Professional Photographer 2013 04

©Larry Lourcey

APRIL 2013

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4 • www.ppmag.com

PROFESSIONAL

senior editorJOAN [email protected]

features editorLESLIE HUNT

[email protected]

editor-at-largeJEFF KENT

[email protected]

art director/production managerDEBBIE TODD

[email protected]

creative services manager/publications & SSACHERYL [email protected]

creative services coordinatorVALENCIA [email protected]

eastern region ad managerTARA TRUITT

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

central region ad managerMARINA ANDERSON

937-902-8217, [email protected]

western region ad managerAMY WALLS

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

publications sales staffdirector of sales & strategic alliances

WAYNE JONES404-522-8600, x248, [email protected]

EDITORIAL

director of publicationsJANE GABOURY

[email protected] specialistsCAPTURING TEENS IS A DISTINCT ART

When I thumb through the stack of senior photos I collected untold

years ago, one thing that strikes me is their similarity. The lighting,

the posing, the toothy smiles—all lovely kids in their apple-cheeked

youthfulness, and all images by the book. The same book. Never

mind that my small town had three professional photography

studios. Conformity was a sign of the times.

Because the images were all so similarly conceived, they fail to

capture the essence of my classmates and me. The tough girl looks

like the prom queen, looks like the Bohemian artist, looks like the

class clown, looks like the track star. There were no props, no locations.

There was no consultation that I can recall, just instructions to sit,

look this way, and smile.

How fortunate for today’s teens (and their parents) that senior

photography has been elevated to the level of real portraiture, a

discovery of the individual, a study in revealing the true self. We

have some dandy examples to share with you in this issue. Larry

Lourcey, whose work graces our cover, is a master portraitist whose

mission is to move his subjects beyond the genteel grin, even push

them a little in order to peel back the façade they display to the

world and get real. (See “Out of the Picture,” page 58.)

Another seniors specialist, Ben Shirk, recounts his entrepreneurial

journey from near burnout in a high-volume, low-income business

to a comfortable perch as one of the premier portrait photographers

in his state (“Not Just Another Job,” page 96). Along the way he

discovered that by bumping up prices he was able to slow down,

improve the quality of his work, and specialize in a nicely profitable

seniors niche: young people who are highly invested in sports and

other extracurricular activities.

What I love about these stories is that they illustrate how Lourcey

and Shirk both find business success by expressing their art in a

unique style. And in doing so, they’re giving clients memorable,

personal, and insightful portraiture.�Jane Gaboury

Director of [email protected]

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editorial officesProfessional Photographer

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Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthly for $27 per year by PPAPublica tions 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. Opinionsexpressed by Professional Photographer or any of its authors do not necessarily reflectpositions of Professional Pho tog raphers of America, Inc. Professional Photographer, officialjournal of the Professional Photog raphers of America, Inc., is the oldest exclusively professionalphotographic publication in the Western Hemisphere (founded 1907 by Charles Abel,Hon.M.Photog.), incorporating Abel’s Photo graphic Weekly, St. Louis &Canadian Photographer, The Commercial Pho tog rapher, The NationalPhotographer, Professional Photographer, and Pro fes sional PhotographerStorytellers. Circulation audited and verified by BPA Worldwide.

contributing editorsDON CHICK, ROBYN L. POLLMAN, ELLIS VENER

OUT OF THE PICTUREWhether he’s working with seniors or other portrait clients,Larry Lourcey documents their personalities by minimizing his own by Stephanie Boozer

ATTITUDE ADJUSTERHaving reconciled his misconceptions about photography, Gary Hughes calls on the profession to overcome differencesby Stephanie Boozer

SOUND FOUNDATIONAndy Ryan amasses a notable catalogby Will Pollock

PHOTOJOURNALISM: IT’S ONLY NATURAL

Erika Larsen goes where the story takes herby Eric Minton

SENIORS: NOT JUST ANOTHER JOB

Ben Shirk’s custom team sport postersbring in the senior businessby Jeff Kent

IMAGE BY: BEN SHIRK

88

76

96

58

68

Features

APRIL 2013

DepartmentsCONTACT SHEET20 Autism awareness:

A panorama of stories

22 PP ’s giveaway of the month

22 PP asks: I remember when ___.

24 Beth Forester: Indispensable you

PROFIT CENTER33 What I think: Ben Shirk

34 Ask the experts

36 A taxing time for pros by Kalen Henderson

38 Plan to market by Bridget Jackson

42 Measure your way to successby Angela Pointon

44 My studio: Indigo Photographic Inc.by Michael Barton

THE GOODS47 What I like: Beth Forester

48 Roundup: Products for teensby Robyn L. Pollman

50 Pro review: Chimera Studio System Plus Kit 5645by Stan Sholik

54 Pro review: DMLite Lumos 100 LED Lightby Stan Sholik

ON THE COVER: Larry Lourcey, M.Photog.Cr.,CPP, created the Loan Collection image "SchoolSpirit" for a senior who had earned his varsityletter but hadn't yet received the jacket onwhich it would be displayed. Lourcey used aNikon D700 camera with a Nikkor 80-200mmf/2.8 lens, shooting at f/14 for 1/250 second,ISO 200. Studio lighting was supplied byNovatron strobes; the lockers were photographedat the school. The image was composited andretouched in Photoshop, then enhanced with TopazAdjust. Corel Painter was used to add very tightbrush strokes to create an almost cartoon-like look.

8 • www.ppmag.com

14 FEEDBACK

16 FOLIO

103 PPA TODAY

110 AFFILIATE SCHOOL DATES

114 GOOD WORKSPROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER | APRIL 2013 | WWW.PPMAG.COM

Luscious food photography is just one of Andy Ryan’s specialties. His

architectural photographs are vivid and his celebrity portraits evocative. In the right place at a

dangerous time, Ryan aced photojournalism, too. (Don't miss his sweet aside on copyrights.)

IMAGE BY: ANDY RYAN

CONTENTS

76

CONNECT YOUR IMAGINATION

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Professional Photographers of America229 Peachtree St., NE, Suite 2200Atlanta, GA 30303-1608404-522-8600, 800-786-6277FAX: 404-614-6400, www.ppa.com

2013-2014 PPA boardpresident*RALPH ROMAGUERA SR.M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, [email protected]

vice president*SUSAN MICHALM.Photog.Cr., CPP, [email protected]

treasurer*MICHAEL GAN M.Photog.Cr., CPP [email protected]

chairman of the board*TIMOTHY WALDENM.Photog.Cr.,Hon.M.Photog, [email protected]

directorsDON MACGREGORM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]

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

LORI CRAFT, [email protected]

MICHAEL TIMMONSM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]

RICHARD [email protected]

STEPHEN THETFORDM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]

AUDREY L. WANCKETM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]

MIKE [email protected]

industry advisorLOU [email protected]

PPA staffDAVID TRUST, CAE Chief Executive Officer [email protected]

SCOTT KURKIAN, CAEChief Financial OfficerChief Operating [email protected]

JANE GABOURYDirector of [email protected]

KRISTEN HARTMAN Director of [email protected]

WAYNE JONESDirector of Sales & Strategic [email protected]

ANGELA KURKIAN,M.Photog.Cr. Director of [email protected]

SCOTT MORGAN Director of [email protected]

WILDA OKEN Director of [email protected]

CARLA PLOUIN Director of Marketingand [email protected]

LENORE TAFFEL Director of [email protected]

SANDRA LANGExecutive [email protected]

*Executive Committee of the Board

12 • www.ppmag.com

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EMAIL • FACEBOOK • TWITTER • THE LOOP

SEEKING FEEDBACKIf Professional Photographer is on your mind, tellus what you’re thinking. Send your questionsand comments via these channels:

feedback|

[email protected]

facebook.com/ppmagazine

twitter.com/ppmagazine

theloop.ppa.com

COVER STUNNER

Just goes to show you don’t need SFX.

Just good composition, makeup, and lighting.

Lynda Bowyer

Why drag the shutter at 1/30 if there are no

hot lights involved?

Max and Karin Hermans

Major wow.

Jeffrey R. Williams

Here’s to the power of clean and simple.

Mahmoud El-Darwish

DOGGONE

Every month I read your magazine

cover to cover. I always come away learning

something or being inspired.

I’ve been a professional dog photographer

for nearly 10 years and teach dog photography

workshops nationwide. Finally it is being rec-

ognized that clients want portraits of their

pet and it is a viable source for making a profit.

Your magazine has done a good job pro-

moting dog photography to its readers. I was

shocked at the Contact Sheet article “Puppy

Love” (February). This article is really grasp-

ing for straws trying to find a market that

does not exist.

Barbara Breitsameter

Poppyblue Photography

I just wanted to say how disappointed and angry

I am with your “Puppy Love” article regarding

dog maternity portraits. While this may seem

like a cute keepsake for the owners and a

unique business niche, it is wrong. Currently,

there are 4 million dogs and cats euthanized

every year in the United States simply because

there are no homes for them. There is absolutely

no reason that dogs should continue to be

bred while there is such an extreme over-

population, and it disgusts me that you

would promote breeding in your publication.

Melanie Beckman

POWER TOOL

I got a lot out of the Refine Edge tutorial

in the January issue. I use selection tools fre-

quently, but I didn’t realize the power behind the

refine edge tool. Thanks to this article, I’m able to

spend less time masking after selecting. Sure

appreciate the time savings with what I learned.

Definitely one of my favorite articles to date!

Gwen Meehan

LIFELONG LEARNER

I have enjoyed the magazine for 30-

plus years. Every year it gets better. Keep up

the good work.

Ira Nozik

CLARIFICATION

Some readers were confused by an hourly pric-

ing example in Bridget Jackson’s February col-

umn, “Pricing Wedding Commissions.” The

rate of $30 per hour was a point of contention

among the photographers who posted com-

ments on PPA’s social networks. We asked

her to clarify:

PPA never recommends specific rates.

The $30 hourly rate is an example. PPA Studio

Management Services (SMS) mentors encourage

each photographer to determine his or her own

rate. Be mindful that the time you invest in a

wedding commission isn’t limited to the wed-

ding day. Based on estimates from SMS men-

tors, the amount of time spent to photograph

the wedding, process the images, and pro-

duce the products is about 40 hours. In the

example I presented, you’d multiply the $30

hourly rate by 40 hours ($1,200) and add the

total amount of the client’s product purchase

($3,200) to calculate the total earnings from

that fictitious wedding ($4,400). I’ll cover

the details of how to determine your own

hourly rate in a future Making Money column.

Bridget Jackson

CORRECTION

We apologize for the

incorrect photograph

credit in the February

issue’s product

roundup, “Sweet Con-

fection” (page 52). The

correct attribution is LeZandra Photography. �


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

MOON LIGHT DANCE “Moon Light Dance” by Frank Salas, M.Photog.Cr., A-ASP, was taken minutes before the end of the weddingcouple’s reception at the St. Regis Hotel, Monarch Beach Resort, in Southern California. Wedding day timeconstraints typically test the photographer’s creativity, Salas says. “By offering to stay until the end of mostevents, I’m able to spend a few more minutes looking for new scenic spots where I can create something uniquenot only for the couple but for myself as well.” Frank Salas Photography is in Irvine, Calif. franksalas.com

CAMERA & LENS: Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lensSETTINGS & EXPOSURE: f/2.8 for 1/80 second, ISO 1600LIGHTING: Available light onlyPOST CAPTURE: Processed and retouched in Adobe CS6 and Lightroom 4; enhanced with filters in Nik software

©Frank Salas

PROFESSOR GIZMO“Being interested insteampunk [a sci-fi subgenreof art and literature], Ijumped at the opportunity tophotograph some of thecharacters at the opening ofthe ‘Steampunk: HistoryBeyond Imagination’ exhibitionat the Muzeo Museum inAnaheim, Calif.,” says CharlieLaumann, CPP, explaining“Professor Gizmo.” That’swhere he met artist Jay Davis(aka professor Phineas J.Flockmocker III), the subjectof this image. Laumann isthe proprietor of Blue MoonPhotography in Tustin, Calif.bluemoonphotography.com

CAMERA & LENS: CanonEOS 5D Mark II camera,Canon 24-105mm f/4 IS Lseries lens used at 70mmSETTINGS & EXPOSURE:f/4 for 1/250 second, ISO 160LIGHTING: Available light,no modifiersPOST CAPTURE: The rawfile was processed in AdobeLightroom 3.5 for basicexposure, contrast, and colorbalance. The background wasreplaced in Adobe PhotoshopCS 3. Nik Color Efex Pro andViveza filters were used tofurther enhance the image.

©Charlie Laumann

April 2013 • Professional Photographer • 17

ARTES Y LAS CIENCIASJaime Mezquida Caudeli’s studio, Bokehconcept, in Dénia, Spain, specializes in architectural,wedding, and portrait photography. “Artes y las Ciencias” (above) was taken at the QueenSofía Palace of the Arts opera house and cultural center at the City of Arts and Sciencescomplex in Valencia, Spain, one of Caudeli’s favorite shooting locations. “Photographershave photographed the City of Arts and Sciences extensively, but this time I tried tocapture in a different perspective, a different angle, a close-up of one part of the buildingduring a photo shoot,” he says. bokehconcept.com

CAMERA & LENS: Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens at 40mmSETTINGS & EXPOSURE: f/13 for 1/250 second, ISO 100LIGHTING: Natural light onlyPOST CAPTURE: Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended for color correction and the application ofcurves and levels zone by zone and the high pass filter in the texture of the building.

YOU KISS IT! Michelle Parsley, CPP, made “You Kiss It!” (right) before she and her daughter, the subject ofthe portrait, headed out to Princess Day at Disney World. “I made her dress for this occasion,”says Parsley. “As we all know, photographers’ children are ‘broken’ in the smiledepartment, and when I asked her to smile, she gave me the smirk that inspired the finalimage. I’m quite certain this is the face I would make if someone asked me to kiss a frog!”Parsley’s Kindle the Heart Photography is in Woodbury, Tenn. kindletheheart.com

CAMERA & LENS: Canon EOS-1D Mark III camera, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USMlens at 63mm SETTINGS & EXPOSURE: f/8 for 1/200 second, ISO 100LIGHTING: Main light, White Lightning X800 strobe, camera left, modified by a 4x6-foot Larson soft box. Fill light, another X800 strobe behind the camera, modified by a36-inch Larson flying starfish. Hair light, X800 strobe and a 10x36-inch Larson striplight. Background, one AlienBees B400 on the subject’s left, another slightly behind her,both modified by 7-inch silver reflectors.POST CAPTURE: Photoshop CS5. The frog, photographed separately in the samelighting, was enlarged by about 30 percent.

©Michelle Parsley

©Jaime Mezquida Caudeli

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

All images ©Carrie Anciaux

“These stories share thegood, the ugly, and howtheir lives are affected.They have a huge impacton others who are newlytraveling the journey ofautism or who may needsupport, resources, andencouragement.”

—CARRIE ANCIAUX

A panoramaof stories

Nonprofitphotographygroup raisesautismawareness

BY JEFF KENT

pril is National Autism Awareness

Month. According to the United

States Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention, roughly one in 88 American

children has some degree of autism. That’s a

tenfold increase over the past 40 years.

Autism is a broad term for a spectrum of

complex brain development disorders that are

exhibited in social or communication difficul-

ties, repetitive behavior, and other cognitive

abnormalities. About 40 percent of individu-

als with autism function at an average to

above average intellectual level, while those at

the severe end have difficulty functioning in

society and are unable to live independently.

Photographer Charles Cotugno, the father

of an autistic child, wanted to shed light on

the condition and launched the nonprofit

Stories of Autism. The organization pairs

professional photographers with people who

have autism and their families to create

insightful portraits and recount stories about

their lives. The portraits and stories are pre-

sented in exhibitions and have been used in

television stories and in various print media.

Stories of Autism volunteer photographers

around the world agree to provide a free por-

trait session and at least one 8x10-inch print

to each family they photograph.

One of these volunteers is PPA member

Carrie Anciaux, proprietor of Carrie Anciaux

Photography in Sun Prairie, Wis., and a one-

time language pathologist. With a passion for

working with special needs individuals, Anciaux

joined Stories of Autism in February 2012.

Last year, she photographed 11 sessions for

the organization, and this year she plans to do

20, almost all with children. To commemo-

rate National Autism Awareness Month, she


A

is highlighting each session and story on her

blog (carrieanciauxblog.com). “These stories

share the good, the ugly, and how their lives

are affected,” she says. “They have a huge

impact on others who are newly traveling

the journey of autism or who may need sup-

port, resources, and encouragement.”

Anciaux conducts photo sessions at the

families’ homes. Calling on her 17-year expe-

rience as a speech pathologist working with

special needs children, she begins by putting

the family at ease. She says she wants to cap-

ture their children as they are, to show their

unique natural beauty. That helps release

tension, especially among families who have

had difficulty conforming to standard por-

trait experiences. “It’s important not to place

demands on the autistic individual,” says

Anciaux. “I am an observer. I don’t try to

make the child look in a particular direction

or smile. I don’t force eye contact, which can

be uncomfortable for them. I accept the

environment as it is and the beauty of the

individual and the situation.

“This project has been so rewarding,”

says Anciaux. “People I’ve worked with say

that this project has changed their life. I

know it has changed mine.”

Learn more about Stories of Autism at

storiesofautism.com.



CONTACT SHEET

PP Asks …Are you Facebook-friendly?We are! Just LIKE us at facebook.com/ppmagazineand you can be part of theconversation. This month we asked you tothink back to your high school days and fin-ish this sentence: “I remember when ____.”

I was cool wearing a mullet and acid-washedjeans.

—Mike Fulton

The photographer had me holding a phone likeI was talking, and my dad asked my mom, “Whywas she on the phone during her photos?”

—Julie Carrier

I thought perms were a good idea. —Natalie Shivers

We had to put film in the camera and set theISO—400 was fast!

—David Young

It was the ’90s. I remember how developersmelled like cat pee and using test strips forseeing which exposure worked best in theenlarger. Anyone remember photo paints forspot-coloring black-and-white glossy prints?I kinda miss the attention to all the sciencein that old-school development process.

—Mandy Correnti Kar

Everyone stood by a tree with their armscrossed.

—Christina Kjar

The round-backed wicker chair for the girls. —Angela Plackowski Lawson

We had a plain gray backdrop and a reallyugly drape that went just over the edge ofour shoulders. Senior photos were awful.

—Stephanie Sutherlin

Having to hold still and pose quite a bit. Lotsof hands by the face, arms folded, head tilted.All of my friends used the same photographer,so all of our images looked exactly alike. I alsoremember the folio of eight images and tak-ing weeks to decide which images to select.

—Amy Allen

You got no clothing changes for senior pics,sat for all of the poses, and got to pick onlyone pose for the package.

—Caroline Sullivan

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Want to ensure success in the senior portrait

market? Make yourself indispensable by

going beyond everyone else in your market.

Become such an exceptional service provider

that no one could imagine going anywhere

else. When you eliminate the alternatives,

price is not an issue. Here’s how to do it in

your market.

SHOW THEM YOU’RE THE ONE.

Marketing boils down to convincing con-

sumers that you’re the best choice. Use every

available medium to demonstrate how and

why. Use a blog post to show and discuss the

difference between snapshots and portraits,

professional, customized lighting versus

one-size-fits-all available lighting, good skin

tones versus inconsistent skin tones, and

professionally retouched versus what-you-

see-is-what-you-get.

Better yet, educate clients so they can

spread the knowledge to others by strategi-

cally supplying them with key talking points.

You’d be surprised by what your clients tell

others. As I’m shooting a session, I’ll explain

a little about what I’m doing technically and

why. I’ll talk about lighting and leading

lines, lens and aperture choice, and how

each decision I make will affect the look of

the finished portrait. Clients say things like,

“Wow! I never realized it was so technical!”

SET YOURSELF APART. Everyone

seems to be shooting outdoors, so I’ve been

emphasizing in-studio sessions with profes-

sional lighting. Will an amateur shooter

match my investment in professional studio

equipment, let alone my investment in gain-

ing expertise in using it? In senior sessions, I

often use six or seven lighting setups with

one to six lights, and I explain the effects of

each variation as I go.

PUSH YOURSELF. Stay ahead of the

studio down the street, and keep striving to

best your own work. Continually search for

new ideas. People will tire of your work if

you’re not delivering something new and

better every year.

DESIGN YOUR IMAGE. I spend a lot

of time designing. Many of my clients pick

CONTACT SHEET

Indispensable you

All images ©Beth Forester


Simple steps for senior portrait success

BY BETH FORESTER

out four to eight images and say, “Have Beth

design something for me.” Clients want

something original, unique. The photography

is only part of the process. How you apply

those images in the creation of an art piece

is essential to making yourself indispensable.

DELIVER THOSE MEMORIES IN

A PROFESSIONAL FORMAT. I do not

sell digital files. There is no artistry or

customer service in doing that. While I’m

photographing the subject, I talk about

my vision for the images and how they’ll

relate to the final products. “Oh, this one

would look great printed on pearl-coated

metal. We work with the best professional

labs to produce the finest metal art pieces

you’ve ever seen.” I talk about having a

different vision for every image and how

printing it on a particular medium will

give it the most impact. We are artists,

and clients should trust our vision. Again

with the education!

This model provides not only super

service, but it opens the potential to maxi-

mize sales to each and every client. My

average senior sale is $1,950. And last year,

two seniors spent nearly $5,000 each. I

earned those sales by opening the door to

professional service and inviting them to

walk through.

Beth Forester, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, ownsBeth Forester Photography in Madison,W.V. (foresterphoto.com). She is a StudioManagement Services mentor forProfessional Photographers of America.


2-3 Day Turnaround, FREE Overnight ShippingNEW WRAPAROUND COVERS | PHOTOGRAPHIC OR PRESS PAPER | UP TO 50 PAGES/100 SIDES | THIN OR THICK PAGES | DESIGN SOFTWARE

MILLER’SSIGNATURE

ALBUM

2-3 Day Turnaround, FREE Overnight ShippingNEW WRAPAROUND COVERS | PHOTOGRAPHIC OR PRESS PAPER | UP TO 50 PAGES/100 SIDES | THIN OR THICK PAGES | DESIGN SOFTWARE

MILLER’SSIGNATUREALBUM

Enter the

InternationalPhotographicCompetitionby June 28, 2013!

Don’t Miss the Judges Workshop!If you want to become an approved juror, the

Judges Workshop will teach you how to recognize merit-quality images…and you will learn

competition from the inside out.

July 29-31, 2013, Atlanta, GA

Don’t let “good enough” be good enough. While your clients probably don’t know what

makes an award-winning photograph, you can

bet they recognize excellence when they see it.

So refine that quality in every image you

produce by competing in the industry gold

standard of photographic competitions and

grab up those invaluable critiques!

Mark your calendarEntries open: April 15, 2013

Submission deadline: June 28, 2013

.com/IPC

R E A D Y F O R A N E D U C A T I O N I N E X C E L L E N C E ?

©Dawn M. Muncy, M.Photog.Cr., CPP


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

What I thinkBeth Forester puts her house in order

What do you wish you’d known when you

were starting out? How to price myself. I

didn’t calculate my time and talent. As a stu-

dio owner, would you rather be valued as eco-

nomical or priceless? I’ll take the latter, please.

What’s the toughest business lesson you ever

learned? I spend my life in business trying

not to get burned—again. As a business

owner, you will get taken advantage of at some

point in your career. You have to have thick

skin and be tough at times. The key is to learn

from your mistakes and make the necessary

changes to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

How do you prioritize your to-do list? First

and most important, create that list. Set goals.

I have many goals: daily goals (a to-do list),

monthly goals, yearly goals, and long-term

goals. Without goals we have no direction and

no path to success.

What’s one of your goals for 2013? Same

goal every year: Keep advancing in both my

photography and business skills. My motto

is, If you’re not moving forward, you’re get-

ting left behind. Each and every year I try to

be better than the Beth Forester of last year.

IMAGE BY BETH FORESTER

FORESTERPHOTO.COM

Q. How do you tactfully tell people whocontact you that you’re taking a break fromphotography for personal reasons withoutlosing your customer base?A. Taking a break from photography can berisky when you have a client base. Take care ofyour clients by telling them as soon as you canand offering an opportunity for them to sched-ule a portrait session before your sabbatical.

Remember that your clients chose you notonly for the quality of your work but alsobecause they enjoy you as a person. Be hon-est about your reasons for stepping back andtaking a leave of absence. Let them know youwant to hear about what’s going on in theirlives. While you’re on break, consider doing aday of photography monthly or quarterly, andoutsource the image processing to lessenyour workload. With careful planning, you cancontinue to work with the clients you lovewhile taking a break from the daily routine ofdoing business. If you truly need to step away100 percent, then keep in touch with yourclients electronically by newsletter and blog.

You’ll need to be prepared to renew yournetworking and re-grow your business whenyou step back in. Use the time away to thinkabout what is and isn’t working for you. Whydid you start a photography business? Whatled to your need to take time off? What willyou do differently when you return? Some-times taking a step back and reorganizingyour schedule and workflow to include timeoff can be rejuvenating.

—Lori Nordstrom, M.Photog.Cr., CPP

Q. I’ve been trying to put together a selec-tion of products for my clients, but I getoverwhelmed by all the choices. How do Ichoose? Once I have selected the products,should I list them in a book or brochure?A. When I’m looking for new products to offerat my studio, I assess the items by three criteria:

1. Marketability. A marketable productattracts both new and existing customers. Thebest products are those that customers cancarry with them at all times, thereby show-casing your work whenever they walk out thedoor. Think mobile phone photo covers, photojewelry and accessories, totes, mini albums.

2. Salability. Does the product fit with ourbrand and portrait lines, and is it something mytarget customer would buy? You cannot offerhigh-end customers a cheap or flimsy product.

3. Profitability. The problem with so manytrendy products is that they’re not as prof-itable as photographic prints. We have waysof combating that in our pricing, like offeringspecial prices on these types of items whenthe purchase of wall portraits and gift printsreaches a certain amount. We offer specialsales throughout the year on less profitableproduct lines, such as photo jewelry. Duringthe sale, we might mention that in April we’lloffer a 15 percent discount on photo jewelry, andthat if the customer is interested in a particu-lar item, he might want to take advantage ofthe sale. That separates the purchase of lessprofitable items from the original sale, thusincreasing the overall sales from that session.

Once you’ve decided what to sell, it’s impor-

tant to showcase the products in an organizedand effective manner. Have samples of eachproduct on display in the studio. Customerslike to see beautiful examples of productsbefore they decide to buy them. It’s sellingwithout speaking.

As for a brochure or menu, yes, it’s impor-tant to list your products and their prices. Youcan kill a sale by having to go look up a price.Our profitable items are listed in our regularpricing menu, while less profitable ones go onpromo pieces only. An example is our photohandbags. I don’t want the sale of a purse,which could be as much as $350, to influenceor interfere with the portrait sale. If the cus-tomer expresses interest in a handbag, wepull out the 5x7-inch promo piece with prices.I want the sale of items that garner only 25percent profit to come at the close of themain sale or as a separate purchase entirely.

—Beth Forester, M.Photog.Cr., CPP

Q. My partner and I have been in business fora little under two years shooting mostlyfamily portraits. We did two high school sen-ior sessions last fall and really enjoyed them.We’d love to book more but need guidance.Are lead lists a good way to market to thissegment? Are there any other good mar-keting ideas to attract high school seniors?A. High school senior portraits can be a greatproduct line. This niche can be extremely profit -able and lead to family portrait sessions as well.

Direct mail is one way to attract businessto your studio. However, you may find a mailerto be costly. In addition, such pieces aresometimes lost in the sea of postcards that aremailed out during senior portrait season.

Reach out to your existing family portraitclients. Tell them about your new senior portraitproduct line and ask for referrals to rising sen-iors. Ask your clients to send possible seniormodels your way. This is a low-cost, high-impact way to attract seniors in the beginning.You may want to offer the models a complimen-tary session or some other type of incentive. Andyou can also encourage their engagement bygiving them senior rep cards to refer their friends.Getting them in early is one key to success.

Mary Fisk-Taylor, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, ABI, API

Have a question for our experts? Email it toJane Gaboury, [email protected].

Ask the expertsTaking a time out, knowing what to sell, adding senior sessions

STUDIO MANAGEMENT SERVICESPROFIT CENTER

Remember that your clients chose you not only

for the quality of your work but also because they

enjoy you as a person. Be honest about your reasons

for stepping back and taking a leave of absence.

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


Free Sign-Up: www.collages.net/PPAsignup

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PROFIT CENTER: STARTING OVER

BY KALEN HENDERSON, M.PHOTOG.MEI.CR., CPP, API

With all the discussion among photogra-

phers about professional versus part timer,

it’s nice to see we hardly have an exclusive

on this problem.

As Americans scramble to fill out their

tax returns, the accounting industry is airing

its dirty laundry for everyone to see. A few

months back, TurboTax, a product and a serv-

ice of Intuit Inc., launched TV ads showing

people in various occupations who were also

working as part-time tax professionals. In

one, a man looking quizzically at his plumber

asks, “Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?”

“Of course,” says the plumber. “I prepared

your tax return last week.” The commercial’s

tagline says that, unlike those other guys—

read H&R Block—all TurboTax preparers

are true professionals.

You might remember my writing about

my neighbor Glenn. A certified public

accountant, Glenn is another type of player

in this fierce competition. He has a college

degree in accounting and is the owner of a

small accounting business that relies on con-

sumers within a 50-mile radius of his rented

office space. He has one or two employees

and works 50 to 60 hours a week to provide

for his family. He is a member in good

standing in state and national professional

accounting organizations.

Mind you, Glenn’s services aren’t cheap.

But he is thorough, accurate, and professional,

and his knowledge in his field is certified.

Moreover, his customer service includes such

enhancements as taking as much time as

necessary to ensure his clients understand

everything. I hire Glenn to prepare my taxes

each year. Instead, I could use the services of

TurboTax or H&R Block and save quite a

bit of money—in the short term. But I worry

what would happen if the IRS came knocking

at my door for an audit in two or three years.

Would I get assistance from TurboTax? If not,

I would lose time and business while I tracked

down every receipt and document requested

by the IRS. And would I even be able to

answer all of the questions asked of me?

I see so many parallels here to the photo-

graphic profession. We need to launch our own

educational campaign about true professional

photographers versus weekend warriors. If

you do not quite know how to get the message

across and are a member of Professional

Photographers of America, help awaits on

ppa.com. Log in, click Membership & Benefits,

then select See the Difference. You’ll find links

to educational videos customized for the

clientele of wedding, senior portrait, and family

photographers. Add the links to your web-

site for prospective clients to see, or use the

information to create your own campaign.

We may be hesitant to expose certain

harsh truths to the public. However, if con-

sumers cut corners now, those cherished

photographs may not be available at a time

when they’d be truly valuable. An invest-

ment not made cannot pay interest or be

available for payout later on. Frankly, an

appropriate but all too harsh tagline for our

campaign might as well be, “You’ll be sorry.”

If I have to face the IRS, it won’t be with-

out my CPA and neighbor at my side. His

service is worth every cent I pay him. And if

Glenn should experience a loss in his family

—death, fire, theft—you can bet his invest-

ment in my skills as a professional photogra-

pher will pay off. I can replace his images

because I do this for a living. The time has

come for us to put it out there to the general

public, or someday we’ll be sorry. �

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

A taxing time for prosWho’s sorry now?


©Veer

Free Sign-Up: www.collages.net/PPAsignup

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Photo Credit: ABM Wedding Photography. ©2013 Collages.net Inc. All rights reserved.

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To build a successful marketing plan and

corresponding calendar, you must first know

your numbers. How many sessions do you

need to do at a given sales average to reach

your financial goal? If you haven’t yet deter-

mined that data, stop, drop, and calculate.

You can find assistance in my earlier columns

or by contacting PPA’s Studio Management

Services department ([email protected]).

Once you have the data, begin preparing

a SWOT analysis of your studio by writing

down strengths (S) and weaknesses (W).

Prioritize each item and weed out those that

are less important. Focus on the strengths

that differentiate your studio. Address

weaknesses with a plan to turn them around.

Next, look outward to determine oppor-

tunities (O) and threats (T) to your studio.

Many of these items may be beyond your

control but predictable. Opportunities can

include new targets and products. Don’t

overlook trends that could potentially

enhance your business. Threats include

competition and technology. We all have

competition; the key is turning perceived

threats into opportunities. Technology is

constantly changing, and your ability to

stay abreast of it is crucial. A studio owner

recently told me technology just isn’t her

thing. About 800 million Facebook users,

500 million Twitter users, and 100 million

Instagram users are uploading 40 million

photos every day and “liking” at a rate of

8,500 per second, so she’d better make it

her thing quickly.

Identifying new targets begins with

assessing clients and potential co-vendors.

Gain an understanding of your ideal client

in terms of the retail establishments they

connect with, from home decorating to

clothing for their children to family dining.

Identify the hospitality brand they connect

with (such as the Ritz or W Hotel). Such

insights will not only help define your

brand but also dictate the level of customer

service you should strive to provide.

Ideal co-vendors are those with clientele

similar to what you’re seeking. Combining

efforts with them can increase your mar-

keting target area while reducing the costs

to reach them. Brainstorm ways you can

work together. Business owners love to talk

about their businesses, so listen and gain

insights about how you might co-market.

Ask them how they have maintained their

business in light of financial challenges,

best practices they’ve used to stay in front

of the competition, how they market, the

kind of charitable work they’re engaged in.

Next, understand how your studio’s

strengths and weakness intersect with your

opportunities and threats. Basically, estab-

lish your marketing strategy, aligning who

you are, your identity, with your target

client. Try using a chart (Figure 1).

Then go back to the numbers and assess

your marketing efforts. You should have a

chart that depicts how many sessions you want

Plan to marketThe basis of a good strategy is knowing your numbers

PROFIT CENTER: MAKING MONEY

BY BRIDGET JACKSON

PRODUCT LINE TARGET CLIENT SOCIAL MEDIA CO-VENDOR CHARITABLE PROMO

CHILDREN Two-income family Blog, electronic Children’s boutique, Private school Annual discountedwith at least one child newsletter, pediatrician, interior auction, local sessions for

Facebook decorator children’s current clientshospital gala benefiting a charity

consistent withour brand

SENIORS High school juniors/ Facebook, Teen boutique, High school Model programseniors and parents Twitter, locally owned auction, charitylooking for artwork Instagram, Keek coffee shop, with senior/junior

dance school involvement


Figure 1. Example of a basic marketing strategy

to do per month. Design your marketing to

be launched three months prior to when

you want those sessions and follow the first

promo with one or two quick hits to that

same audience. Figure 2 illustrates this.

To generate 15 portrait sessions in Feb-

ruary, mail a promo in November of the

preceding year followed by an email

newsletter and maybe a Facebook post in

late December. Apply the same process to

all product lines and corresponding

monthly session projections.

Finally, track how you did against your

projections. Tracking includes not only

how many sessions you did compared

to what you projected but also how well

your marketing strategy per product line

performed. The more data you gather

over time, the better your future market-

ing results can be. �

Bridget Jackson is PPA’s Studio Management Services Manager. She is a certified public accountant. Reach her at [email protected].

PRODUCT LINE JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC.

CHILDREN 15 10 10 10 20 20

SENIORS 15 15 15 15

Figure 2. Session projection by month

CLARIFICATIONSee Feedback (p. 14) for a clarification of Bridget Jackson's February column, "PricingWedding Commissions."


Sarah & MpixPro Products:Keeping Seniors Smiling

As one of the country’s leading senior photographers, Sarah looks for products that are not only high-qualitybut that are innovative and stylish. She says, “MpixPro makes it easy to offer such products

to clients and we appreciate the timely delivery as well!”

PROFIT CENTER: MASTERING MARKETING

BY ANGELA POINTON

When I consult with photographers on mar-

keting, one of the first questions I ask is,

“What is your financial bliss?”

Can the words “financial” and “bliss” be

used in the same sentence, and what do they

have to do with marketing? Financial bliss

is part of your vision, which goes into your

mar keting strategy. For most of us, money

is a critical part of our vision. Give yourself

permission to dream about having the best

life you can imagine. Maybe your dream

doesn’t include being supremely wealthy,

but you certainly want enough to live com-

fortably (which includes income for investing,

having fun, and some occasional spontaneity).

Making and executing a marketing plan

correctly will propel you toward financial

bliss. First, though, let’s talk about market-

ing done wrong. If you can’t judge how well

a marketing campaign is doing, you’re not

marketing successfully. That’s one of the

most costly mistakes you can make in busi-

ness, almost as costly as inappropriately

pricing your services.

You cannot measure marketing based on

gut feelings. You need a system for ensuring

your investment is working. When you plan

your marketing right, you:

• Have defined your target market thor-

oughly and are aware of the free marketing

opportunities you have to attract those cus-

tomers. Free opportunities include cultivat-

ing vendor partners who allow you to leverage

their exposure in exchange for yours.

• Know how much and where you’re

going to invest in marketing in the next 12

months. Once you budget and spend that

sum, you’re finished spending. If promising

new marketing avenues appear, you can note

them on your list for next year. Of course,

free marketing is always welcome.

• Know how to measure and shift market-

ing dollars as you go. For me, marketing has

always been a game. Call me a nerd, but I enjoy

watching my marketing dollars daily to see

what they’ve delivered. I believe that people

only say, “I just need to get my name out there”

when they don’t know what else to do. You

do not need to get your name out there. You

do need marketing dollars to advance you

toward your financial bliss every single day.

The secret to making your marketing

dollars work hard is measurement. Start by

making a list of every marketing effort you

plan to do in your business and the cost of

each. Ask every new inquirer how he or she

heard about you. Was it a referral, an ad you

placed, a Web search? Note it next to each

marketing effort on your list. Do the same

with each inquirer who becomes a client.

Every month, do the math to determine

your cost per inquiry and per client. It’s

this simple.

Compare your per-client costs, and elimi-

nate the marketing methods that are most

expensive. In this example, the photographer

should consider doing less direct mail and

find additional local blogs that could be suc-

cessful to advertise on. Don’t assume other

blogs will be as successful as the first, and

don’t assume that all direct mailings will be

costly. Perhaps the mailing list wasn’t as tar-

geted as it should have been, or maybe the

printing of the mailer cost too much. Examine

the effectiveness of your marketing messages,

too. Repeat this evaluation continually.

Numbers tend to scare photographers.

But now you know there’s nothing to be

afraid of if you make a plan, budget your

costs, and measure the effectiveness of each

effort. You can figure out how to make your

marketing dollars work so that you aren’t

spending money on things that aren’t mov-

ing you toward financial bliss.

When you’re winning the game, you’ve

got your cost per inquiry and cost per client

at a level where they’re delivering clients for

the lowest possible expense. That’s some-

thing to be proud of because for as long as

you continue measuring your marketing

dollars, you’ll create sustainable, propelling

motion toward your goals. �

Angela Pointon offers advice to photogra-phers through Steel Toe Images. She hosts ablog at steeltoeimages.com and tweets@steeltoeimages.

Measure your way to successFind financial bliss by knowing your numbers


PROMOTION Wedding blog ad: $250 Direct mail piece: $1,500

RESULT 5 inquires; 1 client 10 inquires; 2 clients

COST TO DATE $50/inquiry; $250/client $150/inquiry; $750/client

Example of measuring your marketing efforts


Indigo Photographic Inc.Batavia, Ill.

PROFIT CENTER: MY STUDIO

BY MICHAEL BARTON, M.PHOTOG.MEI.CR., CPP, F-ASP

Indigo Photographic was founded in 2006with the belief that photographic portraits aremore than paper. They are studies of charac-ter and preserve memories of the emotionsbehind them for generations to come. Ourgallery is designed to be a place where clientscan relax and we can plan their session.

The front half of the studio is a gallerydisplaying prints the way we would like clientsto hang them. The 9.5-foot stretched canvas inthe center of the wall was completed in-house.It wows clients and also gives the other printsa sense of scale. The benches invite clients tolinger comfortably as they view the imageswhile we are occupied with other clients.

We’ve begun to produce handmade framesin the studio, and we display a variety of sur-faces and printing techniques. Small printsserve as references for sizing. These sizes areoften purchased as accents and add-ons to col-lections, and the display helps clients envi-sion their own arrangement. The century-oldtin ceiling in our historic building is illuminatedat night and gives the studio a warm aesthetic.

The simply outfitted viewing area featuresa high-definition screen and a Mac Mini. Thissection is part of the gallery and allows clientsto see their own images featured in the collec-tion. Handmade and press-printed books onthe coffee table become interactive displays.

The aesthetic of Indigo is simplicity,even in the camera room. There are no propsand only two backdrops. This gray wall, 26feet wide, appears in the vast majority of ourwork. I need to be able to change lightingquickly and with little thought so I can focuson my clients instead of my gear. A clutteredstudio makes me an unhappy photographer.

The dressing room stocks a range of hairproducts and creature comforts. Hollywood-style lighting adds a certain ambience andgives clients an accurate view of how they’lllook under the studio lighting as they dotheir hair and makeup.

We transformed the back hallway into asitting area complete with a non-alcoholicmini-bar and tea service. Keeping this areasimple makes a clear statement and givescomfort to our clients.

1

1

2

3

4

2

5

6

All im

ages ©M

ichael Barton


6

3 4

5

© Steven Smith

As an equine photographer, I need every advantage to stay above the competition. That’s when I discovered the real value of my

certification. My clients will never know how many hours I spent studying for the exam or how many times I changed my images before submitting my portfolio, but they certainly know that the images they receive from

me are of a consistently high quality. And I’ve been teaching them to raise their standards to expect nothing less from a certified professional.”

Heather Smith, Cr.Photog., CPPSporthorse Images / San Diego, CA

Think you’re done learning? That’s crazy talk! Polishing your technical knowledge and artistic skills keeps your art fresh and the quality fresher, which is just what the

what you’re doing and are consistently good. You’re a true professional with a credential they understand!Take the first step toward certification today:CertifiedPhotographer.com [email protected] 888.772.2780

GET CERTIFIABLY GOOD.


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

What I likeWhen Gary Hughes takes to the road

What’s the best equipment investment you’ve ever

made? My Pelican Case 1510 carry-on. I dropped my

gear down some stairs once and the Pelican saved

the day.

What hot new product are you going out of your way

to use? The Ice Light from Westcott. This portable

handheld daylight source is one of the best lighting

tools on the market for wedding photographers.

Little thing, big difference … When shooting on loca-

tion with an off-camera light source, having a reflec-

tor underneath can save you a lot of time in

postproduction.

When you need to move fast, what’s your most valu-

able piece of gear? Speedlights. These little guys are

so versatile. We use them on weddings, portraits,

commercial work, just about everything. Great if you

travel a lot; they fit in any bag.

On location, what item do you find indispensable?

An assistant! It’s hard to be my best if I’m trying to

keep track of things while shooting. An extra set of

hands frees me up to do my job.

It may be old school, but it gets the job done … A gray

card. I hate postprocessing. Custom white balance on

location saves me time and even looks fancy to clients.

IMAGE BY GARY HUGHES

HUGHESFIORETTI.COM

THE GOODS


VINTAGE ACCORDION ACTIONShowcase a number of senior images in a vintage-inspired 4x8-inch accordion book you create with

the Scarlet’s Notebook template. With thebook’s subtle elements and neutral backgrounds

your images take center stage. The templates arelayered, customizable Photoshop files compatible

with Miller’s Lab and MpixPro accordion books.EW Couture Collection; $20; ewcouture.com

ROUNDUP BY ROBYN L. POLLMAN

School yourselfEngage your teen clients

Image by K

irk Voclain P

hotography

PIN-TASTICPeople love the online network Pinterest. Take advantage of Pinterest’ssimple, effective, free marketing opportunities by positioning yourimages for easy pin-ability. Pin Me! blog boards are equipped withlayouts and branding banners that ensure your pinned work has acredit with your name and website. Use the boards on your blog oryour own Pinterest boards. Design Aglow; $50; designaglow.com

BEJEWELEDThe pewter Hannah Jewelry Collection shows off your workin necklaces and lockets with interchangeable magnetic images,etched pendants and charms, birthstone beads, and multiplenecklace designs. This unique convertible necklace can be wornas a 36-inch single strand or an 18-inch double strand. Eachpiece is handcrafted. HH Color Lab; from $53; hhcolorlab.com


MEMORY KEEPERThe Nostalgia Collection Kit keepsake box lets you

work together with your client to tell a story. There arevials for mementos such as confetti from a celebrationor flowers from the prom. Included in the handcrafted

wooden box is a designer wrap to hold 4x6-inch imagesand Loktah paper letters and envelopes for cherished notes.

H.H. Boogie; from $199; hhboogie.com

©Jeremy Kester

SUBLIME METALImages on these WHCC metal prints are imprinted by a dye sublimationprocess to ensure longevity. Mounting options include an easy-to-hang gator-board block for the floating-from-the-wall effect and sleek, contemporary metalposts. Add 1/4- or 1/2-inch acrylic to create an even more striking display.WHCC; from $12 for 4x6 inches (available up to 30x40 inches); whcc.com

POSED TO APPEALMichelle Moore’s “Posing & Moore Guide” covers many aspects of

working with teens, including how to help them relax for the camera and howto stage natural looking poses. The 60-plus-page guide will help photog-raphers with any level of experience get those shots that seniors love and

parents want to buy. Michelle Moore; $149; michellemoore.com

Q.: When is a photo session like camping?

A.: When you use a Chimera Studio System

kit. That’s what it felt like the first time I

set it up. To assemble the kit, you put

together frame sections and cover them

with the appropriate fabric. The kit’s alu-

minum frame sections are linked with an

elastic cord running through them like a

tent frame’s and assemble just as quickly.

Chimera makes two Studio System kits.

I’m reviewing the Plus kit, which, save for

light stands, includes all the grip equipment

you need to do portrait or still life photogra-

phy in studio or on location. And it all

breaks down for storage in a heavy-duty duf-

fle bag that’s included in the kit.

As with all of the Chimera lighting acces-

sories I’ve used, this kit is so well designed

and built that it should give years of service.

Alignment pins and cutouts ensure the

frame sections snap securely together. The

fabric covers are mounted to the frames

with sturdy elastic straps at the corners.

The completed frames fasten together with

clips, and the individual panels become a

freestanding V-wall.

Setup is fast. Each frame takes about a

minute to assemble and cover. Constructing

a headshot studio takes about 10 minutes,

including the lighting. Changing panels for

new setups is equally fast but best done by

two people if the panels are joined together.

For portraiture, the lighting possibilities are

endless. The Plus kit includes four 42x82-inch

frames and six fabric covers—four white panels

with black on the reverse side, one silver panel

with black on the reverse, and one shoot-

through diffusion panel—a 42x42-inch frame

with a white/black fabric panel cover, and a

silver-gold zebra/soft white fabric cover.

Because rearranging the panels can be

done so quickly, my assistant and I fit in more

than a half-dozen different lighting setups

with our model in less than an hour, including

the time it took the model to shave and change

outfits. We began with a dramatic headshot

THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW

Smart, robust design makes this studio kit a winner.

BY STAN SHOLIK

The fast and the functionalCHIMERA STUDIO SYSTEM PLUS KIT 5645

The diffusion panel lit from the side provides arange of options in combination with other panels. Here I used a black panel as a back-ground and blocked spill light with anotherpanel. The flash through the diffusion panel creates a dramatic portrait.


Backlighting the diffusion panel behind the subjectadds a soft glow. With a beauty light on a boomdirectly above and in front of the subject, a blackpanel on camera right adds some dimension tothe left side of his face.

All im

ages ©S

tan Sholik

www.tamron-usa.com

Picture Perfect. Telephoto That Delivers.

SP 70-200mmF/2.8 Di VC USDEffortless Performance,Outstanding Resolution, A Class Apart.

high performance to cater to the needs of experienced amateurs or professionals who demand the best standards. Whether you’re preserving a special moment, capturing the right image to communicate a feeling, or shooting to make a cover photo,

unison. Tamron’s proprietary USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) combined with VC (Vibration Compensation) captures action in high-speed without distracting from the moment—and without camera-shake. This compact, full-size telephoto zoom lens offers serious photographers the power to capture the moment from afar while preserving it in high fidelity.

Model A009Di (Digitally Integrated) lens designed for digital APS-C and full-size SLR cameras, with flower-shaped lens hood. Compatible mounts: Canon, Nikon, Sony** The Sony mount does not include VC, as Sony digital SLR bodies include image stabilization functionality. The Sony lens is designated as “SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di USD”.

Focal length: 200mm Exposure: F/10 1/60 sec ISO1000© S

tew

art

Pow

ers

against the black side of a large panel, lit by

a single AlienBees flash unit shining through

the diffusion panel. Another large panel blocked

light from reaching the camera, and all three

were clipped together. The first attempt spilled

too much light on the black panel behind

the model and showed the crease marks in

the fabric. We solved the problem by angling

the black panel away from the light.

Then we moved in the small frame that

we’d mounted on a light stand with a grip

head from the kit and used both the silver-gold

zebra side and the soft white side as reflectors.

That provided different, less contrasty looks.

Satisfied with the photos, we unclipped the

black fabric panel behind the model and turned

it around to the white side. Unfortunately, no

matter how we angled it, we couldn’t elimi-

nate the apparently permanent crease marks

in the fabric. We could have moved the

panel further back to throw the marks out of

focus; instead, we moved the diffusion panel

behind the model with the AlienBees unit

shining through and lit the model with a beauty

dish. We did two setups with the diffusion

panel behind for a background glow, one with

large white panels on the sides and one with

one white and one black panel on the sides.

Removing the diffusion panel to shoot

full-length poses against the cove, we built

reflectors by connecting two panels on either

side of the model and shot with the white,

black, and silver sides in various combinations

to slightly alter the look without changing

the lighting. By angling the panels in differ-

ent ways, the possibilities seemed endless.

Days later I had an idea for shooting one

of my orchids to illustrate a technique for

the macro photography book I’m working

on. Usually, I’d shoot through a 4x8-foot

sheet of Plexiglas for backlighting, but

rather than struggle with that for such a

small subject, I decided to use the Chimera

frame with the diffusion panel. I clamped it


PROSQuick setup and takedown

VersatilePacks well for location

Lightweight

CONSDifficult to use for backdrops due

to visible fold lines

The smaller panel clamps to a light stand withthe grip head included in the kit for use as areflector. The silver/gold zebra side of the smallframe adds a warm, contrasty fill.

Connecting panels and using them as reflectors,we shot full-length portraits against the cove.Using a large black panel to camera right added abit of dimension to the otherwise flat lightingfrom the beauty light.


to a light stand with a grip head, set up my

lighting, and was quickly done.

For other still life photos, you could mount

the diffusion panel on two light stands with

the two grip heads and suspend it over the

set with a boom light above. That would

create some falloff—the amount of which

would depend on the distance between the

light and the diffusion—and achieve a

much more interesting lighting effect than

you’d get with an overhead soft box or

umbrella. I just wish there were a 42x108-

inch frame and diffusion fabric to suspend

over my 4x8-foot table. For now I need a

smaller table and narrower seamless.

I am impressed by the quality of the kit

and the versatility it provides, particularly

valuable when you have limited time with a

portrait subject and want to do several looks

quickly. I also liked that it was versatile enough

to use for an occasional still life photo.

The street price of the Chimera Studio

System Plus Kit 5645 is about $1,380.

The Basic Kit 5640 sells for about $765.

More information is available at

chimeralighting.com. �

Stan Sholik is a commercial/advertisingphotographer in Santa Ana, Calif.

KIT INCLUDES4 42x82-inch frames1 42x42-inch frame6 sets panel frame clips (sets of 3)4 42x82-inch white/black panel fabrics1 42x82-inch shoot through Chimera

cloth panel fabric1 42x82-inch reflective silver/black

panel fabric1 42x42-inch white/black panel fabric 1 42x42-inch reflective silver gold

zebra/soft white panel fabric2 grip heads1 duffle bag

Cleverly designedsnap-on frame clips(left) join the pan-els where there arealignment pins andcutouts on opposingsides of each frame.The entire kit packsinto the single duf-fle bag (below) thatis included in the kit.

Strengthen your business, boost those numbers and bring more cash home when you turn to PPA’s Studio Management Services (SMS). These industry leading business workshops will help you make sense of your numbers, make more money…and take back your life.

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photography business & life!Business Basics – Get up to speed on building a successful studio.

Business Breakthroughs –

BUT ARE YOU LOVING WHAT YOU EARN?

With many LED light panels, it isn’t the

quantity of light that’s lacking, it’s the qual-

ity of both the light and the device itself that

are inadequate. Two LED panels introduced

last year by South Korean-based DMLite

address the issue. These panels are the 88-

LED Lumos 100, reviewed here, and the

288-LED Lumos 300MK. The number of

individual LEDs in a light panel is what

determines the amount of light it produces.

LED is the preferred lighting of videogra-

phers, who often use lower light levels than

still photographers and record at f/4 to f/5.6

at high ISO. LEDs offer low power con-

sumption and high light output with low

heat output. They can be arrayed to shine

directly outward or mounted along the bor-

der of the lighting device to bounce light

against a panel to produce output. The

Lumos 100 and Lumos 300MK feature high

color rending index (CRI) LEDs that shine

directly out of the lights behind a diffuser.

Film photographers know they need a light

source with a CRI greater than 90 and a color

temperature of about 5,500 Kelvin (K) to

produce accurate color with daylight-balanced

film. Without the proper CRI, color renders

decidedly green or magenta. Because you can

white balance with digital capture, the CRI

is less of an issue except when you need to

balance different light sources. The high-

CRI Lumos LED panels allow you to balance

the light with daylight, HMI, full-spectrum

fluorescents, 3,200K tungsten lights, and

for still photographers even electronic flash.

The Lumos 100 is available in both day-

light and tungsten models. Manufacturer

specs for the daylight-balanced unit claim a

color temperature of 5,600K with a CRI of

90 and maximum light output at 4 feet of


Compact size and color-correcthigh output are ideal for hiddenlighting or on-camera fill light.

BY STAN SHOLIK

Panel with purposeDMLITE LUMOS 100

LED LIGHT

All im

ages ©S

tan Sholik

I used electronic flash for the top light onthe ring and the Lumos 100 to add fill fromthe front and sparkle to the pave diamonds.(Jewelry courtesy Frederick Schuster)

280 lux. (By way of comparison, 280 lux is

about three-quarters of the light level at a

desk in an average office.) Color temperature

of the tungsten model is 3,200K with a CRI

of 97 and maximum light output of 250 lux

at 4 feet. Both models include a dimmer to

vary light output and a separate rechargeable

lithium-ion battery and charger as well as a

transformer to provide power if AC is avail-

able, and the necessary connecting cables.

The Lumos 100 LED’s 15x9-centimeter

light panel surface is close to the 16:9 ratio

for HD video. Using a Sekonic L-478DR

meter, I measured the output to be 250 lux

at 4 feet, slightly less than the specified 280

lux. The color temperature measured only

4,750K at full power, not 5,600K. Though I

could use 82C and 6M filters to cor rect the

light perfectly to 5,500K, I used the Lumos

as a fill light without filters when shoot ing with

electronic flash, and it worked fine, with no

green or magenta cast on the product. At

minimum power, the color temperature

dropped only 150K to 4,600K. There should

be no problem using the Lumos 100 in any

near-daylight lighting situation.

The small overall size, high output, and

battery power make the Lumos 100 ideal as a

main light for video in areas that are other-

wise difficult to light. These would include auto

interiors, particularly rear seat areas, where

it is difficult to hide the lighting. It would be

even easier if the battery were contained within

the light or attached to the back rather than

connected by a wire. The battery is about the

same size as the light itself and can power it

for two hours at maximum output.

Mounting the light is facilitated by the

presence of 1/4-20 threaded mounts on each

side, but you will need an adapter to attach

it to a camera’s hot shoe, but there’s still that

battery cable to deal with. Of course, mounting

the light in your camera’s hot shoe produces

the same flat lighting as on-camera flash.

The difference is that an LED light at full

output is very bright, shrinking your subjects’

pupil size in portraits and causing them to

experience an after-image of multiple points

of light. Other Lumos LED lights include a

means to mount a heavier diffuser to the

light, but not the 100. While the Lumos 100

can be used on or slightly off camera as a main

video light for talking-head interviews if no

other lighting is available, it functions better

as a fill light or dim catch light on camera.

Unlike many LED light panels on the

market, the build quality of the Lumos 100

is very high. The body is aluminum with a

matte black finish. The connectors on the cables

between the Lumos 100 and its battery and

its AC power transformer snap on and remain

securely fastened until disconnected by

pulling on the outer sleeve of the connector.

It looks and feels indestructible.

The Lumos 100 is versatile in its way. I used

it to light a short macro video for a medical

device client and as a fill light for photograph -

ing jewelry. With its small size, high light out-

put at maximum, excellent color rendering, and

cool operation, still photographers and video-

graphers could find many additional uses.

The MSRP of the Lumos 100 daylight or

tungsten model, including battery, charger, and

AC adapter sells for $840. The more powerful

Lumos 300MK with adjustable color tempera -

ture, bracket, and AC adapter sells for

$2,400, and its battery is an additional $420.

More information on these and other Lumos

LED lights is available at lumosusa.com. �

Stan Sholik is a commercial/advertisingphotographer in Santa Ana, Calif., specializingin still life and macro photography. His latestbook is “Lightroom 4 FAQz” (Wiley Publishing).

PROSExcellent build quality with aluminum body

Near-daylight color balance with high CRI

Little change in color temperature when dimmed

Can be mixed with other daylight sources

Battery, AC adapter, and cables included

CONSCost

Battery not integrated

Measured slightly off spec

The Lumos 100 mounted on the camera hot shoe.The hot shoe adapter must be purchased separately.


All images ©Larry Lourcey

“I’ve always handled

seniors the same as any

other portrait. I’m trying

to create the best image

ever taken of that person.

My portrait business

has always been based

around the image,

getting the personality,

no matter who it is.”—LARRY LOURCEY

Whether he’s working with seniors or other portrait clients, Larry Lourcey documents their personalities by minimizing his own

BY STEPHANIE BOOZER

OUT OF THE PICTURE

For Larry Lourcey, M.Photog., CPP, a portrait is a portrait. He doesn’t mean that in a blasé waybut inan impassioned, give-every-subject-the-creative-detective-work-it-deservesway. Whether he’s photographing a high school senior, an executive, or achild, Lourcey believes he should portray the subject’s unique personality.

“I’ve always handled seniors the same as

any other portrait,” says Lourcey from his

Dallas studio. “I’m trying to create the best

image ever taken of that person. My portrait

business has always been based around the

image, getting the personality, no matter who

it is.” Perhaps that’s why Lourcey’s body of work

doesn’t fall into one definable style. “Richard

Sturdevant [M.Photog.MEI.Cr.] is a very

good friend, and he has a very identifiable

style,” says Lourcey. “That’s what his clients

want, and that’s what works for him. But me,

I bounce all over the place.” In Lourcey’s brand

of storytelling, the artist’s hand is invisible.

PUSHING THROUGH“You have to go beyond documenting what

that person looks like,” he says, which is easier

said than done. Clients often come in with an

idea of what they’re looking for, and the sen-

iors, he says, are generally pretty well clued in.

In any case, Lourcey will talk with the client

to find out what he or she is into, what

drives a day-to-day life. He doesn’t have any

secrets to drawing out a subject, he just hap-

pens to be good at it.

Witness the senior portrait in which the

subject’s face is streaked with paint. “It just

made sense for her because she wants to be

an artist,” he says. Senior girls are attuned to

their expectations for portraits, he says, but

not so the boys. “They generally come in

with a checking-this-off-the-list attitude.

But the guy in the Superman shot was

totally gung-ho. ‘I bleed green’ he said at

some point about his school color.”

Along with those seeking a conceptual-

ized portrait come the quieter folks, the sen-

iors and parents who simply want a good,

honest portrait. When they don’t know what

to do with themselves, Lourcey throws them

in front of a white background and politely

but firmly pushes them to fight through

their nervousness. With little to no warning,

he tells them to strike a pose every time he

counts to 10, and then he fires the shutter.

“It’s just wearing them down through

those static poses until they loosen up,” he

says. “I tell them they have to pose each time,

whether it’s silly or crazy or just pretending

they’re in a fashion show, whatever. You just

steamroll through it. Usually halfway through,

they run out of ideas, shrug, and laugh. They

have no choice but to let their guard down—

even the most hardcore senior boys will start

laughing. They always love it afterwards. Moms

see the baby they no longer have; everybody’s

happy. Their wall is gone at that point.”

Lourcey’s staunch belief in capturing the

individual’s personality makes him wary of

popular trends, though he’s not above trying

his hand at a client’s request.

“I like to think that looking at my images,

you couldn’t tell if they were done in the ’70s

or now or 20 years from now,” he says. “They

don’t scream of a certain era because I try to

be timeless. That separates me a little bit; not

everybody likes it. From an artistic stand-

point, I don’t mind if someone wants me to

copy a certain style. But once we’re done with

that, I always want to go on and try some-

thing different, something more ‘them.’”

Lourcey laughs as he thinks back to his

own senior portrait, about his lack of wardrobe

consultation and the dated posing. “It was

the hokiest looking picture,” he says. “No

way would I ever put that up anywhere.

That’s why I don’t like capturing the trendy

look. I’ll do a little of it if they want it, but

my goal is to always walk away with one key

image that they’re going to be proud of their

whole lives. Whether that’s a formal painted

portrait, a stark black-and-white portrait, or

something else just as timeless, the key is

that it doesn’t go out of style.

Though Lourcey says his lack of a single

signature look could be construed as diffi-

cult from a marketing standpoint, one could

also argue that it’s exactly what sets him

apart. “It’s great to be able to plan every-

thing out,” he says, “but it’s also a matter of

just talking to them. I love talking to

teenagers. You have to figure out what

they’re not saying, what they can’t or won’t

articulate. Once you get that and they trust

you, it’s easy.”

UNIQUE DELIVERYWhile Lourcey is protective of his images

(nothing goes on the Internet unless some-

one has purchased it), he isn’t overly con-

cerned about the accessibility of high-quality

digital imaging and its convergence with

social media.

“Instagram could really raise the bar for

senior photographers,” he says. “If you’re

doing the unposed, unlit photography that’s

very popular right now, it’s only a matter of

time until kids realize they can do their own

senior portrait with their phone. But if you’re

creating something with complex lighting

patterns or a painted image, they’re not

going to be able to do that. It actually gives

me a little job security because I can deliver

something they can’t do on their own.”

The new photographers entering the

marketplace don’t bother Lourcey much

either. “When I started out, I had a million

questions,” says Lourcey. “I was lucky to be

in Dallas, where there are so many talented

photographers. I got my feet under me and

felt obligated to help out and give back.”

Lourcey started producing free online

video tutorials for basics such as exposure


and Adobe Photoshop. Photographers took

notice, and Lourcey now has about 50 instruc-

tional videos and 8,000 subscribers. The

videos led to teaching and speaking, which

come naturally to Lourcey, who had planned

to become a teacher when he was in college.

He’s also working with a middle school,

teaching a darkroom class to eighth graders.

No matter what Lourcey gets up to, he’s a

portrait artist at heart. “The girl with the paint,

the Superman guy with the letter, these por-

traits reach the core of those kids. That’s what

I’m good at. There are a million things I’m

bad at, but this is what I really do best.” �

See more work and catch up on Lourcey’sblog at lourceyphoto.com.

Stephanie Boozer is a writer in Charleston, S.C.

“When I started out, I had

a million questions. I was

lucky to be in Dallas, where

there are so many talented

photographers. I got my feet

under me and felt obligated

to help out and give back.”

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All images ©Gary Hughes

Attitude adjuster

Having reconciled hismisconceptionsabout photography,Gary Hughes callson the profession toovercome differencesand grow toward amore positive future

BY STEPHANIE BOOZER

M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, and

Peter Hughes, owners of the

Abbey of London studio in

Stuart, Fla., he was schlep-

ping camera bags at weddings

at age 11 for the hefty remu-

neration of five bucks.

Hughes earned a degree in

sociology, which he admits he

has yet to put to professional

use. He’s waited tables, worked

as a musician, owned then

sold a construction business,

and gone back to school to

learn information technology.

“Insert nerdy things here,”

he laughs. It was that jaunt in

IT that brought him back to

photography. While employed

to repair computers at a

Circuit City store, Hughes was

well positioned to take advan-

tage of the Black Friday sale,

and he bought a Canon Digi-

tal Rebel to play with. That

entry-level digital SLR took

him by surprise.

“I discovered photography

in a new light, almost like

people who find their way back

to religion,” he says. “Right

away I loved it. I realized I had

never experienced photography

as fun before. It had seemed

like misery for me previously.”

Somewhat sheepishly,

Hughes called home to tell his

parents he might want to make

his living with photography.

Elated, they hired him to

work on weekends, and this

time he paid attention.

“My mother is an amazing

photographer and a big PPA

member, but I realized I didn’t

want to do business the way

they did, which was high vol-

ume,” says Hughes. Learning

this, Julie Hughes directed

her son to Curt Littlecott,

ary Hughes, M.Photog.Cr.,CPP, of Orlando, Fla., jokesthat he did just about everything he could

to avoid going into the family business.

The son of photographers Julie Hughes,



Cr.Photog., and Stephanie Rounds, who had

just lost a photographer at their studio, Nu

Visions in Photography. Hughes worked

there for about 20 hours a week learning

Nu Visions’ approach, which gave him the

practical and technical experience he needed.

Hughes found a kindred spirit in photog-

raphy when he met Julie Fioretti, now Julie

Fioretti-Hughes, CPP, who had cut her

teeth photographing bands and music per-

formances. One thing led to another, and in

2008 the couple started their own studio,

Hughes Fioretti Photography.

“Looking back, it was probably a terrible

idea, in the middle of the worst recession, to

start this luxury business,” says Hughes. “But

we found a hole in our market that made

sense.” That gap was in the film and televi-

sion industry, which was thriving in Orlando.

There were only two photographers in the

area specializing in head shots and comp cards,

while the market for wedding and baby pho-

tographers was saturated. The duo analyzed

the competition and came up with a strategy.

“You had one guy doing about 80 percent

of the head shot work, but everything looked

pretty similar, and the guy took a month to

get clients’ images back to them,” according to

Hughes. “We solved two problems. We created

a business where the work looked different,

had that extra pop, and we were the first head

shot photographer in central Florida to do an

online gallery, so there was fast turnaround

time. That was how we started with success,

and we’ve just branched out from there.”

Today, Hughes Fioretti Photography

continues to specialize in head shots and

commercial work, and has a sideline in wed-

dings and portraits as well.

“You have to do what will balance out the

market,” says Hughes. “If you’re trying to shoot

babies and weddings, you might have a hard

time because the market is flooded. A lot of the

new photographers are going after babies and

weddings. You have to concentrate on the

What’s the most common advice GaryHughes and Julie Fioretti-Hughes dish outto newcomers? Here’s what they told us:

WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF. Stopworrying about what everyone else isdoing. Wayne Gretzky said it, and SteveJobs quoted it: “I skate to where the puckis going to be, not to where it was.” Don’tchase what everyone else is doing. Getahead of the market. Find the people whowant you and what you do. You’ll be hap-pier and more successful.

LISTEN TO YOUR CLIENTS. Listento their ideas, even on album design or during the session. Don’t be stuck on your own creative vision. Not all great ideas have to be yours, and sometimes cre-

ativity is recognizing it in another person. DO SOMETHING YOU’VE NEVER

DONE BEFORE. Every time you go intoa photo shoot, do something new; whetherit’s rear curtain sync, off-camera flash orusing only ambient light, try one thing.Don’t pay attention to what other peopleare doing; instead, compete against yourself.

NEVER STOP LEARNING. There is always more to learn in this industry, and education outside of is crucial as well. Take a business class, a marketingclass, a design class. Never stop growing intellectually or creatively. If you’re not evolving, then you’re just beingleft behind.

ADVICE FOR NEOPHYTES

things other photographers are not going after.

I’m going to go to the shallow end of the pool

where no one else is trying to make a living. I’m

a photographer, but I’m also a business person.”

Hughes has nothing against new photog-

raphers on the scene. In fact, he says he wishes

more of the established photographers were

open to mentorship and would support new-

comers working to succeed. He believes it

would ultimately elevate the industry as a

whole. It’s a topic he often speaks about, calling

for an industry-wide attitude adjustment.

“Our biggest problem isn’t how many

photographers there are,” he says. “It’s how

much they’re charging. The best way to help

is to plug them into PPA. This is a fad, fueled

by ease of access to equipment coinciding

with a recession where people lost their

jobs and tried to turn photography into a

job. There actually are too many photogra-

phers. But as things improve, and photog-

raphers educate themselves and learn to

price and shoot better, it will right itself.

The photography business is going to be OK.”

Hughes feels he got a head start due to his

parents’ support and his and their involvement

in PPA. “We have to make new photographers

feel welcome, not ostracize them,” he says.

“People forget why they fell in love with pho-

tography in the first place, and for most people,

it’s pretty similar to what a lot of these newer

photographers feel when they have children,

get a camera, and start taking pictures. It’s the

same love. It’s a changing marketplace, and you

have to keep up. I believe there’s an economic

Darwinism that will sort everyone out, and

that’s been true since the beginning. If you

can’t keep up, you will go out of business.”

“You have to know what kind of business

you are,” adds Fioretti-Hughes, who does the

majority of the studio’s marketing. “There are

so many kinds of clients out there, from those

who really value what you do to those that

just need a wedding photographer, no matter

who it is. Figure out who you want your client

to be. Figure out how to run your business. Be

one step ahead. The business is always chang-

ing, and there’s always something to learn.”

Both photographers are committed to

their local and state affiliates and avid pro-

moters of continuing education. Participat-

ing in image competitions alone is what

many new photographers need in order to

make the move from hobbyist to profes-

sional photographer, says Fioretti-Hughes.

“Facebook has been great and terrible

for photography,” she says. “Everyone wants

to ‘like’ what you put up there, and no one puts

anything up for critique. It’s so easy to get a

license and say you’re a pro photographer and

that you’ve got this business. But really, as

scary as it is, competition and putting your

work out there is what people need. Unless

you get pushed out of your comfort zone,

you’re not going to get better and grow.” �

See more of the work by Hughes Fioretti Photography at hughesfioretti.com.

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

SOUND FOUNDATION

Andy Ryan amasses a notable catalog

BY WILL POLLOCK

All images ©Andy Ryan

Imanaging architect at Wallace Floyd Design Group, a subcontrac-

tor for Boston’s Central Artery Project—also known, perhaps pejo-

ratively, as the Big Dig. Kindsvatter was seeking a temp who was

handy with a copy machine and possessed one additional skill.

“If the worker knew how to take pictures, that would be a plus,”

Ryan recalls. He grabbed it. Boston was researching an effort

that would eventually involve 150 cranes, 3.8 million cubic yards of

concrete, hundreds of separate construction contracts, and many

thousands of workers—all in an effort to bury I-93, the city’s pri-

mary artery, 90 feet below ground. The project included second-

ary tunnels, parks, green space, and other municipal changes,

which would balloon the Big Dig from the initial budget of

n 1988, Andy Ryan needed to catch a break. An out-of-work filmmaker, Ryan had returned to his hometown of Boston and found himself down on his luck and behind on rent. At the behest of a

friend, he applied to a temp agency, a humbling scenario for any artist with delayed

dreams. Midway through the interview, the agent’s phone rang. Don Kindsvatter,

$2.8 billion to a projected $22 billion.

When the call came in, the massive proj-

ect was still in the planning stages. The job

entailed photocopying stacks of books and

articles on urban planning. Ryan got the gig

because the engineers didn’t want to have to

wade through the stack of photographer

resumes they had received.

The potential impact of this project, both

on the city and on his career, was not lost on

Ryan: “The word got out to the 800 people

working on the project that there was a photog -

rapher on the ground. There was a huge need

for in-house and public outreach photogra-

phy. I just started doing it, and I got to the

point where I was working seven days a week.”

By the time Ryan left the Big Dig in 1996,

his portfolio had grown from some 200 trans-

parencies to more than 15,000 slides, trans-

parencies, and prints. He had retained all rights

to his shots, too, which would later turn out to

be lucky when a book publisher came calling.

The volume of work Ryan received through

the Big Dig was perhaps less important than

RIGHTS, ROYALTIES… AND A DEBT TONEIL SIMONAgreeing to usage contracts brimming withlegalese can feel akin to promising yourfirst-born child. Any contract that involvesrestricting the photographer’s copyright iscause for concern. Andy Ryan faced this pro-fessional dilemma when he emerged as thephotographer of record for Boston’s Big Digproject, having amassed a vast library ofimages documenting a historic achievement.

In 2003, Barnes & Noble acquired SterlingPublishing and contacted Dan McNichol, aBig Dig project leader and former colleagueof Ryan’s, in an effort to launch a bookseries. The new division was under the direc-tion of a notoriously hard-nosed formerReader’s Digest executive. When it camedown to negotiating the rights for the pho-tography, things got dicey.

“Her view was, the photographer is nodifferent than the copy editor,” says Ryan.“She wanted all this photography I’d donefor free. There was no way I was going tolet that happen.

“I didn’t fully realize it at the time, but Ihad a lot of leverage because I had beencovering the project since the late 1980s,”he says. He gained a valuable insight whenhe heard a radio interview with Neil Simon.The playwright was discussing his hit play,then movie, then TV show, “The Odd Couple,” which generated very nice incomefor everyone except its creator. Simon soldthe play and all rights for $3,000. Theexperience ruined his first marriage, Simonsaid, and gave him an ulcer for 20 years.

Ryan entered negotiations with the pub-lisher with that story fresh in my mind. “I hadjust spent 12 years documenting this project,and she didn’t want to pay me anything!”

“As we got close to the deadline, I wasvery nice, but I was not going to let her havethe imagery for the price she wanted. Finally,she caved. I wound up getting the best roy-alty deal of any book I’ve ever had published.”

The Barnes & Noble rep had downplayedthe marketability of the book, predictingonly 16,000 or so would be sold. Ryan’sresponse: Deal. He negotiated a rate for the16,000 print run and a bonus fee for every10,000 books beyond that. To date,80,000 copies have been sold.

“I really, really owe Neil Simon,” Ryan notes.

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the overall lessons imparted. “So much of what

I do now has its roots in that time,” he says.

After 12 months on the Big Dig, Ryan

boldly told his boss he was taking a five-week

vacation in China. He arrived in Beijing in

June 1989, just as the student-led Tiananmen

Square protests had begun. “I showed up

Friday night totally jet-lagged, and the next

day, the soldiers were in the street,” he says.

He shot stills of the uprising for NBC News.

“I was fighting my way to get into the square,

and that night I was photographing the crack -

down. I only slept for a few hours the whole

five days, and it was intense. You know, I

just really learned a huge amount about

myself and about photography and about

how events unfold, how things happen.

“The experience in Tiananmen Square

transformed me. I understood the impor-

tance of history, photography, and how to be

in a situation where it’s just utter chaos and

insanity. That’s when I realized that this is

what I really loved. It was an extraordinary

experience, and it all opened up for me.”

PICTURE IN PICTURE:LET THE STAR SHINEThe grandest preparation doesn’t guaranteecompelling portraits. Sometimes the bestshots are spontaneous, as in Ryan’s por-trait shoot with actress Scarlett Johanssonfor US Weekly. Despite her larger-than-lifepersonality, Johansson has a petite, evenordinary appearance, Ryan says.

Ryan felt it was a lackluster shoot andthat he’d blown the job for the client. “I wasin a disappointed state, feeling like I’d missedit,” he says. “I wanted something extraor-dinary. You don’t have many opportunitiesto photograph someone of her stature, soyou want to really make the most of it. Iwas really disappointed,” he says.

But he did get the money shot after all.It was during the March scouting roundbefore the main shoot on her tour of Har-vard University. “I was there to size her up,get into a groove with her before our shootand to see how receptive to me and my cam-era she would be.” Ryan drew on his knowl-edge of architecture, and how the March sunwould be bouncing hard off nearby build-ings. He made sure the light was behindJohansson, giving her a luminescent glow.That image stunned him later in the studio.

“Sometimes you make a great shot andyou see it at 100 percent, and your focus wason the bridge of the nose and the eye isn’tsharp,” he says. “When I clicked on 100 per-cent on the eye and looked, I couldn’t believeI nailed it. It was tack sharp, right there.And it was the best feeling in the world.”

MORE SHOT DETAILSLOCATION: Harvard Yard,

Harvard UniversityCAMERA: Nikon D2xLENS: 70-210, f2.8 OTHER FACTORS: Mid-morning sun,March, intense depth of field


SPECIAL GENERALISTToday, Ryan shoots architecture and other

projects for the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology, and he has amassed a clientele

for food, celebrity portrait, advertising, and

editorial photography.

Tamar Kaprelian was among the celebri-

ties he shot for Interscope Records. He

remembers a long day of shooting and sensing

something novel was to come. “I was trying

not to get in the way of her sound engineers

because she was recording. We worked really

hard to make shots, but what really hap-

pened was that magic moment,” Ryan says.

At the end of the shoot, the hot, bright sun

setting behind them, they got in Kaprelian’s

car. Ryan grabbed his camera and started

directing poses with the light behind her. It’s

the kind of unplanned opportunity Ryan

urges other photographers to be alert to.

“It’s like if you go bodysurfing. You catch

the wave, and you’re in it, and now the wave

is taking you. It’s about how you recognize

where the waves are, how you need to go to

grab them and have the strength and ability

to swim into them. … Tamar and I were

laughing about it because we had just spent

a whole day shooting, and the photo shoot

ended up happening in her car,” he says.

In a profession in which specialization is

encouraged, Ryan urges photographers to

seek their own path. “It’s seen as a weakness

to have versatility, to specialize in more than

one type of photography,” he says. “But that’s

a very American view. My photographer

friends in Europe don’t hold that opinion at

all. You have to follow your own path. There

are no rules about specializing. The truth is,

if you love doing something and you’re doing

it well, that’s what you should do. Only you

can write your own history,” he says. �

Andy Ryan’s online portfolio is atandyryanphotography.com.

Will Pollock of Stone Four Media is a freelancejournalist and photographer based in Atlanta.

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BY ERIC MINTON

hotojournalist Erika Larsen

was assigned to photograph

inside a coal mine. She does

not use flash, and she didn’t

intend to change her M.O.

“The editors were going, ‘Are you sure you

want to go there without light?’ And I said,

‘Yep. There is more light than you can imag-

ine,’” says the New York City-based photog-

rapher. “I believe there’s light everywhere. It’s

just a matter of how to capture and harness

and bring it in and celebrate it.” The photo-

graph, she adds, “Ended up really beautiful.”

Two major factors have led Larsen to a

successful photojournalism career. One is

her ability to become attuned to environ-

ments and the people in those environ-

ments. (To wit: Larsen spent the bulk of

four years with the Sami, the reindeer-herd-

ing people of Sweden’s Arctic northland).

Which points to factor No. 2 in the 36-year-

old’s career: Rather than trying to expand

into many styles to chase after multiple mar-

kets, she has instead focused on Erika

Larsen, a life. The markets—54 magazines,

17 books and catalogs, and three organiza-

tions, so far—come to her.

It’s a life that since Larsen’s childhood

has been inextricably entwined with a love of

nature and of photography. She’s taken her

camera on adventures from the Amazon to

the Arctic, fully immersing herself in a wide

variety of cultures, landscapes, and languages.

She sees herself as a storyteller. “It’s not about

making images, it’s about learning, and I

learn through the image-making process,”

It’s only naturalErika Larsen goes where the story takes her

All images ©Erika Larsen

P

P H O T O J O U R N A L I S M

she says. “I try to be as open to the area as I

can and let that come through as opposed to

imposing my visual style on where I am—

capturing the moment versus creating the

moment.” The woman who makes images of

people in close communion with the earth

was first turned on to photography by images

captured by a camera that was out of this world.

Larsen’s father worked on the Hubble Space

Telescope project at NASA’s Goddard Space

Flight Center in Maryland, and he brought

home some of the orbiting telescope’s pictures.

“I just remember seeing those images, quite

fantastical and quite magical,” Larsen recalls.

At 15, she begged her dad to let her take a

photography class: She would pay if he would

drive. She was the only female and the only

person younger than 50, she says. A couple

of courses later, she asked her teacher how she

could make a living from photography. He

directed her to the Rochester Institute of

Technology in New York.

Larsen graduated from RIT in 1997,

when photography was approaching the

crossroad of film and digital. Anticipating

the digital future, she went on to earn a master

of fine arts degree at RIT, studying computer

graphics, animation, film, and video. Working

as part of a large team didn’t appeal to her,

though, so the self-described lone wolf

returned to photography. “Telling stories,

communicating with people, and learning the

world—I wanted to do that as an individual.”

She also reverted to basic forms of photog-

raphy, shooting with 4x5-inch film for a half-

dozen years. Not until digital SLRs hit the mar-

ket did she leave behind the darkroom. Today,

she shoots whatever the publication requires,

but most of her work is done with large-format

film. Her equipment includes a Wista 4x5 tech -

nical field camera, a Mamiya C330 Twin Lens

Reflex camera, and a Canon EOS 5D camera.

COUNTDOWN TO IMPACT Larsen moved to New York City and spent a

year assisting every photographer she could.

“Fashion, business, editorial, catalog,

advertising, still life: It wasn’t about names,

it was whoever could give me different

types of experiences.” Her off-time efforts

photographing her roommate proved equally

valuable. “Pushing your own vision is really

important while transitioning from assist-

ing. You can get burned out just assisting. I

think it was important to work on my own

vision and recognize what that was.”

With a portfolio highlighting her vision,

she mailed promotional cards every month

to the 50 places she wanted to work for and

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cold-called publishers, including such giants as

Time, Sports Illustrated, and Newsweek. “I

either looked up their portfolio policies or just

tried to arrange meetings. Looking back now,

that was probably nerve-wracking.” Within

two months she was landing meetings as the

promotional cards started generating calls.

It was Larsen’s approach to photography

more than the subject matter that made the

greater impact. “My portfolio was of my family

and friends, not what I thought magazines

wanted to see. One of my first assign ments

was for Time magazine. They said, ‘Can you

do what you’re showing me in your book?’

Magazines started calling me to go into inti-

mate family situations or photograph teenagers.

“All I was doing was following what I felt

was most honest to me, and I think that’s

how my entire career has played out. … My

pictures were true to who I was at that point

and what my vision was, and the publishers

found where that fit in.”

Larsen is editorially represented by

Redux Pictures, and she has pursued grants

and fellowships to help finance some of her

long-term photography projects. She

worked as a housekeeper while chronicling

the Sami, a project that appeared in National

Geographic and resulted in her book, “Sami:

Walking with Reindeer.” She’s about to

embark on a similar sojourn in Peru.

Melding with her childhood-rooted

interest in photography is Larsen’s experi-

ence with nature while she grew up on

Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It informs much

of her work, including an ongoing docu-

mentation of hunting. “I grew up with

hunting, and I was intrigued with it. Being

in nature fine-tuned me to learn different

things and hear different things and get

interested in our connection to the natural

world and to the cycle of life.” That’s part of

why she says she can “feel the color” around

her and knows how to herd light in dark

places. The technical aspects are ingrained,

she says; tuning in to her environment is

the variable. “I don’t go out thinking, I’m

going to do f/2 and get this light. That

should be the absolutely last thing that I’m

thinking. I should be fully engaged in the

people and the story I’m telling.”

Larsen’s distinctive style, then, is a life:

hers, her subjects’, and her viewers’. “I freeze

a moment and create a stillness so that per-

son can live and breathe in that moment,”

she said. “I want the viewer to get a little

silent and reflect on what that image means

to their own lives.” �

See more of Erika Larsen’s work aterikalarsenphoto.com.

Eric Minton is a writer and editor with morethan 35 years of experience.


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hen Ben Shirk, M.Photog.,

had a son eight years ago,

his wife took the boy to a

mall photographer for baby portraits. Shirk

was disappointed with the images and dis-

appointed that he wasn’t the one to take his

child’s first pictures. Armed with an art

degree and an artist’s eye, Shirk had envi-

sioned himself the family photographer,

even though he had no real experience with

portrait photography.

“The gauntlet was thrown down,” Shirk

says. “So I borrowed a camera and started tak-

ing pictures of family and friends. I was deter-

mined to learn photography quickly and well.”

Shirk was soon enjoying portrait-making

enough to turn it into a business. For the

next few years, he built his business as a side

gig, establishing a client base and mastering

his craft. In 2007 he went into it full time,

working out of his home in Wilton, Iowa.

Not just another jobBen Shirk’s custom team sport posters bring in the senior business

BY JEFF KENT

All images ©Ben Shirk

W

S E N I O R S

Three years later, he bought and renovated a

nearby retail space for his studio.

Today he’s among the premier portrait

photographers in Iowa, but the trajectory

was far from smooth. There was, for exam-

ple, a flaw in his business plan. “When I

started out, I was one of those photographers

that other photographers hate,” he says. “I

was super cheap, and I gave away too much.

I charged $2 for a 4x6. I handed out free cus-

tom albums from senior sessions. I did tons

of sessions and provided too much for too

little. I was just so happy that people liked

my art. It didn’t occur to me at that time that

I could charge more, that there was a higher

value in the marketplace for my work.”

Bordering on burnout from the high-

volume, low-income model, Shirk attended

photography seminars and formed profes-

sional relationships with established pros.

He learned that pricing was about more

than covering printing costs; it was about

charging for time, training, and the costs of

running a business. He also learned that he

could raise his prices, work fewer hours, and

make as much money or more. He bumped

up his prices over the course of a year and

has continued to increase them every year

since. His work volume slowed yet his overall

revenue increased as he attracted more dis-

cerning clients who were willing to make an

investment in portraiture. He’s now added a

catalog of specialty products to appeal to

that high-end clientele.

“After going through this process, the

biggest difference I noticed was an increased

quality of work,” he says. When he was selling

a high volume of prints inexpensively, he didn’t

have much time to spend on each one, he notes.

These days he can be much more meticulous

about the work he produces because the sell-

ing price justifies the additional labor.

“I came to realize that this is my art, and

it’s worth money. Being able to charge more

money is a direct result of educating clients

about what you’re doing. Most clients don’t

realize the amount of work and equipment

that goes into a session as well as all the

other costs of running a business. If you

explain and show them, they are more

appreciative and more willing to invest.”

One of the biggest market differentiators

for Shirk’s studio is his specialty work in senior

portraits. He focuses on students who are

heavily invested in sports and other extracur-

ricular activities. They make significant com-

mitments of time and money to those activi ties,

and they and their parents are likely to want

to document their accomplishments with

something special. These clients are recep-

tive to products such as wall groupings, albums,

large framed prints, gallery wraps, and cus-

tom collages. By targeting this specific mar-

ket segment and continually innovating new

products and styles, Shirk has increased his

senior portrait sales average more than

eightfold over the past five years.

Shirk comes to the attention of many

new clients through sports team posters.

Through networking and good customer

relations, he was hired to create sports

posters for many local high school sports

teams. He requires the entire team to come

to the studio, where he photographs the indi-

vidual against a green screen, optimizing the

posing and lighting for every subject. When

he’s photographed the entire team, he com-

posites the images onto a custom back-



ground and adds graphics. “Having the

entire team come to my studio is invalu-

able,” says Shirk. “The athletes see all my

custom products, they hang out on couches

and look through my custom albums, and

they are wowed by the entire experience.”

This poster work, while not tremen-

dously profitable, presents a fantastic mar-

keting opportunity. Some of the team

members return for full portrait shoots, and

the posters are widely displayed around

town in schools, offices, and other venues.

The kids love to show them off. “Those ath-

letic team posters are a huge marketing

item,” says Shirk. “For me, they’ve replaced

all the mailers and mall displays and other

promotions that other photographers run.

And because I already have the most visible,

most influential kids coming through my

studio for the shoots, it’s like running a suc-

cessful senior model program without the

trouble of running a senior model program.

Other kids see these star athletes in the

posters, and they want something similar.”

That desire opens the door for all manner

of sales-boosting custom products. When

seniors come in for their sessions, Shirk dis-

cusses products that would work well for

each of their outfits. He talks to them about

what they want and what they’re envisioning

in terms of displaying their images. Since his

work is visible in the community, the seniors

often have ideas when they arrive. And to

nudge the process along, Shirk has product

displays that spark ideas.

Shirk aims to sell a custom album, wall

grouping, and a large montage with custom

graphics to every senior portrait client, and

he comes close. He tends to produce more

images with more unique poses and back-

grounds, and more outfit changes than the

typical senior portrait photographer, he says.

Sessions often yield upwards of 60 unique,

album-worthy images.

“I see each senior portrait session as an

opportunity to do something fun and

unique, as opposed to just banging out the

sessions,” says Shirk. “I accept a max of two

senior sessions a week. That way I can

spend more time with them and do some-

thing special. That gives me more options

for products, and even more important, it

helps me enjoy the work more. I’ve created

the demand and I’ve set prices for profit,

but all of that is nothing if I am not enjoy-

ing what I do. I am in photography because

I want to have fun with it, not because it’s

just another job.” �

See more from Ben Shirk at shirkphotography.com.

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SUCCESSWARE.NET | 800.593.3767

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Lagniappe! Don�t worry, I haven�t started speak-ing another language

(not really) and you won�t need a translator to read this message. Lagniappe (lan-yap) is just a great New Orleans word that I think we photographers should all know something about. It means to give a little extra, something like a baker�s dozen.

Do you do a little extra for your clients? It might be an

good order. It might be having water or a great cup of coffee available for your clients. It could be as simple as sending special thank you cards. Those extras could be the difference that sets you apart from your competitors. In fact, your PPA membership includes lagniappe that is unparalleled in our industry; it�s that �something extra� that appeals to the businessperson in us. Through the PhotoCare coverage that PPA now offers, your membership includes up to $15,000 worth of equipment insurance�and your membership dues didn�t go up to make that happen. Now, you may think that things like PhotoCare, the

two scenarios that have made me forever grateful to partici-

pate in these programs. A few years back, the sheriff of a local municipality was running for re-election, a man we�d photographed for his

an image we photographed defaced on a political billboard by his opponent. All it took was one phone call to the PPA

that billboard was down. Without knowing that PPA was there to protect me, I would have spent a lot of time and quite a few dollars getting that situation resolved. But because PPA cares about our industry and those things important to us as artists, the situation was handled.

knowledge of the truth to the saying, �It isn�t if a hard drive will fail, it�s when a hard drive will fail.� Once again, thanks

Trust, the claim paid out was worth more than four years of membership dues. Now that�s a little more than lagniappe! In 2012, PPA handled 972 issues on behalf of members

Stuff happens, and it�s nice to know we�ve got the support we need to get through it! So make sure you take the time to understand all the values of your membership by exploring the new PPA.com.

board of directors are working on. It�s going to be a great year!

PPATODAYAPRIL 2013

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGERalph Romaguera Sr., M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, F-ASP. :: 2013-2014 PPA President PP

A M

EMBE

R N

EWSL

ETTE

RNot your typical one-size-fits-all education program. It’s a true-to-your-needs program based on you and your business. Nowhere else can you get a personalized program with 150+ HD online courses, accessible 24/7.It’s PPA’s latest membership benefit for you to use wherever, whenever!

.com/ppaedu

PPAeduA brand-new approachto photographic education

I�m taking things toa whole new level!

Beta editionlaunches in April

PPA M

EMBER N

EWSLETTER

PROTECT YOUR BUSINESSPPA MEMBERS SHARE HOW PPA BENEFITS HELPBy Angela Wijesinghe

There’s a lot you might not anticipate dealing with when

owners, we get hypnotized by the cute, fun side and then smacked in the face with the amount of work involved. And that

-self in as a photographic business owner, from copyright disputes to Bridezilla! While you’re juggling the day-to-day work to keep your business running, how can you protect yourself from those

(When we say we’ve got your back, it’s not just talk.)

Protect Yourself from Data Loss FalloutWith the gadgets and gizmos of today, your artistic reach feels limitless…until your card gets corrupted, lightning fries your hard drive (or you accidentally reformat it), or some other disaster strikes. It’s devastating enough when it happens to your personal work and you lose those memories or the time you’ve invested. When clients are involved, it can get even worse.

coverage) often helps member photographers deal with data loss

client feathers. Bob Conroy of Communication Links in Minne-

didn’t have clients involved. He had been working on books and an app for iPhones and iPads about the churches around the walls of Rome when his portable hard drive fell off his desk to a not-so-pleasant end. “While I still had most of my original CompactFlash drives, I had three months of European images and countless hours invested in Aperture organization and processing on that drive,” Conroy recalls. The Trust took the information Conroy provided (dates and receipts) and reimbursed him for the amount he’d paid to recover as much data as possible, which was the majority of his images and projects. “I now have a new backup system with various

ever need them again—God forbid!”

Protect Yourself from Bullies in the Studio

Data loss may be one of the most common issues PPA’s Indemni-

a lawsuit hanging in the balance. Jay Guttveg of Creative Focus in Florida had the un-pleasure of working with two such clients. A hurricane interrupted one bride’s wedding, and though Guttveg was willing to reschedule the wedding photography for her without charge, all she wanted was her money back. Another bride (an attorney) was just…

with her, thoroughly explaining what they would do. During the wedding, they dealt with a changed photographic timeline, family

demanded all of her money back. “That client was an attorney, so I really got nervous,” says Guttveg. “She had more legal knowledge than me; but I had a

in my whole career, and both times the Trust has helped me save that career. ” In fact, he makes sure that every photographer who works with him is a PPA member and part of the Trust.

Protect Yourself from Copyright/Legal Quandaries Copyright and other types of legal questions crop up quite often if you’re a pro photographer. And if you don’t know the correct answer, you could stumble into yet another unpleasant situa-tion. Do you know what images you can legally use to promote your business? Whether or not you need a visa for a destination wedding shoot? What you need in your contract to protect your-self? These are tough questions, but PPA’s got a dedicated Copy-right & Government Affairs team waiting for you. As Guttveg says, “I wouldn’t ask my plumber for legal advice. These folks

Jill Harrelson, CPP, of Jill’s Family Photography in Georgia

to capture professional images of their room setup for different events, she shoots the event details, food and décor. That led to a confusing situation in which a venue was using detail images she took during a wedding at their location. The bride—who didn’t hire Harrelson—wanted the images taken off the venue’s website

eventually got the county commissioner involved. “When that bride kept calling me, I didn’t panic because I knew the resources available to me,” Harrelson notes. “I contacted PPA’s copyright team and they unraveled the issues, gave me advice on how to handle it from my end, and even ended up helping my client (the venue) by explaining what they could add

.com YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR BUSINESS

to their contracts to prevent this going forward.” But the important part was that Harrelson’s contract (which PPA helped with) would have protected her against being sued even if her client (the venue) didn’t do their homework. “If I didn’t have these PPA resources, I could really get myself in trouble with knowing what I have the right to use or not.”

Protect Yourself…from YourselfWhile part of running a strong photography business is handling

need to know how to protect your business from yourself. We are not geniuses in all we do! We need to recognize when we need

Kim Hartz, CPP, saw that need in herself when she was bringing the clients but not the money to her Kim Hartz Photog-raphy studio in Texas. “I know that most people don’t want to deal with the nitty-gritty of their businesses, but if you don’t know

When Hartz turned to PPA’s Studio Management Services (SMS), she learned that because her expenses were so out of control, she was only bringing home $0.08 of every dollar she made. But as she implemented what she learned in the SMS workshops and

“It’s amazing that my business has made that big of a turnaround in under two years!” says Hartz. Her mentors showed her how she could trim expenses, from advertising to admin and overhead. She even made the move from a retail studio to a home-based one, and it turns out her clients are just as happy. She’s learning to understand her numbers, new marketing ideas, how to improve her pricing and product offerings, and so much more. “My mentor meetings are invaluable, and I’m continuing with SMS via the quarterly consultations,” adds Hartz. “Not only am I getting my business in order and staying accountable, but I also have someone I can talk to about anything that goes into my studio. I can’t recommend it enough!” As Hartz says, it’s much, much easier to focus on your photography and leave the business details behind; it’s just neither

goes. Whether those details involve legal questions or irksome

interrupts your business growth. And PPA may have just the tools you need to prepare and protect yourself.

.com YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR BUSINESS

PPA

MEM

BER

NEW

SLET

TER

Jay Guttveg owns Creative Focus Inc.in Parkland, Florida.creativefocusinc.com

Bob Conroy owns Communication Links in Minneapolis, Minnesota.sacredplacesitaly.com

Kim Hartz, CPP, owns Kim Hartz Photography, LLC, in Houston, Texas.kimhartz.com

Jill Harrelson, CPP, owns Jill’s Family Photography in Cumming, Georgia.jillsfamilyphotography.com

PPA CHARITIES 2012 RECAP PPA Charities presented a check for $70,000 to Operation Smile (operationsmile.org) at Imaging USA this year, bringing their total donation to almost $600,000 which equates to almost 2500 children’s lives being changed with the gift of a smile.

TOP DONORSMike & Diana Hanline,Ann & Jim Monteith, Mary Fisk-Taylor, Ryan & Erica Manthey,

Susan Hoermann, Vicki Hultsman,Mark & Krish Kiefer, Zaida Parkes, Laurie Weaver, Meredith Wilcke,Twin Cities PPA, Kentucky PPA, Arrowhead PPA, Northern Lights PP, Rice Studio Supply, WHCC,Marathon Press, Texas School

2012 VENDORS IN PARTNERSHIP (VIP)WHCC

AnimotoAfterDarkRice Studio SupplySuccessWareMarathon Press

PPA AFFILIATE PARTNERSTexas SchoolDallas PPATwin Cities PPAFlorida Professional PhotographersKentucky PPA/PhotoProNetworkNew Hampshire PPA

WHAT TO DO WHEN IT GOES KAPUT HOW A PPA BENEFIT CAN HELPBy Angela Wijesinghe

When you think about protecting your business, you usually think about security alarm systems, locks and data backups. You might even have a

are you prepared for those heart-sinking times when your pricey new toy goes kaput (or bam, crash and crack)? You should be. Just take a look inside your camera bag

carrying around a bag with over $10,000 cash stuffed inside—you’d be pretty careful, right? You’d have it under lock and key most of the time! Yet as a pro photographer, you can’t keep your gear locked up; you use it basically every day. That’s why it’s smart to be prepared. Check Your WarrantiesSome extended coverage warranties might actually cover repairs or replacement if you drop the equipment; some don’t. So don’t assume said warranty will save you. Read up on it to see exactly what would be covered for how long. (You may even need to send some paperwork to the manufacturer in order to activate the warranty.) It wouldn’t hurt to call up the manufacturer and ask their customer support your questions, either—you might learn something that surprises you!

Find a Good Repair ShopThere are auto body shops all over the place, but you prob-ably only go to one—the one that either had the best reviews or was recommended to you by a family member or trusted friend. Same is true for getting your camera gear repaired if something happens to it. Before that happens, though, it’s smart to do your research so you know where to send it without wasting time. For instance, you’ll probably want to pay attention to turnaround times, whether or not they

specialize in your equipment brand, and if that shop itself is insured!

Get Equipment InsuranceGood equipment insurance can be priceless to pro photogra-phers, as Joy Vertz, CPP, found out. In the midst of changing her 24-70 2.8 Nikon lens, she set it on a ledge in her studio near where she stands to shoot. The young child she was photographing lunged forward and grabbed at the lens,

mechanism inside the lens actually cracked. It’s a sickening feeling. (You probably winced in empathy, didn’t you?) But on a more cheerful note, Vertz had equipment insurance. She had PPA’s free PhotoCare Equip-ment Insurance as a backup policy to her larger paid policy, but PhotoCare became the hero in her eyes that day. “My other insurance requires that I keep an updated list

forgotten to add to my list of covered items,” explains Vertz. “Needless to say, I was really happy to have the free insur-ance coverage included in my PPA membership! There’s no need to list items with them; it’s super easy!” Super easy, literally. Vertz had already sent in her lens for repair and had the notice from the shop saying her equipment was inoperable. So she was able to submit her PhotoCare claim form online (took about 10 minutes) and attach a copy of that repair letter. “Within 24 hours, I had a response to my claim; less than a week later, I had a check in hand to replace my equipment.” Now, it’s important to note that Vertz (and all the other PPA members who sing the PhotoCare praises) took an important step before her lens broke. She activated that free PhotoCare Equipment Insurance policy. Because she took that preparation step, she was covered and her gut-wrenching moment wasn’t painful on the pocketbook. Are you prepared for when your gear takes a nose-dive?

PPA M

EMBER N

EWSLETTER

Joy Vertz, CPP, owns Shoot the Moon Photography in Mequon, Wisconson.joyvertz.com

ACTIVATE YOUR FREE PHOTOCARE

EQUIPMENT INSURANCE

Log in to PPA.com with your email & password

Click on theLoop (main nav)

Click “Yes, I would like to activate my PhotoCare Equipment

Insurance.” (It will automatically appear if you are eligible)

All PPA Professional Active and Life Members in the U.S. and Puerto Rico are eligible if they activate their coverage. See all the details on ppa.com/insurance.

LabTab


WHERE THE PROS GO FOR THE BEST IN REPRODUCTION SERVICES


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WHERE THE PROS GO FOR THE BEST IN REPRODUCTION SERVICESLabTab

2013 Affiliate Schools Schedule PPA members receive both meritsand the best published prices.

April 28-May 3Texas School of ProfessionalPhotography, Dallas, texasschool.org

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June 2-6 Florida School of Photography, DaytonaBeach, Fla., fpponline.org

June 2-6Mid-America Institute of ProfessionalPhotography, Cedar Falls, Iowa,maipp.com

June 16-19 Winona School of Photography,Nashville, Ind., winonaschool.org

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July 21-25Image Explorations, Shawnigan Lake,British Columbia, imageexplorations.ca

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Send additions to [email protected].

Buyer’sGallery

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INCORPORATION SERVICES

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n 2009, photographer Katie Norris founded

Katie Norris Portrait Arts in Dallas. She loved

her work, particularly the process of captur-

ing stories for her clients. Wanting to share

her passion for storytelling with charitable

causes, she started researching volunteer

opportunities at photo-based nonprofits. As

she pored over her findings for a good fit, she

felt the inkling of an inspiration.

She could launch her own charitable ven-

ture and create an outlet to help people who

might not otherwise have a way to preserve

their memories.

While pondering her next steps, Norris

got a phone call from a distraught mother

whose child had just been diagnosed with a

brain tumor. She wanted his portrait made

before he started treatment. It was as if the

stars aligned: The timing was perfect and

provided inspiration for Norris to make her

charitable project a reality.

Norris founded the nonprofit Fotolan-

thropy in 2011. Its mission is to build a com-

munity of professional photographers who

use their cameras to tell the stories of families

and individuals facing a life crisis. She launched

a website, fotoanthropy.com, where people

can submit their stories. Fotolanthropy vol-

unteers review the submissions and select

the most inspiring to tell through a portrait

session. At no charge to them, the recipients

get a portrait session with a professional

photographer, publication of their story on

fotolanthropy.com, and a video of their ses-

sion slideshow. The organization selects

some of the stories for full video tributes.

These videos are professionally made mini

movies of their stories. Fotolanthropy is cur-

rently producing five to seven films a year

along with three to four portrait sessions per

month.

Fotolanthropy selects recipients solely

based on the energy of their stories. “We are

looking for any kind of inspiring story,” says

Norris. “We look for stories of people who

are at crossroads in their lives and choose to

persevere. We’re looking for that spark, for

people who have been through something

and are trying to make an impact on their

community.”

Fotolanthropy worked with a military

serviceman who lost his limbs while stationed

in Afghanistan and was learning to make a

new life after that traumatic event. Another

story was that of a couple who longed to have

children but could not, eventually fulfilling

their dream of becoming parents through

adoption. One Fotolanthropy family lost

their house in a fire and endeavored to

rebuild their life as a family.

Norris financed Fotolanthropy from her

own pocket until she developed a product

to fund the organization. Along with

Fotolanthropy’s director of operations,

Brooke Moore, Norris designed a leather

camera strap available in 13 trim colors.

The product, called Fotostrap, can be mono-

grammed for personalization or branding. All

proceeds from the sales fund Fotolanthropy.

The organization is adding support people

and photographers, and people interested in

being part of Fotolanthropy can apply to

become volunteers. Find more information

at fotolanthropy.com and fotostrap.com.


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.

Celebrating storiesKATIE NORRIS REVEALS THE INSPIRATIONAL

Share your good works experience with us by emailing Joan Sherwood at [email protected].

Image courtesy of Fotolanthropy

I

Moshe Zusman and Profoto D1.© Moshe Zusman

Profoto.com/US · 914 347 3300 Distributed by MAC Group

See Moshe in action at : Profoto.com/US/Zusman

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