—of Dachowski Photogr

in Bedford, N.H., have their own way o

using à la carte pricing to guide clients

making a desirable investment. “It hit m

I was buying tires one day,” says Jeff. “I o

heard the salesperson tell customers thei

BY PETE WRIGHT, M.PHOTOG.CR.PROFIT CENTER


Package strategiesThree studios, three paths to success

In their studio, Commonwealth Photography, Jef and Julia Bowman price loose prints in a way that

makes print packages more attractive.

© C omm on w e al t h P h o t o gr a ph y



choice in tires was ‘good, better, or best.’ Every

time without fail, the client selected better. I

realized people don’t want something that’s

just good , but they’re willing to settle for

slightly less than the best. I used the same

mentality in my pricing.”

The Dachowskis’ à la carte selection has

three items that each come in various sizes:

Traditional (basic paper print), Artisan

(mounted canvas print), and Modern (gallery

wrap). The goal is to get every client to choose

something better than basic. The Dachowskis

take things a step further by discussing the

size of wall portraits not in terms of inches

but in proportion to the piece of furniture it

will be displayed above. “Our Mini, the

smallest wall portrait, measures 16x16,

16x20 or 16x24 inches, all at the same

price,” says Carolle. After the Mini come

Small, Standard, Large, and Grande. The

mid-size portrait is the only one that’s not

described in terms of its size. Instead, its

name is just what many people want—

Standard. This psychology generally steers

clients to purchase a Standard Artisan wall

portrait.

The Dachowskis’ approach carries into the

sales appointment. “We got rid of the plush

couch and living room environment when we

realized that when most people make finan-

cial decisions—whether paying bills or buy-

ing a car or home—they’re usually sitting at

a desk or table,” says Jeff. “Sitting on a couch

relaxing at home, they’re in a different frame

of mind. During the sales appointment

at a table, all of us facing the screen, wi

between the husband and wife.” This t

nique allows Jeff to block physical cues

couple might give each other, like an el

to the side signaling a fear of spending

much. Jeff becomes part of the purcha

decision, an advocate rather than a sales

NO ONE BEST WAY

There is no single best way to create or

packages. Your specialty, client base, ge

graphic market, and competitive enviro

ment will all play a role in determining

what’s most effective for your studio. Sta

creating packages that are easy to explaThis will give you confidence in your p

tation, which will make clients more re

tive to your message. Learn from your

successes and failures, and keep makin

improvements to your sales processes.

goal is to make it logical and easy for cl

to write that check. I

Pete Wright co-owns PW Photographer Sin Richmond, Va., with his wife, Lilian

Instead of packages or print collections, an installment payment plan is the secret to sales success at

Adrian Henson Photography.

Dachowski Photography ditched comfy sofas in the sales room when the studio owners realized

most people make financial decisions at a desk or table.


©A d r i anH en s onP h o t o gr a

ph y



Professional Photographer P R E S E N T S Products, Technology, and Services

What I like Eric Curry always travelswith his artistic license

What’s the best equipment purchase

you’ve ever made? Computers

When you need to move fast, what’s

your most valuable piece of gear?

Hand-held camera

What item of gear are you lusting

after? None. As a professional, I have

long since lost the infatuation with

hardware; it only helps us do our jobs.

What piece of equipment could you

not live without? A color chart

I couldn’t get through the week with-

out my … Cup of coffee every morning

What hot new product are you going

out of your way to use? None, but I

should start to look at Lightroom.

On location, what gear do you find in-

dispensable? Tripod and duct tape

What’s your go-to lens? My 16-35mmzoom lens

What makes your workflow flow?

Adobe Bridge

IMAGE BY ERIC CURRY

AMERICANPRIDEANDPASSION.COM



THE GOODS: ROUNDUP

Stabilizing devices are a foundation for good photography

BY JOAN SHERWOOD

As rock solid as your hold on a camera m

a tripod, camera stand, or video stabiliz

will always exceed your grasp. Such m

ical aids let you expand your creative p

tial by allowing you to push camera se

into territory that would otherwise hav

fearing a loss of image quality.

STOCK STILL

Camera stands are the most solid mea

steadying your camera in studio, but un

recently they were a considerable finan

investment. Tallyn’s Professional Photo

graphic Supply now carries two high-q

yet economical models: the Studio Tita

ital Studio Stand and the Studio Titan

fessional Studio Stand . Both have a mo

for any 3/8-inch threaded ball head or

tilt head. Add laptop and tablet mount

you can shoot wirelessly or tethered. Bo

have a sturdy wheeled base, counterwe

cross arms, and large locking knob. $9

and $1,299, tallyns.com

COMPACT & CONTORTION

The Tiffen Co. sells new tripods from D

Sanford , the Traverse series (pictured)

the Crosswise. Traverse tripods hold u

10 pounds and fold down to 12 inches

more heavy-duty Crosswise features a centerpost that contorts perfectly for lo

ground and macro shots. $124.99 and

$109.99, tiffen.com

FIRST-PERSON SHOOTE

The Vanguard Abeo Pro 283CGH Kit ,

boasts a Technical Image Press Associ

1

2

3

Steady as she goesTRIPODS, STANDS,

& STABILIZERS

1

3


2



Award, starts with a versatile tripod w

system that allows you to move the ce

column up to 180 degrees. It’s topped

a GH-300T grip head with a built-in

remote shutter release control. You ca

the camera shutter without moving yohand from the grip and take advantag

dual panning axes and a 72-click-poin

panning base. $499 after rebate (valid

through October), vanguardusa.com

GET A GRIP

A balancing system that dampens user

body movements is at the heart of the

point SteadyCine Stabilizer from Ador

The result is smooth video with the app

ance of a floating POV. If a shoulder ri

overkill for your level of video usage, th

unit can still save your shots. It comes w

travel bag and two add-on counterwei

and supports cameras up to 5 pounds.

$129.95, adorama.com

TOTALLY RIGGED

Seeking all the bells and whistles you c

want for steadiness, light blocking, and

smooth focus? The Flashpoint All-Incl

DSLR/DV Cinema Bundle ships with

point’s DSLR Shoulder Rig II with Ra

and Quick Release System, a Matte Bo

tem II, and the Follow Focus Pro II wi

clip-on system. It’s backed by a two-ye

warranty. $599.96,adorama.com

WHAT THE COOL KIDS W

The Ready Rig , available through Int

tional Supplies, balances and distribu

weight on your shoulders so the came

floats effortlessly in front of you. Desi

by and for camera operators, the Read

lets you maintain maneuverability to

tion the camera at almost any angle, a

ing you to capture smooth, stable foot

$1,899.99, internationalsupplies.com

4

THE GOODS: ROUNDUP


6

6

5

5

4



PROFOTO D1STUDIO KITSA GREAT WAY TO START!Boasting a generous 7 f-stop power range, action-stoppingshort flash durations, and color stability comparable withthat of a high-end studio generator, the D1 proves thatsuperior performance can be delivered in a compact andaffordable package.

The D1 is also the backbone of the popular D1 Studio Kitand the comprehensive D1 Studio Kit 3 HEADS. The D1 is available in 250, 500 and 1000 Ws versions.Learn more at www.profoto.com/us

Profoto US | 220 Park Avenue, Florham Park NJ 07932 | PHONE (973) 822-1300, profoto.c om/us



Considering the relative ease with which

you can now print images digitally in black-

and-white, the popularity of doing so is

hardly surprising. Manufacturers of print-

ers, inks, and inkjet papers are responding

with ever-improving products. Ilford Imag-ing, for example, recently introduced Gold

Mono Silk inkjet paper, specifically designed

for printing black-and-white images with

either dye- or pigment-based inks. It joins

Ilford’s top Galerie Prestige line of media,

which includes Gold Cotton Smooth and

Textured, Fine Art Smooth and Textured,

Gold Fibre Silk, Pearl, Gloss, Lustre Duo,

High Gloss, and Smooth Fine Art.

The “gold” in the nomenclature may not

be misleading, but the “silk” certainly is.

The surface bears no resemblance to wet

darkroom silk papers. Gold Mono Silk’ssurface is much like that of air-dried glossy

wet darkroom paper, and the weight of the

paper (270 grams per square meter) is

comparable to traditional double-weight

darkroom papers.

You can print color images on Gold Mono

Silk, but the prints are overly contrasted for

my taste; Gold Fibre Silk is a better ch

The black-and-white image files I prin

on my Epson Stylus Pro 3880 (in Adv

Black-and-White Photo mode using

Ilford’s printer profile) are reminiscen

traditional black-and-white wet darkrprints. The resemblance might be even

greater with a dye-ink based printer, b

don’t have one available. There was no

of metamerism in the prints under va

light sources and conditions. Illford a

careful handling of prints made with p

ment ink until the ink is fully dry.

For everyday black-and-white prin

I use mostly Epson Exhibition Fiber;

black-and-white exhibition prints, I u

Museo Silver Rag. I’ve tested many pa

for black-and-white printing, and Gol

Mono Silk has the lowest Dmax and h

est Dmin of any of them. Translation:

blackest blacks, brightest whites, and

smoothest tonal transitions at both en

the scale. Part of this is due to Gold M

Silk’s having a somewhat higher gloss

many other inkjet papers.

The paper’s high Dmin is aided by

cal brighteners. Perhaps those who cri the use of optical brighteners don’t rea

that all the popular high-end wet dark

papers contained them as well. If your

whites extend to 255, 255, 255 in your

color values, you’ll notice the gloss dif

tial where the ink tapers off to the pap

base. This occurs with all glossy and s

THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW

Ilford adds a cool glossy paper designed for black-and-white inkjet prints

BY STAN SHOLIK

HeavyweightILFORD GALERIE PRESTIGE GOLD MONO SILK INKJET PAPER

All images ©Stan Sholik

The surface of Gold Mono Silk is evocative of an air-dried glossy paper from a wet darkroom.




Gold Mono Silk, with its crisp coo tone and deep, rich blacks, complemens industrial images.

glossy inkjet papers, but it's controlled be

te on God Mono Silk han mos othes

ncludng lford Gold Fibe Sk. Gold

Mono Silk is coated on an acd-fee be

base. Unlike ohe glossy inkjet papers, it

lies at ae pnting with mnmum cul

To me, he most stkng charactesc

of the paper is ts deep ch Dmax he dif

feences between a monochome image

pnted on varios nkjet papes can be sub

tle. Yet the depth and richness o the blacksmakes it easy o me to pck ou a Gold

Mono Silk pint fom an aray o pns.

Choosing a backandwhe nket

pape is as personal as choosng a ad

tiona backand-whe wet darkoom

pape. Ceran mages look bette on one

pape than anothe o a varie of easons

Pns of modern steel and glass achiec

te indstal poducs meals and

glossy prodcts al looked appopriate

pnted on Gold Mono Silk I was ess

pleased wth he look o my food and

ower images which seemed too cod and

clnica. O course, usaly pnt these on

a wame tone paper o a moe appoach

able look, so expected that you ae

making black-and-white inkje pints

God Mono Silk is a welcome addion o the aalable optons •

Stan Sholi is a commercial/advetising photoapher in Santa Ana, Calif, special-izng in still l� and mac photophyHis latest boo is 'hotoshop CC: Top 100

ips and rcs" (Wiley Publishing).

September 23 • Professoal Photogaph



I’m writing this review on a 27-inch iM

In front of the iMac is a full-size keybo

to the right of which is an Eizo CG dis

and a Wacom Intuous 5 tablet. To the

of the keyboard suspended above the

is a fourth-generation iPad. The table

supported in a Wallee case connected

Tether Tools Wallee Connect, which i

turn is supported by a Manfrotto Mag

Arm and Super Clamp combination

secured to the edge of the desk. I use t

iPad to check email, look up things on

Web, and (with the Adobe Nav app) a

palette for Photoshop tools and menu

Being new to tablet-based comput

I held off buying one for several reaso the biggest reason being that I hadn’t

ured out how to use it effectively as a t

while shooting. The 2013 Hot One Aw

winning CamRanger app opened the

by giving me a way to control Canon a

Nikon DSLRs remotely. Other apps so

beckoned, but one hurdle remained: H

to attach the tablet to something secu

and elegantly so I could free my hand

other work and not worry about it fall

or being stolen.

Enter the Wallee, the product of a

design studio called Studio Proper in

Melbourne, Australia. I love its minim

design and versatility. A thin, protecti

hard shell wraps around the back and

edges of the tablet. There are cutouts f

all the controls, the speaker and micro

phone, the rear-facing camera, and th

headphones port. For all practical pur

poses, installing the device in the shellsecurely locks it into place.

There’s an X-shaped opening in the m

of the back that’s used to attach it to va

mounting accessories. Mounting is sim

Line up the Xs, turn the tablet 45 deg

and the Wallee is locked to the mount

a solid click. There is no front cover fo

THE GOODS: MOUNT

With the right case and mount, your tablet can be a hard-working tool

BY ELLIS VENER

Safe and snug WALLEE CASE & TETHER TOOLS CONNECT

The Wallee case holds

an iPad securely, and

the Connect devicefrom Tether Tools

attaches to it, giving

you several ways to

attach it to a camera

stand or tripod. Here it

is mounted via a

Manfrotto Magic Arm

and Super Clamp

attached to the tripod.

A l l i m

a g e s

© E l l i s

V e n e r



From lef to ight: Manfoto Super Clamp and Magc Am suppoing an Apple iPad in Walee cove with(unseen) Tete Tools Connec, the iPad is g te Adobe Nav app o Photoshop CC; LaCie 500GBpotable dve; Dobo 5D; 192 Niko F2 with od Lesay weirdness; Xrite Po; Xte Dispay Po;27" Apple Mac; exa Fiewire 800 CF cad eade Eizo CG 222W display G MDiisk capaleDVD/Blu-Ray drive in a case; M-Disc DVDs; Wacom Intuous 5.

screen, so I use an Apple Sma Cover

At s I worried abou he Walee's lack

of paddng, but by the tme you ead this,

the Studio Prope Po Bumper accessoy

l be avaable It s o be a ugged, dop

andbumpproof second skin made of

shockabsobent slcon ha can be peeled

o quickly, accordng o the company

One thing the Wallee s not is a heay

du, water-resstant, alound enclosure

such as he Oerbox Defender and Armor

sees, he Gin Surivo, he LifePoof

nd and smilar desgns

Studo Poper makes sevea Walee

accessories; mounting devces ncude

desk sands, a hand srap, wal mounts,

a car moun fo backseat passenges, a

rpod mount, and othe ools to extend

poduciv and the way you interac

ih a tabe.For my needs, the most ineresng

mount is he Connect made by Tethe

Tools Is a single piece of mlled ar

cagrade alumnum ha gives you

four ways to aach he Wallee o camea

sands and tripods: theaded receives for

sandard 1/4-inch and 38-nch scew

mouns; a receiver for mounng decty

on anthing ith a standad 5/8nch

dameter stud and ArcaSwisscompatble

uck-release clamps. Wih hese mount

ng opons, he Connec tuns the Walee

no a ruly usel too fo woking

phoographers

Hang he Pad mounted to a suppo

makes t easy o use the CamRangers

live-iew ncon, which alows he clien,

the subject, and slsts o ook at what the

camea is seeing befoe you snap he shu

ter I also makes i easie to see what I m

dong as Im adusng he lightng and

proppng sill ife subects If you shoo

ideo, here are apps ha turn an Pad nto

a eleprompe o a capperboad and shot

log. Teher Tools makes oher aachment

and securng devces for he Walee and fo

laptops, too, bu fo my money the Connecs wha makes he Walee a better case

The Walee and accessoes (lke the

Connec and Pro Bumpe and othe

mounting souions) ae availabe at

ehertoos.com and local dealers Prce

$39.95 for ll-sze ablets, $3.95 for

smale tables •

Septeme 2013 • Pofessonal Potogap



THE COODS: PRO REVIEW

Natural wood grain adds a distinct textureand style to your print presentation

BY BETSY FINN, M.PHOTOGCR

HandcrafedWOODSNAP

It seems photographers are always on he

lookout fo he nex new iem to wow cliens.

If yo'e looking for somehng boh new

and eco-susainabe, WoodSnap may neres

yo WoodSnap prints are peces of woodmprnted wth a phoograph hey emind me

somewha of maque a process in whch

paerns are creaed from various maeals

and pieced ogethe ino a wood venee

The eco-friendy part of the poduct s

he companys susanable manfactrng

pocess and s poicy of pantng a ee fo

every wood prn sod

igure 1

68 • wwwppmagcom

The WoodSnap webse oers a nmbe

of suggesions for maxmizing he eec of

s wood prns he mos impoan of

whch is to emphasize hgh-key composi

ons and save owkey mages for ohermeda The gan of he wood wil come

hrogh he most n he igh aeas of he

pnt I decded to submit a pn that

wod es hose lmits to see how wod

look. I seeced an mpressionsic paned

scene with a ange of tona vaes

Odeng my prn was simpe. Pace the

WoodSnap prodcs in yo shoppng cart

seec he le yo want pinted, and

to he site WoodSnap aso podes

emal addess you can aach your e

yo have trouble with uploading as I

with my trave aptop That mehod

woked bt l denely take advan

he upload-o-ca featre n the r

When he wood pint arrved on my

doorstep, it was n excelent condon

WoodSnap hadnt gone overboad on

packagnganohe eco-pus

The edges of the wood prin ae be

for a oaing eect. On the back of the

pnt are two roued gooves fo hangi

prposes one fo vertcal dsplay onehozonal (ige 1).

The print aved with a screw, a p

anchor and hangng instctions Yo

need to use sudy hanges; WoodSna

pins ae inchthick sold wood (Fi

Overal, I was pleased with he qua

his poduct I handed the coor and

of my non-dea image nicely You can



the wood grain in he dak green areas and

even moe so in e lighte sy (Fige 3).

One slight concen ad was about the

edges of the print. The wood a he edges

looked lke it mght beak o siver if an-

dIed caeessly. A few ips on cae: Wood-

Snap pints need to be hung indoos and

away om direc snight. e srface is

wate esistan, b I woldn't hang the

prin n a athoom. Do not se chemicals

to clean it

WoodSnap pnts are avaable in szes

fom 8x8 to 0x40 inches Reai pices

ange fom $195 to $29995; wholesale

pricing is avalae fo phoogaphes andoter pofessionals Typcal trnaround is

thee o ve siness das For more info

vist woodsnapcom •

Bey Finn, MPhotogCr, has a pOrait studio in Dexe Mic, and she bIogs at besnn. com.

Figure 3

September 2013 • Professional Photogaph



I read an article recently about how to start a

photography business and be successful even

with no photography experience or tools

beyond a camera phone. That’s an extreme

example of what is going on in our industry

but certainly not the only misleading mes-

sage we’re seeing online and elsewhere.

With his newly published book, “Photog-

raphy Q&A: Real Questions. Real Answers,”

Zach Arias provides a breath of fresh air with

his valuable insights for people starting out in

photography as well as those already estab-

lished. Last year, Arias challenged hims

answer 1,000 questions posed by follow

his blog, Photography Q&A—Ask Me A

THE GOODS: BOOKS

Outspoken Zach Arias turns a personalchallenge into an insightful lesson

BY THEANO NIKITAS

Real answersPHOTOGRAPHY Q&A


New Riders Press, 2013

newriders.com

$29.99 (CAN $30.99)

zarias.tumblr.com; zacharias.com/blog

REAL QUESTIONS

A: I used to be really shy. I’d open up onlywhen I really got to know someone. When Ifirst got into photography, the camerabecame this magic box that I could hidebehind, but I was still shy and had a hardtime talking to strangers. If I was takingphotos then it was the camera that broughtme to that place. Not me. Myself—Zack—Iwas too insecure to open doors to places.

Then it came time to market myself asa photographer and I couldn’t do it. I didn’tknow how to talk to strangers. I sure ashell didn’t know how to “sell” myself. Itwas a mess.

My life fell apart. I left photography. I gota day job. Life went on. Then I had a chanceto be a photographer again. I quit the day job,and it was then up to me and my camera.

Well, I learned that my camera didn’tsell me. I put my identity—who I was as aperson—in that camera. I learned the camera

had no personality. It was just bits of pand metal. I also learned that promotmaterial and web sites didn’t do a lot

Q: I watched the DigitalRev episode

of the Pro Photographer/Cheap

Camera challenge that you were fea-

tured in. My question is, how did you

get so good at talking to strangers

even when you don’t speak the same

language? Is it a personality trait or did

you develop it from shooting a lot?

On DigitalRev, Zack Arias was challenged to create art with a Kodak Easyshare C142 point-and-

camera and an old Nikon flash. “It was a crazy day and one of the most enjoyable photographic

I’ve ever done,” says Arias.

©Zack Arias


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/professional-photographer-2013-09 71/132September 2013 • Professional Photograph

thing About Photography. People did, and they

continue to, allowing Arias to exceed his goal.

His book covers 106 of those questions

and answers, with bonus information in the

foreword by Sacha Lecca (senior photo editor

of Rolling Stone magazine), tons of photos,

and more real-life advice from Arias.

The topics of the questions are as varied as

you could imagine. Some are about hardware

and software, one asks about the value of enter-

ing photo competitions. That one generated

a two-and-a-half-page response. Arias has

strong opinions, and he doesn’t mince words.

He’s also kind and funny. He generously shares

his experiences and accumulated knowledge,

including that gained in his salad days.

The book is an easy read; in fact, it’s so

engaging that you almost don’t realize how

much you’re learning. You may want to start

at the beginning and read through, but chances

are, like me, you’ll skip around to the ques-

tions that interest you most. The book isn’t

about just cameras, settings, and software,

although there’s plenty of that. There’s also

practical, step-by-step advice on becoming a

pro soccer photographer, pricing, soft boxes

and grids, branding, marketing, and more.

Perhaps the shortest answer here is in

response to the question, “Do you ever give your

clients the raw files?” I had to look closely to

find the answer on the almost blank page. The

answer, in case you haven’t guessed, is “no.”

Arias doesn’t shy away from the emo

tional or personal: “What do you cheris

most about your early days?” is answere

the book. He also responds to a photog

pher (whose marriage is falling apart) w

he asks how photography cost Arias his

marriage.

I’m savoring this book, taking it in li

by little. When I have a question of my

I anticipate finding an answer in these

I’ve learned a lot from Arias’ candid ans

Not every topic is applicable to me, but

those that aren’t, I still can find a valua

kernel of knowledge. I

Theano Nikitas is a freelance writer an

photographer.

my business on their own. I had to sell

myself; I had to get out there; I had to talk

to people.

My ability to pay my rent is directly tied

to my ability to talk to people.

My ability to direct posing and get the

best out of my subjects is directly tied to

my ability to talk to them.

I realized one day that if I was going to

make it as a photographer then I was going

to have to get over my insecurities and my

shyness, and get out there and talk tostrangers.

It’s like standing on the high dive. You

know you aren’t going to die. It isn’t going

to kill you. But you are still intimidated by

jumping off that thing. It still scares you.

You can climb down the ladder and not

make the jump and live another day, or

you can get over your fear and … live

another day.

I started putting myself in social and

networking situations that forced me

to talk to people. I was broke and hungry

and needed work, so I had to go out

and find it. If jumping off that high dive

meant I was going to pay my rent thatmonth, then I needed to find the cour-

age to jump.

I learned how to jump. I learned how to

talk to strangers. I learned who I was as a

person—who I was without a camera. I

don’t hide behind it anymore. I can talk to

anyone now. I don’t even care if we don’t

speak the same language—I can talk.

A: Most of that cheap eBay stuff is garbage.

You get what you pay for in photography. I

have found that there are things that are

cheap and there are things that are inexpen-

sive. You could end up spending thousands

of dollars on cheap gear before you found

the things that are inexpensive. What’s

the difference? “Cheap” ends up not being

worth the money you spent. “Inexpensive”

is actually finding a good deal.

Cheap things fall apart, break, or are so

quirky you can’t deal with them. Inexpen-

sive things don’t cost a lot of money but

they work well. Alien Bees are inexpensive.

Those kits you find on eBay for the price of

one Alien Bee strobe? Cheap.

Besides, you don’t need all that crap

that comes in the kit. Three crappy lights

are not better than one good light. Two

crappy soft boxes are not better than

one good umbrella. Yes, the whole kit

seems cheap but you need to realize that

all of it is cheap. The lights will suck. The

stands will suck. The soft boxes will s

You’ll spend a bit more to get one

light, one good stand, one good modi

and one good trigger. It will cost mor

it will take you 1,000 miles further do

your path than that piece-of-crap “ki

eBay. Seriously. Take my word for it.

A: Substance over style. Content ov

technique. If you shoot for style and w

hot in the industry today, you will quic

find your work looking dated, and you

hopping on one popular bandwagon a

another. If you begin shooting what i

“hot” right now, you’re already a year b

the trend. As soon as you have that hot

style down, the world has moved on t

next thing that you will then be trying

emulate and, yet again, will already be b

on. Content and substance always wi

Brooks Brothers vs. parachute pan

Excerpted from “Photography Q&A by Zac

Arias.” Copyright © 2013. Used with permi

of Pearson Education Inc. and New Riders.

Q: What is your opinion about the

really cheap lighting kits you can find

on eBay? I can find an entire three-

light kit with lights, stands, and

modifiers for about the same price as

one name-brand light alone.

Q: Style over substance or sub-

stance over style? Which is the mimportant thing in a photograph?



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mages ©Kelly Dobson



Comfortable in her skin

Kelly Dobson builds a foundationfor baby portrait business

BY JEFF KENT



elly Dobson,

CPP, wasn’t always

an award-winning photogra-pher with a stable client base and com-

fortable referral pipeline. Over the

past three decades, her career

has taken a few twists and

turns as she tried out

different specialties then discovered her strength

lay in wedding and portrait photography. But

the 2012 Michigan Photographer of the Yearhas never tried to shortcut the path to success.

Dobson landed her first job as a newspaper

photographer right out of high school. After get-

ting married and starting a family, she transi-

tioned into forensic and evidence photography,

then medical photography, both of whic

vided steady work and regular hours and n

of which provided creative satisfaction. BuDobson used that experience to learn as m

as she could. She practiced her techniqu

attended seminars. She studied the great

ters in specialties such as landscape phot

phy, photojournalism, weddings, and por



When her kids got a little older, Do

elected to get back into more creative

tographic work. She got her feet wet b

assisting an established wedding phot

pher for a couple of years before bran

off on her own. Then her diligence, tra

ing, and practice began to pay off. “I g

very comfortable in my own skin as an

artist because I had a very solid found

in the basics,” says Dobson. “I knew th

Monte Zucker style of posing and ligh

which at the time was the standard by

most portrait work was compared and

what most photographers were doing

learned how to read the light in any g

situation and come up with consistent re

Dobson had learned photography ocameras and was accomplished in the

room. The Digital Revolution was revv

up just as she was starting her own stu

and the changes were intimidating at f

Then she had a chat with a one of her f

mer photography instructors, someone

had known of one her idols, Ansel Ada

He told her that if Adams were alive to

he’d be all about the new technology. T

was enough for Dobson. She took a Ph

shop class, got comfortable with the ne

technology, and recaptured her love of

making. Today, printing her own work

big part of her brand.

Dobson did wedding photography

several years, and as so often happens,

wedding clients had families and calle

baby portraits. That work grew steadily

entirely through repeat business and ref

“Being a wedding photographer for

many years made it really easy to segue

newborn and baby photography,” she s

“I have a pretty loyal following. By the

my clients come in for a newborn sessio

have already been through the trenche

wedding, and the relationship is already

Many of my wedding clients are still wi

years after the wedding and three kids



My hook to make them come back again and

again is guilt; I remind them that the adorable

baby portraits I did for their first child must

be done for the second and third, otherwise

down the road you will get the ‘Mom loved

you more than me’ complaints. It works.”

Dobson’s photographic style relies on her

relationship with the client. “Making treas-

ured photos requires conversation and being

authentic,” she explains. “I can’t photograph

a key moment in someone’s life without know-

ing them on a personal level. There must be

a connection first. Most often, before a ses-

sion starts, I’ll sit down with my clients and

find out what’s going on in their lives. I have

often laughed and cried at the stories I’ve

heard; sharing their struggles and triumphs

makes my job even more satisfying, mean-



ingful, and creative.” Dobson encourages

input for the session from the client, though

she’ll guide the shoot based on what she

thinks will work best.

She loves photographing newborns but

finds the most inspiration in working with

6- to 9-month-olds. At this age, they are old

enough to react and put on adorable expres-

sions but aren’t yet walking. “I enjoy the cre-

ativity of newborn sessions, but they are largely

driven by the set,” she says. “I prefer the ses-

sions with older babies because the images

become much more about their personality

and the interaction with their parents.”

Dobson gets the most out of a baby ses-

sion by preparing some ideas and a loose

concept. She remains ready to change gears

if the baby isn’t responding. Working in a

900-square-foot retail studio space, in Ply-

mouth, Mich., she sets up several scenarios

in advance so she can switch from one por-

trait concept to another fluidly. “Most babies

don’t like to be stuffed into things like flower

pots and wooden buckets, even though it’s

super cute,” she says. “It doesn’t take long to

figure out which babies will tolerate being

manhandled a little and which ones will

only tolerate being held by a parent.”

To capitalize on the loyalty and strong

relationships she builds with her clients,

Dobson started a baby’s first year club, which

includes five sessions. At the end of the year,

she prepares an album of the best images

from those sessions. Other big sellers include

wall collages and gallery wrap collections, as

well as custom-designed birth announcements.

She makes every announcement from

scratch, doing all the designing and printing

in house on an Epson Stylus Pro 7890. No

two are the same. The announcements dou-

ble as advertisements for her studio wh

they go out to clients’ friends and fami

With capabilities such as custom pr

design, in-house printing, and the skill

honed over more than 30 years, Dobson d

feel much threatened by the legions of

shoot-and-burn photographers. Yet wi

Michigan being one of the hardest-hit

by the recent recession, she’s had to be fl

in her pricing and creative with her inc

tives. That’s made the difference betwe

surviving and making a healthy profit.

will be interesting to see how the world

photography will evolve in the coming y

she says. “I think it’s best to embrace th

changes for all the creative opportunitie

offer. Moving forward and constantly l

ing is how I plan to tackle the future.”

See more from Kelly Dobson at kellydobsonphotography.com.



visit kelbytraining.com to subscribe

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images ©Barbara O’Brien



Barbara O’Brien is no chi when it comes to animal wran

BY AIMEE BALD

COMMERCIAL

SUCCES



nowing how to work with an ornery subjectis a challenge most photographers face

eventually, but for some, the bar

is just a little bit higher. The

most formidable per-

sonalities that show up on Barbara O’Brien’s set?

Bulls. A commercial and editorial photographer

specializing in animal photography, O’Brien rises to

the challenge of working with a virtual Noah’s ark



through a combination of animal training

expertise, technical skill, and most impor-

tant, a lifelong love of animals.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

While lots of kids beg their parents for a

pet, not all of them muster the determina-

tion of the young Barbara O’Brien growing

up in suburban St. Paul, Minn. When her

brothers’ allergies prevented her from hav-

ing a pet, she walked neighbors’ dogs and

invited stray cats home on the sly.

With a passion for animals and an inde-

pendent streak, O’Brien realized early that she

wasn’t cut out for a regular job. “I quit or got

fired from jobs, and when I was 21 I decided

I needed to run my own business,” she

She channeled her energy into a ca

training animal actors for film and ad

tising, founding an agency called The A

Connection. Being on set with animal

sparked an interest in camerawork, an

2007 O’Brien began photographing the

mals herself. “I find photography to be



times more exhilarating than when I’m on

the other side of the camera,” she says.

O’Brien got technical training from three

Minneapolis photographers and was soon

in demand with clients who valued her rare

blend of animal expertise and photographic

style. “I knew how to market, where the

animals were, and how to get the best

behavior from them,” she says.

Hosting shoots in what would have

passed for heaven in her childhood imagi-

nation doesn’t hurt either. O’Brien and her

family live in the rolling hills of Stockholm,

Wis., along with the many animals they’ve

adopted. Her 60x40-foot barn doubles as a

studio, and today O’Brien’s clients include

household names such as Purina, 3M, and

Target. She does editorial work for Country

Living and other magazines and licenses

her stock images to an international clien-

tele. Her first book, “Dogface,” will be pub-

lished by Viking Press next year.

A HERD OF HELP

O’Brien doesn’t surround herself with a coterie

of animals alone. She often works with a crew

of people she credits with contributing to her

success. In addition to photo assistants, a

production assistant, a digital tech, and a

set stylist, she hires animal wranglers and

fitters (the hair stylists of the animal world).

O’Brien and her husband produce the shoots,

and she books the animal talent through

her extensive network of owners and train-

ers, holding casting sessions and visiting

larger animals on location to find the right

talent.

Her ability to book the perfect animal for the job is a great advantage for her clients. “If

they say, ‘We need a chicken that can jog on

a treadmill. Is that possible? I can say, “Why,

yes it is,” says O’Brien, laughing. She also has

an eye for the ideal animal to take a starring

role. If you need a bovine diva for a Purina

shoot, she says, “It has to be a really good-




looking cow. She has to be at a certain

of lactation and have a certain shape t

head and loins.” Personality matters,

choose dogs that have outgoing tempe

ments and can handle it,” she says. “If

they’re afraid of the strobes or of peop

why put them through it? With livest

it’s just a matter of knowing where to

the ones that have been handled well

humanely. They’re not afraid of peopl

they’re curious and happy,” O’Brien s

‘‘’’

I choose dogs that have outgoing

temperaments and can handle it.

If they’re afraid of the strobes or of

people, why put them through it?



Rapport with the subject on set is as

important to O’Brien’s work as it is to any

portrait photographer. “Animals know I

truly like them, and that’s really key,” she

says. “An animal won’t look good if he’s

unhappy or scared or nervous.” Of course,

it’s easier to make friends if you have a few

goodies in your pocket. O’Brien and her

wranglers keep a bag at hand that’s stuffed

with treats, toys, brushes, and noisemakers

that attract specific types of animals.

O’Brien shoots in both her barn studio

and the open air, usually renting strobes such

as a Profoto Pro-7b kit as needed. “I get the

fastest strobes my client can afford so that

we can freeze motion,” she says. “Even when

animals are sitting still, they’re moving.” When

they’re moving really fast, say galloping

across a field, strobes fall by the wayside, so

creating a lighting setup becomes a matter

of checking the weather forecast, choosing

the right location, and knowing the best

time of day for natural light. O’Brien sched-

ules a weather day for big outdoor shoots.

For sessions with small animals, she some-

times uses studio space in Minneapolis.

BROWNIE POINTS

O’Brien also heads into the city to meet

with clients and potential clients. “I like

to go to smaller advertising markets

like Kansas City and Omaha,” she says. “I

drive down there with a carload of home-

made triple-chocolate brownies made

with eggs from my very own hens and real

Wisconsin butter. I call the agencies and

say, ‘I’m in town, I’m from Wisconsin,

and I’ve got brownies. Can I show youmy book?” It’s a winning approach.

“You get work because you’ve shown

up; you’ve made the effort,” she

says. “They remember you

because of your brownies and

hopefully your work.”

That’s not to say O’Brien

neglects newfangled approaches to marketing.

“I work really hard at SEO,” she says. “If you

look up ‘animal lifestyle photographer’ I’ll come

up first or second.” Her online marketing bene-

fits mainly her stock photography sales. She

raises her international profile by showing her

work on a select group of influential websites,

like Behance.com. O’Brien values social net-

working highly. “Facebook is huge for me,” she

says. The comments and likes she gets on her

photographs help her monitor market trends.

Whether she’s online

with an art director

or on set with

a charging

bull, O’Brien’s keen interest in getting

know her fellow creatures and unders

ing their perspective has brought her s

cess. It’s a spirit that someone doing e

a regular day job would do well to cult

vate. Not that O’Brien herself would e

take one. After all, she asks, “How cou

you have a job where you don’t get to

with animals?” I

See more of Barbara O’Brien’s work atbarbaraobrienphoto.com.

Aimee Baldridge is a cdeveloper, author, ed

and writer based New York.



“We stress simple textures and monochromatic color schemeswith not a lot going on the in

background. It’s all just baby.”

—RACHEL WILLIAMS


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/professional-photographer-2013-09 95/132September 2013 • Professional Photograph

I f there’s one thing Rachel Williams, M.Photog.Cr.,

wants everyone to understand about her newborn

photography, it’s that safety is her primary concern

In fact, there’s almost always a supporting arm or hand

be digitally removed in postproduction. If there’s not a han

actually on the teeny subject, there’s one at the ready inches



“We never, ever put a baby on something

and then step back,” she says from her

Tulsa, Okla., studio, Photographic Designs

by Rachel Williams. She spent years work-

ing in photography studios after college,

but it wasn’t until Williams opened her

own studio in 2006 that she ventured into

the newborn market. Her instant love of it

took her a little by surprise.

“This is something I found, a love I didn’t

even know I had,” she says, crediting a new-

born workshop by photographers Kelley

Ryden and Tracy Raver for leading her to it.

“They really are the ‘newborn whisperers.’

That workshop kick-started everything.”

Smitten with that soft skin and those dainty

features, Williams developed her own shoot-

ing style, striving for simplicity through nat-

ural hues and textures to guide the viewer’s

focus to the baby. She managed to craft a style

that would define her in the marketpla

“My goal is always to take what I’ve

learned and do something different wi

she says. “We stress simple textures and

monochromatic color schemes with no

going on the in background. It’s all just b

Williams keeps props and setups mi

with a muted color palette that empha

downy cheeks and rich, smooth skin to

“We do take client input, and you w

the occasional image that’s more bold

colorful, but we’ll still try to keep it as sim

possible,” says Williams. “If we’re using

reds or blues, we’ll try to keep that colo

monochromatic, with one prop item.”

As supporting props, Williams uses

heavy-duty platters and bowls, things th

support the weight of an infant withou

of breaking. Anything in a portrait that

fragile is usually added in post. A family

loom or decorative item from the baby’s

ery are welcome to personalize the ima

“Once a woman brought in a bunny

made from her great grandmother’s m

coat,” she says. “Just the bunny and the

speaks volumes. Those kinds of things

me as excited as the clients because the

so unique and personal.”

Williams’ husband, commercial pho

rapher Joe Glyda, made a few of her fav

props, including a rocking horse and sw

and she has a growing collection of antiqu

beds, baskets, and cozy blankets. In im

where the baby appears to be suspende

basket or on a swing, a stool is used benea

prop to keep it still and stable. The sup

is removed later with the use of Photosh

all times, her assistant, Kristen Glaze, is there spotting the blissfully unaware b

“Kristen has been with me for two ye

we don’t even really need to speak to ea

other in the session,” says Williams. “We

what the other is going to do. Having an

tant for every newborn is so important

if we have multiples, we always pull som



‘‘ ’ We can’t always control baby , but we can control everything

in so we have someone spotting each baby.”

Working with babies 5 to 10 days old

means Williams’ clients must plan and book

their session at least 60 days in advance of

the due date. Williams leaves a day open in

her schedule around the projected date to

accommodate surprises, which, with babies,

is almost the norm.

Babies this new are pretty sleepy, which

makes them easier to pose. “Posing each baby is so different,” says Williams. “Some

babies keep their fists clenched and don’t

like to relax their fingers. Some don’t like to

be on their tummies as much, but we strive

to tweak everything as perfect as we can get

it. We go with what the baby enjoys most.”

Williams, who counts families, children,

and high school seniors among her portrait

subjects, designed her new studio primarily

for newborn sessions since other client ses-

sions are typically held on location. The tem-

perature in the studio is kept warm during

sessions, and she uses constant lighting to

mimic natural window light. “We’re usually

exhausted after a newborn shoot, just from

the heat in the studio,” she says.

Sessions can last two to three hours; sheand Glaze generally spend the first 15 to 20

minutes just getting to know the baby. “I’m

always amazed at how different their per-

sonalities are, even this small,” she says.

“Some like being patted and some don’t.

Some like swaddling and some don’t. Some

don’t mind being moved and some do.”

Because she has already spent time b

ing trust with the parents, they usually

in the consultation room during the ph

session and catch up on email, read a bo

grab a few precious winks of sleep. Clien

often comfortable enough to step out for

knowing that their child is in the care o

watchful and experienced professional

“We do recommend parents not be

room because they can get worried if thgets fussy or hungry, and if they’re anx

we’ve noticed the baby can be anxious,

says Williams. “Newborns have the str

telepathy and they pick up on so much

With the consultation room right next

it’s easy for parents to peek in and to re

sure themselves that all’s well.



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Building trust is why Williams considers

the pre-session, in-person consultations to

be all-important, especially with new clients

or first-time parents.

“We tell them all about our safety precau-

tions, that we wash everything with baby

laundry detergent after each session. We

even purposefully let our clients see us using

hand sanitizer right in front of them. Every-

thing is about reassurance and keeping

them relaxed,” Williams says.

It all goes back to maintaining a con-

trolled environment and managing parents’

expectations. And safety. Always safety.

“We can’t always control baby, but we

can control everything else,” she says. I

See more of Rachel Williams’ work at photographicdesignsgallery.com.

Stephanie Boozer is a freelance writer inCharleston, S.C.



Getting a photography degree is a big deal.You know who else thinks so?

- R L Q 3 3 $ W RG D \

S H U P R Q

Your

clients!

My degrees assure my clients

they’re dealing with a qualifed

photographer who’s at the top

o her game. Couple that with

excellent customer service and

unique, quality products and

you have a great reason to

charge top dollar or your work."Wendy Newman, M.Photog.Cr., CPP

The main reason for you to start preparing for degrees or credentials is b

might be the reason a client chooses you over the competition. And more t

will boost your self-confidence as a photographer. The added training and

will prepare you for any situation and give you the backbone to produce qu

no matter what.

And where’s the best place to earn a photography degree

PPA has one of the largest merit & degree programs in the industry. And

PPA is a non-profit, the program is only there to help you be more.

Only a fraction of photographers actually hold a degree or other phot

credential. The potential for you to grow is enormous. Events, courses

competitions put you a step ahead of others, bringing you an added m

and positioning advantage, while also garnering you recognition from

community and from clients alike.

You too can be more. Join PPA to start earning merits and accelerate yo

to photography excellence. Find out more about PPA merits and degree p

ppa.com/degrees

+ H U H ŐVZK\

BE MORE



on’t shoot me with your shotgun

—I’ll be taking pictures of this

bicycle,” said photographer Eric

Curry to Chester “Chet” Takahashi, his

uncle-in-law and the owner of the farm

where Curry was doing a photo session for

“Country Bicycle.” In these parts, he might

be mistaken for a hooligan. They shook hands

and parted ways.

Curry went to gather supplies. The frame

was to include a hot light on the subject, a

weathered cabin, a dusk-tinged sky, and, most

important to Curry, tufts of lush wild grass.

Four hours later and trusting that no lead

would be flying, Curry returned to a sur

“My uncle, being the sweet, older m

that he was, got out his lawnmower an

all the grass down. This beautiful, foot

grass that I was going to be very carefu

about placing the bike in, out of which

step adroitly to get a photograph of th

All images ©Eric Curry

“D

F I N E A R T

Americana personifiedEric Curry documents scenes from a bygone heartland

BY WILL POLLOCK



‘‘ ’ As I create this series and I look at these people’s integrity

it would be offensive to tell their story and then steal

a prettier sky from a sunset when I was on vacation in Hawaii

unusual pristine environment. All in con-

trast with the grass, and the glowing

orange bike, with the blue walls, and the

twilight and all that stuff.” For the next

four hours, Curry pulled up clumps of grass

from areas that hadn’t been mowed and

propped them into the set. “I never told

my uncle,” he says.

“Country Bicycle” was one of the first in

a personal series of photographs he was

doing. This one required some unforeseen

artifice, but Curry prides himself on telling

true stories. His project, “American Pride

and Passion: A Photographic Celebration

of Our American Spirit,” began as a tribute

to Chiyoji Takahashi, his father-in-law.

“He was a farmer in central Califor

and I visited him for about 10 years w

was dating his daughter,” says Curry.

after we got married he announced he

cancer and passed on very quickly afte

that.” Curry chose to express his cond

lences to the family by making photog

at the farm.



“There were literally 60 years’ worth of

abandoned tractors on the property, so I

photographed them all,” he says. His expe-

rience with industrial photography gave

him the foundation he needed, he says, and

perhaps his heightened curiosity as well. “I

came in as an industrial photographer and

before that an advertising photographer

doing trick photographs, special effects,

and multiple exposures.” Photographing

those tractors on the abandoned property

was the culmination of all that experience.

He made a commitment to be true to

the subjects of his pictures as well as to his

own conception. “All the people in my pho-

tographs, with the exception of one or two,

are indeed the actual people who work with this hardware and do these things,

whether they’re the employees, owners, or

volunteers. I’m trying to tell their story in a

single frame,” says Curry.

A television documentary might begin

with the capture of many thousands of feet

of footage, which is then edited into 45

minutes of airtime, he says. “I’m trying to

do the whole thing in one frame, so there

are allowances. There is artistic license.

There is compactness of time and space.

“As I create this series and I look at these

people’s integrity, it would be offensive to

tell their story and then steal a prettier sky

from a sunset when I was on vacation in

Hawaii,” he says. “When I put all these pieces

of equipment together, including all the

energy and time from volunteers to help me

create the scene—I think it would be an

abomination to say, ‘Hey, this is really great,

but I think a red submarine’s prettier.’

“Well, that’s asinine,” he adds. “I’ve

often had the experience that I wish people

were better looking. I wish I had better

light. But we don’t always get those things.

I take a very heavy artist license, but they’re

documentary in nature.”

Curry cites the work of O. Winston Link,



Eric Curry is looking forward to leading a session at Imaging USA

in Phoenix in January 2014. “I want to inspire photographers and

non-photographers,” he says. “If somebody’s joining their wife

who’s a photographer, or somebody’s 17-year-old attends, I want

to engage all of them. I like to make my shows enjoyable and inter-

esting for everybody, not just photographers.”Curry will take attendees through his 44-image collection

“American Pride and Passion.” “By carefully composing and light-

ing these real-life objects, and with the help of volunteers, I’m

striving to interpret them as metaphors for values of character,

honor, integrity, and pride, exemplified by the people who work

with this equipment on a regular basis.”

The photographer will show how important it is for photographers

to know their subjects and honor every detail of what they do. “We’ll

jump into snapshots of the location and the people in the pho

graph and how I got their permission,” he says, adding that the im

“Dive! Dive! Dive!” is intended to spur questions. “How deep

the submarine go? Who built it and what was their motivatio

It’s been a business for 27 years for the man who built the su

rine. He doesn’t make a lot of money, but that’s his passion.”The first part of his presentation focuses on technique, th

ter will open the bigger picture of shooting remarkable scenes

Americana and understanding its impact on people.

“It’s not about me as a photographer,” he says. In the cas

“Dive!” he adds, “it’s about this guy with an incredible passio

build a submarine and use it as a business for the last 27 years

the American dream. It’s about engineering and going to college

about passion. It’s about all of this stuff. It’s not about what lens

the renowned steam-locomotive photogra-

pher, as his inspiration. Link created scenes

that were impossible to capture in one frame

yet reflected the spirit of the subject. View-

ers’ impressions, he adds, should reflect the

enormous effort of the subjects and volun-

teer help he gets in setting up his scenes.

Curry acknowledges that he asks a lot of

his audience. But, he notes, “I’m not mak-

ing stuff up. It’s the real deal.” I

Americanprideandpassion.com showc Eric Curry's portfolio.

Will Pollock is a freelance journalist a photographer in Atlanta.

TAKE A DEEPER DIVE AT IMAGING USA



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SPORTS & EVENTS



hen Jon Allyn, M.Photog.M.Artist.Cr., CPP, F-ASP,

got into sports photogra-

phy, he wanted to do it right. Already an

established professional, Allyn knew it

made sense to continue providing the same

level of service he was known for in his Mil-

waukee portrait and commercial business.

He decided this new venture would centeron custom-made sports-themed artwork.

CATCHING IT

Despite the embellishments that go into each

finished piece, the heart of Allyn’s art remains

a well-crafted photograph, so the first step in

his sports art is capturing compelling action.

The vantage point and camera angle arcritical when trying to capture the expr

on the subject’s face. In soccer, for insta

players keep their eyes trained down on

ball, so Allyn gets low and shoots upwar

view of the face is better, and the player

imposing. Shooting from that angle also

distracting sideline elements out of the f

A l l i m a g e s © J onA l l yn

W

S P O R T S

The sporting lifeJon Allyn tackles the sports business with customized artwork

BY JEFF KENT



The best sports portraits come from photo-

graphs with plenty of action or implied action.

Ideally, the image includes an opponent for

some perspective and captures a key moment

in the game. Sometimes the reaction to that

moment is compelling, such as the crowd

cheering a home run or the players of the

winning team leaping onto the field.

POST-GAME REVIEW

Allyn begins the digital phase of his artistry by

selecting the background colors and textures

for the foundation of the composition. A

palette of warm, muted tones generally works

best in clients’ homes. In the next layer, he

extracts the subjects and blends the remain-

der of the image with the colored base layer.Next, Allyn downplays distracting back-

ground elements and severe tonal differ-

ences. The tonal contrast of the subjects are

then manipulated on separate layers to

enhance depth and interest.

Allyn says it’s crucial to preserve the

integrity of the moment captured, so he never

manipulates the primary subject. Adjusting

background elements to support the composi-

tion doesn’t alter the reality of the moment.

For example, he might change the tones of a

Elements of nature don’t always cooperate with

everyone’s schedule, but Allyn can work with that.



background subject’s clothing to create a

better overall composition.

Next, Allyn marries the layers into a sin-

gle composition, blending the opacity to

achieve the desired unified tonality.

Many customers are happy with the art-

work at this stage. It is photo-realistic yet

enhanced and artistic. Others want a more

interpretive work of art, one with authentic-

looking painting techniques applied in Corel

Painter. These finished works can include

individual brush strokes for a fine-art effect.

Enhancing the captured background with warm,

muted tones appeals to buyers.



WORKING THE CROWD

Allyn’s relationship with a school or sports

program begins by working with coaches and

booster clubs. Booster club parents are rous-

ing cheerleaders for businesses that support

their cause, and Allyn participates in their

fundraising initiatives. He always asks, “How

can I help you raise money or get what you

need for your programs?” He offers to make

some kind of contribution, such as launch-

ing a promotion to raise money or donating

a specialty product for auction.

Allyn targets only a few schools in his area.

He used a demographic study to identi

communities in which families have th

quate discretionary income to spend fo

custom art pieces. “That’s just commonsense in business; if you are trying to se

upscale product, you must have upscal

potential,” he points out.

Once he’s an insider at the school, h

deep to demonstrate his commitment t

initiatives and establish himself as a res

for an array of teams. “It’s a good strate

choose a particular school, show strong

alty to that school, and soon you’ll be co

ing more sports at that school,” says Al

“Most families have more than one chi

and those children play more than one

so you naturally break into new sports an

teams through your work for the famil

Allyn then reaches out to other scho

the same athletic conferences. The team

play each other frequently, so there are


Allyn’s portraits suppress elements that distract

from the sports action.



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many cross-marketing opportunities. Allyn

also notes an innate competiveness among

parents, particularly from rival schools, to

outdo one another in ordering bigger and

better portrait products featuring their kids.

BIG-TICKET SALES

“The goal is to have a personalized con-

versation with your client,” says Allyn.

“Almost no one I’ve come across has

thought about this kind of work. They

just think in terms of game photos but

not sports art. Once they realize the impor-

tance of the piece as a family heirloom,

they become emotionally attached.”

Positioning sports art as a family heir-

loom means changing clients’ perceptions

about sports photography. When you suc-

ceed, those clients tend to invest substan-

tially. Allyn focuses on selling large-scale

wall decor, often in unconventional sizes

scaled to fit specific spaces in clients’

homes. His print and canvas sizes include

15x40, 30x30, 22x28, and 24x36.

Allyn also has great success selling

gallery wraps, collages, and albums. When

shooting for an album or a collage, he sug-

gests clients buy a number of scene-setting

shots, much like at a wedding, includi

elements such as score boards, equipm

stadium overviews, even head shots.

Overall, Allyn’s products are akin t

those offered by family and senior por

photographers. The key, says Allyn, is

sonalizing everything so that clients k

they’re buying unique pieces of art cre

exclusively for them. “When you let pe

know that you are working hard to giv

them the best product for them, they

become loyal clients forever,” he says.

See more of Jon Allyn’s sports art at theartofthesport.com.




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FRPYOUR SUCCESS IS OUR BUSINESS

Let’s get creative!

You know, when I was

younger and told, “Ralph,

you can be anything you

want to be.” I would respond,

“I want to be a professional

baseball player!” When I

was a kid, I loved everything

about little league baseball.

My coach would hit usJURXQGHUVDQGʐ\EDOOV

before batting practice.

These days, my wife Cindy

and I love to go to games

to watch the pros. We get there early and guess what they

DUHGRLQJ"&DWFKLQJJURXQGHUVʐ\EDOOVDQGWDNLQJEDWWLQJ

practice. They take millions! They practice, practice and

practice some more. Take note professional photographers!

One aspect of your craft (and business!) that you need

WRFRQVWDQWO\ZRUNRQLV\RXUFUHDWLYLW\:KLOH,ʏUPO\

believe that creativity is part of someone’s being, I think Jay

Stock, M.Photog.Cr., said it best, “Some can see, some can

be taught to see and some will never see.”

I feel I belong to the second group because I continue

to study every day. I posed the question of creativity to two

PPA photographers that I consider to be very inspired.

Richard Sturdevant, M.Photog.MEI.Cr., who constantly

wins awards at the International Photographic Competition

for his uber creative images and the only PPA member that

has ever received a score of 100 on all four of his entries

said,

“Creativity is within me, I have to create or I’m

cranky. I don’t care if it’s Crayola’s, pencils, chalks,

an air brush or a camera—I have to create.”

When asked about who and where he goes for

inspiration. He said he especially enjoys the work of Thom

Rouse, M.Photog.MEI.Cr., CPP, and Ben Shirk, M.Photog.

(PPA members since 1998 and 2004 respectively).

Then I called Darton Drake, M.Photog.Cr., whose work

I have always found artistic and different. “Dart” said he

loves to study the old masters like Alfred Steiglitz, Edward

Steichen and Julia Margaret Cameron. He suggests not just

looking at their portraits, but also reading their biography.

Try to get into their head and see what they are all about.

Even after 43 years as a professional, I continue to be

a student every day. I try to spend an hour each morninglooking at websites of different photographers I admire. A

good place for you to start is by looking at our Imaging USA

speaker’s websites.

Also, once you’re actual ly at Imaging USA (yes, you’d

better go!) you should spend some time going through the

International Photographic Competition (IPC) print and

digital exhibit. You’ll notice that the images are divided into

General, Loan and Master’s Loan collections. These are the

creations that have earned one and some two merits toward a

Master of Photography degree.

At the IPC exhibit you might also see images of a

member(s) of the American Society of Photography (an

DIʏOLDWHRI33$PHPEHUVZLWKGHJUHHVWKDWKDVHDUQHGKLV

her fellowship degree. These members display a collection

of 25 of their images along with a thesis.

Don’t try to copy what you see, but get inspired by it.

Those who have the passion and love for our profession will

use their inspiration to excel.

Good, better, best

never let it rest

‘til the good is done better

the better is done best!

This was taught to me in eight grade and I have tried to

live by it ever since.

Now do yourself a favor and take time to go create

something beautiful!

PPATODAYSEPTEMBER 2013

PRESIDENT’SMESSAGE

Ralph Romaguera Sr., M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, F-ASP. :: 2013-2014 PPA President




GREAT MINDSDON’T THINK ALIKEA LOOK AT HOW PPAMEMBERS SUSTAINCREATIVITYBy John Owens

By its very nature, photography is a creative

profession. But it’s not the camera that has the

creative mind—it’s the person behind it.

Even just taking that step to become a professional

photographer shows a desire to create. But since you’re

a professional, it’s not just a “pick up the camera when

the mood strikes you” kind of thing. For professional

SKRWRJUDSKHUVFUHDWLYLW\PXVWVWHDGLO\RYHUʐRZ

Does it seem daunting? Maybe it should, maybe it

shouldn’t—but it’s reality. If you hit a creative rut, so too

will your passion and production. Creativity is the driving

force of your business and your livelihood. You’ll always

have your go-to poses and signature techniques, but it’s the

new that keeps you pushing yourself to be more.

6RWKHTXHVWLRQLVKRZGR\RXGRLW":HʏQGLW

fascinating, so we wondered aloud on theLoop how you

SKRWRJUDSKHUVPDQDJHWRNHHS\RXUFUHDWLYHMXLFHVʐRZLQJ

and we received some surprising and inspiring responses.

How do you nurture your creativity?Whether it be looking to the past or future, a movie or an

art gallery, the great outdoors or a sermon, one thing seems

clear: For photographers, it’s hard to turn that shutter off. In

fact, it seems the most common way to boost the creative

mojo is to bring the camera along.

“I think there is always room for more creativity,

and for those of us selling photographic art in galleries,

it’s absolutely essential,” said Dennis Chamberlain,

Cr.Photog., CPP.

For Chamberlain, the owner of DC Photo Artistry in

Corrales, N.M., creativity seems to come unconsciously.

“For naturally creative people, ideas pop up when

least expected, like during a dinner conversation or while

GULYLQJȎKHVDLGȍ,ʏQGZDWFKLQJPRYLHVLQWKHWKHDWHU

really inspiring. I get so many creative ideas due to the

inspiration of the sights, sounds and drama of the movies.

The only issue is remembering them after the show!

“Overall though, the best thing for me is to work late

at night, alone in my study, with music. I have a playlist

WKDWJHWP\FUHDWLYHMXLFHVʐRZLQJ(YHU\RQHKDVWKHLURZQ

LQVSLUDWLRQDOWULJJHUVȆLWȊVMXVWDPDWWHURIʏQGLQJWKHPȎ

For Ron Jackson, owner of Ron Jackson Artistry in

Little Rock, Ark., it comes from his imagination and a lot of

time spent in front of the computer.

“I dearly love my client work, I enjoy the post-

processing just as much as the shutter clicking,” said

Jackson. “But my favorite thing is my personal work. I often

take a photo with the sole purpose of working up a vision in

P\KHDGRU,ZLOOFRPHDFURVVVRPHWKLQJLQP\ROGʏOHVWKDW

suddenly inspires me. I then begin the process of creatingthat vision in the computer.

“Sometimes I will take an image that is nothing more

than a snapshot and challenge myself to see if I can make

something really special out of it. I have two images that I

spent over 200 hours on because I could see potential. I can

get lost sitting in front of my computer just creating. It’s

what I often do to just relax. It’s always about the challenge

and it’s how I learned most of my Photoshop skills.”

Yonkers, N.Y., photographer Eugene Lugo heads into

the wild, sometimes after a fresh view of a familiar place.

“I meander,” he said. “I take my camera and one or

two lenses, jump in the car and take the roads less traveled.

Sometimes I return to places I have already been to and

photographed, but it almost never fails. I will see something

I missed before.”

Sometimes it’s the eye of the beholder that changes the

view, but other times it’s what he’s looking through.

“I try to see things as if I am seeing them for the

ʏUVWWLPH6RPHWLPHV,EULQJDQXOWUDZLGHOHQVZKLFK

dramatically shortens my camera to subject distances.

Other times it will be a macro or a telephoto lens that ends

up in my camera bag. Pushing my creativity is always an

adventure that I look forward to!”

Jason Grass heads even further out there, seeking to

nurture in nature—sometimes in the nude.

“Portrait and wedding work bore me if I do too much

of it,” said Grass, co-owner of Mystic Photo Studios in

)RUW)DLUʏHOG0DLQHȍ,QHHGDQHYHQEDODQFHWRNHHSPH

IURPJRLQJVWDOHDQGP\ʏJXUHQXGHZRUNKHOSVPHDFKLHYH

that. I have taken models out to the most remote locations

IRUDʏJXUHQXGHVKRRWDQGUHDOO\OHWORRVHZLWKWKHSRVHV

Sometimes those shoots have a religious connotation, others

they will focus on the dynamic of bringing the urban (the

model) into nature.

ȍ3HUVRQDOO\,ZRXOGORYHWRRQO\GRʏQHDUWʏJXUH

work, but I’ve still got to pay the bills!”

Collingswood, N.J., photographer Michael Ali (thismonth’s Face of PPA) looks, well, everywhere.

ȍ0\EXVLQHVVSDUWQHUDQG,ʏQGLQVSLUDWLRQIURP

everyday life,” he said. “Being a fan of movies and books, I

love getting my ideas there, while my partner has a fashion

PPAMEMBERNEWSLE

TTER




background. We work well together and are able to infuse

our ideas to create art.”

Ali also continually seeks fresh techniques.

“The way I keep from getting bored is by keeping

myself educated on everything photography related,” he

said. “I search for new ways to post-edit, new locations to

shoot and new ideas on posing. That’s what keeps the ʏre

burning inside of me to become better every day.”

Mark Treen, owner of Treen Media in Kingsland, Ga.,

digs deep for his source of creative guidance.“For me, it’s when I sit down Sunday morning to listen

to my pastor’s sermon,” he said. “I end up listening with

about 10 percent of my brain, while the other 90 percent is

brainstorming some completely new creative project. I have

a great amount of clarity and vision during those 35 to 40

minutes, and I document it all on my iPad.

“Once I have my ideas, I actually look at the process

like a math formula,” he continued. “This also helps me

work out the bugs. When I realize my knowhow (or lack

thereof) is going to prevent me from accomplishing it, I

know what to learn next.”

Bob Coates, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, uses personal projects

to fuel his creativity.

“We all get into photography for the most part because

we love the joy of seeing what comes from our experiments

with the camera and post-processing,” he said. “Then we

kind of get lost in making money, marketing, sales, web

design, etc... So I will often make myself an assignment and

follow through until it’s complete.

“It could be to force myself to ask someone with an

interesting look to allow me to photograph them. It could even

be to raise money for charity or support a group I admire.”

Coates, also an author and educator who has been

sharing his knowledge with other photographers for over

15 years, has put his money where his mouth is and more,

dedicating his art and talents for these charitable projects.

“In honor of my dad’s passing, I’ve actually done two

projects to raise money for my local Meals on Wheels,” he

said. “I created an image of 89-year-old hands holding a

bible, which led to creating a calendar of stylized ʐowers in

a project called Flowers for Food.”

What’s next?

It’s up to you where to ʏnd that extra creative boost, but one

thing seems clear: Don’t put the camera down. Of course, ifyou need a little help, PPA offers a wide variety of beneʏts

that you can leverage to feed your creat ive hunger.

You could star t with PPAedu, and ʏnd a personalized

curriculum to grow your skills and your business. You could

really push yourself and create new images with one of

PPA’s many photographic competitions in mind. You could

even start the search for creative ideas as easily as seeding

a conversation on theLoop, PPA’s social network. But the

biggest source for creative inspiration comes in January at

Imaging USA, PPA’s annual photography convention, where

countless opportunities are available with more than 10,000

of your photography peers.Whatever route you wish to take, ʏnd the strategy that

works best for you, and then ʏnd another one, and keep on

going. Just remember, when inspiration strikes you—do

something about it.

“As I look back, I ʏnd that the most strides I’ve made

in moving forward were due to just playing,” said Coates.

“Trying things and not worrying whether they were ‘right’

or not. Yeah, playing... that’s been the t icket. I’m off to my

computer now—a couple ideas I want to try out just popped

into my head.”



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September 2013 • Professional Photographe



n 2004, when Annette Barr, CPP, opened

a studio in her hometown of Ottowa,

Ill., she wanted to get involved in the

community right away. The owner of an

adopted shelter dog, Barr connected with

the Pet Project, a local no-kill animal shelter.

It was a natural fit in the passion for the

humane treatment of animals.

The Pet Project had a fundraising pro-

gram centered on a cutest pet contest. People

sent photo prints to be displayed at a local business, and anyone could cast any number

of votes for 50 cents each. All proceeds—

usually $200 to $300—went to the shelter.

When Barr got involved, she immediately

revamped the contest. She began offering

professional pet portraits of each contestant

and featured the top 12 vote-getters in a cal-

endar to sell as an additional fundraiser. In

its first year, the contest brought in 30 con-

testants and proceeds of some $2,500.

Barr wasn’t satisfied. Next, she rallied

corporate sponsorship of the calendar, dra-

matically reducing the charity’s production

costs. She also raised the per-vote price to

$1. Then she implemented a $25 entry fee,

which buys pet owners a professionally

made 5x7-inch portrait print of their pet. All

the contestants are featured on a poster that’s displayed at her studio and at a car

dealership about 20 miles away. The top 12

vote-getters still land in the special winner’s

calendar with the top vote-getter pictured on

the cover. This year, Barr and the Pet Project

implemented online voting via PayPal at the

Pet Project website.

The increased promotion and highe

bility have drawn significantly more en

In February, Barr photographed two gu

pigs, three cats, and 78 dogs, all in a fou

period. The top vote-getting pets broug

more than $800 each, and every anima

the calendar pulled in at least $300 in

So far this year, the contest has raised m

than $10,000. Barr expects to raise an

tional $2,000 in calendar sales this fal

A byproduct of Barr’s charitable ef

is business growth. “Now when people

think of pet photography, they think ome,” she says. “It’s become a natural fi

contest has drawn visits to the studio b

people who would have never come in

erwise. It exposes them to my work an

opens me up to a new audience, which

led to new bookings.”

Business development as a result o

nonprofit work is great, Barr stresses,

your motives for getting involved in a

ity must be sincerely altruistic. You’ll b

making a healthy investment of your t

and labor. Her advice is to follow your

heart. “Choose a charity that you are p

sionate about, be it pets or a health ca

related cause, whatever strikes a chord

you,” she urges. “If it’s not a good fit a

you’re not feeling it, people will notice

feels right, people will notice that, too

appreciate you for your efforts. In the

run, it pays off in so many ways.” I

Learn more about the Pet Project at petprojectinc.org. See more by Annet

Barr at annettebarrphoto.com.


goodworks | Images wield the power to efect change. In this monthly eature,Proessional Photographer spotlights proessional photographersusing their talents to make a diference through charitable work.

The Pet ProjectANNETTE BARR RAISES FUNDS FOR A NO-KILL ANIMAL SHELTER

Share your good works experiencewith us by emailing Joan Sherwood

[email protected].

©Annette Barr

I



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