A few weeks ago Eric said: I recently purchased perfect photo suite 9 (mostly for fine art B&W and re sizing for enlargements). They have special masking and layers programs built into this suite. Do you know if anyone used this program instead of PS for sky replacement and layers. I’d like anyone’s feedback if […]
This is a guest post by Scott Hargis. Scott posted a version of this a couple of days ago on the post about how many photos photographers deliver on a shoot. From my personal experience working with my wife who was a top listing agent, I think this concept is right on and is important […]
A reader, that has UAV video and photos on his website, sent me this last week: I randomly got this email last week and thought I’d send it your way (they filled out a contact form on my website). I pressed a little harder to see who this person was and why they emailed me, […]
If you haven’t submitted your video entry for the January PFRE videographer of the month contest it’s too late. The contest is now closed. I’m turning the entries over to the jurors today for consideration and voting. I’ll be announcing the results around the first of February. In the meantime, if you are interested in video […]
Congratulations to Terry Burger, Atlanta, GA PFRE Photographer Of The Month January. A bunch (53) of great images this month as usual. If you haven’t already, it’s worth your while to browse the contest entrants and read the comments. As usual, there is so much competition that just getting points in this contest makes you a winner! Update […]
Aubrey pointed out this new piece of gear to me: Have you seen this latest Lens Bag? shootsac.com I just got home from a 2-day conference where the owner of Shootsac was there speaking to us. It’s an incredible product that I think the PFRE blog world would love to hear about! My first reaction […]
Cristophe in Wisconsin recently was complaining that: …when I give them a price they say they can get it done cheaper or do them selfs. My question is what is a good price to charge?… Cristophe’s complaint led me to give him my Pareto Principle lecture. Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto observed in 1906 that 80% […]
Jason recently posed the question: I am trying to find a sample ‘terms and conditions’ and a ‘contract’ to offer agents. I have seen a couple of posts you have previously added, but the web links are now dead. The old podcast you recommend has also gone. Can you help at all? We’ve discussed the […]
I’ve been talking with Frank Breslin who is a PFRE reader that’s spent a long while in NZ working with Open2view. Frank has relocated to Barcelona, Catalonia, España and is setting up a retouching business. Frank says: I am an experienced professional photographer with over 14 years experience with top international award winner architects and […]
I just got a great question from Jason, a beginning real estate photographer reading my Business of Real Estate Photography e-book: I’m finding that the top listing agents already have professional photographers they are loyal to. I’m curious how a newbie, like me, breaks into doing business with this small “top agent” circle. How you […]
New Year’s eve has already come and pass, but it’s never too late to set those goals and take 2015 head on. Here, 6 photographers layout what they plan to do within the next 12 months to make 2015 their best year yet.
Photo by Benjamin Heath
In 2015 I want to spend more time and energy on long form photo projects. When I think about the work that has most inspired me the past year, it’s always a body of work that tells a compelling story. I think there are stories to tell and photos to make that don’t require instant sharing on social media. That’s what I’ll be working on this year.
At the Outsiderbooks HQ – a collaboration between Aaron Huey & Shepard Fairey
I wasn’t schooled in journalism, I was schooled in painting, printmaking, and sculpture. In those disciplines there were no truncated essays, or bad edits; just the pure vision of the artist. I miss that part of my life. That kind of thing cannot really be accomplished in most editorial publications because there are so many filters, institutional expectations, commercial partners and maximum page lengths, etc. Reality is flattened for lack of space, uptight audiences, and pressure to conform to a publication’s own history.
This year, I want to take my photography back to my roots, back to the place it emerged from. This is in books, where I can publish the artistic experiments that magazines won’t. With social media today, it’s much easier to sell directly to an audience on one’s own terms. So in 2015 I will leverage my social following to sell at least 3 projects in book form. All 3 will be collaborations between myself and other visual artists, and published by my company, Outsider Books. By Fall 2015 we will have expanded to bring in other photographers to collaborate with the artists of their choosing. Its going to be a good year!
Jeremy Cowart and his family
The photo industry, as a whole, is too unpredictable and ever-changing. So I found my 2015 goals to be more focused on personal aspects of my life, rather than the professional side. Plus, I think professional goals are easier to make than personal one’s.
That being said, my first and foremost goal in 2015 is to be more present with my family. Not physically present, because that part is easy. I mean mentally present. Putting the laptop and phone away and focusing on, and listening to my children will be number one. Their days are flying by and I don’t want to miss them. But being my own boss and an entrepreneur, it’s very easy and tempting to work (literally) around the clock and check that next mail or tend to that next fire. But I don’t want to miss the important moments in my children lives. So there’s a daily, constant choice to make and it’s easier said than done. But I hope in 2015 that I make the right choice more often than not.
Photo by Lara Jade
My main investment this year is to put more time into my photo-shoot ideas – taking my concepts to the next level by collaborating closely with my team, working with sets and finding unique locations. My goal in 2015 is to continue to work within both markets in London and NYC with the intention of working towards higher profile clients via my representation in London and social media marketing.
I also plan on traveling and hosting a few more fashion photography workshops – starting in LA and hopefully a visit to Australia. Traveling inspires me to create new and unique editorial stories and I enjoy the process of meeting and working with different creatives (models, stylists etc) around the world.
Photo by Greg Kahn
My main goal in 2015, simply put, is to make more images. But, it’s not about clicking the shutter more times. It’s about exploring my emotional connection to the world around me. I will be traveling in 2015 more than ever, and I will not only be making images that matter, but pushing my creative boundaries with what I see and how I respond to the world and people I encounter. And when I’m home, I will be making an effort to get out from invoicing and marketing, sitting at the computer screen, and get outside to create.
I will use platforms like Instagram, Tumblr and the GRAIN Images website to share the work as an effort to constantly improve myself and my craft. Sometimes it’s too easy to let a day go by while catching up on work on the computer. I will streamline the processes that keep me at my desk so I will have more time for ideas and adventures.
Photo by Jill Richards
Last year, my resolution was to get organized, and one of the smartest things I did was hire Pedro + Jackie photo consultants to help me. Peter Dennen (the “Pedro” of P+J) edited my portfolio for my newly designed PhotoShelter site and helped me build a marketing plan for 2015, which includes email marketing, face-to-face meetings and printed promos. Peter is equal parts photo-editor and counselor (I’m not above paying him for pep talks). Our dialogue has given me the confidence to embark on my first-ever portfolio review and inspired me to tackle some long-simmering personal projects. I have no complaints about 2014: It was a great year for me and my business. But now I have a plan. And I’m ready to put that plan into action for 2015.
Want to make a rock-solid business plan for 2015? Download The 2015 Photo Business Plan Workbook today!
We wanted our first Selects of the year to emit the feeling of “new” – so we called on PhotoShelter members to submit work that has that fresh look. Some of the images call to mind refreshment, others triumph, and we even threw in one that gave us all a good chuckle! Check out Selects #28, here – and see all the submissions via Lattice, here. For #29 we’re looking to be taken to distant lands with the theme “vacation.” PhotoShelter members, submit via the Lattice stream, here.
Photo by Robert C. Nunnington
Not opted in to receive Selects? Opt-in today!
Feature image by Julia Wimmerlin
If you’re considering taking a photography workshop this year, but don’t know where to start – sometimes it’s best to look in your own backyard. Here we’ve compiled a list of over 50 workshops, organized by location so you can find one happening not too far from home – or, if you’ve got the travel bug, dive in and explore a new place.
From travel to sports photography to business tips, there’s an entire community out there willing to teach and help you reach your professional goals. Take a look and find your perfect match – and if you’re running a workshop, or have another suggestion to add – leave them in the comments below!
Major Workshop Organizations
The renowned Santa Fe Workshops are at it again this year, hosting classes in Santa Fe, San Miguel de Allende, Cuba, and many more. Santa Fe Photographic Workshops instructors are among today’s most influential photographers and participants of all levels are welcome. They host various classes through out the year, and below are a few highlights coming up:
Momenta Workshops in partnership with Leica Camera
During Momenta’s workshops, which are a collaboration with Leica Camera, each student is paired with a nonprofit organization for the duration of the workshop to produce a photo story or package of documentary work on their outreach efforts. The nonprofits range from schools, orphanages, hospitals, animal shelters, advocacy and arts organizations. Students on these workshops have the opportunity to shoot with a Leica M camera, which also features HD video capabilities. Students truly get the documentary experience in the field while having 1-on-1 mentoring sessions every day with an instructor for at least an hour.
Within The Frame Photographic Adventures
Within The Frame Adventures are about the passionate discovery and photography of people, place, and culture. They emphasize the importance of going slow, lingering, experiencing, absorbing, savoring, and taking the time necessary for the excitement of the new and exotic to blend with an understanding and appreciation of the surroundings in order to find one’s personal vision. Here are some highlights for the upcoming year lead by Jeffrey Chapman, Elizabeth Opalenik, and Winslow Lockhart:
Eyes in Progress prioritizes their quality of training with a limited number of participants in each workshop, experts reviews after the workshop, and a strict workshop organization. Here’s a few highlights from their 2015 calendar:
National Geographic Adventures
While many of the Nat Geo trips are travel-only (not a photo led trip per se), a great handful are photography workshops, taking you on the perfect photographic journey. Here’s some highlights for this year:
In the US
Arizona
There are a number The Arizona Highways Photography Workshops happening across the US this year, but here a few happening right in AZ:
Kit Frost also leads photography workshops in Arizona, and around the Southwest. Various dates, April – Oct. 2015
California
El Capitan Canyon, CA: Field Trip is a summit created for those who want to grow their business, expand their unique voice, connect with the community, and explore the new frontier of photography and image creation. March 5-9, 2015
Orange County, CA: Sports Shooter Academy’s Lighting Workshop is a hands-on, educational program that will take participants step-by-step through the process of creative portrait. Instructors this year include Tim Mantoani, David Honl, Matt Brown, Shawn Cullen, and Robert Hanashiro. April 16-19, 2015
Yosemite, CA: Photographer Phil Hawkins teaches 2 to 5 day landscape photography workshops in Yosemite National Park throughout the year until Sept. 2015.
Various locations, CA: Photographer Todd Bigelow teaches the Business of Photography Workshop throughout the year, teaching valuable lessons regarding understanding the freelance market, copyright basics, licensing for revenue, contracts (real and redacted), and much more. Here are few upcoming dates:
Florida
Palm Beach, FL: The Palm Beach Photographic Centre provides various classes taught through out the year, including photo basics and classes for youth.
Montanta
Missoula, MT: The Rocky Mountain School of Photography teaches a handful of workshops in Missoula. Various dates, May – Oct. 2015
New York
Brooklyn, NY: MediaStorm hosts intensive, hands-on educational experiences in advanced multimedia storytelling at their location in Brooklyn. One day workshops focused on the art and business of digital storytelling are happening:
New York, NY: Photography Intensive at Columbia University is being taught by Thomas Roma and Inbal Abergil. May 26 – July 2, 2015
Oregon
Astoria, OR: Landscape photographer Art Wolfe is hosting a workshop along Oregon’s historic and scenic coast. July 9 – 12, 2015
Wyoming
Jackson, WY: Rich Clarkson is leading The Adventure Photography Workshop again this fall. Come and spend a week learning from top adventure photographers and editors while enjoying the outdoor paradise of Jackson, WY. And special bonus, a tuition discount of 10% is offered for full-time students and photography educators, workshop alumni, and members of their partner organizations, NPS, NPPA, NANPA and ASMP. Sept. 19-24th 2015
Jackson, WY: Summer in the Tetons – with Bret Edge & Jason Hatfield. June 18 – 21, 2015
Vermont
Stowe, VT: The FotoVisura Summer Editing Sessions are 2-day intensive workshops that pair two photographers with a guest editor and are one-on-one and group sessions focused on the editing, sequencing, and/or layout of a project. Various dates, May through Sept. 2015
Virginia
Fairfax, VA: NPPA’s Northern Short Course is a three-day event packed with more than two dozen workshops on a variety of topics relevant to professionals and students in the field of visual journalism. Learn from and network with industry leaders, as they share their work and discuss what makes them successful. March 12 – 14, 2015
Outside the US
Argentina, Buenos Aires: Foto Ruta gives guided city tours geared towards the most photogenic spots. Tours last 4 hours, and can be set up by appointment. Foto Ruta is also located in Barcelona, London and Santiago.
Bahamas: The second ever Fstoppers Workshop will take place at Atlantis Resort on the Island of Nassau in the Bahamas on Wednesday May 13th – Sunday May 17th, 2015
Bolivia: Photographer Sergio Ballivan takes photographers for one week to the world’s largest salt flat – The Salar de Uyuni – for the flooded mirror spectacle. January 18-24, January 25-31, March 15-21 & March 22-28, 2015
Canada, Saskatchewan: Branimir Gjetvaj takes you on an instructional photography tours, which is less structured than a full workshop or a course. The main idea behind the tours is to take participants to exceptional locations, and to explore and photograph in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. Suitable for intermediate and advanced photographers. Oct. 23 – 25, 2015
Dubai: Gulf Photo Plus (GPP) is the heart of the Middle East’s photography community. They believe in the art and science of photography as a medium of creative expression, and exist to inform, educate and inspire people across the region. They host workshops and classes throughout the year.
France, Auvergne: Kristel Schneider is teaching a 5-day workshop in Tuscany of Auvergne, a photo-holiday and learning experience wrapped into one: 19 July – 25 July 2015
Iceland: Ken Kaminesky & Patrick DiFruscia lead you on an epic adventure in Iceland. May 20th – 30th, 2015
Iceland: Tim Vollmer partners up with various photographers, including Martin Bailey to lead workshops in Iceland through out the entire year. Various dates, Feb. – Oct. 2015
India, Ladakh: Join Travel Shooters to capture the people, the culture and the high Himalayan landscapes of Ladakh. June 3 – 17, 2015
Indonesia, Bali: Foundry Photojournalism Workshops goes to Bali this year, July 19-25, 2015
Italy, Dolomite Mountains: Phil Hawkins takes you to the Cortina D’Ampezzo area of the Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy, some of the most jaw-dropping scenery in all of Europe. Sept. 7 – 11, 2015
Japan: Photographers John Paul Caponigro and Seth Resnick lead various workshops throughout the year, but their adventure through the sacred places in Japan looks incredible, and only 4 spots are left! Nov. 3-20, 2015
New Zealand: Photog Petr Hlavacek leads photo workshops throughout New Zealand, and hosts one on one courses by appointment.
Tanzania: This private small group photo safari lead by Art Wolfe provides a rare opportunity to photograph three of Africa’s icons in untouched, untamable Africa. Oct. 10 – 20
Thailand, Chiang Rai: Hone your photography skills, and enjoy Thailand’s majestic elephants in a responsible manner, while staying in 5 star accommodations in the jungles of the Golden Triangle. Workshop led by Lee Cracker, various dates, make reservations for private lead tours.
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Are you running a workshop this year? Leave a link in the comments below with information!
Feature image from Sports Shooter Academy’s Lighting Workshop
William Deresiewicz penned a compelling piece at The Atlantic entitled “The Death of the Artist – and the Birth of the Creative Entrepreneur,” which chronicles the evolution of creatives from craftsmen to artists to artistic geniuses to professionals and finally to today’s creative entrepreneurs. His thesis suggests that the archetypal artist – that “solitary genius” – no longer exists, and hasn’t for a while.
Artistic geniuses – think Beethoven – were products of a system of patronage. When that economic model ceased, the artist became a professional. Deresiewicz writes:
Professionalism represents a compromise formation, midway between the sacred and the secular. A profession is not a vocation, in the older sense of a “calling,” but it also isn’t just a job; something of the priestly clings to it. Against the values of the market, the artist, like other professionals, maintained a countervailing set of standards and ideals—beauty, rigor, truth—inherited from the previous paradigm. Institutions served to mediate the difference, to cushion artists, ideologically, economically, and psychologically, from the full force of the marketplace.
The mediating institutions that arose were movie studios, publishers, newspapers, etc. But as we have seen in the last 20 years, the social contract between these institutions are the professionals they employ has changed for good.
But we have entered, unmistakably, a new transition, and it is marked by the final triumph of the market and its values, the removal of the last vestiges of protection and mediation…The institutions that have undergirded the existing system are contracting or disintegrating. Professors are becoming adjuncts. Employees are becoming independent contractors (or unpaid interns). Everyone is in a budget squeeze: downsizing, outsourcing, merging, or collapsing. Now we’re all supposed to be our own boss, our own business: our own agent; our own label; our own marketing, production, and accounting departments. Entrepreneurialism is being sold to us as an opportunity. It is, by and large, a necessity. Everybody understands by now that nobody can count on a job.
This evolution has technology to blame. The rise of the Internet disintermediated traditional forms of media. The newspaper classified – the revenue powerhouse – was rendered obsolete almost overnight by the Internet job board (of which my former company, hotjobs.com, was one). Once the revenue was threatened, these publicly traded publishers had no choice but to layoff full-time journalists and photographers. And as the dissemination of information moved almost entirely online, the value of any piece of content plummeted exacerbating the economic woes of the creative.
Professional photographers are no longer artists (were they ever?). The successful photographer is, as Deresiewicz’s friend explained, now an entrepreneur who values having 10,000 contacts more than having Malcolm Gladwell’s mythic 10,000 hours of professional development. They are creative jacks of all trades (a photographer, musician, UI developer). They sell their “brand” as an authentic look at not only their output, but their creative process (follow me on Instagram and see my behind-the-scenes photos!).
We’ve traded the security of the full-time job for direct access to our audience. We’ve traded insufferable management for an opportunity to lead our own future. We are creator, publisher, PR, and customer service – not necessarily by choice, but by circumstance.
But rather than lament the demise of what once was, we should be opportunistic and consider what could be. We are, for better or for worse, creative entrepreneurs, and we need to acquire skills that will help us succeed in the current and future world. Ironically, a person who only takes pictures nowadays is more likely to be a hobbyist than a professional. We must evolve to survive. This week on the blog we’ll be considering photographer education, and the ways to increase your odds of survival. We hope you join us in sharing your thoughts.
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Build your photo business plan and stick to it this year. Get started with these smart business tips packed into an easy-to-read workbook. Download the guide today!
Todd Owyoung is not only a highly accomplished music photographer, he’s also an avid blogger, and graphic designer for the marketing team here at PhotoShelter. With clients such as Rolling Stone, the New York Times, iHeartRadio and Red Bull – Todd’s experience has had him shooting a plethora of artists, from Taylor Swift to KISS. And while it’s the music that fuels his drive, it’s his skill for getting the perfect shot that’s kept him building an impressive client list over the past 9 years. Here, Todd dishes out his 5 major tips that all music and event photographers should know: from gear, to workflow – here’s Todd’s biggest take-aways from his years of experience:
1. Own At Least 1 Fast Lens
For live music photography, speed rules. Every concert photographer should have a fast lens they can rely on. An f/2.8 zoom or even a cheap 50mm f/1.8 prime will help make the most of dim stage treatments and allow a concert photographer to use higher shutter speeds to freeze motion. My personal kit consists of all f/2.8 lenses — the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8, and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II — and I almost always shoot them wide open.
Photo by Todd Owyoung
2. Dealing with Low Light – Make Those 10 Seconds Count
The best way of dealing with tricky lighting is to have a keen understanding of exposure and to be able to intuitively compensate for changing lighting conditions. Live music production presents a huge range of extremes, from deep shadows to extremely bright stage lighting that can be included in the frame. Camera meters can be easily fooled at a show, confident use of manual exposure will really help in the worst lighting conditions.
Beyond exposure, one piece of advice I always give is to use the lighting you get. If there are only 10 seconds of good lighting, make those 10 seconds count. Photography is the art of subtraction.
Photo by Todd Owyoung
3. To Differentiate Yourself, Do Your Research
When I shoot live music, I’m really looking to make images that no one else is going to make. I’m always trying to look for different angles or opportunities and risks I can take to make my images stand out. It’s not enough to simply have better composition or better technique.
To this end, research can play a big role in making the best images. I always try to check out images from the tour that other photographers have shot to get an idea of the lighting and stage setup.
In addition, checking out YouTube videos from the tour can give a lot of insight into the position and movement of the band members. Watching video of the first three songs can give you an idea of what to expect, especially if there are choreographed moves or effects that happen reliably on the tour.
4. Act like a Professional, No Matter What
The biggest unspoken rule of the photo pit is just to act like a professional. It doesn’t matter if you’re shooting with a toy camera — as long as respect is shown to the other photographers, the band, the fans, and security, everyone can get along. A lot of pit etiquette is simply common sense courtesy — being mindful of your cameras, moving with consideration to everyone else, not doing “hail mary” overhead shots right at the front of the stage with other photographers behind you, and so forth.
Photo by Todd Owyoung
5. Editing in Post: Efficiency is Essential
My workflow for live music includes Photo Mechanic and Lightroom. I do all of my editing in Photo Mechanic and then import the selects into Lightroom for processing. For high-volume editing, Photo Mechanic it’s extremely fast to load RAW files, as it uses the built-in JPG instead of trying to render a new preview, so it is much more efficient than Lightroom for making selects. In Lightroom, my goal is to spend 10-20 seconds processing each image, max. 99% of the time, my edits are restricted to just the basic adjustment pane, optimizing white balance, exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, and black levels.
After processing, I export the images as 100% quality JPGs and upload to my PhotoShelter account. From there, I can deliver the images to clients in a variety of resolutions, create private galleries, embed images on my blog, update my music photography portfolio, etc. — all without having to upload the images a second time.
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Want tips for growing your live event photography business? Download our free guide Growing Your Event Photography Business today!
