Professional Photographer February 2009

©Anna Kuperberg

FEBRUARY 2009 | WWW.PPMAG.COM | $4.95

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P ROF E S S I ONA L

EDITORIAL

director of publications

CAMERON BISHOPP [email protected]

Love is in the air

senior editor

art director/production manager

JOAN SHERWOOD [email protected]

DEBBIE TODD [email protected]

ART THRIVES DESPITE THE CLIME

features editor

By the end of 2008, there seemed to be a global atmosphere of

LESLIE HUNT [email protected]

manager, publications and sales/strategic alliances

gloom. Roz Chast deftly illustrated it in a cartoon in the December

editor-at-large

15 issue of The New Yorker titled, “The All-Crisis Network.” Flanking the imaginary station’s broadcast lineup, panic-stricken characters cried, “Somebody tell me it’s all a bad dream.” “Can’t somebody stop this madness?” “No, no no!” “I simply can’t take it!” So enough already, I thought, letting out an anemic smile.

sales and marketing assistant

JEFF KENT [email protected]

CHERYL PEARSON [email protected]

technical editors

circulation

ANDREW RODNEY, ELLIS VENER, DON CHICK

MOLLIE O’SHEA [email protected]

director of sales and strategic alliances

If that cartoon lifted a corner of the gloom, the contents of this issue of PP ripped it away completely. For one thing, this is our wedding issue. The faces of the brides and grooms proclaim that love is alive and worth celebrating, that affairs of the heart matter at least as immediately as the affairs of state, that the future is full of promise. The images themselves—the fact of the images—prove that money is not so tight as to preclude spending what it takes to have a professional photographer beautifully document the momentous occasion of the wedding day. The images vividly show as well that art thrives in spite of the clime; the success of California wedding photographer Jose Villa proves that people will pay full value for it. Editor-at-Large Jeff Kent gets the story from Villa, beginning on p. 62. And if there’s competition among artists for that full-value pay, “It encourages us to be more original,” says Bay Area wedding photographer Anna Kuperberg, whose optimism remains undaunted (p. 82). The relentless progression of technology leaves many of us breathless and bewildered, but wedding photographer Suzy Clement simply applies it to the basics, and in a way that doesn’t show (p. 80). Atlanta photographers Whitney and Jesse Chamberlin, who tellingly named their studio Our Labor of Love, combined technology with a vintage photo product and a raucous sense of fun to bring a space of their own making to the wedding reception. They call it the Smile Booth. Intrigued? Turn to p. 74. � Leslie Hunt Features Editor [email protected]

4 • www.ppmag.com

KARISA GILMER [email protected]

SCOTT HERSH 610-966-2466; [email protected] western region ad manager

eastern region ad manager

BART ENGELS 847-854-8182; [email protected]

SHELLIE JOHNSON 404-522-8600, x279; [email protected]

editorial offices

Professional Photographer 229 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303-1608 U.S.A. 404-522-8600; FAX: 404-614-6406 Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthly subscriptions

Professional Photographer P.O. Box 2035, Skokie, IL 60076; 800-742-7468; FAX 404-614-6406; email: [email protected]; Web site: www.ppmag.com member services

PPA - Professional Photographer 800-786-6277; FAX 301-953-2838; e-mail: [email protected]; www.ppa.com Send all advertising materials to: Debbie Todd, Professional Photographer, 5431 E. Garnet, Mesa, AZ 85206; 480-807-4391; FAX: 480-807-4509 Subscription rates/information: U.S.: $27, one year; $45, two years; $66, three years. Canada: $43, one year; $73, two years; $108, three years. International: $39.95, one year digital subscription. Back issues/Single copies $7 U.S.; $10 Canada; $15 International. PPA membership includes $13.50 annual subscription. Subscription orders/changes: Send to Professional Photographer, Attn: Circulation Dept., P.O. Box 2035, Skokie, IL 60076; 800-742-7468; FAX 404-614-6406; email: [email protected]; Web site: www.ppmag.com. Periodicals postage paid in Atlanta, Ga., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Professional Photographer magazine, P.O. Box 2035, Skokie, IL 60076 Copyright 2009, PPA Publications & Events, Inc. Printed in U.S.A. Article reprints: Contact Professional Photographer reprint coordinator at Wright’s Reprints; 1-877-652-5295. Microfilm copies: University Microfilms International, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthly for $27 per year by PPA Publications and Events, Inc., 229 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 2200, International Tower, Atlanta, GA 30303-1608. Periodicals postage paid at Atlanta, Ga., and additional mailing offices. Acceptance of advertising does not carry with it endorsement by the publisher. Opinions expressed by Professional Photographer or any of its authors do not necessarily reflect positions of Professional Photographers of America, Inc. Professional Photographer, official journal of the Professional Photographers of America, Inc., is the oldest exclusively professional photographic publication in the Western Hemisphere (founded 1907 by Charles Abel, Hon.M.Photog.), incorporating Abel’s Photographic Weekly, St. Louis & Canadian Photographer, The Commercial Photographer, The National Photographer, Professional Photographer, and Professional Photographer Storytellers. Circulation audited and verified by BPA Worldwide.

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CONTENTS PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER FEBRUARY 2009

Features 82

WEDDED BLISS Anna Kuperberg discovers her calling in artistic wedding photography by Jeff Kent

62

WEDDINGS: BEFORE THE MOMENTS

Jose Villa prepares for the spontaneous instant Interview with Jeff Kent

68

WEDDINGS: RETRO GLAMOUR

John Russo recreates Hollywood’s Golden Age in bridal portraits By Jeff Kent

74

WEDDINGS: LABOR OF LOVE

Whitney & Jesse Chamberlin are free of the shot list By Stephanie Boozer

80

WEDDINGS: CLASSIC ROCKS

How Suzy Clement solidified her studio identity By Stephanie Boozer IMAGE BY JOSE VILLA

CONTENTS PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER | FEBRUARY 2009 | WWW.PPMAG.COM

14

FOLIO

92

CALENDAR

97

PPA TODAY

114

GOOD WORKS

©Suzy Clement

Departments C O N TA C T S H E E T 20 America, 50 years later:

Robert Frank’s landmark road trip by Lorna Gentry 22 National model contest announced 24 New copyright landscape 26 “21 Nights” with Prince:

Images by Randee St. Nicholas

PROFIT CENTER 29 What I think: Jose Villa 32 Trademark 101:

Is your studio name really yours? by Samuel Lewis 38 Facebook: network with seniors

by Lindsay Adler 40 Our price is right—finally

by Rebecca & Michael Zoumberos

THE GOODS 43 What I like: Anna Kuperberg 44 Pro review: Nikon D700

by Ellis Vener 48 Product roundup:

Presentation products by Alice B. Miller 52 Software: PhotoFrame 4,

Professional Edition by Mark Levesque

80

After realizing that trying to stay on top of every trend would never work,

Suzy Clement took time for introspection, analyzing every aspect of her business, from her shooting style to her Web presence. As a result, she found a solid footing on which she could build her brand and her future in photography.

8 • www.ppmag.com

58 Pro talk: Still and video converge

by David Ziser ON THE COVER: As a fine arts graduate student, Anna Kuperberg never envisioned becoming a fulltime wedding photographer. But after establishing a multi-faceted photography business in San Francisco, Kuperberg realized that shooting weddings was the most enjoyable, creatively fulfilling and lucrative work she was doing. She keeps it fresh by being responsive to the emotions unfolding around her.

6400: Maximum low-noise ISO setting of the new Nikon D700. 0: Quality low-light shots you’ll ever miss again.

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chairman of the board *JACK REZNICKI Cr.Photog., Hon.M.Photog., API [email protected]

Professional Photographers of America 229 Peachtree St., NE, Suite 2200 Atlanta, GA 30303-1608 404-522-8600; 800-786-6277 FAX: 404-614-6400 www.ppa.com

2008-2009 PPA board president *DENNIS CRAFT M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, F-ASP [email protected] vice president *RON NICHOLS M.Photog.Cr., API [email protected] treasurer *LOUIS TONSMEIRE Cr.Photog., API [email protected]

12 • www.ppmag.com

directors DON DICKSON M.Photog.Cr., CPP [email protected] SANDY (SAM) PUC’ M.Photog.Cr., CPP, ABI [email protected]

DOUG BOX M.Photog.Cr., API [email protected] DON MACGREGOR M.Photog.Cr., API [email protected] industry advisor KEVIN CASEY [email protected] legal counsel Howe and Hutton, Chicago

RALPH ROMAGUERA, SR. M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, F-ASP [email protected] CAROL ANDREWS M.Photog.Cr., ABI [email protected]

PPA staff DAVID TRUST Chief Executive Officer [email protected]

SUSAN MICHAL M.Photog.Cr., CPP, ABI [email protected]

SCOTT KURKIAN Chief Financial Officer [email protected]

TIMOTHY WALDEN M.Photog.Cr., F-ASP [email protected]

CAMERON BISHOPP Director of Publications [email protected]

SCOTT HERSH Director of Sales & Strategic Alliances [email protected] WILDA OKEN Director of Administration [email protected] DANA REEVES Director of Marketing & Communications [email protected] LENORE TAFFEL Director of Events/Education [email protected] BING ZENG PPA China Managing Director [email protected] SANDRA LANG Executive Assistant [email protected]

*Executive Committee of the Board

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Nick Didlick on location at the Great Wall in Beijing using a Nikon D700™ and a Lexar Professional UDMA 300x CompactFlash card.

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folio|

Comprising images selected from the files of the PPA Loan Collection, Folio is a monthly sample of award-winning photography by PPA members. The Loan Collection is a select group of some 500 photographs chosen annually by the PPA print judges from more than 5,000 entries.

©Gregg Wurtzler

GREGG WURTZLER Working on self-assignment to enhance his portfolio, Gregg Wurtzler, M.Photog.Cr., of Wurtzler Photography in Middletown, Ohio, created “Glowing.” He exposed the image for 1/60 second at f/11, ISO 100, using a Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro digital SLR and AF-D Zoom-Nikkor 28105mm f/3.5-4.5D IF lens. A 600WS Photogenic PowerLight 1500SL with a 3x4-foot Larson soft box and an orange gel reflected off white foam board for fill. A second PowerLight 1500SL and reflector bounced fill, while a third 1500SL behind a grid lit the background. Minor image cleanup and retouching was performed in Adobe Photoshop. “I love how the warm color creates an inviting feel,” says Wurtzler. “The round shapes add a nice contrast to the strong horizontal crop.” www.wurtzlerphotography.com

What the judge thought:

“This image provides strong visual rewards

through the expert use of vibrant color, design and composition. The overlapping placement of the three objects creates depth, while skillful lighting adds separation and form. The impact is enhanced through the varied shapes of the objects and the use of textures throughout, including the border.” –Kaye L. Frey, M.Photog.M.Artist.MEI.Cr., and PEC Committee member. 14 • www.ppmag.com

©Ginger Wagoner

GINGER WAGONER Ginger Wagoner of PhotoSynthesis, Inc. in Charlotte, N.C., created this cozy image as an engagement portrait. With a Canon EOS 20D and Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens, Wagoner exposed “Opulent Evening” for 1/60 second at f/5, ISO 800. Balancing the natural evening light from the two-story windows, Wagoner used a white wall to bounce a 1,500WS Photogenic PowerLight; a 3x4-foot Larson reflector added more fill. Post capture, she worked with another artist using Corel Painter to remove a floral arrangement from the lower right and to add artwork for compositional balance. www.psphotoart.com

©Gerard “Gyro” Reuter

GERARD “GYRO” REUTER Gerard “Gyro” Reuter of Country Photos in Freeburg, Ill., had a client request “a portrait with an attitude,” and his image “Ow Ya Doin!” fit the bill. Shooting with a Canon EOS-1D Mark II digital SLR and Canon EF 2470mm f/2.8L USM lens, Reuter exposed the image for 1/50 second at f/5.6, ISO 400, using all natural light. He used Adobe Photoshop to adjust the background miniblinds, and to add the fingers behind the man’s head. www.country-photos.com

16 • www.ppmag.com

The Professional’s Choice for Borders, Edge Effects & Adornments

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If you are attending WPPI, please come visit us in booth #1607 © 2008 onOne Software, Inc. All rights reserved. onOne Software is a registered trademark of onOne Software, Inc. The onOne Software logo and PhotoFrame, are trademarks of onOne Software. Adobe and Photoshop are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

JB & DeEtte Sallee | Sallee Photography International Photographers of the Year (PPA) 2006, 2007, 2008

7E!RE3ALLEE0HOTOGRAPHY 7E!RE0ASSIONATE We find so much passion during bridal portrait sessions. When you are given ample time with a woman that is looking the best she has ever looked, in the most exquisite dress she has ever worn, there is inspiration as an artist to create something unique and artistic for her. Our ideal client is the person that loves every creative idea we offer, is open to anything at the drop of a dime, and that expects something more from us than we have ever given anyone else. These are the clients that drive us to be artists. 7E!RE)NSPIRED We love to travel with any spare time that we have. JB is embarking on a twentycity Photoshop tour starting in March, meeting photographers from all around the country. We have found that by taking ourselves out of the grind of everyday life we see the world around us in a different light. We come home refreshed and inspired with new ideas to take our work in different directions. We enjoy helping other professional photographers “Shoot Better, Design Faster, and Love Life!”



7EARE!RTISTS. We offer 2.5” Gallery Wraps from Miller’s. They sell themselves. On the wall in our gallery, we have nothing but Miller’s Gallery Wraps. They give the statement that we are artists, and they allow our work to speak for itself.



7E!RE$IFFERENT Our style is best described as “different.” Every bride we work with is unique, and every shot we take is different than the last. We have developed a dramatic look and a colorful style that not only brides love, but more importantly, that we enjoy creating. Pushing ourselves to create that magical image or story albums for our clients. 7E!RE-ILLER´S Our lab is Miller’s Professional Imaging because we Expect More.

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To see how DeEtte and JB use Miller’s to grow their studio, please visit www.millerslab.com/Sallee. For more information on the Sallee Photoshop Tour, visit www.iPhotoshopPeopleTour.com.

CONTACT SHEET

America What’s New, Events, Hot Products, Great Ideas, Etc.

5 0

Y E A R S

L A T E R

A major exhibition and a new book celebrate Robert Frank’s landmark road trip BY LORNA GENTRY

All images ©Robert Frank

“With the agility, mystery, genius, sadness, and strange secrecy of a shadow, Frank photographed scenes that have never been seen before on film.” —JACK KEROUAC, from his introduction to “The Americans”

20 • www.ppmag.com

When “The Americans,” Robert Frank’s seminal book of black-and-white photography, was published 50 years ago in this country (it was first printed in France in 1958), it sent a jolt through the American psyche. It also changed photography. So profound was the effect of Frank’s style on modern photography in the decades after it was published, that it’s considered to be the most important post-World War II photography book. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., celebrates the golden anniversary of “The Americans” with a

used Ford, funded by a grant from the

She met Robert Frank in 1990 when he

major exhibition, “Looking In: Robert

Guggenheim Foundation. With a 35mm

donated more than 3,000 sheets of negatives,

Frank’s The Americans,” through April 26.

Leica and cache of black-and-white film,

1,500 contact sheets and work prints from

All 83 photographs in the original book are

Frank set out to make a portrait of the

the Americans project to the National

featured in the exhibition. The exhibit

Americans. What emerged was a gritty,

Gallery. Although she knew the archive well,

moves to the San Francisco Museum of

unblinking look at an often isolated and

she took a new, chronologic approach to the

Modern Art, May 17 to August 23, then to

divided people in a landscape of racism,

material in preparation for the exhibit.

the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New

poverty and wealth.

York, September 20 to December 27. Beginning in 1955, the Swiss-born

National Gallery Curator Sarah Greenough edited the exhibit’s accompanying book,

“He established a pattern of places he would go when he went to a new city: the local Woolworth’s, post offices, banks and cemeteries,

photographer, who had lived in America less

“Looking In: Robert Frank’s The Americans”

as well as [taking walks] down the street,

than a decade, crisscrossed the country in a

(National Gallery Of Art, Washington/Steidl).

which he could do without drawing attention to himself,” says Greenough. “In each city or town he focused on one or two subjects that in some way expressed his feeling toward that city. You can also see the hostility he received as he traveled around the country.” Now 84, Frank and his wife, June Leaf, divide their time between their homes in New York and Nova Scotia. He has made a film especially for the exhibit, presumably about the impact the book has had on his career. “He has had a love-hate relationship with ‘The Americans,’” observes Greenough. “For many years he felt ‘The Americans’ overshadowed the rest of his career.” However, in the last decade his earlier and later photography and filmmaking work have received more critical attention, she says, and he is now more willing to give ‘The Americans’ the spotlight.

February 2009 • Professional Photographer • 21

CONTACT SHEET

Is one of your clients the cutest kid in America?

thank-you cards with a coupon, a ready-topost blog announcement, two client e-mail blasts, five comp card templates, a sample price list, a press release, and helpful marketing tips. The national model winner will receive a

portraits of local children, ages 18 months

$5,000 U.S. Savings Bond and a Canon

to 14 years, for online preliminary voting on

PowerShot G10 digital camera (retail value

the city’s winner. That child may elect to

$499.99), among other prizes. The photog-

serve as a model during the 2009 Sandy

rapher who submits the winning portrait

Puc’ Tots 2 Teens Seminar Tour when it

earns national recognition and up to

comes to a city near his or her home.

$10,000 in prizes, including a Canon EOS

Every online vote costs the voter $1, which will go directly to the Now I Lay Me

f/4.0L IS USM lens (retail value $3,499).

Down To Sleep organization. Voting is open

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep is a

to anyone, and photography and model

501(C)(3) nonprofit organization

industry experts will determine the contest’s

committed to assisting parents and families

national winner.

who are grieving the death of an infant. For

The marketing kit for participating

Colorado photographer Sandy Puc’, of Expressions by Sandy Puc’, announced a marketing campaign designed to promote studios nationwide, raise funds for charity, inspire photographers, and help them bring in money during the lean first quarter of the year. The goal is to create a win-win situation for everyone involved. The participating photographers will get a free customdesigned marketing kit, their clients will have the opportunity to win prizes and have their child named America’s Cutest Kid, and the nonprofit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep charity will benefit from the proceeds. Through her 2009 Tots 2 Teens Seminar Tour, Puc’ is launching a national charity model search to find America’s Cutest Kid. Participating photographers will submit

22 • www.ppmag.com

more information, visit

studios includes a reproducible postcard to

www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org.

send clients, a poster for the studio, a

For contest details and registration, visit www.sandypucmodels.com.

reproducible model release form, model

©Adam Roach

5D Mark II with Canon EF 24-105mm

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CONTACT SHEET

New U.S. administration, new copyright landscape

this newest appointment will not be made until the President’s cabinet has been selected. Other re-landscaping on the Hill includes changes to the House Judiciary Committee, among them the departure of Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) as the chair of the Subcom-

PPA working to build a foundation with incoming leadership

mittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property. As result, the committee will also

Now that the 111th Congress has convened,

interstate commerce, labor, trade, and ethics

say good-bye to the its chief counsel, Shanna

legislators and members of President Barack

and lobbying reform issues. Cowhey, an expert

Winters, also chief counsel to Rep. Berman.

Obama’s administration are turning to the

on international trade and regulatory issues,

Unrelated to Rep. Berman’s departure,

tasks at hand, the introduction and review

is associate vice chancellor and dean of the

Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. John

of proposed legislation and the confirmation

School of International Relations and Pacific

Conyers (D-Mich.) announced that matters

of appointed officials.

Studies at the Univ. of California, San Diego.

of intellectual property, including

Amidst the flurry of activity in Washington,

“I think I was most impressed with the

copyrights, are slated to be addressed by the

D.C., Professional Photographers of America

genuine interest they displayed for our collec-

full judiciary committee. Sparking this

(PPA) is working to build a solid foundation

tive message,” added Trust. “This was not just

realignment is the growing expansion of the

with the incoming administration and Congress.

a courtesy meeting—they listened intently and

subcommittee in response to increased

Maintaining working relationships on Capitol

took pages of notes. It feels like we are doing

interest in intellectual property rights.

Hill on behalf of its members is crucial to the

real good for photography and all creators.”

organization, especially with the newly created

During the meeting, Trust pointed out

position, Intellectual Property Enforcement

that professional photographers are an impor-

Conyers, a supporter of intellectual property

Coordinator (IPEC), at the White House level.

tant sector of the economy now under siege.

rights, to control the legislative debate.

The IPEC position came with the passage of

He stressed the impact intellectual property

the PRO IP Act in October, which PPA and

rights and its domestic and international

and the photographic community as a whole

the Copyright Alliance strongly advocated.

enforcement has on the livelihood of the vast

are heard on Capitol Hill,” said Trust. “Now

network of the professional photographic

we’re getting the chance, along with our

Capitol Hill under the new administration

industry. After all, the professional photo-

friends in the Copyright Alliance, to voice

began in December with a meeting between

graphic services industry earns approximately

our concerns to the next administration.

PPA officials and the president-elect’s transi-

$7.2 billion in annual revenue.

PPA’s Copyright and Government Affairs

The establishment of relationships on

tion team. The transition team had asked to

There was discussion about the role of

The realignment may prove beneficial to copyright owners, as it will allow Rep.

“It takes a lot of work to make sure PPA,

Department is the only one of its kind in the

meet with the Copyright Alliance’s seven-

the new IPEC, a position as yet unfilled at

photographic world. We see this kind of

member board of directors, among them

press time. There were only murmurings as

advocacy as part of our responsibility as a

PPA CEO David Trust. The transition team

to who would become the next “intellectual

non-profit defender of photographers’ rights.”

sought advice from PPA and others in the

property czar,” among them members of the

creator community to ensure they clearly

entertainment industry and a handful of

transition team and other activity on Capitol

understood intellectual property issues upon

Capitol Hill veterans. It’s highly likely that

Hill, visit the Advocacy page at www.ppa.com.

To learn more about PPA’s meeting with the

their arrival at the White House. “We were pleased with the opportunity to express to the new administration our thoughts and concerns about copyright and intellectual property,” Trust said after the meeting. “I doubt the photographic community has ever had an opportunity like this.” Attendees from the transition team included Daniel A. Sepulveda and Peter Cowhey. Sepulveda manages immigration,

24 • www.ppmag.com

“We were pleased with the opportunity to express to the new administration our thoughts and concerns about copyright and intellectual property. I doubt the photographic community has ever had an opportunity like this.” —DAVID TRUST, PPA CEO

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Everything after the photography

CONTACT SHEET

All images ©Randee St. Nicholas

Royal photographer Randee St. Nicholas turned 21 days with Prince into a sleek photo book BY LORNA GENTRY

In 2007 Prince made music history when he

Like Prince, St. Nicholas was born in

would set a precedent … no one had ever

performed 21 consecutive sold-out concerts

Minneapolis, but grew up in L.A. She got

in London’s O2 arena. Photography was not

into photography in the late 1970s when a

is a beautiful backdrop for a photographic

permitted during performances, with one

friend asked her to take pictures of his

essay,” St. Nicholas said recently over her cell

exception. Los Angeles photographer and

new band, the Knack. She had to borrow a

phone while driving in L.A.

music video director Randee St. Nicholas

camera. Then Jackson Browne called. St.

photographed all 21 concerts, after-parties

Nicholas has photographed many music

or even if it was really going to be a book,”

and location shoots around London and the

icons since, including Bob Dylan and Diana

she said. “But the project was very close to

Dorchester Hotel, where Prince was a guest.

Ross, and A-list Hollywood stars. She also

my heart.” Three months after she finished,

For a month she worked 22-hour days with

has a thriving fashion and advertising

Prince called. ‘We’re getting an advance and

four assistants, a rolling cart of camera and

photography business.

lighting equipment, and stylists to capture on film the elusive artist’s inner sanctum.

St. Nicholas and Prince have been friends

sold out 21 shows in one place, and London

“I didn’t know if I would make any money,

I want to give the money to you because you did so much work and it’s your vision,” he

since 1991 when he asked her to direct his

said. “I researched the most amount of

music video “Gett Off,” the first of the 120

money any photographer ever got for doing

a coffee-table book released last fall that’s

music videos she’s directed. While the book

a photography book, and it was the

a nexus of fashion, portrait and concert

was Prince’s idea, he gave St. Nicholas artistic

photographer who shot the Mohammad Ali

The result is “21 Nights” (Atria Books),

photography. Prince’s poetry accompanies

control. Her concept was to shoot Prince’s

book. He got a half-million dollars. I want

the images, and a CD of his live after-show

residency at the O2 as if for an entire issue

you to have twice that, so I’m sending you a

jam sessions is tucked inside. The book

of Vogue Italian devoted to the musician.

check for a million dollars. Are we cool?”

is a first for both Prince and St. Nicholas.

26 • www.ppmag.com

“I chose 21 Nights because I knew it

Sweet!

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Professional Photographer

P R E S E N T S

Business, Marketing and Sales Strategies

What I think Jose Villa builds business without over-spending What do you wish you’d known when you were starting out? I had a couple of misconceptions. Vendor relationships are much more valuable than I thought, and getting published was not as difficult as I thought. What’s the biggest business risk you’ve ever taken? Spending thousands to advertise in national and international bridal magazines. Thank goodness it worked, but I will never do that again. Online advertising has worked for me since; submitting images to blogs and magazines is free and does wonders. That’s where it’s at. What was your big break—the turning point? When I was finally confident enough to direct my clients in a way that was easy and smooth for both of us. Being able to go to each photo shoot feeling comfortable made a big difference. What’s the biggest business mistake you see pro photographers making? Spending too much on advertising and equipment. If those expenses don’t create a significantly better return on your new work, they’re not worth it. What’s the secret to running a successful photography business in today’s economy? Being willing to negotiate your packages to where you are happy and the client is happy. Do not lowball your competition. Instead, offer smaller packages with fewer products for less money, or provide more value for the same price. Never price your time less than what you are worth. IMAGE BY JOSE VILLA WWW.JOSEVILLA.COM

February 2009 • Professional Photographer • 29

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White House Custom Colour is a full service, professional photographic and press printer. In addition to the showcased products on these pages, we offer a full line of photographic prints printed on Kodak Professional Papers. For a complete view of our products and services visit our website, www.whcc.com

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PROFIT CENTER

SAMUEL LEWIS

Trademark law 101, Part 1: Make sure a mark is clear for use before you invest in it.

Is your studio name really yours? In 2002, when Liz Vance, CPP, of Arlington,

mark is capable of identifying a single source.

Va., adopted “Oh Baby Photography” as the

Unlike copyrights, which protect the

trademark is as an adjective—hence, describing the source of something, e.g., a Walden’s Photography portrait—while trade names or business names are used as nouns, e.g., “this week at Walden’s Photography …” SELECTING A TRADEMARK The best time to research and select a trade-

name of her maternity and infant photog-

expression of ideas, or patents, which

mark is when you’re beginning to create a

raphy business, she knew the importance of

protect useful ideas and inventions,

marketing identity for your business. Now

branding. So she was shocked this year when

trademarks and service marks protect

that we’re thinking of trademarks as

another photographer opened a business

something more ephemeral and intangible:

adjectives, there’s another key concept to

with the same name, or “mark,” copied the

goodwill. It’s goodwill that assures

understand: It is a fundamental tenet of

opening page of her Web site, and used a

consumers that the products or services

trademark law that the more creative the

nearly identical Internet domain name. “It

they select on the basis of a mark will be of

trademark, the more deserving it is of

was the first time I felt I had something to

a certain quality and consistency.

protection. The converse rule also applies:

protect,” says Vance. Most people don’t realize how much impact

To better understand trademarks, it

The more descriptive the trademark, the less

might be helpful to look at what cannot be a

likely it is to be identified with a particular

trademarks have on our daily life, and how

trademark, such as titles of single creative

source, and therefore, less protectable.

they subliminally guide our buying habits.

works (in general) and certain types of

With these two rules in mind, you can

We often select established product brands—

national symbols and insignias. For a

see why generic terms—which are incapable

such as Coke, Tylenol, Tide—because we expect

period of time, Internet domain names

of describing anything more than the goods

the product to be consistent with our prior

could be registered as trademarks, but now,

themselves—are not entitled to protection.

experiences. Trademarks are no less powerful

the general rule is that top-level domain

Trademarks can even cease to be trademarks

in the photography business. As people become

names, e.g., .com, are generic (although

through a process commonly called genericide,

familiar with the quality of your work and

there are still certain rare instances where

where a trademark is used as a noun rather

your reputation grows, the goodwill you’ve

an Internet domain name could be a mark).

built with your customers becomes associated

There’s a common misconception that

with the trademark you’ve used, even if you

trademarks are trade names—essentially,

haven’t consciously used a trademark.

business names—or vice versa. This

than an adjective, like thermos, cellophane and aspirin; when trademarks become generic, they cease to function as marks. Clearly, “Portrait Studio” would not be

misconception arises, in part, because some

entitled to trademark protection, but with

trademarks you’ve used, such as the name of

businesses are more readily identified by

some additional terms, it could be. For

your studio or a phrase you’ve used in your

their trademarks than by their corporate

example, Walgreens Co. filed an application to

advertising, with consistent high-quality,

name. The appropriate way to think of a

register “W Photo Studio.” The pitfall associated

When customers come to associate

creative photographic work, the trademark becomes a tremendously valuable asset. Trademarks and service marks are often referred to as simply “marks.” From a legal perspective, they’re more or less the same— any word, name, slogan, symbol, color or combination of elements used to identify the source or origin of goods or services. Almost anything that identifies a source can be a trademark. The key, however, is that the

32 • www.ppmag.com

“If you find that another business is using the mark or has already filed an application for the same trademark, don’t despair. It may be possible to use the same mark if the current usage is unlikely to be confused with your intended use.”

I Love My Pen.

My name is Tyler and here’s why. My Intuos gives me more control over my work. Whether I’m working on a photo, customizing a font, illustrating, concepting, or simply shifting the elements around in layout, the pen never leaves my hand. Working with the pen in applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign has helped me work a lot faster and get a handle on my workload. Listen. Share. Learn. Come to Grips with Your Pen Love. www.PenCollective.com

© 2008 Wacom Technology Corporation. Wacom is a trademark of Wacom Company, Ltd. All other references to third-party software are recognized as trademarked property of their respective owners and used with their permission.

Intuos3

PROFIT CENTER

Unlike copyrights, which protect the expression of ideas, or patents, which protect useful ideas and inventions, trademarks and service marks protect something more ephemeral and intangible: goodwill.

because it did not exist in the English lexicon).

If you find that another business is using

Mascot Metropolitan of San Francisco selected

the mark or has already filed an application

“Camera on Wheels” as a trademark for a

for the same trademark, don’t despair. It

rolling camera bag, and since the term is sug-

may be possible to use the same mark if the

gestive, a trademark registration was granted.

current usage is unlikely to be confused with

Of course, numerous photographers have

your intended use, since the fundamental

registered trademarks that include their

purpose of trademark law is to prevent

names. Names of people can serve as a

consumer confusion. However, it’s best to

trademark provided the mark is being used

check with your local intellectual property

in commerce, and provided the person

law attorney before using the mark, or go

whose name is used has granted permission.

back to the drawing board.

When you come up with a trademark for

Even if your knock-out search is clear,

your business, you should attempt to clear it

you’re not entirely home free. The second

for use before you start using it. Vance learned

step is to be certain that no other business is

the importance of clearing a mark the hard

using a confusingly similar trademark by

way. “After I ordered business cards and

ordering a comprehensive trademark search

with this sort of trademark—adding a name

created letterhead, I found that a big company

from companies such as Thomson

or terms to an otherwise descriptive set of

was already using [the mark I wanted to

Compumark (compumark.thomson.com).

terms—is that the applicant will almost

use],” she reports. The next time around

The company will search not only the

certainly be required to disclaim any interest

Vance performed a series of searches—an

database of the U.S. Patent & Trademark

in the descriptive terms. Ultimately,

effort to clear the trademark—before she

Office, but also various states’ corporation

Walgreens was required to disclaim any

selected “Oh Baby Photography” as a mark.

databases, databases of Internet domain

rights in the term “photo studio,” except

Clearing a trademark involves assessing

names, and more wide and readily available

when those terms appear together with the

the risk that it might be associated with

sources, such as the Internet and telephone

“W.” Such a disclaimer narrows the scope of

someone else’s trademark, and determining

directories. The results of this kind of

protection afforded, and opens the door for

whether it’s worth making the investment in

search can be daunting, even for attorneys

others to use similar terms.

that trademark. But even if a trademark

who are unfamiliar with them.

Liz Vance encountered this pitfall when

appears clear, there’s no guarantee that it

I’ve seen more than a few instances where

registering her trademark, “Oh Baby

will be. Since trademark rights in the United

businesses selected a trademark based only

Photography. Bellies. Babies. Beautiful.” In

States are acquired through use rather than

on a knock-out search, only to find out after

order to obtain a federal trademark registration,

mere registration, whoever first acquires

starting a major advertising campaign that

Vance was required to disclaim any interest in

rights in a trademark—whether registered

another business had acquired superior rights

the descriptive terms “baby photography” if they

or not—has the superior rights to it.

to use the same trademark. Ensuring that

do not appear with her complete trademark.

There are two key steps to clearing a

no other businesses are using the trademark

trademark for use. The first is to perform a

you want to use can help legally protect you

mark is to select a completely fanciful or

“knock-out” search, so called because it can

from claims of trademark infringement.

arbitrary term, such “Apple” for computers.

easily rule out the use of the trademark you

The next best choice is selecting a suggestive

selected. A knock-out search is performed on

and begin using it. We’ll cover that

term combining simple, photography-related

the database at the U.S. Patent & Trademark

procedure in the next installment. �

terms. For example, a motorcycle racing

Office Web site (www.uspto.gov). In the

photographer in California registered the

section under Trademarks, choose Search TM

trademark “Automotophoto” (arguably a

database (TESS), to find any registered trade-

fanciful mark, the word might be more appro-

marks or pending trademark applications iden-

priately described as a portmanteau word

tical or similar to the one you’re considering.

The best approach when adopting a trade-

34 • www.ppmag.com

After clearing the trademark, register it

Samuel Lewis is a board-certified intellectual property law specialist and a partner at Feldman Gale, P.A., in Miami and a professional sports photographer. You can e-mail him at [email protected] or [email protected].

PROFIT CENTER

L I N D S AY A D L E R

Learning to take advantage of the No. 1 Web site among seniors can be a huge sales advantage.

Facebook: network with seniors

more. It’s a great vehicle for communicating with potential clients and offering them incentives. Include lots of images and useful information that will encourage viewers to send their friends to your page. You can make the page as informal or formal as

What’s the one place nearly every high school

Your studio can use the networking power

senior goes daily? Online, to Facebook.com. This

of Facebook to make students aware of your

center of mass communication has more than

business and help spread the word about

social network, he becomes a “fan” of

100 million active users. It’s the No. 1 social

your services for seniors. There are three

your business. This connection will be

network for the modern high school student.

main ways for professional photographers to

displayed on the person’s profile for a few

Facebook users post profiles of themselves

take advantage of the site: targeted advertising,

days, so anyone visiting his profile will see

social networking and online promotions.

it, and will likely visit your page. Curiosity

containing such information as their age, e-mail address and interests. They post photos

you’d like. When a Facebook user adds you to his

and networking are key in creating

and videos of themselves for e-friends the

TARGETED ADVERTISING. When you

awareness of your company. Encourage any

world over to view.

create a Facebook ad, you are prompted to

of your friends, family, coworkers or their

select several criteria to determine who will

children to become a fan of your business

see it. You can select the age range and

on Facebook.

A business profile on Facebook allows you to have a business identity and communicate with potential clients. Establish a personal profile, too, to maximize your social networking.

geographic region, so, for example, you’d

The Facebook design does not allow for

choose 16 to 18-year-olds living in the town

sending messages from your business site or

nearest to you, thus designating your target

inviting others to become a fan. Other users

group. When a viewer clicks on the ad, he or

can recommend your site to their friends,

she will be sent to your page in Facebook or

but a business cannot pursue viewers

directly to your company’s Web site,

through any means but ads. That’s where

whichever option you choose.

your personal site comes in. Through your

You can also create a daily budget for your

personal site you can seek potential clients

customized ad, choosing pay-per-click—you

based on a region or particular network

pay every time someone clicks on your ad—

(such as a school’s) using the search tool,

or pay-per-impression, meaning you pay each

and then recommend viewers become fans

time the ad appears on Facebook. Facebook

of your site. Be sure to make an intriguing

gives you the means to analyze the success of

offer of some kind in your message.

your ad by providing statistics on who is interacting with your ad and how often.

Once you build your network, gain fans and add content to your page, there are many other ways to use Facebook. You can

SOCIAL NETWORKING. Social networking

confirm portrait sessions through messages

is the most useful and important aspect of

or by posting on the client’s profile page,

Facebook. Facebook has two main kinds of

instigate relevant discussion topics to

free profiles: business and personal. For a

encourage repeat viewing, and send

business, it’s advisable to set up both profiles

important updates and news to fans.

to reach the largest network possible.

38 • www.ppmag.com

As with Facebook advertisements, you

The business profile you create is your

can see how many people visit your page

Facebook business identity. You can upload

every day, how they heard about your site

photos and videos, post events and contact

(an ad, a message on their friend’s profile,

information, open discussion topics, and

etc.), and how they interact with your page.

All of this is useful information in analyzing the effectiveness of your Facebook presence. ONLINE PROMOTIONS. Facebook is a means of giving incentives to your potential clients. By offering promotions, you can not only encourage clients to book a portrait session with you, but also encourage them to increase your brand awareness by spreading

“Your studio can use the networking power of Facebook to make students aware of your business and help spread the word about your services for seniors. There are three main ways for professional photographers to take advantage of the site: targeted advertising, social networking and online promotions.”

you to their social networks—online word of mouth. Through your business profile page you can send mass updated messages to

sitting fee, you can offer free Web-resolution

your fans to make them aware of new

Facebook photos to potential clients and tag

promotions or opportunities.

the photo with their name when you post it.

You might want to offer promotions

A notice appears on the client’s page when

related to online activities. You can offer

they have been tagged in a photo, with a link

incentives for students to become fans of

to the location. This has multiple benefits. It

your business, book with a friend, book

rewards your clients, gets your work out

before a certain date and more. In addition

there for others to see, and encourages more

to traditional incentives such as waiving the

students to visit your page. �

To get started, go to www.facebook.com, then click Advertising at the bottom of the page. It will walk you through setting up a business profile and creating an advertising campaign. Lindsay Adler is a fashion and portrait photographer based in New York and London. She teaches seminars and workshops on fashion photography, general photo techniques and Photoshop. See more of her work at www.lindsay.adlerphoto.com.

February 2009 • Professional Photographer • 39

PROFIT CENTER

REBECCA ZOUMBEROS

The biggest business mistake I see photographers making is underpricing their products and services.

PPA WEBINAR

Our price is right—finally

REBECCA AND MICHAEL ZOUMBEROS

KNOW YOUR COST OF SALES When you decide to get serious about your

It’s hard to believe that we didn’t know what

photography business, one of the most

the problem was, much less how to fix it.

important steps toward success is deter-

Every online order for a small print

ZERO TO HERO March 2, 12 p.m.

Learn how to grow your business from something small and unprofitable into a thriving business—within two years! This program is great for new studios, but its lessons can be applied no matter how long you've been in business. This platform is all about taking your business to the next level.

mining your cost of sales—in plain English,

actually cost us about $10. We had

how much money you spend to produce the

overlooked some major elements in the

final product. The most overlooked factor in

actual cost of producing each print. At the

the cost of sales equation is the amount of

seminar, Carol Andrews, M.Photog.Cr., ABI,

time you put into producing the product.

immediately saw two major problems with

What is your time worth? Could it be more

this part of our business. First, we were

cost-effective to outsource the work? What

hand-editing every image that was ordered

else goes into figuring out cost of sales?

online. We’re perfectionists, and offering

online and found a client had placed the

We’re wedding photographers, and we

Visit www.ppa.com for more information.

clients the highest quality possible is impor-

largest online print order we’d ever seen, in

love it. We thought we had our pricing all

tant to us. But Carol pointed out that 4x6,

the amount of $1,566. That sale alone paid

figured out. That’s why it came as such a

5x7 and 8x10 prints ordered online are

for the cost of attending the SMS seminar,

shock when Ann Monteith, M.Photog.Cr.,

different than 30x40-inch canvases that will

and gave us confidence that our adjustments

Hon.M.Photog., CPP, ABI, API, A-ASP,

be displayed on the wall for a lifetime. Small

would continue to pay off in the long run.

Hon.ASP., told us, “You have Neiman Marcus

prints are typically displayed on a refrig-

quality, but Wal-Mart prices.” Thanks to

erator or in a frame for a year or two, and

but this year alone we doubled our wedding

attending PPA’s Studio Management Services

end up in a scrapbook somewhere in the

coverage prices and quadrupled our net income.

(SMS) seminar and installing business soft-

attic. The time we spent on retouching these

And we’re getting the best clientele you can

ware, we’re now pricing for success. We’ve

small prints was excessive.

imagine, people who care much more about

quadrupled our net income in one year. We had been selling wedding guests

And we weren’t charging enough for those prints. Implementing SuccessWare

We know it can be scary to raise your prices,

the quality of our work than the price tag. Another benefit worth mentioning: We’re

prints up to 8x10-inches through Collages.net.

(one of the handful of accounting software

working less and making more money. This

To determine a price, we doubled the

programs customized for photography

is just one of the many changes we made

amount the lab charged us. I felt something

studios) helped us figure out our actual cost

over the past year on the sound advice of

was wrong because we were drowning in

of sales. Once we knew that, we were able to

SMS, and with the help of SuccessWare.

print orders, could not keep up with the

create an appropriate—and profitable—

This was one investment that really paid off.

production, but we weren’t making money.

price for these prints.

We credit our profitability and much of our

After the seminar, we immediately headed

success to making the suggested changes. �

to our hotel room and adjusted the online

“You have Neiman

Marcus quality,

but Wal-Mart prices.” 40 • www.ppmag.com

print pricing. We also made the decision to stop hand-editing prints 8x10 and smaller. We went to bed somewhat anxious, wondering if we would ever sell a print at this substantially higher price. Imagine our surprise the next morning, when we went

For further information about PPA Studio Management Services, available for PPA members only, call 800-339-5451, ext. 244. Rebecca and Michael Zoumberos are the owners of Limelight Photography in Odessa, Fla. (www.stepintothelimelight.com).

JANUARY 11-13, 2009 PHOENIX, ARIZONA

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Don’t forget to check in at iusatv.imagingusa.org for interviews, news, images and video from Imaging USA 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Professional Photographer

P R E S E N T S

Products, Technology and Services

What I like For Anna Kuperberg, downtime becomes playtime What makes your workflow flow? A fulltime office manager, ShootQ, PickPic and Pandora radio. I also highly recommend the book “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. It’s a classic. What’s the best equipment investment you’ve ever made? A 17-inch MacBook Pro. It’s great for editing images anywhere. Little thing, big difference … A small roll of gaffer’s tape. Even in a tough economy, what hot new product do you just have to get your hands on? A Wii with Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero. If my business goes south, then I’ll just spend the extra time playing games and getting in shape. Has a piece of equipment ever changed your approach to photography? Yes, everything digital. Switching from film to digital in 2003 and 2004 was like rediscovering photography. What’s the one piece of gear they’d have to pry from your cold, dead fingers? Probably my laptop, although the idea of dying with a laptop in my hands is pretty scary. IMAGE BY ANNA KUPERBERG WWW.KUPERBERG.COM

February 2009 • Professional Photographer • 43

THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW

We compared the Nikon D700 to the D3 to see just how close the newer camera comes to performing like one of the flagship models. BY ELLIS VENER

Measuring up NIKON D700

Do you like the idea of the full-frame Nikon

much, you’ll really like the Nikon D700. It

vs. 29.3), slightly taller and deeper, and it

D3, but want the camera body to be more

has the D3’s CMOS sensor and EXPEED

feels quite solid in your hands. You can

compact, lighter and less expensive? What

processor, metering system, autofocus

easily locate the controls by feel, and you

features of the D3 would you sacrifice—the

performance, and its large, high-resolution

don’t have to take your eye away from the

ability to shoot up to nine full-resolution

LCD monitor. It inherits the pop-up flash

viewfinder to see what you’re doing.

frames per second (fps), the vertical release

that can serve as a commander for a wireless

grip, the viewfinder coverage, the high-capacity

iTTL Speedlight system, battery, and control

the D300’s than the D3’s. It’s a less magnified,

battery, that second CF card slot—if you

button layout from the D300. The D700 has

larger view than the APS-C format. With

could have the core advantages of the D3

also had a couple of tweaks in the firmware.

two exceptions—the white balance and image

feature set and pay about $2,000 less for it? If you wouldn’t miss those features

The D700 handles much like the D300, yet it’s nearly 20 percent heavier (35 ounces

The D700 viewfinder differs more from

quality settings—all the important shooting information is neatly arrayed along the bottom of the screen. This attention to handling details makes it easier to concentrate on making photographs. The D700’s viewfinder coverage (about 95 percent vs. the D3’s roughly 100 percent) will be a handicap only with certain subject matter. For capturing people in action, it’s not a problem. For exacting work on a tripod, it’s better to use the camera’s 920,000-pixel LCD and Live View for composing and fine-tuning the focus. In the DX-format shooting mode (APS-C size), a frame outlines the live area; in action photography, seeing what’s outside the frame helps you anticipate the next shot.

©Ellis Vener

44 • www.ppmag.com

Nikon engineers have biased the dynamic range for the highlights so that there is more information in that end of the tonal range. This retains more highlight detail in images like this interior view of the main sanctuary of The Temple in Atlanta.

The Very Best Professional Quality Output. [Introducing the M300 Pro Printer] The Noritsu M300 Pro is a new professional inkjet printer designed to exceed your expectations. It delivers the high-quality output and world-class reliability you have come to expect from Noritsu. Featuring a compact footprint of just 4.5 square feet, the M300 Pro gives you 8 print sizes up to 10” x 36”, all with outstanding quality that will satisfy even your most demanding customers. When your pro work deserves the very best, choose the Noritsu M300 Pro. Call or visit our website today.

• 7-color pigment ink system for high quality, water-resistant prints • Excellent versatility, with a wide variety of print sizes including 5” x 3.5”, 6” x 4”, 8” x 4”, 5” x 7”, 8” x 10”, 8” x 12”, 10” x 8”, 10” x 12”, 10” x 36” • Outputs up to 265 prints/hr (6” x 4”) and 104 prints/hr (10” x 8”) • Supports both roll and sheet-fed paper • Available installation by factory-trained technician, world-class on-site field service and 24/7 toll-free phone support • Increased profitability and revenue opportunities • Space-efficient design; two units can be stacked for added productivity

(800) 521-3686 x 222 • www.noritsu.com/M300

THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW

The DX format’s 5.1 megapixels is certainly lower resolution than the full-frame FXformat mode at 12.1 megapixels, but then

Active D-Lighting helps retain critical highlights in high-contrast lighting situations, such as this portrait of Reverend Joseph E. Lowery, photographed in Atlanta November 5, 2008.

not so long ago that kind of resolution was a breakthrough, and sensor technology today is far better than it was even two years ago.

highlights, like white-on-white details in a

And remember as well that in DX mode

wedding dress.

your 70-200mm f/2.8 lens effectively

Like the D3, at full resolution the D700

becomes a 105-300mm f/2.8 lens. High-

is a 12.1-megapixel camera (4,256 x 2,832

quality 8x10 prints are certainly possible,

pixels). The D700 is easier to carry around

which ties in with another difference

all day, but using it with big, fast lenses like

between the D3 and the D700: the D700

the 14-24mm f/2.8 or 24-70mm f/2.8

has no 4:5 sensor crop option.

Nikkors feels front-heavy.

There are more subtle refinements over

As you’d expect of a camera selling for

the D3/D300 generation as well. The often

nearly $3K, the D700 has first-class

misunderstood Active D-Lighting feature

ergonomics. There’s virtually no qualitative

now has an auto option. If you haven’t tried

difference between photos shot with the D3

Active D-Lighting, you should. It’s different

and the D700. If you set the camera to

from the standard D-Lighting processing in

shoot 14-bit NEF (raw) originals, the

Nikon software or the response curve adjust-

dynamic range is 12 stops, so you’ll capture

ments in other processing software. In high-

more bright highlight detail and more deep

contrast lighting situations it can make your

shadow detail. Camera engineers can bias

life easier, and it helps you retain critical

the dynamic range to favor both ends ©Ellis Vener

specs:

Nikon D700 SLR

SENSOR: 23.9 x 36mm CMOS (Nikon FX format) RESOLUTION: FX format, 12.1 megapixels (4,256 x 2,832 pixels); DX format, 5.1 megapixels (2,748 x 1,848) METERING: 1,005-pixel RGB sensor 3D Color Matrix Metering II TTL metering METERING MODES: Matrix Metering II, center weighted, spot. Center-weighted and spot area size are user adjustable METERING RANGE: Matrix and centerweighted modes 0-20 EV, spot metering 2-20 EV EXPOSURE COMPENSATION: +/- 5 stops in 1/3-, 1/2-, 2/3-, or 1-stop increments ISO RANGE: 200-6400 in 1/3-stop increments; expanded settings L1 (ISO 100 equivalent); H1 (equivalent ISO 46 • www.ppmag.com

12,800); H2 (equivalent ISO 25,600) DYNAMIC RANGE: slightly greater than 12 stops at ISO 200 (14-bit per channel NEF mode) RECORDING FORMATS: 12 or 14 bits per channel raw, JPEG SHUTTER: 1/8,000 second to 30 seconds; up to 5 fps in full-frame mode FLASH SYNC: up to 1/250 second; FP High Speed Sync with Nikon iTTL Speedlights up to 1/8,000 second STANDARD PC SYNC TERMINAL: yes LIVE VIEW MODES: hand-held and tripod VIEWFINDER COVERAGE: approximately 92-95 percent (depending on how you measure it) of FX format LENS COMPATIBILITY: Nikon F mount, all functions available with Type G or D

AF Nikkor; all functions except FXformat image size with DX AF; all functions except 3D Color Matrix Metering II with AF Nikkor other than type G or D*2; limited function with other lens types AUTOFOCUS: TTL phase detection, up to 51 focus points; AF fine adjustment possible WHITE BALANCE: Auto, presets, finetune by Kelvin scale color temperature setting, user programmable; white balance bracketing (two to nine exposures in 1, 2, or 3 increments) LCD MONITOR: 3-inch diagonal 920,000pixel, 170-degree viewing angle TFT-LCD MSRP: $2,999.95

equally or toward the shadows or the

after you finish your bracketing work, you

a good thing to have going for you. Canon

highlights. Nikon’s engineers have favored

us the Fn button to reset to no bracketing.

includes this feature in the EOS-1D

the highlights, which is a good thing. More

With the D700, like the D3 and D300,

tonal separations in the high end means

you can fine-tune the auto-focus perfor-

there’s more detail recorded in the

mance with specific lenses. While it would

highlights. You probably don’t deliver 16-

Mark III and EOS-1Ds Mark III bodies as well. All told, the only D3 features I truly

nice if every lens and camera body combina-

miss in the D700 are dual card slots

bit-per-channel TIFFs to your clients, but

tion worked together optimally—and most

(operational paranoia) and the size and

starting out with more detail leads to better

do—the ability to fine-tune performance is

vertical grip. �

looking JPEGs and prints. For architectural and landscape photographers, one of the neater features of the D300, D3 and D700 is the virtual horizon tool. When the virtual horizon is activated,

Hurricane, flooding, torrential rains...

the LCD monitor displays an artificial horizon you can use to square the camera. With the latest firmware, Virtual Horizon is also now an option in Live View mode, which is a very useful tool for really nailing down critical focus in manual focusing mode. The dynamic range of some subjects extends beyond 12 stops. Many photographers now use post-processing techniques to blend multiple exposures into a single image that

DriveSavers to the rescue!

either emulates true high dynamic range (HDR) captures or “tone maps” a broad dynamic range into a smaller dynamic range photo. This technique clearly requires both the camera and the subject to be stationary, and for the focus point, focal length and aperture to be fixed. Though you can set the camera to manual mode and capture one frame at a time at different exposures, it’s easier to set the camera to aperture priority and continuous high-speed release, and shoot a bracket of exposures. The D700 can shoot a 9-frame bracket in 1/3-, 1/2- or full-stop increments. Set the camera to auto bracket (custom setting e5, choose AE-only mode), hold down the Fn button on the front of the camera, and use the main control wheel to chose a 3-, 5-, 7- or 9-frame bracket. Use the sub-command dial to set the increment between exposures. Just make sure that

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800.440.1904 drivesavers.com ©2007 DriveSavers, Inc. DriveSavers Data Recovery, We can save it! and the life-ring logo are registered trademarks of DriveSavers, Inc.

February 2009 • Professional Photographer • 47

THE GOODS

PRODUCT ROUNDUP BY ALICE B. MILLER

Searching for a look that showcases your style? These presentation products stand out from the crowd.

Show off with the right look

The latest update of KUBOTA IMAGE TOOLS’ AUTOALBUM V3 helps wedding and portrait photographers create magazine-style album pages quickly and efficiently in Photoshop. Powered by onOne PhotoTools, the new Dashboard rapidly searches

Challenging times demand creative solutions to boost both efficiency and sales. This is a small

500-plus single-page layouts for templates

sampling of beautiful books, albums and presentation products that will show off your work in style.

that fit your needs, then displays a short list of the top picks and thumbnail images to choose from. The Smart Objects feature lets

APS IMAGING SOLUTIONS is the sole

you easily replace images or convert color

distributor of Unibind Italy premium materials,

images to black and white. The AutoAlbum

album design software and all-in-one book-

v3 package includes a printed book of layouts.

making devices, or “centers,” which help you

Retail price: $399; $150 for the upgrade to

produce digital wedding albums and coffee-

previous versions. Call 877-330-4330 or

table books in a simple process, without messy hot glue. The Photostory Pro center

MOZZIGN, a full-service design company

produces flush-mount digital photo books in

launched in 2007, is focused on balancing

sizes from 4x6 to 9x12 inches. The Photostory

the aesthetics of analog photography with the

Maxi, preferred by many pro labs, produces

efficiency and flexibility of digital photography.

books 4x6 to 12x16. The Photostory Pro 8

Mozzign-designed album pages, which accom-

Function is ideal for digital wedding books

modate any album brand and size, are produced

from 4x6 to 16x20. The Original Photo Story

primarily for wedding and special event images.

CTB, popular among one-hour photo stores,

Nine layout styles—Rich, Rich Classic, Rich

produces books of 4x6 to 12x12 inches. Choose

Modern, Mono, Mono Classic, Mono Modern,

from a selection of handmade Italian covers.

Metro Modern, Retro Classic, and Mozzign—

For pricing and availability, call 714-441-1918

and a three-tiered approach to layout design—

or visit www.apsimaging.com.

general ($300-$500), premium ($500-$900),

visit www.kubotaimagetools.com.

and signature ($1,000 and up)—help you customize Mozzign’s design packages. Call 212768-0634 or visit www.mozzign.com. ALBUMS INC. offers multiple products to showcase your images. Combining premier materials and hand-assembled albums with high-quality press-printed photo books and accessories in one package, the Epoca line helps you present wedding images with taste, style and incredible value. The continuous binding of the Album Epoca enhances the layout of the album, in a merger of advanced technology and craftsmanship. List price: $150 to $1,600. The Albums Inc. Nouveau Collection comes in a rich assortment of materials, colors, textures and designs, in a signature mat system. List price: $300 to $650. Call 800-6621000 or visit www.albumsinc.com.

48 • www.ppmag.com

Lean, mean, money-making machine. Wireless shoot-to-print saves time, boosts revenue. Don’t waste time — or miss revenue — by sliding media cards out of your camera and into your digital photo printer. Be faster and more productive with the wireless shoot-to-print capability of the Sony UP-CR20L SnapLab® system. Your on-location photo lab, the SnapLab system is self contained — no computer required! You get gorgeous, rocket-fast prints from 3”x5” to 6”x8” with software-selectable Glossy or ProMatte™ finish. The SnapLab system makes customers smile, saves you time, and makes you money. click: sony.com/dpf

© 2008 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Features and specifications are subject to change without notice. Sony, ProMatte and SnapLab are trademarks of Sony.

THE GOODS

PIXEL CREATOR PRO album layout software integrates seamlessly with Adobe Photoshop and Bridge, so you don’t have to master a new standalone application. A real asset for professional wedding photographers, high school senior and portrait photographers, the versatile software is also a tool for creating marketing materials. PC- and Mac-compatible, Pixel Creator Pro v4.3 includes 500 templates, 200 photo edges and sloppy borders. List price: $379. Call 712-540-8628 or visit

LOST LUGGAGE creates handcrafted portfolios and cases for designers, photographers,

www.pixelcreatorpro.com.

and corporate clients such as Vespa, Microsoft, Apple, Nike, Victoria’s Secret, and Universal

ZOOKBINDERS develops add-on product packages to help wedding and portrait photog-

Studios. These distinctive presentation products

raphers boost album and photo book orders. The Reflectionz cover for the panoramic Zook

are composed of innovative natural and

Book and classic Matted Album have sprawling digital design space, a glow that makes

man-made materials, including designer

images pop, and now new size options. The PhotoBook, for style- and budget-conscious

acrylics, carbon fiber, and Wenge recycled

clients, is available with a wraparound photo cover that replicates the look of Reflectionz

resin. List price: $125 and up.

and cameo album covers.

Lost Luggage and Moab teamed up to

A new line of fine framing

offer double-sided, pre-drilled, scored pages

completes the picture.

exclusively for the Looking Glass portfolios.

List prices: PhotoBooks

This 100-percent cotton, U.S.-made

$55 and up; albums

Entrada Rag Natural paper is ideal for fine-art

with Reflectionz cover

and commercial photographs requiring a wide

$340 and up; frames

color gamut and vivid detail. List price: 10-

$40 and up. Call 800-

packs start at $26. Sold exclusively through

810-5745 or visit

Lost Luggage. Call 206-728-6044 or visit

www.zookbinders.com.

www.lost-luggage.com.

ASUKABOOK USA, a division of Kubota Photo Design, offers custom coffee-table books in five formats and three cover styles, ideal for wedding, portrait, travel and nature photographers. Look for big product line enhancements next month: the addition of new colors—white, pink and baby blue—to two of Asuka’s book lines; new sizes in every book line for both horizontal and vertical layouts (11x8, 8x11, 10x7, 7x10 and 5.5x8 inches); an upgrade to six-color digital printing; the launch of AsukaBook Maker design software, free for clients; and making all page finishes available for all books. List price: $20 to $525. Call 866-330-1530 or visit www.asukabook.com.

50 • www.ppmag.com

Alice B. Miller is the founder of Plum Communications (www.plumcomm. com), an editorial services resource for the photoimaging industry. Miller is a vice president, board member, and director of public relations for the International Photographic Council.

PIKTO produces photobooks for wedding,

printed products, Pikto offers a full digital

portrait, fine-art, and commercial pho-

lab and other in-house services to

tographers. The 11x14 book is a way for

streamline your workflow. List price: from

photographers to show a polished portfolio

$24 for an 8x8-inch soft cover. Call 866-

printed in the same

547-4586, or visit www.pikto.com.

process as a print campaign. The 12x18 book, with its 36inch-wide spreads, is

Visit our new website!

www.speedotron.com

a favorite with landscape

New! Exclusive Resource Pages for our Dealers!

photographers. In addition to a range of paper weights and surface types, custom de-bossing, and printed liners for press-

GRAPHIC AUTHORITY’S OUR STUDIO is a four-volume collection of drag-and-drop templates and graphic element packages. Created for wedding, Easy to navigate!

portrait, and event photographers, these design tools enhance your creativity and streamline the process of producing photo books and marketing materials. Featuring 12 new themes, the templates for 12x12-inch pages, folded cards, announcements, and 24x12 storyboards can be customized by moving and resizing elements, adding or deleting layers, and modifying colors and effects. The design elements are in 300ppi,

New! Resource Center • News & Events • FAQ’s • Links • Support & Repairs

fully editable layered TIFFs. List price: $79.95 per volume. Call 505-715-6951 or visit www.graphicauthority.com.

[email protected] • call us: 312.421.4050 310 South Racine Avenue • Chicago IL 60607 • fax: 312.421.5079

February 2009 • Professional Photographer • 51

THE GOODS: SOFTWARE

OnOne Software has polished and updated PhotoFrame software into a sleek, efficient, style-enhancing addition to your workflow.

each treatment. The categorization and logical arrangement of the effects in the library simplifies browsing, as does the search tool. When you find something you like, simply double-click on it to bring up the frame editor

BY MARK LEVESQUE, CPP

Final touch

PHOTOFRAME 4, PROFESSIONAL EDITION

(Figure 2) so you can adjust the frame to your image. You can change the color of the frame, its blending mode, opacity, size and orientation. You can stack multiple effects to create something unique, and save your favorite looks as presets to use again. You can even make adjustments to the underlying

Have you ever wanted to add edge effects to

the logical ways that adjustments and

image layer to perfect the integration and

your images? My attempts were time con-

customizations work. Whether you’re totally

registration of the image and the edge effects.

suming with hit-or-miss results until I tried

new to the software or have a particular

onOne Software PhotoFrame 4. This versatile

interest in some of the advanced workflow

Professional Edition is its integration with

plug-in for Adobe Photoshop is an easy

updates, there’s a tutorial for you. It is a nice

Adobe Lightroom 2 and Apple Aperture.

means of adding edge effects and adornments

way to see the gamut of what this plug-in has

You can apply a preset treatment to one or a

to images. It gives you the ability to preview,

to offer. Go to www.ononesoftware.com/

series of images in Lightroom, creating a

adjust and customize the effects, regardless

tutorials and select PhotoFrame 4 from the

.psd file with the treatment on its own layer.

of the crop aspect ratio. You can save your

drop-down menu.

That’s not all. You can access PhotoFrame

own styles as presets. The pro edition offers

A number of PhotoFrame’s features have

One impressive new feature of the

through the export dialogue—that’s slick,

a selection of presets created by imagemaking

been improved in version 4. The library is

and it’s a huge timesaver when you want to

luminaries such as Jack Davis, Jim DiVitale,

the most apparent and perhaps the most

replicate an effect on a selection of images.

Vincent Versace and Vicki Tauffer.

beneficial (Figure 1); it shows you every avail-

There is one distinction of note between

able edge treatment, frame and adornment.

Lightroom and Aperture integration: If you

video tutorials. They demonstrate various

To help you decide which one to select, the

use Lightroom, you’ll need Photoshop CS2

aspects of this powerful software and explain

library renders a preview of your image with

or later. Aperture integrates with

To get a jump-start, watch onOne’s online

Image ©Mark Levesque

PhotoFrame without any other program. PhotoFrame presets are not only highly efficient at applying your favorite image treatments, but are also geared for sharing with others. It’s as easy as e-mailing them to your friends, posting them to your blog, or sharing them at the onOne Exchange (www.ononeexchange.com). The onOne Exchange features downloadable presets, creative instruction, and forums for sharing your genius with others. Cool! PhotoFrame 4 is at heart a finishing tool Figure 1: The library interface shows previews of your frame or effects selections with your image. The options are categorized, and there’s a search tool and star rating filter to speed the process.

52 • www.ppmag.com

THE GOODS: SOFTWARE

Image ©Vicki Taufer of V Gallery

Image ©Mark Levesque

This example uses a scroll adornment and background element from Vicki Taufer's collection, included in the PhotoFrame 4 Professional Edition, four tape adornments from the pro edition, and a Polaroid frame from the standard edition.

for fully edited images. In addition to frames, edge effects, and adornments, PhotoFrame 4 offers texture overlays, backgrounds, and Figure 2: The frame editor enables you to adjust the frame and image, change colors, blend modes, opacity, size and orientation, stack multiple effects and save presets.

even complete album layouts. It truly is a versatile piece of well-conceived software. My only complaint is that very thick

Image ©Mark Levesque

frames overlay and cover the edges of the image. You can downsize the photograph to reveal more of it, but that means losing pixels, not a viable option for me. You can increase the canvas size in Photoshop prior to entering PhotoFrame, but it would be better if PhotoFrame could automatically increase the size of the canvas to accommodate the thickness of the frame. That’s a minor issue, though, and easy to work around. PhotoFrame 4’s flexibility, degree of control, and ease of integration with the workflow make it an ideal tool for photographers who want their images to stand out in the marketplace. PhotoFrame 4 Professional Edition sells for $259.95; Standard Edition, $159.95; upgrade for earlier versions, $99. � Demo versions of onOne Software are available at www.ononesoftware.com.

54 • www.ppmag.com

welcome to the Family

Manfrotto presents a new generation of tripods to the carbon fiber tripod world. Extremely light weight with incredible performance, fast and easy to use. 100% Carbon Fiber Tubes / 100% High Performance / 100% Manfrotto Quality

To locate a Manfrotto dealer with products on display and in stock Go2 www.bogenimaging.us Manfrotto US subsidiary: Bogen Imaging Inc. 201 818 9500 www.bogenimaging.us [email protected]

You make important financial decisions every day, but today’s economic uncertainties may have you second-guessing everything about your business. Now more than ever, you can’t afford to be uninformed.

Photo

© Visio

© Lim

n Photo

elight

graphy

© Eric

John

graph

y

Photo

graph

y

Turn to PPA and Studio Management Services (SMS) for the resources and information you need to sustain your business through these tough times. Our primary goal, as a non-profit association, is your financial health and success. But don’t take our word for it—read what these professional photographers are saying about how SMS has changed their business:

ERIC & SHAWNA ANUNDI ERIC JOHN PHOTOGRAPHY Salem, Oregon PPA member since: 1997

SMS has transformed our business and put us on the road to success.

REBECCA & MICHAEL ZOUMBEROS GRAHAM WILSON VISION PHOTOGRAPHY Littleton, Colorado PPA members since: 2002

The support I receive from the staff and my mentor at SMS has been nothing short of amazing – it’s an integral part of my studio.

LIMELIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY Odessa, Florida PPA member since: 2006

After the SMS workshop, I literally saw results in my bottom line overnight. And they continue to help us each step of the way.

NOW IS THE TIME TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE. Register now at PPA.com for the workshops and Webinars that will help you face today’s challenges and sustain your business. WEBINARS

BUSINESS BASICS 2-day workshop for beginning photographers

February 9 Carol Andrews Big Marketing Ideas on a Small Budget February 20 Graham Wilson & Kellyann Foe Making Money Matters! February 23 Todd & Jamie Reichman Stop Competing on Price! March 2 Rebecca & Mike Zoumberos Zero to Hero

SMS 3-DAY BUSINESS WORKSHOP

February 21-22 Carol Andrews & Ann Monteith Atlanta, Georgia

February 23-25 Carol Andrews & Ann Monteith Atlanta, Georgia

March 21-22 Carol Andrews & Doug Box to be announced

March 23-25 Carol Andrews & Julia Woods to be announced

May 16-17 Ann Monteith & Mary Fisk-Taylor Chicago, Illinois

June 8-10 Ann Monteith & Lori Nordstrom Atlanta, Georgia

June 13-14 Ann Monteith & Mary Fisk-Taylor California

August 24-26 Ann Monteith & Julia Woods Dallas, Texas

July 18-19 Carol Andrews & Ann Monteith Baltimore, Maryland

November 9-11 Carol Andrews & Ann Monteith Atlanta, Georgia

November 7-8 Carol Andrews & Ann Monteith Atlanta, Georgia Learn more about the one-on-one consulting and financial services available exclusively to PPA members through Studio Management Services. Call Beth Moore at 888-851-0405, or e-mail [email protected].

Professional Photographers of America | www.PPA.com | 800.786.6277 | [email protected] the world’s largest non-profit trade association for professional photographers

THE GOODS: PRO TALK

Where will DLSR camera video capture take us? Your imagination is the only limit. B Y DAV I D Z I S E R , M . P H O T O G .C R . , F - A S P

Still and video converge GAME-CHANGING TECHNOLOGIES

What’s the coolest new feature in Canon and Nikon DSLRs lately? For me, it’s video.

Lots of photographers are presenting

than my old S1 Pro, but that’s still a lot of

slideshows on computer screens at wedding

pixels for video. I was able to print decent

What, you don’t want to be a videographer?

receptions—heck, we were doing it 25 years

portrait images up to 20x24 inches with the

Me either. They know their gig, I know mine.

ago with Kodak projectors. Can you imagine

S1, so what would you expect from the 5D

On the other hand, they’re always in our way

the client response to live video cut into the

Mark II video capture? How about great-

at weddings anyway—could these new cameras

presentation?

looking 11x14 prints from a video grab? I’m

solve that problem? Wait, just a joking.

Is it possible to create images from the

looking at some right now.

But video could be huge for photographers

new hi-def video? How good would prints

—we need to offer our clients exciting products

from a Canon EOS 5D Mark II video grab

30 frames per second at a decent resolu-

that the competition doesn’t. This new tech-

be? Of all the specs on the camera, the

tion for printing. There are unbelievable

nology points the way for innovative photog-

standout for me is the camera’s

possibilities. I’ve used QuickTime Pro to

raphers to do that. The coolest thing about a

1,920x1,080-pixel video capture.

export segments of video as uncompressed

built-in video feature for me as a photographer

I started shooting digital with a Fujifilm

Now we have a camera that can capture

TIFF files. My print tests prove that the

is the creativity it sparks. As a teacher, trainer

FinePix S1 Pro with actual, not interpolated,

images can be easily printed up to 11x14

and instructor, I’m excited by how video

resolution of 2,304x1,536 pixels. Canon EOS

inches, particularly if the subject matter

enhances my ability to demonstrate my lessons.

5D Mark II video capture is 60 percent less

doesn’t have superfine detail. Portrait-like

Figure 1

subjects do very well—check out the image ©Kent Smith Photography

below, left. That’s a straight video grab, and it easily prints to a great-looking 16x20. Last February I wrote a piece for the Digital ProTalk blog called “How Many Pixels Does It Take to Make a Face?” It was an in-depth analysis of the least number of pixels it takes to get a salable wedding image from a digital file. According to my tests, the minimum number for an 8x10 print is 2,000 pixels. Now we have a camera that captures video

Believe it or not, this is an image taken from Kent Smith’s Canon 5D Mark II video, posted on the Digital ProTalk Web site, and it makes a beautiful 11x14 print.

58 • www.ppmag.com

in that 2,000-pixel range. We’re getting closer and closer to the convergence of still and video digital capture, meaning ever more image grabbing possibilities. I’m not suggesting you shoot video-only and then scour the video for printable frames. What I am saying is that the ability to pull a good print from video opens a slew of creative opportunities for us.

Video could be huge for photographers—we need to offer our clients exciting products that the competition doesn’t. This new technology points the way for innovative photographers to do that.

We can now easily capture sequences in the wedding day that could be easily incorporated in the wedding album. It gives

capture when you press the shutter button.

an entirely new twist to the wedding candid.

I realize that in low-light situations we’ll

Think ring exchange, receiving line, peripheral

get motion-blur, but who cares? It’s the other

sequences during the wedding shoot, cake-

opportunities, when we won’t have compro-

cutting, garter and bouquet toss. My imagina-

mised images, that really matter. Besides, I think

tion is in overdrive just fantasizing the

motion-blurred sequences, presented creatively,

possibilities. You don’t even have to sacrifice

could have some interesting possibilities.

still capture while you’re shooting video.

It’s time to put on our thinking caps

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II will record a

again to envision where this is leading, maybe

full-frame, 21-megapixel still during video

to the most exciting times of our lives. �

David Ziser is an internationally renowned wedding photographer and educator. His new touring digital photography seminar, “Digital WakeUp Call: A New Dawn,” launches soon. Look for details at Ziser’s popular daily blog digitalprotalk.com.

CORRECTION: In the December installment of Pro Talk, we incorrectly used the term “cadet” in reference to midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy. We regret the error, which was entirely the editors’ fault, not David Ziser’s.

February 2009 • Professional Photographer • 59

For Jose Villa, wedding photography has always been about expressing himself in a way that realizes his clients’ visions. He gets the best images by capturing the spontaneous moment after the setup. WEDDINGS

T

Interview by Jeff Kent

oday’s successful wedding photographers are artists who understand the many elements that need to come together in a marriage celebration. It’s about more than shutter speed and f/stops, it’s about the big

picture, the look, the feel and the full presentation of the details. For Jose Villa, wedding photography has always been about expressing himself in a

way that realizes his clients’ visions. A graduate of Brooks Institute with formal training in lighting and posing, Villa says he was doing fine-art wedding photography before it became a buzz word in the industry. Shooting exclusively film, primarily with a Contax 645 camera, Villa captures organic, magazine-style images, and has from the beginning of his career. Over the last seven years, his Solvang, Calif., studio has catapulted in status, and now commands sales averages approaching five figures. And he’s busy, too, booking about 50 weddings a year, and mixing in portraits on weekdays. Professional Photographer asked Villa to share some thoughts on wedding design, trends and staying ahead of the curve.

Professional Photographer: How has wedding photography changed over the past several years, and how has it affected your work? Jose Villa: When I started shooting All images ©Jose Villa

After the moments Jose Villa describes his new approach to weddings 62 • www.ppmag.com

weddings seven years ago, the field was all about wedding photojournalism. I tried to step back and just document, but I wasn’t getting the shots I wanted. After my first couple of weddings, I was mad at myself for

not directing certain things. There were beautiful moments happening, but I had no control over them. I saw places where I could have done more, made better images if I’d just stepped in. I started directing and inserting my artistic perspective. My clients really responded to it. People appreciated that I would get the best shots and make them look better, and they started to buy a lot more images. I knew I’d found my style. From then on, it was all about composition, attention to detail, and doing everything in-camera. So what is your approach to weddings? When I photograph a moment, I’m really looking for the moment that happens right after that. For example, I’ll have the couple close their eyes, lean together and kiss. Their eyes are closed, so they inevitably miss, and end up kissing each other’s forehead or chin. They start laughing—that’s the image I want. I have more than three dozen moments that I’ll try to create at weddings. I’m not so interested in the pose, but in the moment just after the pose. It intentionally injects

spontaneity into the images. You have to help the clients not to think about the camera. When you ask them to do something a little bit out of their control, it’s not a regimented pose. When people let go of the control, they end up having more spontaneous reactions, which makes for better images. There’s no doubt that bridal magazines have had a profound impact on the wedding photography industry. How do you think they’ve changed the game for photographers? When people look at spreads in a magazine, they see themselves. That’s what they want.

February 2009 • Professional Photographer • 63

WEDDINGS

They tend to gravitate to the styles being exhibited. Those styles have definitely changed in the last few years. There are more fashion and high-fashion wedding spreads, and less of the pure photojournalism look. Brides especially love the real wedding features. The magazines are picking up on the style of the events in these spreads, and encouraging brides to be creative with their weddings. That often means spending more money on the photographer. It’s hard to believe how much the industry has developed because of these influences. Even with the down economy, people are pouring money into their weddings. There’s such an emphasis on making the event as artful and beautiful as possible. It’s exciting to be part of that process. How has that affected your business? I try to get my work published as much as possible. I submit almost every wedding to a magazine. If you get published, it’s almost an automatic endorsement. You also hit

64 • www.ppmag.com

WEDDINGS

different potential clients with each magazine, because they speak to different groups. Not only do brides see the magazines, but vendors see them as well. That is very valuable exposure, especially when coordinators see the work. These days, about 40 percent of my weddings come from coordinators. Often, they’ve seen my work in a magazine and want my particular style for the images. Getting published has helped me raise rates as well. As soon as I get published, I post the article on my Web site. When brides see that you’re in magazines, they think that you’re both expensive and in demand. They assume that you cost more than $5,000 per event because that’s what they’ve seen with other published photographers. That perception has helped me raise my rates, because it’s difficult for me to put a price on my work. My weddings now start at $7,500, and that’s mainly because of exposure in magazines.

With all that in mind, what’s your advice to

Make sure to give images to the other

other wedding photographers?

vendors. This is such a huge key to success.

If you’re shooting weddings in today’s

I see vendors come in and take pictures of

market, you need to be more than a photog-

their cakes or flowers with little point-and-

rapher, you need to be an art director. You

shoot cameras. I go up to them, give them

have to stylize what’s going in the picture.

my card, and tell them I’ll make a beautiful,

That means paying attention to backgrounds,

professional image of their work. It’s a great

to details and to what’s happening around you.

way to introduce yourself to florists, caterers,

Once you’ve mastered that, go get published. Don’t think you’re not good

designers and coordinators. And those are your most valuable referral sources. Start

enough. Enter contests, submit images to

doing this early, and it will really make a

magazines, contact photo editors. Have that

difference in your business. �

confidence. When I started, I had doubts, but when I did submit my images, people loved them. Taking that step improved my business so much.

To see more from Jose Villa, check out www.josevilla.com.

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Tungsten hot lights combined with period sets and wardrobe recall the glamour of George Hurrell’s Hollywood portraiture, and inspires a new kind of bridal session, and a new business line for John Russo. WEDDINGS

By Jeff Kent

All images ©John Russo

T

he concept came to them during a bridal magazine assignment. The editor wanted to do something different from the contemporary look so often used in magazines these days, and she joined photographer

John Russo at his Los Angeles studio to brainstorm. They came up with a vision of

old Hollywood. A celebrity photographer by trade, Russo is well versed in the old-school Hollywood portrait styles, such as George Hurrell’s iconic images from the movie industry’s Golden Age. For this 21st century shoot, he decided to use the same classic posing, lighting and decorative techniques. For the images to look authentic, every detail needed to be period specific, from the models’ hair, makeup and clothing, to set design and furnishing. Russo’s design team included stylist Melinda Tarbell, hair and makeup artist Laly Zambrana, and production coordinator Rose Cefalu. Russo and Cefalu selected furniture from Period Collection, a vintage home furnishings retailer (www.periodcollection.com). The clothing was a mix of vintage and new, the jewelry mostly vintage or vintage style. “Authenticity is important in themed shoots,” says Russo. “Everything has to tie in to the period. One little inconsistency will throw it all off.” To emulate Hurrell’s dramatic directional

Retro glamour John Russo recreates Hollywood’s Golden Age in bridal portraits 68 • www.ppmag.com

lighting, Russo used a set of four ARRI tungsten hot lights for the main and fill lighting. Mixing the arrangement of the lights, he created high-contrast light patterns with

WEDDINGS

deep shadows, making the lighting itself a theatrical element. In posing his subjects, Russo invoked the languid body language of the 1920s and ’30s glamour shots, to imbue the images with a sense of romanticism and sensuality without overt sexuality. “That period was all about sensuality, but it was subtle,” he says. “Emotion and body placement were important, hand placement was important. Women were positioned with delicacy.” Russo also emulated the exaggerated posing that was used to give movie actors that certain star quality. “The posing has to idealize the subjects,” he explains. “It’s all about the body language. Some of those older portraits are almost campy because they’re so exaggerated, but that’s what gives the images of the period such a distinctive look.” The magazine assignment prompted Russo to open a new business line, Old Hollywood, themed wedding portraits for his high-end California clients. Staging such

HOW I DID IT BY JOHN RUSSO

We wanted to approach this assignment in a way that would pay homage to the masters of Hollywood glamour photography. Photographers like George Hurrell and Cecil Beaton helped define the visual style of the era and shaped the public perception of some of Hollywood’s most iconic stars. The photographers of the 1920s and ’30s used tungsten hot lights extensively, so we used them exclusively in these portraits. We set up four ARRI lights, two Junior 2000 and two Junior 1000 lamp heads. These lights have built-in Fresnel lenses, which allows you to control the spread of the light. We also used a selection of full scrims, half scrims, spun glass and snoots to further control the spread, specularity and intensity of each light fixture, and 4x8-foot white reflectors to control the ratio. I photographed the portraits digitally with a Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II camera and a combination of Canon lenses: 24-70mm f/2.8L USM, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM and Tilt Shift-E 90mm f/2.8. Post capture, we processed the images in Phase One Capture One PRO. Using Adobe Photoshop CS3, we converted the image files to black and white and added a subtle soft-focus effect.

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WEDDINGS

shoots with real folks rather than paid models is quite a different enterprise, but hardly impossible, says Russo. “The Old Hollywood look requires chemistry between the subjects. When a couple is getting married, they are in love and they already have that chemistry. You just need to get them communicating the energy between them,” he says. “Of course, you do get those people who are like deer caught in the headlights in front of a camera. You just have to work with them, encourage them, give them confidence. If one member of the couple feels more comfortable, get him or her to help you pull in the partner. You can create some really unique, beautiful images.” � To see more of John Russo’s Old Hollywood images, visit www.johnrussophoto.com. Check out Russo’s liveBooks Web site at johnrussoweddings.com

72 • www.ppmag.com

Thanks to their ingenious Smile Booth, the Chamberlins are free to focus on capturing unique moments. “The more open you are to letting the day unfold, the better the work you’re going to do,” says Jesse. WEDDINGS

By Stephanie Boozer

Labor of love

W

Whitney & Jesse Chamberlin are free of the shot list

what they do, and

that love is obvious

when you talk to either

of them about shooting

weddings. This dynamic

duo thrives on the energy

of the wedding day, has an almost insatiable

74 • www.ppmag.com

career to find an outlet for his artistic vision, and Jesse was ready to run her own show. “We just weren’t getting the clients that we wanted when we were working for other

hitney and Jesse

Chamberlin love

All images ©Whitney and Jesse Chamberlin

dom. Whitney had recently left a corporate

desire to capture the unscripted moments

people,” says Jesse, who began her career 14

that can touch the hardest of hearts.

years ago as an assistant to her stepmother,

“We love the off moment,” says Jesse. “It’s

also a wedding photographer. “Ever since

something you just can’t plan. The more

starting Our Labor of Love, we’ve had the

open you are to letting the day unfold, the

best jobs coming to us. We’re putting out a

better the work you’re going to do.”

strong vision, and there’s so much creativity

Based in Atlanta, the Chamberlins opened their studio, Our Labor of Love, four years ago out of a mutual yearning for creative free-

in weddings.” One unique approach the Chamberlins bring to events is the Smile Booth. Literally

WEDDINGS an expanded, modernized version of the classic automatic photobooth, this 6x7-foot chamber is draped in a fabric of the client’s choosing, the most popular being a rich black velvet. Conceived as way to free them from the constraints of the typical wedding shot list, the Smile Booth is also an entertaining way to get a photograph of every wedding guest. Because the guests are in control of the shutter via wireless remote, and they can see themselves on the 24-inch color LCD monitor, the Smile Booth yields expressive, spontaneous images that the wedding photographer doesn’t have the time to coax out. “It just draws you in,” says Whitney. “Once you’re inside, you have the freedom to just be yourself. You know when to smile, you know when to be silly, when to be goofy and start pulling your friends in.” “That’s what makes it so awesome and different,” says Jesse. For the guests, “It’s really about having fun in the moment, not so much about the final product.” Although, she stresses, the final product from the Smile

Booth in no way resembles those strips from automatic photobooths. Beautifully lit like studio portraits, the quality of these captures is high enough to output as poster-size prints. Because the Chamberlins know that all of the guests are cycling through the Smile Booth, even the bride and groom, they have the freedom and flexibility to capture the candid moments outside the booth. “Now we have time to catch the girl doing a cartwheel or the grandpa giving out kisses,” she says. “And it’s just plain fun.” The Chamberlins shoot some 45 weddings a year, which might sound like a heavy load. But they find that the fast pace provides the right amount of pressure to stay focused. “That’s what keeps us constantly shining,” says Whitney. “You can either do the exact

76 • www.ppmag.com

WEDDINGS same thing on all 45 weddings, or use the momentum to stay on top of your game. We approach each wedding differently because our clients are all different.” And his partner is on the same page. “I’m always trying to do something that hasn’t been done,” says Jesse. “Our clients want something completely new, and we want their wedding to be unique. We don’t want to be known for a specific shot, but for looking at each wedding day as its own work of art. And the feedback from our clients is that we saw their day the same way that they did.” � See what Whitney and Jesse Chamberlin are up to lately at ourlaboroflove.com. Stephanie Boozer is a freelance writer and photographer in Charleston, S.C.

78 • www.ppmag.com

The industry has changed so much that people are using the word “classic” to refer to Suzy Clement’s style. But the artist believes it’s all about staying genuine: “I want to capture authentic emotion,” she says. WEDDINGS

By Stephanie Boozer

Classic rocks

W

How Suzy Clement solidified her studio identity

weddings in the picturesque San Francisco Bay Area for 12 years. When she started, wedding photographer meant routine shooter, but “now it’s cool,” she says. Clement has seen plenty of trends come

elcome to the

ments altering everything, including the busi-

and go, and when photojournalism was a

age of digital

ness of photography, it’s comforting to know

new idea for wedding photography, she was

enlightenment.

there’s still a place for the fundamentals. And

already doing it. Now, she says, her style’s con-

just because you can do something faster

sidered “classic.” Though her business has

and cheaper, doesn’t mean it has to show.

evolved over time, her documentary style has

The mother of the

bride is texting the

flower girls, the wedding

Thus, an unspoken movement is growing

guests need reminding to

among established photographers who prefer

silence their cell phones,

remained elegant, her images emotional. That’s what her clients want on their wedding day.

to focus on the quality of their work and the

“There was this short period of time when

and just about everybody is armed with a digital

client-studio experience—the basics. Among

I felt like I had to be on top of every new trend,”

camera. With so many technological advance-

them is Suzy Clement, who has been shooting

says Clement, who notes that at one point,

All images ©Suzy Clement

“I want images to be beautiful, but to also have depth and soul. Once I realized that was the most important thing for me, I was able to focus on that without worrying about the things that I wasn’t doing.” studios were giving away iPods loaded with photos as sales bonuses. “As I saw this going

introspection was a liberating experience. “It’s a really great thing to build a brand

on in the market, I started to question how I

about what you really are,” she says. “For me,

fit in, which was a healthy thing for me.”

it’s authenticity, in both the work I do and

With the growing perception of the wed-

the way I deal with clients.

ding photographer as an artist, combined

“I want to capture authentic emotion,”

with the affordability of digital cameras, it

says Clement. “I want images to be beautiful,

seemed that everyone was shooting wed-

but to also have depth and soul. Once I

dings. In response, Clement focused her

realized that was the most important thing

energy on solidifying her studio’s identity,

for me, I was able to focus on that without

analyzing every aspect of her business, from

worrying about the things that I wasn’t

her shooting style to her Web presence. Her

doing. After working on that for the past

five years, I’m in a really great place now.” The industry has changed so much, but Clement says, “What I do is timeless, and there will always be clientele looking for something that’s genuine and real— romantic, but authentic.” Clement now limits her bookings to about 18 a year, a schedule she feels keeps her fresh. By simplifying her clients’ ordering options and really focusing on her personal style, Clement has established a strong studio identity. “Once I decided that I couldn’t be everything to everybody, and focused on that feeling of authenticity, I spread it through all aspects of how I run my business,” she says. “That’s what’s made it successful the last few years and hopefully going forward.” � View more of Suzy Clement’s portfolio at suzyclement.com. Stephanie Boozer is a freelance writer and photographer living in Charleston, South Carolina.

February 2009 • Professional Photographer • 81

All images ©Anna Kuperberg

B

BLISS W E D D E D

Anna Kuperberg discovers her calling in artistic wedding photography BY JEFF KENT

nna Kuperberg photographed her first wedding long before she had any real interest in being a wedding photographer. She landed the gig while studying fine-art photography at Washington University in St. Louis. Weddings weren’t part of her career plan, but this was an

remember thinking that I didn’t want to

Kuperberg moved to San Francisco, where

opportunity for the student to make a little cash.

continue doing weddings because they were

she worked her way through a master of fine

so stressful. But the client loved her pictures,

arts degree in photography at the San

job I ever had,” Kuperberg recalls. “I

and she referred me to her friend. After that,

Francisco Art Institute. Over the next

remember thinking how incredibly difficult

weddings just became part of what I did.”

decade, she established a diverse photo

it was. There was so much pressure. I also

After graduating from Wash Univ.,

“It was the first real paying photography

business in the Bay Area, covering magazine

assignments, fine-art projects, commercial shoots and weddings. Then she began to take stock of which work she truly enjoyed, and how a sustainable business model would look. “I’d always intended to be a magazine photographer,” says Kuperberg. “But I realized that the publishing industry was not what it used to be; the pay was low, the competition high, and the assignments not all that interesting. I’d been resistant to weddings because they didn’t fit into my vision of my core work, yet weddings were actually the most fun thing I was doing. They allowed the most creativity and the most freedom, and they were also the most lucrative.” In 2003, Kuperberg made a wholesale change in her focus and her business model. Rather than a magazine photographer who also shot weddings, she became a wedding photographer first and foremost. She told everyone she knew about it and hired an ace designer to redo her Web site. She started using online networking to promote herself and submitted images to bridal publications like The Knot, Your Wedding Day and Southern Bride. Most important, she put out good work in a way that was easy for clients to share—online slideshows, image posts on her blog and digital collections that happy couples could forward to friends. The result was a growing energy and excitement about Kuperberg’s wedding photography, from both potential clients and the photographer herself. In a style that reflects elements of her magazine, fine art and commercial experience, Kuperberg climbed to the upper tier of the Bay Area’s ultra-competitive wedding scene. Over the next few years, she ramped up her bookings and her prices. She’s shooting 30 top-dollar events a year, and books an additional 15 to 20 moderately priced weddings for an associate photographer. In addition, Kuperberg launched a

healthy business in child and dog portraits. Kuperberg describes her approach to

Kuperberg often composes photographs

change in the way people value wedding

so that the subject is off-center, or lets negative

photography. Particularly in the last decade,

wedding photography as “responsive.” She

space dominate the frame. She alternates

they see it as artwork they want to display

doesn’t set out with a regimented plan for

between close-in, wide-angle shots and

rather than something they should display.

what she’ll do at the wedding, which frees

long-shot portraits taken with an 85mm

her to observe and capture the personalities

lens. She likes to employ backlighting from

more creative talent, and part is from a savvier,

of the wedding party and guests. “It’s a

existing light sources, including the sun.

visually literate clientele, says Kuperberg.

constant response to what’s going on around

“More than anything, though, I look for

Part of this change is due to the influx of

Couples these days are making their own

me,” she explains. “I don’t want to force

deeply emotional moments,” she says. “Every-

decisions about wedding photography—

something if it doesn’t work. I will direct

thing else—the light, the colors, the compo-

indeed, all wedding vendors—as opposed to

certain scenes as they’re developing. I play

sitions—supports those moments. I try not

leaving it to the parents. These couples are

with the kids and interact with certain

to take photos that are just about the surface,

looking for something new and fresh.

people. Everything else is more of a response

even though the surface is very pretty.”

to the natural flow of the event.”

Kuperberg says she’s seen a fundamental

And then there’s massive Internet influence. “It used to be a huge investment of

GEAR BAG Anna Kuperberg keeps it light CAMERA: Canon EOS 5D LENSES: Canon 24mm f/1.4, 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro, 85mm f/1.2, 24mm f/3.5 Tilt Shift, 16-35mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8 FLASH: Two Canon Speedlite 580EX flashes used off camera on E-TTL with a wireless transmitter LIGHT MODIFIERS: Calumet dualsided, gold-and-white reflector; Calumet translucent scrim

‘‘

I'd been resistant to weddings because they didn't fit into my vision, yet weddings were actually the most fun thing I was doing.

’’

time for clients to view work from photog-

work out there, the diligent clients tend to

us to be more original. If we could predict

raphers,” says Kuperberg. “They’d have to

find you—especially when you’re talking

what will happen, then we wouldn’t really

schedule appointments, come in and

about the high-end markets.”

grow as a profession. So I hope our next set

review books, and now clients can view

Does the new model mean more compe-

of challenges will involve things I can’t

100 online portfolios in an afternoon.

tition? Absolutely. “Wedding photography is

dream of at this moment. Wouldn’t that be

Those who really care about photography

already much more competitive than it used

exciting?” �

can find photographers with styles that

to be, and I see it getting more competitive

match theirs. In this environment, the

in the future,” says Kuperberg. “I think that

images stand on their own. If you put good

ultimately helps the industry. It encourages

90 • www.ppmag.com

To see more from Anna Kuperberg, visit www.kuperberg.com.

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calendar Submit your organization’s convention, workshop, seminar or exhibition dates to Professional Photographer at least six months in advance. Editors reserve the right to select events to be announced on these pages, and to determine when announcements will appear. Editors are not responsible for conflicting or incorrect dates. For readers’ convenience, each event is identified by a code preceding its name: C=Convention, W=Workshop, S=Seminar, C/E=Approved PPA Continuing Education Seminar, E=Exhibit. Send all Calendar of Events additions or corrections to: Marisa Pitts, Professional Photographer, 229 Peachtree St., NE, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303; FAX: 404-614-6404; [email protected].

Current Events

March 27-29 S: PP of Oklahoma, Post Oak Lodge, Tulsa, Okla.; Ken Helt, 405-372-2670; [email protected]

April 26-28 S: PP of Michigan, Inn at Bay Harbor, Bay Harbor, Mich.; Scott Green, 248-318-5182; [email protected]; www.ppm.org

March 28-31 C: Heart of America, KCI Expo Center, Kansas City, Mo.; Stephen Harvey, 620-624-4102; [email protected]; www.hoappa.com

April 26-28 C: PPA New Jersey, Atlantic City, N.J.; Leslie, 866-985-4300; [email protected]; www.ppanj.com

March 28-31 C: PPSNYS, Desmond Hotel, Albany, N.Y.; Kelvin Ringold, 315-451-3716; [email protected]; www.ppsnys.com

June 14-15 S: PPA of Pennsylvania, Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, Camp Hill, Pa.; Scott Weldon, 610-641-9025; [email protected]; ppaofpa.org

March 28-31 C: PPA New Mexico, Albuquerque, N.M.; Jessica Lozoya, 505-243-1007; [email protected]; www.ppanm.com April 3-7 C: PP of Washington Western States, Great Wolf Lodge, Grand Mound, Wash.; Lisa Lamping, 503-861-1200; [email protected]; www.ppw.org

February 26-March 4 C: PP of North Carolina; Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Durham, N.C.; Loretta Byrd, 888-4047762; [email protected]; www.ppofnc.com

April 19-21 C: PPA of Pennsylvania, Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, Camp Hill, Pa.; Scott Weldon, 610-641-9025; [email protected]; ppaofpa.org

February 27-March 3 C: Wisconsin PPA, Marriott Conference Center, Madison, Wis.; Mary Gueller, 920-753-5302; Mary Mortensen, 262-754-8889; Deb Wiltsey, 866-382-9772; wppa-online.com

April 19-22 C: Northern Light, Breezy Point, Minn.; Jeff Fifield, 218-722-3777; [email protected]; Nicole Bugnacki, P.O. Box 567, Ironton, MN, 56455; 763-390-6272; www.nlpp.org

March 19-23 C: PP of California, Pasadena Conference Center, Pasadena, Calif.; Roger B. Daines, [email protected]; www.prophotoca.com

April 25-28 C: SEPPA, Athens, Ga.; Tom McCollum, 770972-8552; [email protected]; ww.4seppa.com

March 22-25 C: Mid-America Regional, Decatur Conference Center, Decatur, Ill.; Jill Sanders, 309-697-9015; [email protected]

April 25-28 C: New Hampshire PPA, North Conway, N.H.; Don Chick, 603-335-4448; [email protected]; www.nhppa.com

PPA EVENTS, EXAMS & REVIEWS Professional Photographers of America (PPA) has a proud tradition of providing its members with outstanding educational opportunities through its annual events, PPA-Merited classes and its PPA Affiliate School Network. Don’t miss out on the vital knowledge you’ll gain at these events! For information on PPA events, call 800-786-6277 or visit www.ppa.com. March 23-25, 2009 Studio Management Services, Texas June 8-10 Studio Management Services, Atlanta August 24-26, 2009 Studio Management Services, Atlanta

92 • www.ppmag.com

November 9-11, 2009 Studio Management Services, Atlanta January 10-12, 2010 Imaging USA, Nashville

Certification Exam May 8, August 7, October 9, 2009: Certification image submission deadlines online For a complete list of exam dates, go to www.ppa.com and click on Certification.

August 8-12 C: Tennessee PPA, Marriott Cool Springs, Franklin, Tenn.; Ernie K. Johnson, 615-5095737; [email protected]; tnppa.com August 21-22 C: PP of California, South San Francisco Conference Center, S. San Francisco, Calif.; Roger B. Daines, [email protected]; www.prophotoca.com August 28-32 S: PP of Oklahoma, Reed Center, Midwest City, Okla.; Ken Helt, 405-372-2670; [email protected] Septemer 19-21 C: PP of Nebraska, Midtown Holiday Inn, Grand Island, Neb.; Teri Funk, 402-991-4413, [email protected] September 20-22 S: PP of Michigan, Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville, Mich.; Scott Green, 248-3185182; [email protected]; www.ppm.org October 4-6 S: PPA of Pennsylvania, Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, Camp Hill, Pa.; Scott Weldon, 610-641-9025; [email protected]; ppaofpa.org October 18-21 C: APPI, Decatur Conference Center, Decatur, Ill.; Jill Sanders, 309-697-9015; [email protected] November 1-2 S: PP of Iowa, Airport Holiday Inn, Des Moines, Iowa; Chris Brinkopf, 563-578-1126; [email protected]; www.ppiowa.com November 1-2 S: Northern Light/MPPA Fall Seminar, St. Cloud, Minn.; Nicole Bugnacki, 763-390-6272; [email protected]; www.mnppa.com November 6-8 C: PP of Indiana, Marriott East, Indianapolis, Ind.; Terry Bateman, 317-253-6245; [email protected]; www.ppofi.org

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Future Events

February 6-9, 2010 C: PP of Iowa, Airport Holiday Inn, Des Moines, Iowa; Chris Brinkopf, 563-578-1126; [email protected]; www.ppiowa.com February 18-21, 2010 C: Mid American PPA, Marriott East, Indianapolis, Ind.; Terry Bateman, 317-253-6245; [email protected] February 19-23, 2010 C: PP of Michigan, Troy Marriott, Troy, Mich.; Scott Green, 248-318-5182; [email protected]; www.ppm.org February 26-March 2, 2010 C: Wisconsin PPA, Radisson Hotel, Green Bay, Wis.; Donna Swiecichowski, 920-822-1200; Carl Caylor, 906-779-1535; wppa-online.com April 10-13, 2010 C: Heart of America, KCI Expo Center, Kansas City, Mo.; Stephen Harvey, 620-624-4102; [email protected]; www.hoappa.com November 14-15, 2010 C: PP of Ohio, Hilton Easton, Columbus, Ohio; Carol Worthington, [email protected] February 23-29, 2011 C: PP of Ohio, Dayton Convention Center, Dayton, Ohio, Carol Worthington, 614-2286703; [email protected]; www.ppofohio.org

PPA-Approved Continuing Education Seminars PPA members receive both merits and the best published prices. March-December C/E: Oregon Photo Safaris, Dwon Guvenir, 503-999-4321; www.oregonphotosafaris.com March 7 C/E: New Hampshire PPA Photofestival: Family Portraiture, Dover, N.H.; 603-743-5732; www.nhppa.con March 14 C/E: New Hampshire PPA Photofestival: On Lighting, Milford, N.H.; 603-672-8890; www.nhppa.con March 15 C/E: Advanced Outdoor Lighting Techniques with Jeff Dachowski; Alexandria, Va.; Stephanie Millner, 703-349-6269 March 15-20 C/E: Georgia Group I Mentoring Class; Paul Wingler, 800-483-6208; [email protected]

94 • www.ppmag.com

2009 PPA-AFFILIATED SCHOOLS PPA members receive both merits and the best-published prices. March 15-20 Triangle Institute, Crowne Plaza, Pittsburgh, Pa.; William Penberthy, 724-452-9200; [email protected]; www.trianglephotographers.org March 29-April 1 California Photographic Workshops, Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco, Calif.; James Inks, 888-422-6606; [email protected]; www.cpwschool.com March 29-April 3 New England Institute of Professional Photography, Resort & Conference Center Hyannis, Cape Cod, Mass.; Sal Genuario, 401-738-3797; [email protected]; www.ppane.com May 3-6 Carolina Art & Photographic School, Randolph Community College/Archdale Campus, Creekside Park, N.C.; Bob Henderson, 336288-1132; [email protected]; www.capsartschool.com May 3-8 Texas School of Professional Photography, University of Texas, Arlington, Texas; Donald Dickson, 806-296-2276; ddickson@ lonestarbbs.com; www.tppa.org/school.htm May 3-8 MARS (Mid-Atlantic Regional School), Grand Hotel, Cape May, N.J.; Adele Bastinck, 888-267-6277; [email protected]; www.marsschool.com May 5-8 & May 10-13 Wisconsin Professional Photographers School at Treehaven, UW Stevens PointTreehaven, Tomahawk, Wisc.; Phil Ziesemer, 715-536-4540; [email protected]; www.wiprophotoschool.org

May 31-June 4 Mid-America Institute of Professional Photography, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa.; Charles Lee, 641-799-8957; [email protected]; www.maipp.com; Al DeWild, Director, [email protected] June 7-11 Kansas Professional Photographer School, Bethel College, Newton, Kan.; Ron Clevenger, 913-242-7710; [email protected]; www.kpps.com June 7-11 Illinois Workshops, Grafton, Ill.; Bret Wade, 217-245-5418; [email protected]; www.ilworkshops.com June 14-17 Winona International School of Photography, Brown County State Park, Nashville, Ind.; Janell Spencer, 800-310-3460; [email protected]; www.ppofi.org June 14-19 Great Lakes Institute of Photography, Northwestern College, Traverse City, Mich.; Greg Ockerman, 313-318-4327; [email protected]; www.glip.org June 21-26 West Coast School, University of San Diego, San Diego, Calif.; Kip Cothran, 951-696-9706; [email protected]; www.prophotoca.com June 28-July 2 PP Oklahoma School, St. Gregory’s University, Shawnee, Okla., Glenn Cope, 580-628-6438; [email protected]; www.pposchool.com July 12-16 Image Explorations, Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia; Don MacGregor, 604-731-7225; [email protected]; www.imageexplorations.ca/

May 10-13 Golden Gate School of Professional Photography, Belmont, Calif.; Julie Olson, 650548-0889; [email protected]; www.goldengateschool.com

July 19-24 PPSNYS Photo Workshop, Hobart/William Smith Colleges, Geneva, N.Y.; Linda Hutchings, 607-733-6563; ppsnyworkshop@ pws1893.com; www.ppsnysworkshop.com

May 17-22 Georgia School, N. Georgia Tech, Clarksville, Ga.; Tom McCollum, 888-272-3711; [email protected]; www.gppaschool.com

August 2-6 East Coast School Photographic Workshops, Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Raleigh, N.C.; Janet Boschker, 704-567-0775; [email protected]; www.eastcoastschool.com

May 17-21 Imaging Workshops of Colorado, Breckenridge, Colo.; Jeff Johnson, 303-921-4454; [email protected]; www.coloradoworkshops.com May 31-June 4 Florida School of Photography, Daytona Beach College, Daytona Beach, Fla.; Teri Crownover, [email protected]; 800-330-0532; Marybeth Jackson-Hamberger, Director, mhamberger @comcast.net; www.fpponline.org

August 3-9 Long Island Photo Workshop; Sheraton Hotel, Smithtown, Long Island, N.Y.; Jerry Small, 516-221-4058; [email protected]; www.liphotoworkshop.com August 16-20 Evergreen School of Professional Photography, Vancouver, Wash.; Sam Gardner, 360-9612887; [email protected]; www.ppw.org

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© 2008 Reichman Photographic Artists

YOU HAVE TO COMMIT YOURSELF TO WHAT YOU’RE DOING BEFORE YOU CAN FIND TRUE SUCCESS.

We were trying to make a go at photography part time, but we weren’t getting very far. Then we bought a studio

space, Jamie went fulltime into photography…and I lost my fallback job. At that point, we HAD to make it. And

with PPA’s help, we did. Thanks to PPA, we had real, practical resources like Studio Management Services.

You can’t imagine the peace of mind that comes from knowing your numbers—we hope less and know more.

WE SIMPLY WOULDN’T BE HERE WITHOUT PPA.

Todd & Jamie Reichman Reichman Photographic Artists PPA Members since 2004 & 2006

Professional Photographers of America | www.PPA.com | 800.786.6277 | [email protected]

FEBRUARY | 09

TODAY

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dennis Craft, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, F-ASP

Thank You – to the Board of Directors and the vision they have created for PPA. I was and am proud to work with each dedicated individual as we redene our industry and help members grow stronger. And when Ron Nichols takes over as president next month, we members will nd a strong leadership and a devotion to making PPA stronger tomorrow. Thank You – to Lori and my family, for allowing me to serve on the board and all their encouragement while serving as president. Lori has been my

strength for over twenty years. With her steadfast wisdom, she is the person I can count on to keep me headed in the right direction. Lori, I love you. To my children—Tyler, Kelsey, and Kristina—you always understood when I missed a school or sporting event, or when I traveled and couldn’t be home at night. Thank you for allowing me to pursue my dreams. Thank you, PPA.

Dennis Craft, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, F-ASP

PPA News & Notes

Thank You – to PPA staff and all they do to make PPA as strong as it is today. David P. Trust, our CEO, has brought together some of the most talented people in their respective industries, helping build a secure foundation. Every PPA department is lled with gifted, creative people who love PPA. I also need to give a huge “thank you”

to Scott Kurkian who, with his nancial expertise, has helped the Board of Directors lead PPA to its best nancial situation ever. PPA would not be where it is today without such dedicated staff.

© Jessica Giovagnoli

© Rod Gleason

As I wrote this last message for Professional Photographer, it made me reect on not only this past year, but also my entire photographic career. PPA gave me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people who have become great friends; friends who I have been able to count on when I needed advice or encouragement. Our membership truly consists of some of the most caring people in the world.

© Peter Eastway

PPA President

© Heidi Eiffert

2008-2009

2008-2009 PPA President

FRIENDS MET ALONG THE WAY When you rst meet someone, you never really know where that relationship will take you. But when I wrote this last segment, I knew I wanted to include two special people who made a huge impact on my life. The rst time I ever met Michael Taylor, I was Print Chairman at the Michigan Convention and he was a juror. There was one problem: he shared a room with two fellow jurors that weekend (who shall remain anonymous), and they snored too loudly for Michael to get any sleep. The result? A sleepdeprived juror. We next met during my rst meeting as a new Print Exhibition Committee (PEC) member. Both pretty new to the committee, we supported and encouraged each

other as we learned what it meant to give back to PPA. From that day, Mike has been one of my closest friends. We have vacationed together, taught photography together, and served on committees and the PPA Board together. We have laughed, cried, and disagreed over many issues; but I have never doubted his friendship. I am blessed to have friends around the world, and I count Mike as one of the closest. Finally, I couldn’t nish without telling you about another great person, Helen Yancy. Many enjoy Helen’s friendship and know the warm, kind spirit that endears her to all. I can’t remember the rst time we met or how our friendship grew. I only know that she

has always been there when I needed to talk to someone. Her support and encouragement helped me present my rst program, join my rst PPA committee, and eventually serve as President of PPA. She has been not only a great mentor, but, more importantly, a very dear friend. Helen has a great mind, a caring heart, and a willingness to give—qualities that are found in so few, but come naturally to her. There are many that inspire me with their photography, but Helen inspires me with how she lives. Helen, thank you for all you mean to my family and me. I know I take for granted too many blessings in my life, but I don’t ever want to take friendships like these for granted.

news from Professional Photographers of America—the world’s largest non-profit association for professional photographers | www.ppa.com

P1

TODAY 2008 AN-NE MARKETING AWARD SPOTLIGHT: CHRISTA HOFFARTH by Angie Wijesinghe, PPA Marketing Specialist

PPA News & Notes

“I don’t want to ever get complacent with my style, my marketing, anything,” she explains.

Christa Hoffarth is always trying to “mix things up.” But one thing she hasn’t changed is her success rate in marketing competitions. For the second year in a row, Hoffarth took top prize in the Best Wedding Campaign category for the 2008 AN-NE Marketing Awards. “I can’t stop the ideas from coming,” Hoffarth says. And that’s a great problem to have. For one thing, it stimulates her to create new marketing campaigns every year. She admits that her clients might not notice the difference in the campaigns (they are wedding clients, so there’s a new batch every year), but her yearly creative shakeup is for her.

In the 2008 competition, Hoffarth’s entry focused on a reoccurring theme of exaggerated rectangles. She wanted a design she could push to different extremes. Take, for example, her letterhead, a simple piece that is usually 8.5x11 paper. Hoffarth’s taste for the unique chops that paper into a thin, exaggerated shape (reminiscent of an envelope). That may seem like a tiny drop in an ocean of campaign pieces, but it shows the attention to detail that she brings to everything and her ability to portray her unique style. Another interesting component was the anniversary gift. A small booklet that unfolded like a long accordion (another rectangle shape), the gift displayed ve of the couple’s wedding images backed by beautifully designed black-and-white paper. It also included Hoffarth’s contact info and the words, “Happy Anniversary.”

“Gifts like this—and thank-you notes— keep my customers thinking about me,” Hoffarth notes. They might have had (or be thinking about having) children or they may want another portrait, and she sometimes expands her services to include portraits for past clients. More importantly, though, she always wants to make her contact special. She wants to stick in their minds (think “referrals”). “My clients tell me they look forward to getting packages from me in the mail,” she laughs. “They get so excited over things other than the images, like the packaging and paper.” Everything else aside, Hoffarth believes that there’re really two key things to remember for all your marketing. First, you need a clear denition of what your personality (which translates into your style) and your business is. And second, make sure the same message is coming across in all your marketing. With all the pieces in a campaign, though, how can you keep any consistency? Hoffarth creates a style

BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT SANDY (SAM) PUC’, M.PHOTOG.CR., CPP, ABI PPA Member since: 1998 Specialty: PORTRAITS Location: LITTLETON, COLORADO “I’m actually enjoying these challenges,” laughs Sandy Puc’ of Expressions Photography. “I like to ght!” Yes, she has a different outlook on the recent economy than many of us, but it’s one from which we can all learn. After starting her business at the tender age of 17, Puc’ has been through her share of transitions. She’s experienced P2

being a minority (as a woman) in the industry, the digital “revolution,” and more. In fact, Puc’ thinks that the economic challenges are like the coming of digital all over again: there are changes to the way we do things (our structure) and we’re circling the wagons. But like the shift to digital, you can’t just put a band-aid on and make the economic problems go away.

news from Professional Photographers of America—the world’s largest non-profit association for professional photographers | www.ppa.com

TODAY

guide to keep herself grounded and unied. Here’s an example of how it can work:

» Create one piece that you

Hoffarth even has some tips for getting perfect images for your marketing

“You have to make a choice,” Puc’ adds. “Be willing to embrace the challenges and try something new. Turn the ‘I’m an artist’ thought into ‘I’m a survivor.’” Look at it this way: your numbers might be down, but you still have a commitment to the people you do serve. They’re struggling, too. It’s time to work harder than ever and make sure your clients know they’re appreciated. For example, consider increasing the number of times you contact a client. What about providing exclusives to your clients…maybe more than you might usually give?

pieces. She tries to always do a photo shoot with her bridal couples before or after the wedding. If you’re working with a photogenic, fun couple, try asking them at out: “I’d like to create some images with you to use in my next marketing piece. Would you be interested?” Asking can allow you to design a shot with your marketing in mind. Usually, couples are excited about the prospect and will give you full creative reign. For instance, the images Hoffarth used in her winning campaign were of a couple who valued photography. They told her they’d do whatever she wanted (which ended up including the laundromat location in the media kit and anniversary booklet).

“Because of the economy, clients are more liable to take one ‘bad’ experience and use it as a reason not to come back. They are looking for reasons to NOT spend money,” Puc’ explains. “Our response is to premanage the situation. Something is bound to go wrong—a late print shipment, or something else. But we will have given our clients so much already that they are forgiving.” In addition, Puc’ also stresses the need for sacrice in order for survival. Often, this means making better choices (otherwise known as keeping a tighter rein on your credit

Whatever you do, though, don’t get complacent, as Hoffarth warns. Always do an internal evaluation of your marketing (and your style)…as if you were getting ready for a competition. Then, turn it loose on the world. Christa Hoffarth [studio] – South Lake Tahoe, CA www.christahoffarthphoto.com The annual AN-NE Marketing Awards competition recognizes outstanding ingenuity and effectiveness in real-world marketing endeavors. Named in honor of Ann Monteith and Marvel Nelson, both marketing gurus and past PPA Presidents, the competition is open exclusively to PPA members. More information is online at www.ppa.com (Competitions section).

PPA News & Notes

really like. For Hoffarth, this rst piece is usually the media kit or brochure. Obviously, the creation involves brainstorming about graphical elements (ideas that Hoffarth keeps in a box). » Dene what it is about the piece that you really like: what size or font is the header? What images best convey your message? What shapes do you like? » Use that list of “likes” to help you remember to incorporate those elements into the rest of the campaign pieces, whether they are e-mails, thank-you notes, letterhead, packaging, or anything else you might create. Just work on the pieces one at a time. » Update the style guide for each campaign.

card). Think like this: Do I really need it? Will it improve my business? Despite the current bumps in the road, Puc’s upbeat personality is evident in all she does. And that’s a good thing! After all, as she says, “Positivity is infectious. When someone walks in your studio door and you’re exuding passion and happiness, it’ll catch on.” Her positive outlook reects in the advice she wants to give to all photographers: “Never give up. The economy ignites fear, but fear is tied into passion. You can turn these economic fears into something positive and powerful. Now is the time to design your future.”

news from Professional Photographers of America—the world’s largest non-profit association for professional photographers | www.ppa.com

P3

TODAY PPA COUNCIL: NOMINATIONS NOW ACCEPTED This spring, you can make a difference in PPA and the photographic profession: elect a representative to PPA’s Council.

PPA News & Notes

These special volunteers are leaders, both as individuals assisting members and fellow photographers, and as a group making the decisions that guide the association. This kind of member involvement helps set us apart from other national photographic organizations. PPA’s Council is the legislative body of the association that guides and directs PPA programs and policies—very similar to the U.S. House of Representatives. Serving as a PPA Councilor is not an honorary position; it’s an important responsibility. Councilors elect members to the Board of Directors, approve Degree recipients and changes to PPA’s Charter and Bylaws, represent the concerns and

desires of members, communicate programs and directions to members in their state, and more. To be considered as a Councilor, you must be a Professional Active, Life, or Retired member of PPA. You must be nominated and agree to carry out the responsibilities of a Councilor if elected. Here are two ways members can be nominated: • Five PPA members (who are Professional Active, Life, or Retired members of PPA) can nominate a qualied member. The nomination must be made in writing and include the signature of the ve members making the nomination. • PPA Afliated organizations may nominate a qualied member. Again, the nomination must be in writing.

Nominations should be sent in writing (faxes are acceptable) to PPA Council Elections, 229 Peachtree St, NE, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303. (Fax 404-6146400.) For questions, please contact the Membership Department. Important Dates • PPA must receive nominations no later than May 1, 2009. • The election will take place between May 15 and June 15. • Councilors take ofce on July 1, 2009, for the 2009 - 2012 Council. Whether you run for election, consider who to nominate, or vote, your decisions will make a difference in PPA and this industry. For a complete Councilor job description and more information, log onto www.ppa.com/about/council.php.

CONVERSATIONS ON OURPPA Have you made your business resolutions for the new year yet… or did you forget last month? Are you ready for what the economy will bring? Check the Business and Marketing forum sections

to brainstorm with your OurPPA fellow photographers. Don’t see a conversation started? Be the one to bring it up! After all, you know the truth of the old saying that two heads are better than one. See the great

ideas that pop up when thousands of photographers’ brains are at work. www.PPA.com/community/forums

AFFILIATE SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT GOLDEN GATE SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY

May 10-13, 2009 | Belmont, CA Contact: Martha Bruce; [email protected] 650-548-0889 Web site: www.goldengateschool.org Tuition: $449 - $665 Course Information: Be part of the skill-enhancing, inspiration, networking, and fun for our 26th year (for both established and aspiring pros)! Plus, discounted tuition is available for PPA members and those who enroll before April 10, 2009. Catch a glimpse of who you could learn from:

P4

Portraiture/Marketing -Betty Huth & Ed Booth Painter - Jane Conner-ziser Advanced Photoshop -Laurence Gartel Album Design - Kimberly Sayre Lighting - Andre Costantini Secrets of Success -Eliot Khuner & John Paulson (Additional courses to be announced)

GEORGIA SCHOOL

Course Information: Photoshop Edge You Need – Suzette Allen High School Seniors – Tom Bagby Children & Family Photography – Rick & Deborah Ferro Digital Studio Operations – Robert Lloyd Outdoor & Nature Photography – Tony Sweet Introduction to Professional Photography – Louis Tonsmeire, Jr.

May 17-22, 2009 | Clarkesville, GA Contact: Tom McCollum [email protected] 888-972-8708 Web site: www.gppaschool.com Tuition: $600 (GPPA & PPA Members), $750 (Non-members)

news from Professional Photographers of America—the world’s largest non-profit association for professional photographers | www.ppa.com

© 2008 Portrait Life

“Without the financial plans that SuccessWare helps us to develop, we would never have made the dream of a successful business a reality. And the beauty of SuccessWare is that it allows you to make the plan then track your progress against it, so every year you can grow to the next place. This is how you gain the business stability you need to spend time with your family and to enjoy your life.” Jeff & Julia Woods Portrait Life | Washington, IL

Read Jeff & Julia’s story at successware.net/success_stories.

SuccessWare is the only studio software that manages your clients, prices your products, pays your bills, and helps you plan for more profit. All this…plus financial reports that actually make sense!

“SuccessWare is how we gain stability in our business so we can enjoy life.”

successful photographers have a lot in common. creativity. passion. successware.

Carol Andrews, Susan Michal, Jason & Tammy Odom, Audrey Wancket, Mary Fisk, Jamie Hayes, Lori Nordstrom, Jed & Vickie Taufer, Sam Puc, Frank Donnino, Michael Redford, Sarah Petty

PURCHASE OR LEASE | WINDOWS & MAC GET YOUR FREE DEMO AT WWW.SUCCESSWARE.NET | 800.593.3767

LabTab

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WHERE THE PROS GO FOR THE BEST IN REPRODUCTION SERVICES

February 2009 • Professional Photographer • 103

LabTab

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WHERE THE PROS GO FOR THE BEST IN REPRODUCTION SERVICES

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LabTab

WHERE THE PROS GO FOR THE BEST IN REPRODUCTION SERVICES

Buyer’s Gallery ad specs:

Ad size: 21⁄4” x 43⁄4

12x rate: $575.00 gross per month 6x rate: $625.00 gross per month Contact your advertising representative: Bart Engels, Western Regional Manager, 847-854-8182; or Shellie Johnson, Eastern Regional Manager, 404-522-8600, ext. 279; for more information.

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LabTab ad specs: Ad size: 31⁄2” x 21⁄2 12x rate: $425.00 / 6x rate: $525 per month Sign a 12x contract and receive a double size feature ad twice during your contract year at no extra charge. Contact Bart Engels, Western Regional Manager, 847-854-8182; or Shellie Johnson, Eastern Regional Manager, 404-522-8600, ext. 279; for more information.

February 2009 • Professional Photographer • 107

Buyer’s Gallery THIS SECTION IS THE MONTHLY RESOURCE PHOTOGRAPHERS USE TO FIND THE PRODUCTS THEY NEED. PUT YOUR MESSAGE PROMINENTLY IN FRONT OF INDUSTRY PROS AND START TURNING BROWSERS INTO BUYERS.

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PROFE SSI O NAL

Adorama (www.adorama.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53,91,93,95 Advanced Photographic Solutions (www.advancedphoto.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Albums Inc. (www.albumsinc.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Alien Skin Software (www.alienskin.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Allied Photographic & Imaging Lab (www.alliedphoto.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 American Color Imaging (www.acilab.com) . . . . . . . . .6,105 American Photo Resources (www.aprprops.com) . . . . . . .113 American Student List (www.studentlist.com) . . . . . . . .110 ARK-LA-TEX Color Lab (www.altcolorlab.com) . . . . . . .104 B & H Photo-Video (www.bhphotovideo.com) . . . . . .60-61 Bay Photo Lab (www.bayphoto.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . .15,103 Bogen Imaging Inc. (www.bogenimaging.com) . . . . . . . . .55 Boulder Pro Photo (www.lifetimeinfocus.com & www.boulderprophoto.com) 103 Brightroom Inc. (www.backprint.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Buckeye Color (www.buckeyecolor.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Paul Buff Inc. (www.white-lightning.com) . . . . . . . . . . . .67 CCL Photo Imaging (www.cclphotoimaging.com) . . . . . .107 CPQ (www.cpq.net) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Candid Color Systems Inc. (www.candid.com) . . . . . . . . .107 Christopher Imaging (www.chrisimaging.com) . . . . . . . .105 Color Incorporated (www.colorincprolab.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Corporate Color/Prolab Express (www.prolabexpress.com) . .102 Contemporary Photography/J. Hartman (www.jhartman.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Custom Brackets (www.custombrackets.com) . . . . . . . . .109 Custom Color Corporation (www.customcolor.com) . . . . .102 Dalmatian Lab (www.dalmatianlab.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Denny Manufacturing (www.dennymfg.com) . . . . . . . . .109 Diversified Lab (www.diversifiedlab.com) . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Draper Imaging (www.draperimaging.com) . . . . . . . . . . .108 Drivesavers (www.drivesavers.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Dury’s (www.durys.com/discpainter) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 emotion Media Inc. (www.emotionmedia.com) . . . . . . . .108 ESS Data Recovery (www.datarecovery.com) . . . . . . . . . .111 Foto Figures (www.fotofigures.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Fredericks Photo Lab (www.fredericksphotolab.com) . . . . .102 GP Albums (www.gpalbums.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 Graphic Authority (www.graphicauthority.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Group Photographers Association (www.groupphotographers.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 H&H Color Lab (www.hhcolorlab.com) . . . . . . . . . . .Cover III Hallmark Imaging (www.hallmarklabs.com) . . . . . . . . . .105 Herff Jones (www.hjpro.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Imaging Spectrum (www.imagingspectrum.com) . . . . . .108 The Levin Co. (www.levinframes.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Lexar (www.lexar.com/ppmag) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Lustre Color (www.lustrecolor.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 MPIX (www.mpix.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Mamiya (www.mamiya.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover IV McKenna Pro (www.mckennapro.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Meridian Professional Imaging (www.meridianpro.com) . .Cover II Midwest Sports (www.midwestsportslab.com) . . . . . . . .105 Miller Professional Imaging (www.millerslab.com) . . . . .18-19 Modern Postcards (www.modernpostcards.com/prophoto) . .110 Morris Group (www.themorriscompany.com) . . . . . . . . . .110 NAPP (www.photoshopuser.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 National Direct Marketing Services (www.ndmservices.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 Neil Enterprises (www.neilenterprises.com) . . . . . . . . . .108 Nik Software (www.niksoftware.com/prophoto) . . . . . . . . .3 Nikon (www.nikonusa.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Noritsu (www.noritsu.com/M300) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Norman (www.normanlights.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 North American Photo (www.naphoto.com) . . . . . . . . . .107 OnOne Software (www.ononesoftware.com/pp) . . . . . . . .17 PPOC (www.prophotoca.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Pacific Mount (www.pacificmount.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 Perceptive Graphics (www.perceptivegraphics.com) . . . . .113 Phototech (www.phototechinc.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Photovision (www.photovision2009.com) . . . . . . . . . . . .69 PickPic (www.pickpic.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Pictobooks (www.pictobooks.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109,110 Pro Photo (www.prophotoimaging.com) . . . . . . . . . .35,104 Reedy Photo (www.reedyphoto.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Renaissance Albums (www.renaissancealbums.com) . .36-37 Savage (www.savagepaper.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Simply Canvas (www.simplycanvas.com) . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Sony (www.sony.com/dpf) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Speedotron (www.speedotron.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Successware (www.successware.net) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Superior Specialties Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Texas School (www.texasschool.org) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Tots to Teen 2009 Tour-Sandy Puc’ (www.tots-teens.com) . .73 Tyndell (www.tyndellphotographic.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 United Promotions Inc. (www.upilab.com) . . . . . . . . . . .106 Used Camera Buyer (www.usedcamerabuyer.com) . . . . . .39 Wacom (www.pencollective.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 White House Custom Color (www.whcc.com) . . .10-11,30-31 White Glove (www.wgbooks.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Publisher not responsible for errors & omissions

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ClassifiedAdvertising CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES Classified rates: • $1.50 per word; • $2.00 per word/ words with all caps or bold face. • $10.00 per issue—Confidential Reply Box Ads (Optional)—$30 minimum per ad. Closing date is 20th of the second month proceeding issue date. Remittance must be received with order. NO ADS ACCEPTED BY PHONE. Remittance to: Professional Photographer Classified Ads, 229 Peachtree NE, Ste. 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303; 800-339-5451, ext. 221; FAX 404-614-6405.

ACCOUNTING CPAs FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS. Business set-up, tax planning and preparation, business valuations and consulting. Decades of experience. Darryl Bodnar, CPA, 410-453-5500, [email protected]. Visit our website at www.nlgroup.com.

ARTISTIC ENHANCEMENTS MASTERPIECE PAINTINGS FROM YOUR DIGITAL FILE. Beautiful oil paintings and watercolor portraits created to your specifications with Corel Painter, allowing you to increase your profits and add to your bottom line. Learn more at www.whitakerpaint.com.

BACKGROUNDS THE DENNY MFG. CO., INC. is the World’s Largest Manufacture of Hand Painted Backgrounds, Computer Painted Backgrounds, Muslin Backgrounds, Studio Sets, Props, Lift Systems, and related Studio Accessories. Contact us today to receive our FREE 180 page color catalog filled with exquisite products and ideas to help you succeed in Photography. Write P.O. Box 7200 Mobile, AL 36670; Call 1-800-844-5616 or visit our Web site at www.dennymfg.com. STUDIO DYNAMICS’ muslin and canvas backdrops offer quality and value at outlet prices! Call 1-800-595-4273 for a catalog or visit www.studiodynamics.com CHICAGO CANVAS & SUPPLY—Wide Seamless Canvas and Muslin, Duvetyn, Commando Cloth, Theatrical Gauze, Velour, Sharkstooth Scrim, Leno Scrim, Gaffers Tape, Primed Canvas, Gesso, and Deka Fabric Dyes—Fabrication Available. Curtain Track & Hardware for Moveable Curtains and Backdrops—Easily installed. Quick turn around time. Our prices can’t be beat. Visit our website or call for a free catalog and samples. 773-478-5700; www.chicagocanvas.com; [email protected] BACKDROP OUTLET, We are the Largest supplier of Backgrounds, Props and Studio Accessories. We have it all…. Canvas from $99.00 Muslin Backgrounds from $69.00 Scenics, Flex outs, Faux tex. Your options are endless. We also offer roller systems and Light Rail systems. Lights, Soft boxes, Stands and equipment. We have a huge selection of props and set systems. REQUEST OUR FREE 164 PAGE CATALOG 1-800-466-1755 or you can order online at WWW.BACKDROPOUTLET.COM 3540 Seagate Way, Oceanside, CA 92056.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY HAVE YOU WANTED TO OWN A MAGAZINE? Premier Bride N.H/VT would like to separate the Bridal Guide into 2 states. Great turnkey operation. Join the franchise, of Premier Bride! Asking $49,000 for either state. Photographers call to advertise or purchase wedding leads! 603-676-8653. www.premierbride.com/newhampshire

CAMERA REPAIR HASSELBLAD REPAIRS: David S. Odess is a factory trained technician with 33 years experience servicing the Hasselblad system exclusively. Previously with Hasselblad USA. Free estimates, prompt service, reasonable rates and a 6 month guarantee. Used equipment sales. 28 South Main Street, #104, Randolph, MA 02368, 781-963-1166; www.david-odess.com.

CANVAS MOUNTING CANVAS MOUNTING, STRETCHING, FINISH LACQUERING. Original McDonald Method. Considered best AVAILABLE. Realistic canvas texture. Large sizes a specialty. WHITMIRE ASSOCIATES, YAKIMA, WA. 509-248-6700. WWW.CANVASMOUNT.COM

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COMPUTER/SOFTWARE

INCORPORATION SERVICES

SUCCESSWARE®—Studio Management Software available for both Windows® and Macintosh®. Recommended by Ann Monteith, the nation’s foremost studio management consultant. Call today for a FREE SuccessWare® Tour 800593-3767 or visit our Web site www.SuccessWare.net.

INCORPORATE OR FORM an LLC today! Your art is a business. Treat it like one. The Company Corporation can help you incorporate or form a limited liability company in as little as ten minutes. We are fast, accurate and affordable. Provide additional credibility to your photography studio or business at the fraction of the cost of using an attorney. Call 1-800-206-7276 or visit www.corporate.com today!

Learn how you can revolutionize customer and order tracking and ignite your marketing fire with customized software that knows what’s going on in YOUR business—even when you don’t! More professional photographers trust Photo One Software than all other studio management software combined! 5 Powerful Guarantees: 5 days to customize your Photo One to match your studio, personalized phone training for you and your staff, 75 minute no-hassle guaranteed support call-back time, 365 days of unlimited support and usable upgrades and a 90-day unmatched money back guarantee! Zero-Risk. Only $299.00 deposit gets you started. Call 888-428-2824 ext. 101 now for your free working demo or visit www.photoonesoftware.com

DIGITAL DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS—Kessler Color produces STUNNING images from digital files. Try our rapid FTP site and get a FREE 16 x 20. New Service—E-Vents from Kessler Color. Get 8x10 units for $.90. [email protected]. 800-KES-LABS. SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHERS—Kessler Color’s digital units start at $.90 each. Beautiful color and great value! Call 800-KES-LABS.

DIGITAL TEMPLATES PHOTOSHOP TEMPLATES AND DIGITAL BACKGROUNDS. Delmiaco.com has fully customizable Photoshop templates sold in layered .psd format. Collections include: Christmas, Holidays, Weddings, Birth Announcements, Birthday, Graduation, Calendars and more. Also available are high quality digital backdrops. Visit www.delmiaco.com for more details.

EDUCATION/WORKSHOPS *BOOK* DAVE NEWMAN’S “PROFESSIONAL PORTRAIT LIGHTING.” New 2nd Edition $45. “. . . simply the Best. . .” R. Day. Now shipping: www.portrait-world.com “The Art of Digital Photo Painting: Using Popular Software to Create Masterpieces” book is now available on Amazon. Join Corel Painter Master Marilyn Sholin in Asheville, NC and other locations at a workshop. Free tutorials and registration at the Digital Paint Shop. www.digitalpaintingforum.com/shop

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE DIGITAL PRINTERS; FUJI-NORITSU; MINILABS; NEW & USED, FACTORY AUTHORIZED. INSTALLATION AND TRAINING. FINANCING—$600 UP. DELIVERY —INSURED. WWW.DIRECT-RESOURCES.COM; 877318-3015.

INSURANCE Instant Online Photography Insurance. Quotes. Tom C. Pickard Insurance. www.tcpinsurance.com 800-726-3701, ext. 117. Lic. 0555411

LAB SERVICES FREE 20X30 Wallets to 6ftx14ft Goldencolor 9020 W. Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310-274-3445 • www.goldencolor.com ACADEMY PRODUCTIONS INC. INNOVATIVE PRINTING SOLUTION Complete Imaging Service for today’s professional photographer Processing—Proofing—Film—Digital Files —SOS— Self Ordering System powered by ROES • High Volume Packages—Kodak Products • Schools—Daycares—Sports—Proms—Seniors • Studios—Store Promotions—Fundraisers—Weddings • Composites—Collages—Other Unique Products • High Tech Printing Equipment—Scanning Services • Free Marketing Seminars—Expert Product Designers • Superior Customer Service—Detailed Technical Support • Competitive Pricing—Quick Turn Around CALL US TODAY: 800-421-3523 6100 ORR ROAD • CHARLOTTE, NC 28213 www.PicAcademy.com PLATINUM GICLEETM FINE ART B&W from your digital file or negative up to 40 x 60. New DuraFiberTM Media provides deep blacks and waterproof, non-scuff surface, great for hand-coloring. Also available in sepia, color, split-tone. Call for free sample. Jonathan Penney, Inc., Master Printmakers. 631-874-3409. www.jonathanpenney.com HAND PAINTED OILS; Transparent, Deluxe, and Canvas Stretched up to 40x60. A complete photo art lab serving photographers since 1965. Traditional and Digital printing services. Fiber based B&W up to 30x40. Giclee Fine Art prints. Restoration. Free estimates & pricing guide. 800922-7459 Venetian Arts www.venetianarts.com “MYCLIPPINGPATH.COM—Get low cost, high speed help from our lab. Cut outs for catalog or background changes. Try us for FREE!”

HELP WANTED

ONLINE PROOFING/SELLING

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER. Company: Club Services of America. Description: Family portrait photographer with wanderlust. Great earning potential for excellent family photographer with quality portrait experience. Photograph and sell to Country Club members throughout the United States. Many assignments are where the weather is good: south in the winter and north in the summer. OK to travel with spouse. PPA Certified or Masters of Photography are preferred. See our website at: www.clubservicesofamerica.com. Email resume and sample portraits to [email protected]. Requirements: Must have tools of the trade and a dependable automobile. Family portrait photographer. Some sales experience. Excellent knowledge of digital photography.

NEATPICTURES.COM. Simplier is better. Always. Proof and sell your images Online.Simple.

HELP WANTED: Assistant photographer for contemporary photojournalistic wedding coverages in Orange County, CA area. Must have digital equipment. E-mail John at [email protected].

PHOTO RESTORATION 1st PHOTO RESTORATION FREE! Try us, you’ll like us! Point & click easy. No sign up cost. 100% guarantee. Online leader since 1993. Wholesale only to professionals. www.hollywoodfotofix.com or call 888-700-3686.

PHOTOS WANTED VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHS from 1860’s-1970’s: Movie Stills, Celebrity Candids, Music, Sports, Crime, War/Political, Wire Photos, Negatives, Glass Slides, and Transparencies. WILL BUY ENTIRE COLLECTIONS! FINDERS FEES PAID! Ralph 800-392-4050 or [email protected]

ProductMall

SOMETHING HERE YOU NEED...

PRESENTATION BOXES BOXES—FREE SAMPLE PRESENTATION BOX—FROM THE ORIGINAL BLACK BOX MANUFACTURE—Fast delivery, Finest quality 4"x5", 5"x5", 4"x6", 8"x10", 11"x14", 16"x20", 20"x24". AUFENGER BOX, 4800 COLLEY AVE., NORFOLK, VIRGINIA 23508; 757-4401147 (phone); 757-440-1149 (fax); 888-440-1146 (toll free). www.aufengerbox.com PRESENTATION BOXES available for immediate shipment; 19 sizes—4 stock colors. For FREE catalog & samples call 800-969-2697 or fax request 800-861-4528. BUY DIRECT AND SAVE. NPD Box Company, 3000 Quigley Road, Cleveland, OH 44113. www.NPDBox.com H-B Photo E-Store Box Manufacturer, buy direct and save. Complete Line of presentation boxes, better quality at lower prices. Bags, Totes, Tissue, Ribbons, customize with your logo. WWW.H-BPHOTO.COM H-B PACKAGING GROUP CENTRAL FALLS, RI. Call 401-725-3646 for free samples.

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February 2009 • Professional Photographer • 113

good works |

Images wield the power to effect change. In this monthly feature, Professional Photographer spotlights professional photographers using their talents to make a difference through charitable work.

©Kyle Zimmerman

the month, along with a disk of rights-free images for use in the organizations’ ongoing promotions. Zimmerman also volunteered to provide image presentations for the annual ACF fundraising banquet. For each nonprofit group she’d worked with, she assembled 4x8-foot image collages and 4x8-foot individual prints, which she hung in kiosks at the venue. In addition, she designed a two-screen, multi-media slideshow that wove together various stories. “My goal was to create unique art that showed the humanity of the people involved with these organizations,” says Zimmerman. “It’s not just about the individuals who benefit from the nonprofits’ work, it’s also about the incredible people who work for the

Larger than life

organizations, and all the donors who help

NONPROFIT HELP BECOMES A REGULAR HABIT

with Zimmerman’s contributions. Their

I

fund their work.” The organizations have been overjoyed gratitude prompted her to continue working with one nonprofit a month on an ongoing

was working on a personal project with a

director, Zimmerman felt inspired to expand

basis. “Many of these people had been going

woman who had just been diagnosed with

her involvement. She would ultimately work

out themselves and trying to document their

breast cancer,” says Kyle Zimmerman, a por-

with 12 different charities: ACCION New

work with little point-and-shoot cameras.

trait, commercial and wedding photographer

Mexico, ARCA, Archeological Conservancy,

That just wasn’t getting the message across,”

in Albuquerque. “In [her] story, I found so

Cloud Dancers of the Southwest, Futures for

she says. “As a professional photographer,

much life, so much inspiration. It was a won-

Children, Outpost Productions, Tree New

this kind of work makes you remember how

derful healing process for both of us. That

Mexico, UNM Music Prep, Watermelon

valuable your images are in terms of telling

experience made me want to get more involved

Mountain Ranch, Women’s Housing Coalition,

a story. To know that you can create some-

in the community, so I started looking for

Working Classroom, and ACF itself.

thing that’s truly moving, that has an impact

nonprofits I could work with in my spare time.”

In a 12-month project she dubbed “Larger

In mid-2007, Zimmerman called the

Than Life,” Zimmerman provided a month

Albuquerque Community Foundation (ACF),

of photography to each organization. Based

an umbrella organization for hundreds of

on their particular needs, she would do a mix

nonprofit groups across New Mexico. She

of documentary and portrait photography to

had planned to select one nonprofit and

help them communicate their particular mes-

offer complimentary photojournalism, but

sages and assemble a magazine-style album

by the end of the conversation with the

for each, which she presented at the end of

114 • www.ppmag.com

and is useful to a nonprofit—that’s a gift.” � To see more of Kyle Zimmerman’s work, visit www.kylezimmermanphotography.com. To learn more about the Albuquerque Community Foundation, go to www.albuquerquefoundation.org. Share your good works experience with us by e-mailing Cameron Bishopp at [email protected]

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