Professional Photographer September 2009

©Erin Vey SEPTEMBER 2009 | WWW.PPMAG.COM | $4.95 QUALITY. VALUE. VALUE. QUALITY. Who says it has to be one or the oth...

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©Erin Vey

SEPTEMBER 2009 | WWW.PPMAG.COM | $4.95

QUALITY. VALUE. VALUE. QUALITY. Who says it has to be one or the other?

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P ROF E S S I ONA L

EDITORIAL

director of publications

CAMERON BISHOPP [email protected]

First-class clients

senior editor

art director/production manager

JOAN SHERWOOD [email protected]

DEBBIE TODD [email protected]

features editor

manager, publications and sales/strategic alliances

ARE PAWSENGERS A RECESSION-PROOF MARKET?

LESLIE HUNT [email protected]

A few weeks ago, I came across a business I’d never heard of, an

editor-at-large

airline created just for pets: Pet Airways, where furry friends don’t

JEFF KENT [email protected]

ride in the cargo bay, but up in the passenger cabin. The going price for Marley’s ticket from Los Angeles to New York? About $300. Plus you can track your pet’s progress from your computer. As Pet Airways says, “Your pets aren’t packages, they’re pawsengers.” According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), pet ownership in the United States is more popular now than ever; 62 percent of U.S. households have a pet, a 6-percent rise since 1988. But it’s not the impressive dollar figures the pet industry represents—the APPA estimate for 2009 is $45.4 billion—but the singular relationship Americans have with their pets. Ann Monteith knows all about it. After decades running her successful portrait studio, where pets were occasional subjects, Monteith and her husband Jim are about to launch Persnickety Pet Portraits: A warm fuzzy division of Countryhouse Studios. Why the new focus? As she says in her article on p. 28, “I’ve always felt pet lovers are about as recession-proof as any market segment could be.” I have to agree—and so do the 25 percent of you who are capturing pet portraits, according to our most recent reader survey. I can’t think of another segment where client spending seems quite so consistent, not to mention … generous. And by generous, I mean certifiable. And I say that as a proud member of the “do anything for your pet” club. They sleep with us, they eat with us, they dress like us, and now I guess they fly up in first class. Is it such a stretch that we’re dedicating albums, canvas wraps and oversize portraits to them? � Cameron Bishopp Director of Publications [email protected]

KARISA GILMER [email protected] sales/strategic alliances assistant

CHERYL PEARSON [email protected]

technical editors

circulation

ANDREW RODNEY, ELLIS VENER, DON CHICK

MOLLIE O’SHEA [email protected]

director of sales and strategic alliances

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

northeast region ad manager

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

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

southeast region ad manager

BILL KELLY 404-522-8600, x248; [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 404-614-6400; 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.

4 • www.ppmag.com

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CONTENTS PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER SEPTEMBER 2009

Features 94

A DOG’S LIFE Erin Vey dishes on canine inspiration By Stephanie Boozer

76

COMMENTARY: UNWITTING TRUTH

Resetting our attitude about the verity of photography By Robb Carr

78

RETOUCHING: SEE THE LIGHT

Tristan Tri Huynh says retouching’s about understanding light By Jeff Kent

84

RETOUCHING: PERFECTLY IMPERFECT

Michael Dos Santos warns that what’s done in ads is too much for portraits By Stephanie Boozer

88

PETS: ANIMAL INSTINCTS

Get your pedigree in pet photography IMAGE BY TERESA BERG

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

14

FOLIO

102 CALENDAR 105

PPA TODAY

122

GOOD WORKS

©Bruce Berg

Departments C O N TA C T S H E E T 20 Behind Norman Rockwell’s

Illustrations 22 Howard Bingham’s Black Panther

photographs published 24 A baby registry

by Stacy Walker

PROFIT CENTER 27 What I think: Brian Dorsey 28 Grooming for success: A guru’s

guide to refocusing your studio by Ann Monteith 38 How we did it:

Chanel Parrott by Jeff Kent 40 Ask the SMS experts 42 Engaging destinations

by Bruce Berg

THE GOODS 45 What I like: Seshu Badrinath 46 Asset management:

Hold everything by Peter Krogh 50 Pro review: Data Robotics Drobo

by Ellis Vener 54 Tutorial: Layers and structure

by Steve Koshlap

42

Destination sessions aren’t just for weddings anymore. Bruce Berg discovered that couples are

anxious to have their engagement photography done in beautiful, special locations. A travel fee, plus expenses, and images to create a knockout guestbook are a combination that make it a trip worth taking.

8 • www.ppmag.com

ON THE COVER: Erin Vey got her client Lisa's daughter to show her to a more colorful room for this portrait of Daisy Mae. “Oh, my God, you didn’t go upstairs, did you? I'm so embarrassed. I can only keep one level clean at a time!” Lisa exclaimed. “I told her not to worry,” says Vey. “When she saw the shot, it would be worth any type of embarrassment. And it was!” Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II and 24-70mm f/2.8 L lens. Cover image retouched by Jim DiVitale, M.Photog.MEI.Cr., API, F-ASP

“CREATIVE LIGHT OFFERS A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY AND VERSATILITY. AND THAT’S WHAT YOU LOOK FOR IN TOOLS, SOMETHING YOU CAN USE IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.” BALDOMERO FERNANDEZ

© BALDOMERO FERNANDEZ

CREATIVE LIGHT LIGHT SHAPING TOOLS FOR TODAY’S PROS

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Gallery Wraps White House Custom Colour, Your Professional Photographic and Press Printing Partner

“Gallery Wraps tend to be the FAVORITE thing around the ARP studio! They are loved by our clients and even more by us! WHCC gives us the freedom to design very custom products for our clients, no matter how big or small. Whether it be a logo sign, wall designs with multiple dimensions and finishes, or a piece featuring some of our commercial work, we know our requests are not out of reach with WHCC. Their commitment to excellence helps us become better photographers and designers and allows us to show our clients that Gallery Wraps are actually “works of art” to be cherished, proudly displayed, and even incorporated into larger designs in the future. The beautiful but durable laminate finishes of WHCC’s Gallery Wraps is so important to us because we know our clients’ images will LAST. Creating a product with that kind of quality is something that we at ARP are so proud of, and our Gallery Wraps from WHCC truly embody the excellence we strive to maintain!” Allison Rodgers, Allison Rodgers Photography, Olive Branch, MS

Gallery Wraps Make your photographs look like a piece of art with WHCC’s Fine Art and Photographic Gallery Wraps. Available in three different paper options, three protective laminates, two depths and custom sizing. Orders include free UPS ground shipping and typically ship in two days. Fine Art Gallery Wraps are available in custom sizes between 5x5 and 40x60. Photographic Gallery Wraps are available in custom sizes between 8x8 and 30x40.

White House Custom Colour is a full service, professional photographic lab and press printer. In addition to the showcased products on these pages, we offer a full line of products and services to make a positive impact on your goals for continued success in building your photographic business. For more information visit our website, www.whcc.com

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MICHAEL GAN M.Photog.Cr., CPP [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

2009-2010 PPA board president *RON NICHOLS M.Photog.Cr., API [email protected] vice president *LOUIS TONSMEIRE Cr.Photog., API [email protected] treasurer *DON DICKSON M.Photog.Cr., CPP [email protected] chairman of the board *DENNIS CRAFT M.Photog.Cr.Hon.M.Photog., CPP, API, F-ASP [email protected] directors SANDY (SAM) PUC’ M.Photog.Cr., CPP, ABI [email protected] RALPH ROMAGUERA SR. M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, F-ASP [email protected]

PPA staff DAVID TRUST Chief Executive Officer [email protected] SCOTT KURKIAN Chief Financial Officer [email protected] THERESE ALEMAN Director, Marketing and Communications [email protected] CHRISTEL APRIGLIANO Director of Member Value & Experience [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] BETSY REID Director of Education [email protected]

CAROL ANDREWS M.Photog.Cr., ABI [email protected]

COREY B. SHELTON Director, Web Strategy & Development [email protected]

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

LENORE TAFFEL Director of Events [email protected]

TIMOTHY WALDEN M.Photog.Cr., F-ASP [email protected] DOUG BOX M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API [email protected] DON MACGREGOR M.Photog.Cr., API [email protected]

12 • www.ppmag.com

industry advisor KEVIN CASEY [email protected]

BING ZENG PPA China Managing Director [email protected] SANDRA LANG Executive Assistant [email protected] *Executive Committee of the Board

You Belong Behind a Camera Not a Computer.

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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.

JESSICA VOGEL Jessica Vogel, M.Photog.Cr., of Shelby Studio in Shelbyville, Ky., captured “Arial” during a senior portrait session. Using a Canon EOS-1D and 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM EF lens, Vogel opened the shutter for 1/60 second at f/5.6, ISO 100. A White Lightning UltraZAP 1600 and 52-inch Photoflex OctoDome provided the main lighting, reflected by a 42x72-inch Larson silver reflector. A Photogenic Powerlight 375R behind a 10x36-inch Larson Soft Strip served as a hair light, while an AlienBees 320WS B800 fitted with a LiteMod Snoot lit the background. Vogel used Imagenomic Portraiture for minor skin retouching. www.jessicavogelphotography.com

©Jessica Vogel

What the judge thought:

“Powerful is the first thing I thought when I

saw this image! The natural pose of the young woman, combined with the great lighting, pulls you quickly into the image. The use of design and composition lead you through the image and hold your attention. This is a great example of a successful client image also being a very successful competition image.” —Dave Huntsman, M.Photog.Cr., F-KPPA and PEC Committee member


©Chris Kogut

CHRIS KOGUT Chris Kogut, of Chris Kogut Photography in Pittsford, N.Y., was traveling in Burma with a small group of photographers when he captured “A Leap of Faith.” Says Kogut, “Something made me look behind me, and I saw that this child was about to jump. I took one shot. It worked.” He captured the image with a Nikon D200 and Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G IF-ED AF-S DX VR lens, exposing the image for 1/2,500 second at +0.3 EV, ISO 1000. He performed minor cropping and retouching in Adobe Photoshop CS2. The image is part of a collection used to help raise money for Myanmar refugees. www.chriskogut.com

CAROLLE DACHOWSKI Carolle Dachowski, Cr.Photog., of Dachowski Photography in Manchester, N.H., captured “A Call to Prayer” while photographing a wedding that encompassed two ceremonies—the first was a traditional Roman Catholic service, followed by an Eastern Rite ceremony. With her Canon EOS 5D and Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM EF lens, Dachowski exposed the image for 1/60 second at f/2.8, using all natural light. “At the second ceremony, the priest used copious amounts of incense as he led the group in prayer,” says Dachowski. “It was very beautiful.” www.dachowskiphotography.com


©Carolle Dachowski

Photography. It’s all about light.

© Steve Sint

,,

Steve Sint on controlling light: If you know what you are doing with lights, you can make pictures that are totally different from anyone using a flash in a hot shoe. I use the Sekonic L-358 to measure my lights. Its incident light reading makes quick work of setting lighting ratios and gives me consistent exposure. It eliminates the variances in the color of what people are wearing, their skin color, the background, everything, because it catches and measures the light before it reflects off the subject. I’m into consistency from a business point of view. If I have to spend 12 hours cleaning up my digital images by working on my exposure, I could’ve shot three weddings in that time. Photography isn’t about the camera. It’s about light.

Watch Steve Sint video at www.sekonic.com SEKONICCOMs Distributed by MAC Group

Brianna Graham | Brianna Graham Photography

I am Brianna Graham. I Am Encouraged. Every photographer out there will tell you how much time is consumed by owning your own business. It is a delicate balance between managing my local customers, traveling nationally for my workshops, and spending as much time as I can with my family. My daughter and husband are my best friends, and my biggest source of encouragement. I Am Adventurous. I have always taken risks. I think it’s important to take every chance you get and never hold back. Moving into my studio 5 years ago was the scariest thing I’ve taken on, but with it came an incredible surge to my artistic freedom and a major leap to efficiency. I Am Aware. Design, colors, and pattern, everything that I see around me in my everyday life, is my inspiration. While others may see beauty in nature, I see it where the masses tend to avoid. I developed my style around this six years ago with my first urban shoot. My style involves color, composition, location, style, emotion, and connection. If any one of these elements is missing, then it really isn’t me and it shows. I Am Hard to Please. I love what I do and I am very passionate about it. I am always trying new products, as I never want to become complacent. Having tried many other album suppliers with little success, the new album line up and selections that Miller’s recently launched blows all of the competitors out of the water. There is no other lab out there that offers so many choices, with exceptional quality and impeccable delivery. And the fact that an album can be produced within the same week is incredible. I am Miller’s. My lab is Miller’s Professional Imaging because I Expect More.

Expect More

To see how Brianna uses Miller’s to grow her studio, please visit www.millerslab.com/BriannaGraham. For more information about Brianna’s workshops, please visit www.briannagrahamworkshops.com.

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

Rockwell Norman

Behind the camera with America’s best known illustrator l BY LESLIE HUNT

The new book “Norman Rockwell: Behind

Schick drew the photographic images in

an entirely new perspective to even the most

this book from the archives of more than

familiar of Rockwell’s paintings. Add to that

18,000 black-and-white photos, newly

Schick’s historic narration and the first-person

digitized, at the Norman Rockwell Museum

reminiscences of a few of Rockwell’s subjects,

in Stockbridge, Mass. Appearing alongside

and you’ve got one lively and enjoyable work

his painted versions in the book, they give

of important American art history. All images ©Norman Rockwell

the Camera,” edited by Ron Schick with a foreword by John Rockwell (Little, Brown), is a surprising look at the camerawork of America’s best-known illustrator. Since the 1930s, nearly everything and everyone Rockwell featured in his paintings of Americana was first meticulously staged for his camera. The models for his illustrations, whom Rockwell so faithfully captured yet managed to portray as full-blown storybook characters, were his real-life friends and neighbors.

September 2009 • Professional Photographer • 21

CONTACT SHEET

Crosshairs of history

All images ©Howard Bingham

Renowned photographer Howard Bingham’s 1968 Black Panther photographs published at last BY LORNA GENTRY

Over a breakfast of olives and almonds on a recent cool morning in his South Los Angels home, legendary photographer Howard Bingham talks on the phone about events that took place four decades ago, while he types out e-mails on his computer. Despite turning 70 in May, he’s hardly slowed down. In fact, Bingham’s new book, “Howard L. Bingham’s Black Panthers 1968” (Ammo Books), was just released in August.

This is the first time the photographs in the book have been published since Bingham took

capture a tense kind of esprit de corps. The

them 41 years ago. (A few of the images were

year 1968 was fraught with social strife

exhibited in Los Angeles.) On assignment

across the nation, polarizing politics and

for Life magazine, he had followed the Black

murder. Plum magazine assignments often

Panthers for months, but the story never ran,

landed Bingham in the crosshairs of history.

due to a disagreement between the magazine’s

With his 35mm Nikon cameras, he recorded

editors and the writer, Gilbert Moore.

headline news events, including the funeral

In 1968 Bingham was already well known

of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta;

in the Black Muslim community through his

Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign

friend and frequent photographic subject,

in L.A.; and the riots at the Democratic

Muhammad Ali. (In 1998 Bingham published

National Convention in Chicago.

some of his Ali photographs in the book,

Hoping to publish more books in the

“Mohammad Ali: A Thirty Year Journey”

near future, Bingham is digitizing his vast

[Robson Books], and in 2004 he authorized

archive, with the help of his younger son and

others to be published in the Taschen book

others. He won’t say where his archives will

“GOAT”.) “I got into photographing Black

go when he dies. “It will be a surprise,” he

Muslims because of Ali,” says Bingham. “I

hedges. “I’m not shooting as much as I used

was always around Ali and he was there.”

to, but I have many pictures in my archives

When Life magazine approached the


gave Bingham unfettered access. His pictures

to organize and make into books. I have to

Panthers about doing the article, they agreed,

get going, though,” he chuckles. “I’m not

on one condition: Howard Bingham would

getting any younger.”

be the photographer. They trusted him, and

Lorna Gentry is a freelance writer in Atlanta.

You spend time photographing other people’s families.

Now spend some time with your own.

www.mpixpro.com

CONTACT SHEET registering the things they need for the

A baby registry The ultimate shower and gift solution moms will cherish

baby at retail outlets. With our registry, the mother-to-be lists her wants and needs for l STACY WALKER

photography and photography products, such as baby albums, framed portrait art, jewelry, handbags and portrait packages. Now, not only can her friends and family shower her with such necessities as a car seat, diapers, bibs and bassinettes, but also with photography that will last a lifetime. That’s a gift no mom would return! The key components in the success of our registry are marketing and info brochures, registry cards, and gift certificates. In the brochure, we include information on the two programs we offer for baby’s first year, as well as our portrait packages. We designed the registry cards to go into the hostess’s shower invitations, letting the guests know that the mother-tobe is registered at WalkerStudio. We designed the gift certificates to coordinate with supplementary Baby Registry components. It’s simple, and it works. The registry has definitely benefited expectant mothers. What’s interesting, though, is how it enhances our business in other ways. For example, guests who visit the studio to purchase a gift through the

©Stacy Walker

registry often realize their own photography needs, no matter what stage of As a mother of two sons and a professional

Baby Plan, which covers maternity through

life they happen to be in. It elicits a new

photographer of babies and children, I

baby’s first birthday. The children’s por-

urgency to have their own memories

know that moms need only so many cute

traiture aspect of our business grew by

captured, while creating new revenue

baby outfits and bottles as shower gifts.

leaps and bounds and, much to our

for our studio.

New parents certainly need those practical

delight, quickly outgrew a second studio

items, and they’re deluged with them at

space. That growth stemmed from our

forever, but a photography registry is a

every baby shower. What all new parents

approach to photographing our clientele,

relatively new idea. Mothers-to-be are

truly want and need, they soon discover, is

making them feel at home in our studio.

thrilled with the prospect of receiving a gift

to have a professional photographer beauti-

It’s a warm and hospitable environment

that not only lasts a lifetime, but one that

fully document the precious first year of

with an undercurrent of energy.

she’ll treasure more than any other gift as a

their newborn’s life. When they say time

With the move to the new space came

passes in the blink of an eye, it couldn’t be

plans for further growth, and we began

more true of anything than the span of

working with a marketing and advertising

infancy; babies grow and change so quickly.

agency to initiate the next step in our baby

For years, we’ve offered a traditional portrait program we call the WalkerStudio’s


plan, the Baby Registry. It’s based on the existing model of expectant mothers

Registries have been around practically

keepsake of her beloved baby.

WalkerStudio is in Evansville, Ind. Visit walkerstudiophoto.com to see more.

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P R E S E N T S

Business, Marketing and Sales Strategies

What I think Brian Dorsey prepares for a post-recession take off What do you wish you’d known when you were starting out? I wish someone had told me that I should hire a solid bookkeeper and a caring, competent accountant from the very beginning. It’s a bad day when the IRS tells you that your accountant isn’t good! What advice would you give to someone new to the business? Don’t think of yourself as a photographer. Think of yourself as a business. When you think that way, it’s easier to be dispassionate when making business decisions. What’s the biggest business risk you’ve ever taken? Leaving the comfort and stability of a career in the corporate world shortly after my first son was born to start an entirely new career as a photographer. I must have been nuts. But I’m really glad I was. What’s your deal breaker? I don’t futz with the terms of my contract. I’ll spend time explaining to clients why everything is the way it is, but I won’t let people rewrite it to their liking. The couple of times I did were the couple of times it ended up being a problem. How have you adapted your business to economic instability? I’m investing now to expand the business during the recession. There’s no better time. That way I’ll be primed and ready to really take off when this thing blows over. IMAGE BY BRIAN DORSEY WWW.BRIANDORSEYSTUDIOS.COM


PROFIT CENTER

B Y A N N M O N T E I T H , M . P H O T O G .C R . H O N . M . P H O T O G . , C P P, A B I

Ann Monteith has been president of PPA, recipient of the association’s highest business award, and an in-demand instructor. These days, she’s also guiding her studio into its latest incarnation: Persnickety Pet Portraits.

selected materials from one category at a time: • business identity • opportunity marketing • client acquisition • client education • boutique packaging • relationship marketing

Grooming for success

BUSINESS IDENTITY

GUIDANCE FROM A GURU ON HOW TO REFOCUS & RELAUNCH

The foundation of a business image and a

• Internet marketing

brand begins with a studio name, slogan or tag line, logo, and the design elements used From the very start of our photography busi-

In early 2008, as we began to see signs of

in all marketing communications with

ness, my husband Jim and I have enjoyed

an economic downturn, we studied the feasi-

clients, prospects, and vendors. These design

creating portraits of pets, with or without

bility of operating a studio-within-a-studio

elements, critical in establishing brand

their human family. Handling pets and under-

pet portrait boutique as a hedge against a

recognition, would be used on our business

standing the psyche of pet owners came easily,

possible recession. I’ve always felt that pet

cards, letterhead, note cards and/or postcards.

as both of us are experienced dog trainers.

lovers are about as recession-proof as any

They are the foundation upon which to

Over the years we’ve enjoyed a steady stream

market segment could be. By April we had

launch your business image, marketing

of pet clients, as well as some nice recognition

established the following objective: To create

messages, and marketing products. I began

through a series of cover assignments for

an additional income stream for Countryhouse

by discussing logo designs with my graphic

American Kennel Club Gazette.

Studios by focusing consumer attention on

designer, who provided three options from

pet photography through a niche business

which the final design evolved.

As we narrowed our business focus to portraits alone, we were surprised to see pet

supported by an aggressive marketing plan.

portrait sales averages rise to match that of

The planning process had begun.

family portraits, historically our highest

The timing turned out to be perfect. I

sales. Yet it didn’t occur to us that we could

had nearly finished work on software for an

support ourselves through a single-focus pet

interactive workshop on creating a marketing

photography business, or at least not until

plan, sponsored by Marathon Press, and I

we began to observe the profitability in the

decided to test the new software on what Jim

and inexpensive by choosing a Marathon

rapidly growing boutique portrait studio

and I decided to call “Persnickety Pet Portraits:

Package Website with colors that would blend

model, which typically targets a niche market.

A warm fuzzy division of Countryhouse

well with our pet photography. The site design

Studios.” The software allowed me to sail

comprised white and three colors, and I added

through the initial steps in analyzing our

a blue tone. This became the color palette for

business concept, establishing our market

my printed materials, along with a wallpaper

lovers are about

target, defining our marketing advantage,

pattern for texture. Used in any combination,

and clarifying our marketing strategies.

the colors have sufficient contrast to make

Then I hit a roadblock: I was overwhelmed

text and design elements easy to read.

as recession-proof

by the host of marketing products I could

“I’ve always felt

as any

pet

market

segment could be.” 28 • www.ppmag.com

use to bring our strategies to life. I solved the dilemma by categorizing the

I kept the marketing design style simple

I wanted my business card to stand out, so I chose a circle die-cut design that’s also ideal for use as a packaging bag tag. I went

marketing functions needed to build a new busi-

with a conventional format for my

ness segment from the ground up. Then I

letterhead and note card.

PROFIT CENTER

OPPORTUNITY MARKETING

counter, ideally at a checkout station. Just

and studio sticker. I also use this folder to

I want to be prepared to exploit opportunities

offer to return the favor by providing promo-

package 8x10 prints, and to hold the

to promote business when I’m away from the

tional or personal photography for your

material in the client information folder we

studio, when I meet someone who expresses

potential partners or by participating in some

present at the portrait design session.

an interest in my profession or whom I believe

other marketing effort that might benefit

might be a good prospect. To capitalize on

them. A pet shop and several veterinarians

CLIENT-ACQUISITION

these on-the-spot marketing opportunities, I

have already said yes to our proposal.

Eventually, every business in the process of

created two business-card-size promotional

One of the most versatile of all promo-

re-branding must implement client-acquisition

items that can be

tional materials is a simple product line

strategies to expand its marketing reach.

easily carried in

postcard. My choice for Persnickety is the

Direct marketing, whether accomplished

quantity in a

extremely useful 4x8.5 card size, which also

through handouts or direct mailings to targeted

pocket or purse. I

fits into a No.10 envelope; it can be used

lists, has always been a mainstay of our busi-

have two versions

alone for direct-mailings, displayed and

ness. Because our ability with pets is known

of Be My Guest

handed out on location, included with sales

in the market, we decided to create a high-

free session cards,

letter mailings, and as an element in an

concept mailer to send to a list of well qual-

one featuring pets

inquiry fulfillment packet.

ified prospects provided by a local veterinar-

alone, one with

Every business needs materials for

ian, and to hand out to members of a regional

pets and their

handling inquiries about studio offerings—

dog training club in which we participate. The

people. Both

at the very least a marketing postcard or

inspiration for this piece was a new-baby

versions of my

brochure to send along with a response

portrait mailer, designed for Bella Grafica by

three-panel

letter to prospective clients. I prefer to

photographer Sarah Petty, Cr.Photog., CPP,

Teeny-Tiny Bro-

exploit such opportunities by sending an

of Springfield, Ill. The piece captivated me with

chure pack a big promotional wallop—the

information fulfillment packet containing a

its four inserts, making it versatile enough to

piece is large enough to display several

response letter and promotional materials,

use in a variety of client-acquisition tactics.

images along with a modicum of text, yet its

and housed in an attractive folder. To make

miniature folded size makes it easy to carry

my Persnickety packet cost-effective, I use

ifications and our focus on creating decorative

along or slip into a letter or finished order.

an inexpensive off-the-shelf portrait folder

home furnishings, always goes in the folder.

Either item can be handed out liberally—by

from Marathon’s Bella Grafica line, and

We can also insert a blue note card with a

a marketing partner or enthusiastic clients—

personalize it with a decorative belly band

personal handwritten note to the prospect.

• The gold insert, with info about our qual-

to stimulate business during slower times of the year. I also wanted to be prepared with a marketing product to distribute through marketing partners like professionals or retailers who deal with pet lovers. I got the inspiration for such a piece, our Accordion Brochure, from one that came enclosed with my order from an accessory boutique. I loved that the 3x3.25-inch piece could feature up to 14 single-page images, and I recognized how it could serve a host of opportunity marketing purposes, including partnerships. It’s not hard to convince a potential partner to place a small basketful of brochures on a


Create an information packet containing a response letter and promotional materials. Monteith cut costs with an off-theshelf portrait folder from Marathon’s Bella Grafica line.

PROFIT CENTER

• When used in direct marketing, the folder

decorative wall furnishings, and an accordion

includes a $100 gift-card carrier insert. Because

brochure, which we I hope the client decides

it targets well qualified prospects, who are

to share with others.

familiar with our work through displays at

In addition to justifying our prices to the

the pet-related businesses and professional

client, the folder and planning session

offices from which we have received our

assure that the entire portrait process and

leads, the gift card is an appealing offer.

eventual sales session will go smoothly.

• With another insert, the folder becomes a charitable marketing fulfillment carrier

BOUTIQUE PACKAGING

designed for fundraisers or auctions.

Artful packaging plays an important role in

• The folder also can be used as a carrier

enhancing the perceived value of our

for our two-panel circular Persnickety Gift

portraiture. I prefer to use portrait folders,

Certificate. The piece fits perfectly inside the

as opposed to individual mounts, for two

folder, and makes an impressive statement

important reasons: so our portraits won’t

to the gift recipient who opens it.

end up being displayed in dust-catching paper mounts, and because they’re more

CLIENT EDUCATION

economical than mounts—we can place

An important part of our studio’s marketing

multiple 8x10s and 5x7s in each folder.

Packaging plays an important role in enhancing the perceived value of your studio’s portraiture.

mission occurs during the portrait planning

Both 8x10 and 5x7 portrait folders fit

session held a week before the sitting. This

nicely into 8x10 brown portrait boxes, which

conclude our transaction, and it provides

assures that both the client and the studio

we decorate with a belly band and sticker. A

another avenue for the client to spread the

are fully prepared for the session. It’s also an

coordinating wallet box adds visual variety

word about our business.

opportunity to present a client information

to the collection, and the boxes themselves

folder, designed to enhance the client’s percep-

are placed in an eco-friendly shopping bag

RELATIONSHIP MARKETING

tion of the value of our work. In addition to

that’s a big hit with women. Because it’s

Being in business as long as we have has

the appropriate information inserts, it contains

personalized for each client with a portrait

shown us that fostering repeat customers is

an impressive 12-page portfolio booklet

inserted in a pocket on the outside, women

a key ingredient in maintaining a financially

showcasing our pet photography, a brochure

love to carry the bag around town to show

successful studio. We’ve learned, too, that

that illustrates the value of portraiture as

off to their friends. It’s a classy way to

the most satisfactory transactions for consumers are those that result in their emotional

Present a client information folder during the portrait planning session a week before the sitting.

satisfaction. It’s the little things we do to show courtesy and appreciation that clients remember, because these are the things that touch them on an emotional level. In creating the marketing plan for Persnickety, we looked for ways to extend small courtesies in all of our encounters with clients, starting with a series of printed Hospitality Cards used as follows: • We’ll be looking for you! includes directions to the studio and a studio logo magnet. • We’re so glad you’re here! is a handwritten welcome note used in a greetings tray holding a bottle of our “branded” water,


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PROFIT CENTER

write about the promotion in an e-newsletter

Persnickety uses a series of printed Hospitality Cards to extend small courtesies to clients.

that contains a link to the blog, so that recipients of the e-mail can click on the link to learn more about the promotion, read other blog items, and/or visit the website. Although the grand opening of our new enterprise will be in the late fall, Persnickety Pet Portraits is already in business. We were amazed that clients and friends began to ask about the new business as soon as they saw the Persnickety sign go up, and that some new prospects have already found the Persnickety website and blog. If we were looking for a good business

a fresh flower in a bud vase, and a fancy

pickup, we give them 25 inexpensive 5x7-

water bowl for the pet.

inch, two-sided press-printed calendars

• A sneak peek from Persnickety is pre-

featuring an image from the session on each

sented at the end of the sales session. Affixed

side. This marketing strategy has several

to inside of the card is our choice of an inkjet-

important business benefits. No matter how

printed image from the session. We expect

happy clients might be with their portraits,

the client will enjoy showing it off to friends

it’s always possible that someone will feel

and co-workers, and this will help generate

uneasy about making a large purchase, and

buzz about their experience with us.

an unexpected gift is likely to ward off feelings

• Thanks a bunch! initiates our client

of buyer’s remorse. Furthermore, when a

referral program. This card contains four

client displays the calendar in an office or

smaller fold-over cards, to which are affixed

hands it out to a friend, it’s another way of

wallet images from the session. Clients hand

spreading the word about our business.

The Persnickety website and blog is linked to Facebook and Twitter.

present the card to us for a free session.

INTERNET MARKETING

omen, we got one the very day our marketing

When the studio receives a referral card, we

A key aspect of our Persnickety marketing plan

materials arrived: Right in the middle of

send a personal thank-you note to the

capitalizes on Internet-based opportunities

dinner, a lady we didn’t know knocked on

original client with a $50 gift card.

to expand our marketing reach through viral

the door of our house after business hours.

out the cards to their friends, who may then

When first-time clients come for the pick-up

marketing—the modern-day equivalent of

She’d seen the new Persnickety sign, and

appointment, we present them with a fold-

word-of-mouth advertising. In addition to the

wanted to inquire about having her field

over note card with a membership card for

Persnickety website and blog, which is linked

trial dog photographed. It was exciting to be

our VIP (Very Important Pet-Person) program

to both Facebook and Twitter, our Internet

ready to impress her with our new market-

glue-dotted to the inside. It’s an attractive

strategy includes an e-newsletter. All of these

ing materials. This is one time we didn’t

presentation. We believe that when a client

products are provided by Marathon Internet

mind having our dinner interrupted! �

has a membership card in his or her wallet,

Marketing Services. The e-newsletter serves

it’s a constant reminder of the studio.

as a “viral trigger” to send readers to our

Go to www.ppmag.com this month for a slideshow of all of Anne Monteith’s Persnickety Pets marketing materials. Also visit www.persnicketypetportraits.com and www.monteithportraits.com.

In keeping with our belief that it pays to provide clients something unexpected at the


website or blog. For example: I can create a blog post about a Persnickety promotion, then

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PROFIT CENTER

BY JEFF KENT

Chanel Parrott was working herself to death without reaping the benefits. Pricing and cost of sales adjustments saved her business—and her sanity.

Chanel Parrott started her photography business in 2003 with no clear business plan or objectives, just talent and enthusiasm. The first year, her portrait studio in Bloomington, Ill., Your Reflection My Style, booked three weddings and about 40 family portraits. Clients loved her work and referred others by the busload. In 2004, volume exploded—23 weddings and 450 portrait sessions. Referrals continued to pour in, and Parrott was booking portrait sessions at least six weeks out. At the end of the year, the studio had grossed $175,000, but with a minimal net income. Frustrated as she studied the books, Parrott thought where’s the money? In 2005, business continued at a brisk pace. By May, Parrott was booked through the end of October. She cut back weddings to 18, but packed in as many as five portrait sessions a day. Attempting to boost net profits, she assumed all the tasks she could handle herself, but at year’s end, there still wasn’t any money left over. Had her living requirements not been modest, she wouldn’t have been able to survive. The answer must lie in doing more sessions, she thought, and she continued to load her schedule. But to keep up with the workload, she had to hire a full-time graphic designer, a parttime sales person and a part-time receptionist/ production manager. “I knew there had to be an easier road,” she says. “I was working all the time—12-hour days and weekends—but I wasn’t seeing any financial result.” So Parrott called PPA Studio Management Services (SMS). Her SMS consultant, Scott Kurkian, CFO of PPA, instantly identified the problem: Her prices weren’t high enough to meet her costs. The PPA Financial Benchmark Survey illustrates that a studio’s cost of sales (COS) and employee expenses should be a combined 35 percent of gross sales. Parrott’s total in 2005 was 65 percent. Moreover, her administrative costs were 19 percent, nearly double the benchmark. With 65 cents of every dollar going to production costs, and another 19 cents going to administrative costs, Parrott had nothing left


to grow her business or pay herself a salary. She needed not only to raise prices, but also to decrease expenses. Worried about scaring off her client base, she put off raising prices until August 2006, when she nearly tripled her prices in one fell swoop. She also stopped doing weddings after September 1 so she could concentrate on portraits during the busy fall season. The price hike bumped up annual gross income by $80,000, to $330,000 in 2006. Yet with the still high COS and employee expenses, she ended 2006 in the red by $7,000. With the help of SMS, Parrott went to work on trimming expenses and better delegating tasks to her employees. She streamlined her order fulfillment process by sending job orders to her lab in batches rather than individually. This decreased both employee labor costs and lab fees. She also adjusted her in-house workflow and order packaging, handing over more of the work to her receptionist/production manager. “It took awhile to figure out what I needed to delegate,” says Parrott. “I knew I needed help, but I didn’t want to relinquish everything right away. But the more I released, the less stress I felt and the more I could concentrate on the photography.” Looking closely at what it actually cost to produce each of her products, her SMS analysis revealed that the total cost of an 8x10 print was far more than the $2 she’d been basing her prices on. Including packaging and handling, the actual cost was more than $14. Understanding these costs helped Parrott adjust her prices based on her real COS. In 2007 and 2008 she increased prices an additional five to 10 percent to cover the rise in her production costs. She also began offering more products—custom Christmas cards, canvas wraps and wall collections—to boost the total sales from each session. With higher prices and a richer product offering, Parrott generated more income with fewer sessions. Between 2005 and 2008, her average session revenue grew from $450 to $1,000. This helped her drop the yearly

Chanel Parrott

number of sessions from 450 to 340, and freed up time to work on marketing, business growth and having a personal life outside the studio. Fewer sessions also meant she needed fewer hours from her support employees, so she trimmed personnel expenses as well. By the end of 2008, Parrott had reduced her COS plus employee expenses to 46 percent. Compared to 2005, that translates into 19 cents more in her pocket for every dollar coming in. She reduced her administrative costs to 10 percent, earning her another 9 cents. These might not sound like big numbers, but keeping 28 cents from every dollar in 2008 netted Parrott an owner’s compensation plus net profit of $75,000 for the year. That’s far above the average income of a photography studio, and a world away from Parrott’s figures of a mere three years ago. These days, Parrott is not only earning more money, she’s also enjoying her work more. “When I started working with SMS, I was hesitant to raise my prices,” she says. “Then I found that by increasing my prices, I changed the type of clients who came to my studio. A higher-priced product brought in a higher-end client. These clients don’t want to drive all the way to your studio for a $6 print. They’d rather spend $40 and feel like they’re buying something of real value. With fewer sessions, I’ve been able to concentrate more on each client, really inputting the artistry that my new prices demand. It’s definitely more satisfying for me, and it’s made a huge difference for my business.” � Go to ppa.com or e-mail [email protected] to learn more about SMS consultations, webinars and workshops. Visit Chanel Parrott online at www.yourreflectionmystyle.com.

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PROFIT CENTER

ST U D I O M A N AG E M E N T S E RV I C E S

From left to right: Julia Woods, M.Photog.Cr.; Bridget Jackson, manager of PPA Studio Management Services (SMS); Scott Kurkian, PPA chief financial officer and founder of SMS; Ann K. Monteith, M.Photog.Cr.Hon.M.Photog., CPP, ABI; Carol Andrews, M.Photog.Cr., ABI.

GURUS FROM PPA'S STUDIO MANAGEMENT SERVICES ANSWER YOUR BUSINESS, MARKETING AND SALES QUESTIONS. FOR INFO ON WORKSHOPS, GO TO PPA.COM.

Ask the experts DVD dilemma, studio location quandaries Q: My husband and I are just starting out in wedding photography. We’re stumped on whether to offer images on disks. We’ve noticed most photographers offer them as well as online proofing. But isn’t the goal of online proofing to make a profit on prints? If so, then why offer both and pay for an online proofing service if your clients can just print from the CD/DVDs? Won’t this hurt album sales? A. The answer depends on the clientele or business model you want to establish. I’ll assume you desire a higher-end clientele. Design packages to focus on the bride and groom’s wedding album. Packages with an engagement session can turn into a nice sale of wall décor. With this in mind, the basic purpose of CD/DVD and online sales is to foster sales of gift-size prints for friends and family. Including a CD/DVD of the images is a red-hot topic. Many think they can’t book weddings without making it part of the package. Unfortunately, wedding magazines tell brides it’s a musthave. If you decide to offer a disk, an online shopping cart might be a wasted investment for a low-budget clientele, who will likely opt to make their own prints. But it could be profitable with a higher-end clientele who are willing to pay for professional printing. As for albums, I believe a higher-end clientele prefers to work directly with the photographer and looks for unique options, whereas lower-end clients aren’t as interested in investing in an album, although they may be enticed by an inexpensive option. A disk isn’t likely to affect those sales. As you can see, there are many variables. Think about what’s right for you and your clients. Being different is a really good thing! —Julia Woods (portaitlife.com)


Q: I’m a location photographer and have occasionally done portraits from my very clean and organized garage. I want to do more sessions this way, but how safe is it? Are clients indifferent to my not having a business location? A: You do not need to be photographing in your garage under any circumstances, unless it’s been fully converted into an attractive, finished home studio. One of my favorite sayings is, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” Would you like to have your hair cut and colored in your stylist’s “very clean and organized” garage? You are providing a professional personal service. The garage is not the place for that. Focus on educating your potential clients on your assets as a location expert. It’s so wonderful, easy, and convenient to have your family photographed at their special and meaningful place. Market yourself as the location specialist. Forget shooting in the garage. You and your clients don’t need that. —Carol Andrews Q: My studio is in my home, and many clients seem uncomfortable coming to my house, and I’m frequently interrupted by the phone, kids, salespeople at the door. I want to open a retail location. I feel my business won’t take off until I get out of my home studio, but I’m not sure I can afford it. Any help or suggestions? I’ve looked into a photography co-op, but there aren’t any in my area. A: The decision to move your home studio to a retail space should begin with a financial analysis.

Every day, PPA’s Benchmark Survey helps photographers figure out where to do business. If we look at the benchmarks for the average retail studio, 11 percent of gross sales should be allocated to overhead expenses, which include building maintenance, rent, utilities and insurance (both property insurance and general liability). If a studio has gross annual sales of $250,000, 11 percent of that amount, or $2,300 per month, should be allocated to overhead expenses. There are other costs to consider, such as the expense of building out the space for your needs and all deposits, including rent and utilities. These costs should be funded mostly with savings, not by going into debt. The last consideration is: If you build it, they might not come. Increased marketing and promotion spending is necessary to ensure people know where you are and what you’re doing. Before you make this transition, though, it’s key to your success to make sure your business is well run, based on the principles established with the Benchmark Survey. The survey clearly shows that studios can succeed as home businesses. Making your home business as professional as possible will help with your clients’ perception. Both your home studio space and work schedule should be clearly delineated. Clients should perceive that the business space is separate from your personal space. And the best way to manage your work schedule and reduce distractions is a strictly enforced workflow system that includes specific times allocated to returning phone calls and scheduling sales calls as well. � —Bridget Jackson Got a question? The SMS team wants to hear from you. E-mail our panel of experts via PP editor Cameron Bishopp at [email protected] and include “experts” in the subject line.

Jumping Jack Flash "I've used Elinchrom’s Rangers in rugged, harsh environments all around the globe and they performed flawlessly for me... period. Ranger’s are reliable, powerful and provide a beautiful quality of light.With consistent solid performance and incredibly short flash durations, the Ranger never fails to deliver whether I’m shooting portraiture, nature or action sports... Adding Elinchrom’s Skyport wireless control and triggering system made a great product unbeatable. I don’t ever want to go back to the days before Skyport, it’s too amazing." Tom Bol Photoshop was not used to place any elements in this image. Learn more about flash photography at http://tombolphoto.com/blog or www.photoquestadventures.com Tom Bol on Elinchrom Ranger Battery Packs, Heads and Skyport.

To locate an Elinchrom dealer Go2 www.bogenimaging.us/elinchrompremier Elinchrom distributed by: Bogen Imaging Inc. [email protected]

PROFIT CENTER

All images ©Bruce Berg

R

ecently I discovered the upside of promoting destination engagement sessions. It is highly beneficial to include a com-

plementary engagement session in your wedding packages. You can get to know the couple before the wedding day, discover the nuances of their relationship, and note physical characteristics that might influence the way you photograph each of them. On the wedding day, the couple will be comfortable with you and, in turn, you will already know what works and what doesn’t. Plus, you are able to market yourself to those attending the wedding more effectively. In my state, Oregon, the average income is far below the national average. The state’s unemployment rate is presently 12 percent, and in my area it’s over 14 percent. Yet my average wedding sale, not counting engagement orders, is about $6,000, one of the highest in the state. Often, our wedding couples live outside the immediate area, and are “coming home” for the ceremony. In the past, I’d encourage couples to book a 20- to 30-minute engagement portrait session at my studio or a nearby park. As the taste for candid style photographs increased, and with digital capability, those sessions have become freeflowing and fun, take place at several

Engaging destinations

locations, and last some 90 minutes. The wide variety of my engagement images lends itself to creating engagement albums to supplement the wedding album (we use Azura albums, azuraalbums.com). Most often, we use the images in pressprinted books from White House Custom Colour (whcc.com), which serve as guest registers at the reception. Our standard

CONSIDER TRAVELING FOR ENGAGEMENT PORTRAITS

charge is $595 for these 20- to 25-image

B Y B R U C E B E R G , M . P H O T O G .C R .

staff Photoshop artist, Lindsay Hansen. The

books, which includes custom design by my profit margin with the guest books is generous.


Our engagement sessions became a nice profit center, as most couples would buy a guest register and additional prints as well. Then, free of charge, we’d reproduce one of the engagement images as wallet-size prints, imprinted on the backside with our logo, contact info and directions for viewing the couple’s wedding images online. At the reception, these prints would be placed alongside the register for guests to pick up. People spread the buzz about these handsome and unique photo products. Two years ago, a couple asked me if I’d make the two-and-a-half hour journey to a location near their home in central Oregon. In the past, I might have jumped on the opportunity for free, but knowing now the costs involved in addition to my travel time, I quoted a fee of $300, and a commitment to buying a guest book. They agreed. In the engagement images, the location made it look like the couple was in Spain. They loved the images so much that they also ordered a number of individual prints and a wall portrait. Once brides-to-be saw that couple’s engagement book, my travel assignments multiplied. One couple flew me all the way to Washington, D.C., covering the cost of my three-day stay, and paying me a $600 travel fee. That trip led to an order of more than $3,000. I’ve done six destination engagement sessions, averaging more than $2,000 in sales, excluding my travel fee and expenses. Besides being an additional profit center, these sessions have expanded my personal boundaries, and are a lot of fun to boot. �

Bruce Berg Photography is in Springfield, Ore. Visit his websites, www.bruceberg.com and www.seniorphotographs.com.


Professional Photographer

P R E S E N T S

Products, Technology and Services

What I like Seshu Badrinath says time saved is a return on investment What makes your workflow flow? Camera Bits Photo Mechanic, Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop on the software side, my Macintosh computers, DQ QuiKeys, RPG Keys and Data Robotics Drobo on the hardware side. What new equipment is tempting you to splurge? I would love a new MacPro and a full-sensor Nikon DSLR, either the D700 or D3. It’s a shaky economy, yes, but these would bring a quick return on my investment considering the time saved using a faster machine, plus the highquality of the low-light images I could produce. What’s the best investment you’ve ever made in photography equipment? The ThinkTank Airport International bag. On a recent trip to India to shoot a wedding, I couldn’t have done without its compact size and sturdy build. It got tossed around quite a bit, but my gear was just fine. Has a piece of equipment ever changed the way you approach your photography? My PocketWizards have given me the freedom to light subjects in a way that transforms my images. I can achieve so much just by hooking them up to a small strobe, like the Nikon SB-800 AF. Even if I’m just using a single light for a portrait, I use the PocketWizard. IMAGE BY SESHU BADRINATH WWW.SESHU.NET


THE GOODS: ASSET MANAGEMENT

As your image archive expands, choose a storage system that will work for you well into the future. BY PETER KROGH

Hold everything CHOOSING THE APPROPRIATE STORAGE MEDIA This is a modified excerpt from “The DAM

hard drive system is the most appropriate

Book,” second edition, by Peter Krogh (O’Reilly).

solution here for its simplicity and easy expansion.

Last month, we looked at ways to divide

BACKUP MEDIA. You’ll need to

images into directories on your computer.

choose the media type to hold your backup

Now we’ll look at some storage hardware

files. Generally, a backup hard drive or a set

options. Let’s start by looking at the phases

of drives that can be taken offsite will be the

of your image files’ lives.

most secure primary backup. Best practices

WORKING FILE STORAGE. Working

Figure 1: A JBOD configuration. Each disk shows up as an individual drive. This arrangement provides maximum flexibility in configuration and upgrade.

requires you to also back up the files on

they are uncorrupted, unlike having to load

image files are those in progress; you’re still

another media type, such as optical disks or

an optical disk.

working on them, they are not yet archived,

digital tape.

and they contain less data than the final

DRIVE CONFIGURATION

files will. They have a high value because

HARD DRIVES AS PRIMARY STORAGE

Once you settle on a hard drive for primary

they haven’t been delivered yet. These

Storing images on local hard drives has a

storage and backup, you need to make a

factors indicate that you should store then

number of benefits.

logical configuration. When you install

on fast local drives—internal drives or even

• Faster archiving and retrieval. Reading

multiple drives on a computer, you can

RAID (redundant array of independent

and writing to a hard drive is a bit faster

either configure them individually as JBOD

disks) devices.

than to optical media (CD, DVD, or Blu-

or configure them to appear as a single

ray), but it’s much faster once you factor in

RAID. Additionally, your logical

the time to find and load an optical disk.

configuration might be in the form of Drobo

PRIMARY ARCHIVE STORAGE. Your archive is the permanent home for the images, so put them in a folder structure

• When the files eventually need to be

or network attached storage (NAS):

that can be easily backed up and restored.

migrated—moved to new formats, storage

(Last month we discussed grouping and

media, or directory structure—they’ll be

disks that retain their individual identity.

storing files in “buckets,” folders that back

readily available. With a hard drive, this can

Each disk is a logical disk (Figure 1). It’s the

up neatly onto optical disks like DVDs or

be an easy and fast process.

simplest arrangement and the easiest to

Blu-ray.) The primary archive contains the

JBOD is a configuration of multiple

• You’ll be able to check the integrity of

configure, upgrade, and repair. I prefer

main copies (as opposed to backups). In

the files. If the primary versions of your files

JBOD for archiving files in the bucket

many cases, a JBOD (bunch of disks)

are stored locally, you can easily confirm

system. It’s simple to purchase and set up, and it’s generally much quicker and easier to

Can’t I just burn old jobs to DVD and erase them from my hard drive? Of course you can, but I don’t recommend it, unless you don’t care much about them. DVDs are harder to keep track of, much slower to load, and it’s much harder to check the integrity of the data.


upgrade the capacity than with a RAID device. Simply add a drive or replace one drive with another with greater capacity. Plus, it’s the most economical configuration. In a RAID setup, several drives are


Drobo is a new type of multi-disk device

OPTICAL DISKS

that provides drive-spanning, fault-tolerant

CD, DVD and Blu-ray disks are cost-effective

storage. I think it’s an excellent storage

media for backing up your images. Because

device. The original Drobo is appropriate

so much content is distributed in this

as a backup device, or for archive storage.

format, it’s likely that devices that play these

The new device can work as a primary

disks will be available long into the future,

storage device. (See the Drobo review,

perhaps long after you’ve migrated your

page 48).

backup to some other storage medium.

A NAS comprises self-contained com-

With proper handling, a high-quality optical

puters that can make images available on

disk that’s burned correctly should be a

your network. In general, I shy away from

valuable backup to a hard drive–based

NAS because it’s often slow, and it lacks

archive for five to ten years (Figure 3).

robust ways to recover from problems. But

(continued on p. 49)

it can be a good solution for someone who Figure 2: A RAID setup. Multiple disks are spanned to create one logical disk to add speed, redundancy, or both.

wants to set up backup storage away from the main computer, and does not have a dedicated server.

configured to act as a single volume (Figure 2),

OTHER STORAGE MEDIA

which the computer sees as a single device.

While I suggest using hard drives as your

This can be desirable for speed and/or redun-

primary storage media, best practices in

dancy, but I’ve found few photographers

data storage requires the use of some other

equipped to set up and administer a RAID

kind of media as well. Hard drives are

properly. If you’re going to implement a RAID

subject to a number of hazards that don’t

setup, consider hiring a tech consultant to

affect other media, particularly write-once

configure and administer it. Remember, RAID

media, including viruses, hacker destruc-

is not backup. If it fell off a table, everything

tion, voltage surges, and accidental damage

on the device would probably be lost.

or deletion.

Figure 3: The three kinds of optical disks: CD, DVD, and Blu-ray. Because they all have the same dimensions, each successive player also plays the older format(s), which helps delay their obsolescence.

CARING FOR OPTICAL DISKS To maximize the lifespan of your archive on optical disks, I recommend taking the following precautions: • Use high-quality disks. • Burn at a slow speed. The slower you burn, the deeper the laser will score the disk. Typically, I burn disks at least one speed less than the disk’s maximum speed rating. • Don’t use a solvent-based pen to mark the disk. Solvents can migrate through the plastic and damage the recording surface. I use only CD-safe markers

(available at computer or office supply stores) and only in the center of the disk. • Do not put label stickers on your disks • Don’t print with inkjet printers. Inkjet inks contain solvents. • Immediately store your disks in a way that protects them from scratches. I use CD notebooks (available at music stores). Archival storage pages are available from Light Impressions and similar outlets. The safest container is a jewel case, but that will substantially increase the size of your

physical archive. • Protect disks from sunlight; UV light is damaging to plastics and dyes. • Protect disks from excessive heat and humidity, as well as frequent temperature fluctuations. • Be careful in handling the disks. When you take one out, immediately insert it into a player, then put it back right away once you’re finished with it. • Check the integrity of the data from time to time.



7 STEPS TO AVERTING DISASTER AND ITS CONSEQUENCES BY JOHN CHRISTOPHER, DRIVESAVERS SENIOR DATA RECOVERY ENGINEER

Losing your client’s digital images isn’t just a con-

being dropped or landing in the jaws of Fido.

job on a disk. Better yet, make two copies.

firmation of Murphy’s Law. It means lost busi-

Do not touch the metal contact points on SD,

Once you’ve burned your backup copies you

ness and revenue, a damaged reputation, and

SDHC and xD cards. Oil transfer from your

may, at long last, erase your camera cards.

sometimes even a lawsuit if the client demands

fingertips can build up, causing debris to stick

retribution. Fortunately, there are steps you

to the surface and gum up the contacts.

can take to protect yourself from a complete digital meltdown.

WRITE PROTECT. SD and SDHC cards

INVEST IN A UPS. Inexpensive surge protector strips are not an adequate defense against power surges and spikes. Spikes are

have a snazzy yet tiny write-protect tab on

instantaneous, dramatic increases in voltage

REPLACE. Once costly, high-capacity

the left side (label face up). These tabs protect

that occur when power is restored after a black-

memory cards from leading manufacturers

your image files from accidental deletion and

out or a lightning strike. They can damage or

now sell for less than $50 apiece, so it’s cost-

corruption during transfer. Make a habit of sliding

completely destroy electronic components.

effective—and wise—to replace your older cards

the tab to the lock position immediately after

Surges are short-term increases in voltage that occur when high-powered electrical motors, such as air conditioners and household appliances, kick on. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) contains battery backup units that furnish a limited amount of power just long enough for you to shut down your computer gracefully, and they keep the power flow steady when utility power fluctuates. STAY CURRENT WITH SOFTWARE. Camera manufacturers often release firmware updates to fix bugs that hinder performance or cause problems. If you’re a Windows user, you might need updated driver software for your camera to communicate with your

Media cards can survive the shock of drops, but not the jaws of a dog on a chewing binge.

computer. Visit the camera manufacturer’s website to find the latest software updates.

completely, and turn them in for recycling.

removing the card from the camera, and you’ll

Camera cards are immune to the shocks and

eliminate 80 percent of potential data loss.

addition to these suggestions, we recommend

TRANSFER SAFELY. As soon as

you keep on hand contact info for a data recovery

drops that would kill a common hard drive,

Even the best laid plans can go awry, so in

but they can develop bad blocks—areas that

possible, transfer the images from the

service such as DriveSavers (www.drivesavers

will no longer reliably store data. Replace

camera card to your computer. Do not erase

datarecovery.com). Also check with the manu-

camera cards every two to three years. Use a

the card until you’ve reviewed the downloaded

facturer of your storage media for recommenda-

Sharpie pen to write the date of first use on

files and verified that the data is intact.

tions on what to do if a card fails.

every card, so you’ll know when to replace it.

BACKUP, BACKUP, BACKUP. This

HANDLE WITH CARE. Whenever

is the mantra of computing. Nothing stings

possible, store memory cards in the plastic

worse than a hard drive going belly up, especially

storage cases they’re usually packaged with.

when it holds files you haven’t gotten

The case protects them from the static elec-

around to backing up. If you use a laptop to

tricity that often accrues in clothing pockets, and

store your clients’ images on location, take

provides some protection from damage due to

along some blank DVDs and back up every


John Christopher is a senior data recovery engineer at DriveSavers. DriveSavers provides the retrieval of data from dropped, damaged, corrupted and traumatized computer media. PPA members receive a 20 percent discount on DriveSavers’ data recovery services. Go to drivesaversdatarecovery.com or ppa.com to learn more.

(continued from p. 47) Here’s a rundown of the types of optical disks that could serve for backup: CD. Because of limited storage capacity

technology should result in Blu-ray disks selling for roughly the same price as DVD blanks, once production gets up to speed. There’s no consensus yet on the best brand.

(682 MB), CDs make sense only for

The disks don’t have a long track record, but

photographers who shoot JPEGs rather

the underlying technology should provide

than raw files.

stable long-term backup.

DVD. DVDs are a good option for now, depending on how much data you create.

DIGITAL TAPE

They are relatively stable, hold 4.3GB of

The fail-safe backup of choice for institu-

data, and should be readable for some time

tions is digital tape, in one of its many forms.

to come. The DVD+R format is more

It’s expensive to implement (generally

modern than DVD-R; Delkin Gold and

$5,000 or more for an LTO-4 system), but

Taiyo Yuden are good brands.

cheap to add to once the recorder is

BLU-RAY. Blu-ray disks have the same dimensions as CDs and DVDs, but come

installed. If you shoot too much to consider Blu-ray, take a look at tape. �

with a capacity of 23- or 46GB. Blu-ray players and recorders will likely always be able to play or record CD and DVD media. Recent changes in disk manufacturing

Find more information, workshop dates and resources at www.thedambook.com.

The DAM Book, 2nd Edition, By Peter Krogh ISBN: 9780596523572 http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596523572 Copyright © 2009 O'Reilly Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.


THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW

From the Photographer’s Math blog: Drobo = RAID 5 array - The need to know what the hell RAID 5 is.

in the various slots, the remaining capacity

—AUSTIN CURTIS, PHOTOGMATH.BLOGSPOT.COM

can easily set the volume size to use all of the

in the current configuration, and more. You available capacity as a single volume, or break

BY ELLIS VENER

it down into smaller volumes. It’s especially

Simpler storage

user friendly in that you’re never more than

DATA ROBOTICS DROBO

three steps from the main menu. The Drobo itself has a sleek, minimal design, with a matte black metal case and glossy plastic faceplate. Seriously, the Drobo and the DroboPro look so ubercool as to

As with RAID 5 arrays, the Data Robotics

capacity with up to four 2TB drives (the

make Apple devices look positively gaudy.

BeyondRAID technology used in the

current maximum capacity of SATA hard

The front plate attaches to the case with

Drobo system writes data across multiple

disk drives) to get a usable capacity of 5.5TB.

embedded magnets, and to add or swap

hard drives but uses a proprietary form of

As in a RAID setup, you’ll never be able to

drives, you simply pull off the plate, push a

mirroring and parity bit checking, so that

use the full stated capacity of the drives, as

lever on a drive slot, and insert or swap the

whenever a single drive fails, all you have

the capacity of the largest drive in the system

drive. Along the bottom front is a row of 10

to do is replace it, and your data remains

is part of the system’s safety net. (Visit the Data

blue LEDs, each signifying 10 percent of the

intact. But just like a RAID 5 system, if

Robotics website to help you calculate the

installed capacity of the system. Along the

you lose a second drive before replacing the

usable capacity of different configurations:

right side are four color-coded lozenge-

first, you’re in trouble.

www.datarobotics.com/resources/

shaped LEDs, one for each drive slot. Green

drobocalculator.php.)

light indicates health, orange light means

With a RAID 5 system, the replacement drive needs to be a near twin (same make,

The next best thing about the Drobo is

add a drive here soon, flashing green and

same capacity) to the others, while none of

how easy it is to set up and maintain. On a

orange means do not remove the drives, red

the drives in a Drobo system has to match.

Mac, installing one in your system is as close

means add a drive here, and flashing red

This enables you to continually increase

to plug-and-play as multi-drive storage gets.

means there’s a drive failure, replace

the capacity of your Drobo by replacing

The Drobo Dashboard utility manages the

immediately. With the front cover off, you’ll

any of the drives with more capacious ones.

system, letting you quickly check on the

see two more LEDs just above the capacity

Start with two 80GB drives and expand

Drobo’s status, health, capacity of the drives

indicators. One indicates power on, the other signifies USB activity. Along the bottom of the back are the power connection for the power brick, two FireWire 800 ports, a USB 2.0 port, and a large exhaust port for the cooling fan.

Drives can and do fail simultaneously or in near succession, so RAID-type arrays cannot be considered single failsafe solutions. Back up regularly, keep one copy of your backup offsite, and have a plan to migrate your archives and backup to new forms of storage technology.


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THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW

Small vents along the front and rear edges of the Drobo allow air circulation. When the drives are working hard, the thermostatically controlled fan automatically comes on, but only as long as needed. That’s a good thing—running fans consume power, and the Drobo’s is louder

As with RAID 5 arrays, the Data Robotics BeyondRAID technology used in the Drobo system writes data across multiple hard drives but uses a proprietary form of mirroring and parity bit checking, so that whenever a single drive fails, all you have to do is replace it, and your data remains intact.

than I expected. The noise is a little annoying in contrast to its overall aesthetic

www.unibrain.com as a FireWire 800

which allows two Drobo units to be shared

and user-friendly qualities.

driver source); of course, you’ll need a

on your network. By using different

computer with a FireWire 800 port.

DroboApps—freeware created and sup-

being slow, as it came with only a USB 2.0

The USB 2.0 connection speed also got

ported by the Drobo user community—you

connection. The speed of the second

a boost with the new internal hardware

can remotely access your Drobo via Web

generation Drobo with FireWire 800 is

and firmware.

browser or mobile device, including an

Some scorned the original Drobo for

more than double the original’s. Exactly

If you need even greater capacity, the

iPhone, use it as a media server for iTunes,

how fast depends on the drives you install.

eight-bay DroboPro is comparable to a

Windows XP and Vista OS users will need

RAID 6 array. Even with two drives out

a third-party driver to get true FireWire

of commission, your data will remain intact.

Digital Green Power Drives sells for $879 on

800 speed (Data Robotics recommends

Data Robotics also makes the DroboShare,

Adorama.com. �

and much more. A four-bay Drobo with four 1TB Western

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THE GOODS: TUTORIAL Images courtesy London Jewelers

How do those magazine models always look so perfect? These Photoshop skin retouching tips from the advertising trade show you how to get a glowing look. BY STEVE KOSHLAP

Beauty tips LAYERS AND STRUCTURE In advertising photography, using Photoshop’s layers, and lots of them, is critical to successful beauty retouching. Lots of layers because retouched images that look great to you today might not look like a masterpiece after a good night’s sleep, and because your client might ask for a change that would be impossible without going back to an earlier state via layers. My first layer for beauty retouching is a background duplicate I make structural changes to through Filter > Liquify. Typical Liquify adjustments include using the Forward Warp tool to raise the outside area of the eyes and the arch of the brows, to tuck in the ears and trim the face, arms and body. Body trimming via Liquify is much easier to do when the model is photographed against a solid background. The Pucker tool is great for reducing the nose, and the Bloat tool (5th position) for enlarging the model’s lips a bit, although in Figure 1, I actually reduced the lips. Tip: For the smoothest results, use the largest brush possible that won’t affect adjoining areas. After the Liquify step, it’s time to clean up flyaway hair and make any other needed improvements to the image structure. BLEMISHES. Before Photoshop added the Healing brush, we were resigned to fixing blemishes with the Clone Stamp alone. Today, using both Heal and Clone correctly and in tandem will yield amazing results. I don’t recommend using the one-step Spot Healing brush—no shortcuts! Make a new blank layer. Using a small, medium-soft Healing brush, sample the skin close to the blemish. Facial skin varies in texture and the direction of the grain, so it is important to use a


Figure 1: Final image above, and the original to the left.

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THE GOODS: TUTORIAL

similar texture for repairs. As you heal close to neighboring light or dark areas, your brush will pick up these tones. Just get as close as you can without picking up a tone change, then switch to the Clone Stamp to finish up. Pay attention to detail. Don’t allow the Clone tool to smooth over grain, create repeating patterns, or greatly alter the texture. Tip: After applying a healing or clone stroke, go to Edit > Fade (or cmd/ctrl-shift F) to cut back the last stroke. SMOOTHING. Unless all your portrait subjects are young and have never been out under the sun, you’ll need to do some skin smoothing. You will be tempted to look for shortcuts, filters, blurring techniques and third-party plug-ins—anything to make flesh smoothing easier, but using them will compromise quality by varying degrees. My trade secret takes a little practice, but it will improve the look of your skin retouching.

Figure 2

Make a new blank layer. Select the Clone Stamp and set the brush hardness to about 35, spacing to low, opacity to 15 (Figure 2). Choose an area to work in, opt/alt-click to sample, then move the cursor slightly and click once, cloning within the brush diameter (Figure 3). Sample again and clone-click, this time aiming for the other side of the brush diameter. Keep clicking and repeating to create an all-compass-point pattern of clone-clicks, always within the brush itself. About 10 to 20 clicks per area is normal. Use caution when nearing facial features and the outside edges of the face. You may need to apply only north-south or east-west patterns to avoid edge blurring. Make a new blank layer for every area you wish to smooth. When you’re done, you have the option to add layer masks to correct excessive smoothing, blend areas together, or reduce the opacity of each layer. As you establish a rhythm, this procedure

Figure 3

will go faster. The technique’s benefit is the control it provides, and thus the quality. SHARPENING. Beauty retouching requires selective sharpening. If the skin needs to be smoothed, there’s no advantage to sharpening the overall image yet. If the subject’s skin is beautiful to begin with, I might slightly sharpen the entire image to enhance the skin’s grain. In either case, I will always apply additional sharpening to the hair, eyes, brows, lashes, and usually the lips. That’s why I sharpen beauty retouches toward the end of the process, rather than the beginning, as with every other kind of image. You may be wondering how to sharpen an image with multiple layers. After the structural work, blemish removal and smoothing is complete, create a new blank layer. With the new layer selected, activate the Layers window drop-down menu, hold down the opt/alt key, and select Merge Visible (Figure 4.) This will copy and


Figure 4

THE GOODS: TUTORIAL

merge all layers onto the new layer, while preserving the layers below. Tip: If you need to later adjust the under-layers, you’ll have to recreate the sharpening layer. Name the layer to record the Unsharp filter settings; e.g., 150/1.5/0. In this case, we won’t sharpen the flesh, but target other areas instead. Apply Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask with settings geared to enhance detail, like Amount=150, Radius=1.5, Threshold=0. On the sharpened layer, create a layer mask filled with black (Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All). Set the foreground color to white, and make sure the layer mask is activated. Using a soft-edge brush, paint to reveal the sharpened layer. Tip: If you don’t use a pressure-sensitive pen tablet, set the brush opacity to 20% and brush in the sharpness a little at a time. FINISHING TOUCHES. I own just one third-party Photoshop plug-in, Alien Skin Exposure 2, and this is where I use it. Retouching, color and sharpening complete, I like to apply a film grain effect, especially to areas that were smoothed, to add back a little texture. If you don’t own a plug-in like this, you

Figure 5

can judiciously apply Photoshop’s Noise filter for a similar effect, on its own layer, of course. To make an independent Noise layer, click on the Add New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette while holding down the opt/alt key. In the New Layer dialog, set the layer blending mode to Overlay and check the box to fill with 50% gray (Figure 5). The new layer’s icon will appear solid gray, but the layer itself will be invisible. Go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise, and play with the settings, but you might start with an amount setting of about 4%, set to uniform distribution, with monochromatic checked, as in Figure 6. With the noise is on its own layer, you can add a layer mask to paint in noise as desired, or reduce the layer’s opacity at a later time. There’s certainly more to a complete beauty retouch than smoothing skin. Techniques such as advanced sharpening, adding shape and dimension to portraits, whitening and brightening eyes and teeth, and color balancing and correction are all important, but those are topics for future tutorials. Clearly, skin retouching can be challenging, but with practice, patience and the full use of layers, you will have the flexibility to tweak your work to perfection! �

Steve Koshlap (www.stevekoshlap.com) has an extensive background in prepress and color retouching. He directs creative retouching at Aura (www.aurastudio.us), a color managed photographic and retouching studio in New Jersey.


Figure 6

Get up close and personal with the industry’s latest products, tools, and technology Discover how to make more money doing what you love Share the limelight with some of the biggest names in photography is brought to you by:

Whether you join us early or right on time, you’ll find true rockstar treatment all under one roof. Once you arrive, you’ll never have to set foot outdoors: » All classes, from pre-convention to the main events » Tradeshow happenings » Parties & special events Relaxing after filling your brain to the brim at Imaging USA is easier than ever—there’s so much available right here: » 20,000-square-foot resort spa & fitness center » 13 unique restaurants & countless on-the-go options » Nightclubs & lounges – sports bars & an Irish pub » Boutique shopping experiences » Nine acres of fabulous atrium gardens » Indoor river and Delta flatboat (we’re not kidding) » All the on-site entertainment you can handle

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The Grand Ole Opry® may have put Nashville on the map, but music here is global, and the sounds (and the fun!) are as varied as the musicians who come from all over the world.

Nashville Nights & Broadway Lights

Nashville nightlife is the stuff of legends—from the world-famous Printer’s Alley to Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. » Listen to up-and-comers at the Bluebird Café » Rock on over to the Wildhorse Saloon » Party all night in the lower Broadway District

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From Cajun to continental, you’ll find every kind of restaurant and cuisine to satisfy your tastes…and how about eye candy for dessert? From the Parthenon to Belle Meade Plantation, the Nashville area offers a wealth of beautiful landmarks and scenery.

Y’all Come and Stay a While

Get all the business benefits of Imaging USA and the personal pleasure of a well-deserved day or two to relax, shop at Opry Mills, and enjoy down-home southern hospitality in this friendly river city.

READY TO ROCK THIS WAY? Register and book your rooms now—www.ImagingUSA.org

BUSINESS & FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (Jan. 7, 9:00am) SALES & CUSTOMER SERVICE (Jan. 8, 9:00am) MARKETING & PROMOTIONS (Jan. 9, 9:00am) Get the benefits of PPA’s original Studio Management Services (SMS) 3-Day Business Workshop with the convenience of Imaging USA. Each class focuses on a major topic of the workshop. Register for all 3 classes PLUS the invaluable one-on-one consultation (space is limited), or sign up for individual classes.

To learn more and register: 888-851-0405, [email protected]

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THE ONE-TWO PUNCH: ROCKIN’ IMAGES + SOCIAL NETWORKING = BUSINESS EXPLOSION (Jan. 12, 3:00pm) Sponsored by H&H Color Lab Discover how defining yourself (like Scott and Adina do) can pay off big…with a little help from smart social networking! See how they used online media and amazing images to create the onetwo punch that exploded their business in their first full year.

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STOP WASTING YOUR TIME: MANAGE YOUR WORKFLOW (Jan. 11, 4:00pm)

See how Bob stays ready to catch those fleeting expressions with this class! No more wasted time… you’ll gain the efficient workflow needed for no more lost images, speedy processing, consistency, and more time to run your business and concentrate on clients.

» NETWORK with thousands of photographers and

M .P ho tog.Cr ., A PI ra Frances, images © Sa

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industry vendors from around the world. START PARTNERSHIPS that could take your business further. FIND NEW MENTORS as you discuss issues that affect your business and art. LAUGH & RELAX WITH FRIENDS old and new.

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JOIN WHITE HOUSE CUSTOM COLOUR ON MONDAY EVENING as we welcome photojournalists who have chronicled days in the lives of American presidents. Get the inside scoop on the men and their families from the people who record history for the rest of us day in and day out.

Don’t forget to MAKE YOUR OWN HISTORY as you celebrate & party with us:

PPA CHARITIES CELEBRATION January 9, 8:00pm

Eat, drink, and be merry as you support the charity created by photographers.

ROCKIN ‘ NASHVILLE January 10, 8:00pm - 10:00pm

Bring your backstage pass and ROCK the night away after your first full day of Imaging USA! Sponsored by

IMAGING…OLÉ! January 12, 8:30pm - 11:30pm

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Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn by visiting www.ImagingUSA.org.

Take advantage of this first chance in the U.S. to get up close & personal with the industry’s latest products, tools, & technology: » Browse the LARGEST PHOTOGRAPHY EXPO in North America. » Grab special deals in 196 PRODUCT CATEGORIES – fantastic quality and diversity. » Watch experts give LIVE, IN-BOOTH DEMOS on the tradeshow floor. YOUR INSPIRATION ONLY GROWS the longer you walk the Imaging EXPO floor!

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INTERNATIONAL PRINT EXHIBIT Free and open to the public

Welcome to the world’s largest annual photography exhibit, filled with the exclusive PPA Loan and General Collections and other special exhibits. Walking through the almost 2,300 images—the best of the best—is a sure-fire way to gather new ideas to try in your own photography.

GRAPHISTUDIO THEATER

Get your daily dose of insight and ideas right on the Imaging EXPO floor, as industry leaders share their expertise in a theater-style setup and demonstrate how you can use the latest GraphiStudio products.

Take part in PPA’s Studio Management Services (SMS) 3-Day Business Workshop. Get the full workshop experience: attend all three days PLUS one-on-one consultations (exclusively for PPA members, 2 merits, $949). Spaces are limited—contact SMS directly to register and learn more! 888-851-0405 – [email protected] And remember: anyone can sign up to take one or all three parts (individual classes without the consultations) by registering for those preconvention offerings (each $129).

SENIOR SUCCESS: SUCCESS THROUGH MARKETING Colleen Gonsar, Cr.Photog. & Darty Hines, Cr. Photog. Gather ideas from Darty’s discussions about direct mail, viral campaigns, and studio experience as he showcases their high school senior marketing campaign from design to delivery. $150 (for all 3 sessions) or $ 69 per session 1 merit for attending all 3 sessions SENIOR SUCCESS: SUCCESS THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY Colleen Gonsar, Cr.Photog. & Darty Hines, Cr. Photog. Learn the importance of variety in senior photography, including quick posing and lighting tips and fun and organized post-production techniques. $150 (for all 3 sessions) or $ 69 per session 1 merit for attending all 3 sessions

9:00am -5:00pm 9:00am -12:00pm 1:00pm - 5:00pm

NEW AT IMAGING USA!

SALES & CUSTOMER SERVICE: SMS 3-DAY WORKSHOP PART 2 Edward Zemba & Julia Woods, M.Photog.Cr. Get insight to make more money and make customers happier, including pre-sales and sales presentations, consumer buying motives, wedding and portrait consultations, etc. $129 (full SMS workshop experience is $ 949) 1 merit for attending

9:00am - 12:00pm

BUSINESS & FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: SMS 3-DAY WORKSHOP PART 1 Scott Kurkian & Julia Woods, M.Photog.Cr You need to effectively set up and manage your finances to be successful in photography. Now’s your chance to learn learn these critical skills from top educators on studio management. $129 (full SMS workshop experience is $ 949) 1 merit for attending

9:00am -5:00pm

PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSENTIALS WHEN TURNING PRO (January 7-8) Steve Kozak, M.Photog.Cr., CPP Learn how to establish a solid foundation on which to build a successful career as a professional photographer, focusing on both the fundamentals and the art. From the tools of the trade to creating images at a professional level of quality, you’ll turn your passion for photography into a profession. Sponsored by H&H Color Lab $199 (for both days) 2 merits for attending

1:30pm - 5:00pm

THE BUSINESS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: 2-DAY WORKSHOP FROM PPA’S STUDIO MANAGEMENT SERVICES (SMS) (January 7-8) Ann Monteith, M.Photog.Cr.Hon.M.Photog., CPP, ABI, API, A-ASP & Carol Andrews, M.Photog.Cr., ABI (Thurs. Only) Dive in to absorb marketing and management fundamentals central to operating a financially successful business. $199 (for both days) 2 merits for attending

9:00am -5:00pm

What is certification? It’s a way to assure the general public that you, as a Certified Professional Photographer, are a quality professional. Earn this credential (by passing exam and image review), and it can help enhance your professional image, increase your value to your customers, and help you keep your professional edge. $299 (for all 3 days) 2 merits for attending

1:30pm - 5:00pm

9:00am - 5:00pm 9:00am - 5:00pm 9:00am - 5:00pm 9:00am -5:00pm

3-DAY CERTIFICATION PREPARATION CLASS (January 7-9) Gary Meek, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, EA-ASP Planning on taking the Certified Professional Photographer exam? Get ready with this 3-day prep class that will not only teach you needed information for the written exam, but will also give you a more thorough working knowledge of photography.

SPEED SHOOTING WITH THE PROS Louis Tonsmeire, Cr.Photog., API; Bry Cox, M.Photog. Cr, CPP; Dennis Craft, M.Photog.Cr.Hon.M.Photog., CPP, API, F-ASP; Jamie Hayes, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, ABI, API; Don Chick, M.Photog.Cr., CPP ; Andrew Jenkins, M.Photog.Cr., CPP & Jackie Palmer, Cr.Photog.; & Lori Nordstrom, M.Photog.Cr., CPP Go from one professional to another to see how they shoot bridal, children, family, individual, senior, and newborn photography. $ 99 1 merit for attending MARKETING & PROMOTIONS: SMS 3-DAY WORKSHOP PART 3 Allison Rodgers & Carol Andrews, M.Photog.Cr., ABI Gather creative solutions for making your presence and business image known to existing and potential clients, from online marketing to your studio space. $129 (full SMS workshop experience is $ 949) 1 merit for attending SENIOR SUCCESS: SUCCESS THROUGH SALES Colleen Gonsar, Cr.Photog. & Darty Hines, Cr. Photog. With their successful sales and pricing philosophies, learn how to price and sell to the person who makes the money decisions: the senior’s mom. $150 (for all 3 sessions) or $ 69 per session 1 merit for attending all 3 sessions

ASSOCIATION SURVIVAL: WHAT AFFILIATE LEADERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT STAYING AFLOAT David Trust, Scott Kurkian, Christel Aprigliano, & Bill Ingwersen Learn advanced leadership principles, financial management, membership recruitment, and tradeshow management from the leaders of one of America’s most successful associations. Complimentary to all full registrants (registration required) TOTS 2 TEENS Sandy Puc’, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, ABI Learn all aspects of executing and marketing a successful program for children from 18 months to young teens, producing a steady flow of repeat customers. $79 *One dollar of every registration will be donated to Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

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9:00am - 10:30am

7:00am - 8:30am

WEDDING

PORTRAIT

BUSINESS BEAT

ADOBE PHOTOGRAPHY SOLUTIONS

STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD…GUARANTEED Dane Sanders To build a recession- and competition-proof photo business, don’t mimic—design your business around your most powerful resource: you.

LEARN FROM ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPHIC ROCKSTAR Details coming soon

DIAPERS TO DOLLARS: MARKETING FOR BABY PORTRAITS Frank Donnino, Cr.Photog. Photographing babies hasn’t changed, but the way Frank gets his clients has. Learn how he adapted to this high-tech world with high-tech moms.

LEARN FROM THE ADOBE EXPERTS Details coming soon

ACHIEVE AMAZING RESULTS AGAINST THE ODDS Jerry Ghionis, M.Photog. Make your clients shine brighter by bringing out their best…despite poor locations, plus-sized brides, odd-height couples, limited lighting, limited time, shy couples, etc.

TAKE YOUR STUDIO TO THE NEXT LEVEL Gregory Daniel, M.Photog.Cr. & Lesa Daniel, Cr.Photog. Learn the anatomy of their highly successful studio and gather ideas for your own as you learn how to create client desire, build relationships, give emotional presentations, etc.

FACEBOOK WAS MADE FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Rod Evans, Cr.Photog. Learn how he used Facebook and under $200 to book seniors, couples, and children—grossing over six figures! You can do a lot with a small investment. Sponsored by American Color Imaging (ACI)


IMAGING EXPO

6:00pm - 7:30pm

4:00pm - 5:30pm

11:00am - 4:30pm

STANDING IN THE SHALLOW END OF THE POOL & LOOKING GOOD Parker J. Pfister From shooting style to unique products and sales techniques, you’ll learn many ways to separate yourself from the crowds. Sponsored by Canon

THE POWER OF LIGHT “LIVE” Tony Corbell, Cr.Photog., API Take a fresh approach to portrait lighting as Tony demos available lighting control options, helping you better understand light itself. Sponsored by NIK Software

WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE THE SALARY YOU NEED: NEW FINANCIAL BENCHMARK SURVEY Ann Monteith, M.Photog. Cr.Hon.M.Photog., CPP, ABI, API, A-ASP & Scott Kurkian Go beyond the numbers and learn what it takes to satisfy your personal financial requirements, how you measure up, and where you can focus improvements. Sponsored by Fujifilm

SUBSTANCE & STYLE Jeffrey Woods, M.Photog.Cr. & Julia Woods, M.Photog.Cr. Simplify your weddings and make more money at the same time, thanks to their style of shooting, selling, and marketing. Sponsored by Burrell Colour Imaging

WHERE HAVE ALL THE ARTISTS GONE? Joseph Simone, M.Photog. Cr., API, F-ASP & Louise Simone, M.Photog.Cr., API Discover how essential rules of art, the culture of the image, and the newest digital tools combine to restore the allure of professional imaging and improve your career. Sponsored by Kodak

THE POWER OF PROJECTION: TAKE SALES TO THE NEXT LEVEL Elizabeth Homan, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API & Trey Homan, Cr.Photog., CPP Learn how they create emotional presentations for clients and take control of their sales with several proven steps. Sponsored by Miller’s Professional Imaging



ROCKIN’ NASHVILLE! Imaging USA Welcome Party | 8:00pm - 10:00pm

9:00am - 10:30am

7:00am - 8:30am

WEDDING

PORTRAIT

BUSINESS BEAT

CREATIVITY & TECHNOLOGY Stephen & Jennifer Bebb From finding inspiration and challenges to the use of technology, Stephen and Jennifer give you the tools to fall in love with wedding photography again and stand out in the market. Sponsored by Pickpic

THE ULTIMATE PHOTOGRAPHER’S BALANCING ACT Michele Celentano, Cr.Photog. Join Michele as she shares her secrets for balancing art and business, from posing and lighting children to turning those images into big sales.

PRODUCT DESIGN: PLAIN SIMPLE & PROFITABLE Allison Rodgers & Jeff Rodgers Earn higher sales by helping clients decide what to do with their images. You’ll learn how to listen to clients and present them with product designs that work. Sponsored by White House Custom Colour

YERVANT SIGNATURES: POSED...NATURALLY! FINISHED...PERFECTLY! Yervant, M.Photog. IV, F-AIPP Learn easy and fun posing methods for glamorous—yet fun and REAL—wedding expressions, along with the finishing techniques that turn images into art. Sponsored by GraphiStudio

JUST DO IT Rose Coleman & Nancy Emmerich, M.Photog.Cr., API Come see how this legendary team is shaping the way they do business with high school seniors and focusing on client experience. Sponsored by American Color Imaging (ACI)

TOOLS OF THE TRADE FOR TOMORROW Jeff Hawkins, M.Photog.Cr., CPP & Kathleen Hawkins, Cr. Photog. Create a niche market and connect with clients via these tools, from social media and viral promotions to the software and technologies that help optimize productivity. Sponsored by Buckeye Color Lab

SPOTLIGHT THE PORTRAIT AS AN ART FORM JuliAnne Jonker, M.Photog.Cr., CPP Even in this economy, you can be both true to your artistic spirit and profitable. See how she creates unique, artistic portraits for discriminating clientele.


IMAGING EXPO

6:00pm - 7:30pm

4:00pm - 5:30pm

11:00am - 4:30pm

WHO YOU ARE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY Joe Buissink Learn to see and feel everything differently at a wedding and run a more profitable business, from increasing client purchases to booking more high-end weddings. Sponsored by Canon

FAMILY PORTRAITURE, ETCETERA Drake Busath, M.Photog.Cr. This live demonstration will show you posing, “un-posing,” lighting, and other tips to help you build a cool, seven-figure business.

STOP WASTING YOUR TIME: MANAGE YOUR WORKFLOW Robert Lloyd, Cr.Photog. Hon.M.Photog., CPP, API Learn an efficient workflow that equals no lost images, speedy processing, consistency, and images focused on the subject, not distractions from the camera.

PHOTOGRAPHING THE WEST David Stoecklein Share in his images and anecdotal knowledge gained from documenting the West and shooting commercial advertising work for over 40 years. Sponsored by Canon

WITNESS TO A WEDDING Denis Reggie Gather up ready-to-use ideas as you see and hear the stories behind Denis Reggie’s iconic images and new images never shown before.

BEAUTY, JOY & SPIRIT: PHOTOGRAPHING CHILDREN Tamara Lackey Learn how Tamara brings her images to life, including interaction with children, organic directive posing techniques, creative composition, and post-processing tips. Sponsored by Simply Canvas & Buckeye Color Labs

MAKING IT HAPPEN: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KNOWING & DOING Jed Taufer, Cr.Photog. & Vicki Taufer, M.Photog.Cr., CPP Find out how they have implemented various ideas and innovations over the years (and what did or didn’t work), from marketing strategies to workflow. Sponsored by Kodak

A CUT ABOVE Julie Klaasmeyer, M.Photog. From designing to photographing and pricing, learn to take your ordinary product and create one-of-a-kind portrait art pieces for upscale clients. Sponsored by White House Custom Colour

sponsored by

PHOTOGRAPHERS IN THE WHITE HOUSE

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7:30am - 9:00am

WEDDING

PORTRAIT


TIME FLIES WHEN YOU’RE PHOTOGRAPHING FUN Gayletta Tompkins, M.Photog.Cr., CPP From newsletter and e-mail marketing ideas that really work to her use of theme specials, set designs, and lighting, learn tips and ideas to help in your own studio. Sponsored by H&H Color Lab

SPOTLIGHT LEARN FROM ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPHIC ROCKSTAR Details coming soon

ADOBE PHOTOGRAPHY SOLUTIONS LEARN FROM THE ADOBE EXPERTS Details coming soon

IMAGING EXPO

5:00pm - 6:30pm

3:00pm - 4:30pm

1:00pm - 2:30pm

9:30am - 1:30pm

CREATING THE RED-HOT WEDDING STUDIO Mark Garber, M.Photog.Cr. & Jennifer Gilman, M.Photog.Cr., CPP Learn how their studio continually increases sales, client retention, and market share (the biggest bang for the smallest buck) despite today’s challenges. Sponsored by Fujifilm

GROWING A GREAT SENIOR BUSINESS Kent Smith, M.Photog.MEI.Cr. & Sarah Smith, M.Photog.Cr. Learn how they keep a flourishing, healthy business with positioning, creative marketing, photographing with a purpose, client incentives, and more.

REVOLUTIONIZE & ENERGIZE YOUR STUDIO: THE ART OF STORY SHOOTING Jim Garner See how to shoot for the story (not single images) and use motion posing to create a gorgeous album and maximize profitability. Sponsored by GraphiStudio


FINE ART WEDDINGS Jose Villa Listen and learn as he shares his successes with photographing in film, getting published, and shooting around the world.

BELLA BABY Alycia Alvarez See the details of this successful program, including ways to light and pose the babies, tricks for interacting with them, and her proven marketing/networking tips. Sponsored by White House Custom Colour

THE ONE-TWO PUNCH: ROCKIN’ IMAGES + SOCIAL NETWORKING = BUSINESS EXPLOSION Scott & Adina Hayne See how they used online media and amazing images to explode their business in their first full year. Sponsored by H&H Color Lab




MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TALENTS Michael Timmons, M.Photog.Cr. & Tina Timmons, M.Photog.Cr. With their shared, easy-touse techniques, learn how to photograph, manipulate, market, and sell customizable portraits as Fine Art Interior Décor. Sponsored by Miller’s Professional Imaging


PPA AWARDS & DEGREE CEREMONY 7:00pm - 8:30pm

IMAGING OLe

Imaging USA Closing Night Party | 8:30pm - 11:30pm

HOW TO SHOOT THE BIG FOUR SPORTS Ben Chen Get the information you need to shoot the “Big Four” sports in the U.S. Walk away with the fundamentals for shooting each sport (basketball, football, baseball, and soccer), including equipment and the “where,” “what,” “when,” and “how.”

QUALITY & SPEED: YOU CAN DO BOTH! Dave Stock Learn how to quickly produce studio-quality volume sports portraits and group photos on location, indoors or out. Sponsored by Richmond Camera

11:00am - 4:30pm

SPORTS MARKETING: SALES IS EVERYTHING Jeff Gump Discover important sales details, from how Jeff books 85% of all leagues he bids to how he pays his salesperson and what is required of that person.

USING PHOTOSHOP FOR TEAM & INDIVIDUAL SPORTS Frank Harrison Learn how to correct the 10 most common problems in team and individual photos with Adobe Photoshop tools and techniques.

FROM HOBBY TO SUCCESSFUL PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS Stephen Walker Learn the basic to advanced business skills needed to turn your dream into a profitable team sports T&I and event photography business.


ROCKIN’ NASHVILLE

IMAGING USA WELCOME PARTY | 8:00pm - 10:00pm

7:30am - 9:00am

TARGETING CLIENTS THROUGH CREATIVE MARKETING Pete Wright, Cr.Photog. Learn how Pete targets customers with a combination of branding and creative marketing…without spending lots of money.

MANAGING A DIVERSE PORTFOLIO OF BUSINESS Terrell Lloyd, Cr.Photog. Get ideas for expanding profits by going after new business, keeping that business with management skills, and creating new client bases. Sponsored by Canon

IMAGING EXPO 9:30am - 1:30pm

1:00pm - 2:30pm

FOCUS ON VALUE: TEAM & INDIVIDUAL SHOOTING Dave Stock Be the go-to photographer by producing better images, hiring better people, running organized photo shoots, and offering superior customer service. Sponsored by Richmond Camera

3:00pm - 4:30pm

7:00am - 8:30am 9:00am - 10:30am


IMAGING EXPO 4:00pm - 5:30pm

ROMATHERAPY: REJUVENATE SPORTS, SCHOOLS, SENIORS & YOUR WALLET Roch Eshleman & Ryan Romaguera, Cr.Photog. Join Roch and Ryan to learn everything from finding the perfect school to selling to them, from shooting the images to processing. You’ll learn posing and lighting tips for variable outdoor conditions and how to easily handle multiple large groups at one time.

6:00pm - 7:30pm

9:00am - 5:00pm 9:00am - 5:00pm 9:00am - 5:00pm

GROWING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS: ON YOUR TERMS, FOR YOUR PROFIT & DESPITE THE RECESSION Andy Birol Join Andy to learn the tangible actions (beyond conviction and passion) you need to take to grow your business consistently and efficiently. Learn to identify your Best and Highest Use (BHU), how to apply a systematic process for acquiring customers and enhancing retention, and much more.

ACTION SHOTS AND EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY: FINALLY MAKING MONEY! Kyle & Rita Harvey Learn a different approach to events that lowers your labor costs, increases your profits, and puts the fun back into it.

MOJO YOUR WAY INTO THE SPORTS BUSINESS Jim & April Alsup Discover effective, time-tested ways of providing the best service, getting clients to see the value in you, and knowing what to say to make a sale.

PPA AWARDS & DEGREE CEREMONY 7:00pm - 8:30pm

PHOTOGRAPHERS IN THE WHITE HOUSE sponsored by

IMAGING OLe Imaging USA Closing Night Party 8:30pm - 11:30pm

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Photography is diverse—that’s why Imaging USA brings together co-located conferences like SEPCON and the newer EPIC School! Focused on helping evidence photographers gain the latest skills they need for a successful, professional career, EPIC School offers education from the basics of evidence photography to in-depth, hands-on workshops. (EPIC School is a separate registration fee. Learn more at www.EvidencePhotographers.com.) EVIDENCE PHOTOGRAPHER CERTIFICATION Thursday, January 7 - Tuesday, January 12 Scott T. De Broux, CEP EPIC’s Evidence Photographer Certification refines the essential qualities needed in a professional evidence photographer, especially those involved with crime scenes. This in-depth, intensive education takes you through the steps necessary to become a better evidence photographer and pass the certification exam. From lecture to hands-on practice, Scott will help you improve your career skills and gain the knowledge to earn the certification that will become a part of your reputation. Learn more about certification here: www.EvidencePhotographers.com COMPREHENSIVE FORENSIC PHOTOGRAPHY TRAINING Saturday, January 9 | 8:00am – 5:00pm EPIC School Pre-Convention | $99 Ron Taniwaki Join Ron for this well-rounded workshop, from reviewing (and practicing) the fundamentals to learning advanced techniques that dramatically improve the quality of your forensic images. Start by discussing and working with the basics of exposure and camera-handling techniques specifically for forensic images. As you move on to more advanced topics, you’ll learn what makes a professional a professional: skill and knowledge about issues like chain of custody, digital workflow, white balance, output choices, and more!

Sponsored by Nikon

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A virtuoso retoucher encourages the acceptance of a long-denied truth: The camera does lie. Retouching, the ultimate photographic filter, clarifies in a mechanical way what our mind does intuitively. C O M M E N TA RY

By Robb Carr

Unwitting Truth

S

Resetting our attitude about the verity of photography everal months ago, the New York

Times featured an article by Eric Wilson titled “Smile, and say ‘No Photoshop.’” I knew immediately the

time—we’re linear creatures. If we are focused on tasting something, we cannot hear; if we are engaging our olfactory senses, we cannot see … at least for a millisecond. We are so naturally adept at multi-tasking in millisecond intervals that a whole array of sensation blends

is the acceptance that a photograph is a dis-

into what seems to be a unified and simulta-

tortion of reality to begin with—as opposed

neous experience. The truth remains, we can-

to the popular misunderstanding that a

not hold a conversation and taste, smell or

camera doesn’t lie. This wasn’t apparent to

see our dinner at the same time. In a fractal

art of retouching was getting

us 160 years ago, when what had been depicted

kind of way and with regards to only our

another rap on its knuckles, in

for millennia by the stroke of a brush was

vision sense, we choose what to see and then

the same way that a child who only

beginning to be depicted by the click of a

place a definition on what we are seeing that

wants to please is chided for something he

shutter. Compared to a painting, it seemed for

is determined by our own personal library of

didn’t do. Following a stream of similarly

the first time ever that we were able to capture

experience. A camera, on the other hand,

critical articles in the recent past, I wondered

visual truth on a piece of paper. We unremit-

captures the whole array of light-sensitive

if a paradigm shift wasn’t imminent, and

tingly repeated that “the camera doesn’t lie”

information at once and then to make matters

necessary, to reshape cultural ideas that have

until it became a part of the fabric of our

worse, distorts the information as it reduces

outlived their usefulness. It would be kind at

belief system, through which we unwittingly

and condenses a three-dimensional world

least, and informative at most.

and innocently propagandized ourselves

onto a two-dimensional surface. The curse is

Humanity is in the throes of morphing

with misinformation. The crux of the issue is

also its beauty. In an attempt to make our

into a new mindset, encouraged to it, so I

that because we tenaciously cling to this false

photography meet our impressions of the

believe, by the economic hardship that faces

premise, logic erroneously determines that

human experience, we edit information that

us. It will be a time when we will have another

we accept the correlation that any alteration

isn’t necessary to the message, first by crop-

opportunity to dispel a few false premises that

to a photograph is therefore to be characterized

ping, then by editing. For instance, if we are

no longer serve us. The most efficient example

as “unreliable” in its ability to convey truth.

emotionally moved by the majesty of a geo-

to explain the idea of a perspective shift is the

And while it’s undeniable that retouching

graphic landscape, we will probably uncon-

resulting clarity that followed humanity’s finally

can be used to mislead, it doesn’t follow that

sciously edit or draw attention away from

ceding that the world is not flat. Experiencing

all retouching does. We can split an atom to

the carcass of the animal in the near fore-

the dissolution of a part of one’s library of beliefs

light a city, or we can harness it to destroy

ground and the power lines on the distant

is always painful, but ultimately—as we know

the same city. With the birthing of our digital

horizon. By not placing mental attention

from watching the passing of many generations

world, the time may be ripe for moderating

there, it becomes unconscious and may as well

—the information frees us to a new perspec-

this misinformation. It took generations

be nonexistent. The purpose of retouching is

tive and a greater appreciation and sense of

before it was widely held that the earth is

to clarify in a mechanical way what our

awe to the experience that life is living us.

not flat, so perhaps we should begin making

mind does intuitively. If, on the other hand,

a few conscious ruminations to re-set our

our intention is to understand what is

transparent, as we step closer to the under-

attitudes about the verity of photography, a

causing the blight of an animal species in an

standing that we construct our own realities

symbol that we utilize to approximate and

abundant landscape, then we may

(and together we distill a larger mindset

convey our own experience of reality.

underscore the carcass with an artistic

One of the premises that I hope will become

from the vast horizon of individual mindsets)


Humans can only evaluate one thing at a

procedure to make our photographic point.

In the same manner, as we stand before a

the person’s features onto the photographic

with it a mastery of subtlety. With a new

person connected and engaged in conversation,

paper need to be attended to. If it is the

philosophy and the current state of technical

something else takes over: Rather than

latter—the intimate qualities proffered

agility that we are afforded by our image-

scientifically observing their psoriasis, hairy

above—then artistic abstractions may be

editing programs, time is ready to address

ears and flaring nostril, our experience

introduced into the image in order to convey

an uninformed public, bringing to them not

becomes focused on personal qualities such

them, the way sculptors and painters have

only an entirely new reason to explore our

as generosity, friendliness, compassion (and

efficiently and completely communicated for

impressions of reality, but a secret relief in

negative aspects, too). It is here the art of

centuries through symbols. At its most

knowing that in a subtle yet significant way,

retouching makes its value known.

accomplished level, retouching simplifies the

our photographs do not look like us. �

Through editing, retouching influences

photographic statement for purposes of

the viewer as to where he should look

communication. With this in mind, we need

amongst the total array of photographically

to only choose what to say and direct attention

captured information. In the case of

away from the remaining photographic

portraiture, to retouch the inside or outside

data. In this sense can we make the meaning

of the subject becomes a question: When

that we derive from our symbols—a pho-

does one underscore the physicality of the

tograph being one of those—more truthful.

person—the flaring nostril, squinting eyes,

The art of retouching is young, and as

agile body? And when does one attempt to

with all new art that initially holds us spell-

capture ephemeral traits that make the

bound in its magic, we overdraw the final

person unique and worth knowing? If it is

statement in our desire to do things well. In

the former, only the distortions that bend

time this art, too, will mature and bring

Working closely with Greg Gorman for 30 years, Robb Carr retouches publicity photographs of the movie industry’s most demanding clients, producing work that can be as recognizable to fellow professionals as it is invisible to the general public. Beginning as a transparency retoucher and later making a segue into digital, he has worked with the industry’s most illustrious icons, including posthumous imagery of Marilyn Monroe by Cecil Beaton, Casilli’s Audrey Hepburn, Jeff Koons’ Made in Heaven series featuring Italian porn star Cicciolina, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ! by Mark Mabry and Michael Jackson’s Thriller album, to name a few.

Be careful not to sacrifice character to achieve perfection in your subject’s features. Retouching is an art. Tristan Tri Huynh looked to the Old Masters of painting as he developed his digital techniques. RETOUCHING All images ©Tristan Tri Huynh

By Jeff Kent

T

ristan Tri Huynh’s metamorphosis from financial analyst to digital retouching expert began with a simple wish to be inspired. In love with photography since the age of 16—he bought a camera with his very first paycheck—and finding no fuel

for his creative drive in the financial sector, Huynh enrolled in the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara to prepare for a career change. That was in 1998, and Huynh was one of the few students who insisted on doing everything digitally. When he graduated in 2001, he was already a digital pacesetter, and Brooks offered him a teaching position. For the next six years, Huynh taught other photographers about the digital workflow. For his own edification, Huynh continued to study not only emerging digital imaging technologies, but also Old World painting techniques and contemporary photography as well. Digital retouching became Huynh’s specialty, and he gained a reputation as a digital guru. Huynh now runs his own commercial photography studio in Salt Lake City. In addition, he presents his lecture, “Back to Basics: How to Retouch People,” to local photography organizations. The key to digital retouching, he says, is to know the fundamentals of photography, beginning with the direction of the light falling on the subject. You should recognize the way the shape and texture of the elements

Figure 4: Detail enhancement

See the light Tristan Tri Huynh says retouching’s about understanding light 78 • www.ppmag.com

in the image affect the lighting, how they reflect light onto the subject, imbue subtle gradations or deepen the shadows. “When photographers rush into portrait retouching without considering how light

‘‘

When photographers rush into portrait retouching without considering how light affects all the different elements, they end up destroying the primary qualities of the images, and the images look unnatural.

Figure 1: Original image

’’

Figure 2: Basic retouched image

1. Original image: The subject was lit by a hard light that brings out imperfections in the skin. 2. Basic retouching: In Photoshop, Huynh cleans up the imperfections in the skin using a combination of the dodge and burn tools, Healing brush and Clone stamp. This new layer becomes the foundation of the retouched image. As with building a house, he says, you need a solid foundation to build on. In this stage, he removes all the imperfections. Here, Huynh used the Healing brush to remove stray hairs from the face. This tool is the optimum choice for the subject’s fine hair. He cleaned up skin imperfections by dodging and burning with the opacity set at 5%. “It’s important to slowly build up to the desired darkness or lightness to avoid a color defect,” says Huynh. The subject’s many small pores would have taken too long to dodge and burn individually, so Huynh used the Clone stamp in Lighten mode to lighten the pores. “Get the brush large enough to work on a dozen pores at a time. Brush over the areas and lighten the shadows. Opacity has to be low, in this case about 20%. Then slowly build it up. If you have specular highlights, work in the opposite way; instead of the Lighten mode, use the Darken mode to reduce the highlights.”

Figure 3: Enhancement

3. Enhancement: In this stage, Huynh applies an overall enhancement. Here, to soften and touch up the face, he used Gaussian Blur (typically with a radius of 20 to 40 pixels, depending on the size of the image; layer opacity of 20% to 50%). He also conducted color corrections through Curves. 4. Details enhancement (previous page): Huynh darkened the lips on an adjustment layer using a layer mask to work on specific areas. He also lightened the eyes on an adjustment layer. Huynh darkened the hair to focus the viewer’s eyes on the face. Using a layer filled with 50% gray in the Soft Light blend mode, he painted the hair with black, darkening specific areas. “This technique works for lightening areas of an image as well,” says Huynh. “Instead of painting with black, paint with white. Always use low opacity. You can go in and paint wherever you feel like you need to darken or lighten. For this image, after I darkened the hair, I went back in and lightened specific portions to bring out the highlights. Then I darkened some shadows on the face to be consistent with the direction of the light source.” Finally, Huynh made a curves adjustment for a vintage look. The result is an enhanced portrait true to the subject’s face.


RETOUCHING

affects all the different elements, they end up

slather on Photoshop retouches, eradicating

destroying the primary qualities of the images,”

digital information in broad strokes, he says.

subject look good and maintaining texture

says Huynh.

The subject’s skin may look smoother, but at

and gradation in the face,” says Huynh.

the expense of some characteristic details.

“Photographers should recognize expression

sees in image retouching is going too fast and

Slow down, Huynh says, appreciate the

first, and maintain that expression by retaining

removing too much data. In the quest to make

artistry of your work, and your speed will

certain characteristics of the face such as

their subjects look perfect, photographers often

increase naturally along with your skill.

laugh lines around eyes and lips. Remove

One of the most prevalent bad habits Huynh

“There is a balance between making a

those and the face looks unrealistic. To make

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your subject look younger, just shorten and lighten those lines.” Huynh notes that beginning photographers often get wrapped up in the capabilities of the Photoshop tools and overuse them, particularly the Clone stamp and the Healing brush. Huynh prefers to begin retouching with gradual amendments applied with the dodge and burn tools, which mimic the old-fashioned darkroom process. The key is to familiarize yourself

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with the function of the tool before swiping away with it across your image, says Huynh. Successful retouching often requires the combined use of multiple tools to reach the desired effect.

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light and texture as it applies to retouching,

�

of master painters, “My best source of inspira-

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To become familiar with the interplay of Huynh suggests photographers study the works tion and learning,” he says. “You can see how they use lighter and darker shades of color to portray different properties. Experiment with those same properties; for example, photograph an orange outside in direct sunlight, then photograph it under filtered window light. Compare the two images and note the differences in the transitions from highlight to shadow, the angle of shadow and the reflectivity

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of the light bouncing off the skin of the orange. Painters would create these effects by applying lighter and darker colors. When you’re retouching an image, think like a painter and give the same attention to those properties.” � To see more from Tristan Tri Huynh, visit www.eight74.com.

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More is definitely not better. Master retoucher Michael Dos Santos of Versatile Studios explains the delicate art of realistic retouching: “We see photographers in the portrait and wedding fields going overboard.” RETOUCHING

W

By Stephanie Boozer

hen Michael Dos Santos of

Versatile Studios in New York

City sees a perfect face smiling

back at him from a glossy

magazine, he isn’t fooled by the

seemingly flawless skin and sparkling

eyes. Instead, he sees the layers and layers of adjustments, the toning and color correction applied to render realistic or not so realistic perfection. It takes a keen eye and meticulous skill to get it right, which is what Versatile Studios has a reputation for doing in the world of commercial photography. The outfit’s clientele includes high-profile clients like Macy’s, Clinique, Pearl Vision and Martha Stewart. “We see photographers in the portrait and wedding fields going overboard with retouching,” says Dos Santos. “They’re whitening the eyes and teeth too much, and making skin look overly soft. As a result, the people don’t look real. This is something done in advertising to sell a product, but I think it’s too much when used in portraits.” Dos Santos, a one-time computer programmer, started Versatile Studios five years ago when he discovered an interesting niche in professional photography. “I saw a lot of people in the advertising field still

©Michael Dos Santos

shooting film, which surprised me,” he says. The seasoned pros had already established their signature look based on their film prefFinal retouched image

Perfectly imperfect What’s done in advertising is too much when used in portraits 84 • www.ppmag.com

erences and specific processing techniques, and were running into problems in transitioning to digital. They either didn’t have the time to learn how to digitally reproduce their look, or their team couldn’t achieve a look

that the photographer was happy with. “I saw it as an opportunity to study photographers’ film styles and come up with a digital look they were happy with,” says Dos Santos. “My first clients just needed to make that simple transition to a digital workflow. We were able to do that for them seamlessly, comfortably, and they didn’t see a big change in their visual style. We became their digital lab so that they weren’t taking on a greater workload with tasks previously handled by their film lab.” Today, Versatile Studios provides a range of services, from on-set digital capture to printing and retouching. Clients such as Ralph Lauren and Banana Republic commission Versatile to handle their digital capture, ensuring consistent color and quality throughout their shoots. Photographer Jack Reznicki, Cr.Photog., API, a past president of PPA, is a Versatile Original image

client. “They approach retouching with the precision of a fine scalpel rather than a butter Final retouched image

knife.” Versatile’s on-set technicians are well versed retouchers and can head off post production problems by adjusting for them on set. “We offer peace of mind and experience, so our clients know when we show up on set, they’ll see the same faces every time and everything will run smoothly,” says Dos Santos.

7 TIPS FOR PORTRAIT AND WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS 1. Don’t over-whiten eyes and teeth. It’s partly a taste thing, but the masters know when to stop. No one has perfectly white eyes—over-whitening makes the subject look possessed. Simply remove some redness and tone down veins if necessary. 2. Don’t over-soften the skin. Skin should have some texture or it will look like plastic. 3. Do leave in birthmarks and scars unless the subject asks you to remove them. If it’s Over retouched

very noticeable, tone it down. Reduce the


©Jack Reznicki

©Michael Dos Santos

Original image

RETOUCHING ©Jack Reznicki

Original image

Over retouched

Final retouched image

contrast—contrast draws the viewer’s eye to

just a bit. I approach portrait retouching like

over-softening makes the skin look fake.

the mark. Simply lighten the shadows and

a traditional painter. I want to de-emphasize the

darken the highlights.

subject’s flaws but not remove them completely

retouching. It sharpens all the flaws. We

—that takes away the character of the subject.

don’t sharpen any part of the image until all

4. Do leave the wrinkles. People of a certain age know they have them. Don’t take

5. Do remove acne. Unlike scars, wrinkles

6. Don’t over-sharpen the image before

the retouching is done. During the image-

off 20 years by removing all the wrinkles; go

and birthmarks, the subject won’t have it

processing, we turn sharpening off, then

for taking off five years by toning them

forever. But again, it’s about using good

open the image in Photoshop, do all the

down. Reduce the contrast of the wrinkle by

techniques in Photoshop, finding a clear

retouching, and sharpen before we output

lightening shadows and darkening highlights.

area of textured skin and blending it well.

or deliver the file.

Wrinkles get longer as we age, so shorten them

People try to cover up acne by softening, but

7. Don’t do so much retouching that your subject’s friends won’t recognize them. It’s all about taste, knowing when to stop

“We see photographers in the portrait and

and knowing how far to go. Put yourself in

wedding fields going overboard with

well what their flaws are. Just make them

retouching. They’re whitening the eyes and

“perfect” model has flaws until we get our

teeth too much, and making skin look overly soft. As a result, the people don’t look real.” 86 • www.ppmag.com

the subject’s shoes. Most people know very look like they’re having a great day. Even a hands on them. �

For more information visit www.versatilestudios.com.

w w w. d i g i t a l w a k e u p c a l l . c o m

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Considering adding pet photography to your repertoire? There’s more to it than you may realize. If you feel like a camera-wielding dog whisperer, Bev Hollis, Teresa Berg and Barbara Breitsameter offer their best advice. PETS ©Bev Hollis

B

ev Hollis, Barbara Breitsameter and Teresa Berg met online

through a photographers’ forum. After becoming friends and discovering how differently they ran their successful

pet photography businesses,

they united to develop Unleashed Workshops for other pet photographers. Go to unleashed2009.wordpress.com to learn more.

BEV HOLLIS: START WITH LOVE AND RESPECT I finally quit my full-time job in 2006 and started my photography business. Though it seemed like I’d waited a lifetime to make that leap, the decision to specialize in pet photography took all of 60 seconds—the job I’d left was my veterinary practice. I work out of my farm studio in northern Virginia’s Hunt Country. I specialize in location pet photography, often at one of Washington, D.C.’s many landmarks, and I have a particular fondness for the vintage style. I modeled my new business largely on successful portrait and wedding studios. I studied what they were doing and, through much trial and error, found what worked for my pet market. If you’re thinking about adding pet photography to your specialties, ask yourself a few important questions: Do you like animals? It sounds obvious, but if your only motive is additional

Animal instincts Three pet specialists help you get your pedigree 88 • www.ppmag.com

income, I’m pretty sure you’ll be disappointed. Pet photography requires enormous energy and commitment. Success in this niche market will be difficult without a true love

Come on location with me and the KelbyTraining.com video crew to Montana, as I personally teach you

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BREATHTAKING LANDSCAPES and share with you what I’ve come to learn as a photographer. It’s the next best thing to having me right beside you, whispering in your ear when you’re out shooting.

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Moose Peterson

Wildlife Photographer, Author, and Educator A Nikon Legend Behind the Lens, Lexar Elite Photographer, recipient of the John Muir Conservation Award, Research Associate with the Endangered Species Recovery Program, published in over 130 magazines worldwide, and author of 23 books.

Adobe, and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

PETS of and respect for animals. What species do you know the most

them the maximum number of irresistible

behavior of the specific pet, I’m better able

shots from each session. Having an extra set

to direct and control the shoot. Certainly,

about? Start with what you know. Dog parks,

of hands allows me to get shots I couldn’t

best-laid plans can go awry, but knowing the

shelters, children’s riding camps, rescue groups,

wrangle on my own, and to be more creative

pet in advance and having a realistic picture

and friends with pets, all are places to find

with my compositions. Without a doubt, my

of what I can and cannot get it to do is a

subjects to shoot, observe and learn about.

assistants help to increase my sales.

huge factor in getting a successful session.

Would you consider paying a part-time

What style of pet photography are you

Who is your target market? As I began to

animal wrangler? Many pet photographers

attracted to—formal studio poses, lifestyle,

develop my client base, it became obvious

work without assistants, but I consider my

location shots, action shots? As you become

that pet photography has a specific market:

assistants to be among my greatest assets.

better equipped to read and work with

People who can and are willing to purchase

Knowledgeable assistants can be found

animals, you’ll begin to develop your own

luxury photographic services. With very few

anywhere animals are handled. Grooming

shooting style. To me, it’s one of the most

exceptions, my pet-owner clients have no

salons, doggie day care centers, veterinary

critical elements in setting your work apart

children living at home. They’re split about

clinics, and boarding kennels are all

from all the others.

50-50 between young singles or recently

excellent sources for part-time handlers. I

I bet you’ve seen people trying to get

pay my assistants $15 an hour, and most

photographs of their pets by chasing after

cases, their pets enjoy the status of family

shoots last two to three hours. For

them. Reacting to the pet rather than

members, even children.

commercial shoots, they’re paid by the job.

shaping the session gives you scant

In my opinion, they’re worth every penny.

opportunity to capture the best light or most

first, I wanted all of my clients to buy giant

creative composition. With a plan for each

canvases of their pets, because that’s how I

session based on the personality and

envisioned my work. While I have several

Because pet owners usually see a pet portrait session as a luxury, I want to give

married couples and empty nesters. In both

What will my pet clients purchase? At

clients with 30x40-inch gallery wraps on their walls, most of my clients prefer smaller

“Pet photography requires enormous energy and commitment. Success in this niche market will be difficult without a true love of and respect for animals.” —BEV HOLLIS

pet images. I’m still selling canvases and gallery mounts, but I’m more likely to sell them as wall collections featuring two 20x24s, two 11x14s and one 10x10 print. What will clients spend? Through trial and error, I find I’d rather work very hard for a few clients than try to serve everyone. Physically and creatively, I’m unable to be a high-volume shooter. I average three to four sessions per week on location. With the recent completion of the interior of my studio at my farm, this winter I hope to add another facet to my business, shorter sessions indoors. As I’ve honed in on my target market and directed my advertising solely toward those people, my average sales have escalated. I’ve hired a studio manager to do the sales sessions for me, and he’s made a huge impact. My average sale has gone from $900 to over $1,500. Whether your goal is to do pet photog-

©Bev Hollis

raphy exclusively or add it to your portrait business, I believe if you take time to understand pet behavior, develop a marketing strategy to find your target pet market, and think artfully and creatively about pet imaging, you will find yourself enjoying a rewarding income from pet photography. PET PHOTOGRAPHY WITH FLAIR • Practice, practice, practice. Switch from single servo to continuous or AI servo to see what works in different situations. • Work with light. Even if you shoot exclusively with natural light, work it. Reflectors and scrims are not off limits to pet shooters. • Don’t overlook the obvious. Always be looking for elements to support your composition. A pet subject that’s exposed and focused properly can look great in a bland setting. Place that pet in an artful setting and compose the shot just so, and it

©Teresa Berg

can lead to the a large canvas portrait sale. Move that pet! found that dog photography is a fast-growing

that they can place twice as many per year,

do. People love images of their pets doing

niche market, and according to the American

so I feel like I’ve made a difference. In

their favorite activities.

Pet Association, there are nearly 63 million

addition, a gift certificate for my services

dogs in American homes; 39 percent of

goes into every adoption packet.

• Ask the pet owner what her pet likes to

• Give pets the same consideration you give human subjects. Make them comfortable,

those homes have a photograph of the dog

As a fundraiser for Dachshund Rescue,

be patient, and honor their status in the family.

on display. That’s why I was shocked to see

we produce calendars featuring my photos

that very few photographers in my area were

of adopted dogs. The group chooses the

doing artistic, professional dog portraits.

dogs and sets up a mini session with the

• If all else fails, give them treats! Bev Hollis Photography, www.bevhollisphoto.com

Working with rescue organizations has

owner. Of course I invite each family to

been one key to my success. When I adopted

come view proofs and order prints. I design

TERESA BERG: VOLUNTEER WITH RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS

a dog through the Dallas Fort Worth

a poster with small images of all 12 calendar

Dachshund Rescue, I learned they needed to

dogs to be posted in vet clinics to promote

get good photos for their website, so I

sales. All sales are handled by the rescue

When people started asking me to photograph

volunteered. Now I photograph every dog

group on their website and onsite at com-

their dogs, I thought it would be fun, but I didn’t

that enters the program, and the hits on the

munity events. I handle the shooting and

see it as business opportunity. Now pet photog-

website have increased tenfold. People at the

production, and they handle the printing

raphy accounts for 40 percent of my portrait

organization blog about me, and they show

costs and distribution. Last year we printed

business. My pet clients spend at least as much

my work at every dog event they attend.

500 11x17-inch art calendars, which sold

as my family clients, and they tend to buy

Because each of my images is watermarked

quickly at $20 each. (Be sure you associate

the same products, which simplifies pricing.

with my info, traffic to my site has grown as

yourself with a well-run group with its

I did a bit of research when I began, and

well. The dogs are being adopted so quickly

501(c)3 documents in order. Many groups


PETS

are well-intentioned animal lovers but not

endars at pet clinics, dog boutiques and pet

The greatest photo subject? Puppies! I

business people, which can lead to problems.)

spas. It’s much easier to walk in the door and

am at my happiest when a breeder brings in

Every year I self-publish my own dog

ask for referrals when you’re handing them a

a litter of puppies. Seven weeks old is the

calendar to promote my work. I put out a

gift, and of course, my little calendars sit on

ideal age to photograph pups. Their

model call via e-mail blast and potential

their desk and show off my work all year long.

personalities are starting to emerge, they are

clients e-mail me snapshots. If the dog has the right look, we schedule a free session.

Teresa Berg Photography, www.teresaberg.com

People will do just about anything to get

so animated, romping around or playing with their littermates, and they tire easily, making it possible to get group portraits. set out to create a pet portrait business. When

me a chance to play and stretch creatively.

BARBARA BREITSAMETER: HELP ANIMALS FEEL COMFORTABLE

After the session, clients come back to view

Here in the Chicagoland area I specialize in

my only experience photographing dogs was

proofs and order prints, and they all sign a

dog and family photography with a dramatic

taking snapshots of my own. A breeder

model release. When the calendar comes out,

use of lighting, and clean contemporary style.

asked if I would be interested in photographing

every owner gets a free copy, and most order

I adore photographing dogs and their people

7-week-old Bernese Mountain puppies, and

extras to give as gifts. Copies are also sold in

and love to include pets in my family

I thought I would give it a try.

a few pet stores and through my website.

portraiture. A healthy reserve of patience and

their dog on a calendar! Because these are dogs that I choose to photograph, it gives

Though I’ve always loved dogs, I didn’t I opened a portrait photography business,

I went through a whole roll of back-

Although it’s not a huge profit center, my

a warm, welcoming personality are crucial

ground paper because these pups were not

calendar brings in lots of new clients. The pro-

for developing a natural relationship with

housebroken yet. One would make a mess,

duction cost is covered by sales from the cal-

my clients and students, too.

and it was like a chain reaction with the

©Barbara Breitsameter

other pups. Towards the end of the session, I was finally getting the hang of photographing them. I used various containers to keep them all in one spot and couldn’t have done it without the assistance of the breeder

“Reading a dog’s body language is an integral part of getting a great portrait.”

and my husband, John. My favorite image

—BARBARA BREITSAMETER

from that session was of the six pups in the red wagon—one leapt out of the wagon and the other pups were captured watching her in action. Something clicked for me during that session. As exhausting as it was, I knew then that this is something I wanted to learn more about, and ever since I’ve been focusing on how to perfect the art of dog photography. My desire to perfect my art led me to learn about and focus on the animal’s body language, which I feel is the key to success in getting those big wall portrait sales. Reading a dog’s body language is an integral part of getting a great dog portrait, so I wait for those signs: open mouth with no panting, happy expression, ears forward and alert, and relaxed wagging tail. Photographing dogs is in some ways similar to photographing toddlers. They sense fear and nervousness and respond to it. I let the dogs get familiar with the studio while I chat with their people. I never pet a

©Barbara Breitsameter

dog as soon as it walks into the studio. Give them a chance to get to know you first, to warm up to you, just like that 2-year-old.

increases sales, but it’s so much more than

With the experience I’ve gained, it’s exciting

that. Dogs are just unconditional love on four

to team up with other dog photographers

feet. There is nothing like capturing the bond

• Be patient!

and teach a workshop. I had to learn so much

between dogs and their families.

• Don’t go in with any expectations. Let

by trial and error because there wasn’t anyone out there teaching. Now we can each demonstrate the style of dog photography

TIPS FOR A SMOOTH SESSION • Arrange a pre-session consultation by phone or in person to learn more about the dog’s

think it’s a real plus for our attendees to have

temperament, activity level, health, and age.

Adding the family pet to a session always

the dog calm, alert, happy, anxious, fearful?

the session evolve. �

that we do best, and the variety is amazing! I the three of us working together.

• Learn to read a dog’s body language. Is

• Be relaxed, go with the flow. If something doesn’t work, move on to something else.

Barbara Breitsameter Photography, www.bbreitsameter.com. The next Unleashed Workshop is scheduled for April 18-20, 2010, in Dallas. Visit unleashed2009.wordpress.com for more information.


A dog’s life Erin Vey dishes on canine inspiration BY STEPHANIE BOOZER

All images ©Erin Vey

‘‘

I come home from each shoot with scratches, completely exhausted, hair on my clothes and dirt on my pants. And I love every single minute of it.

’’

rin Vey has gone to the dogs. To her, that’s a real compliment. The proud “mom” of a 5-and-a-halfyear-old Great Dane named Gracie, Vey is among the most avid pet photographers in Seattle, Wash., and her main focus is dogs. We recently caught up with Vey to find out more about her very specialized market. Professional Photographer: So, first things first. Why dogs? Erin Vey: From the very first time I picked up a camera, my goal was to photograph dogs. But life’s taught me that you sometimes need to take a few detours before you get where you’re supposed to be. For the first few years of my career, I tried my hand at anything—newborns, families, seniors and weddings. Every so often I would get a dog client and I’d see and feel something noticeably different. Those images reflected my absolute love for dogs. I took a calculated risk and re-branded and re-launched as a dog photographer. I’ve never regretted it. Shooting dogs is incredibly fun but also a lot of hard work. I come home from each shoot with scratches, completely exhausted, hair on my clothes and dirt on my pants. And I love every single minute of it. What sets you apart from other photographers in your genre? Every image I take is an extension of who I am. Each image is a direct result of my taking the time to get to know the dog, the owners, and what’s special about their relationship. My style is always changing, but right now

I’d describe it as lifestyle dog photography.

immediate [visual] perception is of stiff

can get in a small space, and showing a

I’m always looking to capture dogs in their

poses and minimal personality. Having my

variety of images is one of my main goals

own homes and highlight them against

work on hand allows me to show people

with a session. When clients hire me, I think

interesting lines, textures and colors.

what I do with images rather than words. It

they know they’re going to end up in some

certainly makes a bigger impact.

of the images. I love capturing those little

Who are your clients? How do they find you?

moments between an owner and her dog.

In general, my clients are single, successful

How do you design a session?

women who work in the corporate world,

Each session is unique. I rarely ask questions

What keeps you inspired?

which means that I do a lot of shooting in

about the dog because I prefer to show up

There’s a saying that’s stayed with me through

the evenings or on weekends. Anyone who

and get a feel for its energy on that particular

the years: You’re only as good as your last

hires me most definitely considers their dog to

day. It might be different with me than on a

image. That pushes me to keep creating,

be an integral member of the family.

typical day with the owner.

dreaming, visualizing and executing.

I get most of my work from client referrals

I do ask about the home, its style and the

or Internet searches. My favorite marketing

light there to help me visualize. For example,

Do you pose subjects?

tip of the moment is to have a portfolio with

if I know I am going to be shooting in a 500-

My focus is more on capturing the dogs as

you at all times–mine lives on my iPhone.

square-foot studio in the city, I may go a

they are. When I do want their attention, I

That’s important for me because when I tell

little early and scout out some alternative

use either treats or toys, based on what they

people I’m a dog photographer, the

locations. There are only so many shots I

love most. One of the most important pieces

“My clients are single, successful women who work in the corporate world.”

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“My style is always changing, but right now I’d describe it as lifestyle dog photography. I’m always looking to capture dogs in their own homes and highlight them against interesting lines, textures and colors.”

of advice I can give about working with dogs is to have patience, flexibility and respect. Give the dog enough time to settle down and you’ll get more relaxed, real images. And respect that the dog may not have the same vision as you. I’ve had a string of painfully shy dogs lately. Not necessarily shy of me, but of my beast of a camera. It takes a lot of extra time, love and patience to get them to be themselves. What is this beastly camera? I shoot with a Canon EOS-5D Mark II and Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L USM EF lens. If I get a shy dog or have a lot of room to play in, like a park, I use a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS L USM EF lens. It’s incredibly sharp and yields a beautiful, buttery quality. I wish I could use prime lenses more, but with the nature of what I do, I find the most success with zoom lenses. What about lighting? My mantra is light over location. The first thing I do when I enter a home is evaluate where the light is best. I ask for a grand tour. Some owners may not want me to enter a room because it’s messy, but I’m always quick to assure them that the background is secondary to the dog. Upgrading to the Canon EOS-5D Mark II has helped tremendously, since I don’t use flash. Seattle is famous for having low light, with houses surrounded by trees and with very small windows. A camera with high ISO has opened up a new world of shooting for me. I did an entire shoot at ISO 2000 with minimal noise. Has the recession affected what people spend on their pets? I’ve definitely seen a decline in inquiries, but I’m okay with it. It certainly won’t last forever, and if I can make it through a recession, I can make it through anything. See more of Erin Vey’s work at www.erinvey.com.

calendar SUPER MONDAY PHOTO WORKSHOPS October 26: From Maine to Oregon, Wisconsin down to Florida, over a hundred photographers will be teaching day-long classes dedicated to babies and seniors, posing and lighting, retouching and digital workflow, marketing and sales strategies. A full-day class plus a “bonus pack” worth more than $150, all for $99 if you register before October 5. Classes are open to all. Learn more at www.ppa.com under Education&Events.

January 10-12, 2010, Nashville www.imagingusa.org 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 dates to: Calendar of Events, Professional Photographer, 229 Peachtree St., NE, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303; FAX: 404-614-6404; [email protected].

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

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Future Events January 23-25, 2010 C: PP of Nebraska, Grand Island, Neb.; Bob Alberts, 308-284-6471; www.ppofn.org

PPA STUDIO MANAGEMENT SERVICES WORKSHOPS Maximize your profitability and build your bottom line. PPA members receive merits for attending. To learn more, visit www.ppa.com or contact us at 800-339-5451, or [email protected] November 7-8, Atlanta SMS 2-Day Business Basics Workshops Ann Monteith & Carol Andrews November 9-11, Atlanta SMS 3-Day Business Workshops Ann Monteith & Carol Andrews 102 • www.ppmag.com

NEW—IUSA EVENTS! January 7-8, 2010, Nashville (At Imaging USA) SMS 2-Day Business Basics Workshops Ann Monteith & Carol Andrews January 7-9, 2010, Nashville (At Imaging USA) SMS 3-Day Business Workshops Scott Kurkian, Julia Woods, Ed Zemba, Carol Andrews & Allison Rodgers

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PPA-APPROVED CONTINUING EDUCATION SEMINARS PPA members receive both merits and the best published prices. October-December C/E: Oregon Photo Safaris, Dwon Guvenir, 503-999-4321; www.oregonphotosafaris.com

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October 26-30 C/E: David Ziser’s Digital Master Class; Cincinnati, Ohio; 800-292-2994

June 23 - July 2, 2010 C/E: Off theBeaten Path Tuscany Workshop; Jim Chamberlain, 239-272-3321; www.chamberlainphoto.com

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November 14-15, 2010 C: PP of Ohio, Hilton Easton, Columbus, Ohio; Carol Worthington, [email protected] February 5-8, 2011 C: PP of Iowa, Airport Holiday Inn, Des Moines, Iowa; Chris Brinkopf, 563-578-1126; [email protected]; www.ppiowa.com February 23-28, 2011 C: PP of Ohio, Dayton Convention Center, Dayton, Ohio, Carol Worthington, 614-228-6703; [email protected]; www.ppofohio.org

March 4-9, 2011 C: PP of North Carolina, Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Durham, N.C.; Loretta Byrd, 888-4047762; [email protected]; www.ppofnc.com April 2-5, 2011 C: Heart of America, KCI Expo Center, Kansas City, Mo.; Stephen Harvey, 620-624-4102; [email protected]; www.hoappa.com August 13-17, 2011 C: Tennessee PPA, Franklin, Tenn.; Ernie K. Johnson, 615-509-5737; [email protected]; tnppa.com February 29-March 5, 2012 C: PP of Ohio, Dayton Convention Center, Dayton, Ohio; Carol Worthington, 614-228-6703; [email protected]; www.ppofohio.org August 11-15, 2012 C: Tennessee PPA, Franklin, Tenn.; Ernie K. Johnson, 615-509-5737; [email protected]; tnppa.com Send additions or corrections to: Calendar of Events, Professional Photographers of America, 229 Peachtree St., NE, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303; FAX: 404-614-6404.

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PPA today SEPTEMBER 2009 President’s Message P e Ron Nichols, M.Photog.Cr., API :: 2009-2010 R 9 2010 PPA President Pr

The Classical Portrait When I go though the PPA Loan Collection and Showcase books, I’m amazed at the diversity of the images. As I flip through the pages, I’m humbled…wishing that I had created most of them. With websites, forums, and photo-sharing sites (and all those books), it’s easy to see lots of photographs in many different styles. Clients have easy access to review images, and photographers can share easily with one another. It’s very different from when I started our studio and clients would schedule an appointment to meet and view albums, wall prints, and slideshows in the studio. (During that time, we could discuss the value of photography and the styles we offered.) Just last week, I was checking out the websites of some newcomers in our area. Since weddings are often the first step, I found many photos of flowers, table settings, backs of dresses, and couples walking off into the sunset. Pretty, sure…but is that really what we do? What seems to be lacking is the people. Wellposed, well-lit people. The timeless portrait. Today, it’s pretty easy to wow a potential client with a digital camera and a flash website. Setting a camera on “P” often yields acceptable results with a sharp, well-exposed image. But, as most professional photographers know, there’s more to it than that. Still, with all the options in training, many photographers now migrate to programs encouraging blast shooting and the glitz and glamour of computer effects. No question, technology brings great value to our work, but it is not a replacement for the classical training that was once the basis of our industry. Understanding the human body and beginning every pose at the feet…that philosophy and knowledge was taught by our industry

greats. I remember (many years ago) watching David Newman of Utah show a series of images featuring just a woman’s hips and legs. With each new image, he showed how subtle changes in foot position and weight shifts added to or trimmed the hips. Every time I pose a subject or teach, these concepts still come to mind. Has the classical portrait gone by the way side? I don’t believe so. But I do believe it is often overshadowed by the masses of photographers promoting the photojournalistic approach. Understanding posing and lighting is never going to hurt you as a photographer. Just about anyone can create a beautiful image of a beautiful bride, but the reality is that not all of our subjects have great bone structure or trim hips. We need to know how to handle situations like this. Classical portrait training is still out there. David Newman, Doug Box, Tim Kelly, and Joseph and Louise Simone teach throughout the world. I still study books illustrating the paintings of Rembrandt and the sculptures of Michelangelo, not to mention the works of our industry’s great portrait artists like Phillip Stewart Charis and the Simones. Going back to the beginning and learning the classics will only help you grow as a photographer, separate you from the competition, and pave the road to your longevity in the industry. Follow Ron’s travels this year… visit http://blog.ronnichols.com.

Ron Nichols, M.Photog.Cr., API :: 2009-2010 PPA President

© Joseph & Louise Simone

© Phillip Stewart Charis

© Tim Kelly

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PPAtoday | September 2009 | news from Professional Photographers of America © Matt Houska

BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS By Matt Houska How many professional photographers can say they started their career in a foreign country without being able to speak the language? Or think of the changes that have occurred in just the last few years, and extrapolate that through the last six decades. There are few professional photographers who have stayed at the top for that long. Helene Larson-Svitak is one of those photographers who can say they have been there, done that. And she has not only done it, she excels at it. People like Helene often inspire and teach us through their stories, as I have learned from working with her. In fact, the attitudes and efforts that made her successful through the years are as applicable today as they were years ago. We, as professionals, can all learn from her blueprint for success:

Board Member Spotlight Dennis Craft, M.Photog.Cr.Hon.M.Photog.,CPP, API, F-ASP :: PPA Member since 1987 :: Location: Marshall, MI “Listen to your heart with your photography, but be wise with your business,” states Dennis Craft, as he discusses how photographers can meet the challenges of a slower economy. “Don’t let anything be ‘good enough.’” In Craft’s mind, you have to be willing to change, to look at how you can do each action better. For example, his marketing and promotions

from three years ago wouldn’t work as well today. Yes, it still comes down to relationships, but “how we actually reach and connect with our clients has changed,” he adds. The more you stay connected, the more clients will remember to tell their friends about you and get involved. To increase this connection, Craft’s studio started focusing heavily on Facebook

interaction, with separate pages for their regular studio clients and their senior clients. “Facebook does work for us,” says Craft. “But it’s hard to keep up! We have everyone in the studio acting as ghostwriters whenever they get the chance.” Being willing to change will take you further than your marketing. It also translates into looking for new products to offer and new incentives to


Be adaptable. The digital wave that washed out this industry created a sink-or-swim situation. Helene didn’t just swim, she surfed the wave and jumped headfirst into extra classes to learn Adobe® Photoshop® and more digital tools. Photographers must be willing to remain flexible, to change as the profession changes. Remain rigid—unwilling to change—and you will sink. Improve constantly. If you’re not moving forward on a daily basis, what direction are you heading? It’s easy to fall into complacency and do what we have always done—pose the same, light the same, offer the same service. But that can be dangerous, as Helene mentioned in a 1972 president’s message: “Take a good look at what you are selling to your customers…is it any better than you did last week? Or the year before? If you are not doing anything different than the chap down the street, why would a prospective client come to you?” Pay attention to presentation. Helene presents herself with a style and grace that makes a great first impression. That impression is important, as it carries over into how potential clients view and perceive the value of your work. Develop your business side. To Helene, the time she served on the Heart of America board was a great help. Being surrounded by business-minded individuals helped her learn how to better run and structure a business. “I changed from being a photographer to a businesswoman who wanted to make a profit,” she explains. Keep an amateur spirit. One chilly day at work, I spied Helene outside playing with her camera, and I saw the amateur sparkle still in her eyes. It was as if you were watching someone pick up a camera for the first time. As Alfred Eisenstaedt once said, “Once the amateur’s naïve approach and humble willingness to learn fades away, the creative spirit of good photography dies with it. Every professional should remain always, in his heart, an amateur.”

Use your fears as motivation. Every photographer has fears, whether it’s failing in business, photographing large families, or losing the trust of a client. Helene was shy and scared to death of weddings, where she had to step out into the aisle to get the photo of the father walking down with his daughter. But her fear was her motivation to become better, and she took lessons to learn confidence. Persevere. Helene had setbacks and struggles in her life, both professionally and personally. However, she doesn’t seem to know the phrase “give up.” In her words, “I couldn’t think of anything else to do with my life. There is nothing better.” Have a zest for life. Helene brings an intangible energy to whatever she does. She enjoys life—all parts—and you can see the zest she brings into it. Enthusiasm like that is infectious and can bring out the best in others, whether they are clients or other photographers. Learn people first. This is Helene’s advice to anyone getting into photography. “Portrait photography is about photographing people,” she adds. “There is an interaction between photographer and subject—you must learn to get the most out of it for the photography to be the best.” Love your family. Family is the foundation, the reason to work. Successful people understand this and the importance of family and friends. And so does Helene; her love for family is evident in the way she talks about her children and her late husband Frank. Sometimes we forget to thank those we admire, those who affect our lives for the better. Helene’s contributions to the profession are obvious, but the way she has touched those around her may not seem obvious to her. Helene, thank you for the blueprint.

About Helene Larson-Svitak Helene was born in Germany a few years prior to WWII. As most know, Germany invaded the surrounding countries, but they were eventually stopped in Russia. Russia pushed back, destroying much of Germany in retaliation. Helene and her family fled, but her father was taken captive (he later escaped). Meanwhile, eight-year-old Helene, her mother, and younger sister ran; but she lost her mother in the large, frantic crowd. Considered orphaned, she went into foster care. Later, an aptitude test confirmed her creative abilities and placed her (at fifteen) as an apprentice for a photo-finishing lab in Hamburg, Germany. Shortly after, her parents tracked her down, and the family was reunited. With their U.S. visas, they soon left for Fremont, Nebraska. On July 1, 1952, Helene, a 16-year-old girl who spoke no English, stepped into Skoglund Studio looking for a job. The owner said he would give her a try. Five years later, Helene purchased the studio and began nearly six decades of professional photography, including the following: two national awards for service, two state photographer of the year awards, dozens of other awards, and the position of first female president for Professional Photographers of Nebraska. Not bad for a “try”!

bring clients in the door (Craft has had success by offering gifts with purchases). But before you can change, you have to realize what needs to change. That’s why it’s important to be willing to evaluate what you do daily. As a result of that daily evaluation, Craft’s studio altered how they do projection sales. They now go into the room with a presentation that highlights what they would like the clients to

purchase. This approach may take a little more time beforehand (preparing certain images), but it gives the presentation more emotional power. “When we go in with our own ideas, we’ve taken a lot of the initial decision work out,” Craft explains. “This suggestive selling helps the client remain emotionally attached to the images.” Craft credits his time on

the PPA board as a huge help in running his own studio (and not getting complacent). The board takes things that PPA has done for 129 years and wonders how it can be done better, more efficiently, or if a different approach is needed. Can you to look at your own studio the same way? That goes for your photography as well. Craft always tries something different

with each client. “It’s a great thing about photography,” he adds. “You can experiment all day long…and no one has to know if it didn’t work!” Both your business and your photography need to be constantly experimented with and examined. Such adjustments help you stand steady in a rocky economy.


PPAtoday | September 2009 | news from Professional Photographers of America

IT’S THE JOURNEY, NOT THE DESTINATION: PPA DEGREES By Dave Huntsman, M.Photog.Cr.

When I first joined PPA in 1986, I wanted to be one of the “cool kids.” I thought that in order to join the “cool” group, I needed to prove my competence as a professional photographer. What I found, instead, was something that vastly improved my own imagery and business. My first goal was reaching Certified Professional Photographer status (I felt it was a good place to start since I had come from another profession). To reach that goal, I started studying, entering print competitions, and attending classes. My journey had begun. It was amazing to me how many of those photographers with degrees were willing to help me. They critiqued my work, answered my questions, and made suggestions to improve my photography and my business skills. I was soon certified! Being a goal-oriented person, I searched for a new carrot to dangle in front of myself. That Master of Photography ribbon seemed like the obvious objective to push towards. It meant putting my work into the big show, the International Print Competition. Amazingly, those same photographers were there to lend a hand again. As those helpful photographers went through my stacks of 5x5 proofs and gave critiques and suggestions on what to enter, I started to better understand the elements that make up a great image. I would go

home and work on the things that I learned from the critiques…and apply those pointers to my client work, too. My client work started to look better than ever, and my hope of earning a degree was becoming a reality! (My clients also seemed to enjoy the improving qualities of my work.) A few years later, I earned the Master of Photography degree. What a bummer…another goal was done, so now what? Of course, I looked for the next step and started wondering how I could achieve a Master Craftsman ribbon. It was time to start sharing the knowledge I had gathered on my journey to the Master of Photography degree. I started presenting programs on lighting, posing, and marketing. In order to become a better instructor, I really delved into the depths of these subjects. Again, my photography improved from the knowledge gained along the way. When I started, I thought I was trying to reach a final destination with each goal. But each one took me farther on the journey of improving my imagery, meeting new friends, and sharing that knowledge. It’s that entire journey that has made me happiest. I’ll always need a carrot dangled in front of me to keep me moving forward, but I’ll always know it’s the process of getting there that keeps me growing.

PLUG INTO IMAGING USA Want to engage with fellow photographers, upcoming speakers, and other Imaging USA “groupies” before, during, and after Imaging USA? Here’s how: » Become a fan of Imaging USA on Facebook—post your favorite images from past events! » Follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/ImagingUSA).

» Use the Imaging USA hashtag (#ImagingUSA) when you tweet about the show. » Join the Imaging USA conversation on the OurPPA Forum to find a hotel roommate, the best places to visit in Nashville, and much more.

HOW MANY SMILES CAN YOU BUY?

PPA Charities challenges you to help put smiles on the faces of children around the world by raising funds for Operation Smile, the worldwide medical charity whose thousands of volunteer healthcare professionals treat children and young adults suffering with cleft lips, cleft palates, and other facial deformities. (www.operationsmile.org)

It takes only $240 to create a smile and change a life!

» Sponsor a “Day of Smiles” at your studio. » Participate in Family Portrait Month, PPA Charities’ annual promotion. » Donate a set amount from each session fee or sale.

Images courtesy of Operation Smile

For more ideas and to register as a PPA Charities/Operation Smile Studio, go to www.PPAcharities.com.

Imagine what YOU can do by creating smiles. Imagine what PPA members can do together.

Together, we CAN change the world—one smile at a time. Family Portrait Month is brought to you by:

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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.

Bane photographed each child individually outdoors, creating images that looked like they were made in an outdoor studio setting, far from any hospital. She presented each family a portrait of their child, a larger image of the entire family and a set of wallets to share with extended family, all free of charge. Several of the children Bane has photographed have passed away. Her images are among the few visual records of them. “These will be the last memories some of these families have of their children, and the images show them outside, smiling, in the sunshine, not in a hospital room surrounded by medical equipment,” says Bane. “My hope is that the families will cherish these por©Missy Bane

traits in the years to come.”

Family portrait day A FUN EVENT FOR KIDS IN LONG-TERM CARE

W

Since beginning the program in 2006, Bane has held four Family Portrait Days. In addition to donating images to the families, she allows the hospital to use her photographs in promotions and as displays at special hospital events. She plans to continue

hen portrait photog-

The children there have severe disabilities

the program as long as the hospital and the

rapher Missy Bane of

and most of them will never be able to attend

kids need her. “This project shows that you

Richmond, Va., began

a traditional school, and so will not have the

don’t need to generate a life-changing expe-

opportunity to have school portraits made.

rience for an entire community to make a

looking for ways to donate

her photographic talents,

Moreover, many of the children’s families

difference,” says Bane. “You can do so much

the Children’s Hospital of

cannot afford to have family portraits made.

with a small gesture, just a donation of a few

Richmond presented an ideal

In answer to the need, Bane produced

hours of time and a small lab expense.

opportunity. As a child, Bane had been treated

Family Portrait Day at the TCU. She set up a

There are so many worthy causes right

for scoliosis there. She remembers seeing other

mobile studio in the hospital’s beautifully

under our noses in our communities that

children during her stay who had more severe

landscaped courtyard and arranged a

can use our gifts and talents.” �

ailments. “That vision has stayed with me my

catered lunch for the patients and their fam-

entire life,” she says. “When I started thinking

ilies. “We wanted to create a sense of fellow-

about how I could give back to my communi-

ship, a place where everyone could come

ty, it felt natural to reach out to the hospital.”

together, eat and enjoy each other’s compa-

Bane connected with the chaplain at the

ny,” says Bane. “Some of these children

hospital, who recommended doing something

would never leave the hospital, so we want-

for the kids in the Transitional Care Unit (TCU).

ed to bring a pleasant experience to them.”


If you’re interested in helping the Children’s Hospital of Richmond, visit www.childrenshosprichmond.org and click on “Ways You Can Help.” To see more from Missy Bane, check out www.missybanephoto.com. Share your good works experience with us by e-mailing Cameron Bishopp at [email protected]

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