I have always had a couple weird issues with CS4 with freezing upon opening and having to force quit to re open…..and one of my plug-ins causing a crash, the first time the program was re opened….that got annoying, I was just hoping it wasn’t a computer issue, but no performance issues in any other areas so I was betting it was a software bug, or should I say I was surely hoping it was LOL! It happened with OSX Leopard and Snow Leopard, but just gradually got more frequent. I knew eventually I would upgrade, as the upgrade prices are far lower than the initial Photoshop software you purchase…..and you lose your upgrade discount if you wait longer than 3 years to upgrade…..it’s been 2 years since getting CS4, so it was time anyway.

I got my CS5 upgrade, and adjusted my brushes and tool preferences, did a series of program closes and restarts, opened a bunch of images and realized the freeze and crash problem was gone….I was sooo relieved! I had one problem….I could not figure out how to bring my plug- ins into CS5, I even went into applications and selected the CS4 plug-in folder in the Photoshop preferences tab…..I called Adobe tech support. In the past I have had issues with their customer service, especially due to under staffing and frustrating outsourcing. This guy was in India, but really went above and beyond to help me. Part of the reason I hate outsourcing is the jobs that should be kept here go overseas to save a buck, and they often really do not have a vested interest in the customer satisfaction level the further down the line it gets. This rep told me they do not support third party plug-ins, but he would try to help me….really he never had to which makes it even more cool that he did. I had to select the 32 bit version for plug-ins to work….I told him thanks, and I don’t know why that wasn’t as obvious as a red fire truck to me before even calling. It’s nice they have someone like that who really cares.

I had a discussion with someone regarding the use of color on websites that sparked this article topic. Mine has had a black background for a couple years, mainly because I like the simplicity and elegance of it….black, gray, and white are neutral colors also, and help the photo capture more of the viewers’ attention, rather than flashy colors or other bells and whistles on the website. Gray may be the more popular color of the 3 I mentioned, but to me it’s a little drab. White is just too WHITE, harder on the eyes. Of course black with too white of a font, especially larger fonts, can be hard on the eyes as well. I was careful when setting up my website and this blog page, which was also black from day one, to keep the viewers’ eyes in mind. I did not chose the sharpest font or the brightest white that would cause too much of a contrast. Subtle but it makes a difference. A bit of trivia about the use of black, with photography, I wear a black dress shirt when shooting weddings or outdoor events, to give the subjects a place to rest their eyes from the sun etc.

Also, about color…..seeing the same color on a wall or in print is an entirely different thing than how it looks on a screen, for a website. For example….my bathroom is a soft light green that is a satin finish, looks very inviting on the wall…..but that same color for a website background could be eye bleach and way too distracting. The navigation menu, background color, logo / header, and galleries all have to work together style wise. I did some experimenting and changed the color scheme of both this blog and my website, to a subtle but inviting color, see what you think and let me know your thoughts.  It pays to be careful.  Some website backgrounds can cause the eye to see color casts from that background onto the images.

I guess it all varies, but I thought I’d share this interesting exchange I had with an out of town client when looking for  Nashville based photographer. He called me and stated that him and his wife would be coming to Nashville for a couple days to unwind, and stay at a historic hotel, and go to the Grand Ole Opry. Both were working professionals and needed a break, and wanted to have nice photos of them together captured in a journalistic way. A nice mix of intimate couple, candids while out and about, a few funny cliche vacation / tourist photos, in various locations. I really liked them and thought this assignment sounded fun and interesting, so I gladly accepted it. I asked him how he found me, I am always curious how different mediums of publicity are working for me. What he told me was very detailed and helpful, I definitely appreciated that!

He went on to say that he Googled Nashville photographers and Unique photographers in Nashville, and he saw me on page one (thankfully, because I had a lot of errors to fix in order to get good ranking) and he didn’t want to click on any of the ads. He liked that I used my name in my business and website title rather than something like “Butterfly wings photography” (only an example, I have no idea if a studio with that name exists around here, LOL) To them it just seemed more legit and personal to deal with someone who was an artist using their own name, and seemed more accountable to them as well. I’m sure results vary, and I’ve lost business to Butterfly Wings because I don’t have that catchy slogan as part of my business…..but it was interesting to hear him tell me that, I know I gained a quality client and it was nice to know I stood out amongst a sea of others for keeping it simple. Awesome!!

At the Factory in Franklin, next weekend, Sunday October 30 from 1-5 PM, and I will be one of the vendors on display there! If anyone local to Nashville would like free tickets, please let me know as soon as possible. I still have enough to admit about 20 people! Over 200 brides are expected, and there will be all kinds of wedding professionals with booths, from photographers of course, formalwear and gown makers (bridal dress fashion show as well), caterers, event planners, party and wedding decor, transportation, table and furniture, etc. I will be one of the six photographers there, if you decide to go, please stop by my booth and say hello! I’ve been scrambling for the past couple months getting prints and posters mounted for display, brochures and sale sheets, 2 sample wedding albums, and iPad slideshow ready, so the booth should look pretty cool! I’m excited about this, as this will be my first dedicated booth at any show, so I hope to see you there! Again, if you want tickets, I need to know by the 25th or 26th to allow time for postal delivery.

The best place to start is to know your demographic, and know your measurements, as well as requirements for different modeling genres. Also see if that matches up to your aspirations of modeling or acting. It’s going to be different here in Nashville than in larger markets like Los Angeles or New York, or even Miami. Those are some of the major U.S. hubs for fashion…..what we have here is a lot of commercial modeling and acting with our agencies….fashion is breaking it’s way in here but in no way matches the larger markets. What I mean about doing research, there’s no need to show up at an agency casting if you’re 5’3″ and are interested in fashion modeling. Fashion models have a very specific look. They are “human clothes hangers” when modeling….the females are 5’9″ and slender, and generally have sharp features, great skin a must. Pretty is irrelevant, you meet the criteria or you don’t. Commercial modeling is specific as well about proportions and facial structure, may vary by market so I don’t want to speak too generally. Commercial models are often more animated, 5’7″ or taller, and have jawline, nose, and eyes are important as well.

The best way to sniff out an agency is to get recommendations from their existing talent. There are ways to network these days, laziness is no excuse. Also contact the agency and ask when their open calls are, and attend. Listen. Learn how that agency works, percentage they take when they get you work, what is required for portfolio or headshots, what should be on your resume’ or bio, website maintenance fees (which are perfectly normal). Etc. Enrollment fees and expensive schools are a bunch of BS. If that’s what they’re about then I’d not consider that agency. Ask them how you fit in with their demographic. Go with your gut. A good agency stays busy, all the more need for them to be disorganized…..to me when they are flustered and disorganized, and non responsive that’s a bad sign.

And remember, pretty isn’t created equal. Pretty doesn’t earn you special entitlements. Don’t have an attitude or act like a diva……there are zillions of others who will quickly replace you. I’m urging you not to get taken by the above ploys……but do be prepared to invest in yourself, with wardrobe, hair and makeup stylists, photoshoots, website maintenance fees (to keep profile updated and listed, help pay for their website expenses), lithographs, etc. You fit their look or you don’t. Always consider acting even if you don’t fit in with their model requirements. Haste makes waste…..feel good about your choice and go in having done your research.

Sure, it’s something the bride gets from me as part of the package…..but that by itself as a final delivered product does not have enough value to even justify hiring a professional photographer for their wedding if nothing is done with it. It acts as one form of photo backup and storage as well as enables digital sharing as well as printing, so it’s a great part of the product. But my whole point is that it should not stop there, or the value of the wedding as well as the value of the wedding photographer’s work plummets. I know many people these days are feeling the pinch of the economy and are trying to carefully budget their expenses. I totally understand, and the answer isn’t always spending a ton more money….it’s about extra effort as well. The problem we face as photographers, are that many consumers think of a CD only wedding photography option is the most affordable, and it’s all they need. Well, that provides the vehicle but not the fuel. And to boot, there are many amateur photographers offering cheap wedding photography and they provide the CD, then brag about the value they are giving the client. I’m not upset at them, there are people that could never afford a pro and that’s the only option they have…..but it does make a professional photographer’s job more involved, as far as educating the client so they know the value of what they are really getting.

Many brides who only receive a CD have every intention of making an album, or even a regular photo album with wedding photos, or wall prints. Something to add to the richness of their wedding. In which case, chances are they posted their wedding photos on Facebook or other social networking site. Only for it to be old news in about a month. It’s hard for a bunch of 600 pixel high images to tell a story. So if you think about it, that couple paid for some very expensive Facebook photos…..and the value of that photographer’s work is in the interwebs abyss and in a sock drawer. I have seen some of my previous wedding customers have the files printed at some low priced online outfit or local pharmacy, etc. and the results are not flattering. The difference between a poor quality print and a real lab print can be huge. I saw a photo several years from a wedding I shot, they had printed one of those loss leader places that know nothing about making a quality print…the bride’s dress and arm had blown highlights and the paper was thin as toilet paper, I was in utter disgust inside. I remember printing that same image later myself and thankfully none of those problems existed…..but my whole point is that others will see the prints they made. The viewers may not pick up on what I saw, but if they saw the difference between my lab and theirs, they’d easily tell. This is why I make it a point to offer quality prints at a reasonable price for my customers, and show them those comparisons.

The problem is not only the customer’s choice of printer, but them never getting around to it….largely because of not knowing how to color manage for print or album, crop or size to fit, etc. that is all required for printing or album design. That’s what my job is…..it’s done best if I am allowed to finish the story. Even if any of my brides are crafty and want to design their own album or make their own prints, they receive some education from me and see the benchmark they would want for themselves. Even if a formal album is not in the customer’s budget, this is another reason I offer packages that include a certain number of prints they select, of various sizes. This way they do not need to worry about the hassles of cropping and printing, or worrying about the quality….I take care of it all for them. And with them, they can at least put some in their own album or place some on their bureaus, or larger prints on their walls…..if they do not go with a custom album, at least they have something of substance and quality to look at….and something to show others. All for several lifetimes, with printing done properly. In the event the customer opts out of the prints and wants credit towards an album or they take advantage of the prints in the package, they have something that has better presentation value than digital files alone…..with those options offered, that leaves good options with good value for everyone!

One thing I’ve always liked about Nashville is that you just never know who you meet, what they are involved in. Or by looking at a place from the street, you NEVER know what is inside. I was asked by Ronnie’s management to go to the recording studio, Buck’s Place in Hendersonville TN. and shoot some more edgy photos of Ronnie and his friends and tour mates, all of whom have sung backup vocals for Elvis Presley or been one of his musicians. Nothing is a better solution than in their natural element, capturing that slice of life! The recording studio was fully equipped, I had no idea from the outside of the building what would be inside…..which made the experience all the more rewarding. It was very awesome to hear them all singing together, even Elvis songs, it was like I was at a private Elvis show, and I got to capture it on camera.

The recording studio information is here, the owner’s Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001276251811 and the email address is bucksplacerecording@comcast.net . So any musicians or singers out there that need a recording studio to use, talk to Buck! There has been some great music history recording there! This is certainly one of the coolest photos I have shot with Ronnie, more of the group to come in the future! Definitely the most energetic photos we have shot together to date! Also I would like to credit, and thank Gretchen Hilmers for the post production of the photo! http://www.g-tou.com/ is her website! I have been working with her for years and she rocks!

Over the Summer, I attended a professional photographers’ networking event about increasing opportunities for yourself, and giving your clients added value to the product you provide them. The speaker was a representative of www.collages.net which makes and designs custom wedding albums of different types, including leather, metal cover, coffee table, flush mount pages….all with photos directly printed on the page surface. I was so happy to learn about them….I had looked at other companies, and they were either ridiculously priced, or weren’t what I wanted, like the designs didn’t make sense to me or had too much wasted space to try to look “artsy”. With their design services, they offer an online proof slideshow that both the photographer, and the customer can see before approving the design, and making any necessary revisions.

The rep asked me if I wanted to sell more albums, and I said, yes, of course I would! Because couples show off albums to others they know, and are proud of them, and this in turn represents my work in the most flattering way! He asked me if I had finished sample albums to show clients. I was thinking to myself…..well DUH! If I want to offer that as a service to my clients, I have to have tangible examples for them to see. Now that I finally have an album company that displays my work how I want them to, and has very fair prices, as well as great quality and unique, trendy, modern albums, I can go forth with this! I ordered a semi traditional black leather 10×10 album, with 2 weddings combined, 10 spreads and about 45 photos. That one will have flush mount pages and semi lustre finish on the pages. The second album has a rustic metal cover album with a small centerpiece photo, distressed leather trim, satin finish matte pages, and is for my recent farm wedding that is not exactly traditional. Which is why I saw a great opportunity to make this as an album……to show people how I can capture the life and fun in a unique event. Therefore warranting a more edgy style album. This way people I meet with about weddings can see that not only can I capture the day’s events, but finish telling their story.

Some might say a professional is someone who is really good at what they do. Others might say it’s someone who makes an income doing what they do. Others will tell you it’s someone with a college degree who works in a white collar field. Maybe all of them are correct. However the last option I do not think is correct. So then, that would mean professionalism would mean conducting yourself in a manner that is becoming to someone who is successful in your field, whatever it might be. Right? I guess that’s my version of it. I was just thinking about this because when a customer reviews a vendor on Wedding Wire, where I am a featured member, there are star ratings and professionalism is one of the grading points.

With that said, part of what people could be grading you on is overall appearance, level of polish in your presentation, courtesy and ability to answer questions directly, being serious and focused when needed etc. But does that make one unprofessional when joking about something, especially if that laughter is used when making a particular photo? Even if it’s a little cheesy or lame? I guess it depends. With me as the prospective customer, I’ve met with people who have been very well polished and their presentation is very impressive, but I felt like they were SO “professional” that they weren’t even human, which was a turn off for me. Like I felt as if I was going to get hoodwinked somehow maybe. Or could someone with a slightly more modest personality and presentation still be equally or more professional, if they make people feel more comfortable and they are attentive to their clients needs? And not just focused on how impressive THEY are? I think it’s all a balance of how you treat your customers, how well you do your work, how organized you are, and have a clean appearance. If I was graded on professionalism based on having all kinds of power point presentations and bar graphs, etc. or keep a straight face all the time, I’d be one unprofessional dude, LOL! So for that reason I am glad this word has different definitions defined by each person, based on their overall experience with you.

Found a discussion about this on wedding wire in the pro forums….and actually I thought it was a good article. It may seem a little pretentious but after reading it through, a lot of it addresses basic common sense with customer relations skills. All of which any professional in any field has to stay on top of, even during frustrating times…..because  people do sense negative energy, especially brides who are planning their wedding! They know they have one shot to make the day right especially if not using a planner they trust. Here is the article she wrote. http://ht.ly/6Dbt3

Now let’s talk about that. She is right that as vendors have to qualify clients, they have to qualify vendors as well. With regards to style and quality of work, personality and willingness to work with them, enthusiasm, communication, rate / budget compatibility, etc. Some vendors may think she sounds bossy and demanding, and even arrogant. I personally would appreciate her attention to detail and open communication….and making her best effort to be an educated consumer! I’d much rather have someone like that, than someone who wants all those things, and has a budget of zero, LOL! At least you know where you stand and what she will want. And it’s more likely someone like her will have a better organized wedding than someone who is spotty in communication. I’m sure many wedding photographers would second me on that!I encourage my brides to ask questions.

Now then, it also works both ways. Anyone who is detail oriented I will definitely invest time in and be enthusiastic about working with. Hopefully the fact that this article is coming from another bride will make some other brides stop to think about their own communication skills. Sending a one sentence email to photographers, caterers, etc. asking how much, does not give us give us enough information to provide an accurate quote. It’s all overwhelming and they want to make sure they can afford a person before investing too much time, I get it. But with an email like that, I answer them with the same professional courtesy as anyone else, but I need more information about their wedding before I can quote a price. My first thought is something like, if price is your only concern, you aren’t going to hire me anyhow, but rather one of the Craigslist Uncle Bobs with a camera. It screams socially inept and disorganized. And I seldom hear back from those people, even if I send a pdf package sheet as a starting point, which is what they asked for. So yes, that article has great information, but professionalism, attention to detail, communication and follow up are a 2 way street.

I have an old Yashica twin lens medium format, which you look down into the focusing hood to compose and focus your image, rather than a traditional viewfinder. With my 6×6 frame, it’s a larger square area than a traditional viewfinder. It has focusing grids that look like a tic tac toe board, used as a selective focus guide, and it looks like this pictured below.

Of course when manually focusing, you adjust the focus until the focal area of your subject matter is in focus. That grid helps you separate the different aspects of the image to select the right focus point. But it also has helped me frame my images better. If you know the rules of thirds composition “rules” as explained here…..you can easily make the connection between this focusing grid and dividing the image. http://www.silverlight.co.uk/tutorials/compose_expose/thirds.html I’m not saying you have to shoot film to master composition or learn how to properly focus an image, but it definitely helps you master the basics before spraying and praying away with digital…..it’s better to put some thought into what you are doing rather than have 2000 images to sort through and a few dubiously turn out, LOL! I think you can buy viewfinder inserts with the grid but it’s not really necessary in my opinion…..but working with this type of camera or just imagining your photo before taking it, will help reduce compositional errors. This is old and simple, but it will always apply.