This past week I had the pleasure of attending a photographer’s get together, with a speaker from www.collages.net , a company that makes wedding albums and prints, and lots of other services available to professional wedding photographers. It was an honor to be invited to this small group, with some of the finest wedding photographers in TWESA, as well as the Nashville area. The speaker addressed how to stay successful in the business of photography…..and really it’s not much different from business in general. The most unhealthy thing you can do when running a business is to get complacent and not be willing to change how you do things, how you advertise, utilize social media, etc. In my time in business, I have changed things SO much, to use available tools to help my business, and overall how I do things. BUT what counts has not changed. The quality of the product I offer, and the service I provide my clients. I will address some of the key points this speaker made.

Thinking outside the box and being creative, in how you gain new clientele is important. He also discussed the importance of an online presence. This does not take the place of face to face or local presence, but is necessary these days to meet new faces, and for people to learn about you. Most everyone in the room, as well as the speaker did not live in a generation where we had to know every time our friends were taking a whiz….as the speaker worded it, LOL! But today, they do want to know. Maybe not that topic specifically. The use of social networks and search engines, blogging, and engaging your audience are necessary to doing business these days. It leaves less time to do your actual job, which is another reason we shouldn’t be working for peanuts LOL.

There are more photographers surfacing every day…..so it’s important to keep changing with the times and keep up with the public demands….and as he referred to creating opportunities for ourselves, as the blue ocean. What represents your company / studio image are many factors. Quality of work, advertising and marketing, branding, presentation materials including prints, studio appearance, personal appearance / dress, how we stay in touch with our customers, using creative deals that are still lucrative for us…..the list goes on. In short, knowing how to do the craft and run it as a business are two different entities…..and networking with other professionals, as well as being receptive to change and improvement are all key.

I really wish I did this long ago, I think the setup costs will be recovered in a reasonable amount of time. This will be especially handy for weddings and portrait sessions! Part of my wedding packages include the disc of the finished, retouched photos along with prints etc. Most brides want that, so they don’t have to look through proof galleries and do different things with them, like social networks, some design their own albums etc. I always explain that cropping is needed for certain print sizes, and that’s the reason I include a certain number of prints in my new package configurations…..because that way I handle the technical aspects, and I can be sure they get a quality print, and not some piece of crap from a pharmacy with tissue thin paper and ink that will fade in 5 years…..not to mention the possibility of color being off. So, the brides, and even portrait clients have the luxury of both mediums.

This will also serve another important purpose. For one, it provides extra traffic to my site. The family and guests of the bride and groom have a simple, direct way of viewing the photos from the wedding and having the option of purchasing prints, their choice of size, pay online or send a check, and the prints are delivered to their door. Parent albums or digital albums can also be requested. Another thing about this that the bride and groom will appreciate, is they don’t have parents, siblings, grandparents, and other wedding guests coming to them about seeing, or getting photos! They just spent the year before that planning this wedding and got back from their honeymoon, and are now trying to play catch up and financially recupe….and work on their new life. This is why educating the client is necessary, that the disc itself is not the be all end all. Being middle person, especially lacking cropping, printing, and file preparation skills would be a very frustrating task to deal with for most…..especially when others are expecting them to do it for them as well! This saves all that, and cuts down on waiting for the family too…..simple and direct. Done. And no clean up for the client!

I finally caved, LOL. I was able to get a discounted price on a refurbished iPad 1 from the online Apple Store….so big deal, it doesn’t have a camera. I have those, haha. The main reason I got it is so I can have 3-g coverage and be able to accept credit and debit cards by using the Square app. Having 3g, for me is cheap since I won’t be using it for uploads and streaming, at least when not in my own wifi. And if meeting with a client, and receiving a deposit, I can run the transaction whether there is wifi or not. The cool thing is I am working a bridal show at the factory, in October, so if I am able to book any at the show, I have a way to accept their card if need be. Also I can check and respond to email on the go, and not worry about wifi. Getting an anywhere network card for the laptop and a phone line is an expensive proposition. This is a good alternate. It’s the apps that make for successful tools for personal and business / organization, which I am slowly learning lol.

My main workstation is a Mac Pro desktop, and I also have a Macbook pro for travel and on location shoots / uploading, and proofing. The iPad will do many things the laptop will……but in no way can it replace it in my opinion. The touch screen is neat, and so are the features of the iPad but any detailed email response or anything like that would get annoying for me without the laptop. But the photo slideshow apps are neat, and will make a good take anywhere portfolio, screen resolution is great! No, it does not take the place of prints. But it’s a nice compliment. This way, when meeting with a wedding client about me providing wedding photography for them, I can show them how my work prints out, as well as a digital slideshow with more images for them to see. And it’s all very portable and neat. I know you can sign contracts with it etc. but I want paper and ink for that. Neat, useful device.

www.yelp.com is a site where people review different establishments and share their experiences…..mostly restaurants and entertainment venues, but also my own business and other Nashville photographers, retail stores / other types of businesses. I go on there occasionally after trying a new place and give a review with some detail. I try to do it soon after while it’s fresh in my mind. It’s country wide, and even covers some other countries, like the U.K……As a small business owner, knowing my customers’ level of satisfaction is vital…..and I don’t settle for less than excellent. So, it not only helps business owners and managers know what they are doing right, and what they need to improve on, to please their customers the best possible. But it also helps educate other consumers. That’s right, with the internet and sites like Yelp, it gives us all a voice.

Times are tight now with a lot of people, so people are doing what they can to be more careful and responsible with their money, and researching who they do business with, as they should. This helps keep businesses honest, and the public knowing that their feedback matters. No one’s too busy to take a moment to share their thoughts about who they do business with…..that feedback could eventually be the difference between the business succeeding or not…..as well as keep it a consumers’ market.  Especially small business…..let your voice be heard and offer your support at the same time. I just started my Yelp business page, we’re off to a good start! http://www.yelp.com/biz/jay-farrell-photography-nashville

In the film days, it was the only way to see the finished product of what you shot, unless you had a slide projector…..one nice thing about digital photography is you can print what you want, and photo sharing is possible now. All of which is wonderful! BUT BUT BUT…..many people, especially those who never grew up with film are forgetting some key reasons that prints are still very important. Granted, there isn’t a need for as many prints, you only print the best photos you want to showcase. Digital media was never meant to take the place of prints…..only make printing selective. For one thing, digital media used as sole backup source is unreliable and short term. How many parents have you heard about that lost every photo of their young children because of a virus or hard drive crash? They knew better but didn’t think it would happen to them…..most of us grew up looking at photo albums of some sort, and I don’t think life would be the same without them. So, if those people printed their favorites, it not only preserves those moments, but serves as another form of backup!

We’ve talked about safe backup here before…..always back up photos to disc, as well as external hard drive…..the key is redundancy. If one fails, you have the other. Separate locations for storage like bank safe boxes are also wise, in case of flood or fire. I personally keep discs at home, as well as hard drives, and have backup hard drives at the bank, and as I shoot, I pick up the drives at the bank and place the new material on it…..helps keep the drive active too. And every few years I will replace them. And of course my very best work is printed. Prints really show more depth in a photo than a digital version. Especially printing large, which many people don’t think about doing anymore. Many portrait and wedding photographer colleagues say their print sales are down, even for weddings. I can’t understand hiring a wedding photographer and not wanting prints, or getting crappy quality prints at the drug store. Sure, digital sharing is nice, but it’s not forever. Plus, something has to fill the top of desks, bureaus, tables, etc. And the walls! It’s hardly feasible to hang iPads on the wall to display photos….quite an expensive method, LOL! Right now, I am looking at this matted 11×14 print right above my desk……and how the print really makes that photo pop! So, hopefully what you’ll take from this, is that digital media reduces the need for printing, but the photos that mean the most to you should still be printed, for several reasons stated. Enjoy!

I had the pleasure last week of meeting a local, well established Nashville photographer, Martin O’Connor. We met at Village Pub in Riverside village to talk shop about fine art photography and wedding photography, and overall industry discussion. It was very interesting, and it’s nice to know some other photographers who aren’t afraid to network with one another! I always feel very inspired after a stimulating photography discussion, or critique session (which we had not done the latter yet lol) There are some key points that we agree on….one being that many trends develop, especially certain Photoshop methods, like over saturating, attempts at HDR, adding graphics to a photo, selective color, etc. But the thing about trends is that they come and go. I’m not saying it’s wrong to do that just because it’s not my preference…..I am simply giving reasons for my preference.

Photoshop is a wonderful tool to fix flaws, and do good black and white work, even some work on color to command a greater presence to the image…..but both of us agreed that you have to start with a good photo. Everyone’s view will be different about where you draw the line between photography and digital art…..and who knows about future trends. But the key elements that make a successful photograph are composition, lighting / use of available light, black and white contrast and tones, most effective use of color, mood, energy, and textures. All of which represents good clean photography, which has proven to never go out of style. That doesn’t mean that no Photoshop can be used for this style of photography, but it does mean that it does enhance a photograph that stands on it’s own. It pays to be a disciplined shooter and think about your framing, and the other key factors while shooting…..quality over quantity. Clean does not mean plain or boring, if done properly! It’s nice that many people still appreciate the classic way. Martin made a great point about true photography being timeless, and consistency is what makes you recognizable. Martin’s website is here, I hope you enjoy looking at his work as well! www.martinoconnorphoto.com

This isn’t a surprise to most people, but not everyone understands the reasoning behind it, so we’ll touch on it here. We already discussed the wedding photography contract and how it protects the interest of both parties…..this topic goes hand in hand. First, I’ll tell you why it secures the interest of the bride. Upon singing the contract and paying the deposit, (50% required for me, to book the wedding) this guarantees the service will be rendered, on the bride’s wedding date……this reserves the day, and the photographer will not book anything else for that day, no matter what other opportunity comes available.

Now then, this really covers the photographer. I’m a wedding photographer, and can tell you that a good amount of time is spent planning and discussing details with the bride and / or planner before the wedding, and my day is reserved for them…..meaning if I book a wedding for that date, even if I have the chance to shoot a larger or more lucrative wedding for that day, I am under contract to perform for the other people, and cannot accept that booking, and would refer to one of my respected colleagues. I can’t make that kind of commitment with no commitment on the client’s end. It’s the same concept as earnest money when making an offer on a house. Nothing says serious offer like money does. It also deters changes of date, and other things that could ruin other opportunities for the photographer. With a contract and money invested, it’s amazing how people stick to the plan and there is no goofy wishy washy crap like there often is with “verbal agreements” . Simply not going to cut it. This way, everyone is sure, and plans are finalized…..no one wastes their time and business is done as it should be. Yay!

Yes, we’re talking a paperback, written by a scholar and first time author…..if you are interested in reading motivational or strategic books, and supporting local artists, I encourage you to have a look at this book written by Edgar Cole. It’s called “From No Collar To A White Collar”. The book teaches how to make a business plan and it tells you how real people, featured in the book went from nothing, to successful business people. All different businesses and walks of life. They all have one thing in common……independent hustle! You can find the book here https://www.createspace.com/3618777 and later will be marketed on Amazon.com and in local book stores…..hopefully larger retail chains as time goes. The photos are of the success stories, which are very inspirational. Also random objects and places that correspond with the topic being discussed in the book. I’m excited for Edgar, and to be a part of this project. It feels good to have my work exclusively involved with this project.

In a perfect world, a handshake is good enough. But as I have said in other articles, weddings are a high risk, can’t be done over, very important event! The contract should do these things….state the liabilities of the photographer and obligations to the client. This protects both sides. It also acts as a receipt of payment for the client, when securing the services of the photographer with deposit(s) prior to the wedding. It’s not a matter of distrust, but it’s smart business for both the provider and the client. The contract should be airtight, but not unnecessarily long, or overly difficult to understand. It’s not only a guarantee that the client will pay for the services as agreed in the contract, and the photographer will provide the service stated, so this is how both parties benefit.

In my contract, dates, times, locations and time booked are all part of the contract, for both the wedding day and bridal photo session if applicable. Also the payment/ deposit received, my liabilities, limitations of liability due to acts of God, guest interference hindering me from doing the job I was hired to do, products to be delivered and time frame, etc. A wedding photography contract is a must for any professional wedding photographer, it spells everything out and protects their business and it’s assets. The client should have a copy for their records. Weddings are stressful and very exciting at the same time for brides, even if they have a planner…..most don’t just relax because they want everything to go right……so in the time of emotions and busy planning time at an all time high, written legal documentation also prevents misunderstandings and he said she said, etc. It also raises the customer’s perceived value of the vendor, when being thorough and businesslike.

I wrap a lot of things in foil when I grill, for 2 reasons. Saves clean up and keeps it contained…..and also the food steams inside the packet and helps it cook faster. Vegetable medleys that contain any or all of the following, Broccoli, zucchini, squash, carrots, string beans, sugar snap or snow peas, etc. do well in foil packets, lightly coated with butter or oil and spice to taste, like with garlic, soy or teriyaki sauce, dill seasoning, etc. In fact in the photo below, the packet to the left had sugar snap peas and carrots……I coated with a little butter and soy sauce, salt and pepper and a small amount of dill seasoning….was quite yummy. Montreal spicy steak seasoning is a nice touch for veggies if you like it a little hot.

One thing I enjoy cooking direct on grill, are spears of zucchini and squash, lightly coated with vegetable or olive oil, and sprinkled with moderate amount of the aforementioned Montreal Spicy Steak Seasoning……cooked slightly au dente, just a slight amount of chew but mostly cooked…..enough to have nice grill marks, and a little spicy bite to it.

Corn on the cob, I find works best as is, in husk directly on grill….and it takes 15 minutes or less to cook. Assuming you don’t like it mushy, which isn’t my preference, LOL. This way, the corn steams inside the husk and the silk and husk peels off very easily, unlike the tedious task of husking and cleaning corn uncooked.

Baked potatoes can be done directly on grill if coated with butter or oil, to prevent burning…..a couple sets of fork holes poked recommended. Direct cooking will take a little longer but the skin will be crispier…..I usually wrap them in foil, and it still adds a nice roasted flavor and texture. Still needs to be coated so skin doesn’t burn. You can get creative with spices and toppings if desired. Those little red potatoes are delicious as well, and they can be cooked together in foil too…..the nice thing about them, is they cook faster than regular sized baked potatoes, and the sweetness is really pleasant. Some olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper on those red potatoes make for a delicious dining experience! Please let me know if you enjoy the grilling talk, I will sneak one in periodically if so!!

Just for a few of my favorites…..as far as hot dogs or sausages I prefer beef as opposed to turkey products. My specialty is my hamburgers, it’s all about what you put in them, which makes them stand out more than those nasty frozen patties, LOL! Quantity depends on amount of meat…. in a large bowl, I mix the meat with 1 or 2 raw eggs to moisten, crushed saltine crackers to help bind the meat (or homemade bread crumbs are good) worcestershire sauce, chopped onion, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, and maybe a few dashes of hot sauce. With this mixture, I don’t notice puffing which I have heard some complain about. When nearly done, it’s even good to rub some bbq sauce mixed with teriyaki brushed on the burgers…..allow a little time to caramelize and top with your favorite cheese. A great side is a grilled onion….the longer you cook it, the better. Take one whole onion, peel it and cut the top off, and cut it about 1/3 to 1/2 way down in quarters, and poke top with knife. Coat the top with some butter substitute, salt and pepper, and a couple dashes of worcestershire sauce, and wrap tightly in foil…..place on grill even slightly before starting burgers.

Whole chicken- move coals off to sides, and place foil bread pan in center. I also place wet hickory wood chips over coals a couple times throughout the cooking process to create a smoky flavor. Clean chicken and coat outside of it with olive oil or vegetable oil. Mix up some black pepper, ground mustard, paprika, ground cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and a little dill in a bowl, and rub on the chicken. Insert half full tall beer can in cavity, and place on grill, legs up. The steam from the beer helps cook and tenderize the meat, and use meat thermometer to check temp. Drippings go in pan and can make soup stock.

No clean up meal in a foil packet, for fish lovers- Make bed of rice, fry in wok and add egg and scallions, soy sauce, lower sodium recommended. Season to taste. Place bed of rice on large sheet of heavy duty foil. Coat fish (Tilapia, Orange Roughy, Flounder, etc.) with some mixture of white cooking wine, butter, black pepper and dill, and some cajun or jerk seasoning. Place fish on top of rice bed. Cut up your choice of veggies. Some suggestions are sweet pepper slices, broccoli florets, snow peas, cut carrots, and coat with same mixture. Place on and around fish….seal foil packet tightly. Place on grill and check with fork once you open corner of foil and you see steam come out. Once it flakes with fork it’s done. And you have a complete meal with no clean up, and little attending while on the grill. A good healthy solution that won’t take you away from your guests. Hope you’ve enjoyed. Below is a photo of burgers and polish sausage I cooked the other night. I’m not a product photographer, but more rather a portrait photographer, wedding photographer, and commercial photographer. But the fire and smoke creates some dynamic impact I must say….next I will discuss veggies and sides on the grill. I hope you enjoy the change of topic and that you’ve had a great 4th of July!

Grilling has always been one of my favorite things! I grew up around charcoal grills, but later it became more common for people to enjoy the convenience of gas, and I’ll be honest…..I was one of the people who went that route later too. Years ago, I went on vacation with my girlfriend at the time, and we rented a cabin in the mountains, they had a charcoal grill there. It took me a minute to re familiarize myself with it, LOL! But when I tasted the hamburgers and wondered WHY in the world I’d ever go to gas. She agreed. The first thing I did when I got home was to get a Weber kettle grill and some charcoal, all was right in the world again! Gas grills are fine, and many people like the convenience, but in my opinion, you cannot compare the taste. I mean, you DO run out of gas just like you do with charcoal, except it happens in the middle of your cookout. It’s fine for someone to prefer gas, but I find the myth of how difficult and time consuming charcoal is, to be exactly that…..a myth. Maybe some of the tips about starting charcoal will help.

Place in a pyramid shape, and squirt with lighter fluid, but make sure you get some inside the pile at the base, and not just the top. Let it sit for maybe 3 minutes and use a grill lighter to light. Usually about 20 minutes after that, coals are burning and mostly white, and are ready to stir with a stick or something, to evenly distribute, or cook indirectly and move coals off to side. Just a few moments later you’re ready to cook……when coals are white and flame has died down. If coals are started properly, there is never a need to re apply lighter fluid, and in fact it is quite dangerous to do so. Opening vents all the way allows the most air, and increases the heat…..close them some if you want to slow down the cooking or reduce flare up. Getting too much air with lid off can also cause flare ups and burnt meat. That’s why I leave the dome on. Oh, I have found the brand of lighter fluid doesn’t matter……but charcoal does. I never use anything besides Kingsford briquettes, ever. They work, and these days can get 2 big bags for 10-12 dollars. That goes a long way. Next article I will share some random recipes and food grilling techniques. I hope all of you enjoy your holiday and have some great grilling experiences yourselves! I hope you enjoy the shift of topic as well!! Shot with my backup Mark II body.

Now we’ve established in what situations, backup equipment is recommended or needed……and what features are important, or work together as far as primary / backup SLR body combination…….now it’s about keeping your backup equipment ready to use, and keeping you familiar with it. Anytime I am preparing for a shoot, especially on location and away from my studio, I charge batteries for both bodies, and all the batteries for my flashes and battery packs. For certain shoots, or fun events I attend, I’ll bring my backup Mark II to keep it being used, and keep myself familiar with the interface and the few little differences between it and my primary Mark III body…..this is very important, so I can adapt in faster paced environments such as weddings, events, and advertising shoots. Even if both cameras are exactly the same……it’s cool to give the primary more use……but letting the backup just sit in your camera bag and collect dust isn’t good for it. Exercising the batteries by using the camera, and charging when done, is better for the battery life of the camera as well, as opposed to letting it sit for long periods of time. The whole purpose of having backup equipment is to be able to depend on it, should the other fail. This was a fun random shot I took at Oktoberfest with my backup Mark II…..that dog needs to be famous LOL!