How To Get Your Foot In The Door

There is a question as old as time when it come to getting started... "How To Get Your Foot In The Door?" I think the worst part about this is so many people have no idea what door to go through or they attempt entering it but do it in the worst possible way. Today I am continuing what I look at as the planning stage for beginning your photography business and this bit is bullet point 3 of 4 or 5 when it comes to the planning of breaking into the photography industry. I have been having a lot of fun racking my brain from my start in the industry and there are thousands of small parts that have come together to make my journey what it was. How do we take that first step though? Well, there are literally hundreds of ways to start... I share a couple ways to avoid and the mindset you should be in to succeed. Although, assiting or getting your foot in the door is one part I really look at this as Building Your 2 Bags. 1 the knowledge and 2 the gear.

Happy Shooting!

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Greatest Game On Earth

Photo World last weeks Monday Message was all about having a social life... Well for me it was about not having a social life. I felt using my time for work now will pay off in the end and help me to find true success. There is nothing wrong with hard work nor long hours to keep focused in hopes to make your career advance or your business grow. However, we tend to over work and not actually achieve much.

For me I would not stop thinking about work, the emails I need to send, the images I must edit, the social media I need to update, or the marketing that needs to be done. That is just the short list when it comes to owning/running a small business. How do we find balance between our work and our social lives or time for the family? Well today's episode is all about how the Greatest Game On Earth saved me from myself and I still play today!

Happy Shooting!

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Harry Potter Gone Wrong

WARNING! Photo World Rob is mad today, or at least he starts out mad but anger can be a powerful tool. Let's see how this one wraps up. For now I can tell you why Harry Potter makes it into the episode and what is this ad for Nebraska all about. Well It started by accident more than anything else. A friend of mine who doesn't do much in the way of photography other than ask me to take the pictures for them from time to time, asked me "what is wrong with this picture". They were seriously wondering how a shot like this makes any sense and why it would be published. Well I don't know why or how it got published but I know my mind filled with rage over this Harry Potter sorting hat peaking in near center of the image take a Halloween spin in the midst of a camping trip. I do not know what magazine this was from, I have no idea who the photographer is, I can't tell you where they found their models, and I don't think this is a successful ad for Nebraska. However, I did learn a lot in a short time just letting the emotions run wild.

Happy Shooting!

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Show Me The Money

You have a business plan beginning but within that what about the money talk? What do you need for your new photography business? Are you a small operation and what would that really cost? How about buying used gear first to save a bundle? Is there a studio space needed or can this be done out of your home? What tax breaks are there for either the studio or even the home?

Knowing how much money you need for this endeavor is one thing, acquiring it is another. A recent study from the National Knowledge Commission shows that 63 percent of entrepreneurs “self-financed” (bplans.com). Not a bad deal... no loans to take out, maybe work and pay as you go, while building something bigger and better.

Start with the personal budget. How much do you need for your bills? The must haves vs the wants. Do you need all the cable channels? Will unlimited cell data be necessary in this wifi connected world? Driving a Mercedes may look good but would a Kia get you where you need to go with enough comfort? There is no shame is part time work on the side to help get things started. If a loan is right for you, what is the best way to go? Investors, a bank, credit bureau, private loan, family, friends, or will crowdfunding work? There are many of those I would steer clear of, almost all, but not all.

Happy Shooting!

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I Have No Social Life

Are you surprised by this title today Photo World? That I, mister: national speaker, podcaster, college instructor, wedding photographer, blogger, swimmer, and singer has no social life… something isn’t right in there. Well, this week I turn back to clock to a time where my future led my thinking and I didn’t see the point in living in the here and now. There are so many takeaways in this episode but a couple I didn’t mention deserved some focus here in the written word. My past was filled with the abnormal. What high schooler has no social life? I get to that but let me tell you… the one who was willing to lose every meaningful relationship. The one who felt the world was out to get him so why not be selfish now while I have the option. That same one who couldn’t accept change or cope well with his own fears. I have no social life when I look back but I have a ton in my past that shaped who I am today. In short I had no social life and now I love my social life.

Happy Shooting!

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All Eggs One Basket

This topic came to me in the form of an email I received asking about a particular memory card and a camera compatibility question as well. I took the liberty to question the memory card size and bring to light that you should not have all eggs one basket. They say to never place all of your eggs in one basket. Whoever "they" are... I feel the same way about not capturing all of your images on one memory card. There are a few things to consider when selecting your memory cards, price, Class, read speed, write speed, capacity, card type, version, etc. for instance: a common memory card type is an SDcard or Secured Digital Card, but there are SD cards, SDHC cards, SDXC cards; then you have Class 1, 2, 3, 4, ... 10. The higher the class the better the card (typically).

A short list of different memory cards:

• Secure Digital card (SD) (SDHC) (SDXC)
• MiniSD Card with an SD card adapter
• CompactFlash (CF-I) (CF-II)
• Memory Stick
• MultiMediaCard (MMC)
• SmartMedia
• xD-Picture Card
• XQD CompactFlash

Too many cards and too little time. Not really, just do your homework and research the card type and capacity your camera may support. Protecting your images should be a high priority and the cards these day are so stable you can get away with some crazy stuff but do yourself a favor and no not put all your eggs in one basket.

Happy Shooting!

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Business Plan

Make a clear path to the business

Summary – Business overview

Business Details – Brand, who, what, why, customer, location, key employees

Marketing & Sales Strategy – do your homework, target market and how you will sell to them

Management Team & Personnel – is it just you or are you building a team, your and their credentials

Setup – what space do you need? Store front, studio space, or can you run it out of your home. Management systems and IT

Financial Plan & Projections – translate the plan to numbers. Is this viable, will it grow and support growth?

K.I.S.S. – Keep It Super Simple. Be real and honest. Creative to set yourself apart. This happens over time however the earlier you address it the sooner you find sustainable business operations.

There is no rule on how to make a business plan and especially this falls apart for most new photographers because they just want to take pictures. However, if you can prepare yourself for a better beginning, imagine how well you will do toward your middle. A business plan is great way to get the thoughts onto paper and also bring those thoughts to others to review. If you think showing your work is a scary critique, make a business plan and show it around.

Happy Shooting!

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Is Hard Work Worth It

Photo World, I would like to straight forwardly ask you: Is Hard Work Worth It?

I don't know the best answer for this question but I did come across a quote I think offers an unclear and helpful answer...

"Hard work is only worth it in the right conditions." Francis Underwood - House of Cards writers would be a better credit here. Ever hear of the 80/20 rule? Now, that is a great example of the worth while portions of our work. The 80/20 rule is easy enough to understand and perhaps I will do an episode with my take on the rule, but for today I am more focused on mutual beneficial relationships and how we need to be careful with our business so our hard work is worth it and we are not taken for a ride being used because of our passion. In the early stages of business everyone is just trying to get their foot in the door and so many are taken advantage of because of this. We need to understand how free can be okay but only in the right conditions.

Happy Shooting!

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How to Charge

So you see "How to Charge" and many would assume I am trying to say how much to charge. I have touched upon that subject in the past and I am sure it will come up in the future. For now I am speaking about the actual payment transaction possibilities we see in our businesses today. Have you ever had a questions and then thought... "Maybe there is an app for that." a quick search later you find many apps out there filling in the blanks of your original question. Well, I had a similar question a couple years ago about payment options for my clients. I wanted to offer as many convenient choices as possible and most of all I wanted to retain as much of the money as possible. An easy way to go would be asking for a personal check. It is no additional coast for them do write a check and I do not need to accept less than the amount due because there are no fees for depositing and/or cashing a check. Credit Cards come at a cost but may be even easier for your clients. Listen to this episode for a more in depth look into this topic.

Happy Shooting!

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Giles Harrison - Chase The Fun

Giles is the Founder of London Entertainment Group based in Los Angeles, California. It is a full service agency focusing on News, Events, Celebrities, and Pop Culture. You may have seen him recently featured on the latest Jimmy Dean commercial. Since then the Blogosphere has been blowing up with Giles and his work. Being featured on TV is only a drop in the bucket from his over 17 years, as a journalist and the one million plus photos he has captured during that time.

Giles has taken over a million photos and had his pictures appear in hundreds major magazine, newspapers and web sites. London Entertainment, the agency he built from the ground up, has grown into one of the biggest producers of professional image in the world, syndicating over 1000 images each month. Giles himself is today one of the biggest earning photographers in the business.

Under Giles’ direction, London covers a wide range of events including: the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, Grammys, Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, World Music Awards, Coachella Music Festival, Stage Coach Music Festival and the Democratic National Convention. Sports is another specialty Giles is proud to cover through London with regular coverage of NFL, NBA, MLB, and Major League Soccer, in addition to World Cup and the Superbowl.

Giles was trained by Fleet Street veterans after studying photo journalism and political science at California State University Northridge. Starting out as a video photographer, he provided breaking news footage to top entertainment news shows like Hard Copy, Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, and Extra.

Giles has appeared as an expert on celebrities and pop culture on tv shows like Tyra Banks, Access Hollywood, GMTV (UK), and Today/Tonight (Australia). He has also been featured by Stuff Magazine, Radar, Venice Magazine, and in a popular series of ads for NBC News in Los Angeles called “I Am LA”.

London Entertainment is so revered amongst its peers that a rival agency head was once quoted in GQ saying of Giles “I hate his #@*% guts, but he’s the best celebrity spotter I’ve ever seen!.”

Happy Shooting!

W: londonentertainmentgroup.com

Blog: tmi.buzz

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Never Wrong - episode 192

Photo World "You are never wrong to do the right thing." - Mark Twain

That seems like a straight forward quote that wouldn't require much explaining. Come on Photo World what kind of podcaster would I be if I couldn't fill up at least 15 minutes over one seemingly simple quote. I can tell you it is the little things that count, therefore the most meaningful things come to us in a simple way; such as a 9 word phrase. In this episode I pull off of my experience as of today. That's right what I know and the many times I have been wrong to find and understand how to be right. Right is a hard word to understand sometimes and so many hot topics are blown out of proportion over the idea of "right". I like to say: logic will never fail me, so long as I am right. It is in my logic I try to do right by mu customers and right by my business.

Happy Shooting!

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Jay Dickman - The Electricity

My words would do little to introduce this man. I have seen many of his images over the years and hadn't know his name til recently. Photo World this is the episode to listen to... It will not disappoint. On a more personal note: This opportunity to speak to Jay as well as so many other great photographers I have interviewed is the reason I continue to do what I do, and bring a part of their stories to you Photo World!
Jay Dickman A Pulitzer-Prize winner and National Geographic Photographer, Jay’s career has spanned a multitude of experiences, including three months living in a stone-age village in Papua New Guinea, a week under the Arctic ice in a nuclear attack sub (both these for National Geographic), and aboard a sinking boat on the Amazon. With more than twenty-five assignments for the National Geographic Society, Jay has taught workshops for Santa Fe Workshops, the Maine Media Workshops, Photography at the Summit and American Photo Mentor Series. Jay and his wife, Becky, are founders of the FirstLight Workshop series, having hosted workshops in Italy, Spain, Scotland, France, the Chesapeake, and Wyoming. Working with National Geographic Expeditions, Jay has been on more than 40 trips as the “National Geographic Expert.” These have included several of the" Around the World by Private Jet" Expeditions, Central & South America by Private Jet, trips to Svalbard and the High Arctic, Cape of Norway, British Isles, Dalmatian Coast, the West Coast of Africa along with multiple trips to South Georgia/Falklands/Antarctica, Baja and the Galapagos Islands. Jay has led the National Geographic "Wyoming's Cowboy Country" Photography Workshop since it's inception in 2013. His input and design for the workshop was critical to its success As a working pro, Jay is an Olympus Visionary, a Lexar Elite Photographer and an HP Prestigious Photographer, using the latest technology from these companies-for backup and storage, Jay uses state of the art equipment from CRU-Dataport. Jay is co-author of the best-selling book, “Perfect Digital Photography”, published by McGraw-Hill. Jay is proudly sponsored by: Happy Shooting!

W: jaydickman.net

Blog: firstlightworkshop.com/wheres-jay

Workshops: firstlightworkshop.com

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Battery Power

I sometime talk about gear like I had with the what's in my bag series and I even got specific about the AA and AAA batteries I prefer. Well camera batteries seem like a conversation most people just don't have all that much. I was thinking back over the cameras I had and currently have and looked over my choices for batteries. Name brand Nikon or third party like a trusted Promaster, or even the no name brand that fits and powers. This episode is not in depth on the tech side because I haven't done that much research on the subject other than for my own use. So that is the episode you get today; my experience and my thoughts as I reflect on this  quiet subject. Ultimately, this topic comes down to preference, reliability, price, and trial 'n' error. As I grow in my own career I find price becomes less of a deciding factor and reliability mixed with preference take the forefront of the decision making process. When I talked about the AA and AAA I mentioned there are too many options camera batteries, not so much.

Happy Shooting!

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Think Before You Speak

Life's a little easier when you Think Before You Speak... Photography is much better when you Think Before You Shoot. Basically I am saying Don't "RUN & GUN"! So many photographers new and seasoned over shoot and aim carelessly. Now I know I am not always capturing an amazing work of art every time I release the shutter but I can say with some confidence that I take that split second where a picture is made very seriously. I want my frame to be meaningful and thought out, regardless of the meter's suggestion I want my exposure to really count, and I want the moment I am capturing to matter. Some days I feel my brain on overload working hard to continually care about each image. However, this is totally worth it. So many photogs out there say "I can fix it in Photoshop"; isn't that just a waste of time? Fixing it in Photoshop is not a great solution. Spend the time (you already have) in creating a great image so you don't have to waste time "fixing" a bad one just to have something okay.

Happy Shooting!

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Shoot Some Video

We have such advanced tools in our hands and most of the photographers out there only use about 1/3 the amount of functions their cameras have. You could double your use if you just add some video work into the mix. Okay maybe not double because you wouldn't really use this function at 50% as our skill for stills is the main priority within our businesses. However, what if you could increase your business revenue by 10% with only adding 3-5% more work to your usual gigs? You would do that in a heart beat right? I know I would and now I do. By informing your clients why they need some B-roll video capture you can up-sell your products fast. I am not a videographer and I am not really interested in becoming one but if I can do just a tad more on a wedding day and squeeze another 10% that's not a bad day. Also it is a way for he client to save a bit because they may be satisfied with just some video and not the whole days worth. Besides Videograpohers are always stepping into my frame and bumping into me. Most seem to be ill mannered and I always stay professional. I know it sounds like I am telling you to cut into the videographer business out there but you really aren't... you are offering a bit more than what you normally do and a videographer could do the same with stills. No matter what people get what they pay for so I say practice then try to sell it. Don't learn on their money.

Happy Shooting!

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Mileage

When you run a small business every bit counts. It could be saving a buck on a few ting here and there or spotting a great deal on a new piece of gear. It is all about making money doing what we love and not spending too much trying to get there. Well there are many business tricks to consider for not spending as much as we could or saving once in a while. One way we get financial breaks it through our taxes. You and I can have very different views about taxes or the way the government performs taxation but the truth is there are options for us to save some money through tax breaks. One major saver is our Mileage. So many small business owners do not track their miles for every bit that goes into their small business. YOU NEED TO! Those miles add up. I did something like 12,000 miles last year for my business and the number climbs each year as more and more work comes my way. Just like almost everything else there is an app for that.

Here are a few to look into:

Auto Miles

Mileage Log+

klicks

Triplog

TrackMyDrive

MileGuru

BizXpenseTracker 

Easy Logbook

MileWiz

Hurdlr

MileBug 

Everlance

SherpaShare Mileage/Expense Tracker

MileIQ

GPS Mileage Tracker

Fuel buddy

Stride Drive

MetroMile’s

TaxMileage

Happy Shooting!

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FAIL

So the past few weeks have been focusing on acronyms such as: N.O. for Next Opportunity and E.N.D. for Effort Never Dies. This week is all about one of my favorite questions to ask in interviews and that is Fail! Now I did not come up with any of these three acronyms. Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam; 11th president of India, is quoted for each of these three. In the spirit of Failing I share a big failing story where I almost ruined someones wedding in 2014. I can honestly say this was the biggest failure I have ever encountered in my professional career. If I discuss my personal live this episode would never end. That's not sad at all...

There are enough horrible things going on in our lives and throughout the world that it is helpful to a shift your perspective form negative to positive and these acronyms have been a huge help to me over the past year or so. I know that even with all the failure I have plenty left to learn and I look forward to my future mistakes.

Happy Shooting!

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Davin Lavikka - The Alternative Processes

Davin is a Fine Art and Commercial Photographer based in Scottsdale Arizona. You may know Davin from his YouTube channel filled with instructional videos on all things photography. From understanding gear to learning on how to be better prepared on your next shoot.

Davin Lavikka is a photographer and artist in Scottsdale Arizona. Photography is his primary tool and has been for the last fifteen years. He is known for his architectural and commercial work but has become known for his fine art photography first. He is influenced by early masters like Eugene Atget, W. Eugene Smith, Diane Arbus, Walker Evens, Ansel Adams, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Horst P. Horst, Ernst Haas, Herbert Bayer, Jacques Henri Lartigue and Edward Weston. From the very beginning Davin has been a visionary translating his ideas into a physical form through drawing, painting, illustrating and photography. Davin's ultimate goal is to fully explore the artistic side of photography through alternative processes and ideas. He is fascinated with visual composition and how we react to it. "You can look at a master painter's work like Marcus Pierson, Philip Curtis or Van Gogh, see a painting they did and automatically know it was them. It's harder to do that with photography but that's the goal, to see identify me without knowing the work."

Happy Shooting!

W: http://www.lavikkaphotography.com/

http://www.dxomark.com/

http://www.photozone.de/

http://www.method-wedding-photography.com/ 

Blog: http://www.lavikkaphotography.com/blog 

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Mark Wallace - Change Humanity

A friend of mine introduced me to Mark's YouTube channel and his work in 2010 or so and I have been wanting to get him on the show for a long time now. after a couple quick emails he was game and I am so glad. I could not be more pleased with the conversation, the value, and the inspiration Mark has shared with me and you Photo World. Give it a listen but definitely watch his videos for Adorama TV

Mark Wallace is a photographer based in the United States. Best known for his web-based video series “Digital Photography One on One” and “Exploring Photography” sponsored by Adorama.

Millions of people have watched Mark’s videos on YouTube, and the numbers continue to grow. Mark has a strong social media following on Facebook and Twitter, where he spends time interacting with viewers and workshop attendees.

In 2014, Mark left the United States to embark on a 2 year worldwide adventure. He visited 28 countries and captured thousands of unique photographs across the globe.

In 2016 Mark decided to give up planes, trains, and automobiles and is now exploring the world on his motorcycle.

Happy Shooting!

Adorama: http://www.adorama.com/alc/tags/mark-wallace

W: http://www.markwallacephotography.com/

Blog: http://www.markonabike.com/

http://blog.snapfactory.com/

Workshops: http://classes.snapfactory.com/

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Overcoming END!

Job, relationships, projects, motivation, and power... thing end. Just like the ones listed here or maybe something you are thinking about, one way or another, there is an end to it. Sometimes and ending comes about when it is unexpected or inconvenient and we can feel lost or afraid about what we may need to do to overcome that end. It is amazing how our perspective can be a solution to most any problem and when we talk about the ends of things that same mind shift can be the help we are looking for. Rather than throwing in the towel and accepting the end, we can give the future a chance to thrive with the idea that E.N.D. is really "Effort Never Dies". There is something to be said about not giving up. However, before I get deep into this topic and the idea that we should always strive to keep going. Let me be clear that an ending may be the right solution to that job, relationship, project, motivation, etc.

My real thought process here is that we can think positively and take our learning with us. When I was younger with part time jobs I would see things coming to an end. It may have been the people were not great to be around or the money wasn't enough/I found a possible new job with higher pay, whatever it was, I always had a plan. I always made the effort to continue and move on, grow, and  in my mind continually succeed. I have mentioned in past episodes that I had something like 16 or more jobs before I finished college. I sound like a flake but it was just meticulous planning for what is next and how to always overcome the ends.

Happy Shooting!

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Whats In My Bag part 17

I'm still on this kick of photo gear and breaking down my equipment list. I have to say it is amazing what you can do even when you do not have all the gear you dream of. I have wants of an 85mm f1.5 prime as well as a 200-400mm f4. If I had an extra 9k laying around I would get those lenses. I have had a dream list of gear since the day I realized I love photography. After 7 years I am happy to say that list is almost completely checked off. However, with the advances in technology I find myself always adding and updating the list. I am sure many of you have this process of wants and building up your gear and then wanting something new. Well today's Whats In My Bag episode features the gear that puts the gear envy to rest.

LIGHTING! I'm talking about the Paul C. Buff AlienBees B1600. I have three of these studio strobes and a vagabond mini to give me power on the go. Having the right light will extend the life of any camera, automatically improve the possibility of any lens, and teach you to be a better photographer. I rave about my light because these are what make the shots.

Happy Shooting!

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Get It Right In Camera

Photo World, this fast paced digital age we live in has really been a great advantage to beginning a photography careers. However, many newer photographers depend on the LCD screen as a way of knowing their exposure adjustments rather than understanding their camera meter and how to make creative and/or specific choices to better an image before the even begin. I am all for making adjustments because thing look off on the LCD but I am more for knowing how to meter, understanding what you want, adjust beyond the better judgement of your camera meter, and creating something that looks great rather than something that looks average. It is so much more fun raising the bar from great to awesome rather than average to better. As a wonderfully difficult test I would urge every new photographer to get a hold of a film SLR and shoot a 36 exposure roll and see what it is like to take a picture. Not practice a picture like digital but actually capture and see later if you got what you wanted to take. I understand the power of instant gratification with digital but true knowledge is within. Honing in on your skills and real world practice will help you Get It Right In Camera. So many people rely on tools like Photoshop to solve the problems of their photography mistakes but Photoshop is just that, a tool. You can't really fix bad work with a tool like Photoshop or Lightroom. I know the latitude of RAW files are very rich and informative files however that is not a solution to an originally poor capture. I find it odd how many of my students are content with mediocre work when they were so close to the more appropriate choices for their work. Practice make progress.

Happy Shooting!

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Your Gifts as a Gift

Fist off, yesterday was Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there. Do you ever approach a holiday or birthday thinking "Oh no... I have no idea what to get for them." This happens to me all the time. I found a simple and meaningful way around this annoying problem on what kind of gift to get for Mom or Dad, any friend on their birthday, a significant other, or when your a guest at a wedding.

1: know that this gift idea will not always be the perfect solution

2: understand that if this approach is over used you will look like a thoughtless idiot

3: this is not a work around to the traditional gift ideas that would fit "this" particular occasion in question

It's you. or your abilities rather... I am talking about giving your gifts as a gift. Using your photography to create something special for someone. Maybe offering your photography service as a gift itself. I get that this is a business and we need to make money but giving the service you place value on is often more than you would have spent anyway.

Happy Shooting!

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Whats In My Bag part 16

Continuing, but winding down, on the Friday Whats In My Bag episodes is a phenomenal light I use at every wedding, every portrait, engagement session, and family portraits. It is the Flashpoint Streaklight 360. This light has the compact feel of a speedlight, though it is sufficiently larger, and the power of a studio strobe. Not quite the power of your average 400-600 Watts studio light but near that being a 360 Watt light. Compare that to a top of the line speedlight at about 60-90 Watts and you have a portable powerful light source to be implemented anywhere you need it as you need it. The specific version I purchased is a Manual function only. Although they do make a Nikon Compatible version, as well as, Canon and Sony versions. Those have the option for TTL (Through The Lens) metering function. I could see the benefit in TTL with this power house that is so mobile. However I am a manual kind of guy. I only shoot in full Manual (M) exposure so unsurprisingly I like the same level of control with my lights as well. Plus you save the Green stuff with this lower function version.

Happy Shooting!

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Exposed Photography Showcase

There are countless ways to get out there and network or show your work to others. One local event is the Exposed Photography Showcase at the College of DuPage. It was held last night (05/03/2016) with approximately 500 people in attendance. The Exposed Photography Showcase is a juried contest for both college students as well as surrounding area high school students. We had 11 high schools submit work and I was on the panel of judges for them. The COD student's work was looked at by three local professional photographers. Some of the prizes were subscriptions to the Adobe CC, subscription to ASMP, and even a Canon 70D kit was awarded. This was only the second year for the Exposed Photography Showcase and it was a huge success. Networking was fluent throughout the evening and I even heard a couple students landed internships. Other students were able to sell some work and even book a few sessions. The reality is, when you attend a networking event, any networking possible event, you never know who else may be there or what good can come of it.

Happy Shooting!

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